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First lawsuit filed against new Texas illegal border crossing law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A day after Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law, a bill that would make illegal border crossings a state crime in Texas is now facing its first legal challenge. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas along with the ACLU and the Texas Civil Rights Project announced they filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging Senate Ball 4 from taking effect. The three plaintiffs bringing the lawsuit include El Paso County, the Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and American Gateway. New Texas law could reshape state authority over the US border In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Adriana Piñon, the legal director of the ACLU of Texas, said, "We’re suing to block one of the most extreme anti-immigrant bills in the country. The bill overrides bedrock constitutional principles and flouts federal immigration law while harming Texans, in particular Brown and Black communities." The law — which is set to take effect next year on March 5 — makes it a state crime to enter Texa...

Local demand for CDL drivers continue after pandemic shortages

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:21 GMT

Austin (KXAN) — Graduates of the Changing Lanes CDL School received their official certifications Saturday, ushering in a new class of drivers that could go on to fill vacancies in an industry hit hard during and after the pandemic era.Delbert Crawford, director and owner of Changing Lanes CDL School, said he receives calls from businesses every day trying to recruit his graduates. He said a majority of graduates are often able to get hired upon receiving their certifications.He chalks that success up the school's quality of training and high demand for qualified drivers."Trucking is always going to be here. People are going to need their stuff transported. Since the pandemic, we've had a lot more truck driver interest," Crawford said.Commercial Driver Licenses (CDL) afford holders to drive commercial vehicles like box trucks, buses, and semi-trailer trucks.Struggles to fill CDL driver positions have been well-documented in recent years. Last year, Austin area school districts repor...

County partners with nonprofit to build climate resilience for vulnerable populations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:21 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Travis County is taking steps to develop a county-wide climate resilience plan to prepare for extreme weather connected to our changing climate. The county has partnered with FUSE, a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing racial equity in local municipalities, to address the increasing number of climate emergencies and weather hazards. Austin 100-degree days may triple if global emissions go unchecked “Climate resilience is crucial for our communities,” said Maria Yuan, a Fellow for FUSE, at the Travis County Commissioners Court. “For us, a climate resilience strategy is a vision and integrated set of choices to increase community climate resilience,” she continued. The summer of 2023 was Austin’s second hottest summer on record. Camp Mabry counted 80 of 100°+ temperatures and 42 days exceeding 105°, an all-time record. A recent climate assessment found that by 2050, the number of triple-digit days will double and, if greenhouse gas emiss...

St. Paul advocate, co-founder of Minnesota Deaf Queers, named Unsung Hero by McKnight Foundation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:21 GMT

A St. Paul woman is one of four recipients of this year’s Virginia McKnight Binger Unsung Hero Award.Jessalyn Akerman-Frank, of St. Paul.  (Molly Miles / McKnight Foundation)Every year since 1985, the McKnight Foundation, partnered with Minnesota Nonprofits, gives out the award to four Minnesotans who have contributed to the state’s communities and who have not been previously widely recognized for their efforts.One of this year’s winners was Jessalyn Akerman-Frank: a deaf woman, from St. Paul. The award includes a $10,000 cash prize and a special reception at the McKnight Foundation’s offices.“I was incredibly humbled, surprised, so grateful,” Akerman-Frank said. She used sign language while Tarra Grammenos, her friend of 18 years, interpreted for her, over video conference for an interview.Akerman-Frank is the co-founder of Deaf Equity as well as the Annual Deaf LGBTQ+ Awards Program, which has evolved into Minnesota Deaf Queers. Deaf Equity is ...

Beignet cafe temporarily closed, set to relocate in Albany

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:21 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Beignet Bellies opened in August in the former New Scotland Fried Chicken & Deli space inside the Mobil Station at 247 New Scotland Avenue in Albany. In October, the cafe temporarily closed to relocate. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Owner Josita Walker tells NEWS10 that Beignet Bellies closed due to staffing and location issues. She said the cafe is set to relocate in February to the MVP Arena as one of the businesses there is leaving. "I feel that the new location will be a better fit for my establishment," said Walker. "I will have my own building with my own entrance and also be able to work the events at the MVP Arena." Uncommon Grounds opening new location in Delmar Beignets are deep-fried pieces of dough that are often sprinkled with powdered sugar. The Beignet Bellies menu features sweet and savory beignets, including regular, fruit-filled, and meat-filled. Walker is also looking to add drinks and...

