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Florida deputies struck intentionally by man driving car recovering after surgeries, sheriff says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:21 GMT

BRANDON, Fla. (AP) — Two Florida sheriff’s deputies remained hospitalized Friday after surgeries for injuries they suffered when a man intentionally plowed into them with his speeding car, authorities said.Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a video message that deputies Carlos Brito, 39, and Manny Santos, 31, “are on a long road to recovery” after suffering severe leg injuries. The sheriff’s office posted a photo of Chronister with a smiling Santos and his wife in a Tampa General Hospital room.“These deputies’ lives are changed forever,” the sheriff said.The two were answering a call Thursday from a woman who said her son, 28-year-old Ralph Bouzy, was acting irrationally and kicking in doors at their home in Brandon, a suburb east of Tampa. When the deputies arrived, Bouzy took off in his car and then quickly raced back down the residential street and struck them, Chronister said.He was arrested outside the home by another deputy who used a stun we...

Single mother evicted, left to pay for damages after police search home for suspect who wasn't there

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:21 GMT

STILLWATER, Okla. (KFOR) – A single mother of two young girls has been left homeless after the Oklahoma home she was living in was at the center of a standoff Wednesday night.Brittany Fent, of Stillwater, said police arrived at her home in search of a suspect who wasn't there — and hadn't been, for around a month."I was pleading with them that they could have the keys and that he wasn't in there," said Fent, who has lived at the home for three years. Now, she says the management company is planning to evict her, and make her pay for the damages caused by authorities during the search.Stillwater Police said they had gotten word Wednesday afternoon from Lincoln County Officials that Lewis Bearden III, Fent's ex-boyfriend, was inside the home. Police said he had felony arrest warrants for burglary and robbery, and that they had information he was inside."He wasn't there and I told them several times that he wasn't," said Fent. "I kept begging them to use my keys and get inside if neede...

Suburban father charged with first-degree murder of infant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:21 GMT

LANSING, Ill. — A man was charged with first-degree murder after his 2-month-old daughter was found dead from alleged abuse at a Lansing motel.Just before 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Lansing police were dispatched to a Motel 6, located in the 2100 block of Bernice Road, for an unresponsive subject.Authorities at the scene found an unresponsive 2-month-old baby girl. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.The Lake County, Indiana Medical Examiner's Office handled the cause of death and it was determined to be homicide.Police allege following an investigation, the infant's father, Joshua McGhee, 24, formerly of Lansing, was responsible. He was charged with first-degree murder and failure to register as a sex offender.McGhee was charged in Cook County.

Republicans demand immigration reform be included in national security package

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:21 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Immigration reform is emerging as a top issue in Congress's battle over spending. Senate Republicans say they won't approve funding for Ukraine without funding for border security, as well."We have a broken immigration system. We have a chance to do something on the border," Senator Lindsey Graham said.Republicans are demanding immigration reform be part of any larger security package.Sen. Rick Scott says it's about prioritizing US national security."I don't think we ought to be doing anything with Ukraine, if we're not willing to do the same thing with ourselves: Defend ourselves, secure our border," Scott said.Specifically, Republicans want to restart border wall construction, change asylum laws, and increase border agent pay.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says border reform is a sticking point for his party."Border security needs to be a part of this package if it's going to move out of the Senate," McConnell said.Many Democrats say they'd also love...

Calumet Fisheries closed after failing inspections; dead mice, hundreds of droppings found

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:21 GMT

CHICAGO — Calumet Fisheries has been closed by the Chicago Department of Public Health due to failed health inspections.The Chicago institution, located at 3259 E. 95th St. in front of the Calumet River, is known for smoking its own fish.According to public health data, the health officials visited the restaurant on Oct. 31 and found numerous violations, including dead mice and rodent droppings.Around 400 mice and rat droppings were found in several areas of the restaurant, data shows. Dead and decaying mice were found at the motors of the front-display coolers in addition to several other violations, data shows.Health officials conducted another inspection on Nov. 6 where around 150 mice and rat droppings were discovered in the storage area and other areas, according to data.The City has closed Calumet Fisheries for the time being as a result of the violations.WGN News requested comment from Calumet Fisheries and have not heard back at this time.

