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Court strikes down Alabama congressional map in scathing opinion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

(The Hill) -- A three-judge panel struck down Alabama’s new congressional map Tuesday, finding the GOP-led state fell short of complying with the Supreme Court’s recent directive.The ruling paves the way for a court-appointed official to instead draw the lines for the 2024 election cycle.“And we are struck by the extraordinary circumstance we face,” the federal judges wrote in a 196-page opinion.“We are not aware of any other case in which a state legislature — faced with a federal court order declaring that its electoral plan unlawfully dilutes minority votes and requiring a plan that provides an additional opportunity district — responded with a plan that the state concedes does not provide that district,” they continued.The ruling orders a court-appointed special master to submit three new maps by Sept. 25 that fix the dilution of Black voters in the state. It could provide a boost to Democrats as they attempt to retake the House in 2024.Alabama had submitted the new map aft...

Trial against 6th Street mass shooting suspect nears conclusion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The trial of the Sixth Street mass shooting suspect De’ondre White nears conclusion Tuesday as state attorneys call up their final witnesses.White, 21, is charged with one count of murder and 14 counts of aggravated assault for allegedly shooting a Glock semiautomatic pistol into a crowd on a busy night on Sixth Street. He pleaded not guilty in court in the first week of the trial.  PREVIOUS: 6th Street mass shooting suspect’s friends testify about moments leading up to, during and after shots fired KXAN's Sam Stark will be in court covering the trial Tuesday. Follow his live coverage below.Tweets by SamCStark On June 12, 2021, 25-year-old Douglas Kantor was killed and more than a dozen others were injured in a mass shooting on Sixth Street. White is accused of firing the weapon after a confrontation with a group of people.Some witnesses have testified that White did shoot his weapon in the early morning of June 12. Friends of White, however, have sworn in cou...

Judge dismisses Williamson County's lawsuit against Austin for Candlewood Suites project

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Williamson County district court judge has rejected a lawsuit from Williamson County that sued the City of Austin over a project to turn a former hotel into homeless housing. The judge rejected the lawsuit Aug. 23. The order said the case "is dismissed with prejudice for lack of jurisdiction." Williamson County filed the lawsuit in June 2022, a day after Austin City Council members approved funding for the project. The county's petition claimed the property is zoned for commercial use only. The lawsuit sought a temporary restraining order against AHFC Pecan Park PSH, a nonprofit created by the city, to stop the conversion of the hotel.In a statement, a City of Austin spokesperson said the city appreciates the court's careful consideration, and the decision means the Pecan Gardens project can proceed to address homelessness in the region. "We are hopeful that neighbors experiencing homelessness will soon benefit from the renovated housing community and services Peca...

Man fatally shot in St. Paul’s Frogtown ID’d as 29-year-old from Mankato

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

Police identified on Monday a man fatally shot in St. Paul over the weekend as a 29-year-old from Mankato.Devante Victor Jones died near Sherburne Avenue and Mackubin Street. Officers were called to Frogtown about shots fired just before 2 a.m. Sunday and found Jones with multiple gunshot wounds.No one was under arrest as of Monday morning and police urged anyone with information to call investigators at 651-266-5650. Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | A day after Stillwater prisoner protest, family say loved ones remain on lockdown with no communication Crime & Public Safety | St. Paul man, 60, facing long recovery after hit-and-run driver struck him as he mowed lawn Crime & Public Safety | Stillwater prison on lockdown for eight hours Sunday after 100 inmates refuse to return to cells Crime & Public Safety | Man shot to death and found lying outdoors in Frogtown early Sunday Crime & Public Saf...

Woodbury Family Achievement Center gets results for kids with disabilities. ‘It’s just a miracle.’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

Wyatt Hauser ate applesauce with a spoon, grabbed pegs from a pegboard and walked down a carpeted hallway one day last week at Family Achievement Center in Woodbury.For 11-year-old Wyatt, those activities are anything but routine. They’re therapeutic exercises that constitute small miracles.Wyatt has a rare form of debilitating epilepsy that can cause hundreds of seizures a day. Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome usually strikes children between 3 and 5 years of age, beginning with bouts of staring and gradually progressing to repeated seizures that eventually become so disruptive that many children fail to develop normally. Wyatt, who began experiencing seizures when he was 7 months old, is nonverbal and regularly uses a wheelchair.On Thursday, Wyatt walked on a treadmill and then down a hallway to FAC’s gym with occupational therapist Malorie Casalegno leading the way and physical therapist Sarah Chyzyk helping him from behind. Once they arrived, the women sat with Wyatt on the gym’s c...

