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Travis County's mental health authority to eliminate 115 staff positions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- To remedy a roughly $22 million shortfall in federal and state funding next fiscal year, Travis County's largest mental health provider is slashing nearly 10% of its staff positions, some of which are vacant, a board meeting Thursday revealed. Outside of one Integral Care facility, a staff member said employees are "stressed, overwhelmed" and said the staff cuts are only going to make a case load that's already heavy much worse. "It's unexpected. People are going to lose their stability. Not only for employees but for the clients," that employee said. We are not naming them. Integral Care provides resources for people with mental health illnesses, substance use disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to its website. Those resources include crisis services -- such as the operation of the region's 988 call center -- along with counseling and case management, drug and alcohol treatment and housing services. Nearly a quarter of suicide hot...

Small towns in MN and elsewhere are disbanding police forces, citing hiring woes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:52 GMT

GOODHUE, Minnesota — As Goodhue Police Chief Josh Smith struggled this summer to fill vacancies in his small department, he warned the town’s City Council that unless pay and benefits improved, finding new officers would never happen.When nothing changed, Smith quit. So did his few remaining officers, leading the Minnesota town of 1,300 residents to shutter its police force in late August.America is in the midst of a police officer shortage that many in law enforcement blame on the two-fold morale hit of 2020 — the coronavirus pandemic and criticism of police that boiled over with the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. From Minnesota to Maine, Ohio to Texas, small towns unable to fill jobs are eliminating their police departments and turning over police work to their county sheriff, a neighboring town or state police.The trend isn’t altogether new.At least 521 U.S. towns and cities with populations of 1,000 to 200,000 disbanded policing between 1972 and 2017, according to a...

Explainer: Gov. Walz says he’s open to fix for school resource officer rules. What’s the issue?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:52 GMT

With the school year starting Tuesday for most students throughout Minnesota, some showed up to buildings where law enforcement had pulled their school resource officers.Law enforcement has raised concerns about a change in state law regarding what force school resource officers can use against students. Minnesota Republican legislators called last week for a special legislative session to revert the law back to its previous form.Gov. Tim Walz, visiting an elementary school Tuesday morning in Bloomington, responded to a media question about whether a special session was needed.“I think we all want a solution to this,” he said. “Some districts have worked it out and they believe the language is clarified” and others have not. “… I’m certainly open to anything that provides a solution to that, if that means the Legislature working it out to make sure we have it.”The value of SROs is the relationships that are built “long before any...

Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio sentenced to 22 years in prison for Jan. 6

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:52 GMT

Enrique Tarrio, former national chairman of the right-wing Proud Boys was on Tuesday sentenced to 22 years in prison after being convicted of spearheading a plot to stop the certification of the 2020 election results, culminating in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. His sentence is the highest handed down to anyone in connection with the riot by four years. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, just before he handed down the sentence, indicated to the court he would not grant the full 33-year sentence sought by federal prosecutors but would grant a higher sentence than other extremist group members in the hopes it would act as a deterrent. Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes was sentenced in May to 18 years in prison, and Proud Boy Ethan Nordean — one of Tarrio’s lieutenants — received the same sentence last week. “That day broke our previously unbroken tradition of peacefully transferring power, which is truly among the most precious things that we had as Americans,” U.S. District Judge Timot...

Leslie Frazier picks Bills to win Super Bowl in new role as NFL Network analyst

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:52 GMT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- After 25 seasons coaching in the NFL, and the past six serving a defensive coordinator for the Bills, Leslie Frazier is taking a sabbatical from the sidelines.In his new role as an NFL Network analyst, Frazier indicated he still believes in the Bills ability to succeed with coach Sean McDermott calling the defense this coming season. Frazier was one of five analysts to predict a Super Bowl championship for the Bills."The Bills have been knocking on the Super Bowl door the last few seasons. When they finally get there, they take advantage of the opportunity and win the franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy," Frazier explained in picking the Bills to beat the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.The other NFL.com contributors to pick the Bills were: Keegan Abdoo, Jeremy Bergman, Michael F. Florio and Michelle Magdziuk. Three others tabbed the Bills to win the AFC but lost in the Super Bowl. The Bills tied with the Bengals for third with five votes in the poll of 34 analysts. ...

