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City Council vote on migrant shelter in Morgan Park temporarily shelved

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:26:00 GMT

CHICAGO — Shelter for migrants and people without homes was again a hotly-contested topic at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and his City Hall allies suffered a setback as members remain divided over the purchase of an abandoned South Side property. A vacant Jewel Osco store and parking lot, located at 115th and Halstead, is likely the relocation destination for a migrant tent camp in the West Pullman neighborhood. While the housing committee agreed Monday to accept the property, an expected vote by the full City Council derailed Wednesday. Now, some council members are calling for a special vote on Thursday regarding a possible referendum on Chicago's status as a Sanctuary City.    Mayor Johnson, 4 big city mayors seek a meeting with Biden about how to better manage arriving migrants "We are still a city without a plan," said Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward).Southside 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale led the charge amid pushback on a Morgan Park shelt...

Five Chicago Bears held out of Wednesday practice

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:26:00 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Five Chicago Bears were held out of practice with injuries today ahead of their week 9 NFL matchup at the New Orleans Saints.According to a press release from the team, safety Jaquan Brisker (concussion), guard Nate Davis (ankle), linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (knee), quarterback Justin Fields (right thumb) and cornerback Terell Smith (illness) did not practice Wednesday. How does Jaylon Johnson feel about not being traded by the Bears? Offensive tackle Braxton Jones (neck) was a limited participant in Wednesday practice, while safety Eddie Jackson (foot) and center Lucas Patrick (back) were both full participants without any limitations.The Bears kickoff in New Orleans against the Saints Sunday at noon CT.

Gov. Pritzker expands utility assistance for low-income homes

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:26:00 GMT

CHICAGO (WMBD)-- Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced the expansion of utility bill assistance on Wednesday.A news release from Gov. Pritzker states that income-eligible homes that are disconnected or on the verge of being disconnected from utilities can apply for the Low-Income Home Energy Assitance Program here.“With temperatures dropping and the winter season just weeks away, my administration is ensuring that every family has the assistance they need to keep the lights and the heat on,” Pritzker said. Peoria finds a way: Jurassic Quest is coming to the Civic Center He continued, “With DCEO’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, we are providing utility bill support to thousands of income-eligible families—and I urge those who are disconnected or facing imminent disconnection to apply. Here in Illinois, we look out for our neighbors, and that’s exactly what LIHEAP is all about.”A tiered application system will be used...

Toyota recalling nearly 1.9M RAV4s over possible fire hazard

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:26:00 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota said Wednesday it is recalling nearly 1.9 million RAV4 small SUVs in the U.S. to fix a problem with batteries that can move during forceful turns and potentially cause a fire.The recall covers certain RAV4s from the 2013 through 2018 model years. Toyota said in a statement that some replacement 12-volt batteries used in the SUVs have smaller top dimensions than others. If the hold-down clamp is not tightened properly, the battery could move, allowing the positive terminal to contact the clamp and short circuit, the company said. How to see if your vehicle has a recall Toyota said it is still preparing a fix. When the remedy is ready, dealers will replace the hold-down clamp, battery tray and positive terminal cover with improved ones. The company said it will notify owners by late December.Toyota not say in its statement whether the problem has caused any fires or injuries. A message was left seeking comment from a company spokesman.Owners can check to see if...

Fire breaks out on 3 boats at San Francisco marina, 1 injured

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:26:00 GMT

(KRON) -- Three boats caught fire at the Oyster Cove Marina near Oyster Point in South San Francisco Wednesday morning, according to the South San Francisco Fire Department. Multiple agencies are on the scene responding. Des Plaines man charged with attempted kidnapping in Bridgeport Firefighters were alerted to the blaze shortly before 7:30 a.m., according to South SF Deputy Chief Matt Samson. The three boats were tied together when the blaze broke out.There were several adults onboard the boats, according to Samson. All of them were successfully rescued from the water. One person was transported to the hospital with minor injuries, firefighters confirmed. Firefighters began fire suppression efforts once they confirmed there was no one on the boats. At that point, crews also began environmental containment efforts to minimize contamination to the bay.Photos from the scene showed several boats engulfed in flames and large amounts of smoke emanating f...

