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Girl, 8, fatally shot in head in Portage Park; offender in custody

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

CHICAGO — An eight-year-old girl is dead after she was shot in the head by a known offender in Portage Park Saturday night. According to police, a known individual approached a group from across the street near the 3500 block of North Long Avenue around 9:40 p.m. and shot the girl in the head.She was transported to Stroger Hospital in critical condition where she was then pronounced dead. 2 injured after being electrocuted on CTA tracks in Oak Park on their way to Lollapalooza Another man on the scene got into physical altercation with the offender and tried to disarm him. During the struggle, the offender was shot in the face and transported to the hospital in critical condition. Community activist Andrew Holmes met with the child's father and said he witnessed the entire thing. The girl bought ice cream from an ice cream truck, got on her scooter and headed home when she was shot.The offender has been placed into custody and charges are pending.A weapon was recovered on the sce...

Bicyclist rescued from Lake Michigan in Chicago after being swept in

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

CHICAGO — The red flag is up at the beach Sunday in Chicago, meaning the water conditions are not ideal.The waves are so strong and dangerous, police said, a man was swept in. Cloudy Sunday with morning showers, Moderate Air Quality Waves predicted to build up to 7-feet tall, hit the shoreline along Chicago's lakefront bike trail.Erika Zermeno and her family were walking their dog on the bike path when they came across a massive emergency response."The gentleman being rescued was on his bike," Zermeno said. "We're assuming the waves pulled him into the waters."According to the Chicago Police Department, a man fell into the water near Oak Street Beach and was safely rescued by the marine unit.The National Weather Service issued a beach weather statement.It applies to all beaches in Lake, northern Cook and central Cook counties.NWS officials said swimming conditions are life-threatening and are asking people to stay out of the water.While the currents are dangerous, lifeguards watch...

Anderson, Ramírez facing multi-game suspensions as MLB sorts out discipline following wild brawl

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tim Anderson didn't play on Sunday for the Chicago White Sox, who gave their starting shortstop a planned day off.He could soon have many more.Anderson is likely facing a multigame suspension for his fight with Cleveland's José Ramírez on Saturday night, their scuffle setting off a benches-clearing brawl between AL Central rivals who won't face each other again until next season.Major League Baseball did not announced any discipline as the team teams met in their series finale. The White Sox rallied for three runs in the ninth inning of a 5-3 victory.The teams expect to hear from MLB on Monday and are bracing to be without their star infielders for an extended period.In the sixth inning on Saturday night, Anderson and Ramírez threw punches at second base, and the Guardians' All-Star third baseman knocked down Anderson with a lucky overhand right to the chin. Anderson was dazed by the blow.Both players were ejected, along with Cleveland manager Terry Francona, third ...

Hole-in-one pic led to arrest of suspect in Florida country club manslaughter: affidavit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A 74-year-old Florida man has been arrested for manslaughter after deputies identified him from a hole-in-one photo in a local article, according to an affidavit. Robert Edward Moore, Jr. was charged after punching an 87-year-old man in the face on June 28, which eventually led to his death.The Sumter County Sheriff's Office says it responded to what was referred to as a "vehicle accident" at Glenview Country Club in central Florida. Before their arrival, the victim's wife told deputies that a white male had attacked her husband after accidentally hitting another car in the parking lot. The victim told deputies he was pulling into a parking spot when he struck the front bumper of a Black Lexus with the front bumper of his car, causing minor damage, the affidavit explains.According to the sheriff's office, Moore approached the scene and yelled, "What the h---, you hit my car!" The victim admitted to hitting the car and exchanged insurance information with Moore. ...

Authorities capture suspects in California home break-ins: a mama bear and three cubs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — California authorities have captured four suspects in multiple break-ins at homes around South Lake Tahoe: a mama bear and three of her cubs.DNA has confirmed the large female black bear and her three little accomplices were responsible for at least 21 instances of property damage since 2022, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement.The mother bear and her babies were “safely immobilized” on Friday, the statement said. The adult female, known to researchers as 64F, will likely be taken to a sprawling wildlife sanctuary near Springfield, Colorado.Her cubs could end up at a rehabilitation facility in Sonoma County, California, “in hopes they can discontinue the negative behaviors they learned from the sow and can be returned to the wild,” the statement said.64F, who was outfitted with a tracking device earlier this year, is one of three adult bears identified last year as being responsible for 150 incident reports, including propert...

