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‘Complacency’ blamed for N.S. struggles with flooding, other climate disasters

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:19:34 GMT

HALIFAX — On the night floodwaters swept through his Nova Scotia county, taking lives and tearing out bridges, Doug Pynch says he had trouble believing an emergency alert that flashed across his phone.It called for residents to evacuate to a civic centre in Newport, N.S., a community that was already seeing water accumulating in low-lying areas. The retired deputy fire chief said he soon found himself having to transport people in his large truck, as cars couldn’t cross an intersection where water was pooling.“That alert distracted us from doing other things, rescues that needed to be done. Now we had multiple other situations we had to deal with first,” he said in an interview this week. “I couldn’t allow them to drive through that water.”In portions of Halifax and central Nova Scotia, as an estimated 250 millimetres of rain fell last weekend, similar confusion and improvisation was unfolding, in what some experts say is the latest example of the provi...

Woman killed, 8 others injured in North Lawndale shooting overnight

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:19:34 GMT

CHICAGO -- A woman is dead and eight other women are injured after a group of individuals opened fired in North Lawndale overnight.According to police, the group of women were gathering near the 1500 block of South Keeler Avene around 12:51 a.m. when a black jeep approached, and multiple individuals exited the jeep and began shooting. Police said a total of nine women were stuck by gunfire. A 21-year-old woman sustained a gunshot wound to the face and was transported to the hospital in critical condition She was pronounced dead a short time after.Another woman, 28, sustained eight gunshot wounds to the torso and was transported to the hospital in critical condition. Another woman, 33, sustained a graze wound to the stomach and is listed in good condition. Woman dead after incident in Lake Michigan, found pinned beneath boat: CFD Another woman suffered a graze wound to the right arm and is also in good condition. A 28-year-old woman was also shot in the right knee. She is in good ...

Texas renter says air conditioning has been on the fritz for nearly two months

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:19:34 GMT

PFLUGERVILLE, TX (KXAN) – Daniel Bowers is having trouble keeping his shorts up.“They fall down,” he said as he pulled at their waist. “If I try to hold them at my waist, I’ve got that much extra.”“I’m estimating I’ve lost 15 pounds” he added.Daniel Bowers shows the extra space in his shorts. He says the heat in his home made him lose his appetite (KXAN Photo/Richie Bowes)Bowers estimates he's lost around 15 pounds since his AC went out in late May (KXAN Photo/Richie Bowes)But the software account executive is not celebrating his weight loss because he’s not trying to lose weight.“It was very much an involuntary weight loss program,” Bowers said.Bowers, who was recently diagnosed with heat exhaustion, said he’s suffering physically and mentally.“I haven’t had much of an appetite because my house has been 85 degrees for a month,” he said. City department says it’s working to fix AFD vehicle AC issues According to Bowers, the air conditioning in the Pflugerville home he rents hasn’t...

What you need to earn to be among the top 1% in Texas

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:19:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – A new analysis shows how much you need to make to be in Texas’ top 1% of income earners compared to other states. In Texas, the median household income is $67,321 a year, according to 2021 Census data. To qualify as the top 1% of earners in the state, one would have to earn over $631,849 a year. Texas has the 14th highest 1% threshold in the country, per the SmartAsset study. MORE: $100K paychecks go furthest in these Texas cities SmartAsset analyzed IRS and Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the income required to be in the top 1% of earners for each state. The state with the highest 1% threshold is Connecticut. There, folks would need to earn $952,902 to be in the top 1% of households. Income equality has been on the rise in the U.S. and Texas — from 2011 to 2022, the rate increased by about 1.2%. The top 1% of earners in the U.S. hold almost as much wealth as the bottom 90% of earners in the U.S., according to Princeton Economics. Texas has a high...

Video shows police officer threaten to use Taser on suspect's genitals

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:19:34 GMT

VANCOUVER, Wash. (KOIN) -- A Vancouver, Washington, police officer is facing fourth-degree assault charges after an incident in a Walmart parking lot during which the officer was recorded threatening to use a Taser against a suspect's genitals, authorities announced Thursday.Vancouver police say Officer Andrea Mendoza, who has been with the department for seven years, was placed on administrative leave three days after the May incident.The incident was captured on the officers' body cameras as well as security footage from Wal-Mart’s camera. The video is graphic in nature and viewer discretion is advised.“The actions of the officer who deployed the Taser in the video are disturbing,” said Vancouver Police Chief Jeff Mori. “I want to emphasize to the community that my expectation is that at all times, our personnel serve the public with professionalism, compassion and respect. Our department process includes supervisor review of all use-of-force incidents. Upon review of this inciden...

