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An illicit, Chinese-owned lab fueled conspiracy theories. But officials say it posed no danger

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:20 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jesalyn Harper, the only full-time code enforcement officer for the small, agricultural city of Reedley in California’s Central Valley, was responding to a complaint about vehicles parked in the loading dock of a cold-storage warehouse when she noticed a foul smell and saw a garden hose snaking into the old building. A woman in a lab coat answered her knock, and behind her were two others in plastic gloves and blue surgical masks, packing pregnancy tests for shipping. Harper said they spoke broken English and told her they were from China. Walking through the lab, she found dozens of refrigerators and ultralow-temperature freezers hooked to illegal wiring; vials of blood and jars of urine in shelves and plastic containers; and about 1,000 white lab mice being kept in crowded, soiled containers.The women said the owner lived in China, provided a phone number and email address and asked her to leave. Alarmed by what she saw, Harper, whose work mostly entails...

Closure of 3 Southern California power plants likely to be postponed, state energy officials decide

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:20 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Temperatures in many California cities are cooling down this week, but a debate is simmering on how to generate enough electricity to power the state through extreme weather events while transitioning away from a reliance on fossil fuels.The California Energy Commission voted Wednesday to extend the life of three gas power plants along the state’s southern coast through 2026, postponing a shutoff deadline previously set for the end of this year. The vote would keep the decades-old facilities — Ormond Beach Generating Station, AES Alamitos and AES Huntington Beach — open so they can run during emergencies. The state is at a greater risk of blackouts during major events when many Californians simultaneously crank up their air conditioning, such as a blistering heat wave.“We need to move faster in incorporating renewable energy. We need to move faster at incorporating battery storage. We need to build out chargers faster,” commissioner Patricia Monahan s...

Illinois Gov. Pritzker unveils butter cow and the state fair's theme: 'Harvest the Fun'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:20 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Lorilee Schultz, whose childhood memories include munching cream puffs in the Dairy Building at the Illinois State Fair, had a special reason for attending this year's unveiling of the famed butter cow: She's part of it.The 102nd edition of the Dairy Building's crown jewel features a butter model of Schultz ready to milk one of her 60 head at Mil-R-Mor Farm in Orangeville, 131 miles (211 kilometers) northwest of Chicago. The 800-pound sculpture, created by Sarah Pratt of West Des Moines, Iowa, was unveiled Wednesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II, serving as a soft opening for the annual agricultural extravaganza.“This year's butter cow sculpture celebrates the Illinois dairy families like mine who ‘Harvest the Fun’ of dairy every day on our farms,” Schultz told gathered reporters, slipping in a reference to the theme of this year's fair. “What is more fun than ice-cold milk, creamy ice cream and gooey cheese made with ...

CPD launching nightlife patrol to monitor Near West Side entertainment strips

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:20 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department are launching a new unit to patrol entertainment districts on the Near West Side.Block Club Chicago reports that six officers and a sergeant from the 12th district will focus on parts of West Loop, West Town and Pilsen, including Greektown, parts of Taylor Street, the University of Illinois Chicago and part of Division Street. RELATED: Fulton Market developers, restaurant groups look to hire private 24 hour security The unit will be created to police safety in the entrainment districts following a string of shootings, armed robberies, and break in's. Also, the new unit will monitor late night loitering and to ensure venues comply with their pump place of amusement licenses.The assigned officers will reportedly work 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. It's unclear at this time what days of the week the patrol will work.Sgt. Mike Karczewski, business, licensing, and special events supervisor for the 12th District, told Block Club Chicago they hope to have the u...

