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As India’s electrical grid strains, rural hospitals and clinics find reliable power in rooftop solar

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:15 GMT

RAICHUR, India (AP) — In the searing heat that often envelops Raichur, an ancient town in southern India, a ceiling fan that spins without interruption brings sweet relief for the newborn babies and their mothers at the Government Maternity Hospital.But such respite wasn’t always guaranteed in a region where frequent power cuts to India’s overmatched electrical grid can last hours. It wasn’t until the hospital installed rooftop solar panels a year ago that it could depend on constant electricity that keeps the lights on, patients and staff comfortable and vaccines and medicines safely refrigerated.The diesel generator that used to provide emergency backup — spewing planet-warming gases and toxic smoke within breathing distance of newborns every time it was running — is gone. So is the need to use flashlights to see during one of the hospital’s roughly 600 births per year, as staff sometimes had to do amid a sudden blackout if the old generators weren’t ...

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific sacks crew members accused of discriminating against non-English speakers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:15 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways has dismissed three cabin crew members after a passenger accused them of discriminating against non-English speakers, in a case that drew criticism from Chinese state media. Airline CEO Ronald Lam expressed his apologies Tuesday to the passenger and the community over the incident, which occurred on a flight from Chengdu in southwest China to Hong Kong on Sunday. He reiterated his company’s “zero tolerance” of any serious breach of its policies and code of conduct. “There is no compromise for such violations,” he said in a statement. The sacking came after the passenger complained in an online post that some crew members were disrespectful to passengers who did not speak English or Cantonese, the language widely spoken in Hong Kong. The person accused them of making fun of passengers’ English ability when they asked for blankets and other disrespectful behavior.Cathay issued an apology on Monday on the Chinese soc...

Residents sound off at city meeting on plan to move migrants to Wilbur Wright College during summer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:15 GMT

CHICAGO — City, public safety and educational officials gathered at Wilbur Wright College Tuesday evening to discuss the City's plans to move hundreds of asylum seekers to the institution over the summer.The meeting was at capacity, with more than 500 people estimated to be in attendance inside the college's gym, and City leaders explained asylum seekers will be coming to Chicago as early as Saturday."I will level with you, there is a bus on the way from Laredo, Texas right now that is going to arrive in Chicago tomorrow afternoon," said Matt Doughtie, emergency coordinator for the OEMC. "As it stands right now, we don’t know exactly where we’re putting these people. That’s why it’s so critical today to help expand capacity across the system.”Chicago police officials at the meeting said more than 800 asylum seekers have been staying at police stations, necessitating the need for more facilities being available to house them so officers can perform the jobs they are employed to do."O...

Teen fights off mom to save sister from being drowned after 2nd sister killed: sheriff

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:15 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A mother drowned one of her daughters in their South Carolina home and was trying to kill another child when the oldest daughter was awakened by screams and managed to save her sister, a sheriff said.Jamie Bradley Brun, 37, was charged with murder and attempted murder after the attack early Friday in their home on St. Helena Island, Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said at a news conference.Brun has talked to investigators and Tanner called it a horrific crime but told reporters he wouldn't say why Brun wanted to kill her children.“I’m not a mental health expert. It’s not my job to determine if someone has a mental health problem," the sheriff said.Brun's 16-year-old daughter was asleep around 1:30 a.m. Friday when her 8-year-old sister's screams woke her up. The sheriff wouldn’t detail how the mother was trying to drown her child, but said the girl's cries were coming from the bathroom.The teen went into the bathroom and managed to wrest her sister away fro...

Overnight storms may bring gusty winds, hail and lightning

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Isolated severe thunderstorms early Tuesday evening brought quarter to egg size hail to Jonestown, with the top hail report measuring 2 inches in diameter. Those storms have since weakened, but we are focused now on an additional round of severe weather possible overnight. BLOG: Summer forecast released: When do 100º days begin Severe Thunderstorm Watch in effect for San Saba and Lampasas counties until 2 a.m.After midnight, a second complex of strong to severe thunderstorms will enter the northwestern Hill Country. Hail is possible, but gusty winds and lightning appear to be the main things to watch for.Tonight's severe storm riskClouds/radar forecast at 4 a.m. with storms in the Hill CountryThe complex of storms will likely weaken below severe criteria as it enters the Austin Metro area, most likely between 4-6 a.m. Wednesday. Heavy rain and gusty winds are expected in some areas. The rain will likely clear by your morning commute.Clouds/radar forecast at 6 a.m....

