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'It has to change': Mother of fentanyl victim reflects on legislative session

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A mother standing in the room as Governor Greg Abbott signed four bills into law aimed at addressing the steep uptick in people dying from fentanyl overdoses says more needs to be done. One of the bills signed into law will allow fentanyl deaths to be investigated as homicides. “Fentanyl is an epidemic that very simply, is taking too many lives,” Abbott said during the bill signing ceremony. “Because of the courageous partnership of grieving family members Texas legislators and our office, we are enshrining into law today new protections that will save lives in Texas.”Krislynn Wells' son, Chandler, died in late 2021 after overdosing on fentanyl. He was only 18-years-old. Abbott signs Texas bill allowing fentanyl deaths to be prosecuted as murder Wells backs the bills that did make their way to the governor's desk, including the bill that would allow someone to be charged with murder if they poison and kill someone with fentanyl. She points to the additional resour...

State of Texas: 'I'm leaving Texas,' LGBTQ policies push some to look for an exit

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Gov. Greg Abbott held a ceremony Thursday afternoon to sign legislation he says will "protect women's sports," but LGBTQ+ advocates say it harms their community. Senate Bill 15 bans collegiate-level transgender athletes from competing on sports teams that do not align with their biological sex assigned at birth. It expands on similar restrictions that were signed into law two years ago, applying to sports play for Texas public schools grades K-12. During the regular legislative session, bill sponsor Rep. Valoree Swanson, R-Spring, said the bill is to ensure competition is fair for female athletes. “This legislation is not about participation. This legislation is not about restricting anyone’s opportunities,” Swanson said in May. “It is not fair that young women are watching their records get broken, accolades taken and scholarships awarded, not to other women, but to biological men."During a May House floor debate, Rep. John Bucy, D-Austin, joined other Democrats ...

Girls state lacrosse: Benilde-St. Margaret’s rallies past Edina for first state title

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

Benilde-St. Margaret’s fell down 3-0 early to third-seeded Edina in the girls lacrosse state final Saturday in Stillwater after the Hornets potted three goals in the contest’s first four minutes.Benilde-St. Margaret’s Genevieve DeCesare takes control of the ball in the second half during the Class A lacrosse state championship at Stillwater Area High School in Stillwater on Saturday, June 17, 2023. Benilde-St. Margaret won 11-10. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)No matter, the Red Knights had faced deficits throughout the postseason, including in sections against Blaine and again in the second half of their state semifinal against top-seeded Lakeville South.The message from coach Ana Bowlsby was simple: “Relax.”“It was truly just, ‘Take a deep breath, relax. These are mistakes we don’t usually make,’” she said. “Sometimes the moment got a little big.”But trying to relax and actually doing so are two different things. So Red Knights star goalie Brooke Nelson d...

Pitching, defense rescue punchless Twins in win over Tigers

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

After the Twins were outscored by a combined 15-5 in their two losses to the Detroit Tigers to start their four-game series at Target Field, the talk earlier in the week of a “new vibe” around the team seemed to have lost its steam.The home team was in desperate need of something good to happen on Saturday — most importantly, a win.While a lack of offensive production continued to plague the Twins, superb defense and pitching carried the day as the Twins inched back over the .500 mark with a 2-0 win over the Tigers before an announced crowd of 26,950.With Twins manager Rocky Baldelli opting to go with a “bullpen game” to give his starting pitchers an extra day of rest, six Twins relievers combined to limit the Tigers to three hits and a total of four baserunners.Jose De Leon pitched the first two innings, and was followed by Emilio Pagan, Brent Headrick, Brock Stewart, Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran, who earned his ninth save.“Just sharp,” Baldelli said of his teams’ pitching performan...

Headrick claims victory on Twins’ day of relief

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

Left-hander Brent Headrick, called up from the Saints for the second time this season, earned the victory on Saturday after 2 1/3 innings of work in relief.Headrick has added a splitter to his repertoire that he feels makes him a more effective pitcher than he was the first time around.“I went up as a long reliever the first time, and I was able to go three innings and five innings with just the two pitches,” Headrick said. “Now I feel I can mix all three effectively. So, going down, that was the main thing — get that third pitch ready, get that splitter ready.Headrick said he learned a new splitter in spring training last year and revamped it the past month, altering the grip.“Just a little bit better feel,” he said. “It kind of clicked immediately. I told myself in Triple-A, just keep throwing it. You’re not going to learn anything if you don’t throw it.“For the past month I have been throwing it as much as I can. Hitters are going to give you the best feedback. It’s been good. It...

