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Elephant dies at St. Louis Zoo shortly after dog runs loose and agitates her herd

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS (KTVI) – A female elephant at the Saint Louis Zoo died after her herd became agitated from a dog running loose, according to zoo officials. Rani (pronounced "Ronnie") died on Friday, Oct. 13. She was 27."We are absolutely devastated. We ask for the community’s thoughts and support during this difficult time,” zoo director Michael Macek said in a news release. “Our team of professional animal care experts did everything possible, but we couldn’t save Rani.”A small, unleashed dog was seen running near the Elephant Barn, a non-public area, Friday afternoon, Macek said. Puppies adopted together after being thrown over animal shelter fence An elephant outside the barn saw the dog and became agitated. The zoo's elephant care team quickly moved that elephant inside and captured the dog. Rani was already inside her sleeping area, having dinner. She did not see or hear the dog. But, at one point, zoo staffers noticed Rani became "agitated in reaction to the vocalizations from t...

NY court says employee arrested after disrupting Trump's fraud trial

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

A New York court employee was arrested Wednesday after approaching the bench to attempt to talk to former President Trump, who is attending his fraud trial in person this week in Manhattan. Lucian Chalfen, a spokesperson for the court, said the individual disrupted the trial by standing up and walking toward the front of the courtroom, yelling out to Trump and indicating that she wanted to "assist him." The person was stopped by court officers before nearing Trump or his counsel, and "none of the parties were ever in any danger," Chalfen said.The individual, who was later determined to be a court employee, has been charged with contempt of court in the second degree, which is disrupting a court proceeding, Chalfen added.The person has been placed on "immediate administrative leave" pending an investigation and is prohibited from entering any facility of the New York State Unified Court System "until further notice," Chalfen said. No further information about the employee is availabl...

How much did Austin spend on Barton Springs tree 'Flo' before removal?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin spent a couple thousand dollars extra and contracted with four different tree companies before cutting down Barton Springs tree "Flo," public information records obtained by KXAN show. The City says it has "several certified arborists on staff, including several who are tree risk assessment qualified and one board certified master arborist." One of those certified arborists was the one who spotted Flo's infection, the City told KXAN. Group pitches last-chance plan to save historic Barton Springs tree Flo "According to PARD's standard procedures, this tree would have been removed once lab results confirmed the infection. However, considering the iconic significance of this particular tree, PARD wanted to take extra precautions by seeking external expertise to validate and confirm the initial assessment," a spokesperson for the City of Austin's Parks and Recreation Department wrote. The City sought external expertise to confirm Flo was unwell, fo...

Limited flights home keeping some Americans in Israel as conflict heats up

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the war wages on in Israel some Americans are still working to get home.Shortly after the conflict started, many airlines cancelled flights going in and out of Israel, making it more challenging for some travelers to get home."The first week the beaches were full, packed, a lot of people, a lot of families." said Chris Dunbaugh, who is on vacation in Israel with his wife.Chris and his wife Faye are staying in Bat Yam, which is about 35 miles north of Gaza. Chris said a week after they arrived that's when the conflict began and now the beaches that were once packed are now empty."On Saturday at 6 a.m. we heard the sirens," Chris said. Hundreds attend Israel, Palestine rallies at Texas Capitol Chris and Faye tell KXAN they witnessed a missile hit the the Mediterranean Sea, which is just across the street from where they are staying."IDF boats and the police boats came all around it and they circled all around there," Faye said. "We have had missiles over our head ...

Austin joins international campaign to help find missing, kidnapped Israelis

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN)—You may have seen flyers, with pictures of missing or kidnapped Israelis around the Austin area. They're going up all over the world, since the war overseas began. It's a campaign started by a couple, who are both artists Nitzan Mintz and Dede Bandaid.They currently live in New York but are from Israel. "We didn't know what to do, we felt so helpless," Bandaid said. "And we wanted to do something to support the country and make people aware of what's going on."Their movement has picked up traction fast, in less than two weeks. In Central Texas now, a group of mainly Israeli women who live in Austin have been putting flyers up for days. "Cedar Park, Round Rock, Domain Pflugerville, Mueller area, Bee Cave," Ariella said. Ariella and Idiet felt joining this movement is the least they could do. They, too, feeling helpless in a sense. "The longer we wait, the less the chances are surviving," Ariella said. "So we have to act fast."Some of the flyers feature people the women ...

