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Schools reopening, traffic moving in signs of recovery from Maui fires

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:57 GMT

LAHAINA, Hawaii (NEXSTAR) — Public schools on Maui started the process of reopening and traffic resumed on a major road in signs of recovery a week after wildfires demolished a historic town and killed at least 111 people, while the head of the island's emergency agency said he had “no regret” that sirens weren't sounded to warn people about the onrushing flames.At least three schools untouched by flames in Lahaina, where entire neighborhoods were reduced to ash, were still being assessed after sustaining wind damage, Hawaii Department of Education superintendent Keith Hayashi said. Maui boat captain details rescue of two children during fire “There’s still a lot of work to do, but overall the campuses and classrooms are in good condition structurally, which is encouraging,” Hayashi said in a video update. “We know the recovery effort is still in the early stages, and we continue to grieve the many lives lost.”Maui County confirmed the death toll increased to 111. The county also ...

Britney Spears' husband files for divorce, source says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:57 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears ' husband, Sam Asghari, has filed for divorce from the superstar 14 months after they were married, a person familiar with the filing said late Wednesday.The person, who is close to Asghari but not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed the filing happened Wednesday, hours after several outlets including TMZ and People magazine reported the couple had separated.FILE - Britney Spears and Sam Asghari appear at the Los Angeles premiere of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" on July 22, 2019. Asghari has filed for divorce from Spears, a person familiar with the filing said late Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. The person, who is close to Asghari but not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed the filing happened Wednesday, hours after several outlets including TMZ and People magazine reported the couple had separated. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)An email sent to a Spears representative was not immediately returned. Court records in Los An...

Blue Alert issued after Harris County deputy shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:57 GMT

HOUSTON (KXAN) – The Texas Department of Public Safety issued a Blue Alert late Wednesday night after a Harris County sheriff's deputy was shot and wounded.According to the alert, officers are looking for two men in connection with the shooting:Terran Green, a black man, 34, who is described as 5-feet-4-inches-tall, 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a gray shirt and black shorts. James Green, a black man, 37, who is described as 5-feet-6-inches-tall, 168 pounds, with black and brown eyes. The alert did not describe his clothes.Police were also looking for a Blue 2016 Ford Escape with a Texas License Plate SVJ6590 but said in an update at 5:30 a.m. that the car had been located. Neither suspect was located. Anyone with information should call the Harris County Sheriff's office at 346-286-2192. Blue Alert issued after shooting of Harris County sheriff's deputy. (Courtesy: Texas Department of Public Safety) Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the 29-year-old deputy was c...

Record heat… but hope remains for tropical rain next week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The heat worsens today with temperatures in record territory, but hope remains for a potential change towards cooler and wetter weather next week.An Excessive Heat Warning has been issued for all of Central Texas beginning noontime today and continuing until 9 p.m. Austin's forecast high of 108° is likely to surpass the 100-year-old daily record and tie for the hottest temperature of the year.Excessive Heat Warning in effect Thursday 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.Elevated ground-ozone Thursday triggers Air Quality AlertScorching heat continues this weekend, as another record high may fall in Austin on Sunday.Tropical system may impact Texas next weekA disturbance moving into the Gulf early next week is expected to spin westward across record-hot ocean water in relatively favorable conditions for development. Watching the Gulf for potential tropical development this weekWhile there is some uncertainty in regard to whether or not the storm will have time to strengthen into an offi...

Bastrop ISD opens 2 new schools as district grows in size

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:57 GMT

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) -- Camino Real and Colony Oaks elementary schools opened their doors for the first time this week, marking the first new schools to open in Bastrop Independent School District since 2009. The two identical schools, both with a capacity of 750 students, provide more space for a fast-growing district. Real Camino, built in Cedar Creek, and Colony Oaks, located in west Bastrop, cost just over $64 million to build. The funds were approved by voters in a 2021 bond election. The schools have state-of-the-art security systems, green spaces for students, and are fully staffed. "We are so grateful for our community, for our school board, for our district leader to bring a school to our community here at Camino Real," Dr. Augustina Lozano, the principal of Camino Real Elementary, explained.The schools hold Pre-K to fifth grade students, which is a change from last year. Fifth grade students were at intermediate schools with older kids before. "It gives them more stabilit...

