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New York student back in US after being detained in Dubai: activist

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:55 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) — Elizabeth Polanco De Los Santos is reportedly back in New York after a nightmarish few weeks of being detained in Dubai.The Lehman College student was passing through the Dubai airport on her way home from a trip to Turkey when she was detained in mid-July. Dubai officials alleged she assaulted and insulted an airport security employee by touching her arm, according to Detained in Dubai, an organization aimed at helping victims of injustice in the Middle Eastern emirate. But activists who helped bring the 21-year-old home said there's more to the story. They say De Los Santos faced a painful and degrading search when she went through security. Afterward, she allegedly tapped a security woman for help with a medical device and was detained for “touching the female customs officer” during the search, the activists said."It's just out of a nightmare, out of a movie, and what she experienced is unimaginable. I don't think they can put themselves in their shoes and imag...

Son of Buc-ee's co-founder arrested on 28 felony charges in Texas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The son of a co-founder of the nationally renowned Buc-ee's convenience store has been arrested in Texas on 28 separate state jail felony charges of invasive visual recordings.Mitchell Wasek, 28, was released one hour after being arrested on a $10,000 bond on the condition he not contact the complainants, according to Travis County jail records.Nexstar's KXAN reached out to an attorney connected with Mitchell but didn't immediately receive a response. KXAN also attempted numerous times to contact both Mitchell and his father, Don Wasek, however, phone numbers associated with both individuals were either disconnected or had voicemails disabled. KXAN was able to reach a family member of the Waseks, but that person hung up the phone as soon as KXAN identified itself. Mitchell Wasek, 28Mugshot provided by APDAccording to court records, the Travis County Sheriff's Office received a telephone complaint in May alleging improper photography had occurred at a home on the bank...

Settlement reached in lawsuit over teen's death in Rosemont hotel freezer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:55 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — The mother of a 19-year-old Chicago woman who was found dead in 2017 in a freezer at a suburban hotel where she had attended a party has reached a settlement in her lawsuit against the hotel and others.A settlement was reached in August, Cook County court records show, but it has not been entered on the court docket because attorneys for Kenneka Jenkins’ mother have asked that the terms be sealed from the public, the Chicago Tribune reported.A judge denied that request Tuesday but asked the mother’s attorney to resubmit the request. A status hearing is scheduled for next week in the case, which had been set for a trial starting Oct. 16, court records show.Attorneys for Jenkins’ mother, Tereasa Martin, argued that the family’s safety and privacy trumped any reason to require that the records be publicly filed.“The widespread publicity of this case, including uncontrolled speculation and social media commentary has resulted in various threats made against vari...

Skilling: Rain to linger around Chicagoland through Thursday afternoon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:55 GMT

ANOTHER 80+ DEG DAY in the fantastic run of late season warmth.  Temps hit 84 at O'Hare—16-deg above normal!!  Not bad, huh??This makes 5 consecutive 80+-deg days in a row! It marks the 15th consecutive day of ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS. Remarkably—each of the past 5 days have posted double-digit temp surpluses—NOT the easiest thing for nature to pull off at a time of the year with 4 hours less daylight and the sun 30-deg lower in the daytime sky, thus producing sunlight delivering reduced energy,.But AUTUMNAL NIRVANA is about to end as a buckling jet stream sweeps air out of Canada into the Chicago area.Multiple cold frontal passages are to take temps BELOW NORMAL by Friday with this weekend to see the coolest temps which have visited Chicago in 5 months (since early May).  We expected daytime highs from Friday through Sunday to only make the 50s and nighttime lows to dip into the low and mid 40s.Our analysis has daytime averages BELOW NORMAL Friday (-7 deg), Saturday (-10 deg), ...

Lawsuit filed against city to end inhumane conditions for Chicago residents, migrants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:55 GMT

CHICAGO -- At least two South Shore residents have filed a lawsuit demanding the city to put an end to creating inhumane conditions for Chicagoans and migrants.Additionally, they are asking Mayor Brandon Johnson to discontinue housing migrants in schools, city parks, and police stations, while providing transparency on how money is being spent on migrants.The group also filed suit back in May when hoping to prevent the former South Shore High School from being turned into a shelter for asylum seekers.A spokesperson for the City's Law Department declined to comment due to pending litigation. Chicago Migrant Crisis: 17K asylum seekers transported since August 2022 According to city records, over 17,000 migrants have arrived since the city started receiving busloads of asylum seekers in August 2022. With 224 of the 332 buses delivering migrants to Chicago just in the last five months.2,300 asylum seeker still remain at Chicago Police Department district headquarters waiting for shelt...

