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More housing in Austin? Commission comes up with new zoning plan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In an attempt to work around Austin's decades-old Land Development Code (LDC), the planning commission is working on a new zoning category intended to incentivize more housing.The new zoning category would allow developers to come to the city with desired height, setbacks and parking, among other zoning standards in exchange for some affordable housing. The city would still get the final say.Council Member Ryan Alter explained the new zoning category like this: It "creates a base level of your allowable use -- whether that's height, floor area ratio, impervious cover -- and then what they do is they say 'we'll give you more height, in exchange for more affordability." The proposed zoning category, called "Town Zoning," was brought forward by Commissioner Greg Anderson. He pointed at the difficult zoning cases the commission has had to work through recently because of the city's outdated LDC."This will help us get a lot of housing units -- and whatever else makes sen...

Texas House panel advances bills banning puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender kids

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:36 GMT

(Texas Tribune) — Texas lawmakers are a step closer to banning puberty blockers and hormone therapies for transgender youth after the House Public Health Committee advanced Senate Bill 14 and House Bill 1686 on Friday.The committee voted 6-3 to approve the two bills, and they will now have to get through the Calendars Committee before getting to the House floor. The Senate has already passed a version of the legislation, and a majority of Texas House members have signed on to an earlier version of HB 1686.The versions of SB 14 and HB 1686 approved Friday would require trans youth already receiving puberty blockers or hormone therapy to be “weaned off the prescription drug over a period of time and in a manner that is safe and medically appropriate.” The bills would also ban surgeries, though they are rarely performed on kids.SB 14 author Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, at one point wrote her bill so that trans children already receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapies c...

Scandia-Marine Lions Club plans day of doing good

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:36 GMT

Fifteen hands-on service projects and 21 collections are planned for this year’s Scandia-Marine Lions Club’s “Service Project Sampler Day.”Scandia-Marine Lions Club member June Eagleton cuts donated jeans at the Service Project Sampler Day on April 2, 2022 at the Scandia Community Center. The pieces were donated to Sole Hope, which made them into shoes for children in Uganda. (Courtesy of Ann Rinkenberger)The free event will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Scandia Community Center.The service projects will benefit local, national and international nonprofit organizations, including local schools, Sole Hope, Color A Smile, Gammelgården Museum, Global Health Ministries, Northwoods Humane Society, Children’s Minnesota and the Wildlife Science Center.“It’s a great way for people who enjoy volunteering to come together to do a variety of service projects in one location,” said Ann Rinkenberger, event organizer. “Some people choose to work on one project for the entire time whi...

What will the Vikings’ next quarterback look like, and will they find him in this month’s draft?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:36 GMT

If Kirk Cousins hasn’t taken Minnesota to the Super Bowl, which the team expected when it made him, briefly, the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history, he has been a consistently productive passer.Since arriving as a free agent in 2018, Cousins has averaged 4,448 yards and 33 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in five seasons. And if he has only one playoff victory on his resume, he showed last season that, at age 34, he can win games with his arm.In his first season in coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense, Cousins led the Vikings to 13 victories — including the biggest comeback in NFL history — and an NFC North championship.But the Vikings are planning ahead. They have to. Signed through 2024, Cousins will be 35 on Aug. 19 and has become prohibitively expensive — $30 million guaranteed in 2023 with, because of consistent restructuring, a lot of dead money against the cap through 2024.“Quarterbacks are the most important position in our sport. These aren’t things you can’t just decide...

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Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:36 GMT

Minnesota tops U.S. in wild birds confirmed dead from avian flu

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:36 GMT

Highly pathogenic avian influenza is back killing domestic poultry and wild birds in Minnesota again this spring as huge flocks of migratory birds carry it north for another season.But, in fact, the deadly bird disease never left the state, even over our long winter, with birds dying in December and January and some new research showing the killer flu virus may survive even in cold Minnesota lake water — with no host bird — during the winter.That’s the update from wildlife biologists as the great spring migration descends on Minnesota, as the snow line recedes north and ice on lakes and rivers begins to let loose.Since the disease was first reported in Minnesota just over a year ago, some 566 birds have been tested and confirmed carrying the H5N1 strain of bird flu that’s been expanding worldwide since 2020, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wisconsin has had 211 confirmed cases and North Dakota 310 as of April 11.6,500 wild birdsNationally, more than 6,500 ...

