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Fright over crack on North Carolina ride serves as reminder of risks at amusement parks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:29 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A visible crack in the support beam of a North Carolina roller coaster served as a reminder of the risks that sometimes arise with amusement park rides, particularly as families and adrenaline junkies flock to the attractions throughout the summer.Video footage of the Charlotte-based Carowinds’ popular Fury 325 — known as a “Giga coaster” due to its dramatic height of 325 feet (99 meters) — showed a key support beam bending with the top visibly detached as cars packed with unsuspecting passengers whirled by at speeds of up to 95 mph (150 kph). The park, which straddles the North Carolina and South Carolina line, closed the ride late last week as questions swirled about how the crack occurred. Those answers remained largely unknown as state investigators were on site in Monday morning.Tommy Petty, chief of the state Department of Labor’s Amusement Device Bureau, confirmed investigators “already came and went” from Carowinds on Monday but declined to share...

Senegalese President Macky Sall says he won’t seek a third term in 2024 elections after protests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:29 GMT

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegalese President Macky Sall declared Monday evening that he will not run for a third term in next year’s elections, ending years of uncertainty over his political future that had helped fuel deadly opposition protests last month.Top opposition leader Ousmane Sonko already had called for more demonstrations around the West African country in the event Sall had instead announced his intention to run again in February.In a speech carried live on his Facebook account, Sall said that he would not be a candidate “even if the constitution allows me to do so.”Babacar Dione, The Associated Press

Dutch and Luxembourg PMs urge Serbia and Kosovo to defuse tensions under shadow of war in Ukraine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:29 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The prime ministers of the Netherlands and Luxembourg on Monday urged Serbia and Kosovo to act to defuse recent tensions that have threatened to push the Balkan region into instability as Europe faces Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Dutch PM Mark Rutte and Xavier Bettel, the Luxembourg PM, spoke after meeting Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade. Rutte and Bettel travel to Kosovo on Tuesday for meetings with top officials there.“We cannot, both of us, emphasize enough how important it is that both Serbia and Kosovo take steps toward de-escalation and ultimately normalization of their relations through the EU-led dialogue,” said Rutte.“This is crucial for the two countries themselves, first and foremost, but also for the entire region and Europe as a whole,” he added. “With a war raging between Russia and Ukraine on our continent, it’s more important than ever that we act together.”Serbia and its former province Kosovo have been at...

Sofia Kenin surprises Coco Gauff in a highlight-filled, all-US match at Wimbledon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:29 GMT

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Sofia Kenin surprised Coco Gauff at a Grand Slam tournament again by beating her 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in the first round of Wimbledon in a back-and-forth matchup Monday between two American women who both have reached No. 4 in the rankings and been to a major final.One key difference: Kenin was the 2020 Australian Open champion, beating Gauff along the way to that trophy; Gauff was the runner-up at the 2022 French Open.And while Gauff was seeded No. 7 at the All England Club, Kenin has tumbled so far down after three consecutive first-round exits at major tournaments that she is ranked 128th this week and needed to make her way through qualifying rounds just to get into Wimbledon’s main draw.“I’m just super,” Kenin began, before cutting herself off, during her on-court interview. Then she resumed: “Oh, my God. I can’t even, like, talk. I’m super happy. Coco played a tough match. I knew I needed to play my best in order to win.”Gauff played ...

Former Bears assistant coach Vince Tobin dies at 79

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:29 GMT

CHICAGO — The National Football League is mourning the death of a longtime coach who had a lengthy stint in Chicago, along with a major task when he arrived with the Bears.Former defensive coordinator Vince Tobin died at the age of 79 on Monday, with his death being announced by the Arizona Cardinals. He was a head coach for that franchise from 1996 through 2000. Tobin worked on Mike Ditka's staff with the Bears from 1986 through 1992 and had a very difficult job when arriving in Chicago from the USFL's Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars that first year. He was hired to replace legendary defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, who took the head coaching job with the Eagles after the Bears' Super Bowl XX championship. Tobin was able to keep the Bears at or near the top of the NFL in defense for the next three seasons as the Bears fielded championship-caliber teams.Once again, they led the NFL in points and yardage allowed in 1986, and actually gave up fewer points than the Super Bowl-winning sea...

