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City of Austin employees to return to the office, union not on board

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Many City of Austin employees are being asked to return to the office starting later this year, according to a city memo from Interim City Manager Jesús Garza. Starting in early June, employees in management positions with the city will be required to work five days a week in person, the memo said. Non-executive staff that have been working from home will have to return to the office no less than three days a week starting in October. "It is imperative, in my opinion, that we work to ensure the public’s trust. We cannot completely do so if we are not present or responsive to their needs. With this in mind, we must address the various department policies surrounding telework," Garza said in his memo to employees. ‘A new lens’: Jesús Garza on Austin leadership shakeups, office procedures Meanwhile, the union representing Austin and Travis County employees -- AFSCME Local 1624 -- says it argued against the new policy and that it was prepared to fight it. "Determinin...

Pittsfield offering textile recycling drop-off, pickup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:55 GMT

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (NEWS10) -- Officials in the city of Pittsfield have launched a new textile drop-off and pickup service. The city is partnering with Massachusetts-based textile exporter CMRK Inc., to open three drop-off boxes.The locations are the parking lot of the Morningside School at 100 Burbank St., the parking lot of Berkshire Athenaeum at 1 Wendell Ave., and the parking lot behind the Ralph J. Froio Senior Center at 330 North St. They also offer curbside pickup. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Clothing, household textiles and shoes must be placed in a bag. Larger items such as kitchen appliances and bikes must be placed in a box. A ban on putting mattresses, clothes and other textiles in the trash took effect in Massachusetts in November. It's part of the state's efforts to reduce waste. Experts said about three-fourths of mattress parts can be recycled once they're disassembled.

YWCA proposes new housing units in downtown Troy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:55 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A new, supportive housing development project could soon be coming to downtown Troy. The YWCA of the Greater Capital Region unveiled their proposal on Monday.If approved, a new development would be built next to the existing YWCA and provide 53 new units for families facing homelessness. They said additional units would not only help residents but would create a greater sense of community in downtown Troy. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "We have over 317 women on our waiting list," YWCA of the Greater Capital Region Exec. Dir. Starletta Smith said. "Because of that, it is more imperative than ever that we address homelessness in our communities. We want a community that is inclusive. We want a community that is safe and equitable."The project proposal will be formally presented to the Troy Planning Commission on Wednesday.

CU Buffs to open football season on FOX’s Big Noon Saturday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:55 GMT

Colorado will kick off the Coach Prime era in a prime TV spot.On Monday, it was announced that CU’s football season opener on Sept. 2 at TCU has been selected for FOX’s Big Noon Saturday telecast.It will be the official debut for new CU head coach Deion Sanders and the new-look Buffs.Related Articles Chance for fresh start prompted Brendan Gant to leave Florida State for CU Buffs Keeler: Ex-CU Buffs coach Mike Sanford on Coach Prime, transfers, recruiting: “Not every single kid on that team was a 1-11 person.” Recapping spring transfer additions for CU Buffs football After betting on himself, Zach Blackwood relishes opportunity with CU Buffs CFB top-25: Our post-spring practice rankings The Buffs and Horned Frogs will kick off at 10 a.m. Mountain at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The CU game was one of two announced by FOX, along with the Ohio State vs. Michigan game in the Big N...

Swarm of bees leads to closed streets in Encino; injuries reported

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:55 GMT

Fire crews and police officers were called to a residential neighborhood to help with the closure of roads after at least one person was injured. The culprit, officials say, was a massive swarm of bees.It started around 4:15 p.m. on the 17100 block of Adlon Road in Encino, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.The Fire Department was the first to respond to the area following a report of a bee sting.When they arrived, crews discovered a massive swarm of bees which led to the need for roads in the area to be shut down. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to assist with the closures. Thousands of bees were seen in the area and residents were urged to stay inside and wait for the arrival of animal control personnel. An animal control worker is swarmed by bees at a home in Encino, California. May 15, 2023. (KTLA)Video from Sky5 showed one person, believed to be an officer or security guard, being attacked by what appeared to be a swarm of bees. The condition of the person...

