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Alabama’s plan for nation’s first execution by nitrogen gas is ‘hostile to religion,’ lawsuit says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:15 GMT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Lawyers for a spiritual adviser to an Alabama inmate scheduled to be executed with nitrogen gas next month said in a complaint filed Wednesday that restrictions on how close the adviser can get to the inmate in the death chamber are “hostile to religion.”The Rev. Jeff Hood, who plans to enter the death chamber to minister to Kenneth Eugene Smith, said the Alabama Department of Corrections asked him to sign a form acknowledging the risks and agreeing to stay 3 feet (0.9 meters) away from Smith’s gas mask. Hood, a death penalty opponent, said that shows there is a risk to witnesses attending the execution. He said the restrictions would also interfere with his ability to minister to Smith before he is put to death. “They’ve asked me to sign a waiver, which to me speaks to the fact that they’re already concerned that things could go wrong,” Hood said in a telephone interview.Smith’s execution would be the nation’s first using nitrogen gas. The ...

2 Los Angeles County men exonerated after spending decades in prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:15 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two men who spent decades in prison for crimes they didn’t commit have been exonerated and freed, the Los Angeles County district attorney announced Wednesday.Giovanni Hernandez and Miguel Solorio had their convictions vacated earlier this year and on Wednesday a judge found them factually innocent, the District Attorney’s Office said in an email. At a news conference, District Attorney George Gascón apologized to both men.“It’s truly devastating when people are wrongfully convicted, especially when they were so young at the time of their arrest. In the case of Mr. Solorio, he was 19 years old. Mr. Hernandez was just 14 years old,” Gascón said.After two trials, Hernandez was convicted in 2012 of killing 16-year-old Gary Ortiz during a 2006 drive-by shooting in Culver City. He was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. Hernandez said he was at home with his family at the time of the shooting.He was exonerated after his case was twice submitted to the ...

15-year-old girl found strangled to death in South Shore ID'd

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:15 GMT

CHICAGO — A 15-year-old girl reported missing back in late August was found strangled to death inside a South Shore home Wednesday night, according to multiple agencies.According to the Chicago Police Department, an unresponsive female of unknown age was found inside a residence in the 7200 block of South Phillips Avenue around 6:09 p.m. and was pronounced dead on scene.The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed the female was Amarise Parker and her cause of death was homicide via strangulation.A photo of 15-year-old Amarise Parker, from CPD's missing persons alert on Thursday, Aug. 31.CPD sent out a missing person's alert for Parker on Thursday, Aug. 31 that said she went missing from the 10900 block of South Wood Street in the Morgan Park neighborhood. The listed age for Parker in the alert was 15. Family questions CPD’s response after Midway Airport worker shot, killed Area detectives are investigating and police have no offenders in custody.No other information ...

Gov. Abbott readies TDEM ahead of winter weather, flash flood threats

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) has prepared "state emergency response resources" as winter weather and flash flood threats make their way into the state through the end of the week, according to a news release from TDEM.On Thursday, "heavy snow is possible in the Panhandle region," which could cause "potentially hazardous conditions for road travel, especially on bridges and overpasses," according to the National Weather Service. Furthermore, most of the state "faces a marginal risk of excessive rainfall and flash flooding through Friday." Friday brings another round of rain, but storm track shifting A powerful low pressure system approaching from the Four Corners region is expected to lead to a second round of showers and a few thunderstorms locally on Friday. With that said, the storm system has shifted its track a bit farther north in our latest outlooks, decreasing our rainfall projections locally, according to the KXAN First Warning Weather...

First SEC schedule for Texas football released

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Longhorns' move to the Southeastern Conference has been talked about for a long time, and now we finally know how Texas football's inaugural slate in the SEC will look.Non-conference will be highlighted by the Week 2 matchup in Ann Arbor against Michigan. Both the Longhorns and Wolverines are currently in the College Football Playoff Semifinal.The first SEC game for the Longhorns will be in Austin with Texas hosting Mississippi State. After that will be Red River Rivalry with both Texas and Oklahoma meeting as SEC foes.The Longhorns wrap up the regular season as they had for years before Texas A&M moved to the SEC. Texas will travel to College Station on November 30 to duel with their old rivals.2024 Texas Football ScheduleAugust 31: vs. Colorado StateSeptember 7: @ MichiganSeptember 14: vs. UTSASeptember 21: Louisiana-MonroeSeptember 28: Mississippi StateOctober 5: OPEN WEEKOctober 12: vs. OklahomaOctober 19: vs. GeorgiaOctober 26: @ VanderbiltNovember 2: OP...

