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US House passes bill targeting dangerous street drug ‘tranq’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – A bipartisan bill, introduced by U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), which aims to combat the increasingly prevalent street drug, xylazine, is headed to President Joe Biden’s desk. Xylazine, commonly referred to as “tranq,” is a non-opiate sedative authorized in the U.S. only for veterinary use. The Northeast has seen the worst impact of the drug, but it has been detected in all regions of the U.S., according to reports. MORE: Xylazine, a sometimes deadly animal tranquilizer, detected in Texas supply One study of 10 U.S. cities found that while in 2015, xylazine was detected in only 1% of overdose deaths, in 2020, almost 7% of overdose deaths involved the substance. Further, in Maryland, between 2021 and 2022, researchers detected xylazine in 80% of drug samples that contained opioids, according to the CDC. “Our common sense, bipartisan legislation will help law enforcement better detect a deadly drug that is destroying lives in my...

UT engineering students aid in Project Connect light rail design near Lady Bird Lake

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Engineering students at The University of Texas at Austin will have a tangible impact on the city's Project Connect program, participating in a semester-like project that assisted in design and engineering work related to the upcoming light rail system.For more than 10 years, UT's civil engineering program has offered a class that recruits projects from different clients like Project Connect and the City of Austin, said Robert Ramon, co-instructor at UT. PROJECT CONNECT NEWS: How specialty glasses are helping design Austin’s light rail system This semester's project centered on regrading part of the site where the light rail trains will travel from Trinity Street down to the other side of Lady Bird Lake, UT civil engineering student Thais Lobo-Emond told KXAN."We had to regrade the site for walking and bicycle trails to make sure that we can get good grades to meet the existing trail," she said.Alvin Livingstone, senior vice president of engineering at Austin Trans...

Austin leaders pitch 'HOME' initiative 2 days before city council vote

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- City of Austin leaders answered questions about the HOME initiative Tuesday, two days before Austin City Council is expected to vote on phase one of that initiative. Speakers included Council Member Leslie Pool, who brought the proposal forward, alongside several local groups including the EMS Association, Habitat for Humanity and AARP Texas. "Austin has changed and now the single family neighborhoods aren't accessible for the middle class anymore, we can't deny this fact and I won't look away from it," Pool said. Meanwhile, protesters standing outside of the news conference asked for the upcoming vote on the HOME initiative to be postponed until more community engagement could be done. "We are not against just having more housing and more density, we want that, we need that for our communities, but it needs to be done in a way that won't displace folks," one protester said.Those against HOME have said they worry affordable single family homes could be demolished to...

Woman who threw puppy during Ramsey County pursuit given probation, banned from owning animals

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

A Minneapolis woman who admitted to throwing a puppy from a stolen pickup truck during a pursuit with Ramsey County deputies has been sentenced to three years of probation and ordered not to own animals.Raylean Chastity Gurneau, 27, was a passenger in the truck when she threw the pitbull puppy into the path of a pursuing squad car in Arden Hills on Jan. 30. The puppy survived, but had a broken leg and several cuts. Despite surgery and behavioral rehabilitation, the dog was euthanized in April.Gurneau pleaded guilty in August to animal cruelty and making a false 911 call, and on Monday Ramsey County District Judge Adam Yang gave her a downward departure from state sentencing guidelines.Yang stayed a two-year prison sentence and ordered Gurneau, who had spent 171 days in custody after her arrest, to complete 50 hours of community service and “not to own or have custody over any pet or animal” during probation.In March, Gurneau was also sentenced to three years of probation after plead...

Ongoing push to address healthcare worker shortage

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

 ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)-- Ahead of the new legislative session, lawmakers and healthcare providers are calling for an increase in Medicaid rates and money to invest in healthcare vocational programs."As you know last year, there was a request from the hospitals statewide, for a 20% increase in Medicaid rates," said Assemblyman John McDonald. "The legislature made a historic move and was able to work with the governor to achieve a 7.5% increase which is a step in the right direction."However, McDonald said the 7.5% increase is not enough. Hospitals, especially those Upstate, are burdened with high staffing costs and a shortage of nurses. Iroquois Healthcare Alliance, which represents over 50 hospitals in New York State, recently conducted a survey."64, almost 65% of hospitals have negative margins in our region," explained Gary Fitzgerald, president and CEO of Iroquois Healthcare Association. "The vacancy rates for RNs are still 20%. That is unacceptable."On top of there already being...

