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B.C. state of emergency helps rapid response to raging wildfires: Eby

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:07:58 GMT

British Columbia Premier David Eby says his government’s decision to declare a provincial state of emergency allows authorities to rapidly access tools and implement measures to deal with the evolving wildfire situation.B.C. is no stranger to states of emergency, as they were introduced in the 2017 and 2018 wildfire seasons and during the COVID-19 pandemic when restrictions on gatherings took effect.A state of emergency under B.C.’s Emergency Program Act allows the province to enact emergency orders, including restricting travel to specific areas.Under the act, the government can implement procedures it considers necessary to prevent, respond to and alleviate the effects of an emergency or disaster.Eby said late Friday that B.C. is facing the worst wildfire season in its history and the deteriorating situation means the province needs to respond to challenging days ahead.B.C.’s wildfires have resulted in more than 15,000 people being told to evacuate their properti...

Former Minnesota governor, congressman Al Quie dies at 99

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:07:58 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Minnesota Gov. Al Quie, a moderate Republican known for working across the aisle as both governor and as a congressman, has died. He was 99.Quie died of natural causes late Friday at his home in Wayzata, his son, Joel Quie, said Saturday. While he had been in declining health in recent months, he still enjoyed meeting people. At a family gathering two weeks ago, he read aloud to his great-grandchildren from their favorite storybook, his son said.“His stature and his energy and his enthusiasm for life was there right to the end,” Joel Quie said.Al Quie represented southern Minnesota’s 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1958 to 1979. He returned home and defeated Democrat Rudy Perpich in the 1978 gubernatorial race. But his single term turned rocky amid a budget shortfall in the early 1980s, and he opted not to seek reelection.But Quie, a man of deep Lutheran faith, remained active after leading office, serving as a leader of the nat...

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson speaks as he begins suspension

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:07:58 GMT

DENVER — Since his fight on August 5 in Cleveland, fans have only heard from Tim Anderson through posts on his social media. But the White Sox shortstop spoke to reporters on Friday in Denver ahead of the start of the team's three-game series with the Rockies and Anderson's five-game suspensions. Originally a six-contest ban for fighting the Guardian's Jose Ramirez, he got it reduced by one by Major League Baseball earlier this week.Anderson said he "let his emotions get the best of him" during a conversation with beat reporters at Coors Field.“Just continue to keep working and understand, I have to be better. I will be better," said Anderson to LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune.This comes a day after the two-time All-Star released a lengthy statement on Instagram where he apologized to the team and fans for the fallout from the fight, which received much attention around the league. Anderson's fight comes in the midst of a disappointing season for the shortstop, who is hitting .23...

These Illinois counties drink more than others, study finds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:07:58 GMT

ILLINOIS (NEXSTAR) — Do you know how many adults in Illinois identify themselves as heavy drinkers? Would you want to know?Earlier this year, the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute released its 2023 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps report, which is meant to raise awareness about factors that can impact health outcomes and disparities nationwide.Researchers use numerous data points to determine the length and quality of life on a state-by-state basis. Among those factors is alcohol use, including reported excessive drinking. To determine the rates of excessive drinking per state, researchers used self-reported data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance system. For the 2023 report, the University of Wisconsin used data from 2020 — the first year of the COVID pandemic. Excessive drinking encompasses both binge drinking (four or more drinks on one occasion for women, five or more for men) and heavy drinkin...

2 NASCAR drivers suspended indefinitely after DWI arrests in North Carolina

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:07:58 GMT

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (WJZY) – Two NASCAR drivers that were recently arrested for DWI in Huntersville this month have been suspended indefinitely, officials have confirmed. NASCAR authorities told Nexstar's WJZY that drivers Chris Hacker and Jason White were both suspended from NASCAR indefinitely, citing two behavioral conduct standards from its rulebook.Both suspensions occurred on Thursday, Aug. 17. Records show driver Jason Alan White, 44, was arrested the afternoon of Aug. 3, and Huntersville Police records state a DWI arrest at the same time.White drove a Toyota for Mooresville-based TRICON Garage in the Craftsman Truck Series, where he placed 47th in the 2023 standings. He also had more than 50 starts in the Xfinity Series.  NASCAR Xfinity Series coming to the CW Network in 2025 Driver Christopher Hacker, 23, was also pulled over by Huntersville Police just after midnight on Tuesday, Aug. 15, on I-77 North for excessive speeding, according to the police report.Upon further inv...