Ruido Fest cancelled over a month before Chicago event

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:29 GMT

CHICAGO -- Ruido Fest, the Latin American music festival held in Chicago, unexpectedly announced Monday that the August event has been cancelled."We have made the painfully difficult decision to cancel this year's Ruido Fest, scheduled for August 19-20, 2023," organizers stated in a release. See how many music festivals are within a 1-hour drive of Chicago The announcement comes just over a month before the scheduled event was set to take over the Chicagoland fairgrounds."When we started work for the first festival in late 2013, our main goal was to expand opportunities for Latin artists and fans of Spanish language music in Chicago in the long term," Ruido Fest organizers wrote. "We are extremely grateful for the support that we have received from the thousands of fans who have been with us in the first festival in 2015."Ruido Fest organizers also stated in the Monday release that all festival tickets will be refunded. Chicago & House Music: A relationship over four decade...

Suspect stole money from Papa Johns 39 times, Iowa police report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:29 GMT

BETTENDORF, Iowa (WHBF) -- A 39-year-old man was released on bond after allegedly stealing money from a Papa Johns in Iowa dozens of times.Ryan Veloz, who was arrested on a warrant, faces a felony charge of second-degree theft, court records show. On Jan. 3, a report was filed with the Bettendorf Police Department in Iowa for money missing from the local Papa Johns. The missing money was a deposit of $199 that was to be deposited the morning of Jan. 1 by Veloz, but did not get deposited, police allege. On April 12, another report was filed for more money missing from Papa Johns. Management advised there was another deposit of $248 that Veloz was supposed to deposit the morning of April 8."A review of video by management found 39 instances in which the defendant voided cash transactions and placed the money owed to the business in his pocket," police allege in affidavits. Total value of the voided transactions was $1,206, affidavits show, with a total amount stolen of $1,653.98, Ryan...

Reporter Julian Crews on confronting Castro in Cuba

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:29 GMT

CHICAGO — Julian Crews had a pair of unique trips back to his family's ancestral lands while working at Channel 9 - including a confrontation he'll not soon forget.That was with Fidel Castro, whom the reporter was set to the country to cover not once but twice in the late 1990s. That included the chance to ask him some questions that Castro wasn't very happy to answer. Julian talked about that as part of WGN-TV's 75th anniversary celebration.For more #WGNat75 stories, check out WGNtv.com/stories

Wrong dog euthanized at West Virginia animal shelter, investigation underway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:29 GMT

PUTNAM COUNTY, WV (WOWK) -- A West Virginia family is grieving the loss of their dog after they said he ran away, was brought to the county shelter, and accidentally euthanized.Taylor Withrow told Nexstar's WOWK that her 9-year-old lemon beagle mix, Eli, ran away. Withrow said she posted pictures of Eli on Facebook hoping that neighbors saw him.A person in the neighborhood found Eli and brought him to the Putnam County Animal Shelter, Withrow said. The neighbor messaged her and told her Eli was at the shelter.Taylor Withrow and Eli (Photo Courtesy: Taylor Withrow)In a Zoom call with the Putnam County Commission Manager Jeremy Young, the county Chief Humane Officer John Davis, and county Attorney Larry Frye, Withrow said she found out Eli was accidentally euthanized. The shelter told WOWK they were supposed to euthanize a pitbull and not Withrow's lemon beagle mix. This happened after what the shelter called a "paperwork mix-up," but Withrow still has more questions than answers."How...

8-year-old boy missing after falling off boat in Lake Travis; Crews switch to recovery mode

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:29 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for July 3, 2023TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Search crews are looking for a child who fell off a boat in Lake Travis Monday afternoon and didn't resurface, Austin-Travis County EMS wrote on social media.The 8-year-old boy went missing at around 2 p.m. Monday, the Travis County ESD 1 shift commander told KXAN. The boy was not wearing a life jacket at the time.The incident happened in the Cow Creek Arm of Lake Travis, ATCEMS wrote. The Pedernales Fire Department called the incident an "active situation."Crews have now switched to recovery mode, according to the Travis County ESD 1 shift commander. The Travis County Sheriff's Office has since taken over the investigation.Several other agencies are assisting in the search, including Lake Travis Fire Rescue and STAR Flight.