Pennsylvania man arrested on felony drug charges

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A 35-year-old from Scranton, Pennsylvania, is facing felony drug charges following a traffic stop on I-90 on Saturday. State Police charged Shane R. Wolf with criminal possession of cannabis in the first and second degree. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Police conducted a traffic stop after observing a Vehicle and Traffic Law violation. Police located over ten pounds of cannabis and more than two pounds of concentrated cannabis in the vehicle.The drugs reportedly belonged to Wolf, who was a passenger in the vehicle. Police seized the drugs and released the driver. Wolf was arraigned at the Mohawk Town Court and released on his own recognizance.

St. Louis prosecutor says he's tried 45% more cases than predecessor

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Prosecution of violent crime in St. Louis is rising sharply in the six months since an embattled progressive prosecutor was replaced by an appointed circuit attorney, according to the prosecutor's office.Gabe Gore said Tuesday that his office has prosecuted 45% more cases than in the same six-month period of 2022, when Kim Gardner was the city's top prosecutor. Gore, speaking at a news conference, said his office also has made a dent in a backlog of pending criminal cases by resolving about 2,500 of them — mostly violent crimes in a city with one of the highest homicide rates in the nation.“There’s no type of crime that we are looking the other way on,” Gore said. “We are enforcing the laws. We don’t accept the notion that as a citizen of the city of St. Louis you have to accept a certain amount of property crime, or what people would refer to as petty crime, as a cost of living in the city."Gore, a Democrat, was appointed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson in...

Canadians to pay for your real maple syrup at American restaurants

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Canadians are really into maple syrup. How do I know? Well, their flag has a giant maple leaf on it, and they have an organization to promote the real stuff.The Québec Maple Syrup Producers argue that too many Americans consume high-fructose imitation maple syrup without realizing it. They want to pay you back for restaurants that charge extra for real maple syrup.Maple from Canada, representing over 13,300 maple farmers, is launching the "Bill the Maple" initiative to address the extra charges for pure maple syrup at American breakfast spots. The organization will reimburse patrons who request pure maple syrup instead of defaulting to high-fructose imitations.The group says that misleading labels have led to confusion, with over half of surveyed Americans mistaking table syrup for genuine maple syrup. Consumer Reports says that while it offers some benefits over sugar, be cautious about its calorie and sugar content.Maple from Canada shared this three-step plan to rede...

Jamal Murray ankle injury update: Nuggets point guard questionable for Clippers game

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray participated in parts of the team’s practice Tuesday, coach Michael Malone said, but not in any live portions.Murray will fly with the Nuggets to Los Angeles, where they will evaluate how his ankle is feeling Wednesday morning and determine whether he’s able to play against the Clippers (8 p.m. MT, ESPN).“If he’s able to give us some minutes tomorrow night, that’d be great,” Malone said.Murray’s official injury report designation recently has been a right ankle sprain. He’s missed Denver’s last two games after turning the ankle two minutes and 19 seconds into his first game back from a right hamstring strain last Wednesday. He had been out 11 games due to the hamstring, but Malone confirmed that’s no longer an issue; any absence for Murray is entirely related to his ankle now.“Hamstring’s fine. I’ve worked enough to get it back to strength,” Murray said after his retu...

Work underway to save Orange County's beaches

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:30 GMT

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers is spearheading a major effort to save Orange County's world-famous beaches from a natural threat: erosion.The problem of disappearing sand is nothing new but has become more alarming in recent years. In March, the U.S. Geological Survey released a report predicting that rising sea levels could erode 25% to 70% of California’s coastline by 2100, The Orange County Register reported.The erosion isn’t just a threat to the beauty and recreational uses of the beaches. It also threatens infrastructure including roads, rail lines and homes.Contractors are moving sediment from the Santa Ana River to replenish sand at Newport Beach. Dec. 5, 2023. (KTLA)Contractors are using backhoes to dig up sand from the Santa Ana River while barges are dredging sediment from the ocean. While some of the material will be spread out in the immediate area of Newport Beach near the river, the more important work will be done further to the north. Conflicts between neighbors, ...