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11-year-old killed in Iowa school shooting was a joyful boy known as ‘Smiley,’ his mother says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:07:52 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ahmir Jolliff dashed out of his home in Perry Thursday morning, eager to see his friends on the first day back to school after winter break.It was vintage Ahmir — known as “Smiley” around his house — an 11-year-old whirlwind of cheerful activity. He kept a trunk of toys unlocked in the front yard so anyone could play with them, his mother said. He loved soccer, played the tuba and sang in choir. He had a habit of touching people on their shoulder and asking them how their day was.Ahmir was killed Thursday before class even started, when a 17-year-old student at Perry High School opened fire in the cafeteria. The sixth-grader, who attended the middle school that’s connected to the high school, was shot three times, authorities said. Seven others, including the school’s principal, two other staff members and four students, were wounded before the shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.Ahmir’s mother, Erica Jolliff, said on that morning...

Glendale Heights man accused in deadly 2020 shooting on West Side

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:07:52 GMT

CHICAGO — Charges have been filed against a Glendale Heights man accused in a fatal shooting in late 2020 on the city's West Side.According to Chicago police, 22-year-old Angel Avelar has been charged with one count of first-degree murder in connection with the deadly shooting that allegedly occurred just after 3:10 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2020.Police say the shooting, which allegedly unfolded in the 2300 block of South Wood Street, left a 57-year-old man dead. Search underway after string of arsons on North Side Officers say Avelar was located in the 1100 block of South Cedar Street in Glendale Heights on Thursday and was taken into custody by members of the Chicago Police Department and the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force.Avelar is set to appear in court on Saturday for a detention hearing.Police have not yet identified the man killed or provided details on what led to the shooting.

Trump tells Iowans to 'get over' recent school shooting: 'We have to move forward'

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:07:52 GMT

(The Hill) — Former President Donald Trump shared his condolences for the victims and their families of a recent school shooting in Iowa during a campaign stop in the Hawkeye State Friday — but then urged his supporters to "move forward.""I want to send our support and our deepest sympathies to the victims and families touched by the terrible school shooting yesterday in Perry, Iowa,” Trump said during a campaign rally in Sioux City. “It’s just horrible, so surprising to see it here," he added. "But have to get over it, we have to move forward." Trump Jr. on Jan. 6 riot anniversary: ‘Happy Fake Insurrection Day!’ His somewhat harsh rhetoric comes after a gunman entered Perry High School on Thursday morning, the first day back from winter break, with a pump action shotgun and handgun. He shot and killed one student, and left several others injured — including the school principal, authorities confirmed.The suspect, 17-year-old Dylan Butler, then shot and killed himself as law enfor...

No. 10 Texas hands West Virginia its 1st loss of the season, Booker notches double-double

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:07:52 GMT

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Freshman Madison Booker had 15 points and a season-high 12 rebounds and she shook off a scary fall late to lead No. 10 Texas to a 70-49 win over No. 24 West Virginia on Saturday.West Virginia entered the game third nationally with 25 forced turnovers per game. But Texas (15-1, 2-1 Big 12) fought through West Virginia’s full-court press for easy early layups and never trailed.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersThe Mountaineers (13-1, 2-1) couldn’t recover from a poor beginning and saw the second-best start in school history snapped. West Virginia opened the game 2 of 12 from the floor and fell behind 23-11.Booker, a freshman, scored eight points in the second quarter and the Longhorns' lead grew steadily the rest of the game. Texas Tech says Pop Isaacs is ‘in good standing’ after report of lawsuit alleging sexual assault Shaylee Gonzales added 15...

Who's running for Missouri governor in 2024?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:07:52 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Five Missouri state offices, including the governor's seat, are up for grabs in the general election this November. Mike Parson inherited the Missouri governor's seat after Eric Greitens resigned in 2018. Parson finished up that term and was elected to another full term in 2020. He is no longer eligible to run again, setting the stage for a new governor in 2025. Missouri's gubernatorial election is set for Nov. 5, 2024. Candidates must file paperwork for a run for governor by March 26. The primary elections, to choose one candidate from each party, are set for Aug. 6. Heading into the new year, FOX 2 has learned of at least eight people who plan to run for the Missouri governor's office. That includes four Republican candidates, three Democratic candidates, and one Independent Party candidate. Republican candidatesJay Ashcroft, currently serving as the Missouri Secretary of State. Mike Kehoe, currently serving as the Missouri Lieutenant Governor. Bill Eigel, a...

