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Teen dies from rare brain infection after swimming in Georgia, coroner rules

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:58 GMT

DEARING, Ga. (WJBF) — A Georgia teenager has died from a rare brain infection caused by an amoeba, health officials have confirmed. Megan Ebenroth, 17, was believed to have been infected while swimming in a freshwater lake or pond, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. The infection was caused by Naegleria Fowleri, an amoeba that lives in soil and warm, freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds, and hot springs, the agency explained. Naegleria Fowleri can cause a brain infection, primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), when water containing the amoeba goes up the nose. It can destroy brain tissue, cause brain swelling, and, in many cases, be fatal. Brain-eating amoeba: Will the warming climate bring more cases? Ebenroth, who was set to begin her senior year at Thomson High School this week, died on July 22. While few additional details have been released, the McDuffie County Coroner's Office said she spent a few days in the hospital after the incident. Her cause of death ...

‘Home Improvement’ actor arrested in Oregon; accused of domestic violence, burglary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:58 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An actor from the popular '90s sitcom “Home Improvement” is facing charges following an alleged domestic violence incident. Court documents show Zachery Ty Bryan, known for his role as eldest son Brad Taylor in “Home Improvement,” was arrested in Lane County on July 31 for alleged domestic violence, robbery and harassment charges, court documents show.“The defendant, on or about July 22, 2023, in Lane County, Oregon, did unlawfully and recklessly cause physical injury to [the victim],” court documents filed by the Lane County District Attorney’s Office state. “The State further alleges that the foregoing crime constituted domestic violence.”Additional details have not been released about the case. Bryan was still being held in jail as of Monday, according to USA Today. Hit, run suspect injured after officer involved shooting: Kelso Police Bryan faced similar charges in October 2020, when he was arrested in Lane County for assault, menacing, harassment, coer...

Austin Police announces charges against man involved in alleged child kidnapping case

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On Tuesday, the Austin Police Department announced charges against a man accused of attempting to kidnap a teenage girl last week in north Austin, according to an APD news release.Shortly before 4:30 p.m., July 25, officers responded to a check welfare urgent call in the 8000 block of Shoal Creek Boulevard, the release said. Officers arrested Willie Thompson, 48, and he was charged with trafficking of a child and sexual assault of a child.In a news conference Monday, APD commended the teenage girl for hatching the plan to escape from her alleged captors. Austin officers commend ‘brave’ girl who escaped from kidnappers Three of the five officers who helped thwart the kidnapping attempt and reunite the girl with her family spoke to reporters Monday afternoon, sharing new details about how they learned of this situation. Officers Rachel Stahlke, Cody Carr and Callie Wolfe shared they went to a store located near Shoal Creek Boulevard and Steck Avenue on July 25 after...

Vikings lose receiver Trishton Jackson to apparent knee injury

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:58 GMT

Outside of Justin Jefferson, who is a superstar, K.J. Osborn, who is a bonafide starter, and Jordan Addison, who is a first-round pick, no receiver on the Vikings was having a better showing at training camp than Trishton Jackson.That sentence is phrased in the past tense because it appears Jackson might be on the shelf for awhile. Though the Vikings haven’t released any details, Jackson suffered an apparent knee injury on Tuesday afternoon. He landed awkwardly while trying to make a catch during a 1-on-1 drill and remained on the turf writhing in pain.The moment itself was sobering to everyone in attendance at TCO Performance Center, as was the aftermath with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell coming over to offer Jackson words of encouragement. A few minutes later, the cart came out to take Jackson to the Vikings’ locker room.“It’s definitely tough to see him go down like that,” Jefferson said. “He definitely...

Teen pleads guilty in adult court to fatally shooting North St. Paul man during gun heist

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:58 GMT

A teen has pleaded guilty in adult court to aiding and abetting intentional murder in the shooting death of a 24-year-old man during a gun heist in North St. Paul this past spring.Abo Eshun Essilfie, 17, of St. Paul, fatally shot Anthony Robert Rojas in the head at his apartment in the 2100 block of North McKnight Road on June 19, prosecutors say.Essilfie on Monday agreed to move his case to adult court for sentencing after waiving his right to a certification hearing and entering a guilty plea as charged before Ramsey County District Judge JaPaul Harris, said Dennis Gerhardstein, spokesman for the Ramsey County attorney’s office. Sentencing has been set for Sept. 25.Four others face the same second-degree murder charge in Rojas’ death.New chargesEssilfie’s guilty plea follows new charges that were filed against him last week in Hennepin County District Court in connection with a shooting at Southdale Mall in Edina a month and a half before Rojas’ killing.Mall video surveillance sho...

