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Wisconsin schools superintendent wants UW regents to delay vote on deal to limit diversity positions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:40 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s state school superintendent on Wednesday called for Universities of Wisconsin regents to delay a second vote on a deal with Republican legislators that would limit campus diversity positions in exchange for employee raises and money for construction projects.The regents rejected the deal on a 9-8 vote on Saturday amid complaints from Democrats that the deal sells out minority and LGBTQ+ students and faculty. But after a closed-door meeting Tuesday led by Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman, the regents called for another vote Wednesday evening. The agenda indicated that Regent Amy Blumenfeld Bogost, who voted against the proposal on Saturday, had switched positions and now supported it. State Superintendent Jill Underly automatically doubles as a regent by virtue of her position. She did not vote Saturday because she was out of the country. She issued a statement Wednesday asking regents to reschedule the second vote because she was...

Woman who Montana police say drove repeatedly through religious group pleads not guilty

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:40 GMT

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A Montana woman who police say drove her vehicle repeatedly through a group of religious demonstrators, wounding one person, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to multiple felony charges.Genevienne Marlene Rancuret, 55, was arraigned in state district court and ordered held on $250,000 bond in the alleged weekend assault in Billings against members of Israel United in Christ. About 10 men from the group were assembled along a busy road in front of a grocery store where they were holding signs and reading the Bible through an an amplifier, when Rancuret drove at or through them several times, according to court documents and a witness.Moments earlier Rancuret had allegedly told an employee at a nearby convenience store that she thought the group was being racist against white people and suggested she was going to run them over. Rancuret later told police that the group had directed a derogatory term toward her and she felt threatened so she intentionally drove at ...

Execution date set for Missouri man who killed his cousin and her husband in 2006

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:40 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday set an April execution date for Brian Dorsey, a central Missouri man convicted of killing his cousin and her husband in 2006.The execution is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 9 at the state prison in Bonne Terre. It would be the first in 2024 in Missouri. Four of the 24 executions in the U.S. this year were in Missouri.Dorsey, formerly of Jefferson City, was convicted of killing his cousin, Sarah Bonnie, and her husband, Ben, on Dec. 23, 2006, at their home near New Bloomfield. Prosecutors said that earlier that day, Dorsey had called Sarah Bonnie seeking to borrow money to pay two drug dealers who were at his apartment.Dorsey went to the Bonnies’ home that night. After they went to bed, Dorsey took a shotgun from the garage and killed both of them before sexually assaulting Sarah Bonnie’s body, prosecutors said.Sarah Bonnie’s parents found the bodies the next day. The couple’s 4-year-old daughter was unhurt....

Family of Hinsdale teenager killed in crash outside car wash files lawsuit against car wash and employees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:40 GMT

HINSDALE, Ill. — The family of a Hinsdale teenager killed in a horrific crash over the summer has filed a lawsuit against a well-known Chicagoland car wash.Clifford Law Offices filed the lawsuit Wednesday morning on behalf of Brian and Kristine Richards, the parents of Sean Richards, "against the entities who own and manage the car wash and other employees."On July 17, Sean Richards, 14, was struck by a jeep that was driven by an employee of the Fuller's Car Wash location in Hinsdale, which has been in operation for about 70 years."We have three objectives in pursuing this litigation: the truth, accountability and, third, public safety," Brian Richards said in a news conference Wednesday morning. Sean RichardsA joint investigation by the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office and the Hinsdale Police Department determined that a 16-year-old worker at the car wash was inside a jeep and accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake. That sent the vehicle forward, where it struck ...

Armed man shot by police after breaking into Joliet home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:40 GMT

JOLIET, Ill. — A police officer shot an armed man who broke into a house in Joliet Wednesday morning.Officers responded around 8:40 a.m. to the 1100 block of North Center Street after several 911 calls about a man outside of a residence with a gun.While police were enroute, they learned that the man had forcibly entered the residence.According to police, the suspect ignored numerous commands to drop his handgun and then began walking towards an officer. At that time, the officer discharged their firearm twice, striking the man one time.Additional officers arrived to the scene and rendered medical aid to the man. He was then transported to a local hospital in stable condition.A handgun was recovered at the scene. The man is in custody and charges are pending. The Will Grundy Major Crimes Task Force is currently investigating the shooting. Man accused of strangling pregnant Chicago woman, dumping body in north suburbs Police said this is an isolated incident and there is no threat t...

