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'Reject vouchers:' Texas public school employees rally at State Capitol

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:49 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Hundreds of educators traveled to the Texas State Capitol Monday to rally for more public school funding, teacher pay raises, and against proposals that would create a state fund for parents to send their children to private or charter schools. Lawmaker proposes $15K pay raise for Texas teachers The Texas AFT, which represents 66,000 current and retired Texas school employees, hosted a Public Education Advocacy Day, where educators met with lawmakers to discuss current proposals that would impact them. Zeph Capo, president of Texas AFT, said calls for teacher pay raises come at a critical time, and lawmakers need to pass bills to help "stem the exodus of Texas school staff." "Texas hasn't even made it to the national average, we're $7,500 below the national average, yet we're in a state that has the ninth largest economy in the world," he said. "We're not doing anything about retention... focusing on vouchers, focusing on sending more money to private schools t...

Potential Applied Materials factory hits snag as Hutto returns $200K for land option

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:49 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for March 13, 2023.(Austin Business Journal) — One of the largest potential economic development deals in Central Texas remains in limbo.Applied Materials Inc., a critical link in the global semiconductor supply chain, has given up its option to buy hundreds of acres along U.S. Route 79 in Hutto.Bob Farley, the city's economic development director, told Austin Business Journal on March 8 that discussions with the company — codenamed "Project Acropolis" in economic development discussions — are ongoing. However, the city is no longer earmarking the land in the desirable stretch of Williamson County for the Silicon Valley-based behemoth.Read the full story in the Austin Business Journal.

No age cap: Two different generations strive for healthy lifestyle in Austin senior living community

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A group of older adults in Austin are proof that there is no age cap when it comes to lifestyle. There is a community in Austin where people in their 70s, and some nearing 100 years of age, are thriving.If you walk into Brookdale Gaines Ranch, 4409 Gaines Ranch Loop, a community home for older adults, you will find men and women gathering into what looks like an ordinary room. The ringleader of the group is Gail Peterson.“You get to know people in a different way here than you do at dinner or, you know, other places,” Peterson said.She rallies the troops and walks with them to their workout class.“The biggest thing that hurts the seniors, is them falling and breaking their hip or getting a bruise that basically debilitates them, and then they can't live their life,” Ross Tschirn said, co-owner of Gratitism.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among people age 65 and older.Peterson, 74, does not want...

Sheriff: 2 found fatally shot in Andover home were result of murder-suicide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:49 GMT

Authorities have concluded the fatal shootings of a man and a woman in an Andover home were the result of a murder-suicide.According to the Anoka County sheriff’s office, deputies responded shortly before 6:30 a.m. Friday to the residence in the 14900 block of Osage Street Northwest on a report of two unconscious individuals.Deputies found the man and woman dead of apparent gunshot wounds. None of the other occupants in the home were injured.On Monday, the woman was identified as Jennifer Yang, 36, of Andover. The man was identified as Fue Her, 40, of Andover.The sheriff’s office said that Her fatally shot Yang before turning the gun on himself.The incident remains under investigation.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Man killed in St. Paul stabbing ID’d as 55-year-old Crime & Public Safety | Charges: Landfall woman stabbed boyfriend over Tinder app, grabbed handle of deputy’s gun during arrest Crime & Public Safety | ...

Barge season opens a week early, with a home opener of sorts through Lake Pepin and into St. Paul

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:49 GMT

Two tow boats pulling 12 barges between them — each barge loaded with some 1,500 to 1,600 tons of cement — broke through the frozen waters of Lake Pepin on Sunday, crossing from Wisconsin, on through Hastings and into St. Paul. In 17 frigid hours, they together delivered what in warm temperatures might take a single towboat three or four hours.Their stop-and-go journey into the capital city marked the first official barge traffic of the season on the Upper Mississippi River, a home opener of sorts for river shipping.“We’ve had no barges since the end of November,” said Lee Nelson, president of Upper River Services, the private company that serves as the harbor operator for the Twin Cities. “This marks the beginning of the season.”The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers brought the Motor Vessel Phillip M. Pfeffer and Motor Vessel Neil N. Diehl on Sunday through Lock and Dam No. 2 in Hastings, the last major barrier for vessels reaching the head of t...