Day one of the Kaitlin Armstrong murder trial wraps up

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:26:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The murder trial for Kaitlin Armstrong began Wednesday at 9 a.m. Armstrong is accused of shooting and killing up-and-coming professional cyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson in May 2022. TIMELINE: Ahead of Kaitlin Armstrong’s trial, a look back at pro-cyclist murder case Cameras are allowed inside the courtroom only for opening statements, closing arguments and the verdict, but not during witness testimony. Even though cameras are not allowed inside during testimony, KXAN's Brianna Hollis will be inside the courtroom and will update this story throughout the trial with the latest information. Follow her live on social media below.KAITLIN ARMSTRONG TRIAL: Media has just been let into the courtroom. Opening statements are set to begin at 9 a.m. I will be live tweeting on this thread. @KXAN_News pic.twitter.com/muJ2xkJSzr— Brianna Hollis (@BriHollisNEWS) November 1, 2023 Members of the media entering court for the opening statements of the Kaitlin Armstrong murder ...

Buford Tower restoration completed more than two years after fire

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:26:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Wednesday, the City of Austin announced it completed restoration work more than two years after a fire broke out at the Buford Tower in downtown Austin from an encampment at the base.After the 2021 fire, the tower needed to be repaired to exact historical preservation standards, according to the city. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Fire spreads to historic firefighter drill tower in downtown Austin The Buford Tower is a six-story brick building, which was constructed in 1930. It's even part of the National Register of Historic Places. Originally, it was a drill tower for the Austin Fire Department, and ultimately a memorial.The tower was dedicated in 1978 and named for AFD veteran Capt. James L. Buford, who died about six years earlier trying to rescue a teen who ended up drowning in flood waters from Shoal Creek, according to AFD."People came out of the woodwork to say how much they really cared for this building. I didn't even know people knew what it was. And ...

St. Paul paying $185K, mostly in attorney fees, after officers went in man’s apartment and arrested him without warrant

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:26:00 GMT

St. Paul is on the hook for $185,000 after a federal judge found three officers violated a man’s constitutional rights by entering his apartment without a warrant, and arresting and searching him.A jury awarded $29,500 to David Elgersma in a September civil trial. The City Council voted on Wednesday to approve a $155,500 settlement that was negotiated separately for Elgersma’s attorney’s legal fees.“We hope this outcome encourages more substantial training and accountability measures to prevent similar unlawful acts in the future,” Tim Phillips, the attorney who represented Elgersma, said Wednesday.Because Elgersma prevailed on his claims that the officers and the city violated his federal civil rights, he was allowed to petition the court for reasonable attorneys’ fees and litigation costs.“Though the city would have the right to dispute the amount of the fees, or argue that no fees should be awarded, a fee award is ordinarily granted to pr...

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter backs Dean Phillips’ challenger Ron Harris

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:26:00 GMT

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has endorsed Ron Harris, a former employee of the city of Minneapolis, in a political primary bid against U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, a Minnesota Democrat running a centrist campaign against U.S. President Joe Biden in the party’s upcoming presidential primary in New Hampshire.Ron Harris, a former chief resilience officer for the city of Minneapolis, has launched a political primary challenge against U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, a fellow Democrat representing Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional district, which spans the western Twin Cities suburbs from Bloomington and Eden Prairie to Anoka. In late October 2023, Phillips announced he would challenge U.S. President Joe Biden in the party’s New Hampshire primary. (Courtesy of the candidate)Harris is a former chief resilience officer for Minneapolis, where he was active in efforts to expand paid sick leave to workers throughout the city. He is a current member of the Democratic National Committee’...

Urban containment policies driving up land values and housing costs

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:26:00 GMT

Canada has a severe and intractable housing crisis that could become existential for the middle class, eroding the standard of living. Our new Demographia Housing Affordability in Canada report (published by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy) reveals that more than half (24) of the 46 rated housing markets have severely unaffordable housing.Two of the markets, Vancouver and Toronto, have such costly housing relative to incomes that they ranked the third and 10th least affordable among the 94 major metropolitan markets rated in our Demographia International Housing Affordability report for 2022.Demographia uses the median multiple (median house price divided by median household income) to evaluate housing costs. A median multiple of 3.0 or below is considered “affordable,” while a median multiple above 5.0 is considered “severely unaffordable.” Among the major markets, Vancouver (median multiple 12.0), Toronto (9.5), Montreal (5.4), and Ottawa-Gatineau (5.2) are rated severely un...