Lease approved for former Salvation Army downtown shelter; Urban Alchemy signs contract to operate site

Published Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:19:21 GMT

Lease approved for former Salvation Army downtown shelter; Urban Alchemy signs contract to operate site AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin City Council on Thursday approved a new lease for the former downtown Salvation Army shelter. The building will now be operated by Urban Alchemy with the capacity to serve up to 150 people nightly, according to the city. Urban Alchemy is the California-based group that runs the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH) shelter near the former Salvation Army shelter. After the Salvation Army announced it was permanently closing its homeless shelter downtown, which dedicated beds to women and children, the City of Austin will now lease the space from the nonprofit and make the beds available again.Austin City Council voted to approve a one-year agreement with the Salvation Army to lease the space starting July 1. It will cost the city roughly $1.2 million, which will come from American Rescue Plan Act funding Austin Public Health put aside for homelessness. Another resolution council approved expanded the city's contract with Urban Alchemy to include o...

Pigs snarl traffic on I-694 in Little Canada

Published Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:19:21 GMT

Pigs snarl traffic on I-694 in Little Canada There were hogs on the highway Friday morning in Little Canada.A semitrailer carrying a load of pigs was involved in a single-vehicle rollover crash eastbound Interstate 694 to northbound Interstate 35E around 7:40 a.m., according to the Minnesota State Patrol.State troopers trying to corral the pigs as they walked between vehicles could be seen on Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic cameras:No human injuries were reported, according to the State Patrol, and the cause of the crash is under investigation.The interstate is expected to reopen at 11 a.m.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Man’s homicide connected to hostage situation on his St. Paul block, police say Crime & Public Safety | Court hearing postponed in case of Stillwater bar facing criminal charges in George Musser death Crime & Public Safety | Police confirm human remains found in SE Minn. were missing woman Madeline Kingsbury Crime & Pu...

NYS sends support to fight Canadian wildfires

Published Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:19:21 GMT

NYS sends support to fight Canadian wildfires ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Wildfires are still raging in Canada, burning over 9 million acres and bringing a large plume of smoke to the Northeast United States. The smoke from those wildfires lingering in the Capital Region for over three days.  Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! As we start to see relief, New York State is now stepping up to help fight the fires in Quebec. Governor Kathy Hochul announced June 8, 2023 forest rangers and firefighters will be traveling to Canada to battle the wildfires, joining others from New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. The Department of Environmental Conservation said the 15 firefighters traveling June 9, 2023 will be put on the front lines. “It could be what we call initial attack where they are sent to a fire that isn’t staffed yet and they’re making the initial size up on it and they’re starting to engage and getting the initial control around it," Lt. Scott Jackson, Assistant Fire Managem...

10 years in the making: Fancy Farmer opens in Sharon Springs

Published Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:19:21 GMT

10 years in the making: Fancy Farmer opens in Sharon Springs SHARON SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Nancy Blencoe has always wanted to own a restaurant. After a long road, she finally opened her restaurant, Fancy Farmer, during a soft opening on June 1. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Fancy Farmer is located at 529 State Highway 20 in Sharon Springs, across the street from Stewart's Shops. According to Blencoe, the property took 10 years to acquire.The building at 529 Route 20 has been there at least since the 1930s, said Blencoe, and used to be a car dealership, gas station, convenience store, and laundromat. It was abandoned for several years because Blencoe took over the property. Tex-Mex restaurant set to open in Gloversville "It was an eyesore for our community," said Blencoe. "The building was in disrepair. We wanted to make our town a little prettier."The property was originally in three parcels, which is why it took so long for Blencoe to buy. She purchased the first half in 2014...

Tour American history in Lake George this month

Published Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:19:21 GMT

Tour American history in Lake George this month LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - In June, visitors to Battlefield Park in the village of Lake George can experience the history of a key stage in the French and Indian War and American Revolution. A special "Path Through History Weekend" will open the door to the stories that have shaped Lake George into what it is today. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Lake George will celebrate Path Through History Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, June 17-18. Tours will guide visitors through the ruins of Fort George, and the burial place of the four unknown soldiers killed in the 1755 Battle of Lake George. Tours run at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday, with prior registration recommended at [email protected]. For those who want to learn more before or after their tour, the Lake George Battlefield Park Visitor Center is open for its second year. Located along Fort George Road, the center features historic artifacts previ...

