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Progressive St. Paul City Council Member Jalali faces conservative challenger in Bushard in Ward 4

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:46 GMT

Mitra Jalali has garnered a reputation as arguably the most outspoken progressive voice on the St. Paul City Council. An advocate for rent control and tenant protections, limiting or reducing police budgets in favor of shifting funding into community public safety programs, increasing housing density and building new bikeways, Jalali, 37, won the Ward 4 seat in a special election in 2018 and was then re-elected to a full term in 2019.“We are in a real climate crisis, and we have to do something about it — yesterday,” said Jalali, who lives at the edge of Hamline-Midway and Merriam Park, at a recent candidate forum organized by the League of Women Voters St. Paul. “I have embraced a comprehensive public safety approach that really puts racial justice and racial equity at the center to make sure we have safer neighborhoods for everybody.”Undated courtesy photo, circa September 2023, of Mitra Jalali, candidate for re-election to the St. Paul City Council i...

In role reversal, fan-favorite receiver Adam Thielen will try to beat Vikings this weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:46 GMT

Adam Thielen was grinding film this week figuring out ways to potentially beat Harrison Smith downfield.Wait. What?It doesn’t make much sense to Thielen either as he prepares for the Carolina Panthers to host the Vikings on Sunday afternoon in an NFL matchup he has had circled on the calendar for quite some time.“It’s crazy to be game-planning against guys that were my teammates for a long time,” Thielen said. “It’s going to be different as far as that goes.”After spending the better part of a decade with the Vikings — making a name for himself with a Cinderella story that has been covered ad nauseam — Thielen got released this spring in a salary-cap move. He signed a 3-year, $25 million deal with the Panthers a week a half later.It marked the first time in Thielen’s life that he has lived outside his home state of Minnesota. He grew up a few hours from the Twin Cities, played collegiately at Minnesota State Mankato, and of course, eve...

Murder suspect mistakenly released in Indianapolis captured in St. Paul, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:46 GMT

A murder suspect who was mistakenly released two weeks ago from jail in Indianapolis was captured Wednesday by the U.S. Marshals Service in Minnesota, where he faces charges in a 2021 killing, police said.Kevin Mason, 28, was apprehended in the afternoon in St. Paul, said Marion County Sheriff Kerry Forestal, who added in a statement that he’s grateful to the Marshals Service “for concluding this manhunt and safely bringing Mason back into custody.”Kevin Mason (Courtesy of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office via AP, File)Mason was arrested in Indianapolis on Sept. 11, but a preliminary review found he was released two days later because of a faulty records review by clerks with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, officials have said.Last week the sheriff’s office announced that the Marshals Service would be leading the search and was offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Mason’s arrest. The sheriff’s office also said it had determined that he left Indianapolis...

Klein to police: "I know what you guys are here for"

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:46 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The trial for Jacob Klein continues. Klein is accused of killing Philip Rabadi in his home in April 2022. The court saw body camera footage from April 15, 2022, the day Klein was arrested on the Virginia and Tennessee border. That footage revealed Klein told police he knew why they were here and that he was going to turn himself in. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! In the video, Tennessee State Police pull Klein over and instruct him to get on the ground with their guns drawn. Klein said he was not going to escalate the situation, that he respects police and would never shoot a cop. The court also watched rear seat footage from the police car that clearly shows Klein, handcuffed, before he was taken into custody by Virginia State Police. APD Chief and Mayor give public safety update Klein objected to that video, after it was entered into evidence, and motioned for a mistrial. He argued the jury coul...

Glenville seeks damages against PFOA manufacturers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:46 GMT

GLENVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Glenville's town supervisor is trying to get to the bottom of what caused the presence of PFOA in the town's water supply. He's also trying to access funds from a class action lawsuit against manufacturers that used the chemical.Judge grants class action lawsuit between Hoosick Falls and DuPontPFOA is a type of PFAS which are a group of chemicals used in a variety of commercial products for their temperature resistant and non-stick qualities.Supervisor Chris Koetzle says — very cautiously — that he suspects firefighting foam used to douse jet fuel flames at Stratton Air National Guard base could be the culprit behind minute amounts of PFOA in Glenville’s water. Koetzle says that the chemical also was used at a Navy Base at Glenville Business and Technology Park which closed up shop in the 60s. “I'm not pointing the finger at anybody, but I do know that the federal government has admitted that PF always have been used on an airbase here” said Koet...

