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Sexual assault evidence storage facility opens in Capital Region

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:58 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WUTR) – Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a new state facility to store sexual offense evidence collection kits—commonly referred to as rape kits—that have not yet been released to law enforcement custody. The facility—opened by the State Office of Victim Services and already operational—follows state law requiring any unreported kits to be stored for 20 years from the date of collection. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "New York State remains committed to supporting survivors of sexual assault in every way possible," Hochul said in a statement. "This new State facility will be a critical tool to help deliver support and justice while providing a strong foundation for victims to heal and alleviate some of the pressure they may feel when it comes to legal timelines."The secure storage—located in the Capital Region—empowers victims to receive the medical care they need, to consent to evidence collection, and let them ...

Gibson sentenced for jumping bail, vehicular homicide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:58 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Monday was the court date for Andrew Gibson’s sentencing. After admitting to causing a deadly crash in May 2021, Gibson—44-years-old and from Westerlo—skipped his previous sentencing date in 2022 and went on the run. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The crash killed Lisa Sperry, 55, a wife and mother of four boys, and hospitalized others. According to the Albany District Attorney’s Office, he had posted a $160,000 bond and was released after being arraigned in June 2021. Gibson pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide in November 2021, and ultimately pleaded guilty to jumping bail in March 2023.Judge Andra Ackerman sentenced Gibson to 2 1/3 to 7 years for the jumping bail charge and 8 1/3 to 25 years for the aggravated vehicular homicide. Both sentences are to run consecutively, so in the end he will serve between 10 2/3 and 32 years.

8th year, advocates push for Medical Aid in Dying

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:58 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- For eight years advocates in New York have been pushing for the Medical Aid in Dying Act., which would allow doctors to prescribe terminally ill patients with medicine that helps them die peacefully. Supporters of the bill lined the halls of the Capitol before sharing their personal testimonies.  New Yorkers discuss pros & cons of Medical Aid in Dying "Our daughter lived in Manhattan. She was a ballerina, and yoga instructor, as well as an artist, and she actually did a beautiful rooftop painting with a partner dancing on top of the canvas in Manhattan just days after she was diagnosed with a very severe tongue cancer," said Amy and Dan Eilert who traveled from Dallas, Texas to push for the legislation. The Eilerts say it certainly would have helped their daughter, Ayla pass on without so much suffering.  "She went through all of the horrendous treatments, where chemoradiation just burned her severely," said Alya's father, Dan. In just six months their d...

St. Louis teen sentenced for murder he committed at 14

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:58 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A teenager who was tried as an adult for a 2020 murder in north St. Louis was sentenced Monday to nearly 20 years in state prison.Marcus "Mojo" Ursery, 17, admitted shooting Timothy Lucas outside a local market in the 8300 block of North Broadway on Jan. 18, 2020. Both Ursery and Lucas were 14 at the time of the shooting.Ursery pleaded guilty in May 2022 to second-degree murder, reduced from first-degree murder, and armed criminal action. Top story: Private messages reveal St. Louis warning siren issues An assistant circuit attorney requested Judge Rex Burlison hand down a 25-year sentence. Ursery's lawyer asked the judge for the minimum 10-year term.In the end, Judge Burlison sentenced Ursery 10 years for the murder and an additional 10 years for armed criminal action. The sentences will run consecutively.Ursery must serve at least 85% of the sentence for murder before beginning the next term. He must then serve at least three years for armed criminal action before he...

Petition to get The Urge on the St. Louis Walk of Fame nears goal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:58 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Real Housewives producer and TV host Andy Cohen will be getting a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame next month. The markers memorialize many celebrities along the Delmar Loop. Now, there is a petition to honor the 90's hit band The Urge with a marker. They are close to their goal of 3,000 signatures.The St. Louis Walk of Fame features brass stars embedded in the pavement to honor people who have made significant contributions to art, music, literature, and other fields. It was created in 1988 by Joe Edwards, who was inspired by the Hollywood Walk of Fame.The first star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame was dedicated to Chuck Berry. Since then, over 150 stars have been added. They include famous figures such as T.S. Eliot, Maya Angelou, Tina Turner, and Nelly. Tucker’s Place responds to trend of ‘dine and dashers’ The Urge is known for their energetic and eclectic sound, incorporating elements of ska, punk, reggae, and funk into their music. They formed in 1987 and singer...

