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25 indicted in Capital Region drug trafficking ring

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:12 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Twenty-five individuals have been charged with 164 crimes for their alleged roles in a major drug trafficking ring operating in the Capital Region. The ring reportedly distributed fentanyl, heroin, and powder and crack cocaine in Albany, Dutchess, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady counties. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Multiple law enforcement agencies conducted a year-long investigation, which included covert surveillance and hundreds of hours of wiretaps. Over three kilograms of cocaine, 40 grams of heroin laced with fentanyl, four handguns, two large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, and over $50,000 in cash were seized.The indictment unsealed in Rensselaer County Court alleges Alexander Torres, 36, and Yamillet Galarza, 35, both of Troy, were main figures in the distribution network. They are accused of partnering to obtain and sell narcotics in Rensselaer County.Torres is also accused of ...

Attica on lockdown after DOCCS reports violence

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:12 GMT

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Authorities locked down the Attica Correctional Facility on Tuesday after "several acts of violence" at the jail, according to the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). The issues allegedly began with inmate-on-inmate violence before escalating. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! DOCCS said that inmates eventually assaulted several staff members, including one corrections officer stabbed several times and another who suffered serious injuries to his face. The facility was locked down for a full facility search, which is expected to take several days.It was unclear as of Wednesday afternoon whether the lockdown was still in place. DOCCS, state police, and local law enforcement are all investigating, and they plan to pursue prosecution. The maximum-security facility for men in Wyoming County holds over 1,600 inmates as of the most recent PREA Facility Audit Report last June.

Lottery tickets, cigarettes stolen in armed robbery at St. Louis 7-Eleven

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:12 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Two suspects took off with lottery tickets, cigarettes and cash during an early-morning armed robbery at a St. Louis 7-Eleven store. The robbery happened around 5 a.m. Tuesday at the 7-Eleven store in the 4900 block of Christy Boulevard, which is located in the city's Bevo neighborhood. Investigators say two suspects entered the store behind a customer, displayed handguns and announced their intent for a robbery. They reportedly ordered to clerk to open the cash register. U.S. Steel idles steelmaking at Granite City Works ‘indefinitely’ The robbers, believed to be two men, took off with an unspecified amount of cash, in addition to an unconfirmed number of cigarettes and lottery tickets. They reportedly left the scene in a red sedan. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is handling the investigation.

Missouri's first firearm season that targets chronic wasting disease

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:12 GMT

ST. LOUIS – The Missouri Department of Conservation has reported that hunters harvested 11,705 deer during the state’s chronic wasting disease firearms deer hunting season. In order to control and monitor the illness, the MDC introduced the season to help with the management of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) within designated management zones.The firearm CWD season ran from November 22–26 in counties within the CWD Management Zone. Of the 11,705 deer harvested, 4,707 were antlered bucks, 1,074 were button bucks, and 5,924 were does.According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic wasting disease is a prion illness that affects deer, elk, reindeer, sika deer, and moose. Infected animals may take over a year to develop symptoms, including drastic weight loss (wasting), stumbling, listlessness, and other neurological symptoms. CWD can affect animals of all ages, and some infected animals may die without ever displaying the disease. It is fatal to animals, and there ar...

Opinion: Concerns raised by employees at Aurora’s flagship VA location will be addressed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:12 GMT

The Denver Post editorial board got it right earlier this month when they wrote: “Colorado veterans deserve competent, consistent care in the Eastern Colorado Health Care System.”I fully agree. And that’s exactly why I appointed interim leadership at VA’s flagship location in Aurora while VA reviews concerns raised by employees regarding issues of workplace culture, compliance, and overall organizational health.Veterans deserve timely access to world-class health care and earned benefits, and I won’t settle for anything less. When I see a potential for wrongdoing, I take actions to make it right. When I hear of potential wrongs, I listen – to both the accuser and the accused, and I refer matters to appropriate oversight bodies for investigation.I took similar, bold action earlier this summer when I became aware of concerns at the Montana VA Health Care System.I have a tremendous and privileged obligation to the veterans in Colorado, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming. Two overridi...

