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Disney World workers criticize DeSantis appointees’ decision to eliminate free passes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:40 GMT

Employees of Walt Disney World’s governing district on Wednesday confronted new board members appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis over a decision to eliminate their access to free passes and discounts to the theme park resort, saying it makes park visits unaffordable. During a monthly board meeting, several current and former district firefighters spoke emotionally about how the free passes to Disney parks were a benefit for them and their families that played a major role in their decision to work for the 56-year-old district, which provides municipal services like mosquito control, drainage, wastewater treatment, planning and firefighting to Disney World.“The removal of this benefit takes away, for some, their entire reason for working here,” said firefighter Pete Simon. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District earlier this week said that $2.5 million in season passes and discounts on hotels, merchandise, food and beverages that their Disney-supporting predecessors provided the d...

DC’s Medium Rare restaurant begins nationwide expansion — with focus on NFL cities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:40 GMT

Medium Rare co-owner Mark Bucher said the expansion plans are focused specifically on cities with professional football teams. (Courtesy Medium Rare) Medium Rare co-owner Mark Bucher said the expansion plans are focused specifically on cities with professional football teams. (Courtesy Medium Rare) Prix fixe steak frites restaurant Medium Rare has opened its first location outside of the D.C. area, in New Orleans — and it is the first of several restaurants planned for what could be dozens of national locations.The Big Easy outpost is in Uptown at 5538 Magazine Street. It is open nightly for dinner and brunch on weekends.Medium Rare co-owner Mark Bucher said the expansion plans are focused specifically on cities w...

George Washington University begins process of arming some campus police officers amid controversy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:40 GMT

George Washington University in D.C. will officially move forward with the process of arming campus police officers, the school announced Monday.According to a university news release, GW Police Department executive supervisory officers Chief James Tate and Captain Gabe Mullinax will be armed in the coming weeks — “the first of a multi-phase implementation process.”Rising gun violence rates nationwide and the need for campus police to respond quickly to “life-threatening emergencies” are factors driving the policy, the release said.After the university’s Board of Trustees directed administrators to equip specially trained GWPD officers with firearms in April, school leadership started to seek community feedback on how to best implement the measure.The news release said officials met with student groups, faculty, staff and other campus stakeholders throughout the spring semester to get community input on the matter. Over the summer, comments submitted th...

Former Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson moving from Chip Ganassi Racing to Andretti Autosport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:40 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Former Indianapolis 500 champion Marcus Ericsson is leaving Chip Ganassi Racing and moving to Andretti Autosport after this season.Andretti Autosport made the announcement Wednesday, adding Ericsson to a lineup that features Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood. Ericsson is in the final year of his contract at Ganassi and seemed eager to land a paying ride instead of bringing his only sponsorship to a team.Ericsson has four victories in 77 career IndyCar starts, including last year’s Indy 500 and this year’s season opener. He also finished runner-up at Indy in May.“Like everyone else, we have paid close attention to Marcus’ success in the NTT IndyCar Series and have been impressed with how quickly he proved that he belonged with the frontrunners in what is arguably the most competitive IndyCar field ever,” said Michael Andretti, CEO at Andretti Autosport. “It’s no secret that we want to win races and championships and to do that we need drivers like M...

Hallan en Baltimore a adolescente que habría sido víctima de “grooming”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:40 GMT

Una adolescente de 15 años que desapareció en el condado Montgomery, Maryland, fue encontrada en un centro comercial de Baltimore el martes, seis semanas después de su desaparición, informaron las autoridades.La joven fue “reconocido por un empleado del centro comercial”, quien se comunicó con seguridad el martes por la tarde, dijo la policía del condado Montgomery. Luego, la seguridad del centro comercial contactó a la policía y ella se reunió con su familia.La menor salió de su casa en North Bethesda el 11 de julio. Sus padres le dijeron a nuestra cadena hermana News4 a principios de este mes que temían que alguien que conoció en las redes sociales la hubiera atraído fuera de su casa.“Creemos que alguien la atrajo en línea, y tenemos evidencia de eso en las redes sociales”, indicó su madre. “Y eso, sí, ella se fue, puede haber sido voluntariamente, pero ahora ha sido secuestrada o está en algún lugar donde no creemos que tenga el control de su situación”.La adolescente...

