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Parts of High Park off limits today as crews conduct controlled burns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

West-end Toronto residents may notice significant smoke billowing from High Park on Thursday — but there’s no cause for alarm.The City of Toronto will be conducting controlled prescribed burns in the park from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.As a result, access to the park will be closed off to all vehicles beginning at 7 a.m. until the smoke has dissipated. Public access will also be restricted in areas around the burn sites.“A prescribed burn is a deliberately set and carefully controlled fire that burns low to the ground and consumes dried leaves, small twigs and grass stems, but does not harm larger trees,” reads a release from the City. “The City has been safely executing prescribed burns in High Park for almost two decades.”2023 High Park prescribed burn sites map. (City of Toronto)The City says Thursday’s summer-like forecast is expected to provide “optimal weather conditions” for crews to conduct the burn. The expected conditions sho...

Protesters march against Macron’s plan to raise pension age

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Protesters opposed to President Emmanuel Macron’s unpopular plan to raise the retirement age in France marched Thursday in cities and towns around France in a final show of anger before a decision on whether the measure meets constitutional standards.Hours before the Paris march got underway, protesters piled bags of garbage in front of the Constitutional Council, which is expected to decide Friday whether to nix any or all parts of the legislation. The trash piles were cleaned up but signaled the start of a new strike by garbage collectors that was timed to start with Thursday’s nationwide protests marches. A previous strike last month left the streets of the French capital filled with mounds of reeking refuse. “The mobilization is far from over,” the leader of the CGT union, Sophie Binet, said at a trash incineration site south of Paris where several hundred protesters blocked garbage trucks. “As long as this reform isn’t withdrawn, the mobilization will continue in o...

Prosecutors: German climate demo didn’t cause cyclist death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors said Thursday they have determined that climate protesters weren’t responsible for the death in October of a cyclist after their road blockade caused a delay in the arrival of a rescue vehicle at an accident scene.The Oct. 31 incident in Berlin fueled controversy over the tactics of the Last Generation group, whose actions also have included throwing mashed potatoes at a Claude Monet painting in an art museum and disrupting traffic at airports. Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged activists to show “creativity” and avoid endangering others.Berlin’s fire service said at the time that blockades resulted in officers with special rescue equipment getting stuck in traffic as they rushed to help a seriously injured cyclist who got stuck under a cement mixer.Prosecutors in the German capital said Thursday that they looked into whether the death of the cyclist could have been prevented if it hadn’t been for a delay caused by two Last Generation act...

The best and worst places to work in the federal government

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

(The Hill) – Federal government employees sounded off on their workplaces in an annual survey by the Partnership for Public Service, giving insight to what are the best — and worst — places to work in the sprawling federal bureaucracy.The survey ranked 17 large, 27 mid-sized and 30 small agencies in the federal government, basing the ratings off of three promptsI recommend my organization as a good place to workConsidering everything, how satisfied are you with your job?Considering everything, how satisfied are you with your organization?It also ranked the departments on 12 different workplace issues, like pay, diversity and leadership.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was ranked as the best overall large agency, those with over 15,000 employees, marking its second year running in the top spot. Coming in last for the large agencies was the Social Security Administration, which had the lowest overall rating of all agencies in the survey, regardless of size. The...

City of Austin: Salvation Army downtown shelter to close doors without forcing anyone to the streets

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The woman in charge of Austin's homeless strategy assured members of the Public Health Committee Wednesday that no one will be forced out into the streets when a downtown shelter closes Saturday. On Feb. 17, Salvation Army announced it would be closing its downtown shelter March 15, citing it could not continue to offer the desired level and quality of care due to the age and condition of the facility. At the time, 97 people were using the shelter.Dianna Gray, the city’s Homeless Strategy Officer, said the Salvation Army agreed to extend the shelter for another month and will close it by April 15. Salvation Army to extend shelter operations to help relocate remaining clients Gray told the PHC there were three people left at the downtown shelter as of Wednesday.Those three would be relocated to the NorthBridge shelter, located on 7400 North Interstate 35, over the course of Wednesday and Thursday, Gray said.Gray presented a breakdown of where people had gone a...