Hutto may have victim of cybercrime, city says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:57 GMT

HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) – The City of Hutto said Tuesday it may have been the victim of a cybercrime involving thousands in city funds. According to the city, it was told by its financial institution late Monday evening that $193,000 in city funds were transferred to an illegitimate account impersonating a known vendor. The financial institution has assured the city that there is no further risk of being defrauded by this account again and no personal information was involved in this criminal activity, the city said.The City said it filed a police report with the Hutto Police Department and an investigation is currently underway. The Hutto Police Department will work with other law enforcement agencies, as necessary, the city said, to complete a "thorough investigation of this crime".The city said cybersecurity is a top priority and "numerous measures and staff training are in place to mitigate situations like these". It also it is looking at internal procedures to see what, if anything...

Downtown Austin Alliance to host Safety Forum Thursday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Downtown Austin Alliance will host the Downtown Safety Forum on Thursday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be held on Zoom, and people can register to attend online.According to the Alliance, Austin Police Lieutenant Zachary Lahood will speak about the Austin Police Department Real Time Crime Center and the High Activity Location Observation, or HALO safety camera system. Austin Police Commander Jeff Olson will provide an update on APD initiatives and downtown crime trends, the Alliance said. Bill Brice, Downtown Alliance Senior Vice President of Investor Relations, will give details about the number of people experiencing homelessness downtown in the month of July. At the July meeting, APD said it was working to crack down on open-air drug sales in downtown Austin.Police at the meeting said complaints of shoplifting, public drunkenness and people dealing drugs in alleys in the streets are what most people walking downt...

Georgetown ISD experiencing growing pains in country's fastest-growing city

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:57 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) -- As the district with the unique distinction of serving the country's fastest-growing city, Georgetown ISD is racing to keep pace with its exploding student body population. However, in the words of Superintendent Dr. Devin Padavil, "there's no such thing as keeping up." NEXT: Set for School Thursday, the district with 13,155 students returns to school, facing new challenges related to growth, safety, and staffing. Padavil talked with KXAN ahead of the return about the district's plans for the upcoming school year. Tom Miller: Georgetown made headlines this year as the fastest-growing city in the country. As a school district, are you able to keep up with all of that growth in terms of having the [facilities] for the students?Devin Padavil: In terms of keeping up with the growth, Georgetown passed a 2021 bond that's going to take care of a lot of infrastructure issues. But there's no such thing as keeping up in Central Texas. So the need to keep up with ...

New community health center holds grand opening on St. Paul’s East Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:57 GMT

M Health Fairview held a grand opening Wednesday for Health Commons East — a new community health center on St. Paul’s East Side.The facility opened May 24. The M Health Fairview system and Augsburg University offer three similar programs in Minneapolis, the first of which was opened in 1992.The Conway Community Center at 2080 Conway St. hosts the walk-in clinic designed to remove barriers like insurance, transportation and language. All services are free and include blood pressure checks, medication management and vaccines.Per the request of residents, the health commons has started offering foot care after many insurance companies stopped providing the coverage, according to Nawal Hirsi, manager of community programs and initiatives at M Health Fairview.“The commitment of the organization is to the community,” Hirsi said. “St. Paul has one of the worst health disparities for people of color and there’s a lot of work to be done and we keep that a...

John Phelan: About those rankings …

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:02:57 GMT

When CNBC announced recently that they had ranked Minnesota fifth on their annual “America’s Top States for Business” ranking, the state’s media went wild. No less excited were our state’s political leaders, who have since been citing this and another CNBC ranking of fourth for “States to live and work in” as though they are incontrovertible facts. A closer look at these rankings suggests that the champagne should go back on ice.Any ranking of “America’s Top States for Business” ought to be somewhat correlated with business activity in the states. That is not the case for CNBCs ranking.Despite its ranking of fifth as a “Top State for Business” in 2023, Census Bureau data show that, in 2022, the number of new business applications in Minnesota declined by 6.2%, 37th (tied with Alabama) out of the 50 states and District of Columbia. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that, in 2022, the number of jobs in Minnesota increased by 2.8%, 39th (tied with Kansas) out of the 50 stat...