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Salvation Army, city agree to lease for downtown Austin shelter

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:55:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Salvation Army said it approved a one-year lease with the City of Austin to use the nonprofit's former downtown shelter on Friday. The lease is non-renewable. Urban Alchemy, a nonprofit that also runs the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, will run the single-adult emergency shelter at 501 8th St., according to a release. The Salvation Army will be the shelter's landlord, while the city and Urban Alchemy will be responsible for repairs, maintenance, operations and management. In February, The Salvation Army announced it would close its downtown shelter. It said the nonprofit "has come to the decision that they can no longer continue to offer the level and quality of care their brothers and sisters need at the facility." PREVIOUS COVERAGE: City of Austin could reopen downtown Salvation Army homeless shelter The city said the people at the now-closed shelter were relocated to other shelters, permanent housing and other housing options—ensuring no one would ...

Fall officially arrives with unseasonably warm weather

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:55:34 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Welcome to fall, officially! Now that we're in fall, temperatures will actually be about 10 degrees warmer than normal, in the mid to upper half of the 80s. We'll have sunshine, especially early on, with an increase in clouds later in the day as a line of storms approaches from the west. This line of storms weakens as it tries to push into our area. Rain chances into tonight are highest across central and northeast Missouri and lessen the farther east you get. The weakening showers and storms struggle to make much progress into our viewing area late tonight into early Sunday. Mostly cloudy, with overnight lows in the 60s. A few showers or rumbles of thunder will be possible on Sunday, but this will also depend on how much the cloud cover can break up. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the upper 70s.

Editorial: California should exercise caution on self-driving trucks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:55:34 GMT

The recent San Francisco experiment involving self-driving taxis shows the risk posed by putting self-driving trucks on California roads and highways. The thought of a fully loaded semi barreling down a busy highway without a driver on board raises legitimate concerns. But a bill passed by the state Legislature goes too far in slowing efforts to implement the new technology.Gov. Gavin Newsom should veto AB 316, which would ban self-driving trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds from operating on public roads without a human driver until 2029. The Legislature should instead designate the state Department of Motor Vehicles and other stage agencies with the necessary expertise to determine when self-driving trucks are safe to transport products in California.Under the legislation, the DMV would not be able to issue permits for self-driving trucks until after five years of testing or Jan. 2020, whichever comes later. That means the earliest California could allow autonomous trucks to o...

Opinion: Why support for reparations in California should be greater

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:55:34 GMT

An August poll by UC Berkeley found that most Californians oppose paying cash reparations to the descendants of the enslaved.As a supporter of reparations, I found the results disappointing. But not surprising. Most of the state’s 40 million people residents probably don’t know our dark history of enslavement. The poll didn’t provide that context, making it hard for people to feel responsible for something that happened long ago.I grew up thinking mistakenly there was no slavery in California.I got that impression in the fourth grade, the time when California students study our state’s history. My 1963 textbook, “California: Story of Our Past,” presented an idealized version of the conquest of California, with Indians delighted to meet the “kind and brave captain,” Juan Cabrillo, the first European to explore the coast. There was no mention of the deliberate killing of Native Americans or how they were forcibly kept at the 21 missions.Fortunately, students today learn a more nuanced...

Kingston Keanaaina’s big second half helps St. Francis pull away in WCAL opener

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:55:34 GMT

MOUNTAIN VIEW – The play was “96 Slant.” It may not have decided St. Francis High’s 42-20 football victory over visiting Archbishop Mitty on Friday night, but it all but ended it.Kingston Keanaaina’s 63-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage of the second half did two things: It changed the fortunes of a game and it reminded everyone at Brother Fisher Field of Keanaaina’s immense talent.After being held to 35 yards rushing in the first half, Keanaaina gained 132 in the second, finishing with 167 yards on 15 carries with four touchdowns as the Lancers (2-2 overall) collected a big victory on the West Catholic Athletic League’s opening weekend.“Tight end  James Jordan did a great job of sealing one of their best players,” Keanaaina said. “After that, I knew. And Perrion Williams blocking downfield was a big help right there. I think I’m getting him donuts tomorrow.”A year ago, the then-sophomore Keanaaina made his first varsity start against Mitty and rushed f...

