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Relatives fight for custody of 4 kids who survived plane crash and weeks in Amazon jungle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:36 GMT

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A custody battle has broken out among relatives of four Indigenous children who survived a plane crash and 40 harrowing days alone in the Amazon rainforest in an extraordinary showing of youthful resilience that captivated people around the world. The siblings, ranging in age from 1 to 13, remained hospitalized Monday and were expected to stay there for several more days, a period that Colombia’s child protection agency is using to interview family members to determine who should care for them after their mother died in the May 1 crash.Astrid Cáceres, head of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare, said in an interview with BLU radio that a caseworker was assigned to the children at the request of their maternal grandparents, who are vying for custody with the father of the two youngest.“We are going to talk, investigate, learn a little about the situation,” Cáceres said, adding that the agency has not ruled out that they and their mother may have ex...

Vancouver family who lost son to fentanyl donates $20 million to new treatment model

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:36 GMT

VANCOUVER — Jill Diamond says when her brother Steven was struggling with substance addiction the system meant to support him was messy and filled with delays, disappointments and waitlists.After years during which prolonged periods of sobriety were punctuated with the pain of addiction, she says her athletic, loving and helpful brother was put on a waitlist to see an addiction psychiatrist. He died in 2016 from a fentanyl overdose less than a week before the appointment.“Some people say the system is simply broken. But the truth is, the system we need doesn’t even exist,” she said.The Diamond family, well known for their philanthropy around the province, is donating $20 million towards a new model for addictions treatment based out of Vancouver’s St. Paul’s Hospital.Called Road to Recovery, the 95-bed program aims to streamline the process for someone working their way through withdrawal management, inpatient recovery-focused care, transitional housing...

2 active-duty Marines plead guilty to Capitol riot charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:36 GMT

Two men who were active-duty members of the Marines Corps when they stormed the U.S. Capitol pleaded guilty on Monday to riot-related criminal charges.Joshua Abate and Dodge Dale Hellonen are scheduled to be sentenced in September by U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes. Both pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia.Many Capitol rioters are military veterans, but only a few were actively serving in the armed forces when they joined a mob’s attack on Jan. 6, 2021.A third active-duty Marine, Micah Coomer, also was charged with Abate and Hellonen. Coomer pleaded guilty to the same misdemeanor charge in May and is scheduled to be sentenced by Reyes on Aug. 30.All three men face a maximum sentence of six months of imprisonment.As of May 19, the Marines were still in the service. No additional information was available Monday.David Dischley, an...

15-year-old boy from Oak Forest area found safe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:36 GMT

OAK FOREST, Ill. — The Oak Forest Police Department said the 15-year-old boy they were looking for, David Bellinger, has been found safe.

Former Marine speaks out after being charged with killing NYC man

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:36 GMT

NEW YORK (WPIX) -- Daniel Penny, 24, the man accused in the subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely, has spoken out in four short, pre-taped videos his attorneys released to Nexstar's WPIX.The former Marine allegedly placed Neely in a chokehold as he reportedly experienced a mental health episode. A freelance journalist who recorded Neely struggling to free himself, then lapsing into unconsciousness, said he had been shouting at passengers and begging for money aboard the train but had not gotten physical with anyone.Attorneys for Neely’s family have previously stated their investigation shows Penny’s chokehold lasted not five but 15 minutes.“Some people say I was holding on to Mr. Neely for 15 minutes – not true. The whole interaction – less than five minutes,” Penny said in the videos shared with WPIX.Neely was a familiar face on the streets and in the subways, often working as a Michael Jackson impersonator. But investigators said Neely also had a documented history of mental heal...

'Wheel of Fortune' host Pat Sajak to leave show after 41st season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:36 GMT

"Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak announced on Monday he will leave the show after its 41st season. "Well, the time has come," Sajak tweeted. "I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)"Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesThis story will be updated.

Two years after Sixth Street mass shooting: What's happened since?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Monday marks two years since the June 12, 2021 shooting on Sixth Street where one person died and 14 others were injured. Since then, the city launched Safer Sixth Street initiatives to improve safety in the entertainment district. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: One year since 6th Street mass shooting Here's a look at what has happened over the last year in the Sixth Street shooting's aftermath:Court proceedingsPolice arrested shooting suspect De'ondre White, 21, in Killeen June 24, 2021 in connection to the deadly shooting. In August 2021, a grand jury indicted White for one murder charge and 14 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Two teens were previously arrested in connection to the shooting, but their charges were dropped following new witness statements. Police said they believed White was the sole shooter in the mass shooting. White's next court appearance is scheduled for June 20. Jury selection for a trial is scheduled to begin in late August. White is ...

Food Bank: 1 in 5 Central Texas kids goes to bed hungry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Summer break is not always a good thing for all Central Texas families with food insecurity on the rise."Last summer, district-wide, we served about 20,000 meals," Chris Weddle, Del Vale ISD executive director of communications, said. ‘They were eating one meal a day’: More college students face food insecurity Del Valle ISD is one of many districts in Central Texas that offers free meals during the summer, not only to students but to community members, as well."During the school year a lot of our families depend on our school meals and that is really an extension of that into the summer," Weddle said. "We are very proud to be able to open up five of our locations for summer meals for anyone in the community 18 and under to come."Bahar DiFranco, who has three kids in Del Valle ISD, said she's happy to see these programs."It allows us time to be together, the kids like coming to the school," DiFranco said. "It helps financially because then I don't have to think abo...

GoFundMe launched for 14 year old killed in north Austin shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- GoFundMe has verified a new campaign launched to support the family of the 14-year-old girl killed in a north Austin shooting last week.The Austin Police Department is investigating the shooting as a homicide. Police responded around 1:30 a.m. June 6 at the Bridge at Harris Ridge Apartment Complex on East Howard Lane. 14-year-old girl dies in north Austin overnight shooting When officers and EMS arrived on scene, they found a girl with head trauma. She was transported by ambulance to a Dell Children's Hospital, where she later died.According to GoFundMe organizers, the teen died while trying to protect her five-year-old brother. As of nearly 6 p.m. Monday, the fundraiser had raised more than $3,400 of its $10,000 goal.A suspect has not been identified or taken into custody at this time. Anyone with any information should call APD’s Homicide unit at 512-974-TIPS. You can submit a tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrim...

Longhorns women's hoops to play in U.S. Virgin Islands tournament over Thanksgiving

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns women's basketball team is trading Paradise Island for the Paradise Jam this coming season.The Longhorns are scheduled to play Nov. 23-25 in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on the island of St. Thomas at the University of the Virgin Islands. They'll play Arizona State on Thanksgiving, High Point on Nov. 24 and South Florida on Nov. 25. All games will tip off at 9 p.m. CT.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersLast season in the Bahamas during the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, Texas finished 1-2 with an 82-44 win over Rutgers.Texas added Tionna Herron to its frontcourt in May after she transferred from Kentucky, and incoming freshman Madison Booker was selected to play with USA Basketball's under-19 national team in the FIBA U19 Women's World Cup in Spain from July 15-23.