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City of Austin Celebrates old Home Depot site demolition, prepares for more affordable housing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN)—The City of Austin will hosted a celebration Saturday morning to mark the redevelopment of the former site of the Home Depot store in north Austin.The site, located at 7211 N. Interstate 35, is officially called the St. John Site. That location held significant historical importance for the Black community, according to an announcement from a group representing that modern community. The site’s roots trace back to the 1890s when the St. John Regular Missionary Baptist Association obtained 350 acres north of Austin to establish a freedman community with the St. John Industrial Institute and Orphanage as its anchor, according to the city.The city acquired the site in 2008 and worked with the St. John community to create a plan, which was adopted in 2020.According to a City of Austin release announcing the demolition, the city planned a free, family-friendly event for Saturday that featured live music, local performances, children’s activities and breakfast tacos.Previous...

Austin Fire welcomes newest group of cadets during graduation ceremony

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Fire Department welcomed new cadets Friday morning with a ceremony in northwest Austin.The graduates for Cadet Class No. 136 included those with fathers and grandfathers who served with the department.“I will be the fourth generation in the Dandridge line with the Austin Fire Department,” said Colten Dandridge, a new graduate and member of AFD. AFD labor contract negotiations end without reached agreement Dandridge said his family has had 82 consecutive years with AFD.“I grew up in the fire station. I grew up with a whole fire family that was second to mine,” Dandridge said. “it’s just always been something that I've wanted to do, and I'm just happy that I finally got the opportunity.”KXAN also asked the cadets about their preparation while being in the thick of wildfire season.“Obviously, it's that nervousness—the butterflies you can say—but this is what we signed up for,” said Juan Chavarin, a new graduate and member of AFD. “We got one of the best tra...

AFD labor contract negotiations end without reached agreement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, the City of Austin said it did not reach an agreement with the Austin Firefighters Association (AFD) and Austin firefighters regarding labor contract negotiations, according to a city memo.The city said management had been working with the AFA for several months to achieve a mutually agreeable labor contract for the city’s firefighters.“Within the past week the parties had arrived at mutually agreeable language for all of the contract articles, which included a wage package that would keep our firefighters the overall best paid fire department in Texas by a significant margin, a reduction in scheduled work hours that directly addresses the AFA’s request, and other enhancements to the firefighters’ working conditions,” said Austin interim assistant city manager Bruce Mills in a memo.Mills said after agreeing on the contract language, management asked the AFA leadership to recommend the contract terms to its members; however, on Wednesday, AFA told the cit...

Wildfire near Lockhart burns 228 acres, 65% contained

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A grass fire sprang up Friday in Caldwell County, according to the Austin Fire Department, which said crews from Travis County were headed there to help fight it.The fire is near State Highway 130 south of Lockhart. It's called the Boggy Creek Fire, the Texas A&M Forest Service reported. MAP: More than 2,500 acres have burned in Central Texas wildfires this year The fire was estimated at 228.6 acres and is 65% contained as of 11:30 a.m. Saturday, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service."Interior pockets of vegetation continue to burn and put up smoke, but there is currently no threat to containment," Texas A&M Forest Service said.Shortly before 3:30 p.m. Friday, AFD said the fire broke containment lines, and additional resources from Austin and Travis County are en route to assist.Boggy Creek Fire in Caldwell County near State Highway 130 south of Lockhart. (KXAN Photo/Andy Way)Boggy Creek Fire in Caldwell County near S...

4 arrested after a shooting that wounded a Minneapolis police officer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:27 GMT

Four people have been arrested after a shooting sent a Minneapolis police officer to the hospital Friday night, authorities said.The shooting happened as the officer was following a car that matched the description of a vehicle that had been involved in a robbery and fled from police earlier. Shots were fired from the vehicle after the officer had been following it in his unmarked police vehicle.Police Chief Brian O’Hara described it as an ambush, saying the officer suffered a gunshot wound to his shoulder and that several other rounds hit his vehicle.“Looking at the car, listening to the gunfire — it truly is a blessing he is still here with us,” O’Hara said during a news conference late Friday. “That particular block, the way it’s set up — with a hillcrest, on a grade and on a curve — is quite frankly a perfect area for somebody to be ambushed.”The vehicle fled from police again and eventually crashed before authorities were able to take the four suspects into custody. They ...