Former O.C. elementary schoolteacher pleads guilty to possession of child pornography

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:55 GMT

A former elementary schoolteacher and wrestling coach in Orange County pleaded guilty Monday to possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including at least one video that portrayed masochistic sexual conduct involving a child, authorities with the United States Attorney’s Office announced.  Richard O’Connor, 45, worked as a fourth-grade teacher at Crescent Elementary School in Anaheim. He also volunteered as a boys’ wrestling coach at Canyon High School. Both schools are in Anaheim.  In October 2022, agents with Homeland Security Investigations served a federal search warrant on Apple Inc. for the contents of the 45-year-old's Apple iCloud account, authorities said.  “A forensic review of O’Connor’s iCloud account identified at least 81 videos and 158 images of CSAM. O’Connor admitted in his plea agreement that several of the videos and images of CSAM in his iCloud account depicted infants or toddlers as well as violent, sadistic, or masochistic conduct,” a news r...

L.A. Mourns Gloria Molina, A Pioneer For Latinas In Politics

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:55 GMT

Gloria Molina, who laid the stepping stones for Latinas in local politics, died Sunday after a three-year battle with cancer.Molina, 74, was not only the first Latina to serve on the Los Angeles City Council and board of supervisors, but was also the first Latina to serve in the California state assembly.“It is with heavy hearts that our family announces Gloria’s passing this evening,” Molina’s daughter Valentina Martinez said in a statement Sunday. “She passed away at her home in Mt. Washington, surrounded by our family.”Her Fingerprints were all over the city of L.A. from her activism, to her work to ensure the Latino community’s needs were heard and represented, primarily in the 1st district neighborhoods she represented in the city council.On March 14, Molina publicly announced her battle with terminal cancer, saying she had been receiving aggressive treatment.Molina wrote on a Facebook post:“Dearest friends and beloved community, I’ve l...

Trump promised ‘crime of the century.’ Here’s what Durham found

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:55 GMT

By Eric Tucker | Associated PressWASHINGTON — An investigation into the origins of the FBI’s probe into ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign has finally been concluded, with the prosecutor leading the inquiry submitting a much-awaited report that found major flaws.The report, the culmination of a four-year investigation into possible misconduct by U.S. government officials, contained withering criticism for the FBI but few significant revelations. Nonetheless, it will give fodder to Trump supporters who have long denounced the Russia investigation, as well as Trump opponents who say the Durham team’s meager court record shows their probe was a politically motivated farce.A look at the investigation and the report:WHO IS JOHN DURHAM?Durham has spent decades as a Justice Department prosecutor, with past assignments including investigations into the FBI’s cozy relationship with mobsters in Boston and the CIA’s destruction of vi...

SF supervisors call Banko Brown death an 'execution'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:55 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The San Francisco District Attorney's Office released video on Monday that showed the moments leading up to the shooting death of Banko Brown. Brown, a 24-year-old transgender Black man, was shot by a Walgreens security guard after shoplifting from the store, according to the DA. Brown's death has become a high-profile case, magnified after DA Brooke Jenkins opted not to charge the security guard, 33-year-old Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony, who was arrested after the killing. Surveillance video released of Banko Brown homicide In a press conference Monday, Jenkins said Anthony will not be prosecuted because he believed his life was in imminent danger before the shooting. Brown was unarmed when he was killed, but he made a “sudden movement” before he was shot, according to Jenkins. Banko BrownSince the video was released, several people and organizations have released public reactions. Two San Francisco supervisors, Shamann Walton and Dean Preston, referred to ...

Accused San Jose child molester dies in jail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:55 GMT

(KRON) -- A man accused of molesting a child in San Jose died in his jail cell over the weekend, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. The 74-year-old man was alone in his cell when deputies found him unresponsive at 2:05 p.m. Saturday. Deputies assigned to the Santa Clara County Mail Jail performed CPR on the inmate. He was declared dead at 2:55 p.m."Preliminary information shows no evidence of foul play or suspicious circumstances leading to the death," Sgt. Russell Davis wrote. The inmate's name was not released on Monday. He was booked into jail three years ago for multiple charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old, Davis said. The charges stemmed from a San Jose Police Department investigation. The in-custody death incident will be further investigated by the Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's Office.