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I’ve watched dozens of cheesy holiday rom-coms this year. Here are 5 good ones.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:48 GMT

Kayla Samoy | Chicago TribuneSince November, I’ve been watching the season’s new Christmas romantic comedies basically nonstop. There were many mediocre movies, but also a few that hit the right balance of cheesy, cringy and Christmas charm.‘The Santa Summit’It’s a Christmas hater’s absolute nightmare: the annual Santa Summit. What began as a bar’s seasonal promotion for discounted drinks has turned into a crazy barhopping gathering of hundreds of people dressed as jolly old Saint Nicholas. Teacher Jordin (Hunter King) drags her two besties out for the night of holiday fun.At the start of the event, Jordin loses her wallet and stumbles across Liam (Benjamin Hollingsworth) in her hunt. They strike up a conversation and somehow start to tell their life stories to each other in the span of just minutes. They discover they both love “Casablanca” and tacos! It’s instant love.But when they go into the bar to get a drink, they get separated in the crowd full of red suits and beards. Of cou...

St. Paul schools’ Joe Gothard finalist for national superintendent award

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:48 GMT

St. Paul Public Schools Superintendent Joe Gothard is one of four finalists for the national Superintendent of the Year award from the American Association of School Administrators.The award is presented to school system leaders who make a positive difference in students’ lives and ensure the safety and wellness of their communities. Other evaluation criteria include professionalism, community involvement and communication.St. Paul Public School superintendent Joe Gothard (John Autey / Pioneer Press)In October Gothard was named Minnesota Superintendent of the Year by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, qualifying him for the national award. The state association noted Gothard’s  “transformative change for SPPS with American Rescue Plan (ARP) spending” to create an Innovation Office that supported initiatives across the district.“It is an honor to congratulate these four innovative and future-driven superintendents who are setting the bar for what high-quality leaders...

Body recovered from submerged car in Greene County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:48 GMT

LEEDS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An individual has passed away after their vehicle was swept into the Catskill Creek on Monday morning. The Greene County Sheriff's Office says the driver entered a blocked-off part of Cauterskill Road that was closed due to flooding. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! According to the National Weather Service, a car can lose traction in as little as six inches of water. A regular-sized car can be swept away by 12 inches of water and SUVs can be carried away by 2 feet of rushing water. The Greene County Sheriff's Office is closing flooded roadways throughout the county. Police are working to identify the victim. No other information is available at this time.This is a developing story. Stay tuned to NEWS10 for updates.

New training aims to cut down on wrongful arrests in Illinois

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:48 GMT

Illinois leads the country in prison exonerations, according to the National Registry of Exonerations and the Center for Wrongful Convictions.In Illinois, the number one reason for wrongful arrests is police misconduct.To solve the problem, the Illinois Police Training Institute has started a new training program.I dug a bit deeper into this new training, what it includes and the particular challenge Illinois faces, beating out Texas, New York and California in wrongful convictions.The majority of people who are wrongfully convicted are mainly young black men.“I’m always humbled because I can’t imagine going into a room with 102 police officers after being incarcerated by that system for something that I didn’t do,” Wrongful Conviction and Awareness and Avoidance Training Director Marcus Beach said when introducing exoneree Antione Day to a group of trainees.“I have 14 years in the system,” said Day, who was sentenced to more than 60 years for a crime he did not commit.Attorney and ...

Suspect jailed after Illinois hotel standoff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:48 GMT

A 29-year-old Rock Falls man is in custody after police allege he was involved in a standoff Sunday at a hotel in Lee County, according to a news release. Shortly after 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Lee County Dispatch received a 911 call from the Magnuson Hotel, 443 Illinois Route 2, that a man had just threatened him with a gun at the location.Lee County Deputies, Dixon Police and the Illinois State Police responded to the scene. Through the investigation, the suspect was identified as Steven M. Armoska of Rock Falls, who was staying at the hotel. Steven Armoska (Lee County Sheriff's Office) Armoska was discovered to have a lengthy criminal history with numerous prior weapons offenses and felony convictions, the release says.The determination was made to activate the Joint Operations Group, which is a group of tactical officers from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Dixon Police Department, and medics with the Dixon City Fire Department. A perimeter was established around the room where Ar...

