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ALL ABOARD! Saint Louis Zoo debuts new electric train

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:49 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A new electric train is rolling down the tracks at the Saint Louis Zoo. The train is named after Mary Meachum, a St. Louis abolitionist who was instrumental in educating Black people. Meachum also played a critical role helping free slaves in the Underground Railroad.“March is Women’s History Month, and we couldn’t imagine a more fitting time to announce Mary Meachum as the name of the newest train,” said Michael Macek, Director of the Saint Louis Zoo.  Top Stories: Officers injured in Maryland Heights crash This is the sixth train at the zoo, but the first one that is electric and first to be named after a woman. Officials say once the gas locomotives wear out, they will all be replaced with environmentally-friendly options.As the trains at the Zoo begin to age, replacing the locomotives with a much greener approach will set us up for a better future,” said Macek. “We are excited as we look ahead to the future of the Emerson Zooline Railroad and will continue to ...

Bill to ban texting while driving in Missouri moves forward

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:49 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Missouri Senate gives first-round approval to a bill that would ban texting while driving.Missouri is one of only two US states without a law that prohibits people over 21 from texting while driving. Right now, it is only considered illegal for drivers 21 and under to text and drive. Top Stories: Officers injured in Maryland Heights crash Potential avenues to change that seem to have bipartisan backing. Democrat and Republican lawmakers both introduced legislation this year to combat distracted driving. The bill making the most rounds lately is SB 56, sponsored by State Sen. Jason Bean (R-District 25). This legislation would require hands-free cell phone use for drivers of all ages. A first-time violation would mean a $50 fine and two points against the driver’s license. Repeat offenses could lead to enhanced penalties. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Politics...

Nuggets Podcast: Joel Embiid’s no-show, Nikola Jokic’s reticence and a national perspective on Western Conference

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:49 GMT

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Mike Singer and deputy sports editor Matt Schubert are joined by ESPN NBA reporter Ohm Youngmisuk in the wake of the Nuggets-76ers showdown that wasn’t. Among the topics discussed:The much-anticipated face-off between MVP front-runners Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid turned out to be a dud, with Embiid unable to play due to a calf injury. What impact does Embiid’s DNP have on the MVP race? Is the award now Jokic’s to lose? Or will this come down to how things shake out over the next two weeks?The MVP debate has become increasingly toxic in recent weeks — a development that appears to be grating on both Jokic and Embiid. Do both players care more about winning the award than they let on?The Western Conference standings remain incredibly tight below the top three seeds. Which teams do the Nuggets want to avoid most in the first round? Should Denver really want to avoid the Lakers? Can the Mavs get it together...

Letters: Recognize the hard work of staff often “in harm’s way” in our schools

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:49 GMT

Recognize the hard work of deans often “in harm’s way”Re: “Staffers wounded in shooting at East,” March 23 news storyJerald (Mason) and Eric (Sinclair), I am so saddened that you endured such a tragic event on March 22. As a past DPS administrator, I have had to search students; that is unnerving at best. I don’t remember ever conducting a search without one of my many wonderful deans with me. I’m sure you met last Wednesday’s request without thinking twice.Deans are often the first people teachers and administrators call when they need assistance with a student. They are the first ones out to lunch duty and at after-school dismissal. They are called on to supervise athletic contests and other school activities. They hold conferences with parents. They try to repair harm through the restorative justice process. They regularly put themselves in harm’s way. I think those who don’t work in schools are beginning to get a glimpse of a dean’s workload after t...

Teen shot, killed near Lancaster park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:49 GMT

A teenager is dead after he was shot while riding a bicycle in Lancaster Tuesday night.The 18-year-old was cycling near Tierra Bonita Park at 30th and Kettering streets at about 8:30 p.m. when he was shot, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a news release. Deputies found the unnamed victim suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper torso, and he was declared dead at the scene.Investigators have learned that before the shooting, the teen had been in a confrontation with several other people at the park, one of whom "fired several gunshots at the victim, striking him in the upper torso," the release said.The attackers were last seen fleeing the shooting scene on foot through the park.Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477) or visit lacrimestoppers.org.

