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Changes to paratransit service coming to Round Rock in June

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:59 GMT

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — City of Round Rock's Transportation Director Gary Hudder said it will change how it provides paratransit services in June.Hudder said low ridership in some areas amid rapid population growth in others has spurred the city to revamp the service.He said, currently, there is a fixed-line system where paratransit riders are picked up and dropped off on a daily schedule.At next week's Round Rock City Council meeting, Hudder said he will share more about these transportation changes, including the replacement of the current system with a mobility, on-demand service.The service will be similar to how a person would order a rideshare service, he said.Those currently using the paratransit system, contracted through San Antonio-based Star Shuttle, will qualify for the new system provided by Austin-based Ztrip, Hudder said.“The transit system has to continue to be modified and morphed to satisfy a rapidly growing community," Hudder said.The change will exclude at lea...

Sled dog race threatened by changing climate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:59 GMT

(KXAN) — Earth's temperature continues to rise. It has increased an average of 0.14° Fahrenheit every 10 years since 1880. In total, this is 2° Fahrenheit. Courtesy: Climate.govBut the increase has become more pronounced since 1981 with an average increase of 0.32° Fahrenheit, more than twice to average increased rise since 1880. The effect this is having is not just limited to unusually hot summers and droughts. It is also having an effect on areas of the country getting less snow than normal. This is true in Alaska, home to the Iditarod.The Iditarod is a big part of Alaska. The annual trail sled dog race has been around for 50 years. The 938-mile race happens in March and runs from Anchorage to Nome. It covers all of our nation's 49th state.A musher and his team in the IditarodSince 2000, climate change has affected this annual event. In 2003, 2015, and 2017, there wasn't enough snow in the Alaska Range so the start had to be moved nearly 300 miles from Willow to Fairbanks. Even ...

NCAA Frozen Four: National semifinals won’t intimidate Gophers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:59 GMT

Brad Frost’s Gophers haven’t played in a Frozen Four since 2019, when they lost to Wisconsin in the championship game. But the lights of a national semifinal on Friday at Duluth’s Amsoil Arena won’t be too bright for his team, the coach said.What the second-seeded Gophers lack in Frozen Four experience, they make up for in performances on even bigger stages.“We have a lot of experience at some pretty big-time events. from U18s to state tournaments to Olympics and national team programs,” Frost said.Frost and the Gophers boarded buses outside of the Athletes Village on Wednesday evening, cheered by well-wishers from throughout the Gophers’ athletics programs. When the pucks drops on their 6 p.m. game against No. 6 seed Wisconsin, Minnesota will have four Olympians — forwards Josefin Bouveng (Sweden), Abbey Murphy (U.S.) and Grace Zumwinkle (U.S.) and defender Nellie Laitinen (Finland) — as well as the MVP of last fall’s IIHF World Championships, center T...

State girls basketball: Alexandria outshoots Hill-Murray in Class 3A quarters

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:59 GMT

All year, Hill-Murray coach Erin Herman has been worried.Worried that in the biggest games, her team’s biggest weakness — a lack of reliable shooting — would break them.It was the case against Alexandria back in February — and it again doomed Hill-Murray in a rematch against them in the Class 3A state quarterfinals Wednesday at Williams Arena.“We just don’t have enough offense and it was pretty obvious today,” said Herman following the 57-39 loss to Alexandria that ended Hill-Murray’s hope for an elusive state title. “We played pretty well defensively, but we don’t finish, and we don’t always make the best decisions.”Hill-Murray shot 35% from the field, compared to Alexandria’s 58%. The Pioneers made only 4-of-16 3-point attempts.There were signs the scoring woes were behind the Pioneers. Since losing to Alexandria back on Feb. 11, Hill-Murray did not lose a game and had several 60-point scoring performances. Yet with the familiar opponent, the Pioneers’ frequent v...

State agency accuses southern Minnesota meat processor of child labor violations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:59 GMT

A meat processing company in southern Minnesota employed children as young as 13 to work in hazardous conditions, such as operating meat grinders, while they worked overnight shifts and longer hours than allowed by law, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry said Wednesday.The state agency is asking a district court to issue a temporary restraining order against Tony Downs Food Co., based in Mankato, while it investigates the allegations.According to the complaint, the meat processing company employed at least eight children ranging from 14 to 17 at its plant in Madelia. Investigators also have identified other employees who were hired before they were 18 years old, the department said.The young employees, one of whom was 13 years old when hired, operated meat grinders, ovens and forklifts on overnight shifts and also worked in areas where meat products are flash frozen with carbon monoxide and ammonia, according to the complaint. They also allegedly worked longer hours than...

