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Woman’s decades-old mosaic of yard rocks and decorative art work may have to go

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:56 GMT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Iris Logan was having a hard time growing grass in the front yard of her St. Paul, Minnesota, home, so she covered the space with stones, statues and decorative art. More than 30 years later, it’s something of a local landmark.But to a city inspector, it’s a nuisance. Logan, 70, has been given notice to clean up the “planters, wood, metal cans, large rocks and miscellaneous debris” cited after a recent inspection, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. The City Council will take up the matter Dec. 6.Logan says the city’s actions forced her to create the mosaic in the first place because workers on a road repair project dug so deep around one of her trees that its roots were exposed. She brought in bricks and dirt, planted flowers and added stones — and just kept adding.”I’m a rock lover,” said Logan, a former cotton sharecropper from Mississippi. “I’m not going to lie. If I see a rock I like, I try and roll it in my car on a two-by-four.”Logan ...

Food banks urge Ontario government to do more to help residents facing food insecurity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:56 GMT

Food banks across Ontario are urging the provincial government to do more to ensure hundreds of thousands residents don’t go hungry, as food banks say they are on the verge of collapse.In a press conference at Queen’s Park, Carolyn Stewart, CEO of Feed Ontario, said their data shows there are three key drivers that can be addressed by the government.“These are the progressive growth in precarious work, the erosion of our social support programs and a failure to invest in affordable and supportive housing,” said Stewart.As food banks have been saying for months, employment does not guarantee a way out of poverty. More than one in six food bank visitors in Ontario say their primary source of income is employment, nearly 40 per cent more than last year.“Imagine that $100 to afford all your basic necessities, transportation, medication, food, utilities, even a winter coat for your child,” shared Stewart. “Poverty is a policy choice and our gover...

4 Chinese students killed in car crash near Toronto, Chinese consulate says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:56 GMT

The Chinese consulate in Toronto says four Chinese students died in what it called a “serious” car accident near Toronto over the weekend.The statement from the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Toronto comes after four teens and a woman were killed in a collision in Huntsville, Ont., late Saturday night.The consulate says the Chinese embassy in Canada verified the details of what happened with Ontario Provincial Police and contacted the families of the victims.OPP have said the crash took place on Highway 60 and involved a Mercedes SUV and Ford SUV.Police say the people in the Mercedes were four teens — aged 15 to 17 — from Toronto and nearby Richmond Hill, Ont. Their names were not immediately released.Police say three of the teens in the Mercedes died at the scene and the fourth died later in hospital, while a 42-year-old Huntsville woman driving the Ford died at the scene.

University of North Carolina shooting suspect found unfit for trial, sent to mental health facility

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:56 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The University of North Carolina graduate student charged with fatally shooting his faculty adviser has been found unfit for trial after two mental evaluations, a judge ruled Monday.Tailei Qi, 34, is accused of killing associate professor Zijie Yan in a science building at the state’s flagship public university on Aug. 28. He is being held without bond on charges of first-degree murder and misdemeanor possession of a firearm on educational property.Orange County Superior Court Judge Alyson Grine said Monday that two separate mental evaluations found Qi likely suffers from untreated schizophrenia.“Qi demonstrated delusional thinking, experienced auditory hallucinations, engaged in self-harm in the detention center, showed fragmented thought processes that impeded his communication,” she said.Severe mental illness has rendered him unable to comprehend his situation, assist in his legal defense and understand court proceedings, even with a Mandarin interprete...

‘Absolutely no talk’ of moving Paul Bernardo to minimum security: corrections head

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:56 GMT

The commissioner of Correctional Service Canada says there is “absolutely no talk” of moving notorious serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo to an even lower security level, following his transfer into a medium-security prison.Anne Kelly testified at a parliamentary committee today about the decision to move Bernardo from maximum-security prison in late May.The move set off a politician firestorm, with federal Conservatives demanding that the Liberal government ensure his return to maximum security.The federal government maintained that the decision to transfer him was made by the independent prison authority and politicians could not interfere.Bernardo is serving an indeterminate life-sentence for the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of 15-year-old Kristen French and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy in the early 1990s near St. Catharines, Ont.A review of the decision released in July found officials followed proper policies, and said Bernardo had long met the criteria t...