Prosecutor: Proud Boys viewed themselves as “Trump’s army”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:58 GMT

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and LINDSAY WHITEHURST (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Ready for “all-out war,” leaders of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group viewed themselves as foot soldiers fighting for Donald Trump as the former president clung to power after the 2020 election, a prosecutor said Monday at the close of a historic trial over the U.S. Capitol insurrection.After more than three months of testimony, jurors began hearing attorneys’ closing arguments in the seditious conspiracy case accusing Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio and four lieutenants of plotting to forcibly stop the transfer of power from Trump to President Joe Biden. The Proud Boys were “lined up behind Donald Trump and willing to commit violence on his behalf,” prosecutor Conor Mulroe told jurors. “These defendants saw themselves as Donald Trump’s army, fighting to keep their preferred leader in power no matter what the law or the courts had to say ...

As Avs dominate faceoff circle entering Game 4, Kraken coach Dave Hakstol says Seattle needs to “cheat a little bit more”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:58 GMT

SEATTLE — The Avalanche’s first-round playoff series has unfolded with an ironic plot twist: domination in the faceoff circle.Seattle Kraken coach Dave Hakstol thinks the solution is to cheat more.“Honestly, if I’m being blunt, we’ve gotta be smart and cheat a little bit more,” Hakstol told reporters Sunday between Games 3 and 4 in Seattle. “Colorado is doing a better job of that, and they’re getting away with it in the dot.”The Avalanche finished the regular season at 46.7% on the draw, ranking fifth-worst in the NHL. But the only team to qualify for the playoffs with a worse win rate was the Kraken, the No. 31 team in the league at 45.3%.Not only has Colorado won 97 faceoffs to Seattle’s 75 (56.4% win rate) through three games; four Avalanche goals in the series have stemmed directly from offensive zone draws.“We look at every faceoff. We feel that way lots of times against other teams as well,” Avalanche coac...

John Travolta's 'Saturday Night Fever' suit sold for $260,000 at Julien's Auctions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:58 GMT

Over the weekend, Julien's Auctions and Turner Classic Movies held a blockbuster auction called "Hollywood Classy and Contemporary."The two-day event auctioned over 1,400 artifacts from some of the greatest films of the Silent Era, the Golden Age of Hollywood and some newer films. The genres span from Sci-Fi, action, Fantasy classics and more.The headlining item was John Travolta's iconic polyester suit from "Saturday Night Fever," which was sold at auction for a whopping $260,000.However, Travolta didn't actually wear the three-piece suit during the dance in the movie. He did wear it in the music video for the song and for the movie's poster. More big items from famous films were sold as well. Marty McFly's famous hoverboard from "Back to the Future 2," sold for $91,000.From the "Harry Potter" franchise, an "Albus Dumbledore" elder wand prop used by Michael Gambon in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix "sold for $130,000.From the Marvel Cinematic Universal, an original hero...

California residents face years in federal prison after pleading guilty to stealing prison inmates' identities

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:58 GMT

A woman from Los Angeles has pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud for her part in a conspiracy to use the identities of prison inmates to fraudulently claim unemployment benefits, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.Mykara Destiny Robinson, 24, was the 13th and final defendant to be charged in connection with this case, officials said. The other 12 defendants in the case are all from California, including such areas as Palmdale, Lynwood, South Los Angeles and Yucaipa. California men sentenced to years in federal prison for crime spree The group created about 151 fake California Employment Development Department accounts and collected about $993,181 in unemployed funds.Natalie Le Demola, a 38-year-old originally from Corona, and Carleisha Neosha Plummer, a 33-year-old from Los Angeles, were the lead defendants in the case.The two co-conspirators, along with others, “would acquire the personal identifying information (PII), such as the names, dates of birth, and So...

Slideshow: Northern Lights illuminate the sky

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 09:16:58 GMT

An intense solar storm has the northern lights gracing the skies farther south than usual. Forecasters say a blast of superhot material from the sun late last week hurled scorching gases known as plasma toward Earth at nearly 2 million mph. The northern lights are visible over Anchorage, Alaska, early Wednesday, April 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)The northern lights are seen over a farm near Pulaski, Wis., on Sunday, April 23, 2023. An intense solar storm has the aurora borealis gracing the skies farther south than usual. (Sarah Kloepping/The Post-Crescent via AP)An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the night sky on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, near Washtucna, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)The northern lights are visible over Anchorage, Alaska, early Wednesday, April 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says Earth felt the brunt of the storm Sunday. Conditions eased Monday, but auroras might still be visibl...