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Skilling: Cool temps Thursday night with beautiful start to Memorial Day weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:33 GMT

A swath of the Chicago area, including portions of Cook, DuPage and northwest Will counties have been categorized as in a state of severe drought by the new NWS/USDA "drought monitor"---which is those agency's official measure of U.S. drought. Little wonder this assessment has been made. May has seen 0.42" --just 12% of the normal to date of 3.54".With little prospect of additional rain the remainder of May 2023 (which ends at midnight CDT next Wednesday, the month is well on its way to becoming the 2nd dries May over the 153 year official weather record here in Chicago dating back to 1871. This follows the paltry 2.02" April tally which was just 54% normal. The current dry spell is being categorized as a developing "flash drought" by the National Weather Service.8 of the past 12 months have finished with less precipitation than normal. The current dry spell follows a series of wetter than normal months from Dec through Jan, Feb and March.It was cool today!! The high of 60 degrees e...

Police investigating 2-minute smash-and-grab at Hinsdale boutique shop

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:33 GMT

HINSDALE, Ill. — Police are investigating an overnight burglary at a high-end boutique shop in west suburban Hinsdale.At about 1:20 a.m. Wednesday, surveillance video captured at least seven people arriving in two SUVs at Kelsey's Boutique, police said. Moments later, the group is seen on video using a sledgehammer on a glass door of the business. 18-year prison sentence for Cook County man guilty of Hinsdale luxury car thefts Once inside, police said the offenders swiped several items in less than two minutes. The store reopened Thursday after being closed on Wednesday.Anyone with information is asked to call Hinsdale police.

Judge dismisses city of Chicago's lawsuit against Indiana gun store over straw gun sales

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:33 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — A judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit the city of Chicago filed against a northwestern Indiana store that alleged it sold hundreds of guns in straw purchases that ended up in the hands of felons or at crime scenes in the city.The city sued Westforth Sports Inc. of Gary in April 2021, alleging the store repeatedly violated federal gun laws and that store owner Earl Westforth ignored warnings from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives about suspicious purchases at the store. WATCH: Fight involving referee breaks out at basketball game in Indiana Cook County Circuit Court Judge Clare Quish dismissed the lawsuit. Straw gun sales refer to those that someone purportedly purchases for their own use but actually are bought for others.Attorneys for Westforth Sports argued the lawsuit should be dismissed because the city of Chicago's allegations concerned transactions between Westforth and residents of Indiana, the Chicago Tribune repor...

Racism Free School Act awaits governor's signature after approval from state lawmakers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:33 GMT

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) -- State legislators have approved a measure that would require school districts to create a policy on discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or national origin, as well as track incidents of discrimination within their districts.The Racism Free Schools Act, or Senate Bill 90, was approved Thursday by the Illinois General Assembly. The legislation now goes to Gov. JB Pritzker for his signature before being enacted into law. Teach plus hoping to pass bill that addresses racism in schools The legislation requires each district, charter school, or nonpublic, nonsectarian elementary or secondary school to create and implement a policy on discrimination and harassment based on race, color, or national origin. The legislation also requires the Illinois State Board of Education to create a data collection system to report on allegations of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation against students.“When it comes to racial harassment, words are not eno...

President Biden announces Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as pick for next Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:33 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - President Joe Biden announced Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. Thursday as his pick to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."General Charles Q Brown Jr., General, welcome," Biden said.President Biden said Brown brings a lot to the table after spending years helping shape U.S. defenses, on the ground and in the skies."More than 3,000 hours of fighting and flying experience, including 130 combat hours. He knows what it means to be in the thick of battle," Biden said.If confirmed, Brown will be the first African American to hold the position since Colin Powell finished his term in 1993."General Brown, you've been an essential leader in making our nation and our force even stronger. You've made history," the President said.Brown's prior experience as an operational leader in the Indo-pacific highlights the Pentagon's focus on deterring a future conflict with China."Our world is at an inflection point, where the decisions we make today are going to determine ...

