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How fire conditions this year compare to 2011, the year of the Bastrop County Complex fire

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Nearly 30 Central Texas fires in the KXAN viewing area have burned over 2,400 acres of land so far this year.Central Texas has had some bad fire years in the last couple of decades as summers have been hot and drought conditions have not significantly improved. One of the worst wildfire years in recent memory was in 2011, when a conflagration burned for 55 days, destroyed more than 1,600 homes, scorched 32,000 acres and claimed two people’s lives.  MAP: More than 2,400 acres have burned in Central Texas wildfires this year No fire this year has come close to the destruction that took place almost 12 years ago, but KXAN asked the Texas A&M Forest Service how the conditions this year compare to the ones in 2011. How do the conditions compare? “Each fire period of wildfire activity in Texas is different in terms of what leads up to it and [the] triggers behind the increased fire activity,” said Lucas Kanclerz, a Texas A&M Forest Service fire ana...

Austin Disaster Relief Network supporting those impacted by Parmer Lane fire

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN) began preparing emergency supplies on Wednesday to support Cedar Park residents displaced by the Parmer Lane wildfire, according to a news release.A grass fire that broke out Tuesday and is still burning Wednesday destroyed a building containing 24 apartments and damaged three other buildings, according to the latest update from Cedar Park leaders. Cedar Park brush fire now 50 acres, 60% contained; apartment building destroyed “Even at this early stage while firefighters still work to contain the blaze, we know that many people have suffered a huge loss in this fire,” said ADRN Associate Director Stephen Brewer. “We want to get items that they need into their hands right away. Items like clothing and hygiene items like toothbrushes can make a huge impact for those who escaped the fire with little to nothing left. We’re honored to serve our neighbors this way.” MAP: More than 2,400 acres have burned in Central Texas wildfi...

Traffic Alert: Gas line issue diverting traffic in Buda

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 9, 2023BUDA, Texas (KXAN) — A gas line issue closed a portion of Jack C Hays Trail Wednesday in Buda.The Buda Fire Department is rerouting traffic to Bluff Street due to the punctured gas line, the city said.CenterPoint Energy also responded to the call. The repair is estimated to take about four hours, the city said.The city said it will provide updates when they become available.

A lonely life ends. A brother writes a ‘brutally honest’ obituary.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

Brian Eldridge is loved.But it took his death and an uncommonly candid obituary for the world to express it.The obituary, published in Sunday’s Pioneer Press, has spread across social media and garnered online tributes from people he never met. Most newspaper obituaries focus on the positives. Eldridge’s obituary recounts a life of sadness and isolation.Brian Aldridge, in a 1965 St. Paul Central High School senior picture, left, and in a 2022 family photo at Taylors Falls, was found dead July 11, 2023, at his apartment in Mounds View. He was 76. (Courtesy of Steve Eldridge)“Brian was bullied as a child and teenager because of his shyness and vulnerability,” the obituary says. “As an adult, he didn’t fit in. He never learned to use a computer or a cell phone, which kept him from applying for most jobs. He worked and supported himself through paper routes, aluminum can recycling and janitorial work. He was exploited by employers. His last job was cleaning a bingo hall at midnigh...

Two arrested following drug investigation in Mohawk

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

MOHAWK, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An investigation into narcotics sales in the Town of Mohawk has resulted in the arrest of two individuals from Fonda. Police charged Syed F. Husain, 41, and Meghan J. Lee, 27, with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! According to the police, the investigation lasted nearly six months. Husain and Lee were processed at the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and are being held pending arraignment in the Town of Mohawk Court.

COVID cases see highest numbers since April

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- State statistics are showing an increase in COVID positive numbers. With the fall and school season upon us, experts say we can expect to see a rise in respiratory illnesses. Our Capitol Correspondent, Amal Tlaige spoke with experts on how we can protect ourselves COVID and RSV. The Department of Health is showing a steady uptick in COVID positive cases. 789 people tested positive in July, the highest since April. Bryon Backenson, Director of Bureau for Communicable Disease Control at the Department of Health weighed in why we could be seeing the spike. "I think we’ve become a little blasé, I don’t think we necessarily think about it as much as we used to. I think some of our defenses, we’ve let them down a little bit as time has worn on. People aren’t testing as much."  Backenson said the newest COVID variant, EG 5.1 is a member of the Omicron family. "Symptom wise it doesn’t seem to be remarkably different from some of the more recent ones we’ve dealt with, ...

Free car seat inspections in Latham, Fort Edward

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) --  Parents and caregivers wanting car seat checks by certified passenger safety technicians can make appointments for free inspections in Albany and Washington counties. Trained technicians will also provide instructions on choosing and installing the appropriate seat for their child’s age and size. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Those who cannot attend the two events can make an appointment with a local fitting station. The two scheduled inspections are:Friday, August 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.Fort Edward Rescue Squad, 75 Schuyler, Fort EdwardFor more information, contact Elizabeth St. John at (518) 746-2400 or [email protected], August 23, from 4 to 7 p.m.New York State Police, 760 Troy Schenectady Road, LathamFor more information, contact Technical Sergeant Donald Fougere at (518) 783-3258 or [email protected].  Additional Information: By appointment onlyFind more in...

Harbour Point Gardens attorneys push back against city council subpoenas, code tickets

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Progress is slow but steady at Harbour Point Gardens with 22 out of 58 evacuated apartments ready for tenants to come back home. Troy Deputy Mayor Chris Nolan says code enforcement officers are on site every day making sure the contractors live up to the promises in their work permit."There was underlying damage done to the structures when they removed the brick facades because of the haphazard way they removed it. We needed assurances that those structures are going to be up to spec," Nolan explains to NEWS10's Mikhaela Singleton.It’s that progress that’s lead a Troy City Code Enforcement Court judge to extend the time until property owners will have to face 12 tickets against them alleging the buildings are uninhabitable. The judge tabling Wednesday’s court appearance until August 23. The city’s attorney also says there’s no plans yet to issue additional tickets based on dozens more violations at the complex."In some cases, you want the tickets that have been...

PHOTOS: A historic surrender at Fort William Henry

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - On Wednesday, reenactors donned French and British coats, picked up flags and muskets, and revived a moment in American history. Visitors to Fort William Henry Hotel & Conference Center looked on as the center's rear side became the grounds of a reenactment of the 1757 surrender of Fort William Henry by the British, to the French. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The siege of Fort William Henry began on Aug. 3, 1757, led by French General Louis Joseph de Montcalm. After six days of bloodshed, British Lt. Col. George Monro surrendered to the French. The terms of the resulting surrender required British withdrawal to Fort Edward. During that withdrawal, soldiers were scalped, and women and children were taken captive.Following a reading of the terms of the British surrender, Wednesday's reenactors marched to the nearby grave marking an unknown soldier killed in Lake George during the French & I...

Amsterdam man arrested for alleged child sex abuse

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

FLORIDA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- On Tuesday, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office arrested Michael P. Reynicke, 43, of Amsterdam. Reynicke was charged with sexual abuse in the first degree and endangering the welfare of a child. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Police investigations determined that Reynicke subjected a child under eleven years old to sexual conduct. The victim was known to the suspect. The alleged sexual offense occurred at a residence in the Town of Florida.Reynicke was arraigned in the Town of Florida Court. He was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility with bail set at $5,000 cash or $25,000 bond.