Accused King Soopers shooter found competent

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:40 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The man accused of a mass shooting inside a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder has been found competent.Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa is charged with 115 counts in the March 2021 shooting that killed 10 people, including a responding police officer. Full coverage: Boulder grocery store shooting Alissa was being held at a state mental health facility, but prosecutors accused him of feigning his condition to avoid trial.On Wednesday, the Colorado Department of Human Services announced a determination that he did not have a mental or developmental disability that prevented him from working with his lawyer.“Our office will continue fighting for justice in this case," 20th Judicial District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in an emailed statement.Dougherty's office said it has contacted the court asking them to make a judicial finding following CDHS's report and begin the trial process as soon as practical.Families of the victims have been notified about this finding, accor...

Gunfire in Pittsburgh prompts evacuations, draws large police response

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:40 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Authorities evacuated neighbors from a Pittsburgh neighborhood on Wednesday after someone reportedly facing eviction began firing from inside a home, with witnesses saying they heard what sounded like hundreds of shots fired.The Allegheny County Sheriff's Office said its people were trying to serve the eviction notice when the occupant began firing in the city's Garfield neighborhood. Witnesses reported that hours into the siege, more gunfire erupted after what sounded like hundreds of shots earlier.A sergeant leading the eviction notice detail suffered an injury unrelated to gunfire and is doing OK, sheriff's office spokesman Mike Manko said.A state police spokesperson said drones were being used. A large number of police and other first responders were at the scene.The shooting occurred a few blocks from a children’s hospital.

How common is your name in Colorado?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:40 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Do you think you have a common name? It may not be as common as you think in Colorado. Some of the top names were only popular for a year, like the infamous name Karen, while other names had popularity that spanned across decades. If your name is James or Emma and you were born in Colorado, sorry, you're not that unique. The name James was popular for 30 years between the 1960s through the end of the 1980s, then made a reappearance from 2020 to 2022. Meanwhile, Emma became popular in the 2000s, and to this day, it's still in the top 10 most common names. Orchards still offering apple picking for fall 2023 Some names were only common 50 years ago. The name Michael was in style for five decades from the 1960s to the 2000s. Michael hasn't been in the top 10 since. Other names are becoming increasingly popular. Oliver and Olivia hit the first and second spots in recent years. FOX31 looked through each decade on the Social Security website, which tracks popular baby na...

Private jet crash in Russia kills 10. Wagner chief Prigozhin was on passenger list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:40 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — A private jet crashed in Russia on Wednesday, killing all 10 people aboard, emergency officials said. Mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list, but it wasn’t immediately clear if he was on board.Prigozhin’s fate has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership in late June. The Kremlin said the founder of the Wagner private military company, which fought alongside Russia’s regular army in Ukraine, would be exiled to Belarus.But the mercenary chief has since reportedly popped up in Russia, leading to further questions about his future.A plane carrying three pilots and seven passengers that was en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg went down more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the capital, according to officials cited by Russia’s state news agency Tass. It was not clear if Prigozhin was among those on board, though Russia’s civilian aviation regulator, Rosaviatsi...

Saint-Gobain to close New Hampshire plant blamed for PFAS water contamination

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:40 GMT

MERRIMACK, N.H. (AP) — A French company that has been blamed for contaminating drinking water in some New Hampshire communities with a group of chemicals known as PFAS said Wednesday it plans to close its plant there and will work with the state on an ongoing environmental investigation.Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics said in a statement that it will “restructure its composite solutions business in the United States,” after evaluating the company’s business goals and what “is in line with the company’s mission and plan.”The Paris-based company, which bought the Merrimack plant from ChemFAB in 2000, initially believed it wasn’t discharging anything harmful. But the state said that changed in 2004 after the company installed more sophisticated technology. After the company alerted the state, the state Department of Environmental Services determined Saint-Gobain was exceeding state air limits for PFAS, and the company agreed to significantly reduce emissions.PF...