Missing man found deceased in South Troy

Published Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:19:21 GMT

Missing man found deceased in South Troy TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A missing vulnerable adult last seen on June 3 has been found dead in a wooded area in South Troy, according to Troy Police. Michael Hart was 55. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Police say they discovered Mr. Hart Thursday evening. Detectives will continue with a follow-up investigation until its conclusion, and there are no suspicious circumstances at this time. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact detectives at (518) 270-4421.

One St. Louis-area public school among nation's Top 50 in new rankings

Published Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:19:21 GMT

One St. Louis-area public school among nation's Top 50 in new rankings ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - A new list ranking 50 of the best public high schools in the United States highlights one St. Louis County school. The list was released earlier this week by 24/7 Wall St. using data from education research platform Niche.com. Public schools were evaluated and ranked based on a variety of criteria, including standardized test scores, parent and student surveys, extracurricular activities, and indicators of teacher quality. St. Louis County town tows cars from driveways with expired tags According to Niche, the one St. Louis-area school to crack the list was Ladue Horton Watkins High School in Ladue, Missouri. It ranked 37th among all public high schools and was the only one from Missouri to make the list. Niche reports the following data from Ladue Horton Watkins High School:Student-teacher ratio: 14:1Avg. graduation rate: 99%Avg. SAT score: 1450 out of 1600Avg. ACT score: 29 out of 36Students enrolled in at least one AP course: 49%Total enrollment: 1,337 ...

Wrong-way driver dead, 6 injured in Long Beach crash

Published Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:19:21 GMT

Wrong-way driver dead, 6 injured in Long Beach crash Dash-cam footage obtained by KTLA shows the moment a wrong-way driver was killed after smashing into several other vehicles in Long Beach on Thursday night. Officers with the Long Beach Police Department responded to the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Junipero Avenue at around 7:19 p.m. on reports of the multi-vehicle collision.  An image from a vehicle's dash-cam showing the moment of impact during the fatal wrong-way crash on June 8, 2023, in Long Beach. (LBCode3Media)Reports indicate that the male driver of an SUV who was traveling westbound on PCH at Junipero Avenue went into the eastbound lanes of traffic and crashed into three other vehicles, an LBPD news release stated. Despite life-saving measures by personnel with the Long Beach Fire Department, the male driver, who was the sole occupant of the SUV, was declared dead at the scene. Three men from the other vehicles were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Three other victims were treate...

US warns of violent crime at popular tourist destination

Published Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:19:21 GMT

US warns of violent crime at popular tourist destination Just as summer travel ramps up, the U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory for the Dominican Republic. "Violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault is a concern throughout the Dominican Republic," the State Department said in its advisory. A yellow flag-level two advisory was issued, urging travelers headed to the top Caribbean hotspot to "exercise increased caution."Americans still wanting to travel to the island should consider staying in resorts, as they are likely safer and "tend to be better policed than urban areas like Santo Domingo," according to the State Department's advisory. The department is also urging travelers to reconsider meeting with strangers when in the Dominican Republic, as there have been reports of US citizens being robbed by people they met from dating apps, among other serious incidents.The advisory also recommends enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), to stay updated on travel alerts ahead of inter...

Why the graduation lei is a popular, meaningful tradition

Published Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:19:21 GMT

Why the graduation lei is a popular, meaningful tradition At commencement time, new graduates don their decorated caps and gowns, waving diplomas as they smile for photos. But many graduates also wear lei — made from flowers, candies, or ribbons around their necks — as congratulations from family and friends.Gifting and wearing a lei is a now ubiquitous tradition during graduations and other special occasions, including birthdays, weddings and even funerals. But where did the colorful, eye-catching garland come from, and what does receiving and wearing it actually mean?With its roots in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander culture, a lei refers to a series of strung-together objects — most commonly fresh flowers, but can also be made of leaves, braided ribbons, nuts, candy, shells, or even folded money — that are meant to be worn around the neck.Since the Hawaiian language doesn’t distinguish between singular and plural, the word “lei” also refers to more than one of these garlands. A lei can also be worn around the head — commonly called ...