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Public safety leaders: APD overtime payment delays linger

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:57:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – In the midst of a staffing shortage, the Austin Police Department is leaning more than ever on officers like Gavin Smart to work overtime to fill any patrol gaps and speed response times.Smart said he doesn’t work extra hours just for money but because he wants his fellow officers to have all the assistance they need in a volatile environment – like downtown’s raucous Sixth Street where KXAN shadowed him on a recent mid-May Friday night.“We go through a lot of traumatic experiences together, so you become close to each other. It's like a family,” Smart said, who added he works 10 to 20 hours of overtime a week. “A lot of times you'll do OT in the sense that you don't want your friends to be by themselves at night. You want to make sure they have adequate backup staffing, responses to calls.”Austin Police officer Gavin Smart patrols downtown Austin's 6th Street in mid-May with KXAN reporter Brianna Hollis. (Courtesy / KXAN)While APD officers are racking up historic le...

Mom pushes food safety bill in Texas House to honor son

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:57:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – A Texas mother who lost her son nine years ago spent Tuesday trying to convince House lawmakers to support a bill that supporters say would raise awareness of food allergies at restaurants. Senate Bill 812, referred to as the Sergio Lopez Food Allergy Awareness Act, would require restaurants to display posters about food allergens where employees can see them. According to the bill text, the poster must include information regarding:the risk of an allergic reaction to a food allergensymptoms of an allergic reactionthe major food allergens, as determined by federal law and regulations of the Food and Drug Administration the procedures for preventing an allergic reactionappropriate responses for assisting an individual who is having an allergic reactionSenate Bill 812 was authored by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo. It passed the Senate on April 6. The bill needed one more vote before it could be approved by the House after Monday night. The bill is named for Ser...

St. Paul’s public parks again ranked No. 2 in the nation

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:57:49 GMT

St. Paul has the second-best public parks system in the nation, according to the Trust for Public Land, which has released its annual ranking of 100 municipal park systems and found Minnesota’s capital city to again be second to one.Washington, D.C., dubbed the “defending champion” by Trust for Public Land officials, took top honors for the second year in a row, while Minneapolis climbed two spots from fifth place to third following new park openings. The results can be found at https://www.tpl.org/.St. Paul added three new dog parks citywide and a series of public amenities at Highland Bridge, the former site of the Twin Cities Ford auto manufacturing plant, which is now home to a skate park, a dog park, multiple playgrounds and two large, stormwater-fed water features.“It’s such a beautiful space,” said Sophie Vorhoff, Minnesota state director for the Trust for Public Land. “Seeing the skating, and the combination of nature play and progra...

Lineup announced for Lunchtime at the Plaza Concert Series

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:57:49 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) --  The lineup for the Lunchtime at the Plaza Concert Series Presented by M&T Bank has been announced. The free outdoor concert series provides live music from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays between June 7 and August 16 at the Empire State Plaza. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! “The lunchtime concert series provides an excellent opportunity for state employees and the public to come to the Empire State Plaza and enjoy being out in warmer temperatures and summer sun while listening to live performances and eating a healthy lunch from one of the Plaza food vendors or shopping at the weekly farmers market," said Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy.Music lineupJune 6: Acute InflectionsJune 14: Maria Z with Brian Melick, Spanish classical, flamenco, and American fingerstyleJune 21: Make Music Day celebration featuring Heard, world musicJune 28: To be announcedJuly 5: No concertJuly 12:...

Bear struck and killed on I-55 NB hours after black bear sighting

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:57:49 GMT

FESTUS, Mo. - A bear is struck and killed by a car not far from a black bear sighting 14 hours prior. Festus police confirmed that a black bear was struck and killed on Interstate-55 north. It happened less than a mile and a half from their department and about a half a mile from a bear sighting around 24 hours ago.Someone called police, explaining that a bear was on the side of the interstate just before exit 175. The location where the bear got struck is about a half-mile from the bear sighting in Festus Tuesday morning.FOX 2 spoke with a family who saw the large bear going through trash cans in a neighborhood off Hillcrest Road near the American Legion. Josh Johnson took video, which quickly went viral on social media. St. Louis County man charged after crashing truck near the White House Festus police spent the day working with the Missouri Department of Conservation trying to find the bear. They were telling people in the area to secure their trash bins and to put their trash...