Guilty plea from Utica man involved in Saratoga shootout

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:21 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Utica man virtually pleaded guilty in Saratoga County Court Tuesday in connection to a shooting that involved an off-duty police officer that took place in Saratoga Springs on November 20, 2022. Alexander Colon pleaded guilty to third-degree attempted assault. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Colon was issued a conditional discharge and is required to stay out of trouble for one year. Colon and two other men from Utica were indicted in March. "In my mind, this is more than satisfactory," says Anthony LaFache, Colon's Attorney. "My client has been through a lot. He was shot 6 times. Just beginning to make a comeback with his health."

St. Louis County man smashes windows, steals new car in dealership crime spree

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:21 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - A St. Louis County man allegedly broke through the windows of two car dealerships and took off with a new car in a weekend crime spree. Montez Ballard, 35, is behind bars on three felonies and three misdemeanors in connection with the spree. According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Ballard targeted a Lou Fusz Buick GMC dealership and a Napleton Nissan car dealership within walking distance of each other on Saturday in north St. Louis County. Brazen gunmen seen in Central West End in stolen cars Court documents state that Ballard threw a brick through a window at the Lou Fusz dealership while a cleaning employee was inside. He reportedly rummaged through the manager's drawers and took off with the keys to two cars. Investigators say Ballard was unable to find the cars quickly within the parking lot, so he headed toward the Nissan dealership. Ballard threw a cigarette-butt trash receptacle through one window at the Nissan dealership. He allegedly made ...

Celebrated chef leaves Michelin-starred Denver restaurant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:21 GMT

When chef Michael Diaz de Leon took over Bruto in 2020, he was handed “four walls, a hearth oven and a couple of induction burners,” he said.Three years later, Diaz de Leon has transformed Bruto into a Michelin-starred restaurant with a Michelin sustainability award and a 2023 James Beard nomination.“No one really understands how much work goes into establishing a Michelin-starred restaurant,” Diaz de Leon said. “I didn’t take over a Michelin-starred restaurant. I started it from scratch. It required three years of 70-hour work weeks.”But on Dec. 17, Diaz de Leon cooked his last meal in the Bruto kitchen. He’s leaving Denver restaurateur and chef Kelly Whitaker’s Id Est Hospitality Group to fulfill his lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant in the Mile High City.“I’m happy to have left my mark on the Denver food scene, but this is not the end,” Diaz de Leon said. “I’m going to come back stronger. I can promise you that.”Diaz de Leon said he always planned to move on from Bruto...

Regulators cutting price tag of Xcel Energy’s electric resource plan by $3B

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:21 GMT

State regulators have rejected Xcel Energy-Colorado’s proposed electric resource plan in favor of a less costly one, cutting about $3 billion from the overall price tag.But environmental groups are criticizing the decision because it would reduce the level of renewable energy sources planned by the utility and add more new natural gas generation.The Colorado Public Utilities Commission endorsed the alternative proposal during a meeting last week. The PUC will continue deliberations this week on the rest of Xcel’s plan, a map of the company’s fuel sources, investments and efforts to cut emissions through the rest of the decade.The commission will issue a written final decision later.Environmental and community groups had praised Xcel’s proposal for the amount of wind and solar power and battery storage it would add to the system: 6,540 megawatts. They denounced plans to build three new natural gas plants for a total of 628 megawatts.But the alternative backed ...

Opinion: What did Westerners care about in 2023?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:40:21 GMT

This past year, Writers on the Range, an independent opinion service based in western Colorado, sent out 52 weekly opinion columns. They were provided free of charge to more than 200 subscribing editors of publications large and small, each of whom republished dozens of the columns.Writers on the Range has a simple two-part mission. One of its aims is to engage Westerners in thinking and talking to each other about issues important to the region. The other aim is to entice readers to look forward to these fact-based opinions, with the hope that they’ll then want to keep their local journalism outlet alive and flourishing.This year, the focus of writers ran the gamut from A to W. Abortion bans, wrote Idaho-based Crista Worthy, caused women’s health to suffer severely, while wolves, wrote Story Warren, were unfairly blamed for killing livestock in Colorado.Several columns covered the depleted Colorado River, while longtime journalist Rocky Barker wrote that at last, four Klamath River...