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PHOTOS: Northern Lights spotted above Illinois skies

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

WEST UNION, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV) — A major mass coronal ejection on Sunday afternoon made its way toward Earth just in time to interact with the atmosphere late into the night. The strength of this geomagnetic storm reached so far south that Illinois could few the aurora borealis. It is very unusual for the spectacle to be seen so far south.Ryan Pinkston shared the following images with WTWO. These images of the northern lights were captured using a 30-second long exposure above West Union, Illinois at approximately midnight (CDT).Image of the aurora borealis seen above West Union, Ill. (Courtesy Ryan Pinkston)Image of the aurora borealis seen above West Union, Ill. (Courtesy Ryan Pinkston)Image of the aurora borealis seen above West Union, Ill. (Courtesy Ryan Pinkston)Image of the aurora borealis seen above West Union, Ill. (Courtesy Ryan Pinkston)Image of the aurora borealis seen above West Union, Ill. (Courtesy Ryan Pinkston)Image of the aurora borealis seen above West Union, Ill. (C...

Victim identified in deadly shooting at south Austin homeless encampment

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police released the name of the victim involved in an April 20 shooting in south Austin.APD said officers initially responded to reports of gunshots at a homeless encampment in a wooded area near the 4900 block of West U.S. Highway 290 around 11 a.m. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2023? The 911 caller told police someone stopped them and told them that someone had been shot within the camp, APD said. Police found 27-year-old John Powers. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Several persons of interest have been identified by investigators, the release states. This case is being investigated at Austin's 25th homicide this year, APD said.Police said a reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information should call the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You can submit tips anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-4...

Teen accused of fatally running down pedestrian, 70, with stolen car in St. Cloud

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — A Sauk Rapids teen is facing first- and second-degree murder charges in the hit-and-run death of a 70-year-old man in St. Cloud on Friday.Israel Muyaya Madimba, 16, was the driver of a stolen car that struck and killed Norbert John Olmscheid, according to the Stearns County attorney’s office.Madimba appeared before Stearns County District Judge Kris Davick-Halfen on Monday. Bail was set at $2 million, or $1 million with conditions.Davick-Halfen ordered criminal proceedings suspended pending an examination of Madimba’s mental competency, according to county attorney’s office.According to the criminal complaint, Madimba called 911 and told authorities he had run over a person with his vehicle.Officers obtained a taped statement from Madimba, who admitted he stole the vehicle from the St. Cloud YMCA, according to the complaint.Madimba told police he saw Olmscheid walking on the sidewalk, and decided to run him over. Madimba said he turned onto the s...

North Dakota governor signs law banning nearly all abortions

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

By TRISHA AHMED (Associated Press/Report for America)North Dakota on Monday adopted one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country as Republican Gov. Doug Burgum signed legislation banning the procedure throughout pregnancy, with slim exceptions up to six weeks’ gestation.In those early weeks, abortion would be allowed only in cases of rape, incest or medical emergency, such as ectopic pregnancy.“This bill clarifies and refines existing state law … and reaffirms North Dakota as a pro-life state,” Burgum said in a statement.Last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide has triggered multiple state laws banning or restricting the procedure. Many were met with legal challenges. Currently, bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy are in place in at least 13 states and on hold in others because of court injunctions. On the other side, Democratic governors in at least 20 states t...

2 die in weekend fire at Duluth apartment building that has seen other fatal blazes

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

Two tenants died last weekend as a result of a fire in an eight-unit apartment building in Duluth. The names of the deceased have not yet been released, pending notification of family members.The Duluth Fire Department was called to 631 E. Third St. at about 6 a.m. Saturday, and firefighters arrived within about three minutes of dispatch, encountering smoke and quickly advancing flames, said Deputy Chief of Operations Mike Consie.Consie did not have details about exactly how many people were in the building at the time of the call but said a number of tenants were rescued by firefighters, and others were able to make their way out of the building on their own. One woman was rescued from a second-story window, using a ladder truck and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, where she was pronounced dead late Saturday afternoon.During a subsequent rescue attempt in the same unit, firefighters were forced to evacuate when the interior “flashed over,” or was fully engul...

