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St. Paul driver sentenced for I-94 wrong-way crash that injured 3

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:30:59 GMT

Lizvette Acosta wiped away tears several times during the sentencing of the motorist who in December crashed head-on into her car on Interstate 94 in St. Paul.Acosta and her brother Cesar Acosta were on their way home from work late at night Dec. 14 when Daniel Ambros-Tellez, who was driving drunk, went the wrong way on the interstate and plowed into her car.Lizvette Acosta’s car rests on the concrete median barrier after a collision on Interstate 94 near Dale Street on Dec. 14, 2022. (Courtesy of Cesar Acosta)She told the court Monday in a victim impact statement that she had no time to react, that she only “saw his headlights,” then heard the “loudest sound of metal crashing.”Injured and dazed, Acosta had a hard time getting out of her crumpled car, which was perched on top of the concrete center median. As she helped her brother from the passenger seat, he winced in pain from a bruised lung and bruised ribs.“Even now, my mind still replays different scenarios of what could’...

Gophers’ men’s basketball team healthy for first time under Ben Johnson

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:30:59 GMT

For the first time in head coach Ben Johnson’s three preseasons, the Gophers men’s basketball team has a fully healthy roster for the beginning of practices this week.“Being able to have (all) able bodies out there is music to my ears and music to those guys’ ears,” Johnson said.In each of the past two years, forwards Isaiah Ihnen and Parker Fox suffered serious season-ending knee injuries from summer workouts, which made the U shorthanded before the season even started.The Gophers also have only five new players, which is less turnover than near-complete overhauls Johnson had to endure through his first two seasons.“The excitement of having returners, so you are not re-teaching,” Johnson said. “In the summer, we developed a lot of stuff that was carry-over from the (previous) year.”Under Johnson, the Gophers went 13-17 in 2021-22 and 9-22 a year ago. Does he anticipate a noticeable jump in Year 3?“Every year you look at it that you want to be better than you did the previous year,”...

Judge rewrites abortion ballot summary, calls Ashcroft’s version 'problematic'

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:30:59 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Missouri judge is rewriting ballot language for initiative petitions, asking voters if abortion should once again be legal after the ruling said the language written by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is "problematic."Supporters of the referendum accuse Ashcroft of writing misleading ballot summary language, which is why the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Missouri filed the lawsuit, leading a Cole County judge in Jefferson City to write the summaries himself.It's been a constant court battle over an initiative petition asking voters if abortion rights should be restored in Missouri."The Secretary of State used language that is poll-tested to be anti-abortion, and he also used language that would trigger a deep emotional response to voters because the ballot summary really is what every Missourian gets to see when they go into the ballot box to check yes or no," Tori Schafer, deputy director of policy and campaigns for the ACLU of Missouri, said.In t...

Orange County doctor specializing in treating LGBTQ+ community charged with sexually assaulting male patients

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:30:59 GMT

An Orange County infectious disease doctor specializing in treating members of the LGBTQ+ community has been charged with sexually assaulting nine male patients, officials announced Tuesday.The incidents occurred “under the guise that the assaults were part of necessary medical exams,” according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.Dr. William Thompson IV, 56, of Huntington Beach, faces eight felony charges of sexual penetration by means of fraudulent representation of professional purpose, three felony counts of sexual battery by fraud and two felony counts of forcible oral copulation, officials detailed in a news release.The assaults allegedly occurred between 2016 and 2020 and included forcing one patient to orally copulate him and performing medically unnecessary anal exams.“After learning medical procedures being performed on them by Thompson were not medically necessary, six of Thompson’s patients disclosed that they had been sexually assaulted by Thompson,” officia...

Alleged sextortion victims of Riverside County custody deputy say problem is widespread

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:30:59 GMT

Victims of serious allegations against the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are coming forward after they say they were sexually assaulted while on home detention.They say it was part of a scheme by correctional deputy assigned to the jail to engage in sex acts with female inmates.Christian Heidecker is seen in a photo released by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Christian Heidecker, 32, was arrested earlier this month and faces eighteen 18 felony charges for engaging in rape, bribery and sextortion. He was placed on administrative leave from the agency, though lawyers representing two alleged victims in the case referred to him as a former deputy.“We’re are here because we’d like other victims to come forward and not to be afraid,” one victim said during a news conference announcing legal action against the county. “We just want justice because, as you see and hear, there’s crimes being done. Inside the jails is horrors being done to us,” another said. The victims we...