2 men charged in kidnapping, armed robbery following bi-state chase

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:52 GMT

HILLSBORO, Mo. – Two men have been charged in connection with an armed robbery and kidnapping that culminated in a police pursuit across Missouri and Illinois.The situation unfolded on Monday, Sept. 3, in the 100 block of Sheffield Lane near Fenton, according to probable cause statements filed by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.The two victims, a man and woman, told authorities they were dropping off the man's child with the mother. After dropping the child off, two to three men exited the residence while the male victim was retrieving the child's bag from the backseat.Authorities claim an armed man approached the male victim and pointed a gun in his face. The victim and the armed man got into a physical altercation, but the victim got away. Call for Help closure has East St. Louis mothers crying for aid That same armed man pointed his gun at the female victim and demanded her cellphone. A second suspect then got into the vehicle, a 2017 Jeep Patriot, and drove away with th...

New billboards around St. Louis tackle antisemitism

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:52 GMT

ST. LOUIS - You might notice some new billboards with shocking messages around the St. Louis area. It's part of a national campaign to raise awareness about antisemitism. JewBelong, a nonprofit that aims to make Judaism accessible and fight antisemitism, has put up billboards with four new messages around the St. Louis region. Archie Gottesman, co-founder of JewBelong, tells FOX 2 that antisemitism has been growing in the United States over the past two years. The billboards are part of an effort to not only combat that, but also lower barriers to entry for anyone interested in learning more about Judaism. Call for Help closure has East St. Louis mothers crying for aid “A way to make people aware of the issue is billboards," said Gottesman. "People see them, we put them on main highways, they’re pink and white, and they say pretty shocking messages."One billboard on I-170 & Woodson Road reads, “Can a billboard end antisemitism? No. But You’re not a billboard.” Anoth...

Man convicted of heroin sales, illegal gun possession escapes Englewood federal prison facility

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:52 GMT

A 49-year-old man convicted of drug dealing and illegal possession of a firearm escaped Tuesday from a minimum-security federal prison campus in Englewood.Federal Bureau of PrisonsEdward Verdugo, 49Prison officials at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday discovered that Edward Verdugo had walked away from the prison camp at FCI Englewood, located near the intersection of South Kipling Street and U.S. 285 east of Bear Creek Lake Park.Verdugo is approximately 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 210 pounds, according to a news release from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He has black hair and brown eyes.A federal judge in New Mexico sentenced Verdugo in 2021 to nine years in prison for possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possessing a firearm as a felon, conspiracy to distribute heroin and possessing a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.New Mexico law enforcement found 17 grams of heroin and two handguns in Verdugo’s home in Las Cruces when they executed a search warrant in 2019...

E-bike shops in Denver battle repeat thefts: “Insurance doesn’t solve trauma”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:52 GMT

Barry Slights says every night the alarms don’t go off is a small victory.The manager of a Pedego e-bike shop in Denver’s Golden Triangle said the business faced a string of break-ins this summer, resulting in thousands of dollars of lost inventory and physical damage. On another occasion, during business hours, one of his employees was assaulted by a man wielding a chain.Surveillance video recorded it all.Two miles to the west, at FattE-Bikes, owner Kenny Fischer said he’s taken to sleeping at the company’s production facility some nights in the hopes of stopping thieves. He did just that one night. On another occasion, he tracked down a stolen bike himself.Both men believe their shops were hit by the same thieves. A spokesperson for the Denver Police Department would say only that the incidents are under investigation, and that no arrests have been made.The brazen thefts speak to the popularity of e-bikes. And the repetition is getting old.“With e-bike popularity right now, they c...

Panda Express launches new entrée nationwide

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:52 GMT

Panda Express is releasing a new limited-time entrée at restaurants across the country: Chili Crisp Shrimp.The new seafood dish will be available beginning Wednesday and will remain on menus through the end of the year.The Rosemead, California-based Chinese fast food chain describes the dish as being comprised of "lightly breaded succulent shrimp mixed with aromatic peppers and onions wok-tossed in a savory chili garlic sauce." Each bite promises to offer a hint of heat and a satisfying crunch, the restaurant chain says.Promotional image of Chili Crisp Shrimp, a new limited-time entree from Panda Express launching nationwide Sept. 6, 2023.The dish was crafted by Panda Express chefs, drawing on inspiration from the "bold flavors" of Sichuan cuisine. The restaurant chain is debuting the dish following "in-depth testing" and thorough guest feedback.“We knew we wanted to offer a bold new menu item with shrimp that marries the traditional flavors of Sichuan cuisine with the fresh, premiu...