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'Once-in-a-generation opportunity': Austin mayor applauds $25B in transportation upgrades

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:14 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Just days after Project Connect developers released a recommendation for the first phase of light rail in Austin, Mayor Kirk Watson praised the "once-in-a-generation opportunity" facing the city on its billions of dollars' worth of transportation projects.The multi-billion-dollar Project Connect mass transit system is one component in $25 billion's worth of enhancements planned across the city, Watson said. Other key projects coming down the pipeline include the upcoming I-35 Capital Express Central project near downtown and the airport expansion plan in the works at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. "We have an incredible, once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape how our region grows, while also tackling big problems like affordability, workforce development, economic opportunity and of course, as I've mentioned, quality of life," he said.The Austin Transit Partnership is recommending the 38th Street to Oltorf Street to Yellow Jacket Lane is the first phase ...

Point in Time data released, not likely a full count of people experiencing homelessness in Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:14 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Data from the first Point in Time (PIT) count conducted since the pandemic was released Thursday. The PIT count is done nationwide and is intended to be an estimate of the number of people sleeping outside on any given night in a community. During this year's count, more than 2,300 people were counted, according to the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO). Of those, nearly 1,300 were people sleeping outside or in cars and more than 1,100 were people sleeping in shelters or transitional housing. The number of people counted as experiencing homelessness has gone up, according to ECHO, aside from 2020 which it said was an outlier. "The trend is definitely clear here that our count has definitely been increasing over this longer period of time," Claire Burrus, who does data for ECHO, said. ECHO also mapped out where they located people sleeping outside. Since the last count, which was in 2020, people have become more spread out across the city and the number o...

Disney+ will delete the Zach Sobiech biopic “Clouds” on Friday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:14 GMT

If you’ve been meaning to watch the Zach Sobiech biopic “Clouds,” now is the time to do so. The streaming service Disney+ will remove the 2020 film as of Friday.“Clouds” is one of 76 films and shows set to be deleted as Disney+ prepares to merge with Hulu later this year. While streaming services boomed in the early days of the pandemic, recent months have seen the biggest players upping prices while deleting content. Warner Bros. and Discovery led the charge after they merged last year and CEO David Zaslav cut dozens of titles from the two streamers and outright canceled the release of the nearly completed “Batgirl” movie after investing $90 million in it.Sobiech, a Lakeland teenager, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare kind of bone cancer, in 2012. He recorded the song “Clouds” as a way to say goodbye to his friends and family and posted it to YouTube in December that year. By the time of Sobiech’s death in May 2013 at the age of 18, “Clouds” had gone viral and earned mo...

CDTC seeks input on traffic congestion in the Capital Region

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:14 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Capital District Transportation Committee is seeking public input to identify congested locations throughout the Capital Region. Residents can take a 10-minute survey, which allows them to place pins on an interactive map indicating congested areas and leave comments on their experiences. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! “While our staff has access to good travel time data on most major roadways, that data needs to be supplemented with information from the public who use the transportation system every day,” said Sandra Misiewicz, CDTC Executive Director. “There are often issues the data fails to pick up, particularly on roadways that are more local in nature making community input essential to this process.” Input is welcome from drivers, passengers, transit riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The survey is accessible on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.

Avoiding travel headaches over Memorial Day weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:14 GMT

COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Hundreds have already made their way to Albany International Airport ahead of Memorial Day weekend. The CEO of Albany County Airport Authority, Philip Calderone, said it has the potential to be the busiest in over 30 years. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "That's exciting news," exclaimed Calderone. "Coming out of what we've just been through over the past three years. And Albany International is ready."Ready—and full to the brim. Calderone said the airport is already back to pre-pandemic levels, so it's important to give yourself extra time to make your flight. Hochul suspends construction-related lane closures for Memorial Day weekend "Folks should get here at least two hours in advance," stressed Calderone. "At a minimum." "Not pulling into the airport," added TSA Federal Security Director Bart Johnson. "To have to park your car, make sure you get everything, go to the ticket counter, check in...

