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Federal appeals court denies effort to block state-run court in Mississippi’s majority-Black capital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:13:43 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal appeals court has denied a legal effort to stop Mississippi officials from creating a state-run court in part of the majority-Black capital city of Jackson, over objections from the NAACP. In a Thursday ruling, three judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans denied the NAACP’s motions for an injunction pending an appeal and vacated an administrative stay that had temporarily blocked state officials from creating the court. The panel’s unanimous decision means state officials can begin setting up the Capitol Complex Improvement District Court, which will have a judge appointed by the state Supreme Court chief justice and prosecutors appointed by the state attorney general — officials who are white and conservative. A state law approved by the Republican-controlled Mississippi Legislature created the court; Jackson is governed by Democrats. The 5th Circuit’s decision said the NAACP’s argument did not meet the burden for ...

Ailing 53-year-old female elephant euthanized at Los Angeles Zoo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:13:43 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 53-year-old Asian elephant has been euthanized at the Los Angeles Zoo after she was unable to stand up, the zoo announced Thursday.Shaunzi, one of two female elephants at the zoo, was discovered unable to stand in her exhibit on Tuesday night. “Animal care staff and zoo veterinarians responded quickly and worked through the night to help Shaunzi up. Despite the use of all resources and personnel available, the extraordinary efforts were ultimately unsuccessful,” a zoo statement said. A “heartbreaking” decision was made to sedate and euthanize the animal on Wednesday, the statement said.Born in Thailand, Shaunzi spent her youth in a circus, came to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in 1983 and was sent to the Los Angeles Zoo in 2017.The median life expectancy of female Asian elephants in human care has been estimated by various zoos, researchers and conservation groups as around 40 to 50 years. Elephants in the wild can live decades longer. Asian elephants are conside...

Man on lifetime firearms ban charged, found asleep at the wheel in Vaughan: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:13:43 GMT

York Regional Police have arrested and charged multiple people in various firearm investigations out of Vaughan, including one incident involving a man on a lifetime firearms ban found asleep at the wheel.Investigators responded to calls of an idle driver in the left turn lane on Rutherford Road at Jane Street in the early morning of Jan. 1. It’s alleged that officers found a male driver unresponsive and asleep at the wheel. When the man woke up, he attempted to speed away, striking a police cruiser. Officers located an open bottle of alcohol on the passenger seat and, as they searched the driver, found a loaded handgun in the waistband of his pants. A quantity of drugs suspected to be fentanyl was also discovered.On Thursday, police identified the man as 23-year-old Christian Marius Kamukuny of Brampton. He’s been charged with various firearms offences, including possession of firearm or ammunition contrary to prohibition order, impaired operation and possession for the...

Nearly 2 months after train crash, CTA Yellow Line set to re-open

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:13:43 GMT

CHICAGO — Nearly two months after a CTA Yellow Line train crashed into a piece of snow removal equipment, sending more than a dozen people to the hospital, train service is set to resume, the transit agency said. Scheduled service for the Yellow Line is set to begin Friday at 4:45 a.m. As the citywide transit agency continues to work with the National Transportation Safety Board, several interim safety enhancements will be in place:SEE ALSO | Emergency brakes were activated before CTA Yellow Line collision with snow equipment, NTSB report suggestsReduced Travel Speeds: Yellow Line trains will run at reduced speeds of 35 mph, down from 55 mph. Track Cleaning: Crews also have power-washed the Yellow Line, clearing debris and residue from the rail. Enhanced Operations Communications: CTA also added an extra layer of communication and protection, implementing what’s known as “manual blocking” on the rails for non-transport vehicles, such as snowplows and ot...

Amid race to finish to migrant intake center, Chicago food bank seeks to help

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:13:43 GMT

CHICAGO — City and state personnel are still grappling with the surge of new migrants that arrived over the holiday season as construction ramps up on facilities to deal with the arrivals.  Workers are still in the early stages of building half a dozen heated tents at the downtown migrant intake center as Illinois planners and a host of non-profit organizations scramble to deal with the ongoing flow of migrant buses.   The latest bus from Texas dropped off what appeared to be a group of migrants at the north suburban Wilmette Metra station. It's the newest challenge for the state and city’s coalition of non-profit service organizations.   The Greater Chicago Food Depository aims to help by providing more than 20,000 meals a day for shelter migrants.   “Currently 20 out of the 26 shelters, we are currently providing food and supplies to,” said Man-Yee Lee, a spokesperson with the Greater Chicago Food Depository. “We all deserve to eat...

