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Gov. Abbott rallies supporters for 'school choice' at Capitol

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott hosted a rally for "parental empowerment" at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday, advocating for his plan to subsidize private education in front of supporters his team bussed to Austin from San Antonio and Cypress.Senate Bill 8 is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday. That legislation, which Abbott dubs the "parental bill of rights," would create education savings accounts the state would fund with $8,000 per eligible family to send their children to private school.Abbott said Texas would increase funding for public education this session while also lambasting unspecified policies in public schools he claims hurt transparency and teach harmful material."Our children are being taught a radical, woke agenda," Abbott told the crowd. "Listen, there's no reason why any student should have a woke agenda pushed on them. Our schools are for education, not indoctrination."Supporters with children in both private and public schoo...

Dylan Disu peaking at the right time for Longhorns during March Madness run

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Longhorns senior forward Dylan Disu ended the regular season averaging 7.6 points per game, but once the postseason hit, he turned into a bucket machine and is a big reason why the team is in the Sweet 16.After three terrific games in the Big 12 Conference tournament to lead the Longhorns to the championship, he was named the tournament's most outstanding player with 44 points, 25 rebounds and a 74% field goal percentage. He wasn't done, though.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersHe helped the Longhorns past Colgate in the first round of the NCAA tournament with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and then erupted for a career-high 28 points on 14-of-20 shooting with 10 rebounds against Penn State in a second-round 71-66 win.Disu, a Pflugerville native and Hendrickson High School grad, is a humble competitor, transferring back home from Vanderbilt before last ...

Austin nonprofit receives $250K grant for HACA households' broadband access

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Pathways, a subsidiary of the Housing Authority in Austin, received a $250,980 grant from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promote affordable broadband internet access to eligible low-income households.The Austin Pathways grant was one of 32 awards, totaling more than $4.9 million nationwide, for the "Your Home, Your Internet" pilot program to promote awareness, eligibility and registration assistance from the ACP to participants in Housing Choice Voucher and Project-Based Rental Assistance programs.As part of the ACP program, participants receive a discount of up to $30 monthly for broadband service and $100 off the purchase of a computer or tablet from participating providers. Only one monthly service discount and one device discount is allowed per household.“This is an exciting opportunity for voucher and supportive housing program participants,” the president and CEO of HACA, Michael Gerber, said. “Affordable high-speed internet is key to acc...

Ranked: Best places to live in the Capital Region for 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- School and neighborhood review website Niche recently released its 2023 Best Places to Live in America rankings. Based on that list, the website also released the 2023 Best Places to Live in the Albany Area. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Niche determines the rankings by using data from the U.S. Census, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the resident reviews on the website itself. Factors include affordability, the local housing market, neighborhood diversity, area public schools, and walkability.Here are the 25 best places to live in the Capital Region for 2023, according to Niche. Easter restaurant specials in the Capital Region 25. StockadeNeighborhood in SchenectadyOverall grade: A-Population: 1,127Median household income: $58,981Median home value: $145,20024. AlbanyLocated in Albany CountyOverall grade: A-Po...

DEC: Hiker found deceased in the Mohonk Preserve

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

MARBLETOWN, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A 45-year-old hiker from Brooklyn has been found deceased in the Mohonk Preserve. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, a search began after New York State Police located a vehicle in the Spring Farm parking lot at around 11:30 p.m. on March 14. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Over the course of the next few days, forest rangers, NYSP, Mohonk Preserve Patrol Rangers, Sam's Point Search and Rescue, and Marbletown Rescue searched the surrounding area. On the morning of March 17, searchers found the hiker's backpack and cell phone at the base of a 50-foot cliff.Searchers were able to locate the individual at 4:32 p.m. on March 17 around 400 feet from the presumed fall site and declared him deceased. His body was turned over to the Ulster County Medical Examiner's Office.

