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Illinois Red Cross volunteers prepare to head south, aide in Mississippi tornado relief

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:27 GMT

(AP) — With at least 25 people dead in Mississippi, tornadoes that ravaged parts of the Deep South overnight were the deadliest in the state in more than a decade, according to National Weather Service records.By comparison, 31 people died in Mississippi in April 2011 during tornadoes that tore through several states, mostly in the southeastern U.S., weather service meteorologist Chris Outler said Saturday. Alabama was hit hardest during that so-called “super outbreak” of hundreds of twisters that killed more than 320 people and caused an estimated $12 billion in damage.Just a month later, another deadly twister ripped through Joplin, Missouri, killing 158 people. Outler, in Las Vegas, called 2011 “the headline year for tornadoes for the last 20 years or so."The sheriff's office in Morgan County, Alabama, reported one storm-related death on Saturday, bringing the overall total during overnight storms to at least 26. Family seeks tips after woman with disabiliti...

What we know about the Nashville school shooting victims

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:27 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Just before 10:15 a.m., six people, including three children, were killed at The Covenant School, part of Covenant Presbyterian Church in the Green Hills area of Nashville.Those gunned down include three 9-year-olds and the headmaster of the school.According to Metro Nashville Police, Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all 8 or 9 years old, were killed by the shooter, who has now been identified as 28-year-old Audrey Hale. 6 dead, shooter killed following Nashville school shooting Three staff members killed have also been identified: Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61.Dr. Katherine Koonce was the Director of School, according to law enforcement.Cynthia Peak was reportedly a substitute teacher at the school, according to MNPD Spokesman Don Aaron, while Mike Hill was a custodian on the campus. FBI data shows why female suspect makes Covenant School shooting unusual Additionally, one of the children killed, Hallie...

Expanded SNAP benefits end this month. Here's who is affected in Central Texas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Expanded SNAP benefits end in March across the country, and around 60,000 Central Texans will receive less money for food help.The expanded program ended this month after U.S. Congress passed a spending bill in December that ended the temporary emergency allotments that started during the pandemic. This gave recipients the maximum dollar amount per family size. PREVIOUS: As emergency food assistance nears end, 1 in 5 Texans face hunger The change will affect every SNAP benefits recipient in the U.S. For Texas recipients, the benefits decrease will be at least $95 each month per family, according to Texas Health and Human Services. The average Travis County payment was $361 in February with more than 40,000 SNAP cases. In Hays County, the average payment was $381 for more than 6,000 cases. In Williamson County, the average payment was $383 for about 12,000 cases. Feeding Texas said in January that people can maximize their SNAP benefits by taking advantage of ded...

St. Paul man sentenced for reckless discharge after firing bullet that struck cousin in head

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:27 GMT

A St. Paul man has been sentenced to five years in prison for shooting his cousin in the head on St. Paul’s East Side in 2019.Michael Issiah Lane’s cousin survived his injuries, and Lane was charged with attempted murder and first-degree assault in connection with the shooting. Those charges were dismissed last week after Lane, 33, pleaded guilty to two added charges — reckless discharge of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.Judge David Brown on Wednesday accepted the plea deal, which included the 60-month prison term, and handed down the sentence.Dennis Gerhardstein, Ramsey County attorney’s office spokesman, said Monday that Lane admitted to firing the shot that hit his cousin in the head and that the confession was “an essential part of the plea agreement.”A call to Lane’s attorney Monday for comment was not returned.According to court documents, Lane and his 27-year-old cousin showed up at a friend’s residence in the 1600 b...

Convicted shooter granted parole: 'I was young and dumb'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:27 GMT

CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- In 2008, Kathina Thomas, 10, of Albany, was killed by a stray bullet. At 15, the perpetrator, Jermayne Timmons was basically a kid himself. Fast forward more than a decade later, he has been granted parole and is now sharing his story of change and redemption. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "There’s nothing else to say about it. It’s just that I was young and dumb man. Young and dumb and I’m so glad that kid is gone.” The kid Jermayne Timmons is talking about is his former self. At 15 a stray bullet from the gun he fired killed Kathina as she played on her front steps. The bullet had been meant for a rival he had confronted on her street. Jermayne was housed in several different correctional facilities, basically growing up behind bars.He could have given up, checking off days on the calendar. Instead, he used the time to get his bachelor's degree in psychology and teach himself about fitne...

