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Severe storms popping up near St. Louis Thursday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:04 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- The Heat Advisory continues for today into Friday for top temperatures that may reach over 100 degrees in Missouri. However, scattered storms in Illinois will cut down on the heat in areas east of St. Louis. St. Louis radar: See a map of current weather here This is the batch of storms we are tracking for around lunchtime Thursday. The storm will roll across our northern and northeastern counties as this complex makes a turn to the southeast.Several clusters of strong to severe storms are forecast to drop for Iowa into central and then southern Illinois today into tonight. These storms may bring damaging winds, hail and even a tornado threat to the St. Louis area. Some of them may start to pop up at around midday Thursday. A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for the area until 5 p.m.The extreme heat will continue to be an issue in Missouri Friday and more storms are expected in Illinois, with St. Louis right in the middle of it all. I cannot rule out additional...

Prosecutors: Accused Ladue burglar in country on expired visa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:04 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - A Chilean national in the country on an expired visa is accused of breaking into a Ladue home with others and stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of property.According to a probable cause statement filed by the Ladue Police Department, the crime occurred on June 9 in the 2100 block of Warson Road.Police claim Jonathan Andres Vejar-Caro, 31, and others forced their way into a residence. They stole jewelry, purses, watches, accessories, and a Taurus revolver, with a total value exceeding $25,000. Neighbors upset over smelly home with rats and insects in Fenton Ladue police did not say when or how they came to arrest Vejar-Caro. Authorities also did not indicate if the other suspects were taken into custody.The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged Vejar-Caro with second-degree burglary, stealing - $25,000 or more, and stealing - firearm. Due to his visa status, Vejar-Caro remains in custody without bond.

Police say the stabbings of three people during a gender class in Canada were motivated by hate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:04 GMT

By ROB GILLIES (Associated Press)TORONTO (AP) — A suspect has been charged in the stabbing of a professor and two students during a class on gender issues at Canada’s University of Waterloo in what police are calling a hate-motivated attack.Waterloo Regional Police say Geovanny Villalba-Aleman, an international student who had been studying at the University of Waterloo, faces three counts of aggravated assault, four counts of assault with a weapon and two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.“The accused targeted a gender studies class and investigators believe this was a hate-motivated incident related to gender expression and gender identity,” Waterloo police said in a statement.A 38-year-old female professor, a 20-year-old female student and 19-year-old male student were sent to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. About 40 students were in the class at the time. Police say the accused was found in the building afte...

Spring Creek fire grows as hot and windy weather propels 4 fires in western Colorado

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:04 GMT

The Spring Creek fire burning in western Colorado south of Parachute expanded overnight and firefighters carried hydrogen sulfide gas detectors as flames spread close to oil and gas facilities, federal authorities said Thursday morning.The most recent mapping of the fire showed that it is burning within a 2,985-acre area (4.7 square miles), based on overnight aerial infrared imagery, the federal Bureau of Land Management officials said Thursday morning.It was one of at least four fires burning around Colorado as hot, dry, and windy conditions favored flames.In southwestern Colorado, two fires were burning on the San Juan National Forest near Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County, and another was burning on Southern Ute land.Spring Creek fireFirefighters on the Spring Creek fire were relying on aircraft – helicopters lugging water and tankers loaded with fire retardant red slurry – in their efforts to contain and suppress flames, BLM spokesman Eric Coulter said in an emailed response to...

Former Olympic gold medal cyclist convicted in German child sex abuse case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:04 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A former champion cyclist who won two gold medals at the 1976 Olympics has been convicted by a German court in a child sexual abuse case.Gregor Braun was found guilty on Wednesday by a regional court in the southwestern city of Tuebingen of sexually abusing a child, soliciting the serious sexual abuse of a child and soliciting the production of abuse imagery in several cases. He was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment, the court said in a statement on Thursday.During the trial, judges heard that Braun, 67, had for years paid for a woman to bring her young daughter along to sex dates, starting when the girl was 6 years old. Prosecutors alleged that in at least one instance the 35-year-old woman, who was identified only as Yvonne L. for privacy reasons, had forced the daughter to record explicit videos of her or the two adults together. At other times, she took pictures of the girl and sent them to Braun, they said.The case came to light after the victim fil...