St. Paul City Council honors Jeanne Weigum for her tireless civic engagement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:15 GMT

After climbing the ranks at the Association for Non-Smokers-MN, Jeanne Weigum was appointed president of the association in 1980 — a position she’s held ever since without drawing a salary. It put Weigum, a consummate volunteer in St. Paul civic circles, front and center in legal battles against Big Tobacco, inspiring Minnesota Monthly magazine to name her its 1997 “Minnesotan of the Year.”Weigum, who developed an appreciation for nature growing up in the prairies of South Dakota, has worked tirelessly on civic campaigns large and small, including ongoing efforts to block or remove billboards throughout the city, which she equates to blight, through Scenic St. Paul. And she was a longtime president of the Friends of the Parks and Trails of St. Paul and Ramsey County, helping to establish a no-net-loss rule around real estate development impacting the city and county’s parklands.Jeanne Weigum, president of the Association for Nonsmokers-MN since 1980, wi...

$10,000 reward offered in Onamia physician’s hit-and-run death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:15 GMT

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information on who was driving the vehicle that hit and killed Dr. Cathy Donovan last month while she was walking her dogs along U.S. 169 in Mille Lacs County.Dr. Cathy DonovanDonovan was a mother of two and a doctor for the past 27 years with Mille Lacs Health System in Onamia. On Nov. 13, she was walking her dogs along the highway in Kathio Township near her home when a northbound vehicle struck and killed her, then left the area. One of the dogs was also killed in the crash shortly before 5 p.m.Law enforcement officials have been asking for the public’s help to identify the vehicle ever since.At a Wednesday news conference in St. Paul announcing the reward, Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, said law enforcement has been investigating numerous tips in the case but they are still looking for crucial information.“Someone out there knows something and, for us, all we need is one phone call, one email, one anonymous text that ...

Michigan man sent to prison for driving to Lakeville, sexually assaulting 13-year-old girl

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:15 GMT

A Michigan man has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to driving to Lakeville to sexually assault a 13-year-old girl he met on Omegle, a video chat website that was shut down last month after accusations that it introduced minors to sexual predators.In January, Maxwell Winston Beardsley, 22, of Highland, Mich., was charged in Dakota County District Court with third-degree criminal sexual conduct of a child under the age of 14.Maxwell Winston Beardsley (Courtesy of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office)The case was moved to U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, where in July Beardsley pleaded guilty to one count of interstate travel with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor. A charge of persuading a minor to engage in sexual activity, which carries a minimum 10-year prison sentence, was dismissed as part of a plea deal, federal court records show. He was sentenced Monday.According to state and federal court documents, Beardsley me...

Some Missouri representatives are back in the capital to get head start on budget talks 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:15 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Within the past year, the Missouri Department of Corrections has hired roughly 600 new employees and department leaders are touting a recent pay raise as the reason.It might sound silly to be excited about 1,200 vacancies, but the state's corrections department said it's a major decrease from where they were last year at this time. This comes as some lawmakers are back here in Jefferson City for budget meetings, something that normally doesn't happen until January."Adding multiple weeks of committee hearings in December is not something we've ever done before," Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, said. "If you've served on budget, you know the process doesn't really start until we get the governor's recommendation, which doesn't come until January."While budget talks normally don't get underway until lawmakers begin session after the new year, the House is getting a jump start on the process. Merideth is the ranking member on the House Budget Committee. He said t...

Fights at McCluer High School prompt Ferguson-Florissant superintendent calls for community action

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:50:15 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - Dr. Joe Davis, superintendent of the Ferguson-Florissant School District, is encouraging the public to join him in finding ways to prevent fights from occurring in school.Earlier this week, police were called to McCluer High School, where nine students were involved in several fights that stemmed from one fight, according to a district spokesperson. The police were able to contain the situation and dismiss students as normal.“We’re not running from the problem,” Davis said.In a letter the district shared with parents, staff and the community, the superintendent said the district already has safety measures in place but feels more needs to be done to identify the root causes of the fighting. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW ...