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Dual degree program offers family hope, avenue forward in McHenry County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:25 GMT

WOODSTOCK, Ill. — If walls could talk, each one would tell a story in the Diaz home, stories of love, perseverance and things handed down, from generation to generation.A hardworking family with roots in Mexico, the Diaz clan moved to the United States searching for better opportunities."There definitely was a lot of uncertainty … fear and anxiety," said Marlen Diaz, a senior at Woodstock North High School. "My parents have a lot of friends who also undocumented and I see that they have very young kids and I think of myself at that age and how worried I was about deportation and raids and that stuff."Fear became motivation for Diaz when she learned that Woodstock North was offering a chance to earn both her high school diploma and a college associate's degree all at once."Marlen was one of 21 kids to sign on," said District 200 asst. Supt. Justin Smith. "It saves a ton of money for our students. Our students on average pay about $700 for two years of college out of pocket to earn 60...

COPA: CPD officer struck man in head with police radio at Midway Airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:25 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Civilian Office of Police Accountability released video Tuesday of a Chicago Police Officer using excessive force on a Midway Airport passenger back in February.According to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the Chicago Police Department notified COPA of an incident that took place at Midway Airport on Feb. 23, 2023. COPA: Chicago police officer under investigation since 2017 should be fired The incident began when an airline employee informed a Chicago police officer that an individual was drinking alcohol and disturbing passengers near a baggage claim carousel.An officer located the individual and asked them to leave the airport when a confrontation ensued. The officer can be seen in the video kicking the individual's bag and then striking them with a police radio.The victim requested an ambulance and was taken to Holy Cross Hospital for treatment due to sustaining a laceration to their head.Anyone with information regarding this incident are asked to ...

Woman pleads guilty in 'Killer Clown' case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:25 GMT

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WJHL) - A woman has pleaded guilty to murder in the "Killer Clown" case of 1990, court documents show. Sheila Keen-Warren, arrested in 2017, entered a guilty plea Tuesday to one count of second-degree murder in the death of Marlene Warren in Palm Beach, Florida. According to authorities, Warren was fatally shot by a person wearing an orange wig, a red nose, and white face paint who handed her flowers and foil balloons at her South Florida home, The Associated Press reports.At the time of the shooting, Warren was married to Michael Warren, who employed Keen-Warren at his used car lot. He and Keen-Warren married in 2002 and lived in Virginia where they co-owned a restaurant. According to The AP, Keen-Warren was arrested in Virginia in September 2017 and extradited to Florida after authorities found advancements in DNA technology and evidence gathered in 1990 identified her as the killer. She was scheduled to go to trial on May 12th, 2023.Previously, Keen-Warren ...

Vampire straw gets Chicago passenger arrested at Boston airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:25 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — An airline passenger was arrested for carrying a self-defense weapon known as a vampire straw through security at Boston’s Logan International Airport, authorities said Tuesday.Arman Achuthan Nair was detained Sunday evening and charged with carrying a dangerous weapon, Massachusetts State Police said in a statement. A trooper was alerted after the 10-inch-long (25-centimeter-long) titanium straw with a beveled end was found in Nair’s backpack. Rosati’s Pizza franchisees to pay $250K in back wages, damages to employees The Transportation Security Administration doesn’t allow vampire straws to be carried onto a flight. The company that makes the straw bills it as a self-defense weapon since it can be used like a dagger. It also can be used as a straw to slurp down smoothies and other drinks."These items are not allowed in passenger carry-on bags,” the TSA said Monday in a tweet that included a photo of the straw. “A passenger found that out yesterday.”Nair, ...

FAA investigating fires on two American Airlines flights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:25 GMT

(The Hill) – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating fires on two separate American Airlines flights, after two planes over the past week reported engine damage in North Carolina and Ohio.American Airlines Flight 2288 canceled its takeoff from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina last Thursday, due to a possible engine fire, the FAA told The Hill. A second plane, American Airlines Flight 1958, returned to John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio on Sunday after a possible bird strike. The FAA said it would investigate both incidents.The plane that might have struck a bird, headed from Ohio to Phoenix, Arizona, was seen on fire in a cellphone video confirmed by NBC News. The video showed spurts of flames shooting out from the right side of the plane as it flew. These airlines have lost, damaged the most luggage: data The issue of bird strikes has been growing, according to the FAA. The number of reported strikes increased by 144 perc...

Ramsey County Board approves $6 million request for Green Line costs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:25 GMT

The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners voted to approve their annual contribution to the operating budget for the Green Line light-rail on Tuesday, 7-0, without public discussion. This year’s price tag is $6 million.The county and Metro Transit have butted heads over the price tag in past years. The board tabled Metro Transit’s $5.8 million request in 2021, citing unexpected additional costs.Conflict over yearly payments raised uncertainties about continuing to fund the service long-term, especially considering the decline in ridership brought on by the onset of COVID-19.Riders have continued to cite safety concerns aboard the light-rail, with Metropolitan Council president Charlie Zelle acknowledging “pockets of bad behavior” last year. Metro Transit last month swore in former New York City police officer Ernesto Morales III as its new police chief.Related ArticlesNews | Developer sought for 40-acre section of Rice Creek Commons News | ...

Province approves $525k for Reservoir and Pump Station Engineering project in Coaldale

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:25 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsThe Town of Coaldale will see an accelerated timeline on a high-priority capital project thanks to provincial funding provided by the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership (AMWWP) program.“In the next five to 10 years we are going to see massive growth in this area (…) so we’re going to need to get some of these projects done,” said MLA for Taber-Warner Grant Hunter during the public announcement at the Coaldale Civic building on April 18.Hunter said as the Town of Coaldale and southern Alberta more broadly continues to experience a “surge in investment and economic growth,” infrastructure must be in place to support that growth.During the announcement, MLA Hunter was joined by town staff and administration to speak on the provincial funding which will go towards the engineering costs of the Town’s potable water reservoir and pump station project. Approved funding of $525,045 through the AMWWP program will cover 36 per cent of the total...

Microgrid project will keep lights on in Waterton townsites

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:25 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsWaterton’s townsite will have reliable access to clean electricity, even during system maintenance, thanks to the completion of a micro-grid project.During the April 20 open house event at the new FortisAlberta operations facility in Coaldale, the company gave an overview of their first battery storage system which will provide backup power for Waterton Lakes National Park townsite which is served from one single main power line. The new Waterton Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will provide secure and reliable electricity to Waterton Lakes National Park and ensure grid access to the townsite during needed repairs or upgrades. This is FortisAlberta’s first battery storage system and will support the tourist destination in accommodating the massive influx of visitors during the busy travel season. According to 2021 census data, the Park is home to just 158 permanent residents, but sees a large influx of visitors, upwards of 400,000 during peak summ...

Taber working hard promoting success of agri-food corridor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:25 GMT

By Trevor BuschSunny South [email protected] the development of an agri-food corridor on Highway 3 in southern Alberta has become a key goal of Alberta’s UCP government, and the Town of Taber is working hand-in-hand to help make that dream a reality.“We already have a very welcoming business environment. We have strong infrastructure for agri-food and a skilled workforce,” said Amy Allred, economic development manager. “We have many people who have worked in agri-food or worked in agriculture here most of their lives, which is a great benefit to agri-food companies, to the whole supply chain and knowing and understanding how the product works and moves and can be produced. I think just building that infrastructure, still creating that welcoming environment with things like our tax incentive, is the way to help bring new producers and then, of course, the province’s investment into Canada’s Premier Food Corridor (CPFC) and into things like McCain’s is going to rea...

FortisAlberta holds open house at new net zero building in Coaldale

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:25 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsOver 100 people gathered in Coaldale at the brand new FortisAlberta facility on April 20 to celebrate energy innovations in southern Alberta.In addition to the new Waterton Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project which will provide needed solutions for the Waterton townsite, FortisAlberta held a “wire cutting” ceremony to celebrate the brand new net-zero facility located on 6.7 acres of land in Coaldale’s industrial park.In February, FortisAlberta relocated its operations centre from Lethbridge to a more centralized location in Coaldale which serves an area of over 9,000 square kilometres and provides electrical distribution services across multiple counties and nearby municipalities of Picture Butte, Coaldale, Nobleford, Taber, Coalhurst, Barons and beyond. Of the 40 service areas in Alberta, the area serviced by the Coaldale site encompasses over 21,000 sites and 9,400 km. The service shop employs power line and metering technicians, designers,...