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Senator becomes first woman Dean of Texas Senate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — When the new year starts, Senator Judith Zaffirini will start her role as Dean of the Texas Senate. Zaffirini will be the first woman to serve as Dean. She previously broke barriers when she was the first Mexican American woman elected to the Senate in 1986.According to Zaffirini's office, she will take over the role of Dean once former Senator John Whitmire resigns at the end of the year to become Mayor of Houston on January 1.The role of the Dean is determined by seniority. Zaffirini said because the next three senators in seniority are male, it could have been a long time before another woman was in place to assume the deanship.“Only 24 women have served in the Texas Senate with 952 men, including the four Democratic and four Republican women who serve today," Senator Zaffirini said.She said she is excited to serve the public in this new role but hopes this first is a reminder that more women are needed in public office."It's very sad that it's taken that long, an...

Local nonprofits report flat or falling donations as demand rises in the face of inflation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:48 GMT

At the Catholic Charities Dorothy Day campus in downtown St. Paul, nearly 20 volunteers from Lumen Christi Catholic Church in Highland Park unpacked boxes of fudge-covered Oreo cookies and prepped spaghetti and meatballs on Friday for upward of 300 homeless visitors.The church’s “29th of the month” volunteer squad has been a consistent presence for roughly 40 years, said church organizer Brian Dusbiber.Volunteers from Lumen Christi Catholic Church unpack boxes of cookies for homeless visitors Friday at the Catholic Charities Dorothy Day campus in downtown St. Paul. (Frederick Melo / Pioneer Press)What’s also become consistent is the demand for food. Unseasonably warm temperatures haven’t reduced the long lines of clients, which used to ebb and flow at Dorothy Day throughout the month as benefits wore out.That’s no longer the case. A daily wall chart shows 300 to 381 meals served at breakfast, lunch and dinner, or anywhere from 864 to 1,065 meals per day, every day.Now, “they’re more...

New NYS minimum wage goes into effect Monday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:48 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The new year means new laws go into effect across the state. On Monday the New York state minimum wage will rise to $15 an hour. However, many local businesses have already been paying employees more than what is required. It's something David Girard has taken notice of at 518 Craft.  Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! “What I found was that there was a kind of generosity in the pay scale here and the idea that there was this awareness that not only do you pay people a living wage, but you pay them what they’re worth,” said Girard.He started as a bartender and has worked his way up to management. He said when you invest in your workforce everyone gets along better. “But at the same time I think we are all big believers in the more we invest in the people who work with us and for us that might hurt a little bit in the short-term, but it’s always going to pay dividends in the long-term,” said Girard.Most payro...

$20K plan could help workers, patients after St. Louis nursing home closure

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:48 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Two weeks after a north St. Louis nursing house shut down and displaced its residents, St. Louis agencies continue to work to bring calm to the chaos of the situation. The Northview Village Nursing Home abruptly closed on Dec. 15. State and local officials moved in quickly to move 170 residents to other regional facilities. Workers were left out of a job and without an expected pay check. In the aftermath, various agencies have worked to provide a safety net for residents and workers. Police: St. Louis woman Marquisha Williams found deceased in Illinois On Friday, the St. Louis Mental Health Board Executive Committee met to discuss needs and a tentative plan to approve up to $20,000 to cover costs. "So that we can cover the purchase of the items needed by the individuals who have been relocated under the age of 60, that include things like personal hygiene items and clothing items, as well as the staffing costs," said MHB Executive Director Cassandra Kaufman. The menta...

Candlelight vigil planned in memory of St. Louis-area murder victims

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:48 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A local organization prepares for their annual candlelight vigil for local murder victims, keeping the memories of loved ones alive as 2023 comes to an end. Mothers Advocating Safe Streets is the organization that recognizes victims who lost their lives to violence this past year in St. Louis City and County. Leaders say they are pleading for the violence to end. Mothers Advocating Safe Streets is on a mission to continue to raise awareness about violent crimes.“We know how important it is to reach out and be with the families because we know the turmoil they go through when losing a child," said Sharon Webb, founder of Mothers Advocating Safe Streets. Police: St. Louis woman Marquisha Williams found deceased in Illinois Webb and Shelia Price have both lost children to gun violence. Webb's daughter, Cara Davenport, was killed in St. Louis in 2000. She was 18 at the time and a senior at Hazelwood West High School. Police say she was shot in a car and was not ...

