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ACM Awards open with Keith Urban, Garth and Dolly and early win for Cole Swindell

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:58 GMT

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Cole Swindell spent a lot of time onstage early at the Academy of Country Music Awards, performing and then quickly collecting the night’s first award, song of the year.Swindell and a team of songwriters won for “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” the song he and Jo Dee Messina had just performed onstage.Swindell said he was honored by the win in a songwriting category because it was one of the reasons he got into country music.The show opened with Keith Urban performing, fittingly, of his song “Texas Time.” The ACMs are being handed out at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco. Host Garth Brooks started the show with a discussion of the country music’s history and who was the greatest of all time, or GOAT. After listing off numerous male performers, he tossed to Dolly Parton, who wheeled a live goat onto the stage.The easy banter between Brooks, in his first hosting gig, and Parton carried the show’s early moments. The pair are co-hosting, and Parton will close out the...

Christian nonprofit punished for feeding homeless people in California city gets federal backing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:58 GMT

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice has lent its support to a religious nonprofit that was penalized and threatened with criminal prosecution by the Southern California city of Santa Ana for feeding homeless people.A lawsuit by Micah’s Way claims Santa Ana infringed on the nonprofit’s right to religious exercise when the city ordered it to stop distributing food and drinks at its resource center. The city denied the group’s certificate of occupancy and warned it could be fined and prosecuted for allegedly violating municipal code. The Justice Department on Tuesday filed a statement of interest backing Micah’s Way, saying the the Christian organization’s distribution of food to homeless people “is an integral part of its religious exercise.” The statement was made in response to the city’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.“Many faith-based organizations across the country are on the front lines serving the needs of people experienc...

City council votes to move forward with Gardiner Expressway East plans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:58 GMT

Despite the best efforts of some councillors, the plan to rebuild the east end of the Gardiner Expressway will go forward as scheduled. Several motions tabled at Thursday’s city council meeting to pause or re-evaluate the costs of the project failed to pass. The debate over whether the work should be happening dates back nearly a decade when the alternative was to tear it down. Discussions concerning money and traffic were at the centre of it all.The argument not to spend hundreds of millions on rebuilding the Gardiner Expressway East is one that Josh Matlow has been pushing for some time, and reiterating in his bid to become the next mayor. “I don’t think a smart idea is to keep making the same mistake over and over again,” said Matlow. “If you’ve lost money on a bad investment you don’t keep throwing money at it. That’s ridiculous.”Matlow’s motion on Thursday was defeated 15-10. In 2022, the preliminary cost for reconstruction of th...

New Mexico woman accused in January death of her newborn son, who was found in a hospital trash can

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:58 GMT

ARTESIA, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico woman has been charged with first-degree murder in the January death of her newborn son, whose body authorities said she placed in a trash can.Alexee Trevizo, 19, also was charged this week with tampering with evidence, according to a criminal complaint filed in Eddy County in southeastern New Mexico. Trevizo went to the emergency room in late December for back pain, and lab tests showed she was pregnant and in labor, according to Artesia police. Trevizo then locked herself in a bathroom, where she gave birth to a boy Jan. 27, then placed the baby in a bag that she concealed under other trash, investigators said.By the time the baby was found, the baby had died and Trevizo had left the hospital, investigators said. An autopsy listed the cause of death as a homicide. Gary C. Mitchell, an attorney for Trevizo, said Thursday that said his client has no criminal record and should not be facing a murder charge.He said there are “major discrepancies about...

See the Bears 2023 regular season schedule

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:58 GMT

LAKE FOREST — The path of the team through the fall and the winter is set in the spring, as it is every year in the National Football League. At 7 p.m. central time on Thursday, the Bears and their fans officially found out their 2023 regular season schedule, consisting of 17 contests with an off week. Eight of the contests will be at home with nine on the road, all of them being played in the United States as the team wasn't chosen for one of five international games. Here it is: The Full 2023 Chicago Bears regular season schedule..@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/0JvCtxDN4f— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) May 12, 2023For the first time since 2019, the Bears will open their regular season at home against the rival Packers as the teams face off at 3:25 p.m. Two weeks later, the team will take on the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs in their first trip to Kansas City since 2015. There are four primetime games on the schedule this year, with the Bears facing the Commanders (October 5) ...

