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TxDOT to take over 1.2 acres of Waller Beach Park for I-35 downtown construction

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Documents affiliated with the Texas Department of Transportation's I-35 downtown expansion show the state agency plans to take over 1.2 acres of land at the Waller Beach Park off Lady Bird Lake.The acreage will be used for approximately six years and will serve as a construction staging and water access point, per TxDOT's I-35 environmental impact statement draft. TxDOT officials said any land used from Waller Beach Park will have to be replaced with lands "of equal value, location, and usefulness." Waller Beach is a 28-acre park northwest of the I-35 bridge over Lady Bird Lake. It's a popular downtown recreation site primarily used by joggers and walkers, cyclists, kayakers and canoers.As part of the proposed takeover, the park would need to create a trail detour for those looping Lady Bird Lake via the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail. Immediate impacts include the loss of access to one boat ramp, a picnic table, two parking areas and the trail near Waller Be...

Whistleblowers ask Texas Supreme Court to take up case against Ken Paxton over settlement dispute

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

AUSTIN-- Attorneys for the four whistleblowers who sued after they were fired by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday to restart the clock on Paxton’s appeal of their case. This request was made after Paxton’s lawyers would not agree to setting a deadline to finalize a $3.3 million legal settlement by the end of the legislative session in May.The whistleblowers are former deputies to Paxton who say they were fired in retribution for accusing him of malfeasance to law enforcement.The multimillion-dollar settlement, announced last month, would give back pay to the four former employees and would include an apology from Paxton as well as other concessions. But the agreement needs to be approved by state lawmakers, who have expressed an unwillingness to use taxpayer dollars to settle Paxton’s case. At the request of the parties, the Texas Supreme Court has put the whistleblower case on pause while the two sides look to finalize the deal. But witho...

British violinist Daniel Hope is featured artist for the 2023-24 Schubert Club International Artist Series

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

British violinist Daniel Hope will serve as the featured artist for the newly announced 2023-24 Schubert Club International Artist Series with performances April 25 and 26, 2024, at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in downtown St. Paul.“I’m not alone at Schubert Club in being a big admirer of Daniel Hope over many years,” said artistic and executive director Barry Kempton in a news release. “Not only a violinist of the highest calibre, Daniel’s musical intelligence, eloquence and sense of adventure make him the perfect musician to feature over multiple programs.”Now in its 141th year, the Schubert Club is Minnesota’s oldest arts organization. The upcoming season includes both the International Artist Series, held at the Ordway, and Music in the Park, which features more intimate chamber music concerts at St. Paul’s St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ.Subscriptions are priced from $280 to $105 for the International Artist Series and $125 for Musi...

Class A boys hockey quarterfinal: Hermantown 6, Luverne 0

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

Seventy-one seconds was all it took for Hermantown to seize control of its state quarterfinal matchup against Luverne on Wednesday, a 6-0 victory in the opening game of the Class A bracket at Xcel Energy Center.Senior Aaron Evjen scored at the 6:28 mark to put the Hawks in front, with River Freeman and Evan Gunderson each adding goals at the 7:09 and 7:39 marks of the first period to put Hermantown in command.Ironically, the Hawks struggled in the first few minutes to get shots, but a slashing penalty on Nolan Barker gave Luverne a chance to go up. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, it also put Hermantown’s penalty kill unit on the ice.“Our penalty kill has given us momentum throughout the year,” Hermantown coach Pat Andrews said. “We don’t want to take penalties, but we also don’t play afraid to take penalties because we’re good from the goal line out and these guys work their butts off on the PK. It’s been good all year and it was good again today. It got us into the game a little b...

Hit musical ‘Glensheen’ returning to St. Paul’s History Theatre for seventh run

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

St. Paul’s History Theatre will bring back the immensely popular musical “Glensheen” for the seventh time since its 2015 world premiere.The musical will run from July 8 through 23. Tickets are priced from $74 to $55 and are on sale now via historytheatre.com and by phone at 651-292-4323.Written by one of Minnesota’s most prolific playwrights, Jeffrey Hatcher, with music from Chan Poling of the Suburbs and New Standards, “Glensheen” tells the true-crime story of the 1977 murder of Elisabeth Congdon and her personal care attendant, Velma Pietila, in Duluth’s Glensheen mansion. It is a comedy, but the murder victims are treated with respect and compassion in the show.“Glensheen” earned rave reviews from critics and audiences from the start and has become a tradition of sorts at the History Theatre. In his Pioneer Press review of last summer’s production, Rob Hubbard wrote: “If you haven’t seen this wild and wooly comic take on the tale, I’d recommend you do. It’s a tremendo...