Transport driver raped inmate en route to Ramsey County jail, lawsuit says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:36 GMT

A former Ramsey County jail inmate has filed a lawsuit alleging she was sexually assaulted by the driver of a private transport company contracted by the county and the sheriff’s office.Marquet Johnson, 44, assaulted the woman twice during a two-day trip from the Dallas County jail in Texas to the Ramsey County jail in June 2019, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court.The lawsuit names as defendants Ramsey County, the sheriff’s office and five unnamed sheriff office supervisors. Also named are Johnson and the owner of Inmate Services Corp., his former Arkansas employer that has since shut down operations following a number of other similar lawsuits and allegations across the U.S.Johnson is in federal custody and awaiting trial after a February indictment accused him of raping a woman at gunpoint during a transport from New Mexico to Colorado on Nov. 4, 2019, while he was employed by Inmate Services. “The investigation of those allegations has given ...

Vote to lower speed limits in East Greenbush

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:36 GMT

EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The town of East Greenbush wants to pump the brakes on drivers by lowering the town speed limit. Officials said there are several reasons for the slow-down.On the first warm Friday of the season, it was evident that people in town took some time and enjoyed their neighborhoods. Dog walkers were out and about and children were playing in the neighborhood.  Drivers tend to go at a different pace, a little faster, 30 mph if they're following the town speed limit. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Jack Conway, the East Greenbush Town Supervisor said, "In this town, we've had complaints about speeders in every single neighborhood."Some of those complaints have been serious ones. "One neighborhood we got a complaint because a child got hit by a car," he explained.The town is now preparing to make a change, lowering the speed limit from 30 to 25 on town roads. Signs for nearly 300 town roads wil...

Archdiocese of St. Louis closing Hillsboro school amid financial challenges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:36 GMT

HILLSBORO, Mo. - The Archdiocese of St. Louis is expected to close a Hillsboro school under its control due to financial challenges. Good Shepherd School in Hillsboro will close at the end of the current school year after serving students for 75 years in Jefferson County. Trending: The MASH spin-off set in St. Louis you probably forgot about According to the Archdiocese, Good Shepherd School is a small school challenged by increasing costs and decreasing revenue.After consultation with Good Shepherd’s parish leadership, the pastor made a recommendation to close the school after the 2022-23 academic year. Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski accepted the recommendation."I am profoundly grateful to the principal, teachers, and staff at Good Shepherd School, to allwho share their gifts in our parish and diocesan schools, and to parents raising their children inour Catholic faith, including those who have made a commitment to Catholic education," said Rozanski. "Please keep all who have are ...

Gov. Jared Polis signs 3 bills into law expanding Colorado’s protections for abortion, transgender care

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:10:36 GMT

As surrounding states continue restricting access to abortions and gender-affirming care, Colorado has now made additional protections and coverage state law.Gov. Jared Polis signed three bills that were part of Democrats’ reproductive care package Friday afternoon, surrounded by sponsors of the bills and dozens of supporters who applauded the state’s continued efforts to cement Colorado’s status as a safe haven.“I’m excited by the work of advocates and legislators to further Colorado’s reputation as a beacon of freedom, a beacon of choice, a beacon of individuality where we live our own lives on our own terms in a Colorado for all,” Polis said.In anticipation of the fall of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision, Colorado lawmakers passed legislation in 2022 guaranteeing the right to abortions in state law. Since then, they have been working to bolster access. Advocates also intend to ask voters to approve a ballot mea...