Warm spring days ahead of weak cold front

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- We're back to the 80s this afternoon, and we'll spend more days than not above the 80° mark over the next week.Today will feature mainly sunny skies, dry conditions and warm temperatures as highs return to the upper 70s and low 80s. Overall, today looks to be a great day to get outside and enjoy the springtime warmth!Thursday's forecast - mainly sunny, dry and warmClouds increase tonight into Friday as a storm system passes far to our north. Rain chances remain low (10%) as a dryline attempts to approach the area from the west. Although confidence isn't great in storm development, there is a "marginal" threat (1 out of 5) of a strong to severe storm on Friday if storms were to overcome the odds and form.Low risk of strong to severe storms in our northern counties on FridayA cold front will follow on Saturday bringing a slightly better (but still low) chance for spotty showers and storms to start the weekend. Afternoon highs will spike to near 90° ahead of the front ...

Texas bills call for renewables to help save declining fossil fuel sector

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

(The Hill) – The Texas Senate on Wednesday passed a package of bills that would cut support from wind and solar power and force renewable electricity producers to help pay for new fossil fuel power plants. The five bills are part of a larger campaign by the Republican-controlled body to redirect growth in the states' flourishing renewable energy sector — by far the largest in the country — toward oil and gas.The effort seeks to establish the long-term primacy of “dispatchable” electricity — in practice, gas powered plants — over renewables.The package acts as a counterpoint to the shifting reality of Texas’ energy landscape. While the state is by far the nation’s largest emitter of fossil fuels, new renewable electricity is cheaper and often more attractive than new gas power plants — particularly with the 30 percent renewable energy tax credits passed by Democrats last September. Plus, wind and solar power has been crucial to keepin...

Caztek’s GridPak solar generator is designed, developed and manufactured in downtown St. Paul

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

As an engineer, Casimir Sienkiewicz has worked on mouse-like user controls for implantable sleep apnea devices, military-grade radio casings designed to work in war zones and heart pump rotors no bigger than your fingernail.His engineering firm, Caztek, brought a bit of all three design standards to its newest prototype — the GridPak, a rolling, solar-powered electrical generator designed, developed and manufactured in downtown St. Paul.Equipped with some 4,000 pounds of lithium batteries and measuring 18 feet in length, the boat-sized generator and its moving solar array can be taken into rugged, off-road terrain to power anything from a disaster relief effort to a golf tournament or outdoor music fair through the power of the sun. Caztek created GridPak for Trystar, a Faribault-based power distribution company better known for producing box panels, transformers and industrial cables.“If you’re consuming what you’re generating off the solar array … you...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Was I Wrong to Keep a Friend's Dog Out of My House?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma is about dogs and friends. Here's the email: Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime. I am in the middle of a fight with a good friend of mine all because of his girlfriend's dog. I recently had a little get together with friends. Now all of my friends know that I am allergic to most if not all dogs. Anyway, my one friend Ken is dating a new young woman. Well, Ken and his girlfriend came to the house with her little dog. When they came to the house, I explained that I could not let the dog inside because of my allergies. They both said, oh it's a "hypoallergenic dog" and it won't cause any problems. I love dogs but I also know I can't be around them so I said I was sorry but I could not let the dog inside. So my friend Ken asks what to do and I simply said bring the dog home and then come back. Well, he was really angry, and they both left and did not come back. Now ...

Ask Amy: Theater kid’s future rests on a curtain call

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:02 GMT

Dear Amy: I am a major theater kid!I love everything about the theater. In 2020, I won a regional award from my production of “Guys and Dolls” (I was Sarah).This was right before COVID hit. In 2021, I started to do the school plays at my high school. I got some decent roles, but none as big as the ones I got before.At our school’s show for “The Sound of Music” (I was Marta) a casting agent came to our play to cast people for an off-Broadway play.I didn’t hear much about it and thought no one got picked.A few days later one of my friends told me they picked seven kids from our production.I was devastated, as I have been performing all my life, and thought I was really good at it.This is even more disappointing, considering it is my junior year and I’m considering going to a college for theater.Should I quit?— Supporting Role SadnessDear Supporting Role: To respond, I’m turning to an expert, my friend Mo Rocca. Mo is a grown-up theater kid who is a sought-after actor on televisi...