Authorities chase stolen van driver from L.A. to Orange County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:04 GMT

Authorities were chasing the driver of a stolen van from Los Angeles to Orange County Thursday morning before Sky5 lost signal. The pursuit apparently began in the Los Angeles Police Department's jurisdiction, but by 9:40 a.m., the driver was speeding on the southbound 405 Freeway in Costa Mesa, aerial video from Sky5 showed. The van, which belongs to Fit For Life 1 in South Gate, was stolen from a repair shop in Los Angeles, the business told KTLA.The driver was soon in Irvine and continued speeding through the 5 Freeway with several California Highway Patrol units in tow. By 9:55 a.m., the driver was in the Mission Viejo area, but Sky5 lost signal in San Juan Capistrano, where the pursuit left KTLA's coverage area.

Los Angeles homelessness up 9% in county, 10% in city, count finds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:04 GMT

A clearer picture of the status of homelessness in Los Angeles County came into focus Thursday with the release of the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, and after some brief hope offered by last year's results, the downward trend is continuing.The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority revealed "a 9% rise in homelessness on any given night in Los Angeles County to an estimated 75,518 people and a 10% rise in the City of Los Angeles to an estimated 46,260 people.""While this year’s increases are slightly lower than previous year-over-year increases in the homeless count, they continue a steady growth trend of people experiencing homelessness in the annual Point-in-Time Count," the release said. In 2019, the annual report detected double-digit increases in the homeless populations of the city and county. The 2020 count continued that upward trajectory, though the 2022 count found that the increases had drastically slowed, nearly leveling off to about 69,000 people experiencing...

Drugs, cash, ghost gun found in search of Apple Valley business, residence, officials say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:04 GMT

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department seized cash, drugs and a ghost gun with high-capacity magazines in a search of an Apple Valley business on Wednesday, officials said. At 7:30 a.m., deputies and detectives searched a vacant business in the 20300 block of Highway 18 after receiving reports of drug sales at the site, the SBSD said in a news release. After finding drugs at the commercial site, deputies went to a residence in the 11000 block of Saratoga Road, where they found more drugs, paraphernalia and other contraband, police said.Investigators found a ghost gun — an unserialized weapon that is impossible to trace — as well as high-capacity magazines, about 300 grams of cocaine and methamphetamine, and paraphernalia, deputies said, adding that the help of a K-9 unit named "Bane Boy" was "instrumental" in finding the drugs.A K-9 unit named "Bane Boy" helped investigators find abut 300 grams of cocaine and methamphetamine in Apple Valley on June 28, 2023, officials said. ...

High school grad wins $50K after dad buys lottery ticket as a gift

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:04 GMT

An 18-year-old in Washington state received a graduation gift to top them all.Lance Wall had just celebrated graduating high school when his father bought him a Six Figures Scratch ticket at a market in Camas, Washington’s Lottery said.It was the teen’s first time playing the lottery, and luck was on his side.After scratching the ticket to see if he was a winner, he handed the ticket to dad who shared the great news. He had won $50,000.“Lance, who is currently enjoying his summer vacation, plans to save his new fortune for his future. He hopes to one day become an artist,” lottery officials said.The odds of winning $50,000 on the ticket were 1 in 913,000.Washington’s Scratch tickets cost between $1 and $30, each with varying prize amounts.The number of actual prizes available vary based on the number of tickets printed, tested, distributed, sold and the number of prizes claimed, officials said.

Lego-inspired restaurant pop-up coming to Los Angeles in November

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:04 GMT

A new pop-up restaurant coming to Los Angeles allows guests to build their own “Lego-inspired” burgers.A Lego-inspired burger joint, known as Brick Burger, will be coming to Los Angeles in November, according to ExploreHidden.com. The pop-up experience will allow guests to build their own beef, chicken, or veggie burger.A Lego-inspired burger joint, known as Brick Burger, will be coming to Los Angeles in November, according to ExploreHidden.com. (Hidden Media Network) This is America’s favorite fast food place, according to a new study The limited experience will run from Nov. 11 through Nov. 12. The pop-up restaurant will be located at S. Figueroa St. Suite 200 in Los Angeles, according to the event website.“Our brick-themed restaurant is designed to immerse you in a playful and exciting world of bricks, with colorful brick walls, LEGO-themed furniture, and even a brick building station where you can let your imagination run wild and create your own brick designs,” ExploreHidden....