Chiefs superfan removes ankle monitor, skips court; warrant issued

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:27 GMT

BIXBY, Okla. - The Kansas City Chiefs superfan who identified himself as "ChiefsAholic" faces new legal trouble more than three months after his arrest for an alleged bank robbery near Tulsa, Oklahoma.According to court filings, ChiefsAholic's real name is Xaviar Babudar.He is accused of removing his ankle monitor and skipping a court hearing Monday morning, according to the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office. A spokesperson for the office said it has charged Babudar with removing an electronic monitoring device, in addition to his original charges for robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault while masked or disguised. Multiple Kansas City-area schools receive false reports of active shooters Babudar was to be arraigned on charges stemming from the bank robbery in December during the hearing. There is now a warrant issued for Babudar's arrest. If found, he will be arrested and held on a $1 million bond.This is not the first legal trouble Bubadar has gotten into since he ...

Broncos’ George Paton, Sean Payton jumpstarted offensive revamp with free agency spending spree: “We were aggressive and we had a plan”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:27 GMT

PHOENIX – Sean Payton hardly needs to remind anybody in Broncos Country how poorly Denver’s offense fared in 2022, but he did so multiple times in blunt terms on Monday.He did so in the midst of an answer during which he called quarterback Russell Wilson, “super competitive.”“He’s won at a high level. He’s someone that I think moves well. He’s someone I think who works extremely hard. It’s hard to find guys with all those traits,” Payton said. “Now, I watched with every one of you the season that took place a year ago. There’s probably a little bit of dirt on a lot of peoples’ hands. When you win five games, it is what it is. I don’t think I need to elaborate. It wasn’t good. It wasn’t good on offense, that’s for sure. It was hard film to watch.”He did so while answering a question about what’s ahead for second-year tight end Greg Dulcich.“We haven’t gone through every player relative to the evaluation process, but some of it was hard – the evaluation. Some of it was hard,” he said,...

Skydiver crashes into power lines near Lake Elsinore

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:27 GMT

A skydiver avoided serious injury after they crashed into power lines near Lake Elsinore Monday morning.It happened around 11:55 a.m. on the 31900 block of Corydon Street, according to Cal Fire Riverside County. Fire crews responded to the scene with several trucks and treated the incident like a traumatic injury response.Cal Fire crews untangle a skydiver who landed in power lines near Lake Elsinore in San Bernardino County on March 27, 2023. (Cal Fire Riverside County)Using ladder trucks, firefighters were able to untangle the skydiver and safely remove them from the power lines.Despite the unexpected landing, the unidentified skydiver avoided serious injury and was released after declining further treatment, fire officials said. Crews were released from the scene a short while later.

Long Beach launches text alert system to help connect unhoused residents to resources

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:27 GMT

The City of Long Beach on Monday announced the launch of a new text message system aimed at helping people who are experiencing homelessness. The program, simply called the Long Beach Homelessness Text Alert program, will send messages to inform unhoused residents of resources including the location of shelters, mobile centers, "Safe Parking" locations, and inclement weather alerts.“People experiencing homelessness are often on the move and rely on their cell phones for information,” Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. “This text alert program will lower barriers to providing people with real-time information and access to resources.” Those interested in signing up for the text notifications can text “HOME” to 99411. Standard messaging rates may apply, the city said.People can opt in and opt out of the updates at any time.

Wisc. school bans Dolly, Miley duet from class concert

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:39:27 GMT

By Harm Venhuizen | Associated Press/Report for AmericaMADISON, Wis. — Administrators at a Wisconsin elementary school stopped a first-grade class from performing a Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton duet promoting LGBTQ acceptance because the song “could be perceived as controversial.”Students at Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha had prepared a rendition of “Rainbowland” for their spring concert, but school officials struck the song from the lineup last week. Parents in the district say the decision was made because the song encourages LGBTQ acceptance and references rainbows.Superintendent James Sebert, who did not immediately return a call on Monday, confirmed to Fox6 that administrators had removed “Rainbowland” from the first-grade concert because it might not be “appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students.” He also cited a school board policy against raising controversial issues in classrooms.Sebert has previously pro...