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Austin police, citing staffing issues, take 3 hours to respond to crash

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN Live’s top headlines for Sept. 27, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- At 6:50 p.m. on Sept. 13, police said a 911 call came in about a head-on crash just south of Zilker Park and Barton Springs. By the time officers got there at 9:55 p.m., everyone was gone, and the department said it could not take a report. It took APD about three hours to respond to this crash, the department said. Murphy McCollough's sister was in the sedan, pictured to the right. "I’ll never forget the fear in my sister’s voice after she got hit," MCollough posted on social media.KXAN is speaking with her later Wednesday afternoon and will update this story with more on her experience.'Unfortunate series of events'"On the day and timeframe this incident occurred, the officers in Southwest Austin responded to numerous calls prioritized as higher emergencies," the Austin Police Department said. "This unfortunate series of events and the staffing crisis at APD led to a delay in our abi...

Austin closes summer cooling centers, extreme heat resources for the season

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After Austin broke its all-time record this summer for most consecutive days above 100 degrees, city officials announced Wednesday it was shutting down its extreme heat resources for the season.With sub-100-degree temperatures back continuously on the forecast, the City of Austin's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said it will "halt operations related to heat," including its cooling centers and misting canopy pilot. Austin’s record streak of consecutive 100° days finally ends after 45 days “We appreciate all the work that went into keeping our community informed and safe. We are thankful to all our library and parks staff who helped provide Cooling Center services to our community,” Ken Snipes, director for HSEM, said in the release. “Our emergency responders did an amazing job putting out fires, treating those who experienced heat-related illnesses and responding to those who needed medical attention. As we move into our next season, I ask eve...

Radium levels continue to be concern for Inver Grove Heights drinking water

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

Radium levels in the drinking water continue to be a concern for the city of Inver Grove Heights.Radium, a naturally occurring radioactive metal, can be found in small amounts in Minnesota’s groundwater, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. When levels exceed the standard set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, treatment is required.Drinking water that has radium in it exposes people to “very low doses of radiation,” the Minnesota Department of Health reports in general data about radium in community water systems. “You have a higher risk of getting cancer if you drink water with radium in it every day for many years,” the health department states in the data report.The Minnesota Department of Health first notified Inver Grove Heights on Jan. 30 that the radium levels in the city’s water were out of compliance. The problem is attributed to filters at the water treatment plant that are due for replacement.More recent testing continue...

Arrests made in string of Glens Falls youth crimes

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) - Glens Falls Police Department released an update this week regarding a series of reported crimes by juvenile offenders in the city throughout the summer. The department said that arrests have been made, and the legal process is continuing - but there are few details that can be made public. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Over the summer, police made 16 penal law arrests on charges including assault and gang assault. Five parent and guardian arrests have also been made, some relating to the incidents themselves and others for parents and guardians failing to control the minors in question.As the cases in question involve minors, the names of those arrested and the details of their crimes will not be made public. The juveniles involved have been processed through Warren County Family Court, which typically handles all cases involving minors. Arrest statuses and outcomes will not be made public. Hud...

APD Chief and Mayor give public safety update

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Violent crime in the city of Albany has been on a steady decline, according to Police Chief Eric Hawkins. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! A chart shown during a public safety announcement Wednesday displayed data comparing January to September of 2022 with the same time frame in 2023:While Chief Hawkins acknowledged the 6 percent decrease, he and Mayor Kathy Sheehan discussed that quality-of-life issues have become a more prominent concern for residents in recent months, including nonviolent crimes and other incidents, as well as specific areas in the city where these issues are popping up more frequently."We can understand why the residents have expressed concerns," Sheehan said.One of those concerns, Sheehan said, is aggressive panhandling."I see them on almost every block sometimes," said Sheehan. Albany announces expansion of social service programs The mayor is urging residents not to give panha...

Albany man arrested for allegedly harboring and abusing runaway teenagers

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Albany man is facing charges for allegedly harboring runaway teenagers from the St. Anne Institute between August 1 and 15. Calvin Cross, 28, was arrested on September 4 for sex abuse, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal sale of cannabis in the third degree. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Albany Police say Cross not only harbored the runaways but provided them with drugs and abused them. Police do not believe other victims are involved but encourage anyone with information on Cross to contact them.Cross was also arrested in December for allegedly possessing videos depicting child pornography.

Travis Kelce breaks silence after appearance with Taylor Swift in Kansas City

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) — Talk of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's appearance together at Sunday's Chiefs game has been nonstop, especially among Swifties and the Chiefs Kingdom. Now, the Chiefs' tight end is breaking his silence about Swift''s stay in Kansas City. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! On Wednesday morning, Kelce and his brother released a new episode of their podcast, wherein he finally commented on the rumors about him and the pop idol. "We've been avoiding this subject out of respect for your personal life," Jason Kelce said in the episode. "Now, we've got to talk about it.""My personal life that's not so personal! I did this to myself, Jason. I know this," laughed the tight end. "I want to respect both of our lives. She's not in the media as much as I am doing this show every single week."On Sunday, Swift attended the Chiefs' game against the Chicago bears, cheering for Kelce alongside his mother Donna from a box ...

Was a 'skunk-squirrel' spotted in Ohio?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

OLMSTED TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW) — Sightings of a "rare" white or black squirrel are becoming more and more common. But in Northeast Ohio, an even more unusual variant was spotted. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! (WJW)The picture of a black squirrel with a white-tipped tail was shared by Olmsted Township resident Larry Pecsok. A Google search reveals that people captivated by the unique combination of black and white have cleverly dubbed the animals "squnks."Although not a technical term, it describes the unusually-colored squirrel pretty well. It's not possible for genetically dissimilar skunks and squirrels to breed, but many still call the critters squnks when they're spotted. Invasion of a white squirrel scurry Based on research, the squnk is likely descended from the pairing of an eastern gray squirrel and a fox squirrel. As Smithsonian Magazine explains, these "black" squirrels have gene variants passed from fox to gray th...

Woman charged with shooting coworker at Family Dollar

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A woman was charged Wednesday for allegedly shooting a coworker at their job following an argument.According to Sgt. Charles Wall, a spokesman for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting took place just before 4:10 p.m. at the Family Dollar on North Florissant Avenue near St. Louis Avenue, in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood.The victim, a 30-year-old woman, suffered a gunshot wound to her face. She was rushed to the hospital and remains listed in critical condition.Police later identified Myah Blankinship as the shooter, Wall said. Blankinship surrendered to police at the Central Patrol Division.The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office charged Blankinship, 22, with first-degree assault, armed criminal action, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She remains in custody. Bond information is unavailable.

Missouri adds the Hawken Rifle as a state symbol

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:22:57 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- A new addition was made to Missouri's state symbols in August, the Hawken Rifle. This rifle has its origins in St. Louis, thanks to Jacob Hawken, who initially began his journey in Virginia in 1808 before eventually settling in St. Louis in 1825.Missouri officially designated the Hawken Rifle as its state rifle in 2023 through SB139. This recognition came after combining two separate bills (HB224 and HB530) into SB139, which was approved on July 6 and went into effect in August 2023.According to the NRA blog post, Hawken's career started in the East. He worked as an armorer at Harpers Ferry National Armory, part of Virginia, where records show that he was employed there until February 1818. Adam Wainwright says he has thrown his final pitch After leaving Hawken found himself in New Madrid, Missouri by 1818 and eventually established a shop in St. Louis by 1825. He founded the shop with his brother, Samuel Hawken. They initially crafted flintlock guns but tra...