Filly euthanized, jockey unseated in racing incident at Saratoga

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — A 4-year-old filly broke down in the fourth race at Saratoga and was euthanized on Sunday, the second consecutive day a racing death occurred at the track in upstate New York.Ever Summer sustained a catastrophic injury to her left front leg in the final turn of the turf race and was euthanized, according to the New York Racing Association. Irad Ortiz Jr., the leading rider at the summer meet, was unseated. He was later cleared to ride the rest of the card.Frivole, a 4-year-old filly, was pulled up early in the same race. Trainer Graham Motion told the Daily Racing Form that Franco made the move “out of an abundance of caution” after she took an odd step. Motion said Frivole returned to her stall.Ever Summer passed the required pre-race veterinary inspection, according to NYRA.NYRA officials moved the final three turf races on Sunday’s card to the main dirt track after consulting with the jockeys, who expressed concern with the overall conditio...

Here's when 100º days end in Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin is in the midst of the longest continuous stretch of 100º heat in 125 years of record keeping at Austin's Camp Mabry. Determining when the triple digit streak will end will be the challenge of your favorite meteorologists over the course of the next week or two.Historical end to triple digits in AustinWe do know that time is on our side. Weather averages are taken over a 30-year period from 1991-2020. During that period our average FINAL triple digit day of the year was August 30.Average last 100º day in AustinOf course, we've had years when the triple digits continued much later into the year. In fact, on two occasions we had triple digits last into October!Latest triple digit days in AustinOver the last few years we've seen triple digits ending later than normal. Except for last year (2022), when triple digits ended earlier than normal, we've seen triple digits in September 4 out of the last 5 years.Recent final 100º days in AustinWhen will we end our curren...

Meet Lucky Jackson, the 26-year-old Vikings rookie who never gave up

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

Vikings rookie receiver Lucky Jackson never once thought about hanging up the cleats for good.Not when he was working for a moving company near his hometown of Lexington, Ky. Not when he was serving as a teen director at the local Boys and Girls Club. Not when he was moonlighting as a personal trainer at the boutique gym F45.Never mind that the world was telling Jackson to stop seemingly at every turn. He kept going because he believed he could play football at the highest level. He just needed someone else to have that same belief.“It was up to me to be ready for that opportunity,” Jackson said. “I had to keep putting in the work.”It paid off with the 26-year-old Jackson now living out his childhood dream in the NFL. He got signed by the Vikings this spring and has been an active participant in training camp this summer. Though the path to this point would have broken most people, Jackson is happy he stuck with it.After starring at Western Kentucky in colleg...

Fringe review: ‘Write Me Letters,’ funny and sentimental, is a must-see musical

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

Must seeKeep an eye on this musical written by St. Paul composer Noah Gundermann, a recent Concordia St. Paul grad — it’s going places. In “Write Me Letters,” Gundermann plays a kid between high school and college who starts exchanging letters with his reflective and occasionally kooky grandma, played well by Grace Czywczynski. Gundermann, in his Fringe debut, is clearly comfortable on stage and a delight to watch, with excellent comedic timing. The family-friendly show is exceptionally polished at this stage, and its well-written sentimentality grows organically. Is it cliché to say “This performance will make you laugh and cry” if it’s true?Presented by Noah Gundermann at Augsburg Mainstage; 10 p.m. Aug. 5, 10 p.m. Aug. 8, 7 p.m. Aug. 11, 8:30 p.m. Aug. 12Still unsure of what to see? Check out all our Fringe reviews here.The Minnesota Fringe Festival turns 30 this year, presenting 101 hourlong stage acts from Aug. 3-13 at theaters throughout Minneapolis. Pioneer Press reporters wi...

Rainy summer has been mostly beneficial to crops at Eckert’s in Belleville

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:28 GMT

BELLEVILLE, Ill. – Families have been coming out to Eckert’s Family Farms all summer long to pick peaches and blackberries.Farm manager Jerry Hearn said the recent rain has kept crops looking vibrant and healthy the season. However, there have been challenges with the weather including recent storms and the cold snap we had in the winter.“Remember back, way back in December, we had -5 degree temperatures and it was really, really windy? We had 50-mile an hour winds for two days,” he said. “We actually lost about 50% of our peach crop because of that. We consider ourselves very blessed this year that we have a crop. A lot of growers in the Midwest here actually lost their crop so they don't have peaches. That's why it's a little bit harder to find peaches this summer.”Hearn said you still have a couple weeks left to come out to Eckert's and pick peaches and blackberries. That’s what Chris and Amanda Wang did with their four-year-old twin boys, 6-year-old and one-year-old daughters. ...