A cheesy casserole that lets the host savor holiday mornings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:48 GMT

By Melissa Clark, The New York TimesIt’s not a big deal making eggs and toast to feed one or two. It’s when you try it for a crowd that things start to get tricky. The eggs or the toast always wind up cold, which is bad enough on a weekday, and even worse on a holiday morning.But turn those ingredients into a breakfast casserole and something magical ensues.Instead of remaining separate, the bread soaks up the egg, becoming custardy in the center, and puffed and golden on top after baking. You can stir in all kinds of other ingredients to fancy it up — any combination of bacon, sausage, cheeses, herbs or vegetables will heighten its appeal.Best of all, not only can all of this be done in advance, it should be.Assembling the casserole the day before allows the bread to soften and absorb the egg mixture as it sits. Then, the next day, all you need to do is pop it in the oven, leaving the cook plenty of time for other morning pursuits — going for a run or taking a shower (o...

Actor Jonathan Majors found guilty of assaulting former girlfriend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:48 GMT

Jonathan Majors was convicted Monday of assaulting his former girlfriend after a two-week trial that the actor hoped would salvage his damaged reputation and restore his status as an emerging Hollywood star.A Manhattan jury found Majors, 34, guilty of assault and harassment. He was also acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment. Majors, who was asked to stand and face the jurors as the verdict was read, showed no immediate reaction, looking slightly downward.The charges stemmed from a dispute between the “Creed III” actor and his girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, that began in the backseat of a chauffeured car and spilled into the streets of Manhattan one night last March.Jabbari, a 30-year-old British dancer, accused Majors of an attack inside the vehicle that left her in “excruciating” pain. She said he struck her in the head with his open hand, twisted her arm behind her back and squeezed her middle finger until it fractured.Majors’ lawyers said she was the ag...

Firefighters help save Christmas for community reeling from church fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:48 GMT

POMONA, Calif. - Firefighters couldn’t save the church, but they were able to save Christmas for many of its congregants.The Victory Outreach Church in Pomona went up in flames early Sunday morning in a fire that remains under investigation.“The flames just began to run through the entire attic,” Pastor Robert Garcia told KTLA. “[Firefighters] had to pull out so nobody would get hurt, and they had to pretty much sit there and watch it burn for a couple of hours.”Video from OnScene.TV shows the Victory Outreach Church in Pomona, California going up in flames on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2023. (OnScene.TV)No one was injured, but around 500 toys that were to be given to children as Christmas gifts Sunday night were destroyed, along with the 42-year-old building itself.As news of the fire spread, community members started coming forward to donate toys. Then, Los Angeles County firefighters hatched a plan.“When [we] found out that community members of this church were planning their Christmas par...

David Perez Dies, Kendall Crump Hurt in Semi-Truck Accident on US Highway 84 [Littlefield, TX]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:48 GMT

32-Year-Old Driver Pronounced Dead after Big-Rig Collision near South Loop 430LITTLEFIELD, TX (December 18, 2023) – David Perez died Sunday night in a semi-truck crash on US Highway 84 and South Loop 430. The incident occurred at approximately 8:00 p.m., on December 3rd.Authorities report that Perez, a 32-year-old resident of Lubbock, lost his life at the scene after failing to yield at a stop sign while driving. This resulted in a collision with a westbound semi-truck operated by 31-year-old Kendall Crump.Due to the severity of injuries, medics pronounced Perez deceased. Crump, suffering from minor injuries, was transported by paramedics to Lamb County Healthcare Center for treatment.The investigation into the incident is currently ongoing, and no further details have been disclosed at this time.In this sorrowful time, the Sweet James team would like to extend their heartfelt condolences to the family of David Perez. May you find comfort and strength during this devastating t...

Warriors: Jackson-Davis ready to pounce on opportunity with Green out indefinitely

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:48 GMT

PORTLAND — The Warriors are thin enough in the front court. But for the next three weeks, at least, that frontcourt will have to stand on its own without its foundation in Draymond Green.Now, the center rotation especially is a floating mishmash of undefined variables; Kevon Looney has regressed and is sometimes unplayable against mobile, athletic teams. Dario Saric is a floor-spacing asset on offense, but not often the solution on defense.Even with a thin paint presence, rookie center Trayce Jackson-Davis is often buried on the bench, mostly because of a few iffy stints here and there. But the Warriors need him to the front of the bench pronto.Jackson-Davis saw an extended run against Portland when Saric ran into foul trouble early in the first half and gave Golden State a look on both ends they haven’t had consistently since the Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee days. The kind of game the coach Steve Kerr could lean in on while the rotation experimentation light is on.Rel...