Josh Giddey allegations: Girl, family won't cooperate with police investigation into NBA star, report says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:12 GMT

The investigation into NBA star Josh Giddey's alleged relationship with a teen girl may have hit a roadblock.TMZ reports that the girl and her family won't cooperate with the Newport Beach Police Department's investigation. NBA star investigated for alleged relationship with underage girl Police opened the investigation after social media posts alleged the 21-year-old Australian star had a romantic relationship with a girl who was 15 or 16 at the time. The age of consent in California is 18.Giddey, who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder, is also under investigation by the NBA, though Giddey has continued to play, most recently against the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night.The Australian has declined to comment on the allegations or investigations.

Liana Skow Fatally Struck in Pedestrian Accident on Route 66 [Flagstaff, AZ]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:12 GMT

20-Year-Old Female Pedestrian Killed in Fatal Collision near Riordan RoadFLAGSTAFF, AZ (November 29, 2023) – Monday morning, a pedestrian accident occurred on Route 66, claiming the life of Liana Skow. Around 6:00 a.m., law enforcement responded to the incident near Riordan Road.According to investigators, two vehicles collided near the intersection, causing one of the cars to veer onto the sidewalk. The vehicle then struck a woman identified as 20-year-old Liana Skow. The collision inflicted severe, life-threatening injuries on Skow.Despite life-saving efforts, medics later pronounced her dead at a nearby hospital.Upon completing preliminary assessments, authorities ruled out impairment as a suspected factor in the accident. Officials are urging any witnesses to contact the Flagstaff Police Department at (928) 774-1414 or the Silent Witness at (928) 774-6111.No words can mend the broken hearts and sorrow felt during this delicate moment. Deepest condolences and sympathies are...

Vehicular manslaughter, other charges filed in hit-and-run death of 86-year-old Concord man

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:12 GMT

CONCORD — A 19-year-old man has been charged with vehicular manslaughter in a DUI-related hit-and-run collision Thanksgiving evening that killed an 86-year-old man and sent his wife to a hospital, according to authorities and court records.The suspect, Damian Lopez-Avelino of Concord, is also charged with driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury, hit-and run with injury, and leaving the scene of an accident, according to court records. All of the charges are felonies.Lopez-Avelino is also charged with a misdemeanor count of driving a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license.He was formally charged Tuesday and was being held without bail at the Martinez Detention Center.The charges stem from the Nov. 23 death of Thomas O’connell, a Concord resident.Concord police Sgt. Shawn Phalen said Lopez-Avelino was driving a Ford Fusion northbound on Oak Grove Road when he was initially involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle near Treat Boule...

Buffy Sainte-Marie is latest accused of being a ‘Pretendian’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:12 GMT

By Harmeet Kaur | CNNWhen there were few other Indigenous celebrities in the spotlight, there was Buffy Sainte-Marie.The celebrated singer-songwriter rose to prominence during the folk revival of the 1960s, building a name as a Cree artist. She sang about the injustices experienced by Indigenous peoples in songs such as “Now That the Buffalo’s Gone,” “My Country ‘Tis of Thy People You’re Dying” and “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.”She showed children that Native people weren’t relics of the past in a five-year stint on “Sesame Street.” Along the way, she racked up numerous awards and accolades.But a recent investigation by CBC News calls into question Sainte-Marie’s claims that she has Indigenous ancestry. Sainte-Marie is refuting the allegations.Sainte-Marie is the latest high-profile figure accused of lying about being Indigenous — similar controversies arose in recent years around actor Sacheen Littlefeather, author Joseph Boyden and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, among others....

East Bay businessmen sentenced to prison for tax fraud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:37:12 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO – The president and former corporate counsel of a San Mateo County rock-crushing business were sentenced to prison Tuesday for conspiring to conceal more than $18 million in taxable income from the IRS, federal authorities said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Woman charged in connection to deadly wrong-way crash in South San Francisco Crime and Public Safety | Daly City woman arrested on suspicion of robbery, child endangerment Crime and Public Safety | Suspect arrested in double stabbing at San Mateo bar Crime and Public Safety | Coast Guard calls off search for man swept into ocean near Half Moon Bay Crime and Public Safety | Don Horsley, former San Mateo County sheriff and supervisor, dies Joseph Nubla, 45, of Danville, and Henry Ku, 56, of Pleasanton, received terms of 36 months and 30 months, respectively, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement.In April, a jury co...