Video shows St. Louis security guard punch man lying on light rail platform

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A security guard for the St. Louis light rail system repeatedly punched in the head a man lying facedown on a busy platform, as nearby commuters recorded video and shouted for him to stop.Obtained by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, bystander video from Friday shows the guard in a black and yellow uniform standing with one foot on either side of the man, who is lying on his stomach trying weakly to shield his head with his hands. The guard bends down and hits the man in the head three times with a closed fist. Records: Man accused of scamming St. Louis slots is cross-country cheater Both the officer and the man who was punched are Black.One person can be heard saying, “He’s not hurting you right now.” Another person yells, “Stop, stop man!” The officer shouts at the man, “I asked you for your hands behind your back.”“He was not moving. He was not resisting,” said Michael Hamtil, a daily MetroLink rider who is an assistant multimedia director at the Post-Dispatch....

PHOTOS: 2023 Juneteenth Music Festival

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

Festival goers gathered for the 2023 Juneteenth Music Festival in the Five Points Neighborhood in Denver. The two-day festival took over a portion of Welton Street at 27th as people celebrated.

Woman killed by hit-and-run driver performing street stunts in Long Beach

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

A suspect remains at large after a woman was killed by a driver performing street stunts in Long Beach on Friday.Officers responded to a crash near Willow Street and Caspian Avenue shortly before 11 p.m.When police arrived, they found a woman had been ejected from a vehicle. Despite lifesaving measures, she was pronounced dead at the scene.An investigation revealed the victims were traveling westbound on Willow Street when a light-colored, silver or tan SUV was performing donuts in the middle of the intersection.The suspect vehicle struck the victims, causing their car to lose control and crash into a tree in the center median, police said.The female passenger in the Silverado was ejected. The hit-and-run suspect drove away from the scene before officers arrived. Man arrested for stealing ATM machines across Southern California “Speed and distracted driving are believed to be a factor of this collision,” police said.The driver in the victim's vehicle was a 20-year-old Carson man w...

Five for Father’s Day 2023: Kicks, Cars, Figures and Frames

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

It’s safe to say that moms milk Mother’s Day more than dads do Father’s Day… But our pops’ deserve thoughtful celebration, too. Every year our culture department seeks out last minute gifts and dad-themed fun with Angelenos in mind for the day of dads. (See last year’s list here). Here’s our recs for 2023: View this post on InstagramA post shared by Sir Collect-a-Lot Toys (@sircollectalot)When the pandemic exploded and the furloughs hit, it forced people like Miles McAlpin to get creative. Making bootleg action figures was a hobby he enjoyed that turned into a business as Sir Collect A Lot.  Sculpting clay onto old toys and repainting them, then creating clever packaging referencing pop culture, he made figures that nichey collectors simply had to have. As the business grew, he never went back to his old job, even after the worst of COVID was behind us.These days he works with Dov Kelemer of DKE toys in Los Angeles on commissioned work and limited runs of fu...

Hall of Fame tackle, ex-Oakland Raider dies at 81

Published Sat, 08 Feb 2025 11:39:33 GMT

Bob Brown, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a stellar 10-year NFL career as a tackle, including three seasons with the Raiders in the early 1970s, died Friday evening in Oakland. He was 81.Brown’s wife, Cecelia, said her husband died peacefully at a rehabilitation center surrounded by family and friends. Brown, enshrined in the Hall in 2004 by his son, Robert Jr., was admitted to the center after he suffered a stroke in April.“On the field, he was as fierce an opponent as any defensive lineman or linebacker ever faced. He used every tactic and technique – and sometimes brute force – to crush the will of the person across the line from him. And took great pride in doing so,” Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a statement. “Yet off the field, he demonstrated a quiet, soft-spoken, and caring nature.“The Hall extends its thoughts and prayers to CeeCee and Robert Jr. for their loss.”Brown, an All-American guard at Nebraska who was voted colleg...