Broncos’ Russell Wilson hopes to stay in Denver despite being benched: “I hope that it’s here for a long time”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:48 GMT

Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is unsure what the future holds for him after getting benched this week. But he told reporters on Friday afternoon that he hopes he remains in the Mile High City.“I hope that it’s here for a long time. I hope to win more (trophies) in the front hall (at Centura Health Training Center) and get some more championships. If it’s not here, then I’m prepared to do that somewhere else,” Wilson said. “But I hope that it’s here, and I genuinely mean that. … I brought my family here.”Wilson said he was surprised and disappointed about head coach Sean Payton’s decision to move forward with Jarrett Stidham as the starting quarterback for the final two games.He believed the team had something special going, even after losing two in a row to drop to 7-8.“We had some tough games, but we still got a chance,” he added. “But at the end of the day, I’m going to keep putting my best foot forward every day and being professional.”Wilson also told reporters on Fri...

Russell Wilson: Broncos said he’d be benched for second half of season without contract adjustment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:48 GMT

Russell Wilson on Friday said the Broncos approached him during the team’s bye week and informed him that if he didn’t agree to delay a contract trigger guaranteeing his 2025 salary, he’d be benched for the team’s final nine games.The Broncos were 3-5 at the time but coming off back-to-back wins against Green Bay and Kansas City, the latter of which ended a 16-game losing streak to the division rival.“We beat the Chiefs. They came up to me during the bye week, beginning of the bye week — Monday or Tuesday — and told me that if I didn’t change my contract, my injury guarantee, that I’d be benched for the rest of the year,” Wilson told reporters at his locker in his first public comments since he was benched Wednesday by coach Sean Payton. “I think we had nine games left or so.“I was definitely disappointed about it. It was a process throughout the whole week, the bye week.”Wilson said the NFL Players Association and the league office got involved in the conversations during the...

Southern California cyclist hit by rogue wave shares harrowing tale

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:48 GMT

A cyclist in Ventura County, California says he feels fortunate to have escaped with only minor injuries after a massive, rogue wave crashed ashore Thursday.The wave struck as onlookers had gathered at Pierpont Beach in the city of Ventura to watch the high surf caused by a large offshore storm system.  Video recorded by Colin Hoag shows people first casually watching as the wave breaks and barrels toward a short brick wall at the dead-end of Seward Avenue. When it becomes clear the wave isn’t stopping, they turn and run for their lives. Southern California beaches battered by waves again, prompting closures and warnings Several people were knocked to the ground and swept down the road. Nine people were hospitalized for minor to moderate injuries and the wave caused extensive damage to the oceanfront Inn on the Beach hotel, officials said.Gilbert, who didn’t share his last name, was wearing a neon green jacket and standing with his bicycle at the beach at the time.“The wave j...

L.A. hospital looking to ID patient who speaks unknown language

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:48 GMT

A hospital in Los Angeles County is asking for the public's help to identify a patient who has been hospitalized for more than 10 days and speaks an unknown language.The patient has been at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood after he was found Dec. 17 on the 7600 block of Otis Avenue in Cudahy.He's described as an Asian man in his mid-50s or early 60s with black hair with sparse grays and dark brown eyes. He's 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds, officials said.St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood is asking for the public's help to identify a hospitalized man who speaks an undetermined language. (St. Francis Medical Center)The man does not appear to speak English and his primary language is "not discernable." He is apparently unable to communicate his name or any other information that would assist hospital staff with identifying him.Anyone who might recognize the man is urged to contact St. Francis Medical Center 310-900-8630 and provide the patient reference numbe...

'Individual' questioned after taking responsibility for deadly shooting in Montebello

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:48 GMT

Homicide detectives are investigating after a man was gunned down in Montebello late Thursday evening.The shooting happened just before midnight on the 1600 block of Neil Armstrong Street.Officers from the Montebello Police Department responded to the scene following reports of shots fired. Upon their arrival, they located a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper torso.The man, identified only as a Hispanic adult, was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity and cause of death will be released at a later time.The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is assisting with the investigation and said a person at the scene came forward to claim responsibility for the shooting."He is currently being questioned," the Sheriff's Department said in a Friday morning news release.The investigation is ongoing and no additional details have been released at this time. Anyone with information about the deadly shooting is urged to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500....