NYRA celebrates successful summer meet in Saratoga

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The New York Racing Association, Inc. is celebrating another successful summer at the Saratoga Race Course. According to the NYRA, more than 1.1 million fans attended the 40-day summer meet, marking the eighth consecutive season where attendance surpassed 1 million fans. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! The summer meet also generated nearly $800 million in all-sources handle, the third largest in Saratoga's history. “Thanks to the fans who visited Saratoga Race Course over these 40 days, and all those who watched and wagered from home, the popularity of the summer meet continues to exceed all expectations,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O’Rourke. “The world-class racing held here each summer is made possible by the owners, trainers, jockeys, and backstretch community who collectively dedicate so much to the horses and the sport.“At the same time, the continued success of Saratoga depends upon our ...

Talks and tours coming to Lake George Battlefield Park this fall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - Like the rest of Lake George, Battlefield Park is saying farewell to summer. That doesn't mean there's a shortage of things going on, though, as the park announces a new set of historical events running into the fall. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! This week, the Battlefield Park Alliance announced an extended schedule of events running through September and October. The Battlefield Park Visitor Center is set to stay open every weekend, Friday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Sunday, Oct. 29. Programs at the center this fall include:"The Battle of Lake George: Clash of Empires, 1755"Thursday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m.Presentation on the Battle of Lake George during the French & Indian War, led by historian John-Eric NelsonFort William Henry Hotel & Conference CenterHistorical marker dedicationSunday, Oct. 8, 1 p.m.Dedication of a new historical marker in memory of Carleton's Raid in 1780, featuring a ...

Adam Wainwright, Jordan Walker set for Atlanta homecomings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

ATLANTA - A tall task awaits the St. Louis Cardinals with a three-game road series against the NL-leading Atlanta Braves on deck. Looking past the box scores, it's a key homecoming for two Cardinals and Georgia natives at opposite points in their baseball careers. For Adam Wainwright, a 42-year-old out of Brunswick, Georgia, this will be his last time facing the Braves, not only his childhood-favorite team, but also the franchise that initially drafted him out of high school in 2000. For Jordan Walker, a 21-year-old out of Stone Mountain, Georgia, it will be his first go-around in Atlanta since bursting his way to the big-league scene this year. Five missed opportunities in Adam Wainwright’s pursuit for 200 wins Wainwright, pushing for 200 career victories, is set to take the mound Thursday at Truist Park. More times than not, when he pitched in his home state as a Cardinal, it came at Turner Field. Between both ballparks, he has a 5-2 record with a 3.38 ERA over 56 innings. “I’v...

Colorado Rapids part ways with head coach Robin Fraser as dismal 2023 campaign drags on

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

The Colorado Rapids have parted ways with head coach Robin Fraser, the club announced Tuesday morning.The decision comes amid a slide that’s seen the Rapids fail to win 17 of 18 games dating back to mid-May, the lone win in that stretch coming against FC Dallas in July.Fraser took over in August 2019 as the ninth head coach in club history and led the team to a playoff appearance in 2020 and historic 2021 in which the club finished at the top of the MLS Western Conference. All-time with the Rapids, Fraser, a former defender with Colorado, went 47-48-34.The club announced Chris Little has been named interim head coach for the final eight games of the 2023 campaign, as Colorado (3-13-10, 19 points) sits dead-last in Major League Soccer.The team consistently had disappointing results following the 2021 season, including missing the 2022 playoffs by four points. While there was a sense of optimism the 2023 season could be different, it’s been just the opposite. The Rapids ar...

Editorial: Homeless services are coming to a Denver neighborhood near you — organize but, please, don’t oppose

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

Mayor Michael Johnston’s list of potential sites for temporary tiny home communities was met with swift backlash. Neighbors began organizing quickly to oppose the locations, and given the city’s recent track record of failure in rolling out new projects, we can’t say we blame them.However, Denverites can give Johnston’s plan a chance and feel good knowing there’s an implementable long-term strategic plan behind the new mayor’s ambitious vision.Johnston plans to rapidly move existing encampments off public rights of way, like sidewalks and medians, to 11 new small home communities built by the company Pallet or converted hotel sites. The city will then contract with service providers (a request for proposals is out) for mental health and addiction treatment, job training, and medical care to stabilize people and get them jobs and, eventually, permanent housing.Anywhere between 1,500 and 2,500 people are living on Denver’s streets in squalid,...