Charges: St. Paul man used East Side house like a store to sell and stash drugs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:13:43 GMT

A St. Paul man is jailed and charged with possessing hundreds of pounds of marijuana, bags of psychedelic mushrooms and illegal guns at a house in the city’s Battle Creek neighborhood that prosecutors say was set up like a store for drug sales.A 16-year law enforcement officer had never seen the quantity of marijuana that was recovered during Tuesday’s search, according to charges filed in Ramsey County District Court against Brian Terrance Krueger, 39.The small, yellow and white rambler in the 2100 block of Bush Avenue, just west of McKnight Road, was “Krueger’s store and stash house,” the criminal complaint states. In the living room, a U-shaped glass display case presented 1-pound bags of marijuana and large bags of mushrooms and marijuana edibles. An electronic money counter was found in a bedroom.Krueger is jailed in lieu of $1 million bail ahead of an initial appearance on the charges Friday morning.Drugs, guns and cashAccording to the criminal complaint:Officers on Tuesday ob...

Construction to begin on 164-unit affordable housing property in Rosemount

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:13:43 GMT

Development company Schafer Richardson is moving forward with an affordable housing complex in Rosemount.The Minneapolis-based developer announced the completed acquisition and financing for a 164-unit affordable housing complex, called Croft at Rosecott, that will sit at the intersection of Akron Avenue and Connemara Trail in Rosemount.Of the 164 units, 25 will be set aside for households at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income and the remaining units will be available for those earning no more than 60 percent of the AMI, according to a news release from the developer. The median household income for Rosemount was $127,252 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.Designed by Minneapolis’ UrbanWorks Architecture, the four-story building will have one, two and three-bedroom units, a club room, multi-purpose space, work-from-home space, a fitness center, a kids zone and a teen lounge, per the news release.Funding for the project, which will be constructed by Bauer Design ...

Central Minnesota man charged with fatally shooting wife as children were in home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:13:43 GMT

A rural Dassel man who last week surrendered himself to law enforcement at his central Minnesota home after reporting that he shot his wife is now charged in the homicide, alleged to have been witnessed by their two children, ages 8 and 11.Bryan William Demarais, 35, made his first court appearance Tuesday in Meeker County District Court on a second-degree murder charge and two felony counts of child endangerment.Kayla Marie Demarais was killed Dec. 28, 2023. She is shown in a photo shared by family on a fundraising website. (GoFundMe)The death of his wife, Kayla Demarais, 29, was ruled a homicide resulting from multiple gunshot wounds, according to an autopsy report from the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.According to the criminal complaint, Bryan Demarais suspected his wife was having an affair and was arguing with her about his suspicions as well as the couple’s financial difficulties.A search of the residence in the 22000 block of 713th Avenue yielded multiple .22-caliber rou...

Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens knows this week might be a final audition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:13:43 GMT

Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens is trying to keep things in perspective this week. He knows the Vikings need to beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon at Ford Field to have any chance of making the playoffs. He’s focused on that above anything else.“We’re fired up,” Mullens said. “It’s going to be a good environment on the road.”Though he will try to keep his mind from wandering beyond what could be the final 60 minutes of this season, Mullens also seems to understand that he could be playing for a job heading into next season. His contract has no guaranteed money left, and the Vikings would only have to eat $375,000 if they decided to cut him. This could very well be his final audition before hitting the open market.“You’re always playing for a job in the NFL,” Mullens said. “Especially as a backup.”It’s still unclear what the Vikings plan to do in the coming months. There’s a chance the Vikings decide to negoti...

Albany PD seeks public's help in summer homicide

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:13:43 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Albany Police Department is reaching out to the public as they continue to investigate a homicide. A man was killed in June 2023 in the city. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Around 12:45 a.m. on June 25, police were called to the area of Myrtle Avenue and Phillip Street for a report of a shooting. Police found Deandre Morrison, 28, with gunshot wounds to the torso. He was later pronounced dead at Albany Medical Center.Anyone with information is asked to contact police at (518) 462-8039 or Capital Region Crime Stoppers. All tips remain anonymous.