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West Side communities recovering from days of severe flooding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:26 GMT

CHICAGO -- After multiple days of flooding following severe weather a few weeks ago, residents on the city's West Side are still dealing with the aftermath. On July 2, Cook County was hammered by the most rain its seen in decades and Chicago's west side and near west suburbs were hit the hardest.State officials said they've received damage reports from 14,000 homes from residents in Austin, Berwyn, Cicero, and Stickney. FEMA are working with state officials to assess the damage, with hopes of getting people the financial assistance they need.Mayor Johnson also stopped by some West Side homes to show his support to those being affected by the severe flooding damage. City officials said if residents have not reported flooding at their home are encouraged call 311 to schedule an assessment.

Man suffers concussion after being hit by phone while riding Cedar Point roller coaster

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:26 GMT

SANDUSKY, Ohio (WJW) – A guest at an Ohio amusement park was injured after being hit by a cellphone while riding a roller coaster Saturday.According to a statement from Cedar Point, the guest was riding the Maverick when he was hit by a phone that fell out of another rider’s pocket. The injured person was treated by the Cedar Point first aid team and released, according to the park.The man, identified by the Detroit Free Press as David Carter, told the paper he was struck in the head and started bleeding. He said he was diagnosed with a concussion the next day. ‘Permanent, disabling injuries’: Woman hit by piece of roller coaster sues Ohio theme park’s parent company According to the statement from Cedar Point, the Valravn, GateKeeper, Rougarou, Magnum XL-200, Steel Vengeance, and Millennium Force rides do not allow any loose articles while riding.The park does, however, require Maverick riders to remove their earrings. Riders can also only wear glasses "if they are secured with a...

High temps, poor air quality making for unbearable combination around Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:26 GMT

CHICAGO -- Chicagoland could face days of high temperatures, along with poor air quality to close out the week.Cook County Health Emergency Physician Dr. Michael Schinglbeck encourages people to keep their time outside limited as prolonged exposure to the heat can lead to serious consequences."The heat is very challenging my best advice is to listen to your body," Dr. Schinglbeck said. "When it's this hot and humid your body's ability to cool down and you get hypothermic quickly."Chicagoland also has been dealing with poor air quality due to the Canadian wildfires.Dr. Schinglbeck said it's not a good combination as things can get bad very quickly for people with respiratory issues. He advises people to stay inside in an air conditioned are, drink lots of water, and take breaks if working outside.Large crowds were cooling off at local pools to beat the intense heat on Tuesday.

Broken needle removed from Illinois woman's spine after 20 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:26 GMT

FAYETTE COUNTY, Ill. (KTVI) - Amy Garrison lives on a quiet farm with her husband in southern Illinois. She enjoys the peace of Fayette County, but for the past two decades, she had been in pain.Garrison had a portion of an epidural needle stuck in her spine, which she said was left there nearly 20 years ago when she gave birth at a naval hospital in Florida. Garrison said an anesthesiologist at that hospital broke off about 2 inches of the needle in her back, and never told her what had happened.The needle was not discovered until years later. Last week, Garrison was finally able to have the needle removed. Earlier this month, she admitted the pain she was feeling was becoming too much to bear, telling Nexstar's KTVI it included a burning sensation in her legs, buttocks, and feet. Getting to sleep was also a challenge. West Side communities recovering from days of severe flooding There is hope, though.On Monday, one week after the procedure, Garrison told KTVI she was glad the ne...

Salmonella outbreak affecting multiple states linked to ground beef: CDC

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:26 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — The CDC is investigating a new salmonella outbreak that has led to multiple hospitalizations. In an alert issued Tuesday, the agency said at least 16 people have fallen ill — and six required hospitalization — as part of the salmonella outbreak. Illnesses linked to this investigation were first reported in late April, and the most recent was in mid-June. While investigators are still reviewing the incidents, they say nine patients reported eating ground beef before falling ill. Those who remembered the ground beef they purchased identified it as 80% lean beef purchased at ShopRite locations in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. Among the 16 people who became ill, nine live in New Jersey. Five are from New York, and Connecticut and Massachusetts have each confirmed one case of salmonella that was linked to this outbreak. The CDC warns there could be more sick people, in these states or others, who recovered without medical care and are therefore not tes...

