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School board wants workers comp for teacher shot by boy, 6

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:31:00 GMT

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The Virginia school district where a 6-year-old shot his teacher argues that her injuries fall under the state’s workers compensation act and cannot be addressed through her $40 million lawsuit, according to court documents filed Wednesday. Abigail Zwerner was “clearly injured while at work, at her place of employment, by a student in the classroom,” the Newport News School Board stated in response to her lawsuit, which it wants dismissed. The school board also rejected Zwerner’s claim that she could reasonably expect to work with young children who pose no danger, pointing to numerous incidents of violence against teachers across the U.S. and in Newport News. “While in an ideal world, young children would not pose any danger to others, including their teachers, this is sadly not reality,” the filing stated.Zwerner, 25, was shot in the hand and chest on Jan. 6 as she sat at a reading table in her first-grade classroom at Richneck Elementary. She spent...

Alabama judge: No bond for suspects in Sweet 16 shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:31:00 GMT

DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday denied bond for five suspects charged with reckless murder in connection with a shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party that killed four people and injured dozens in Alabama, according to court records and state investigators. Tallapoosa County District Judge Clayton Turner ordered Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., 20, of Auburn; Johnny Letron Brown, 20, of Tuskegee; and Willie George Brown Jr., 19, also of Auburn, to be held without bond. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said that the judge also denied bond for two juvenile suspects. The state agency previously identified the pair as Tyreese “Ty Reik” McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, both of Tuskegee. A sixth suspect, a 15-year-old from Tuskegee, is awaiting a hearing, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. The six are each charged with four counts of reckless murder in connection with the April 15 shooting in Dadeville that killed four people and injured 32 others. Two Dadeville High Sc...

Mexico’s president admits he briefly fainted due to COVID-19

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:31:00 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president acknowledged Wednesday he did “briefly faint” over the weekend before he was diagnosed with COVID-19, something his spokesman had previously denied. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said his doctors had been concerned enough to administer a liter of rehydration fluids. He said in a videotaped chat from the National Palace in Mexico City — where he lives and is isolating — that doctors wanted to fly him back to the capital in a stretcher.López Obrador had been on a working tour of the Yucatan peninsula Sunday when he tested positive for the coronavirus, his third bout of COVID-19.But he wrote in his social media accounts Sunday that “it isn’t serious.”Reports in the local press that day said López Obrador had felt faint Sunday morning and had to cancel his tour, something his presidential spokesman denied at the time.But on Wednesday, the president acknowledged that it “had become complicated … I had a crisis, because my blood pressure...

B.C. coroner’s inquest hears updated toxicology results for Myles Gray

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:31:00 GMT

BURNABY, B.C. — An initial drug screening report suggested Myles Gray had a natural psychoactive compound in his system when he died, but followup testing revealed a concentration that didn’t meet the threshold for detection, a forensic toxicologist told the British Columbia coroner’s inquest into the 33-year-old’s death.Aaron Shapiro testified that he reviewed the original toxicology report and changed the finding for mitragynine, an extract from an Asian plant known as kratom.“What this means is that the drug was either not present in the sample, or it means that the drug was present at a concentration that was below our instruments’ ability to detect it,” said Shapiro, testifying as an expert witness.“Unfortunately I can’t tell the difference between those two scenarios.”Gray died in August 2015, shortly after a beating by several Vancouver police officers that left him with injuries including a fractured eye socket, nose and ...

LL Cool J, first tour in 30 years, to stop in Chicago

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:31:00 GMT

CHICAGO -- "Ladies Love Cool James" will be hitting the road to tour for the first time in 30 years.LL Cool J will be stopping in Chicago for his "The F.O.R.C.E Live" tour at the United Center on Sunday, August 13.LL Cool J, more recently known for his acting, was one of the first hip-hop artists to achieve commercial success after his 1985 hit "I Need A Beat" from his debut album "Radio." But, his fourth studio album "Mama Said Knock You Out" in 1990 cemented his place in the hip-hop history books. Chicago & House Music: A relationship over four decades in the making The two-time Grammy Award winning hip-hop legend will have quiet the support during "The F.O.R.C.E Live" tour.Three-time Grammy Award winning supergroup, The Roots, will be embarking on the summer tour with LL Cool J. The Philadelphia-native band have been around for over 35 years and continue to redefine their style with hits like "The Seed (2.0)," "What They Do," and their Grammy Award winning single "You Got M...