Minnesota lawmaker injured in weekend snowmobile crash near Alexandria

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:49 GMT

ALEXANDRIA, Minn. — State Sen. Torrey Westrom, R-Alexandria, is recovering from injuries suffered in a weekend snowmobile crash near Alexandria.The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call at about 3 p.m. Sunday reporting a snowmobile accident on the north end of Lake Ida.Deputies and first responders arrived at the scene and found Westrom about 200 yards from shore.A 13-year-old boy had been operating the 2009 Arctic Cat snowmobile. Westrom, 49, was the passenger.The snowmobile struck a packed snowdrift on the lake, causing Westrom to be thrown clear of the snowmobile, according to the sheriff’s office.Westrom was complaining of upper body pain at the scene. The boy, whose name was not released, wasn’t injured.Westrom was transported by snowmobile rescue sled to a nearby public access and transported to the Alexandria hospital. Minnesota Public Radio reported that he was admitted for observation and that the snowmobile’s operator was a family member.Wes...

Eagan parents sue Florida university, running coach after daughter died by suicide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:49 GMT

Parents of a former Rosemount High School graduate who died by suicide are taking legal action against the Florida university their daughter attended and her cross-country coach at the time. In a lawsuit, they say the coach bullied her about her weight and learning disabilities.The case was filed by Ray and Lynne Pernsteiner in Florida state court in February and then moved to U.S. District Court in Florida. Julia Pernsteiner died in her Jacksonville University dorm room on Nov. 8, 2021 at age 23.The lawsuit alleges that Pernsteiner’s constitutional rights were violated under both Title IX and the Americans with Disabilities Act.Calls from the Pioneer Press to attorneys for the former coach Ronald E. Grigg Jr., 52, and Jacksonville University for comment on the lawsuit were not returned Monday.Jacksonville University did release this statement to KSTP television: “The students, faculty, and staff of Jacksonville University continue to mourn Julia’s tragic death and we sympathize wit...

CB Patrick Peterson agrees to sign with Pittsburgh after being unable to reach deal with Vikings

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:49 GMT

Cornerback Patrick Peterson’s first choice in free agency was to re-sign with the Vikings. But it didn’t work out.Peterson, who played the past two seasons for Minnesota and is bound one day for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said on his “All Things Covered” podcast Monday that he will sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers after teams Wednesday can begin signing outside free agents.“No doubt about it, I definitely wanted to go back to Minnesota,’’ Peterson said on the podcast he co-hosts with Bryant McFadden, his cousin and a former Steelers cornerback. “I even before I made the decision to … plan on signing with Pittsburgh, (said), ‘Are you sure?’ I wanted to come back. We just can’t make it happen.”The Vikings have salary-cap issues. And while Peterson, who played last season under a one-year, $4 million deal, didn’t address any monetary specifics on the podcast, he did say it came down to business in his dealings with the Vikings“It was all clean, good, adult, men business,” Peterson...

3/13/23: Major Winter Storm Arrives Overnight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:49 GMT

Latest Forecast Update from Meteorologists Steve Caporizzo & Rob Lindenmuth:Major winter storm is headed to the Capital Region overnight tonight. This may begin as rain for the valley, but as cooler air begins to get worked in, temperatures will fall close to freezing and we will all transition to snow between 10pm and midnight. Winter Storm Warnings have been issued for the entire area for the heavy wet snow expected.Storm system right now is located just off the Mid-Atlantic Coast. Very strong upper level energy is dropping out of the Great Lakes and will continue to track to the east. At the same time, the coastal storm will be moving northward and will begin to interact with the upper level energy late tonight and Tuesday morning. This will allow the storm to strengthen and with plenty of moisture available, another "juiced" storm, we do expect high snowfall totals with a high liquid content, making this a very heavy wet snow.Major impacts are expected through Tuesday evenin...

Santos calls for presidents' cognitive ability to be tested annually

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:49 GMT

Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) introduced a bill on Monday that would require the sitting president to undergo an annual cognitive evaluation, after GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley called for “mental competency tests” for politicians older than 75.The measure is the second piece of legislation the embattled congressman has spearheaded since coming to Congress in January.“Regardless of political affiliation, this should be a common sense and bipartisan agreement that when a man or a woman becomes President, they submit to an annual cognitive evaluation,” Santos wrote in a statement.If the commander in chief were to ignore the requirement, Santos is proposing that the White House does not receive federal funds for official travel.“Physical examination results are publicly released throughout their time in office, and a thorough cognitive assessment should also be included, and failure to comply will result in no federal funds being obligated or expended for official travel,” the c...