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Man accused of intentionally setting Austin synagogue on fire to give plea Thursday afternoon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:25 GMT

Austin (KXAN) — The man accused of intentionally starting a fire at an Austin synagogue on Halloween 2021 is set to give his plea in federal court Thursday afternoon.Franklin Barrett Sechriest was indicted on three counts related to the arson investigation at Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue.An affidavit reported surveillance cameras filmed Sechriest with a gas can in his hand. Agents also found glass bottles, lighter fluid, a lighter and waterproof matches in his car. The fire was estimated to have caused $25,000 in damage, and congregants had raised at least $500,000 for repairs by late December of 2021.If convicted, the Department of Justice said Sechriest could face up to 30 years in prison for the damage to religious property charge, 20 years for the arson charge, and a mandatory 10-year sentence to run concurrently with any other sentence for the use of fire charge.A representative of Congregation Beth Israel said the synagogue plans to issue a statement to KXAN.com after Th...

Conjunto Music Festival still on, releases lineup despite losing city funding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Rancho Alegre Conjunto Music Festival is officially set for the last weekend of April, thanks to grassroots fundraising efforts after the fest lost the city funding it has relied on for nearly a decade. The festival is organized by the local Rancho Alegre nonprofit and celebrates the historic genre of Conjunto music in Austin. The music, played with a button accordion and bajo sexto, is commonly heard in South Texas and Northern Mexico and is considered the root of Tejano music. The festival has been a part of Austin’s music scene for more than 30 years. Since 2014, the spring festival has relied heavily on funding from the City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division. But their 2023 application was denied. ‘Cultural erasure’: Austin Conjunto music festival denied city funding — what changed? In a release, Rancho Alegre previously said it was seeking a “hail mary,” trying to raise $35,000 by the end of AmplifyATX, which is Austin’s annual day of giving, to fund the ...

Former Gophers wing Jamison Battle to transfer to Ohio State

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:25 GMT

Former Gophers men’s basketball player Jamison Battle announced Thursday he has committed to Ohio State.The Robbinsdale, Minn., native was Minnesota’s second-leading scorer this season and he will remain in the Big Ten Conference for his final collegiate season.Battle, who averaged 12.4 points in 2022-23, initially was going to explore his options playing professionally, most likely overseas, but then many collegiate programs reached out to him.Opportunities to make money through name, image and likeness (NIL) were involved in Battle’s decision. Battle spent two years at George Washington before first transferring to the U for two more seasons.Battle, who entered the transfer portal on March 17, also received offers from Indiana and others. He was considered the 16th-best player in the portal, per CBS Sports.An estimated 20 percent of college basketball players from the 2022-23 season have entered the portal. Minnesota had 30 percent of its roster in the portal, and now all four pla...

St. Thomas golf partners with StoneRidge Golf Club

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:25 GMT

The University of St. Thomas announced Thursday it has entered into a partnership with StoneRidge Golf Club, making the Stillwater course the home field for the Tommies’ men’s and women’s golf teams.“We could not be more appreciative and excited about this partnership with Stoneridge, which provides a premier golf facility and a true ‘home course’ for Tommie Golf!” St. Thomas vice president and athletics director Phil Esten said in a statement. “This is a tremendous boost to both of our golf programs.”The Tommies moved from NCAA Division III to Division I in 2021. The golf teams compete in the Summit League.StoneRidge was designed by Bobby Weed and features a links-style layout. The semi-private facility, which opened for play in 2000, is located 19 miles east of St. Thomas’ St. Paul campus.“We feel very fortunate to be able to partner with the University of St. Thomas at such a historic time for their programs,” said Joel Burger, CEO of WEXFORD Golf. “Our members and staff are prou...

Lake George a top relaxing vacation spot in national list

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:25 GMT

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - It's no secret that Lake George lives by the traffic of its summer tourism. In a recent summer travel forecast by vacation rental resource HomeToGo, the lakeside community was named as one of the country's trending getaway spots for a relaxing vacation. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! HomeToGo recently released its 2023 U.S. Summer Travel Forecast. Responses from a vacation survey put out by the website reported that 72% of vacationers are prioritizing relaxation over excitement when planning their next trip. Lake George was one of four locations listed for that kind of getaway.The Lake George area was listed as seeing a 59% uptick in searches year over year by prospective vacationers. The survey cited lodging prices in the region as averaging out around $113 per night per person. Other locations cited in the survey included Savannah, Georgia; Asheville, North Carolina; and Santa Fe, New Mexico....