Suburban boat rental owner accused of tossing rider's phone in water during argument

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:26 GMT

ANTIOCH, Ill. — An owner of a boat rental business in the far north suburbs was charged after a boat became stuck under a bridge and an argument with renters ensued. The business owner is accused of thrown a cell phone into the water during the argument.According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the sheriff’s marine unit was called to The Boatyard in the 42100 block of North 4th Avenue in unincorporated Antioch around 6 p.m. on Saturday.Kristen Wooden, 36, called to report that one of her rental boats was stuck under the Route 12 railroad bridge.The sheriff’s office reports that as the marine unit was responding to the scene, Wooden called 911 to report the renters of the boat were damaging her property. She did not however say what the renters were doing specifically, the sheriff’s office said.Marine unit deputies arrived around 6:20 p.m. and observed Wooden at the edge of her pier “engaged in a verbal altercation with the occupants of the boat.” The boat was not yet docked.Woo...

Texas DPS has new focus on downtown Austin patrols

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As the Texas Department of Public Safety continues its patrols in Austin, there's a new focus on downtown deployments."When we technically ended the partnership, that was one of the areas we added troopers to have a bigger impact on the overall crime," DPS Regional Director Vincent Luciano said during a forum with the Downtown Austin Alliance this month. "We're looking at historical data, typically late night was one of the big issues, we have more troopers that are downtown late night when [there's] a lot of the crime." Traffic stops we saw in Austin during a ride-along with Texas DPS Over the weekend, DPS troopers assisted Austin Police when a gun accidentally went off inside a Sixth Street bar. The agency said troopers primarily assisted with crowd control while APD worked the scene itself. DPS said troopers also helped administer first aid to one of the people who got hurt.DPS has always had a presence in Austin, but in March, 80 additional troopers and 20 add...

BookPeople in Austin joins lawsuit challenging new Texas law about ‘sexually explicit’ books

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:26 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Two Texas bookstores filed a lawsuit Tuesday in hopes of blocking a state law from going into effect that would require sellers to rate books based on their sexual content and possibly result in the removal of titles from school library shelves. BookPeople in Austin along with the Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston are suing several Texas leaders over House Bill 900, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law last month. The plaintiffs also include the American Booksellers Association, the Association of American Publishers, the Authors Guild and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. DOJ files lawsuit against Texas over buoy barrier in Rio Grande They claim this law, which is set to go into effect on Sept. 1, is unconstitutional and should be blocked by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division. They contend it particularly violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments "because it is an overbroad and vague content-based law that targets prote...

Trial for man charged with assaulting an older man while in confederate costume begins

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:26 GMT

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) –  Jury selection began Monday for a man charged with assaulting an older man while dressed as a Confederate soldier outside the Georgetown courthouse, where there is a Confederate monument, according to police documents.Lee Rader Wallace, 67, was charged with assaulting a 66-year-old man who was attending a demonstration related to the statue on April 3, 2021, per Rader Wallace’s arrest warrant affidavit.The victim told police he was listening to a speaker talking about the monument and went to read the inscription at the bottom of the statue. While reading, he felt someone shove him and was forced him into a seated position. This person then ripped the victim’s facemask from his face, according to police documents.  Police say there is video evidence showing Rader Wallace in a Confederate costume making contact with the victim in front of the Georgetown monument.Assault against an elderly person – older than 65 – has a higher penalty than ...

MN State Fair 2023: What’s new, what’s changing and what’s gone

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:26 GMT

This year’s Minnesota State Fair is poised to be a big one, folks — and it’s less than a month away.Last year, the fair continued to bounce back from Covid-19 disruptions with a total attendance of 1,842,222 across the 12 days. That’s 42 percent higher than 2021 and among the best-attended Minnesota State Fairs of all time.When the State Fair opens Thursday, Aug. 24, many beloved traditions will remain the same, from the Giant Slide to the fireworks. But as always, new attractions give us plenty to explore. This year also marks milestone birthdays for some fair favorites, including the Amateur Talent Contest (50 years), the second gopher mascot Fairborne (40 years) and Little Farm Hands (20 years).From greater accessibility to the end of red paper Mighty Midway tickets, here are the highlights of what’s changing, what’s new, and what’s gone at this year’s Fair:Judson Avenue was packed with people at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. (Scott Takushi / ...