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2 more endangered Florida panthers struck and killed by vehicles, wildlife officials say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:32 GMT

LABELLE, Fla. (AP) — Two endangered Florida panthers have been struck and killed by vehicles, officials said.A 2-year-old male panther’s remains were found Monday near the Spirit-of-the-Wild Wildlife Management Area in Hendry County, and a 3-year-old female panther was found dead a day later near the Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area in Glades County, wildlife officials said.All 10 known panther deaths this year were caused by vehicle collisions, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeast, but their habitat now is mostly confined to a small region of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. Up to 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild.The Associated Press

Alaska governor appoints Republican Thomas Baker to vacant state House seat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:32 GMT

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday appointed Republican Thomas Baker to the state House seat left vacant last month when independent Rep. Josiah Patkotak resigned after being elected North Slope Borough mayor.Patkotak was one of four rural lawmakers — independents and Democrats — who joined with 19 Republicans to form a majority in the 40-member House earlier this year. Because Patkotak was an independent, Dunleavy was not bound by party affiliation in selecting a replacement. Dunleavy’s office said in a statement that Baker’s name will be sent to Republican House members for a confirmation vote. Provisions of law dealing with legislative vacancies were tweaked under a 2020 ballot measure. Scott Kendall, an attorney and an author of that measure, said confirmation should be voted on by members of the House majority caucus, regardless of party. Two House Republicans are not part of the majority caucus.Baker is a construction operations manager for Kikik...

Court cites clergy-penitent privilege in dismissing child sex abuse lawsuit against Mormon church

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:32 GMT

An Arizona judge has dismissed a high-profile child sexual abuse lawsuit against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ruling that church officials who knew that a church member was sexually abusing his daughter had no duty to report the abuse to police or social service agencies because the information was received during a spiritual confession.In a ruling on Friday, Cochise County Superior Court Judge Timothy Dickerson said the state’s clergy-penitent privilege excused two bishops and several other officials with the church, widely known as the Mormon church, from the state’s child sex abuse mandatory reporting law because Paul Adams initially disclosed during a confession that he was sexually abusing his daughter.“Church defendants were not required under the Mandatory Reporting Statute to report the abuse of Jane Doe 1 by her father because their knowledge of the abuse came from confidential communications which fall within the clergy-penitent exception,” Dickerson wr...

Voters in in small Iowa city decide not to give their City Council more control over library books

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:32 GMT

PELLA, Iowa (AP) — Voters in a small Iowa city narrowly decided not to support giving their City Council more power over their local library.Just over half the voters in Pella rejected an advisory vote on whether the City Council should have more power over how the library spends its money and whether it pulls certain books from shelves, the Des Moines Register reported Wednesday. Only 87 votes separated the two sides in the unofficial tally.The measure got on the ballot in the central Iowa town of about 10,000 people about two years after some community members tried to persuade the appointed library board to ban or restrict access to Maia Kobabe’s LGBTQ+ memoir “Gender Queer.” But the board decided to keep that book in the adult section of the library.Attempts to ban books have continued at a record pace nationwide, according to the American Library Association, especially in conservative states and communities like Pella, where former President Donald Trump won 68% of the vote in...

Skilling: Showers until Wednesday night, but sunshine through the weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:32 GMT

The latest autumn weather disturbance—the 2nd to sweep the area this week---is centered in downstate Illinois and has managed to send a surge of 70-deg air as far north as Kankakee county.  Temps at late afternoon have reached 73 at Kankakee, 68 Hebron IN; 65 Joliet, 63 Romeoville, 64 Morris and 63 in Valparaiso, IN.  At the same time, Wed afternoon temps have only made it to 53 on the North Shore at Lake Forest and 50 at Wonder Lake.This weather system managed some snow in the Upper Midwest overnight—with 5" reported at Grand Marais in northeast Minnesota's Arrowhead region north of Duluth and a dusting of across sections of far Northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula where Marquette report 0.8".Some showers are scattered across the area as the late Wednesday commute gets underway and a band of eastbound showers has included a few flashes of lightning from northwest and north central Illinois into southern Wisconsin—so sporadic rain showers will continue in...