Shark exhibit swims into the Bullock History Museum

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new limited-time exhibit on sharks, "the ocean's most magnificent and misunderstood species," opens at the Bullock Texas State History Museum on Saturday.A model of a Megalodon, an extinct species of shark. (KXAN Photos/Cora Neas)Bullock Museum curator James McReynolds explains that several factors go into selecting temporary exhibits like "Sharks.""We want to have the highest quality exhibitions that we can on display here at the Bullock Museum," McReynolds said. "We think about our audience, what would be best for Central Texas in this community. And then we also like to mix it up."The museum has already planned the next few years of special exhibits."Sharks" is one of the fun ones for the museum — previous temporary exhibits have included guitar collections, themed art collections and more. The new exhibit comes from the American Museum of Natural History in New York."This is one of those exhibits where you come through the door, and your jaw drops because the q...

Texas House committee advances school voucher bill, overcoming key hurdle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:21 GMT

AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — A Texas House committee has advanced school voucher legislation that could be key to ending the protracted stalemate over the issue this year at the Capitol.By a vote of 10-4, the House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment approved House Bill 1 on Friday. It is a wide-ranging education bill that includes a voucher-like program known as education savings accounts that lets parents use taxpayer dollars to subsidize private schooling costs.Gov. Greg Abbott has pushed all year for the proposal, prompting four special sessions. The committee approval marks the furthest a voucher bill has gotten in the House in recent history."We are excited to see a Texas House education committee pass school choice for the first time since 2005," Tommy Schultz, CEO of the American Federation for Children, said in a statement. "It's time to get this done."The legislation now goes to the House Calendars Committee, which is responsible for routing bi...

Texas community colleges see biggest enrollment recovery since the pandemic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:21 GMT

AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — Texas community colleges saw a big post-pandemic recovery this year, preliminary fall enrollment data shows.A total of 676,141 students were enrolled in community colleges this fall, representing a 4.25% increase in enrollment since 2021 and bringing those numbers closer to where they were before the pandemic. About 747,000 students were enrolled in public two-year colleges in 2019.The uptick comes after community colleges saw enrollment fall by about 80,000 students between 2019 and 2021, causing community college enrollment to fall below the state’s four-year universities for the first time since the 1990s. The drop came as a surprise to many community colleges expecting student enrollment to increase during the pandemic, as it typically does during economic recessions when students look for more affordable schooling options.Texas Community Colleges Association President and CEO Ray Martinez said he believes affordability is a driving factor in the recover...

Gov. Abbott signs bill banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates in private sector

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:21 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private employers at the governor's mansion on Friday afternoon.Senate Bill 7 will prohibit employers in the private sector from taking "adverse action" against an employee who does not want to get a COVID-19 shot. It would allow people to file a complaint at the Texas Workforce Commission to investigate alleged retaliation. Employers could face a fine up to $50,000 for each violation, according to this legislation.Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, who authored SB 7, emphasized the importance of medical autonomy when discussing his bill during the third special session.“This bill is about protecting individuals,” said Middleton during the third special session. “This protects individuals from losing their job if they don’t believe that COVID vaccine is right for them for whatever reason.” READ MORE: Texas Senate gives final approval to ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private emp...

Minnesota opening weekend deer harvest down 13% from 2022

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:21 GMT

Minnesota’s opening weekend firearms deer harvest is down 13% statewide from 2022, based on statistics from the Department of Natural Resources.Minnesota’s firearms deer season opened Saturday, Nov. 4.According to the DNR, Minnesota hunters registered 47,138 deer during the first two days of the season. The opening weekend tally also is down 28% from the five-year mean, DNR statistics show.Here’s a look at the opening weekend deer harvest by region:Northwest Region: 13,224 deer were registered, down 16% from 2022 and 38% below the five-year mean.Northeast Region: 9,299, down 19% from last year and 40% below the five-year mean.Central Region: 16,788, down 4% from 2022 and 14% below the five-year mean.Southwest Region: 7,827, down 17% from 2022 and 18% from the five-year mean.“We anticipated lower numbers for northern Minnesota coming off another tough winter,” Barb Keller, Big Game Program leader for the DNR in St. Paul, said in an email. “Not sure yet about the lower harvest in Cent...