Mental health crisis at Kirkwood park prompts police response

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

KIRKWOOD, Mo. - Kirkwood police responded to a reported mental health crisis involving in an armed individual at a local park Tuesday morning.According to Officer Gary Baldrige, a spokesman for the Kirkwood Police Department, police received several 911 calls at 8:20 a.m. from patrons at Dee Koestering Park reporting a man driving recklessly in the park and making concerning statements to people. The driver called Kirkwood police moments later and made additional concerning statements, Baldridge said. This person also mentioned he had two firearms. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW Officers arrived at the park a short time later and located the person's car in the far westerly area of the premises.Baldridge said officers attempted to set u...

Rapidly spreading fungus already in Illinois presents 'urgent' threat, CDC warns

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – A fungus that poses "an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has already been detected in more than half of U.S. states. Candida auris, or C. auris, is so concerning because it is often resistant to anti-fungal drugs, making it hard to treat infections. It can also be hard to identify with standard lab tests, making it even more difficult to treat properly and early. The fungus was first detected in the United States in 2016. The fungus "spread at an alarming rate" between 2020 and 2021 in health care facilities, the CDC wrote in a memo released Monday, and has continued to spread in 2022. ‘Ozempic face’: Doctors explain side effect of weight loss drugs By the end of 2022, there were more than 8,000 instances of Candida auris identified across 28 states and Washington, D.C. The map below shows confirmed cases of the fungus, with states shaded in red having the most infections. While it usually isn't a si...

Shaq-owned ‘Big Chicken’ stands to open at Busch Stadium

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A chicken restaurant chain owned by former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal will soon be a "hit" in St. Louis, specifically at the ballpark. "Big Chicken" will open its newest location at Busch Stadium on Thursday, March 30 for the St. Louis Cardinals' home opener.Founded in 2018, Big Chicken fuses Shaq’s home-cooked childhood favorites with several trending flavors. Customers can order crispy chicken sandwiches and tenders, along with Cheez-It crusted mac n’ cheese and hand-crafted ice cream shakes. Trending: St. Louis rage -- Chicago’s thin-crust pizza featured in the New York Times At Busch Stadium, fans have the option for a unique St. Louis-crafted menu item. Fans can order a sandwich named the “314” after the St. Louis area code. The sandwich consist of the brand’s Nashville Hot Crispy Chicken with Shaq Sauce, and it's served on a Cardinal Red Maple Bacon doughnut. “Big Chicken is quickly becoming a household name, and for all the right reasons – especially their commit...

Cracker Barrel closes doors in Ferguson

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

FERGUSON, Mo. - One St. Louis-area Cracker Barrel restaurant is closing doors after nearly 20 years in business. The Cracker Barrel location at 10915 New Halls Ferry in Ferguson has permanently closed, FOX 2 has confirmed with a company media spokesperson. The chain cites pandemic effects and staffing shortages as reasons behind the closure. Cracker Barrel released the following statement, in part, on the Ferguson restaurant closing:"At Cracker Barrel, we take deep pride in being part of the communities in which we operate. For nearly 20 years, we’ve been honored to welcome guests into a home-away-from-home at our Ferguson, Missouri store.  We are saddened that we have been unable to overcome the impact the pandemic had on our business and our staffing in Ferguson and have made the difficult decision to close the store effective March 20.Given our deep ties to the Ferguson community, this was not a decision our team made lightly or before our local team had done everything they coul...

Lotus jam band drummer Chuck Morris and son feared dead as divers search Arkansas lake

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:16 GMT

Divers, dogs, and boat crews with sonar kept searching Tuesday on Beaver Lake in Arkansas for missing Colorado musician Chuck Morris, a percussionist for the band Lotus, and his son Charley, authorities in Arkansas said.Benton County’s recovery team also deployed aircraft and K-9 dogs as they scanned the lake, which reaches depths up to 200 feet, said Lt. Shannon Jenkins, spokeswoman for the Benton County Sheriff’s Department.Morris, 47, and his 20-year-old son went kayaking Thursday and did not return.Searchers last week found two kayaks and a coat on the lake.“There was a storm on Thursday when they went out. It was a pretty good storm that came in, with winds,” Jenkins said. The gusts reached speeds up to 40 miles per hour, she said.“We were all hoping for a miracle, but at this point, the search for Chuck & Charley has moved to a recovery,” the band Lotus tweeted Tuesday morning.We were all hoping for a miracle, but at this point, the search for Chuck &...