Albany man charged with assault

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:27 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Albany man has been arrested following an assault investigation, according to police. James Holmes, 59, faces multiple charges. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! On August 1 around 8:15 p.m., officers responded to a residence at Townsend Park Apartments for reports of an assault. Upon arrival, police were told by a male victim that Holmes, who the victim knew, had assaulted him while in the apartment, allegedly slashing the victim, who sustained non-life threatening lacerations to his head, face and hand. On August 11, police executed a search warrant at the apartment complex, where they located Holmes and took him into custody. He was charged with second-degree assault and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Cohoes Police investigating homicide Holmes was arraigned at the Albany City Criminal Court and remanded to the Albany County Jail.

Denver weather: Cloudy with a chance for showers and thunderstorms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:27 GMT

Denver skies will be mostly cloudy Saturday, with a chance for afternoon showers and thunderstorms.The chance for precipitation in Denver on Saturday is 30% and the high temperature will top out near 87 degrees, according to the National Weather Service forecast.The majority of scattered storms Saturday in the region will not be severe, the weather service said, except along the far northeastern corner of Colorado were a couple of “marginally” severe storms could strike.Tonight in Denver there’s a chance for showers and thunderstorms before 7 p.m., then a slighter chance until 10 p.m., the weather service said. Skies will be partly cloudy and the low temp will be about 62 degrees. Winds could gust as high as 21 mph, the chance for precipitation is 30%.Today will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers and storms. There will likely be strong wind gusts in and near storms that could reach up to 50 mph. #COwx pic.twitter.com/KvljJsuamV— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder)...

NBA star Shaquille O’Neal shoots and misses with DJ set at Outside Lands

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:27 GMT

Shaquille O’Neal is better at shooting free throws than he is at DJing.And, for those who didn’t follow his Basketball Hall of Fame career, the big guy was certainly no Steph Curry when it came to the stripe.O’Neal did, however, draw a massive crowd to watch his best attempts at playing DJ during a set that felt like it might never end on an otherwise-very-entertaining Day 1 (Friday, Aug. 11) of Outside Lands at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.O’Neal’s grooves were weak, mismatching his samples and sounds in ways that were rarely compelling. He reliance on big beats was more tiring than inspiring. And he truly seemed at a loss on how to command a crowd, instead settling for what appeared to be an attempt at setting a new world record for repeating the phrase “hands up” the most times in a single performance.Related ArticlesMusic | Outside Lands kicks off year 15 with Kendrick Lamar, Shaq, Interpol, aespa Music | ...

Can explosive running back Jaydn Ott thrive in Cal’s new offense?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:27 GMT

BERKELEY — New Cal offensive coordinator Jake Spavital has coached seven quarterbacks who played in the NFL, but rarely a running back with the explosiveness of Jaydn Ott, the Bears’ dynamic sophomore.“I think he’s going to be really fun to watch in this offense,” Spavital said.Spavital does not expect to take in the full effect until Cal’s season opener at North Texas. He is playing it safe in the meantime, limiting Ott’s exposure to potential injury in practice.“We didn’t let him go today because I understand the value of having a really good running back,” Spavital said after Ott had a light practice day on Friday.“He’s shown signs on tape of his explosive ability where we can get north and south. I haven’t seen him go live yet . . . I don’t want anything to do with it until Sept. 2.”In his first season in a return to Cal, where he served as Sonny Dykes’ coordinator in 2016, Spavital said he wasn’t even sure how much playing time Ott would see in the Bears’ first full scrimmage o...

Guardians’ star Ramírez has MLB suspension for fighting reduced, 3B will serve 2 games in Tampa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:27 GMT

Cleveland Guardians All-Star third baseman José Ramírez had his MLB suspension for fighting with Chicago’s Tim Anderson reduced from three games to two on Saturday.Ramírez, who knocked Anderson to the ground with a wild, well-placed punch, will serve the suspension this weekend during Cleveland’s series in Tampa Bay. Ramírez won’t play Saturday or Sunday.Anderson was suspended six games for fighting with Ramirez near second base and triggering a benches-clearing melee on Aug. 5 between the Guardians and White Sox that went on for several minutes and included several other flareups.MLB handed out its punishment two days after the brawl, but Ramírez continued playing this week until his appeal could be heard. Anderson also appealed his suspension.Guardians manager Terry Francona, third base coach Mike Sarbaugh and closer Emmanuel Clase were all suspended one game. Chicago manager Pedro Frifol also was suspended a game.One of baseball’s best all-around players, ...