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Friday Forecast: Temps in low 70s, showers ending by evening

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:58 GMT

CHICAGO — Cloudy conditions Friday with light rain/mist. Winds: N 5-10 G15. High: 69. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Mostly cloudy tonight with decreasing clouds. Winds: NNE 5-10. Low: 58.Saturday Forecast: Mostly sunny, cooler lakeside, NE 5-10 G20. High: 74/70.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Alligator spotted in New Jersey park captured after search

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:58 GMT

MIDDLESEX, N.J. (WPIX) — An alligator spotted lurking in a New Jersey park two weeks ago was finally captured on Thursday, officials said.The alligator was discovered in front of a home in Piscataway around 10 p.m., which is around 400 yards southwest from where the animal was first spotted, according to the Middlesex Borough Police Department.Multiple state departments were brought in to Victor Crowell Park in Middlesex to search for the animal, estimated to be around 4 feet long. The gator was first spotted on Aug. 25 in Ambrose Brook, which prompted the all-hands-on-deck search mission. Mother charged in in 4-decade-old ‘Baby Mary’ cold case Some Middlesex residents said they were hoping to see the animal. Police had urged the public not to approach the alligator and to notify authorities immediately if it was spotted.“You can tell by the people out here. They are excited. We finally made the news for something,” said resident Francis Sweeney.There was also brief speculation th...

IRS cracking down on 1,600 millionaires over back taxes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:58 GMT

The IRS is launching an initiative to crack down on 1,600 millionaires and 75 large businesses it says owe hundreds of millions of dollars in back taxes, the agency announced Friday.The program takes advantage of additional funding for the agency included in the Inflation Reduction Act, which added funding to hire and replace 87,000 employees.The audit rates on people making less than $400,000 per year will not change."The years of underfunding that predated the Inflation Reduction Act led to the lowest audit rate of wealthy filers in our history,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement. “I am committed to reversing this trend, making sure that new funding will mean more effective compliance efforts on the wealthy, while middle- and low-income filers will continue to see no change in historically low pre-IRA audit rates for years to come."The shift in enforcement takes advantage of new artificial intelligence technology the agency described as “groundbreaking,” which can ...

Woman found dead, TCSO homicide investigation underway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A woman was found dead with “obvious injuries” Thursday night in northern Travis County, according to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.TCSO said deputies responded to a welfare check call at 5:19 p.m. near the 1700 block of W. Wells Branch Parkway.Officials said detectives were granted a search warrant and searched the home overnight. The investigation remains ongoing as of Friday morning.TCSO said it believed the matter was an isolated incident, and there was currently no perceived threat to the public.Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call the TCSO Tip Line at 512-854-1444 or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477.TCSO said this case marked its fifth homicide investigation of 2023.

FAA: SpaceX must make fixes after Starship Super Heavy mishap, grounded until then

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:58 GMT

Author's note: The video is originally from April 20, 2023. It shows the rocket launch referred to in this story.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX will need to make several changes before its next launch of its Starship line of rockets, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued its findings Thursday about what went wrong with the company's April 20 launch.During that launch, a "structural failure" of the launch pad's foundation occurred, sending chunks of debris into sensitive wildlife areas. In addition, the FAA said that the uncrewed vehicle deviated from its expected trajectory, which triggered its Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) to begin a self-destruct sequence. However, due to a delay in that system, the vehicle instead broke up in what SpaceX called a "rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation." FAA sued over SpaceX launch damage to South Texas wildlife, ecosystems "The closure of the mishap investigation does not signal an imme...

Liberty Hill officer cleared in deadly shooting of 21-year-old

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:58 GMT

LIBERTY HILL, Texas (KXAN) -- A Liberty Hill Police officer, who the Texas Department of Public Safety said shot and killed Jackson Lieber, 21, in January, will not face criminal charges.The police department's internal investigation found LHPD Officer Esteban Gomez-Sanchez did not violate any department policies, according to Police Chief Royce Graeter. He said the grand jury issued a no bill on June 29 the department completed its internal investigation on July 7. The shooting happened on Jan. 18. The Texas Department of Public Safety said Lieber got into a crash on Ranch Road 1869, wandered onto private property and got in a fight with the people who live there. Troopers said Lieber then got into a fight with the officer who responded, but have not said if Lieber had a weapon on him. MORE DETAILS: Family of man killed by Liberty Hill police officer file lawsuit Lieber's family hired an attorney in February as they called for more transparency in the investigation, and they file...

Man indicted in fatal Troy stabbing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:58 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A 20-year-old man was indicted on a second-degree murder charge in connection to a fatal stabbing that took place in Troy on River Street on Saturday. According to court documents, Carlos Corrales-Ramirez intended to cause the death of 28-year-old Jario Hernandez-Sanchez. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Troy Police Detectives and Evidence Technicians named Corrales-Ramirez as the suspect following a steadfast investigation that began on Saturday.Steven Barker, Assistant Chief of Police, confirmed to NEWS10 that Corrales-Ramirez was also arrested earlier this year by U.S. Border Patrol in connection to a stabbing in Maryland. A CBP spokesperson said Corrales-Ramirez was taken into custody in March in Clinton County near the Canadian border. It was during processing that agents found he was wanted in Maryland.

Clifton Park man arrested for strangulation, assault

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:58 GMT

CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Clifton Park man was arrested following a welfare check on Huntridge Drive on Thursday night. Police charged Matthew D. Sands, 28, with strangulation in the second degree and assault in the third degree. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! According to the police, Sands allegedly applied pressure to the victim's throat or neck to impede her normal breathing or blood circulation. The victim lost consciousness. Sands was arraigned in the Malta Town Court. He was released to pre-trial services pending further action.

Mosquitos in Pittsfield test positive for West Nile Virus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:58 GMT

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (NEWS10) -- The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has confirmed two results of West Nile Virus from weekly samples of mosquitoes collected in Pittsfield. The positive samples were taken from the Pittsfield Cemetery and the Pittsfield Airport. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Pittsfield continues to have a moderate West Nile Virus risk level. This indicates that infection with WNV is likely or potentially has occurred in humans, though no human cases of WNV have been confirmed at this time, according to the Department of Health. Residents are encouraged to following preventative measures such as removing areas of standing water around your home at least twice per week, maintaining screen doors and windows, and wearing mosquito repellent when outdoors. Anyone with questions or concerns can contact the Pittsfield Health Department at (413) 499-9411, or the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Epi...

Missouri, Kansas attractions land on 'Top 100 biggest tourist traps'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:58 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A new list of top tourist traps features two attractions in Kansas and Missouri. A study published by USA Today Blueprint, which analyzed 23.2 million Google reviews of popular destinations, found the Titanic Museum in Branson, Missouri, and the Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas, are among the top 100 tourist traps in the world. ‘World’s biggest bounce house’ returning to Kansas City area this fall The Titanic Museum came in at no. 33 on the tourist trap list, while the Oz Museum landed at no. 80. USA Today also ranked the most overpriced attractions, where the Titanic Museum came in at no. 91, and the most overrated tourist spots. The rating was based on over 17,000 reviews for the Titanic Museum and over 2,000 reviews for the Oz Museum. USA Today looked at how often reviews mentioned the terms “tourist trap,” “expensive,” and “overrated.” They the outlet compared attractions by measuring how frequently these terms were used out of total reviews. At the Oz Muse...