WATCH LIVE: Fed Chair Jerome Powell discusses latest data, key interest rate projections

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:40 GMT

Powell is set to hold a press conference at 1:30 p.m. CT which Nexstar Media plans to livestream within this story.WASHINGTON (AP) — Will the Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate sometime next year — and, if so, by how much?Wall Street investors have been obsessed with such questions since a top Fed official hinted last month that rate cuts were at least possible as early as March.The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday for a third straight time, a sign that it is likely done raising rates after having imposed the fastest string of increases in four decades to fight painfully high inflation.The Fed’s policymakers also signaled that they expect to make three quarter-point cuts to their benchmark interest rate next year, fewer than the five envisioned by financial markets and some economists. The relatively few number of rate cuts forecast for 2024 — which may not begin until the second half of the year — suggest that the officials think high borrowing ...

What's the 'Taylor Swift Challenge'? How to help your local shelter on her birthday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:40 GMT

(WSYR) – In celebration of Taylor Swift's 34th birthday, animal shelters all over the United States are using fans to take part in a "Taylor Swift Challenge."Swift — who joked that she only accepted Time's Person of the Year award by asking, "Can I bring my cat[?]" — is known to be a cat lover, owning three famous felines: Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button, the last being the rescue cat she's pictured with on the Time magazine cover.Knowing this, shelters across the country are hoping to inspire Swift's fans to donate a few bucks to their cause.Taylor Swift accepts the Icon award — a surfboard covered in cat photos — at the Teen Choice Awards on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, in Hermosa Beach, California. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP)The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), which is credited with the idea, said the #TaylorSwiftChallenge could do a world of good for animals in need."On December 13, you have the chance to be person ...

FOP contract biggest focus of Wednesday's City Council meeting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:40 GMT

CHICAGO — City Council is discussing several issues involving the Chicago Police Department Wednesday.The biggest item for council members is the FOP contract. The FOP and Mayor Johnson's administration agreed on a new deal to get rank-and-file officers five percent raises next year and in 2025. That's double than the previous raise.New stipends of $1,000 annually for officers with emergency medical, crisis intervention or bike training certificates.There's also a $2,500 retention bonus for every union officer.On the operational side, CPD leaders will be able to create rotating teams of homicide investigators, who will take up all the murders in a particular area. They deal said they would work exclusively on those cases for one week.But the most contentious part of the deal is police discipline. A council committee rejected an arbitrator's ruling that would allow officers accused of serious wrongdoing to hold proceedings behind closed doors — bypassing the police board.Mayor Johnso...

AFD hosts 19th annual Senior Holiday Lunch

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:40 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday, the Austin Fire Department hosted its 19th annual Senior Holiday Lunch.The lunch was held at the Conley-Guerrero Activity Center in east Austin.“The event was the brainchild of retired Austin firefighter Tim LaFuente, who not only organizes the event each year but cooks all of the food himself!” organizers said.19th annual AFD annual Senior Holiday Lunch at the Conley-Guerrero Activity Center (KXAN photo/Ed Zavala)19th annual AFD annual Senior Holiday Lunch at the Conley-Guerrero Activity Center (KXAN photo/Ed Zavala)19th annual AFD annual Senior Holiday Lunch at the Conley-Guerrero Activity Center (KXAN photo/Ed Zavala)19th annual AFD annual Senior Holiday Lunch at the Conley-Guerrero Activity Center (KXAN photo/Ed Zavala)19th annual AFD annual Senior Holiday Lunch at the Conley-Guerrero Activity Center (KXAN photo/Ed Zavala)19th annual AFD annual Senior Holiday Lunch at the Conley-Guerrero Activity Center (KXAN photo/Ed Zavala)19th annual AFD ann...

TABC debuts new opioid overdose training course

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:39:40 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission announced Wednesday it had created a new training course to help alcohol retailers both recognize signs of an opioid overdose and learn how to apply life-saving measures to those overdosing.Senate Bill 998, authored by state Sen. Royce West and passed in the 88th Texas Legislature, went into law on Sept. 1. The newly-minted law requires "certain Mixed Beverage and Private Club permit holders, and certain members of their staff, to complete an opioid overdose training course provided by TABC" annually, the release said.“Not a week passes without hearing of another opioid-related death. The course developed by TABC following the passage of SB 998 will instruct those who work in venues where alcohol is sold on how to identify a person in the stages of an opioid overdose and train them to administer an opioid antagonist,” West said in the release. “SB 998 creates a safety net in this fight against the fentanyl and opioid-rela...