Deaths of 10-year-old girls and 13-year-old boy underscore the need for ATV safety precautions

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

The deaths this weekend of two 10-year-old girls and a 13-year-old boy involving all-terrain vehicle accidents is the latest reminder of the safety precautions that need to be taken with the four-wheelers, authorities say.On Saturday, two 10-year-old girls died in an ATV crash on private property in Afton. First responders and deputies were called around 5 p.m. to the property in the 1000 block of Neal Avenue South. They found the girls trapped under an ATV and attempted life-saving measures, but the girls were pronounced dead at the scene,according to the Washington County sheriff’s office.There was no adult accompanying them, sources say, and it was not clear whether the girls were wearing helmets. Their names were not released on Monday, pending family notification.About 40 miles north, also on Saturday, authorities in Chisago County were called to the scene of an ATV rollover accident involving Mason Lee Demenge, 13, of Chisago City, in Lent Township. The accident, on Kale Avenu...

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli tired of talking about sticky fingers

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is tired of talking about sticky stuff.Nearly two years since Major League Baseball began cracking down on pitchers using foreign substances to improve their pitches — and an uneventful 2022 season — the issue has made a comeback.New York starter Domingo German had his hands checked twice during a 6-1 victory over the Twins on April 15 at Yankee Stadium. He remained in the game, and Baldelli was tossed after challenging that decision. Four days later, Mets pitcher Max Scherzer was ejected from a start when umpires determined he was using rosin, legal by most standards in MLB, for a competitive advantage.Scherzer is serving the automatic 10-day suspension that comes with an ejection, and on Wednesday the Twins will face German again in the finale of a three-game series that started Monday at Target Field.Baldelli was dismissive when asked if the Twins have had any sort of conversation with their pitchers about how rosin can and can’t be used. Most pitcher...

Request to seek Schoharie limo crash plea deal reinstatement denied

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Schoharie limousine crash trial will begin May 1 after a request from the defense to try again to have a plea deal reinstated was denied. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Lawyers for Nauman Hussain, the operator of the limo company involved in the crash, asked the court for permission to seek reinstatement of the plea deal for a second time. An appeals court declined to reinstate it last week.The plea deal was reached in 2021 and would have allowed Hussain to avoid prison time, but it was rejected by a different judge in August 2022. Judge in Schoharie limo trial responds to lawsuit Hussain is accused of 20 counts of criminally negligent homicide for not properly maintaining the Ford Excursion limousine. The limo, according to court documents, suffered from “catastrophic brake failure” on October 6, 2018. Twenty people died as a result of the crash.

Austin Gomber rebounds, leads Rockies to 6-0 win over Guardians

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

CLEVELAND — The ghost of All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado was nowhere to be found on a cold Monday night at Progressive Field. Austin Gomber made sure of that.The left-hander pitched five scoreless innings and led the Rockies to a desperately needed 6-0 victory over the Guardians. The Rockies snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in their past 13 games.Colorado had 10 hits to Cleveland’s four and got an early boost on Jurickson Profar’s first-inning solo home run off Cal Quantrill.After Gomber’s disastrous start last Wednesday against the Pirates at Coors Field, when he allowed nine runs on nine hits in just two innings, the left-hander admitted that being the centerpiece of the lopsided Feb. 1, 2021 trade that sent Arenado to St. Louis still spooked him.“In the past, I tried not to worry about (the trade), and I think I was better at that earlier on when I was here,” Gomber said. “But the longer I’ve been h...

Jets agree on deal to acquire Aaron Rodgers, AP source says

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:12 GMT

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. (AP Pro Football Writer)After six weeks of waiting, Aaron Rodgers is leaving behind his brilliant legacy in Green Bay and heading to the bright lights — and massive expectations — of the Big Apple.The New York Jets agreed on a deal Monday to acquire the four-time NFL MVP from the Packers, according to a person with knowledge of the trade. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the teams had not officially announced the deal.Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said at a pre-draft news conference that the deal hasn’t been finalized, but should be completed before the draft begins Thursday.“We were expecting it to be done very quickly, hopefully soon,” Gutekunst said. “A lot of things have been agreed upon. Some things to go through.”The Jets will receive Rodgers, the No. 15 overall pick and a fifth-rounder this year from the Packers, according to another person with knowledge of ...