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Mayor Kirk Watson discusses DPS partnership, accountability

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:31 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said he "inherited a badly depleted police force" when he took office in January. He called the DPS partnership in Austin a "practical, innovative way to help."The initiative originally launched at the end of March as a way to address APD's staffing shortage. It took a pause between mid-May and early July so troopers could focus on border efforts. IN DEPTH: How does DPS traffic stop data differ from APD’s? The Public Safety Commission voted Monday to recommend that council move to end the partnership unless certain conditions are met. The resolution calls for specific guidelines related to accountability, timelines and data sharing. Note, the commission only has the power to make recommendations to city council. Council members could decide not to take action. KXAN public safety reporter Brianna Hollis sat down with Mayor Watson one-on-one Monday to discuss the program. Behind the scenes of how the APD, DPS partnership started "We were se...

‘Keep going for the kids’: Family of mother of five who was murdered by ex-husband opens up a year later

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:31 GMT

Almost a year has passed since 31-year-old Carissa Odegaard was murdered while picking up her children at her ex-husband’s house in Warren to bring them to church.It’s been a year of adjustments for the children, who range in age from 4 to 10. They now live with Odegaard’s parents in Jamestown.“It won’t be the thing that defines their life. It will be a piece of it, and it will be a big piece of it, but it won’t define their childhood or their life,” said Odegaard’s sister, Anna Woinarowicz.Life still isn’t full of smiles. There are weekly therapy sessions, nightmares, and hard conversations.Odegaard’s last words were “Call the police,” as her oldest son ran into the street to stop a car for help.At 4 years old, Oscar Odegaard still talks about the day his mother held him in her arms while his father, Anders Odegaard, bashed Carissa Odegaard’s head into the floor and strangled her.He often says: “Mom...

Schenectady man arrested on weapons, drugs charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:31 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Schenectady man was arrested after being accused of threatening another person with a gun. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Around 8:20 a.m. Monday in the area of Albany and Craig Streets, police said John Davis, 62, reportedly brandished a gun during an argument and threatened someone. After his arrest, a search of an apartment on Craig Street produced two handguns along with fentanyl and cocaine.Davis is facing multiple charges, including two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (Intent to Sell), one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree, one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, and one count of Menacing in the Second Degree.

Rensselaer County continues repair efforts after historic storm

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:31 GMT

RENSSELAER COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Monday’s flash floods reached historic levels around the state. In Rensselaer County, commuters planning on taking any of the Adirondack or Empire Service lines will only find canceled trains for the rest of the night. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On Monday, an Amtrak representative said in a statement:“On Tuesday, 7/11, all service between New York’s New York Penn Station and Albany will be canceled with no alternate transportation. Any resumption of service will be determined by Metro-North Railroad, the owner of the tracks.”Following the storm Sunday night, Rensselaer County Highway Department was cleaning and repairing parts of County Route 121 in Schaghticoke. But other roads will take more time to repair, like a part of Pine Woods Road where a section of the road is now missing.The Bureau of Public Safety Director met with representatives from the state to review the damage and di...

Several problems plaguing reopened Rockford Beach Park, officials looking for solutions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:31 GMT

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. - Rockford Beach Park reopened and is once again overcrowded. It has Jefferson County officials concerned over major safety concerns, and they are currently looking for solutions to address the problem.Despite the big sign right out front of the waterway stating, 'Swimming and wading are NOT recommended,' many people still sat in the chaotic currents of the water just a few feet beyond the sign.According to local fire and EMS, it's not the only major concern. Several individuals were seen jumping off the side of a huge cliff without life jackets. This is worrisome due to the potential consequences that may follow."It’s difficult to watch because we respond to a lot of the jumping accidents, people hitting the bottom," said Chief Scott Fisher for the Big River Ambulance District.High Ridge Fire District Chief John Barton said the natural waterway and its water levels can be unpredictable. This means that each visit and each jump is unpredictable, and you cannot ...