McDonald's orders featured in hit movies, TV shows now have their own meal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:20 GMT

(KTLA) - McDonald’s is giving its fans a chance to eat like their favorite character with its newest meal offering that includes items featured on TV shows and movies throughout the years.Known as “The As Featured In Meal,” customers will soon be able to order food that was featured in TV shows and movies like “Seinfeld,” “I'm Not Rappaport” and “Coming to America.”"It's not only our real-life fans who have a go-to order; for decades, our favorite movie and TV characters have, too,” Morgan Flatley, global chief marketing officer and head of new business ventures at McDonald's, said in a statement."The As Featured In Meal" will include a choice of 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, or Big Mac Sandwich along with Medium World Famous Fries, a Medium soft drink and the newly branded Sweet 'N Sour Sauce. (McDonald's) “The As Featured In Meal is our biggest Famous Order yet, celebrating the most memorable McDonald's references across the world of entertainment."The m...

Illinois man to celebrate 70th first day of school

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:20 GMT

VIENNA, Ill. -- Imagine going to school for 70 years.A southern Illinois man will take part in his 70th first day of school on Friday.Max Hook spent his first 12 years in school at Vienna Grade and Vienna High Schools. After graduating from high school, he went on to earn his bachelor's degree in education at McKendree College.Max HookHe then started his career as a teacher and coach at Breese Central before making his way back to Vienna where he has served as a teacher and coach since 1982.“I was one of his many math students while in high school. He was and is an excellent teacher," said Vienna High School Superintendent Joshua Stafford. "Since that time Mr. Hook has continued to be a teacher and mentor to me. While he has taught me a great deal about math, the life changing influence that he had on numerous people is incalculable."Hook and his wife have two sons and five grandchildren, most of which have had or will have him as a teacher and maybe even as a coach.This year, Hook ...

APD responds to bomb hotshot call at St. David's Medical Center

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:20 GMT

Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 9, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police are responding to a call regarding a possible bomb at a central Austin hospital.APD said the bomb hotshot call at St. David's Medical Center came in at 5:23 p.m.A hotshot call is defined by APD as "incidents which are in progress and are an immediate threat to life and/or public safety."KXAN has reached out to the Austin Fire Department for additional details. This is a developing story. Check back with KXAN for more information.

15-acre brush fire near Pflugerville under control

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:20 GMT

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — An evacuation notice has been lifted Wednesday for some homes near a 15-acre brush fire in Pflugerville. The fire off Jesse Bohls Road is under control as of 5:55 p.m., Travis County ESD No. 2 said. ‘Home ignition zone’ inspections can help with wildfires Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2, the Manor Fire Department, STAR Flight and the Texas A&M Forest Service worked to contain the fire, Travis County ESD No. 2 Fire Chief Nick Perkins said.Homes on Scoria Drive and Elk Horn Drive were evacuated as a precaution, according to Travis County ESD No. 2.This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

New Austin Energy GM on preventing power outages, increasing energy bills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One month into his role as Austin Energy's new general manager, Bob Kahn is already bracing for at least 80 to-do list items from the fallout of hundreds of thousands of power outages during February's winter storm.He told KXAN in a sit-down interview he expects an after-action report released later this month, outlining changes and recommendations from the ice storm, which left almost a third of Austin Energy customers without power at its peak. TIMELINE: How long did it take Austin Energy to restore power during ice storm? Kahn took over the role in July, following the departure of former General Manager Jackie Sargent in March. At the time, the utility provider was facing criticism from citizens and city leaders about how it communicated restoration times during the storm. While Kahn was not in charge when the ice began to accumulate on tree limbs that fell and took down countless lines in the Austin area, he said he believes the utility needs to be more transp...

Longhorns 5th-year linebacker David Gbenda's UT journey is one of patience, commitment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Despite being in the transfer portal era of college football, Texas Longhorns fifth-year senior linebacker David Gbenda never thought about trying to find greener pastures elsewhere.With the ease of the one-time transfer option and how the portal system expedites the free agency-type movement in NCAA athletics, Gbenda would rather learn from others who play his position and grind with fellow Horns in the weight room than try to go somewhere else.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersAfter a training camp session Tuesday night, Gbenda was candid when talking about how he sees himself now as a player and why he's still wearing burnt orange."I never really was a guy that just quit," he said. "I believed in this university and I told myself I was going to get a degree here. I 100% committed to the university, regardless of what else was going on."He played in 11 ...