St. Louis County man accused of child sex crimes, linked to six victims

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:46 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - A St. Louis County man is accused of coercing children overseas to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Sanel Smajlovic, 33, was indicted in federal court earlier this month on four counts of attempted production of child pornography. The indictment accuses of Smajlovic of coercing a six minors on four occasions from 2018-2019 and also says the case is part of a larger investigation. Centene to cut 3% of workforce; St. Louis impact unknown According to the indictment, Smajlovic directed the sexual abuse of children and later paid the adults who provided the children. Traffickers in the Philippines reportedly provided access to pre-produced child sexual abuse material to Smajlovic and live-streamed the sexual abuse of children to paying customers worldwide. Federal authorities arrested Smajlovic on Sunday as he was arriving for an international flight. He pleaded not guilty to criminal charges on Monday. Homeland Security assisted in the investigation, along...

In Hollywood writers’ battle against AI, humans win (for now)

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:46 GMT

By JAKE COYLE (AP Film Writer)NEW YORK (AP) — After a 148-day strike, Hollywood screenwriters secured significant guardrails against the use of artificial intelligence in one of the first major labor battles over generative AI in the workplace.During the nearly five-month walkout, no issue resonated more than the use of AI in script writing. What was once a seemingly lesser demand of the Writers Guild of America became an existential rallying cry.The strike was also about streaming-era economics, writers room minimums and residuals — not exactly compelling picket-sign fodder. But the threat of AI vividly cast the writers’ plight as a human-versus-machine clash, with widespread implications for other industries facing a radically new kind of automation.In the coming weeks, WGA members will vote on whether to ratify a tentative agreement, which requires studios and production companies to disclose to writers if any material given to them has been generated by AI pa...

Suzanne Morphew’s remains found in Saguache County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:46 GMT

Suzanne Morphew (Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office)Law enforcement officials have found the remains of Suzanne Morphew, the 49-year-old Chaffee County woman missing since 2020 whose disappearance embroiled her husband Barry Morphew in an ongoing legal battle.Colorado Bureau of Investigation agents located human remains in the area of Moffat in Saguache County on Friday during an unrelated investigation, according to an announcement from the agency.The remains were identified as Suzanne Morphew by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office on Wednesday.The Colorado Bureau of Investigation declined to release specific information about the location or state of the remains and stated that no arrests have been made since the remains were located. Twelfth Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly was notified that the remains were found, according to the agency.“While this case has garnered attention from around the world, it has touched our community and the sheriff’s office deeply,” Chaffee County ...

Kolacny Music property on South Broadway sells for $2M

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:46 GMT

The South Broadway building where a nearly-century-old music shop is closing has sold to the owner of several nearby properties.Kolacny Music’s 7,800-square-foot building at 1900 S. Broadway sold on Aug. 15 for $1.5 million to 1900 SB LLC, according to public records.The buyer also paid $650,000 the same day for the duplex behind the store, at 26-28 E. Jewell Ave., records show. The business had used the space for music lessons.State records show the purchasing entity was formed by Paul Yaft, whose LinkedIn profile identifies him as chief operations officer of a real estate firm called Alchemy Equity Group.Alchemy also owns the 1936 and 1938 S. Broadway properties just down the block, records show. Yaft and lawyer Doug Norberg also own the former theater next to Kolacny at 1912 S. Broadway, where neighbors pushed back against loud concerts last year.Attempts to reach Yaft for comment Tuesday were unsuccessful.The seller in both deals was siblings David and Donna Kolacny. Their grand...

Stolen $1.5M ancient Buddha statue recovered; suspect arrested

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:46 GMT

A man has been arrested in connection with the theft of a Buddha statue worth $1.5 million, Los Angeles police said Wednesday.The statue was recovered from a truck on Saturday and 44-year-old Justin Livick was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property, LAPD Lt. Ruiz told KTLA.He has since been released from custody.It is unclear if Livick stole the statue or had purchased it from someone else, Ruiz said.The incident remains under investigation and no further details were released Wednesday. $1.5 million ancient Buddha statue stolen from Los Angeles art gallery The statue was stolen from the Barakat Gallery in Beverly Grove around 3:45 a.m. Sept. 18, police said.Historical bronze Buddha statue worth $1.5 million stolen from the Barakat Gallery in Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2023. (Barakat Gallery)Security camera catures a thief stealing a historical bronze Buddha statue worth $1.5 million from the Barakat Gallery in Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2023. (Barakat Gallery)Security...