Why do Californians pay so much for gas?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:30:59 GMT

Gasoline prices in California edged higher again on Tuesday, hitting an average of $5.84 per gallon - a little over a penny more than Monday’s average, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).Drivers in metro Los Angeles are paying an average of $6.14/gallon, nearly 80 cents more than a month ago and 30 cents more than a year ago as gas prices tread dangerously close to L.A.'s all-time record of $6.50/gallon from October 2022.For comparison, drivers in southern states such as Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Alabama only pay around $3.30/gallon.So why are gas prices spiking now? And why do Californians always pay more?In the short term, AAA says global oil prices have risen to more than $90 per barrel while demand also continues to rise. At the same time, domestic gas stock has declined slightly.So, some of this can be attributed to the basic economic law of supply and demand.However, in Southern California, experts say regional -and political- fact...

4 suspects busted during commercial burglary series

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:30:59 GMT

Police in Glendale arrested four suspects involved in a series of commercial burglaries early Tuesday morning, authorities announced.  Officers were alerted to the first incident by a burglary alarm in the 400 block of South Glendale Avenue, at around 3 a.m. Just 10 minutes later, while police were investigating the first incident, a second burglar alarm came out in the 1100 block of South Glendale Avenue.  “Recognizing this as a burglary series, officers were on-alert as they checked local business districts,” a Glendale Police Department news release stated.  As patrol units were searching for the suspects in the 1200 block of Glenoaks Boulevard, officers heard glass breaking at a nearby business and spotted a black vehicle attempting to flee the scene. Two businesses that sustained damage during a commercial burglary series in Glendale on Sept. 26, 2023. (Glendale PD)“Quickly calling for backup, Glendale Police Officers coordinated their efforts, effectively boxing...

12-year-old boy killed in Adelanto crash

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:30:59 GMT

A boy was struck and killed by a vehicle in Adelanto Monday morning, officials said.The incident occurred around 7:10 a.m. near the intersection of Seneca Road and Jonathan Street, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.The boy was struck as he was crossing the street in the area, a spokesperson detailed in an email to KTLA.The victim was treated at the scene, but died from his injuries.The driver of the vehicle stayed on the scene and was cooperating with the investigation, the spokesperson said.

Video shows Jack-In-The-Box employee open fire on family in drive-thru

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:30:59 GMT

A newly released video shows a Jack-In-The-Box employee shooting at a family in a dispute over curly fries, according to court documents.Anthony Ramos, of Miami, along with his then-pregnant wife Jeraldin Ospina and their 6-year-old daughter, had pulled up to a Houston Jack-In-The-Box in March 2021, planning to order lunch with a side of curly fries.When the fries did not come through, Ramos asked employee Alonniea Ford about the missing item, but she “refused to fulfill the order,” which had already been purchased, according to court records from a lawsuit about the incident.(Credit: Randall Kallinen)When the family asked to speak with a manager, Ford “began cursing at [the family] and yelling at them to ‘get the (expletive) outta here!'” court documents said.The family argued back, after which Ford hurled packets of ketchup, ice, and a variety of other items at the family's car, the video shows. Ford then retrieved a gun and fired it at the family's car as it sped away.Ford was ul...

One Dies in Pedestrian Collision on Holcombe Boulevard [Houston, TX]

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:30:59 GMT

1 Pronounced Dead after Pedestrian Accident near StaffordshireHOUSTON, TX (September 26, 2023) – Saturday night, a collision occurred on Holcombe Boulevard resulting in the fatality of a pedestrian.At approximately 6:30 p.m., officers arrived at the location near Staffordshire and the Texas Medical Center.According to reports, a pedestrian who was crossing the road was struck by a passing vehicle.Medics pronounced the involved pedestrian dead at the scene, due to the extent of their condition. However, the identity of the victim has not yet been disclosed by authorities.In the meantime, the driver involved in the collision remained at the scene and fully cooperated with the ongoing investigation.For a short period, emergency crews closed off the surrounding area for cleanup and preliminary procedures. Additional information regarding the fatal pedestrian accident on Holcombe Boulevard will be provided when it becomes available.In this sorrowful time, the Sweet James team would...