Foxtrot to merge with Dom's kitchen in grocery expansion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:56 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago born and bred food retailers Foxtrot and Dom's Kitchen are set to merge, according reports. A spokesperson said the merged companies will be called Outfox Hospitality and owned by CEO Liz Williams.“Dom’s has long admired the Foxtrot brand, viewing it as an industry trailblazer and a market disruptor,” said Jay Owen, Co-Founder and Board Chairman Brhett Vickery to join WGN Morning News as traffic reporter "Together, the two will continue to disrupt the food shopping and cafe landscape while redefine the neighborhood market with multiformat and e-commerce experience built for the next generation of consumer," the spokesperson said.There are 32 Foxtrot locations across Chicago, Austin and Dallas with 16 of them in Chicago. Dom's has two locations in Chicago: Lincoln Park and Old Town. They are expected to open a third location in River North next summer, the Tribune reported.The merger is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Cyber Monday: Amazon same-day delivery site in Humboldt Park ready for holiday push

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:56 GMT

CHICAGO — As millions of shoppers nationwide search the internet for the best Cyber Monday deals, local Amazon facilities across Chicago are doing their part to help with the process.Shoppers are expected to spend record amounts of money this year. But when spenders get Amazon same-day delivery in Chicago, it's likely to come from a recently opened distribution center in Humboldt Park. ‘I’ve only heard incredible things’: Bears prepare for Dobbs, Vikings on Monday Night Football Open since September, Amazon’s Same Day Delivery Station on the city's West Side employs more than 300 employees as preparation for the big holiday pushes gears up. Workers who spoke with WGN News say they're ready. "Really excited to be here. This was our first Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so all the associates are excited and all of our leadership teams are excited. We're here trying to set records for our own building," said Amazon operations manager Curtis Hunt. Amazon, the largest online retailer in...

2 men accused of stealing over $750 worth of merchandise from Oak Brook Macy's

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:56 GMT

OAK BROOK, Ill. — Charges have been filed against two men from Venezuela accused of stealing more than $750 worth of merchandise from a Macy's in Oak Brook, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said.According to Berlin, 27-year-old Lenguieyer Guevara-Muro and 20-year-old Jinder Moises Angulo-Aparicio, both Venezuelan migrants, have both been charged with one count of burglary and one count of retail theft. Three Venezuelan migrants charged with theft from west suburban Kohl’s According to Oak Brook Chief of Police Brian Strockis, the two men were taken into custody on Saturday after they allegedly stole $770.50 worth of merchandise from the department storePolice say the two men allegedly entered the store at 1 Oakbrook Center just after 12:40 p.m. Authorities allege Guevara-Muro brought along a foil-lined bag and the two men filled it with several items.According to police, Guevara-Muro allegedly left the store without paying for any of the items and was followed by a los...

Preparation underway to turn vacant lot into migrant camp in Brighton Park 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:56 GMT

CHICAGO — Migrants are coping with the frigid temperatures and snow that swept across Chicagoland on Sunday as the city prepares to begin work on a winterized tent camp in Brighton Park on Monday — and neighbors in the area continue to push back on the plans.A spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson said there is no date yet to begin construction, even though 12th Ward Alderwoman Julia Ramirez told constituents it would start Monday.For several weeks, dozens of residents have shown up every day to voice their concerns and opposition to the city's proposal to house migrants at the vacant property located near West 38th Street and South California Avenue. Police warn residents on West, Northwest sides after string of armed robberies Ald. Ramirez said residents in the area are disappointed. "This is outrageous what they're doing here," Yuan Mo, a resident in the area, said. For weeks, crews have been busy coming in and out of the property with bulldozers and other cons...

'Glitch' in Ed Burke proceedings after attorney tests positive for COVID-19

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:56 GMT

CHICAGO — The Ed Burke trial has another challenge to its timeline after a defense attorney tested positive for COVID-19.Following a break for Thanksgiving, Judge Virginia Kendall announced a "little bit of a glitch in our proceedings" after an attorney for one of Burke's co-defendants came down with COVID-19.Todd Pugh represents Peter Andrews, a longtime aid to Burke, and will view the proceedings Monday via a video conference.It's a significant development because Andrews directly factors into the Burger King portion of the trial. Evidence related to the alleged Burger King scheme is being presented Monday.Nobody else involved in the trial has tested positive, though the 79-year-old former alderman, who retired in May after 54 years, and his attorneys were all wearing masks as a precaution.Burke is facing 14 counts of racketeering, bribery and extortion.Prosecutors have been outlining four alleged scheme in which they said Burke abused his public office to enrich himself or seek f...