Man accidentally shoots 12-year-old grandson while officiating wedding: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:55 GMT

LANCASTER COUNTY, Neb. (KMID/KPEJ) -- A man officiating a wedding over the weekend in Nebraska accidentally shot his 12-year-old grandson during the ceremony, police said. Michael Gardner, 62, was trying to get the attention of guests when he fired a blank into the air on Sept. 30 at a venue in Denton, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office. The ceremony was running about 45 minutes late because someone forgot the wedding rings, Chief Deputy Ben Houchin explained at a Monday morning press conference. Man accused of shooting Taco Bell worker over his change: North Carolina police So Gardner, who lives in Odessa, Texas, decided to "start the wedding with a bang," Houchin said during the briefing. The 62-year-old's hand allegedly slipped as he cocked back the hammer of the revolver, which caused the blank to strike the boy's shoulder. Houchin said the blank was created using glue and black powder and that the glue was likely what injured the boy. The 12-year-old, also of...

Emotions of Red River Rivalry require mature football team

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In a game that is widely considered one of, if not, the best rivalry games in all of college football, the Red River Rivalry brings a lot of passion and pageantry. The challenge is to embrace the energy of the game while not letting it distract from the task of winning on the field. ‘The best setting in college football’: Red River Rivalry week begins for Texas, Oklahoma When Texas and Oklahoma meet there will always be excitement surrounding it. For this year, with both the Longhorns and Sooners unbeaten, that buildup is at another level."It's why we're in college football, right? To be a part of games like this," Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian said. "Two undefeated teams. Two top 25 teams. The spotlight of college football will be on us."The last two times Texas has battled Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Longhorns fans have felt all of the emotions. Texas jumped out to a 28-7 lead in the first quarter in 2021 before losing the game 55-48. They also jum...

Is this the week Vikings finally get center Garrett Bradbury back?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:55 GMT

For the past couple of weeks, it has seemed as if the Vikings were finally going to get starting center Garrett Bradbury back. That hasn’t happened, as Bradbury has continued to sit out with a back injury he suffered in the Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.The good news? At the very least, Bradbury continues to be a limited participant in practice, meaning he hasn’t suffered a setback.Though it undoubtedly has been frustrating for Bradbury as he works himself to full strength, there’s a chance he returns for the Vikings on Sunday afternoon when they host the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Not that head coach Kevin O’Connell was willing to commit to anything.‘We’re just going to take it a day at a time with him,” O’Connell said. “Hopefully progress throughout this week to where he’s available.”Interestingly enough, O’Connell went on to mention backup center Austin Schlottmann unprompted, praising him for the ...

Jr. Achievement to bring industry professionals, case studies into Como and Washington Tech 9th grade curriculum

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:55 GMT

Junior Achievement North, a nonprofit that introduces minors to business skills and entrepreneurialism, is working with students and educators at Como Park Senior High School and the Washington Technology Magnet School to launch a new ninth grade curriculum for the 2024-2025 school year.Dubbed 3DE by Junior Achievement, the program brings professionals from high-demand industries into classrooms for project-based learning, with an emphasis on case studies. The work is supported by funding from partners like the WEM Foundation, Securian Financial, Thrivent, the Cargill Foundation and Great Clips.Junior Achievement said the model has boosted student outcomes in 42 schools across 24 school districts in 10 states. They’ve documented a 21% reduction in chronic absenteeism and a 33% improvement in graduation rates among those enrolled. College enrollment increased 56%, and teacher retention almost doubled.“We are thrilled to partner with St. Paul Public Schools to deliver this innov...

Former Eagle Street Grille to become Zamboni’s on 7th

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:00:55 GMT

We finally know what’s happening with the former Eagle Street Grille spot at West Seventh Street and Kellogg Boulevard in downtown St. Paul.It’ll become Zamboni’s on 7th, an Italian street food restaurant owned by Greg Awada and Kristi Brunner, who own the next-door Zamboni’s Pizza Pub, and Tim Mahoney, owner of The Loon Cafes in St. Paul and Minneapolis.The prime location, directly across from the Xcel Energy Center, will serve mostly the same Italian street-food menu as Zamboni’s — pizzas, cheesesteaks and the like. There will be a full bar, of course. Awada said he’ll be incorporating some of Mahoney’s ideas, and they haven’t nailed anything down yet.Construction on the space is underway, and Awada said they are moving a bar around and doubling the size of the kitchen and adding a hood, but the layout of the space will remain mostly the same.Hours are still to be determined, but they’ll plan to be open during games and events.Awada said he’s not sure what’ll happen to the c...