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St. Paul voters consider raising city’s sales tax for 24 road rebuilds, parks projects

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:54 GMT

St. Paul’s off-year election ballot asked voters whether to raise sales taxes in the capital city to pay for its aging roads and parks.Mayor Melvin Carter’s office proposed increasing the city’s sales tax by 1 percentage point to 9.875%, which would be the highest sales tax in the state, to generate nearly $1 billion over 20 years for some 44 miles of arterial road reconstruction, as well as high-priority park maintenance and four designated parks projects.Leading up to Tuesday’s election, St. Paul Public Works officials and a progressive coalition including most of the city council had said the tax would amount to a badly-needed cash infusion for the city’s pockmarked roads, totaling some $30 million per year to rebuild long segments of 24 major thoroughfares like Phalen Boulevard and Grand, Hamline and Maryland avenues. The $30 million would roughly double what the city already spends on road reconstructions from local funding sources.Opponents, inclu...

John Safford declares victory in Saratoga Springs mayoral race

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:54 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- In the race for Saratoga Springs Mayor, Republican John Safford is declaring victory over incumbent Ron Kim. Safford told NEWS10 that homelessness is an issue he wishes to address and that he has the experience and the contacts to unify the city. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! “The hope is that the homeless task force can kind of put everything together,” said Safford. Right now, he says different people are doing different things, but he adds, “I know all these people so I think I’m in a better position to put it all together and make it work.”Safford took the time on Tuesday night to thank the voters and people of Saratoga Springs. "We are so thankful for everything that has transpired in this election. It is a new day for Saratoga Springs, and we will make a difference."

Gary McCarthy declares victory in race for Schenectady Mayor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:54 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Democrat candidate Gary McCarthy has announced his victory in the race for Schenectady County Mayor. McCarthy was running for his fourth term against Republican candidate Matt Nelligan and Ed Varno, who was running on the Working Families party line. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! McCarthy has been at the center of the downtown revival and says that remains a focal point. On Tuesday night, he took the time to credit the local community for rebuilding the downtown and investing in the neighborhoods. "We are creating real value in the City of Schenectady, and that doesn't happen by accident. It is a broad-based coalition of people producing real results."McCarthy says he is also concerned about issues like distressed properties and speeding. "Speeding produces an adverse environment, and unfortunately, you get accidents and other events that could be avoided with people just being compliant with veh...

'Strong' El Niño winter coming: Will New York have a white Christmas?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:54 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — El Niño is here, lasting through early winter. The Climate Prediction Center—a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—recently said that a better than a 90% chance that it lasts into spring. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! El Niño typically divides the country in half, but where the dividing line falls varies from year to year. The southern third to half of the U.S., including California, is likely to be wetter during an El Niño winter. The Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley are usually dry and warm. While El Niño's impacts are never a guarantee, the climate pattern tends to influence weather across the U.S. as it reaches peak strength in the winter. Does that mean El Niño will bring winter storms and feet of snow? NOAA releases fall weather predictions for New York Not everywhere and not necessarily, explained Michelle L'Heureux, a meteorologist with the Climate Prediction Center, in an ar...

House censures Tlaib for Israel criticisms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:54 GMT

The House voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib Tuesday night, rebuking the Michigan Democrat for her criticism of Israel following Hamas’s unprecedented attack on the U.S. ally.The chamber approved the reprimand in a 234-188-4 vote, with 22 Democrats bucking party leadership to support the resolution and four Republicans voting against it.The vote is the culmination of a week-plus effort by Republicans to punish Tlaib — the only Palestinian American serving in Congress — for comments that have drawn condemnation from both sides of the aisle.And it marks the pinnacle of the current controversy surrounding Tlaib. The congresswoman posted a video on X over the weekend that said President Biden “supported the genocide of the Palestinian people” and included clips of protesters changing “from the river to the sea,” which the Anti-Defamation Leagues characterizes as antisemitic. In a subsequent social media post, Tlaib defended her use of the controversial phrase.The comment sparked b...