Pflugerville police identify man found dead in home, identify person of interest in case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:15 GMT

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) -- The Pflugerville Police Department is investigating after a man was found dead inside a home on Saturday. Officers responded to a welfare check call around 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the 700 block of Campfire Trail. When they entered the house, officers found a man dead.In a news release Tuesday, police identified the man as Jesse Fraga, 80, of Pflugerville.Pflugerville PD said it was an isolated incident, and there is no known threat to the public. Image of Raul Meza Jr. provided by the Pflugerville Police DepartmentImage of Raul Meza Jr. provided by the Pflugerville Police DepartmentPolice also identified the person of interest in the case as Raul Meza Jr. Meza was last seen driving a gray Toyota Tundra owned by Fraga, which has since been recovered by police, the release said.Anyone with information about this incident should contact Pflugerville PD at (512) 990-6700, [email protected], or by visiting its website.

New flood mapping tool to give Williamson County residents more warning during heavy rain

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:15 GMT

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Williamson County's commissioners court Tuesday approved its emergency management department to acquire its first-ever real-time flood mapping application. This in an effort to improve emergency responses in the event of severe weather and flooding.Michael Shoe, emergency management director for the county, said the FloodMapp system provides data that predicts where and how much rain will fall at any given time. It also provides real-time flood updates and looks ahead 72 hours to what areas would be affected most by a flood.He said the system will be incorporated into his department's storm-tracking arsenal within the week and will later be integrated into the county's emergency alert system, WarnCentralTexas."We have a lot more people to warn. New residents of the county and other cities, we don't want to fail them," Shoe said.The price tag of getting the data-system is about $750,000 to be paid using funds from a 2019 road bond, Shoe said.Juliette...

In-depth, legal look at the first Austin police officer to stand trial in Travis County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Over the years, Austin police officers have been indicted on charges stemming from deadly shootings, but none have gone to a criminal trial.Officer Scott Glasgow was indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury in the 2003 shooting death of Jessie Owens. Jurors still needed in trial of Austin police officer accused of murder That indictment was thrown out because it lacked criminal charges.APD Officer Christopher Taylor is the first to stand trial for murder in Travis County.Taylor, 31, is accused of shooting and killing Michael Ramos, 42, during a confrontation with police in a south Austin apartment complex parking lot in July 2020. His trial was expected to start Wednesday, but when KXAN checked in on jury selection Tuesday evening, Taylor’s attorney Ken Ervin said they did not end the day with enough jurors to proceed to trial, and will have to bring an additional jury panel in Wednesday morning.“I was thinking back on my time at the DA’s office, and I don't recall m...

St. Paul school surveys after stabbing death show desire for tougher student consequences

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:15 GMT

Students, staff and parents want tougher consequences for student misbehavior, along with more mental health support and perhaps the return of school resource officers, according to St. Paul Public Schools surveys conducted following a fatal stabbing at Harding High School.For now, district administrators are recommending only modest changes, such as promoting a tip line, establishing calming rooms in schools and restoring as many yellow bus routes as possible so that high school students don’t have to use Metro Transit.Through surveys and listening sessions about school safety, the district has heard from more than 9,000 people since the Feb. 10 stabbing.Jackie Turner, executive chief of administration and operations, said some may have expected the district to propose immediate changes based on the survey results, such as bringing back school resource officers, but the surveys produced no obvious mandates.“What we thought we were going to see we didn’t necessarily see,...

Loons bow out of U.S. Open Cup with a 4-0 loss to Houston

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:18:15 GMT

Minnesota United’s 4-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo in the U.S. Open Cup round of 16 could be chalked up to bad luck.But there’s also the adage of creating your own luck, and the Loons didn’t do themselves any favors at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston on Tuesday.Kervin Arriaga suffered two yellow cards in the first half, and his cumulative red card Tuesday put his team down to 10 men when they were already down a goal.Between Arriaga’s bookings, Loons winger Bongi Hlongwane’s handball in the box led to a penalty kick from Corey Baird, which he converted past Clint Irwin in the 34th minute.The Dynamo broke it open in the second half, with Baird registered a hat trick with goals in the 68th minute and 88th minute. Aliyu Ibrahim scored on a breakaway in the 80th.Houston will face Austin FC or Chicago Fire in the quarterfinals June 6-7. Those two MLS sides will play their round of 16 match at 8 p.m. Wednesday.As the Loons won two straight in the national tournament, manager Adrian Heath a...