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Austin eyeing full-time biologist to oversee city's bat population

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:51:06 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — City leaders could soon hire a full-time biologist to oversee Austin's beloved bat population.Since a 1980 renovation of the Congress Avenue Bridge, the structure has become an ideal cave for Mexican free-tailed bats. Today, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reports Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world, with an estimated 1.5 million bats dwelling under the bridge.With the prominence of bats in the city's ecosystem, the Austin Animal Advisory Commission is submitting a recommendation to city council to consider hiring a full-time expert. Austin celebrates Merlin Tuttle Day "Bats are an extraordinarily important part of our ecosystem, and Austin is blessed with [them]," Commissioner Dr. Paige Nilson said.Nilson added the role would be especially important as populations shift globally and the city's need for observing and preserving its population.Don Bland, head of the Austin Animal Center, said a bat expert could be trained to help deal wit...

Safety Harrison Smith to remain with Vikings after agreeing to pay cut

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:51:06 GMT

Vikings safety Harrison Smith will remain with the Vikings after agreeing to take a pay cut, a source said Thursday.Smith was on the books this season to make a base salary of $14.7 million with a cap number of $19.127 million. NFL Network reported that he agreed to reduce his salary this season to $8 million and could earn an additional $2 million in incentives.The Vikings entered free agency more than $24 million over the cap and needed to address the contracts of some high-priced players. Last week, they released linebacker Eric Kendricks and wide receiver Adam Thielen.As required, the Vikings got under the salary cap by Wednesday’s first day of the new NFL year, but they still have work to do to trim salaries.With the Vikings and running back Alexander Mattison agreeing to a new contract, running back Dalvin Cook is in line to most likely be traded or released. Cook is on the books in 2023 for a base salary of $10.4 million, with $2 million becoming guaranteed Friday due t...

Twins players have starred at the World Baseball Classic

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:51:06 GMT

Six teams remain in the World Baseball Classic, down from 20 at the tournament’s start. Japan and Cuba already have punched tickets to the semifinals.The Twins sent eight players to the tournament, and seven are on teams that have moved on from pool play — thanks in part to their performances. Puerto Rico, which has six Twins on its roster, plays Mexico on Friday, while Venezuela, which counts Pablo López as part of its rotation, will take on the United States on Saturday.Though Puerto Rico has advanced past pool play, Twins shortstop Carlos Correa — who recently returned from paternity leave — does not expect to join the team for the remainder of the tournament.“The ramp up here might get me three innings the first game and then five and then keep building up,” Correa said Tuesday. “I don’t think I’ll be ready to play nine innings of high-intensity games. That would put my health at risk.”While Correa won’t be playing, here’s a look at how the Twins players who have been comp...

Scotia pizzeria reopening dining room after 3 years

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:51:06 GMT

SCOTIA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Carm's Pizza, located at 140 Freemans Bridge Road in Scotia, is reopening its dining room. The dining room closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Get all of the latest news, weather, sports, and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The dining room will be reopening with limited hours on March 23 at 4:30 p.m., said a post on the Carm's Facebook page. The pizzeria is currently hiring for extra staff to help out.In June 2021, Carm's celebrated 50 years in business. Tony Puglisi ran the business until recently when he retired. His grandson, Jimmy, has since taken over the pizzeria and decided to reopen the dining room, said Jimmy's mother, Chrissie. Stores coming, going and staying in Stuyvesant Plaza Although he is retired, Chrissie said Tony still helps out at Carm's every day. In the summer of 2022, the restaurant went through some remodeling, including renovating the dining room and restrooms.The pizzeria offers calzones, sandwiches, ...

Albany officials announce new illegal gun tip line

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:51:06 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- On Thursday, Albany officials announced that residents can now make anonymous reports about illegal firearms via a new tip line created through the Detailed Instruction Supporting Community Violence Education and Reduction (DISCOVER) program. The seizure of an illegal gun can result in a $500 cash reward for the individual who made the tip. Get all of the latest news, weather, sports, and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! "By providing a substantial reward for tips that lead to the seizure of illegal guns, the DISCOVER program is incentivizing participation from many of the individuals most affected," said Legislator Dustin Reidy, who sponsored DISCOVER. "If you know of illegally possessed firearms, call the tip line now – you can do so anonymously, be compensated, and help make your community safer."When a caller makes a report, they will be provided an anonymous identification number and be told to call back with the ID in two weeks. Police wi...