New renderings of Bally's River North Casino in Chicago released

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:58 GMT

CHICAGO — New renderings were released Thursday of Chicago's future casino. The new renderings show a softened-down appearance of the complex on the outside of the facility that will become Bally's River North Casino. Bally’s could offer stakes in Chicago casino to residents City of Chicago officials said the redesigned facade will be more fitting in replacing the Chicago Tribune's Freedom Center Printing Plant. It will be demolished to make room for the casino.On Wednesday, the Department of Planning and Urban Development approved plans to begin construction on the space in late-2024. Rendering of Bally's River North Casino in Chicago. (Provided / Bally's)Rendering of Bally's River North Casino in Chicago. (Provided / Bally's)Rendering of Bally's River North Casino in Chicago. (Provided / Bally's)Rendering of Bally's River North Casino in Chicago. (Provided / Bally's)Rendering of Bally's River North Casino in Chicago. (Provided / Bally's)Rendering of Bally's River North Casino in...

2 dead, 3 wounded after shooting near 61st and Union in Englewood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:58 GMT

CHICAGO — Five people were shot, two fatally, Thursday in Englewood, according to the Chicago Police Department.The shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. near West 61st Place and South Union Avenue. ‘What would happen if I bashed you with this bat?’: $800K bond for Chicago woman accused of battery spree According to information from the Chicago Police Department, two people got out of a car and started shooting.Two men, a 19-year-old and a 26-year-old, died after they were shot, police said. A 17-year-old boy, a 21-year-old man, and a 26-year-old woman were all taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

Watchdog: Banks and federal regulators dropped the ball

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:58 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Thursday, Democrats and Republicans clashed over calls to ramp up banking regulations. This comes after three regional banks collapsed.Democrats say Congress needs to put U.S. banks on a tighter leash. They point to the recent failures of three regional banks, including California's Silicon Valley Bank."The behavior of these executives and board members was irresponsible at best,” said Rep. Steven Horsford, D-NV.Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee want to re-instate 2008-era banking regulations, which were repealed during the Trump administration."That enabled this mismanagement to fester,” said Rep. Al Green, R-TX Why First Republic failed. Are other banks to follow? Green said it's clear banks were eager to abuse the relaxed rules and took on too much risk."Silicon Valley Bank increased from 56 billion to 209 billion,” Green said.But Republicans blame federal regulators for neglecting to do their jobs."Regulators had the tools at their...

Central Texas prepares for severe weather this weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:58 GMT

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (KXAN) - All throughout Central Texas crews are getting ready for severe weather coming our way.The Hays County Office of Emergency Management said it's monitoring low water crossings. If the water gets too high, they said they'll close the area off. They said they have cameras stationed at different locations so they can watch as the storm moves through. RELATED COVERAGE: Severe and flash flooding concerns begin late Friday While they're monitoring the flooding, the City of Dripping Springs said Thursday and Friday it's spending a lot of time trying to prevent flooding from happening. "Weed eating, cleaning out, making sure there's not brush. We're going to storm drains, making sure those are clear," Dripping Springs Public Works Director Aaron Reed said.He said they do this anytime they expect severe weather and with storms coming this weekend, they want to make sure the area is clear for the rain. "Keeping all the brush and all those things cleaned out....

Sportsmen’s group will snub Governor’s Deer Opener over Walz positions on guns, wolves

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:45:58 GMT

The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association won’t participate in this year’s Governor’s Deer Opener because of Gov. Tim Walz’s support for gun control legislation and efforts to ban wolf hunting in the state, the group said this week.In a unanimous decision, MDHA’s executive board voted not to support the Governor’s Deer Opener because of stances that “are in direct opposition to our mission.”MDHA, along with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Explore Minnesota, had been an organizing partner of the event since the inaugural Governor’s Deer Opener in 2002.“While this is a great event, designed to celebrate the pastime that we all love and cherish, MDHA will not be participating this year,” the Grand Rapids-based group said Wednesday in a statement posted on its Facebook page.“Until our governor represents the interests of wild deer and deer hunters around the state, we cannot, in good conscience, support the 2023 event,” MDHA added. “We encourage you to still celebrate thi...