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Jacksonville, Florida, mayor has Confederate monument removed after years of controversy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:14:17 GMT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Crews removed a Confederate monument from a Jacksonville, Florida, park Wednesday morning following years of public controversy.Mayor Donna Deegan ordered the removal of the “Tribute to the Women of the Southern Confederacy” monument, which has been in Springfield Park since 1915. She said the decision is not an attempt to erase history but to show that people have learned from it.“Symbols matter. They tell the world what we stand for and what we aspire to be,” Deegan said in a statement. “By removing the confederate monument from Springfield Park, we signal a belief in our shared humanity. That we are all created equal. The same flesh and bones. The same blood running through our veins. The same heart and soul.”Serious discussion of the monument’s fate began in 2020 after Deegan’s predecessor, Mayor Lenny Curry, ordered the removal of another monument, a bronze statue of a Confederate soldier that had been in a downtown park for more than...

Suburban babysitter charged after allegedly stabbing 2 young girls

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:14:17 GMT

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — A woman accused of stabbing two young girls while babysitting in Lisle was charged and denied pre-trial release Tuesday.Jennifer Kouchoukos, 51, of Naperville, is facing two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated battery to a child and two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon following an incident on Nov. 17.That evening at around 5:15 p.m., Lisle police responded to a home on Matson Lane on the report of a possible suicide attempt.Officers at the scene located a child sitting in a bathroom while covered in blood and another child sitting soaked in blood in the kitchen. The children, two girls ages four and one, were suffering from multiple stab wounds and subsequently transported to a local hospital.Kouchoukos, who police said was unresponsive to any questions, was taken to a local hospital for medical attention.Police allege she was babysitting for the children at the time and stabbed them in the chest and back. The girls'...

Migrants surge at southern border

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:14:17 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -With thousands of migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas traveled to Mexico Wednesday to discuss options for slowing down the influx.Last week, President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Mexico’s President Andres Lopez-Obrador."The two leaders agree that additional enforcement actions are urgently needed so that key ports of entry can be reopened across our shared border”, said John Kirby, National Security Council spokesperson.Most migrants are passing through Mexico from central America and Venezuela.López-Obrador confirmed last week that U.S. officials want Mexico to do more to block migrants at its border with Guatemala or make it more difficult to move across Mexico by train.Before Christmas, House Speaker Mike Johnson sent a letter to the president blaming him for the border crisis and writing, "I urge you to immediately take executive actions available to you under e...

Republican rivals fight to compete with Trump ahead of Iowa caucuses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:14:17 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - We're just weeks away from the first presidential primary contest and former President Donald Trump is still dominating the Republican field. The countdown to Iowa caucuses is on, with less than 3 weeks until the Republican candidates face that first contest. "We're going to win the Iowa caucuses and then we're going to crush crooked Joe Biden next November," former President Donald Trump said at a recent rally. Dr. Todd Belt is a politics professor with George Washington University. He says Iowa will reveal how dominant former President Trump is in this race. "Donald Trump is far and away the leader here and anything less than a 50% showing could show some cracks in his lead," Belt said. Trump also faces several legal challenges. The Michigan Supreme Court just ruled he could stay on the ballot, but the Colorado Supreme Court recently decided to kick him off. The U.S. Supreme Court will likely take up the case soon and Belt expec...

3 homes evacuated after reported gas leak in Kyle, city says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:14:17 GMT

KYLE, Texas (KXAN) -- At least three homes have been evacuated after a reported gas leak in Kyle on Wednesday, the City of Kyle said on social media.Shortly before 2:15 p.m., the city said the gas leak was reported in the 500 block of Purple Martin Avenue.CenterPoint is on the scene to repair the leak, according to officials. Furthermore, Purple Martin Ave., between Northern Flicker Street and Song Sparrow Cv is closed until further notice, the city said.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Affidavit: Man arrested, charged with murder after admitting to shooting man he found with wife