Tornado Watch in effect through 1 a.m.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:31:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A Tornado Watch is in effect for much of the area, including Austin, until 1 a.m. Thursday for the potential of tornadoes.Severe thunderstorms are possible even outside of the Tornado Watch, with large hail and damaging winds the main concerns.We are concerned about isolated supercell development near or over the I-35 corridor this evening. Any storms that are able to develop could do so rapidly, and turn dangerous in a hurry. Make sure you download the KXAN Weather App and enable your location to receive severe weather alerts for your area.After an isolated severe storm, the "main event" comes along a cold front later tonight. The front is bringing scattered severe thunderstorms to the Hill Country this evening that are expected to move into the Austin area starting between 10-11 p.m. Storms will linger in many areas through the overnight hours.Showers will taper off early Thursday morning, with a pleasant, cooler day. Saturday night storms bring tennis ball size...

City of Austin Parks and Rec Dept. hiring for full-time temporary positions, offering up to $800 in bonuses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:31:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Wednesday, the City of Austin announced a new bonus program within the Parks and Recreation Department to attract would-be workers with a bit of extra money.The city said the department needs cashiers, ground assistants and maintenance workers for the spring and summer. There are currently about 50 full-time temporary positions needing to be filled.People can get up to $800 in bonuses depending on the number of hours worked, according to the city.The city said an employee must work a certain number of hours until October 31, 2023, to be eligible. With 400 hours worked, there is a $400 bonus, and at 600 hours worked another $400 bonus would be added.The department is also offering similar bonuses to lifeguards this summer. The jobs themselves pay $20 an hour.

'Fix it:' Senators urged to pass bill to eliminate paper tags

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:31:00 GMT

KXAN (AUSTIN) -- State senators heard testimony on a bill Wednesday that would replace Texas' temporary paper license plates with metal ones. The bill, SB 2567 -- similar to one introduced in the House -- aims to crack down on widespread fraud and criminal activity tied to paper tags. It's a problem KXAN has investigated for years. Among those who testified: A Dallas-area police chief whose officer was killed last November while pursuing a suspect with a bogus paper tag."Fraudulent paper tags are the criminal instrument of choice for drug traffickers, human smugglers, auto theft rings, street gangs, street takeover groups," said Grand Prairie Police Chief Daniel Scesney. "And, yes, cop killers."His officer's death isn't the only one linked to fraudulent paper tags.Scesney gave lawmakers a copy of a fraudulent paper license plate his team made with a working QR code to show how easy it can be done -- even with the state's new security-enhanced features.He said his officers have seize...

Poop pills: First med to transplant healthy bacteria in fecal matter wins FDA approval

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:31:00 GMT

WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials on Wednesday approved the first pill made from healthy bacteria found in human waste to fight dangerous gut infections — an easier way of performing so-called fecal transplants.The new treatment from Seres Therapeutics provides a simpler, rigorously tested version of stool-based procedures that some medical specialists have used for more than a decade to help hard-to-treat patients.The Food and Drug Administration cleared the capsules for adults who face risks of repeat infections with Clostridium difficile, a bacteria that can cause severe nausea, cramping and diarrhea.C. diff is particularly dangerous when it reoccurs, leading to between 15,000 and 30,000 deaths per year. It can be killed with antibiotics but they also destroy good bacteria that live in the gut, leaving it more susceptible to future infections. The new capsules are approved for patients who have already received antibiotic treatment.More than 10 years ago, some doctors began repo...

Child struck by car at Steinmetz Homes in Schenectady

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:31:00 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Schenectady police are investigating after a child was struck by a vehicle on Wednesday.Around 6:20 p.m. Wednesday, police were called to the Steinmetz Homes Apartments for a report of a child being struck by a vehicle. The vehicle then fled the scene, police said. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! According to police, the vehicle was driving on the walkways within the housing complex. The child was treated at the scene and then taken to Ellis Hospital as a precaution. They did not sustain any injuries.The investigation is ongoing.