Texas House committee recommends impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:33 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A Texas House committee voted Thursday afternoon to adopt articles of impeachment against Attorney General Ken Paxton. The five-member panel of the House Committee on General Investigating agreed unanimously to move forward with impeaching Paxton. This decision came one day after the members heard from a team of lawyers who laid out years of misconduct allegations about the three-term Republican official. The investigators began looking into Paxton in March after a proposal to use state funds to pay $3.3 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit filed by four former employees who accused Paxton of wrongdoing. They ultimately said the evidence they collected these past few months would support at least a dozen criminal charges against Paxton, which included abuse of official capacity, official oppression, securities fraud, making false statements and others.This is developing news, so KXAN will update this story with more updates when they become available.

1 person dead after motorcycle crash on north MoPac Expressway, ATCEMS says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:33 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- One person is dead as a result of a motorcycle crash in north Austin Thursday, Austin-Travis County EMS said on Twitter.Shortly before 3:30 p.m., the Austin Police Department on Twitter said officers were at the scene of the crash in the 10400 block of North MoPac Expressway. That's near Capital of Texas Highway. All southbound lanes were shut down due to the crash, police said.According to the Texas Department of Transportation, lanes 1-4 were all blocked, which includes the three main lanes and the shoulder.The crash was confirmed at approximately 2:52 p.m., according to TxDOT.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Warmer, drier weather settles in for several days

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:33 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Yet another complex of light rain moved through the Hill Country today, producing light rain totals generally under 0.25". Rain has cleared the area, with drier and warmer weather in the forecast for the next several days.Thanks to repeated storms recently, parts of the Hill Country have seen more rain in the last two weeks than they have recorded the entire year up until that point. Parts of Mason County have recorded as much as 11 inches of rain in the last 30 days. BLOG: Summer forecast released: When do 100º days begin Very warm, dry weather is in the forecast Saturday then just a slight chance of late-day rain returns on Sunday. Memorial Day brings a 30% chance of scattered late-day showers and thunderstorms. If you see lightning or hear thunder while outdoors, head inside immediately.Holiday weekend forecast INVESTIGATION: LCRA didn't plan for climate change until KXAN investigation FIRST WARNING WEATHER: Stay up to date with your Central Texas forecast, s...

Former Ravens safety Tony Jefferson returning to Baltimore to become a scout

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:33 GMT

Tony Jefferson is retiring from the NFL, but the former Ravens safety isn’t leaving football.The 31-year-old is returning to Baltimore as a scout this summer, the Ravens announced Thursday. He will be joining the team as part of the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship.The fellowship, established by the NFL in 2015 and named after former executives John Wooten and the late Bill Nunn, provides former players interested in a career in professional scouting hands-on experience as full-time members of an NFL scouting staff during a season-long internship.Jefferson has long talked about wanting to be an NFL general manager and will take that next step as one of 21 current or former players participating in the 10th annual Senior Bowl scout school June 4-7 in Mobile, Alabama, according to senior director Jim Nagy.“Scouting is something I really like doing,” Jefferson said on the Ravens’ “Studio 44″ podcast last year. “I see myself scouting even when I&...

Vikings receiver K.J. Osborn playing with a huge chip on his shoulder

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:33 GMT

K.J. Osborn has been in the NFL long enough to understand that pretty much everyone is expendable. There’s a reason the average length of an NFL career is about 3 1/2 years. There are only a handful of players on each team who are truly irreplaceable.That’s a reality Osborn had to confront this offseason when the Vikings selected Jordan Addison in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Though general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell have both gone out of their way to say that pick wasn’t an indictment on Osborn, actions speak louder than words when it comes to these types of decisions.That’s why Osborn is playing with such a huge chip on his shoulder this season. It’s not necessarily because the Vikings might have very well drafted his replacement down the road. It’s more so that he wants to prove to himself that he deserves to have staying power at the highest level.“It’s about respect, man,” Osbor...