Most common domestic destinations from St Louis Lambert International Airport

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:07:52 GMT

Air travel looks very different now than it did just a few years ago when the coronavirus pandemic grounded folks around the world, putting a halt to travel for both leisure and business.In 2020, passenger traffic on U.S. airlines was at its lowest since the mid-1980s, with just 369 million passengers. In 2021, the U.S. started to get back to more normal air travel levels, and by 2022, the country was up to 853 million airline passengers. By the looks of it, 2023 is likely to outpace those numbers and return to pre-pandemic levels—nearly 3 million people flew in and out of U.S. airports daily as of April 2023, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Organization.When you're at the airport, shuffling around with your roller bag, backpack, neck pillow, and water bottle among the thousands of other passengers doing the same, you're probably not too concerned with more than your flight. Is it on time? Who will be sitting next to you? Did your checked bag...

Woman sexually assaulted on Boulder bike path

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:07:52 GMT

A woman was sexually assaulted early Saturday on a Boulder bike path, according to the Boulder Police Department.The woman was walking along the bike path west of Foothills Parkway just north of Baseline about 3 a.m. when an unknown man assaulted her.She described the man as having mid-forehead-length brown hair and a deep, low voice, police said. There was a second suspect, but no description was given for that person.Detectives ask anyone who may have witnessed this incident to please contact them at 303-441-1951 or at [email protected] ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Man accused of kidnappings, sexual assault in Denver may have more victims, police say Crime and Public Safety | How jails and courtrooms became Colorado’s mental health safety net — and why that isn’t working

San Jose wants to curb spike in homeless traffic deaths

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:07:52 GMT

(BCN) -- Eduardo Almanza has been homeless on and off for years. He's had a number of close calls with cars and the VTA light rail in San Jose, and he openly admits to becoming disoriented and ending up in the road. He said he's seen friends with bruises and sprained ankles caused by drivers not paying attention to people crossing the streets."Remind people to yield to pedestrians, something as simple as that," the 33-year-old told San Jose Spotlight. "A lot of the times we forget those little things, right? Because we're in such a rush to get back to work from lunch." Alaska Airlines grounding all Boeing 737 MAX-9s after hole blows open in cabin A five-year data analysis conducted by the Vision Zero Task Force, a San Jose traffic safety program, shows a sharp increase in homeless traffic fatalities from 2018 to 2022, with five deaths in 2018 that grew to a total of 51 by 2022. As a result of these findings, Vision Zero is increasing its outreach to people in encampments in an eff...

Federal officials order grounding of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners after plane suffers a blowout

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:07:52 GMT

Federal officials on Saturday ordered the immediate grounding of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners until they are inspected after an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage.The required inspections take around four to eight hours per aircraft and affect about 171 airplanes worldwide. Alaska Airlines in a statement said that of the 65 737 Max 9 aircraft in its fleet, crews had inspected the paneled-over exits as part of recent maintenance work on 18 planes, and those were cleared to return to service Saturday. The inspection process for the remaining aircraft in the fleet was expected to be completed in the coming days, the company said.An Alaska Airlines jetliner blew out a portion of its fuselage shortly after takeoff 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) above Oregon late Friday, creating a gaping hole that forced the pilots to make an emergency landing as its 171 passengers and six crew members donned oxygen masks.No one was seriously hurt as...

New FAFSA and Dream Act applications launched

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:07:52 GMT

(BCN) -- The 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid and California Dream Act Application are now available online for students seeking financial aid for college.Both financial aid forms, typically launched in October, were delayed while major revisions were made to the applications, according to the California Student Aid Commission. Man with cancer marries love of his life at Wilma Chan Highland Hospital The Federal Student Aid Office integrated tax data into the FAFSA form so most families will have prepopulated data on the form, making filing it more efficient. The formula to determine eligibility also has been updated to make more students eligible for aid, according to a news release from the California Student Aid Commission.The new FAFSA application is in a soft launch phase, so it may not always be available initially while the office continues to make technical updates to the site. If information is submitted during the soft launch, it will be saved.The Californ...