Class 4A girls basketball state quarterfinal: Thompson’s late bucket helps Stillwater survive Lakeville North

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:59 GMT

Williams Arena was deafening during the second half of a thrilling Class 4A quarterfinal tilt Wednesday between Lakeville North and Stillwater.Just ask the players.“I was trying to talk, and I couldn’t even hear myself,” Panthers senior guard Haley Bryant said.Stillwater teammates attempted to communicate with Ponies forward Lexi Karlen to no avail.“I was like, ‘I can’t hear you,’ ” she said.“We have to learn sign language or something,” Stillwater guard Amy Thompson said.Two raucous fan bases brought the juice to the No. 4-No. 5 quarterfinal that came down to the wire. Stillwater led 65-51 with just more than five minutes to play, only to have Lakeville North claw its way back.Gabby Betton poured in eight points over the final five minutes, Bryant hit a clutch triple, Aduke Ojullu banked home a three. Then Trinity Wilson — who finished with 18 points — knocked down a free throw to cap a 14-0 run and knot the game with 28 seconds to play.“I just said it’s one possession ...

New York leads nation in fire deaths in 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:59 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- New data from the Firefighters Association of New York (FASNY) found that the Empire State leads the country in fire deaths. So far in 2023, 45 people died in fires in New York state.Fire officials said the fatal fires are more common in New York for multiple reasons. Get all of the latest news, weather, sports, and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! "No. 1, New York has a large population. No. 2, much of that population is in dense, urban areas. And No. 3, those areas have old building stock," FASNY Secretary John D'Alessandro said.The firefighters association is now pushing Albany lawmakers to adopt at least two pieces of legislation. One would require that fire insurance fees help fund increased building inspections and code enforcement. Another bill would offer a sales tax holiday one month each year on smoke and carbon monoxide detectors as well as fire extinguishers.

Push to ban all smoking in Schenectady public parks moves forward

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:59 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A proposal to ban all forms of smoking in Schenectady's public parks has taken another step forward. Get all of the latest news, weather, sports, and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! City leaders are now considering public comments on the plan, which would ban marijuana and e-cigarettes. Tobacco products were already prohibited.Supporters of the plan said adding additional substances to that list is necessary to improve public health and quality of life. The city council is expected to vote on the proposal on March 27.

Florida ride dismantled after Missouri teen's fatal fall, mother calls it 'bittersweet moment'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:59 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) — The mother of the Missouri teenager who fell to his death from the Orlando FreeFall attraction at ICON Park last year visited the site for the first time Wednesday.Tyre Sampson, 14, died while on vacation in Orlando on March 24, 2022.An autopsy showed that Sampson suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries in the fall, which was ruled an accidental death. It showed Sampson weighed 383 pounds, well above the ride manual’s weight limit of 287 pounds.Now, the Orlando FreeFall is in the process of being demolished as part of an agreement made between the company and the Florida Department of Agriculture. Top story: Report details fatal encounter between accused cop killer, Hermann police Orlando Slingshot, the ride operator, told Nexstar's WFLA in a statement it retained the amusement park, Ride Entertainment, to coordinate the deconstruction, which began this week.“That activity is expected to continue into the following week because of the ...

Pritzker hints at tax cuts as Illinois' financial health improves

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:59 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) -- The good financial news for the state keeps coming. Governor J.B. Pritzker said if these trends continue, tax cuts are on the table. "I think we're seeing a few years in a row now of the stability of that revenue, that we should be talking about whether there are tax cuts that we can implement," Pritzker said Wednesday.This week, the state received its eighth credit upgrade of the past two years. This time, Moody's credit rating agency bumped Illinois to the stable rating of A3. It's the first time the state has been at that threshold since the budget impasse. Top story: Report details fatal encounter between accused cop killer, Hermann police New revenue estimates also show a much larger influx of tax dollars than the Governor initially expected. The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability upped their projections by an additional $575 million. Revenue estimates were already high going into the next fiscal year, and state forecasters...