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:14:17 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A man was arrested in connection to a murder that happened in southeast Austin early the morning of Dec. 19, according to a court document obtained by KXAN. David Mejia-Villagran, 42, was arrested and charged with murder after admitting to homicide detectives that he shot the victim, identified as Jorge Ordonez-Perez, 28, according to the affidavit. On Tuesday, Dec. 19, around 4:50 a.m., the Hays County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call from a witness who had dialed 911 and left the phone on and put it in their pocket. Dispatchers were able to hear a male and female voice crying and occasionally arguing, the affidavit said. Deputies arrived at the scene around 4:57 a.m.While working the scene, Villagran's son arrived and spoke to deputies, and told them he drove his father from Kyle to an apartment complex located at 2005 Willow Creek Drive in Austin early the morning of Dec. 19 to locate his mother, the affidavit said. Due to the HCSO call, the Austin Police De...

Patrick Kane on Wild coach John Hynes: ‘He was really good for me.’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:14:17 GMT

Patrick Kane is back from a long injury absence, and scary as ever.The first overall pick in the 2007 first-year player draft and three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with Detroit on Nov. 19. He’ll play Wednesday against the Wild at Xcel Energy Center.“They welcomed me with open arms to be honest with you, and let me come in and find my way,” Kane said. “It took me a few games, for sure.”It doesn’t seem like it. Returning from hip surgery performed June 1, Kane, 35, has five goals and 10 points in 10 games with his new team — although the Red Wings were 2-7-1 in those games.“Sometimes it’s really hard to jump in, you know, in December to catch up to speed,” Wild coach John Hynes said after Wednesday’s morning skate. “But he’s such an elite thinker, elite player, you can tell that he did his work prior to coming into Detroit. He’s playing really well.”In 57 career games against Minnesota, Kane has 24 goals and 53 points.H...

Gophers guard Braeden Carrington returning to basketball team

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:14:17 GMT

Gophers sophomore guard Braeden Carrington is starting the process of returning to the men’s basketball program, head coach Ben Johnson said Wednesday.Carrington, who took a break to focus on his mental health on Dec. 12, will begin practicing this week, but will not play in Friday’s game against Maine at Williams Arena.Johnson said Carrington remained around the team and the practice facility during his pause and is now ready to return to activities. Johnson said Carrington might need a week to regain his fitness, and Minnesota (9-3) will restart Big Ten play Jan. 4 at Michigan.Carrington played in the first 10 games of the season, before missing two games over the past two weeks. The Brooklyn Park native was averaging 5.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per game this season.Related ArticlesCollege Sports | Men’s basketball: Balanced approach aids Gophers in 80-63 win over Ball State College Sports | Gophers men’s basketball benefit fr...

Investigation into stolen plow results in two arrests

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:14:17 GMT

STILLWATER, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- State Police arrested two Stillwater residents following an investigation into a stolen plow. Nicholas R. Scoville, 35, and Lee M. Scoville, 38, were taken into custody on December 22. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! A Stillwater resident reported the plow stolen on December 10. Police say Nicholas Scoville reportedly stole the plow. He then conspired with Lee Scoville to hide the plow at the latter's property. He was charged with grand larceny in the third degree and conspiracy in the sixth degree.Lee Scoville allegedly became uncooperative with law enforcement and caused injury to a Trooper. L. Scoville was charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree and conspiracy in the sixth degree.Both were arraigned at the Stillwater Town Court. They were released on their own recognizance.

Record $1.6B Mega Millions jackpot claimed in Florida

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:14:17 GMT

TAMPA (WFLA) — The largest-ever Mega Millions jackpot—$1.602 billion hit by a single ticket sold in Florida four months ago—was claimed, but we still don't exactly know who the winner is. They came forward in late September, nearly two months after hitting the jackpot off a ticket sold at a Publix in Neptune Beach. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Under Florida law, however, the winner's name wasn't released. Florida is one of a number of states that, at least temporarily, withholds the names of major lottery prize winners. After 90 days, a winner's name is no longer confidential in Florida. As of Christmas, the Florida Lottery was legally allowed to release the name of the record-setting Mega Millions winner. And on Wednesday, lottery officials confirmed the winner's identity: an entity called Saltines Holdings, LLC, which decided to take the jackpot's one-time, lump-sum cash payment of $794,248,882. The biggest Capital Region lotto w...