Former CTA clerk sentenced to prison after stealing $356,000 in retirement plan funds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:32 GMT

CHICAGO — A former clerk for the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) retirement plan has been sentenced to a year in federal prison after fraudulently obtaining more than $356,000 in plan funds, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of Illinois.United States District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly imposed a year-and-a-day sentence Tuesday on Ayanna Nesbitt, a 51-year-old woman from Chicago. Nesbitt pleaded guilty earlier this year to a wire fraud charge, which led to her sentencing earlier this week.Government officials said Nesbitt created and obtained approval for approximately 43 fraudulent requests from the CTA's retirement plan to issue various benefits payments and refunds of pension contributions, which upon approval, were sent to financial accounts controlled by Nesbitt, or paid to people who then transferred the money to her. Valparaiso University student dies after stabbing at Planet Fitness; Man in custody From 2019 to 2021, government officials said...

Chicago Amputee Soccer proving what it means to play for the love of the game

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:32 GMT

CHICAGO — What started with just one player has grown to nearly an entire team in just months. It’s the first-ever soccer team in Chicago for players missing a limb.The Chicago Amputee Soccer isn't looking for your sympathy. They are out to prove what it means to play for the love of the game. The rules are field players give it everything they have with forearm crutches and one leg, while keepers defend the goal with one arm.MORE FROM ERIN MCELROY: After loss of baby, couple honors her memory with NICU little librariesMetal crutches clang as the players fiercely maneuver and tear down the field in a show of athleticism not meant to inspire but call others to compete."To play other regional teams across the country under the American Amputee Soccer Association and be able to compete at the highest level,” Michael Fiorante is the group’s Co-Founder.Last month, Andrew Paine joined the U.S. National Amputee Soccer Team as they squared off overseas against Poland, England...

10 Gambino members and associates arrested on racketeering charges: court documents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:32 GMT

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) --- Ten people associated with the Gambino crime family were arrested in New York on racketeering charges Wednesday morning, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.In a coordinated operation, Italian law enforcement also arrested six alleged organized crime members and associates for a total of 16 defendants. One person remains at large, officials said.A 16-count indictment was unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Brooklyn charging the 10 New York defendants with racketeering conspiracy, extortion, witness retaliation, and union-related crimes "in an attempt to dominate the New York carting and demolition industries," according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The ‘Secret Six’ who helped bring down Capone The defendants are:Joseph Lanni, also known as “Joe Brooklyn” and “Mommino,” an alleged captain in the Gambino organized crime familyDiego “Danny” Tantillo, an alleged Gambino soldierAngelo Gradilone, also known as “Fifi, alleged Gambino soldierJames LaFor...

2 Las Vegas casino dealers accused of cheating

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:32 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Gaming investigators suspect two Las Vegas baccarat dealers cheated with players, leading the guests to win thousands of dollars, according to court documents obtained by Nexstar's KLAS.Yuxuan Leng and an unnamed second person now face cheating charges, documents said.In May 2022, a representative from the Rampart Casino at the Resort at Summerlin contacted the Nevada Gaming Control Board alleging two baccarat dealers cheated with players, documents said.Staff at the casino met with gaming investigators, telling them that two baccarat players “have been frequent baccarat players” for years “and recently have been winning more than usual,” documents said. Have a $2 bill? It could be worth thousands Casino surveillance revealed two casino dealers “were revealing the gaming cards to [both players] prior to the conclusion of gameplay on six separate incidents spanning over the month of May,” documents said.“Once the dealers revealed the gaming cards to [the two play...

8 dead in South Texas following fiery crash involving suspected human smuggler

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:32 GMT

ZAVALA COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) reported eight deaths Wednesday following a two-vehicle crash near Batesville, Texas — about 20 minutes south of Uvalde in south Texas.According to DPS, a preliminary investigation found a suspected human smuggler was driving from Houston on U.S. Highway 57 while evading the Zavala County Sheriff’s Office. Texas police: Migrants found ‘suffocating’ in train; 2 dead While evading, the suspect's vehicle caused a head-on collision with another vehicle, which was then engulfed in flames, killing its two occupants, DPS said.DPS said the driver in the suspected smuggler vehicle died, along with five passengers. Troopers confirmed several of the people dead were from Honduras.Officials said the investigation was ongoing as DPS investigates the fatal crash.