5 steps to prepare for student loan repayment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:07:58 GMT

(NerdWallet) - Federal student loan repayment resumes in the coming months — interest begins accruing in September, with payments starting in October — after a 3½-year payment pause. According to a new NerdWallet survey, most federal student loan borrowers (88%) didn’t make payments during the pandemic forbearance. If you’re one of these borrowers, here are five steps to prepare for repayment.1. Know your detailsAccording to the survey, nearly half of federal student loan borrowers (46%) don’t know how much student loan debt they currently have, and 57% don’t know who their loan servicer is. Close to a third of federal student loan borrowers (31%) aren’t sure what their interest rates will be when forbearance ends, and 27% aren’t sure how to make payments at that time.If you don’t know who your student loan servicer is, log in to the Federal Student Aid website using your FSA ID (you can create one if you don’t yet have one). On the left, you’ll see your total balance, and on the ri...

Other voices: Driving up the cost of taxpayer projects

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:07:58 GMT

President Joe Biden has professed sympathy for American consumers pinched by inflation. But his actions speak louder than his hollow lip service.Inflation has stabilized over the past 12 months after skyrocketing to more than 9 percent — a number not seen in four decades. But the White House seems intent on exacerbating the problem.Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris was in Philadelphia to announce that the Labor Department had revamped a rule governing worker pay on federal construction projects. The reform will relax the standard by which so-called “prevailing wages” are set under the Davis-Bacon Act, which dates to the Great Depression.The new regulation will raise wages for workers on federal projects and, Harris said, “That’s thousands of dollars more every year, to help put a down payment on a home, for example, or to save for retirement, or to simply take their family on vacation once a year.”Not surprisingly, the vice president omitted...

St. Mary's Church hosting festival in Amsterdam

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:07:58 GMT

AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- St. Mary's Church in Amsterdam will be hosting their St. Mary's Festival on August 20. Proceeds from the community event will benefit St. Mary’s Institute. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The festival will feature live music by Music for Life, Yacht Masters Trio and J. Marco Johnson & Co., as well as activities such as carnival games, a bounce house, a dunk tank, and a circus show by Scotty Nut Nut. The event will also offer a wide array of food and beverage vendors, ranging from tacos and ice cream to smoothies and spirits. St. Mary's Church is located at 156 Main Street. The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission to the event is free, with parking being available in the lots west of the church and in the Riverfront Center parking behind ACE Hardware.

More roadblocks for NY’s cannabis industry

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:07:58 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- New York State's slow rollout of legalized marijuana sales hits another roadblock after a new ruling in the ongoing legal challenge against the State's retail cannabis licensing process. A group of four military veterans filed the lawsuit and it claims that process unfairly kept them out of the industry. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! A New York State Supreme Court judge upholding the injunction first issued last week that would keep the Office of Cannabis Management from approving any new pending applications, but those who applied before August 7, 2023, will be able to continue the process.The injunction states the OCM has an unfair licensing process that keeps others from getting cannabis ready.The Marcellino brothers, of Amsterdam Cannabis were just about to have their walkthrough with the OCM to okay the shop to be able to open their doors. But the brothers were put on pause due to the injunction....

Police search for suspect in St. Louis amber alert

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:07:58 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Police have located the child, and she is safe. The vehicle has also been located, but the suspect has not been arrested.Police are searching for James Steven Richardson Jr., a 28-year-old African American man, weighing 200 pounds and standing five feet seven inches tall. He was last seen wearing a white shirt and tan shorts.He was driving a black Ford Escape with an Illinois license plate of 61890RV and was last seen with the 2-month-old child, who has now been found.