Montgomery County police implement new dispatch technology

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:14 GMT

FULTONVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Sheriff Jeffery Smith of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office announced that new technology has been successfully implemented by their 911 dispatch center. The state-of-the-art system will bolster emergency response capabilities and improve public safety throughout Montgomery County. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The system, called Prepared Live 911, drastically enhances the way dispatchers receive and process emergency calls by providing real-time data from smartphone callers. The revolutionary technology transmits crucial information to the dispatch center, by sending out precise location details, live video feeds, pictures, and other relevant statistics. This data allows dispatchers to make more informed decisions and quickly assign appropriate resources. The deployment of the new system reinforces Montgomery County's dedication to the safety of residents and first responders by equipp...

Saint Louis Zoo's extended hours, summer events start Friday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:14 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The Saint Louis Zoo will officially extend its hours Friday in anticipation of Memorial Day Weekend and summertime. From May 26 to August 20, the zoo will be open around the following hours: Sunday through Thursday — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Friday and Saturday — 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (with a few event execptions)Memorial Day Weekend (Friday-Monday, May 26-29) — 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.In addition to the extended hours, the Saint Louis Zoo will host several events through the summer. Mom: Son with disabilities restrained at school 75 times in four years On select Fridays from 3:30-6:30 p.m., the zoo will host HullabaZoo to spotlight unique animals and habitats from around the world. Each of the HullabaZoo events will include live entertainments and educational activities. Each weekend from May 26 to August 20 will also be recognized as a Prairie Farms Dairy Summer Zoo Weekend. There will be various exhibits and attractions, in addition to a new bird show. Close ...

Colorado student sues school district that wouldn’t let her wear Mexican flag sash at graduation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:14 GMT

A Western Slope student whose high school and district told her she could not wear a Mexican American sash to her graduation ceremony is suing the school district, school board members, superintendent and principal in federal court.Naomi Peña Villasano, 18, sued Garfield County School District 16, five school board members, superintendent Jennifer Baugh and Grand Valley High School principal Kelly McCormick on Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.The lawsuit claims the defendants are violating Peña Villasano’s free speech rights and her state right to display the U.S. flag on her person.Baugh told The Denver Post that Garfield County School District 16 does not have a comment regarding the pending litigation.Honors student Peña Villasano was excited to wear a sash gifted by her brother when she walked across the stage to receive her high school diploma on Saturday. The sash features a depiction of the Mexican flag on one side and the American flag on t...

New Dodgers play-by-play announcer breaking barriers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:14 GMT

Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Stephen Nelson is calling history on the field and making history in the broadcast booth as the first Asian American play-by-play announcer in Major League Baseball.The 34-year-old Southern California native is stepping into the big role after paying his dues in local sports, then hosting and announcing games for the MLB and NHL networks, Bleacher Report, NBC Sports, YouTube and Apple TV +. KTLA 5 News celebrates Asian American & Pacific Islander Month “The first Major League stadium I ever stepped on was (Dodger Stadium). I would have been 8 years old, and it was a celebration of Japanese community night,” Nelson told KTLA’s Frank Buckley. “Cut to two and a half decades later, this is home.”The broadcast booth made famous by the late Vin Scully is now hosting a new generation of broadcasters led by Joe Davis. Davis and the Dodgers think highly of Stephen Nelson, who will announce 55 Dodgers games this season.“It’s silly to think about...

Man acquitted after 33 years in prison for Baldwin Park attempted murder: Gascón

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:49:14 GMT

A man who's been in state prison for more than three decades is innocent of the attempted murder charge for which he was convicted, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.A statement from Gascón's office released on Thursday said Daniel Saldana, who was convicted in 1990, was not among the shooters who fired at six high schoolers in 1989 after mistaking them for gang members in Baldwin Park.Two of those teens were shot and survived.Saldana, who was 22 and working as a construction at the time, was convicted of six counts of attempted murder and a charge of firing at an occupied vehicle.In a 2017 parole hearing, however, information emerged that indicated Saldana was not present for the attack and was not involved in any way.After an investigation, Gascón's office determined Saldana had been falsely convicted.“As prosecutors, our duty is not simply to secure convictions but to seek justice," Gascón said in a statement. "When someone is wrongfully convicted, i...