Six separate shootings in St. Louis City Tuesday

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:57:49 GMT

ST. LOUIS - At least six separate shootings since Tuesday in St. Louis City.A woman was shot in the leg around 11:30 p.m. on Cochran Place at North 14th Street in the Carr Square neighborhood. Police arrested the shooter. St. Louis County man charged after crashing truck near the White House Another woman was shot just after 11:30 p.m. on John Avenue at North 20th Street, in the College Hill neighborhood.Earlier, there were shootings on I-70 at Shreve, North Tucker, Itaska Street in south St. Louis, and on South 7th Street in Soulard.

Colorado Department of Revenue seizes Boston Market headquarters over unpaid taxes

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:57:49 GMT

Not much time may be left for Boston Market fans who want to get a fix of chicken carver sandwiches, rotisserie ribs or mashed potatoes at the once-popular fast-casual chain that has been based in Golden for nearly three decades.Boston Market is down to three locations in Colorado — Westminster, Aurora and Colorado Springs — and its owner, Engage Brands, has let a big stack of bills pile up from its landlords, vendors, employees and even the state of Colorado.Last week, the Colorado Department of Revenue posted big notices on the doors of the company’s headquarters and its three remaining restaurants announcing an asset seizure. A list of delinquent taxpayers did not include Boston Market or any of its current or previous owners, indicating company officials likely paid the back taxes. That would have allowed the restaurant locations to reopen.Engage Brands is part of the Rohan Group of Companies owned by Philadelphia-area developer Jay Pandya, who operated several Pizza...

These are Denver’s favorite things to grill on Memorial Day weekend

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:57:49 GMT

With Memorial Day comes the summer, and with summer comes grilling outside as much as possible.As folks all around the city dust off their grills, smokers and barbecue stations, and stock up on propane, charcoal and wood chips, it’s time to start thinking about what succulent cuts of meat to kiss with fire, as well as the seasonal vegetables to accompany the main course.You can’t go wrong with pulled pork and grilled ribs for Memorial Day, with fresh asparagus. (Linnea Covington, Special to The Denver Post)We reached out to some of the top butchers and meat purveyors in the area to find out what they will be grilling, and what the most popular cuts are that Denverites are demanding. There’s also a hearty dose of vegetable pros to help with green side of grilling for those who may want to enjoy the pasttime without animal products (veggies rock, too).The meatsWith so many choices, it’s easy to get lost when choosing the perfect cuts for Memorial Day grilling. ...

What does the U.S. debt limit battle mean for Colorado?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:57:49 GMT

As federal brinksmanship continues over the country’s debt limit, state officials are trying to keep nerves calm.Federal officials have warned the country could start defaulting on its debt as soon as June 1 if Congress doesn’t authorize more borrowing. House Republicans have sought to leverage their slim majority for spending limits and rein in unspent COVID relief money, while national Democrats haggle over what those caps would mean.Meanwhile, some of Colorado’s top Democrats in Washington, D.C., have likened the fight to a “manufactured crisis” and “holding guns at each other’s heads,” as U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse and Sen. John Hickenlooper, respectively, characterized the issue recently. Sen. Michael Bennet described the potential of a “horrible self-inflicted wound” that could include higher interest rates for homes and cars if there’s a default on debt payments over a fight with a political party that’s suppor...

San Jose felt snubbed by the NFL in 2016. Will Super Bowl LX in 2026 be different?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:57:49 GMT

With the official announcement that the San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium will host Super Bowl LX in 2026, a sense of jubilation is pervading the region, a much-needed injection of positive national attention amid all the sobering news of tech layoffs and population declines.San Jose’s political and business leaders are applauding the decision, but remain a bit leery. They hope it won’t be a repeat of Super Bowl 50 in 2016 when America’s most popular sport shone its spotlight heavily on San Francisco, leaving the South Bay city in the shadows with a small slice of the financial windfall — and a bit of a bruised ego.“While we’re excited about the announcement, in 2016, there was a little disappointment from the businesses here,” said San Jose’s Chamber of Commerce leader Derrick Seaver. John Poch, executive director of the San Jose Sports Authority, said Super Bowl 50 “was focused as San Francisco’s Super Bowl, not S...