Pittsfield PD announces new Interim Chief of Police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:25 GMT

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (NEWS10) -- The Pittsfield Police Department welcomes a new Interim Chief of Police. Mayor Linda Tyler announced that Thomas C. Dawley II, who has served in the PPD since November 2002 has accepted the appointment. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! “I am so honored that Captain Dawley accepted this interim appointment and I am confident that he will successfully lead the Pittsfield Police Department through its transition,” said Mayor Tyer. Dawley has a Master's in Criminal Justice from Boston University and a Bachelor's Degree from Western New England College. He currently serves as the Detective Bureau Captain. The interim assignment will formally begin at some point in the future. Chief Michael Wynn remains in full command of the department.

Crossing With Dignity Act in the works

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:25 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Albany City Councilmember Gabriella Romero backs the Crossing With Dignity Act. It targets pedestrian actuation devices—"beg buttons"—located near intersections that eventually trigger a walk signal once pushed, and ideally creating a safe window when pedestrians can cross. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "This legislation," explained Romero, "would remove our reliance on the pedestrian actuation devices and give an automatic pedestrian signal at every intersection." She hopes that, if passed, it will lend an extra layer of protection to those walking the streets of Albany. After all, according to the Department of Health, an average of 312 pedestrians are killed by vehicles in New York each year.Councilman Owusu Anane sees removing the requirement, but not the use of the buttons, as a way to make the city of Albany more accessible to everyone. "We want to make sure that individuals, particularly wit...

Five identified from deadly Missouri tornado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:25 GMT

BOLLINGER COUNTY, Mo. - Authorities have identified five people who died from Wednesday's tornado in southern Missouri. The Bollinger County Sheriff's Office has identified the victims as: Glenn Burcks, 62Destinee Koenig, 16Michael McCoy, 18Jimmy Skaggs, 37Susan Sullivan, 57According to the National Weather Service, an EF-2 tornado formed in Bollinger County around 3:30 a.m. It lasted nearly half an hour and peaked with gusts up to 130 miles per hour over a 22-mile path. Much of the destruction happened in the Glenallen and Grassy communities near Marble Hill, Missouri. There was extensive damage to homes, uprooted trees and crushed cars. Debris remains scattered around many homes and roads, while a local fire station was also destroyed. Top Story: Five people in one trailer died when a tornado sucked it away Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley both visited Bollinger County to assess damage in the aftermath. Gov. Parson says he plans to use all state resources ava...

Missouri boy harvests all-white wild turkey in weekend hunt

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:25 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Blue Springs, Missouri, 7-year-old nabbed his first wild turkey during a weekend hunting trip, and it's a prize worthy of a lifetime of storytelling.On April 1, Chayson Emmons visited Settle's Ford Conservation Area with his father, David, and a friend during the spring youth hunting season for turkey.Chayson and David were scanning the grounds when David noticed something dart across his line of sight.“I saw something white moving across a field, and I thought, is that a cat?” David said.It was an all-white turkey. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW As David helped his son prepare to shoot, their hunting buddy, Justin Youngblood, began making wild hen calls to draw the bird's attention. The white turkey gobbled back, a...

Kelly Clarkson surprises St. Louis couple with $20K for feeding needy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:25 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Kelly Clarkson surprised one St. Louis couple with $20,000 for their efforts to feed community members in need. Riz Khan and Farah Alam are co-founders of the Little Angels Foundation, a nonprofit that offers thousands of free meals to people in need around the St. Louis community. On Thursday, they had the opportunity to speak about Little Angels and their mission on the Kelly Clarkson Show. "We will help anybody, no questions asked," said Alam. Trending: What needs to happen for the Battlehawks to make XFL playoffs? Khan and Alam say their mission is to set up an at-home community kitchen several times a week. They hope to inspire neighbors and volunteers to cook and serve meals for those less fortunate. Kelly Clarkson thanked Khan and Alam for their support and willingness to help people who have fallen on hard times during Thursday's show. Before they left, she announced a major surprise: $20,000 to support the at-home community kitchen."We love your commitment to...