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PacifiCorp could be on the hook for billions after jury verdict in devastating Oregon wildfires

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:34 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A jury in Oregon on Monday found the electric utility PacifiCorp responsible for causing devastating fires during Labor Day weekend in 2020, ordering the company to pay tens of millions of dollars to 17 homeowners who sued and finding it liable for broader damages that could push the total award into the billions.The Portland utility is one of several owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Omaha, Nebraska-based investment conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway. The property owners, suing on behalf of a class of thousands of others, alleged that PacifiCorp negligently failed to shut off power to its 600,000 customers during a windstorm, despite warnings from then-Gov. Kate Brown’s chief-of-staff and top fire officials, and that its power lines were responsible for multiple blazes. There has been no official cause determined for the Labor Day fires, which killed nine people, burned more than 1,875 square miles (4,856 square kilometers) in Oregon, and destroyed upward of ...

Mom accused of killing husband, writing book about grief denied bail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:34 GMT

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah (KTVX) -- After a four-hour hearing, a Utah judge has denied bail for Kouri Richins, the woman accused of killing her husband and then writing a children's book about grieving. During Monday's hearing, a judge heard from both parties and three witnesses before making a decision to continue holding Richins without bail during her pretrial period. Richins dropped her head and cried as a detective testified about authorities finding her husband dead and “cold to the touch,” and prosecutors argued the evidence against her was strong enough to deny her bail. Original Story: Utah author of book on grieving death charged with murder The detention hearing built off court documents in which prosecutors allege Richins slipped five times the lethal dose of fentanyl into a Moscow mule cocktail she made for her husband, Eric Richins, amid marital disputes and fights over a multimillion-dollar mansion she ultimately purchased as an investment.Prosecutors called multiple wit...

Cause of death for Olympic medal-winning sprinter Tori Bowie revealed: reports

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:34 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - Tori Bowie, a U.S. Olympic sprinter, died of complications from childbirth, Florida officials have confirmed.Bowie, who won three medals during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, died in May. She was 32. Citing a coroner's report, TMZ says the runner was found dead in her Florida home on May 2. Her family had reportedly been concerned after not speaking with Bowie for several days. Bowie's management company and USA Track and Field confirmed her death the next day. According to the autopsy results from the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office, Bowie died of complications from childbirth, USA Today and TMZ report. The Olympian was estimated to be eight months pregnant and had been experiencing labor when she died. Bowie may have suffered respiratory distress or eclampsia, seizures that can occur after a sudden spike in high blood pressure during pregnancy, officials reported wrote. Her death was ruled as natural.The Orange County Medical Examiner's Office didn't immediatel...

Two years since Sixth Street mass shooting: What's happened since?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Monday marks two years since the June 2021 shooting on Sixth Street where one person died and 14 others were injured. Since then, the city launched Safer Sixth Street initiatives to improve safety in the entertainment district. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: One year since 6th Street mass shooting Here's a look at what has happened over the last year in the Sixth Street shooting's aftermath:Court proceedingsPolice arrested shooting suspect De'ondre White, 21, in Killeen June 24, 2021 in connection to the deadly shooting. In August 2021, a grand jury indicted White for one murder charge and 14 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Two teens were previously arrested in connection to the shooting, but their charges were dropped following new witness statements. Police said they believed White was the sole shooter in the mass shooting. White's next court appearance is scheduled for June 20. Jury selection for a trial is scheduled to begin in late August. White is book...

Gov. Abbott signs new law about 'sexually explicit' school books

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas governor signed his name to four bills Monday afternoon that he said fulfilled his promise to empower parents more in their children's education. One of these new laws will require vendors to rate books they sell to school libraries based on their depictions or references to sex, and that could result in the removal of some titles. Gov. Greg Abbott said House Bill 900, which he signed alongside one of the authors, will set new standards for Texas school libraries to keep what he called sexually explicit content off shelves. TxTag, lawmakers resolve some tolling problems. What comes next? "Every minute of time spent on vulgar materials is time away from the task of kids learning what they need to learn to advance in our state and our country," Abbott said. The law broadly defines "sexually explicit" as material that "describes, depicts, or portrays sexual conduct in a way that is patently offensive." Ash Hall, who serves as the policy and advocacy strateg...