Williamson County opens first segment of East Wilco Highway

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) — Williamson County leaders hosted a ribbon cutting to mark the debut of Segment 1 of the East Wilco Highway. The stretch of road will eventually become a main thoroughfare for communities like Hutto and Taylor.The roadway is a two lane road with a turning lane in the middle from County Road 138 at Dana Drive to County Road 137. This project also widened CR 138 to add a dedicated right-turn lane to northbound State Highway 130.Williamson County Precinct 4 Commissioner Russ Boles presented the opening remarks at the ribbon cutting for the highway.Boles said Segment 3 is currently under construction, which will build a bridge over U.S. 79 and the Union Pacific Railroad.Segment 2, the connecting portion of the East Wilco Highway, is to be decided by voters during the Nov. 7 election."We're looking to see if the voters want us to continue with this type of construction," Boles said.Just days before this ceremony, Segment 1 of Samsung Highway was opened to traffic in ...

Three Twins named Gold Glove finalists

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

Twins pitchers Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray and shortstop Carlos Correa were announced as Rawlings Gold Glove finalists at their positions on Wednesday.López and Gray join former Twin José Berríos as the three American League finalists at pitcher. None have won a Gold Glove in their careers, though Berríos has been a finalist three times before and Gray was a finalist in 2015 but lost to future rotation-mate Dallas Keuchel.Both López and Gray were worth four Defensive Runs Saved, per Fielding Bible, while Berríos was slightly above them at five. Gray went errorless throughout the course of the season and López made just one error.Correa, a Gold Glove winner in 2021, is a finalist alongside Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe and the Rangers’ Corey Seager. Correa also won the Platinum Glove in 2021, given to the best defensive player in each league as determined by a fan vote of the Gold Glove winners.Notably not included were center fielder Michael A. Taylor, a prior Gold Glove winner, an...

Loons’ big spending on Teemu Pukki is paying off in early returns

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

Minnesota United is spending big at striker, and the Loons’ recent investment at the position has started to pay dividends.Teemu Pukki checks in as the 12th-highest-paid player in MLS at $3.55 million, according to the MLSPA salary budget release Wednesday. Pukki easily eclipses the Loons’ previously highest-paid player, Emanuel Reynoso, at $2.1 million.After signing a two-year contract in June, Pukki has produced 10 goals in 11 league matches in 2023, a total ballooned by a four-game performance on Oct. 7.The Finnish international started slow, with one goal in his first five matches, but has become a regular scoring threat, nine goals in his past eight games.With an MLS Cup Playoff spot on the line, Pukki scored a club-record four goals in a 5-2 win over Los Angeles Galaxy on Oct. 7. With the highest scoring total of his professional career, he won MLS player of the match day.The rule of thumb is for a forward to score 0.50 goals per 90 minutes, roughly one goal every two games. B...

Dash cam video of Vikings’ Jordan Addison’s speeding ticket shows he was cuffed, but encounter was cordial

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

Dash cam video from a Minnesota State Patrol squad car shows a trooper rushed to catch up with Vikings rookie receiver Jordan Addison when he was clocked at 140 mph in his sports car on Interstate 94 in St. Paul.It also shows the trooper handcuffed and detained Addison in the back of his squad car.“The exchange between Mr. Addison and the police officers was nonconfrontational,” a spokesperson for Addison said Wednesday. “The matter is closed.”Addison, 21, previously agreed to plead guilty to speeding, and a charge of reckless driving was dismissed. The Pioneer Press requested the State Patrol’s dash camera video and the agency released it Wednesday after the timeframe for Addison to appeal his court case ended.A citation says a trooper was parked on the Pascal Street ramp to eastbound I-94 around 3 a.m. July 20 when he saw a vehicle pass at an “extremely high rate of speed” and radar readout showed 140 mph; the speed limit there is 55 mph.T...

Letters: It’s a free country. Let’s keep it that way.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:51:00 GMT

Free country, let’s keep it that way“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” is a quote commonly attributed to Voltaire. Similarly, as I grew up in the shelter of the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights that “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech” I’d hear and say “Hey, it’s a free country. You can say what ever you want, I just don’t have to agree with it.”Oh how I wish that that was universally accepted, but it is evidenced that it is not.As exampled by the apparent “doxxing” action at Harvard. The publishing of the names, faces and often addresses of those who express an unpopular point of view as a punishment for their having the temerity to state it. It’s as if to goad some un-American loony into an act of violence against these individuals. Hey Harvard, it’s a free country, say what you want, without fear, and in turn, I’m free to tell you, if I think it’s stupid, short-sighted or just plain wr...