Ask Amy: Why do they think I want to hear their annoying music in public?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:55:34 GMT

Dear Amy: I live in Colorado and have young children at home, as well as a job where I am constantly bombarded by sound.I frequent outdoor spaces to seek peace, solitude and the quiet sounds of nature – for my mental health.I am dismayed at the proliferation of Bluetooth speakers, large and small. They seem to be everywhere! Hiking trails, lakes, on boats and paddleboards, at the pool, while camping, even strapped to people while they are biking and skiing! Few seem concerned about the noise pollution they are inflicting on others around them.Why do people seem not to notice or care that those around them may not wish to listen to their choice of music?What happens if we get multiple, conflicting speakers at the same time?I wish I could ask people to use headphones when they are alone, or at least turn down the sound so it is mostly heard by a group in a small vicinity, not everyone around them.In the case of running or biking, they should only wear one earbud and have the volume on...

Tropical Storm Ophelia moving inland over North Carolina as coastal areas lashed with wind and rain

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:55:34 GMT

Waves break along the jetty at Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach, Va., on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 as Tropical Storm Ophelia approaches the area. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)(AP/Kendall Warner) Waves break along the jetty at Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach, Va., on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 as Tropical Storm Ophelia approaches the area. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)(AP/Kendall Warner) ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Tropical Storm Ophelia was moving inland across North Carolina early Saturday, lashing coastal areas with rain, damaging winds and dangerous surges of water, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Life-threatening flooding was forecast for parts of eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virg...

Man sentenced to life in prison for ‘gruesome’ attack that left Dumfries woman blind

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:55:34 GMT

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.A Dumfries man has been sentenced to life in prison in a “gruesome” 2021 attack that left his victim permanently blind.Prince William County Circuit Court Judge James Willett handed down the sentence on Thursday. In April, a jury found Cody Dale Davis guilty of aggravated malicious wounding after a three-day trial.The attack happened on Feb. 2, 2021 while the victim and three children were asleep in their home.Police found the woman in pool of blood suffering from severe facial lacerations and blunt force trauma to her eyes, the Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said in a news release.Davis was also found at the home.“Investigation revealed that the defendant attacked the victim while she was defenseless and unsuspecting,” the release said. “The defendant beat the vict...

Team World sweeps opening three matches against Team Europe at Laver Cup

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:55:34 GMT

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-3, helping Team World win the first three singles matches of the Laver Cup international tournament on Friday.Ben Shelton and Francisco Cerundolo also claimed wins for Team World, along with the doubles pairing of Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe.Monfils came to Auger-Aliassime’s side of the court twice to verbally spar with him during their match, and the Canadian ignored his taunts both times.“At the end of the day, the goal is to get through and win,” Auger-Aliassime said about the confrontation. “I take all matches seriously and want to compete and win and have fun doing it.”Monfils repeatedly played to the crowd, cupping his ear to hear cheers or sitting on advertising boardings along the edge of the black court at Rogers Arena and shrugging to the crowd when a call didn’t go his way. The French player was heard on mic telling Team Europe captain Bjorn Borg that he “was here to have fun” and appe...

Europe stays close after splitting foursome matches against United States in Solheim Cup

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:55:34 GMT

CASARES, Spain (AP) — Swedish rookies Maja Stark and Linn Grant kept it close for Europe at the Solheim Cup on Saturday, making crucial birdie putts on their final two holes to help the hosts split the morning foursome matches and stay only 7-5 down against the United States.Stark and Grant defeated Danielle Kang and Andrea Lee 1 up in the final group to secure a 2-2 split in the early session. Stark’s putt on the 17th put Europe ahead, then Grant clinched the win by sinking hers on the 18th.Stark and Grant, good friends off the course as well, had made their Solheim Cup debuts with a loss in the opening foursomes on Friday.The U.S. got off to its best-ever start to take a 4-0 lead on Friday morning. The Europeans rallied in the fourball matches in the afternoon to cut the lead to 5-3 going into the weekend.The Europeans, trying to win three Solheim Cups in a row for the first time, came in touted as the favorites after bringing an experienced squad to Spain. The Americans arrived w...