Apartment of horrors: Tenant dealing with unsafe conditions, insect infestations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:31 GMT

EAST. ST. LOUIS, Ill. - An East St. Louis resident complained about horrific conditions in her apartment, including an infestation of insects that had taken over.Serria Hall said she's had the insects since she started living in the apartment. She said she couldn’t get the East St. Louis Housing Authority to do anything about it. Hall said she has been dealing with the issue for over a year now. She mentioned that the bugs have even gotten into her children's ears a few times.“I had to take them to the emergency room to get it out; they crawl on the food, they come out when I cook," she said. It’s downright embarrassing. It definitely hurts. I can’t have my family over; I can’t invite friends over because I’m ashamed of it, and the only thing I ask for, is help to get somewhere better. I would be safe long as my kids are safe. I'm safe.” Parson signs laws for new moms’ health care, ban on texting while driving When FOX 2 reached out to the Housing Authority's Executive Director, A...

Police seek information on commercial burglary in Venice

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:31 GMT

The Los Angeles Police Department is asking the public for any information that may lead to the identification and arrest of suspects involved in a commercial burglary in the Venice area late last month. The burglary, which was partially caught on a surveillance camera, occurred on June 29 in the 700 block of Lincoln Boulevard.  Police say the suspects parked a newer white, four-door pickup truck with no license plates on Indiana Avenue west of Lincoln Boulevard at around 11:40 p.m. One of the suspects then climbed on top of a white storage container positioned at the rear of a store.  After covering surveillance cameras on the store’s roof, the suspect cut a hole in the ceiling to gain entry to the business.  “While inside the location, the suspect covered another surveillance camera and took an unknown number of items. The suspect passed numerous amounts of items back through the hole in the ceiling to another unknown suspect,” an LAPD news release stated....

Le Tigre Roar at the Greek

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:31 GMT

Le Tigre Roar at the Greek: It feels like we were only just at the Greek, watching Kathleen Hanna’s riot grrl pioneers Bikini Kill. Yes, in fact, [quick check of notes], it was April of last year. Yet here we are, 15 months later, watching Hanna’s other reformed hellraisers Le Tigre. Long may she continue resurrecting these important bands.Because fuck, Le Tigre were and are so important. They might not get the same historical headlines as Bikini Kill retrospectively get, though Hanna pointed out to us last April that they weren’t necessarily popular at the time.“I think people don’t realize that we weren’t a popular band – Bikini Kill was a very niche thing,” she said. “People either really loved us or wanted to literally kill us. There were a lot of ‘you guys don’t even deserve to exist,’ kind of sentiment. So to come back and be like, we do deserve to exist and actually, these songs – sadly, sadly, sadly, sadly – are feeling more relevant now t...

San Francisco slated to convert 600 McAllister Street into affordable housing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:31 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston announced a deal Monday for the city to acquire 600 McAllister Street to create up to 196 units of affordable housing."I’m thrilled that we are creating affordable homes for hundreds of working San Franciscans and their families at 600 McAllister Street,” Preston said. "I am proud to push the envelope to create as much affordable housing as possible."The affordable housing development will be built on the western edge of San Francisco’s Civic Center. Preston’s legislation proposes to increase the height and density at 98 Franklin Street, while allowing a land dedication to purchase 600 McAllister Street.Preston said, "In this down market, with many private developments stalled or abandoned, the city should aggressively pursue site acquisitions for affordable housing. Bold pursuit of these opportunities is the only way we will meet our affordable housing goals."

Black Restaurant Week begins in DC this weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:06:31 GMT

Black Restaurant Week in the D.C. region kicks off Sunday, July 16.The Shaw neighborhood’s FishScale is one of the dozens of restaurants participating this year. Kristal Williams, co-owner of the ocean-to-table eatery, said being part of previous Black Restaurant Weeks boosted sales.“It helps with promoting a lot of small businesses that may not have the bandwidth to do large marketing,” Williams told WTOP. “We are just excited to participate.”This year, FishScale will be offering a discount on their Chesapeake Cheesesteak — its take on the Philly favorite using sustainably caught blue catfish.Williams said the event brings awareness to Black and African American cuisine which is a staple of D.C. culture.“It helps to say who and what D.C. is,” Williams said. “While we love to see our city improve, I do want to make sure that some of the core factors and the foundations of the city remain.”Black Restaurant Week was founded in Hous...