Head of Nashville school in shooting would 'run to' danger

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:49 GMT

The head of the Christian elementary school in Nashville who was killed in a shooting there on Monday was described by friends as smart, loving and a rare female leader within a male-led religious culture. “If there was any trouble in that school, she would run to it, not from it,” Jackie Bailey said of her friend Katherine Koonce, head of The Covenant School. “She was trying to protect those kids … That’s just what I believe.”Koonce was one of six people killed in the shooting in Tennessee, including three 9-year-old children identified by police as Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney. Also killed were Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher, and Mike Hill, 61, a custodian.In a video statement released Tuesday evening, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Peak was supposed to have dinner with his wife, Maria, after filling in as a substitute teacher at Covenant.“Maria woke up this morning without one of her best friends,” Lee said, adding that Peak, Koonce and his wife had o...

Tastemade’s ‘Struggle Meals’ Is Back Saving More Money In The Kitchen

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:49 GMT

The Tastemade cooking series Struggle Meals hosted by Emmy winner Chef Frankie Celenza returns to the streaming channel on Thursday, March 30 with a lively lineup of kitchen hacks to help keep costs and dishwashing down.Although overall inflation is starting to cool, shoppers haven’t seen much relief in terms of grocery prices. Nearly every food group costs more than it did a year ago: grade A eggs are up 138%; margarine is up 43.8%; butter sticks are up 38.5%; all-purpose flour is up 34.5%; and spaghetti and macaroni noodles are up 31.3%, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics report.Season eight features tips like how to use spring greens when they are in season and prices are at their lowest, no-cook meals for when it’s too hot to use a stove or oven, and summer cookout recipes. It kicks off with a genius one-pot pasta recipe where all the ingredients (including healthy greens) all cook together in one pot (recipe below).Celenza shared some tips with L.A. Weekly ...

81-year-old Colorado man confesses to killing wife and daughter with ax, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:49 GMT

An 81-year-old man in Englewood has been arrested on suspicion of killing his wife and daughter with an ax after he called police and reported they had been murdered, police said.About 6 p.m. Saturday, Reginald Maclaren called police and said that his wife and daughter had been “murdered,” that he knew the suspect and the suspect had used a hammer, according to an Englewood Police Department news release.Officers responded to 901 Englewood Parkway and found Maclaren inside the residence. Officers also found “two victims inside large trash cans” in the living room/kitchen area, the release said. “Both victims had substantial injuries and showed no signs of life.”Englewood detectives, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office responded to the grisly scene and a homicide investigation ensued.“During the course of this investigation, it was determined that the victims were both killed with an ax,” police said. One victim was dismembered with a saw.Div...

Powerball jackpot winner drops $4 million on California home, his second luxury real estate buy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:49 GMT

California’s first lottery billionaire has dropped $3.983 million on a Japanese-inspired home in Altadena.The property is on a corner two-third-acre lot, slightly over three miles from Joe’s Service Center, the Mobil gas station on Woodbury Road and Fair Oaks Avenue, where Edwin Castro purchased his winning ticket. It s the second luxury home Castro has purchased since coming forward in February as the winner of November’s record-breaking $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot.His other big-ticket buy is a $25.5 million Hollywood Hills mansion perched over the Chateau Marmont. But unlike that snazzy new mansion previewed last summer in Robb Report, this 4,361-square-foot, five-bedroom, five-bathroom house at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains is “highlighted by its simplicity and attention to detail and contemplative atmosphere,” the listing reads.Japanese-style landscaping surrounds the house, which wraps around a courtyard and what the listing describes as a “zen patio completed by a ...

Rare beetle species named after former California governor, Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:49 GMT

BERKELEY — Scientists are naming a rare species of beetle in honor of former California Gov. Jerry Brown after finding one at his ranch.Bembidion brownorum was last seen in 1966, but it hadn’t been named or described until one was collected near a creek on Brown’s ranch in Colusa County, about an hour’s drive northwest of Sacramento, the University of California, Berkeley announced Monday.This 2021 photo, courtesy of Bembidion expert David Maddison, a professor of integrative biology at Oregon State University, shows a specimen of Bembidion brownorum discovered by UC Berkeley entomologist Kipling Will while sampling for insects near Freshwater Creek on former Gov. Jerry Brown’s Colusa County ranch in Colusa County, Calif. The Bembidion brownorum species had not been observed by scientists in more than 55 years. The beetle will be named after former California Gov. Jerry Brown after Will found it on Brown’s property. The beetle will be named the Bembidion brownorum. The h...