Jim Boeheim officially retiring; Autry to replace him

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) -- Syracuse University News reports that SU men's basketball head coach Jim Boeheim has announced his retirement.Jim Boeheim first arrived at Syracuse University as a student and walk-on with the men’s basketball team. Six decades later, he’d be one of college basketball’s winningest head coaches, a national champion, a Hall of Famer, and one of the most prominent alumni in Syracuse University history. As his 47th season of coaching comes to an end, so too does his storied career at Syracuse University. Associate Head Coach Adrian Autry ’94, one of Boeheim’s former players and longtime assistant, has been named the program’s next head coach, according to Syracuse University News.“There is no doubt in my mind that without Jim Boeheim, Syracuse Basketball would not be the powerhouse program it is today,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Jim has invested and dedicated the majority of his life to building this program, cultivating generations of student-athletes a...

Man charged in Soulard gas station murder

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office has charged a Spanish Lake man in connection with a fatal shooting earlier this year at a gas station in Soulard.According to Evita Caldwell, a spokeswoman for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting took place on Jan. 16, just after 10:10 p.m., at a gas station at the corner of Gravois Avenue and Russell Boulevard. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW Investigators learned the victim, Terrence Wortham, was making a purchase inside the gas station when a man walked into the business and shot him. Wortham died at the scene. He was 32.Homicide detectives claim Johnny Phillips, 49, was the gunman.Last week, prosecutors charged Phillips with first-degree murder and armed crimi...

Body found near train tracks in Fairview Heights

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Investigators are working to identify an individual who was found dead beneath an overpass near some train tracks in Fairview Heights.According to a statement from the Fairview Heights Police Department, dispatchers were notified around 10:15 a.m. Tuesday of a person seen on the ground beneath the North Illinois Street overpass just past Ludwig Drive. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW Officers arrived at the scene and found the person was not only deceased, but had been dead for an extended period of time.At present, detectives do not believe a crime was committed.The Illinois State Police and St. Clair County Coroner's Office are assisting with the investigation. An autopsy will take place on Friday.

29-year-old giraffe born at the Denver Zoo euthanized due to failing health

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

Kipele, a giraffe born at the Denver Zoo about three decades ago, has died.We are heartbroken to share that Kipele, our giraffe, was humanely euthanized after an acute decline in her health. Due to Kipele’s advanced age and mobility issues we were managing, our animal care and veterinary medicine teams have been closely monitoring her quality of life. pic.twitter.com/XqmMSL7L2w— Denver Zoo (@DenverZoo) March 8, 2023The 29-year-old giraffe was euthanized on March 7 after a sudden decline in health and concerns about quality of life, Denver Zoo officials said in a Wednesday Twitter thread.Born on Aug. 16, 1993, she was among the oldest giraffes in Association of Zoos accredited facilities, according to the Denver Zoo.“The average lifespan for giraffes is 25, so we were incredibly grateful for every additional moment we had with this special giraffe,” zoo officials said on Twitter. “Even though we knew our time with Kipele wouldn’t last forever, this loss, like ...

Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant won’t face charges after Colorado nightclub gun-waving incident

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

NBA Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant won’t face charges after an episode of singing and holding what appeared to be a gun at the Denver-area Shotgun Willie’s nightclub, Glendale Police Department officials announced Wednesday afternoon.The police issued a statement adding that nobody at the nightclub, southeast of downtown Denver in Glendale, reported the incident or called for help and that nobody was threatened.On March 4, Glendale police learned of the incident from sports reporters who had seen a video circulating on the internet “that involved a prominent NBA player singing and holding what appeared to be a firearm by the butt end of a gun for several seconds,” the Glendale police statement said.This incident happened in Shotgun Willie’s during lawful operating hours, and the police agency “was not able to determine that probable cause existed for the filing of any charges,” the statement said.“Although the video was concerning enough to prompt an investigatio...