Manchester's annexation bid fails, rejected by St. Louis County voters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:54 GMT

MANCHESTER, Mo. - Voters in unincorporated St. Louis County turned down a proposal that called for the City of Manchester to annex roughly two square miles of land. For voters in the City of Manchester and applicable parts of unincorporated St. Louis County, this was raised in Tuesday's special election as "Proposition A."In order to move forward with plans for annexation, voters in both Manchester and unincorporated St. Louis County needed to approve the issue. Results: November 7 Missouri Special Election Voters in Manchester approved the effort with 80% of votes in favor of annexation. Voters in unincorporated St. Louis County rejected the effort with 78% of votes against annexation. Proposals initially called for annexation of a busy stretch of Manchester Road that is home to numerous businesses. Nearly 6,500 people live in the unincorporated area. It’s a decision that has people divided and is not without controversy. Manchester Mayor Mike Clement and St. Louis County Execut...

Iced tea DNA unmasks alleged 'thirsty burglar' in O'Fallon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:54 GMT

O'FALLON, Mo. - Police say a thirsty burglar gave himself away because he just couldn’t resist the homeowner’s iced tea.It happened in O'Fallon, Missouri, on Brook Mont Drive near Feise Road. It’s a burglary so bizarre, police say they solved it with a single bottle of Gold Peak iced tea.“We really try to focus on the little things, and those are the little things that solve the big things like burglaries," said O’Fallon Police Sgt. Bryan Harr. Results: November 7 Missouri Special Election Sgt. Harr said the big clue was found in the victim’s backyard after the burglary in September. During the burglary, police say the suspect stole more than $3,200 in jewelry, including two St. Dominic High School class rings and $500 cash.None of it was recovered, unfortunately. But police reported arresting a 32-year-old man after a DNA hit less than one month later.The FOX Files found the backyard where police cracked the case. The homeowner wanted his privacy protected and declined to talk on...

Slow progress in replacing flimsy stop signs around St. Louis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:54 GMT

ST. LOUIS - It's been nearly three months since we exposed a problem with stop signs falling apart, even being cut in half in the City of St. Louis. We found out the signs were made of cardboard-like material.We found dozens of damaged signs citywide in August. It’s now November. The issue remains.Two weeks after we found half of a stop sign near Al’s Restaurant in the North Riverfront neighborhood, it has yet to be replaced.  Results: November 7 Missouri Special Election “It’s kind of weird. You’ve got half a stop. What’s the purpose? You left half of it,” laughed Zell Marshall of Belleville while driving by St. Louis. A mile or two away, the St. Louis Blues opened their season at Enterprise Center with a similar half-stop sign on the southwest corner. That one has now been replaced.If you look closely at the damaged signs, you will see they resemble cardboard.  The reflective lettering tends to peel off. The signs warp after being exposed to St. Louis weather. Close ...

Mysteries surround burned crime scenes, bodies found in St. Louis metro

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:54 GMT

ST. LOUIS - There are two major investigations unfolding in the metro Tuesday involving burned crime scenes with bodies; one in St. Louis City and another in St. Louis County.There are so many questions for two different police departments, and the FOX Files is pushing for answers. Two gruesome scenes leave city and county detectives scrambling to determine what they have on their hands. In St. Louis County, detectives are in the early hours of what's described as a suspicious death investigation. Detectives are investigating a scene in the 12600 block of Columbia Bottom Road. Results: November 7 Missouri Special Election In an exclusive video that you'll see only on FOX 2, our drone captured county detectives looking for evidence, specifically in an area that had burned.Authorities have not officially said if the body had been burned, only that there is no obvious cause of death. Police first responded to that scene in a rather rural area of north St. Louis County around 2:15 p....

Mayor Tishaura Jones holds first cabinet meeting  

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:54 GMT

ST. LOUIS - It was standing room only Tuesday night at the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club in north St. Louis City as Mayor Tishaura Jones hosted her first cabinet meeting with several city leaders.  Every seat was full as Chief of Police Robert Tracy, Alderwoman Laura Keys, and several other city leaders heard from residents. Mayor Jones opened the meeting by highlighting a few key issues in the city, including one big money topic.   Results: November 7 Missouri Special Election “Everyone wants to know, ‘When [are] they going to spend that Rams settlement money, when [are] they gonna spend it?’ Well again we have $500 million in American Rescue Plan Act, so we want to spend that money first,” Jones said.  The ARPA money expires in 2026. The mayor also addressed crime, stating homicide numbers have continued to go down since she took office. Jones also touched on the youth outreach programs that helped extend rec center hours in the summer. “Juvenile crime is down 37 percent,” ...