MN GOP lawmakers urge Gov. Walz to stop DHS plans to delete emails after a year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:58 GMT

A group of Republican lawmakers are asking Gov. Tim Walz to intervene with plans the Minnesota Department of Human Services has to begin automatically deleting emails after a year unless workers decide the messages contain official records.“This move will leave citizens, legislators, and auditors with significantly less information about the work of the Department and its interactions with Minnesotans,” Sens. Mark Koran, R- North Branch, Warren Limmer, R- Maple Grove, and Paul Utke, R-Park Rapids, said in a statement.Koran serves as the cochair of the Legislative Audit Commission, an oversight group, Limmer is on the Data Practices Commission, which oversees public records compliance, and Utke is the top Republican on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.“Rather than value transparency and accountability with a robust retention policy that protects personal privacy, the department is taking the cheap and easy way out with risky, automated deletion,”...

Johnny Johnson executed for murder of Casey Williamson

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:58 GMT

BONNE TERRE, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Corrections carried out its execution of Johnny Johnson for the July 2002 murder of a St. Louis County girl.The execution was carried out Tuesday, Aug. 1, at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri. Johnson, 45, died via lethal injection. He was declared dead at 6:33 p.m.Johnson's last statement, filed on July 30, said, "God Bless. Sorry to the people and family I hurt."In January 2005, a St. Louis-based jury found Johnson guilty of first-degree murder and other criminal charges (armed criminal action, kidnapping, and attempted forcible rape) in the death of six-year-old Cassandra “Casey” Williamson. A judge sentenced Johnson to the death penalty that March.A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit had granted Johnson a temporary stay of sentence on July 25. Johnson’s stay was put in place when his attorneys questioned his mental competence. However, the full court ...

MSD preparing for heavy rain this week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:58 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Beginning Tuesday evening, the St. Louis region could be in for heavy rain and a threat of flash flooding.The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer district spent Tuesday cleaning out street inlets and sewers, making sure all that rain has somewhere to go.“We got 10 to 12 crews on any given day. They have been cleaning inlets in our service area. Debris, trash, leaves, this sort of thing,” said Sean Stone, an MSD spokesman. “Routine go around, clean that stuff out there, make sure they are open as possible when it rains.”MSD works year-round to ensure the sewer system is ready. According to MSD, storms will wash yard waste, leaves, trash, and branches into storm drains, clogging the drains so they don't work efficiently. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW ...

Historic Pettis County church burns after suspect lightning strike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:58 GMT

SEDALIA, Mo. - Sedalia, Missouri got hammered by rainfall Tuesday morning, recording five-plus inches of rain in the span of a few hours.With all the rain passing through the area also came a lot of lightning. That's what is being blamed for the damage at the Bahner Church near the intersection of Route V and Bahner Road, just south of Sedalia.Bahner Church is what it's known as colloquially. It's official name is St. John the Evangelist Chapel, described as a Catholic church with a generational history.Now the church is reduced to ash, still smoldering.Church to her grandpa and beyond, 7-year-old Charli Bahner says she thought the building would always be there."My heart's like beating fast and stuff," Bahner said."Up there, there was like a front that was kind of like a stage. And there, before the front, there was like benches and stuff," she said."My grandma's like 'Oh my gosh, Bahner Church burnt down.' Then my mom called grandma and said it got shocked by lightning," she said....

Transgender former student sues Missouri school for making her use boys' bathrooms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:58 GMT

PLATTE COUNTY, Mo. (AP) — A transgender former student sued a Missouri school district on Monday for forcing her to use the boys’ bathrooms or the high school's only single-stall bathroom.The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri sued Platte County R-3 School District on behalf of the transgender female former student, identified in the lawsuit only as R.F.The former student received detention twice for using the girls' restroom, according to the lawsuit. She said a male classmate harassed her and threatened her with rape when she used the boys' bathroom.The lawsuit argues the school violated her rights by requiring her to use the bathroom that aligned with her sex assigned at birth or the school's single-stall gender-neutral bathroom.“Forcing transgender students to use the bathroom or locker room that matches their sex designated at birth is not only discrimination but dangerous and causes serious harm to Missouri’s youth,” said Gillian Wilcox, deputy director of litigation a...