Stores coming, going and staying in Stuyvesant Plaza

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:51:06 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Stuyvesant Plaza has been going through some changes recently with stores moving out or set to move into the Plaza. The shopping plaza also went through a change of ownership about a year ago. Get all of the latest news, weather, sports, and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! WS Development, a Massachusetts-based company, became the majority owner of Stuyvesant Plaza in March 2022. The company bought the Plaza from longtime owner Stuyvesant Plaza Inc.At the end of January, Different Drummer’s Kitchen closed its Stuyvesant Plaza location to move into Crossgates Mall. Owner Andrew Meisberger said the new Plaza owners didn’t renew the store’s lease. Metaphysical, curiosities shop opening in Crossgates Most recently, Beck Furs, a store specializing in furs and other accessories, announced that it'll be moving out in August. Owner of Beck Furs, JoAnn Wilkinson, said the store will be moving into Newton Plaza in Latham in September. With the move, th...

Proposals to eliminate Missouri sales tax on groceries in limbo

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:51:06 GMT

Missouri is one of just 13 states that levies a sales tax on grocery food items.Citing the hefty burden on low-income shoppers and rising cost of food, several other states have moved to reduce the burden of the grocery sales tax. Kansas began phasing it out this year and Illinois suspended the tax for one year. But in Missouri, renewed bipartisan efforts to eliminate the sales tax on take-home grocery food this session appear stalled. A stand-alone bill to eliminate the state portion of the grocery sales tax, sponsored by Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, was approved by committee last month but has yet to be placed on the Senate’s debate calendar.“I’m not as confident that that will have a path forward,” Coleman said in an interview Wednesday with The Independent, adding that typically, bills that haven’t reached the other chamber at this point in session “have a harder time” ultimately passing — although she is “not pessimistic” because it is a bipartisan issue oth...

Many Cardinals still contending for WBC title, six teams remain

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:51:06 GMT

MIAMI - Six teams and seven active St. Louis Cardinals are still fighting for the World Baseball Classic title. The second leg of the tournament is underway after each of the four pools completed their opening series of games Wednesday evening. With less than a week remaining in the tournament, the following Cardinals are still contending for the 2023 WBC Title:Nolan Arenado (USA)Paul Goldschmidt (USA)Miles Mikolas (USA)Adam Wainwright (USA)Lars Nootbaar (Japan)Giovanny Gallegos (Mexico)JoJo Romero (Mexico)Not as a player, but as a manager, recently-retired Cardinals manager Yadier Molina has also led Puerto Rico to a quarterfinals spot. The following Cardinals are expected to return to spring camp in Jupiter, Florida in the upcoming days after their teams with their teams eliminated from the WBC in recent days. Tyler O'Neill (Canada)Tommy Edman (Korea)Guillermo Zuniga (Colombia)Genesis Cabrera (Dominican Republic)Andre Pallante (Italy)Among current Cardinals, these are among the to...

St. Louis school gets new name, no longer after Confederate

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:51:06 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A magnet school for gifted children in south St. Louis gets a new name.It used to be "Kennard Classical Junior Academy" named for Confederate Army Lieutenant Samuel Kennard. The school board chose to rename the school as "Betty Wheeler Classical Junior Academy" for the late educator Betty Wheeler. Trending: Report details fatal encounter between accused cop killer, Hermann police Wheeler was the founding principal at Metro High School in 1972 and is well-known for her innovative programs. Wheeler started her teaching career at Gundlach and Yeatman elementary schools before opening Metro in 1972.Family members and former students say Wheeler demonstrated care, compassion and confidence in every child's ability to achieve greatness. For the school's new name, the dedication ceremony is at 6 p.m. Thursday at 5031 Potomac Street in the Northampton neighborhood.

Los Angeles public school unions to strike for 3 days next week; schools to close

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:51:06 GMT

Tens of thousands of union workers in the Los Angeles Unified School District plan to go on strike for three days next week over stalled contract talks, forcing the temporary closure of schools, union leaders announced Wednesday.The strike was set to begin Tuesday. It was announced at a rally by the Service Employees International Union, which represents about 30,000 teachers' aides, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers and other support staff."We come together to demand living wages and respect for workers who support student learning," SEIU Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias said in a statement. "We know the decision to strike will be a sacrifice, but it is an action LAUSD has forced us to take to ensure that they value our contributions to student learning and respect essential workers in our schools.”The SEIU says district support staffers earn, on average, about $25,000 per year and many live in poverty because of low pay or limited work hours while struggling with inf...