Austin Creative Reuse receives $66K to support mobile school supply shops

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Nonprofit Austin Creative Reuse was named a recipient last week of an education grant from Impact Austin, an Austin-based women's collective giving organization that gives back to Central Texas nonprofits. The nearly $66,000 awarded grant will help fund ACR's Materials Mobile. The mobile pop-up initiative will travel to school campuses and allow educators to shop new and gently-used classroom supplies. RELATED: Local non-profit looking for storefront before new school year The mobile project is designed to support teachers and educational staff with access to gently used supplies while also preventing them from ending up in landfills, per a release.Currently, Materials Mobile is expected to visit school campuses in August, prior to the start of the 2023-24 school year.This latest news comes as ACR celebrated its two millionth pound of donated materials collected. The nonprofit has been accepting donations since its first materials collection drive in 2011, per th...

Texas House Speaker announces new education committee ahead of anticipated special session

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:34 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for June 12, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Speaker of the House announced Monday a new committee to begin working ahead of a special session tackling education.In a tweet, Speaker Dade Phelan said a special session on education matters was “all but certain.”It comes after a regular session ending with no movement on giving raises to a dwindling public education workforce in Texas or on the governor’s main priority – school choice. Central Texas school districts call for more funding as lawmakers talk public education The committee consists of 12 members, including Brad Buckley, R- Salado, who led the House Committee on Public Education during the regular session.Rep. James Talarico, D- Round Rock, and Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, D- San Antonio, are the only former educators on the committee.The group must submit a report identifying the “current menu of choices available to K-12 students in Texas and highlightin...

East Metro boys lacrosse player of the year: Lakeville North’s Quinn Power

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:34 GMT

Quinn Power can’t walk by his lacrosse stick at home without picking it up to do a couple of extra reps. He puts in countless hours wearing out the carpet in his basement.It may seem tedious, but that’s the work required to be a face-off phenom.“Face-offs is just a thing that the only way to get better is by doing it. So you just have to be willing to always be working in your free time,” the Lakeville North junior midfielder said. “I enjoy it, so I just always do it. That’s what really makes you good at face-offs is just constantly getting reps and working on that technique and making it muscle memory.”The proof is in the pudding. Power leads the state this spring with 289 face-off victories, and also owns the top spot with 207 ground balls. He has won 79.4 percent of his face-off attempts this season, which is perhaps the biggest reason the Panthers are 14-2 and the No. 2 seed in this week’s boys lacrosse state tournament. Lakeville North will meet unseeded Cretin-Derham Hal...

New laws to crack down on unlicensed Cannabis dispensaries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:34 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The state is passing new regulations to crack down on unregulated Cannabis dispensaries and help consumers identify unlicensed dispensaries. The moves come as Office of Cannabis Management agents seized products from 11 unlicensed dispensaries in New York City. MORE NEWS from NEWS10 “When you don't have a licensed business that's abiding by the state regulations, there's concerns that there's laxer enforcement in terms of purchasing the products from people who aren’t 21 years of age and older, making sure that really cannabis products are going to the people who are allowed to purchase and have them” said Brandon Kurtzman, Partner at Vincente, LLP New York. The firm represents Cannabis dispensaries across the country. The OCM & the Department of Taxation will adopt new measures such as criminalizing the sale of unlicensed Cannabis products, and creating a new tax fraud crime for vendors that knowingly fail to collect or pay required Cannabis taxes.W...

Child rushed to fire station, hospital after shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:45:34 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A 5-year-old is being treated for a gunshot wound at a local hospital after being shot Monday afternoon.According to a spokesperson for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting happened around 4:35 p.m. in the 1600 block of McLaren Avenue.The victim was shot in their right side. They were brought to a nearby fire station for immediate help. EMS then took the child to the hospital.They were said said to be conscious and breathing.This is a developing news story and will be updated later as more information becomes available.