Texas boy airlifted after gruesome pit bull attack, authorities say

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:19:34 GMT

Warning: This story contains graphic information. BEXAR COUNTY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A Texas teenager was airlifted to a local hospital after he was attacked by up to six pit bulls, authorities said.At a press conference Thursday, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said that they received a 911 call of a dog bite at a vacant home in far north Bexar County. Deputies arrived and began knocking at other doors when the lady at one of the homes told deputies "he's not moving."Deputies went inside the home where they found a 13-year-old boy suffering from severe dog bites, Salazar said. One of the deputies on scene was a tactical medic, with specialized gear to administer aid to the boy."He actually told us that the bites that he had seen were some of the worst wounds he had seen on a person," Salazar said.According to Salazar, the boy had "chunks of flesh" missing from his back and his face, with over 50 puncture wounds across his body. It was determined that the boy was at the home ...

Texas child dies after drowning in backyard pool, police say

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:19:34 GMT

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A missing 4-year-old girl in San Antonio died Wednesday after officers found her in an above-ground swimming pool in a backyard. According to San Antonio police, officers were dispatched at 8:05 p.m. to a residence at the 9100 block of Ocean Gate for a missing child. The caller told police that her 4-year-old family member had been missing for 30 minutes.Officers arrived on scene and within 30 minutes, found the girl in her backyard in the pool. Officers began lifesaving measures until EMS arrived. The girl was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.Police said that no charges have been made, as of Thursday morning, and the case remains under investigation.

Authorities reconstruct tattoo to help identify body found in suitcase on Texas ranch

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:19:34 GMT

BEXAR COUNTY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Authorities released an image of a reconstructed tattoo, with the hope it could help identify a man whose remains were found in a suitcase on a Texas ranch.At a press conference held Friday, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar showed an artist's rendition of what the tattoo may have looked like. The rendition shows a large dragon with a winding tail.On July 20, authorities went to a call at the 18000 block of South Loop where workers found the piece of luggage, with what appeared to be human remains. Salazar added that the dismembered remains belonged to a man, and only included the torso.The sheriff's office was able to get an artist's rendition with the help of the Texas Rangers. Salazar reminded the public that the tattoo is not an exact replica, and the model shown in the photo is just a stock image of a male's back. The victim could have an entirely different skin complexion and body type."It's possible this man did not even come from this ...

Las Vegas man accused of murder lived with woman's body for months: police

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:19:34 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — An accused murderer in Las Vegas is also accused of living with the body for two months, believing the female victim could come back from the dead, police said Friday.Officers took George Bone, 31, into custody Wednesday after discovering Beverly Ma’s body during a welfare check in the 5300 block of Railroad River Avenue near Lindell Road and Eldorado Lane, they said.Bone told officers he knew Ma was dead and what caused her death and based on those statements, police took Bone into custody, Lt. Jason Johansson said Wednesday. Police suspect Bone strangled Ma in May, documents said.On Wednesday, police received a 911 call from a family member who said Bone had told her Ma “was in the closet and had been there for two months,” documents said. Police found Ma’s body in the closet shortly after. A family member told police Ma and Bone were friends and that she was not close with family, documents said. Police said Ma and Bone met in hig...

Sex offender camp growing in Florida woods; public apparently not warned

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:19:34 GMT

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida camp powered by solar panels and a generator is home to about a dozen sex offenders who claim they were sent there by probation officers, but there is no indication the public was alerted.Land records indicate the tents that sit under a structure made from branches are on land owned by the Florida Department of Transportation. An FDOT spokesperson said they were "not aware of this." Several sources, including a defense attorney, told Nexstar's WFLA that anyone on probation is still "under sentence," and they said that telling them to live outdoors violates state administrative code. A DOC spokesperson denied offenders are told where to live by probation officers. Several of the camp residents agreed to discuss their living conditions but asked to hide their identities to avoid possible retribution from the state employees they claim sent them there. "Yes," one of them said when asked if his probation officer told him to live there. "They actual...