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No charges against Maine authorities for death of handcuffed man who was hit in head with flashlight

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:00 GMT

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s attorney general concluded there was no criminal conduct when four law enforcement officers used a stun gun and beat a handcuffed man in the head with a flashlight while facedown on a porch in a death determined to be a homicide.Jeremy Lau, 46, was erratic, violent and making unintelligible sounds while on drugs early March 1, 2022, when police responded to a report that he was trashing the home in which he’d been staying, state police said. Arresting officers used a stun gun on Lau twice and pummeled him while he was facedown, with one deputy striking him with a flashlight, including once on the head. Police said Lau continued to resist them until he was placed in an ambulance, but witness statements showed a difference in perception of the threat with people inside the house saying he appeared to be motionless by that point, documents indicated.The state’s chief medical examiner determined Lau’s death was a homicide but three troopers were exonerated...

Fourth man charged in connection with threats and vandalism targeting two New Hampshire journalists

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:00 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A fourth man has been charged in connection with threats and vandalism targeting public radio journalists in New Hampshire.Eric Labarge, 46, of Nashua, was arrested Friday, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Massachusetts. He and three others who were previously arrested have been indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel.Prosecutors allege the men were involved in a plot to vandalize homes associated with New Hampshire Public Radio reporter Lauren Chooljian and news director Daniel Barrick in retaliation for a report detailing sexual misconduct allegations against a prominent businessman.In six incidents in April and May 2022, the journalists’ homes and the home of the reporter’s parents were hit with bricks, rocks and red spray paint. In one incident, a brick was thrown through a window at Chooljian’s home, and the phrase “JUST THE BEGINNING!” was spray-painted on the front of her home.The vandal...

Infrequent inspection of fan blades led to a United jet engine breaking up in 2021, report says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — An engine on a United Airlines jet broke up over Denver in 2021 because of wear and tear on a fan blade that was not adequately inspected for signs of cracking, federal investigators said Friday.The National Transportation Safety Board said manufacturer Pratt & Whitney did not call for inspections to be done frequently enough, which allowed tiny cracks to grow undetected, until the fan blade broke.The NTSB said the design and testing of the engine inlet contributed to the severity of the situation, and other factors made the engine fire worse than it should have been.The right-side engine of the Boeing 777 broke apart shortly after takeoff from Denver International Airport, raining parts over suburban neighborhoods. The pilots declared an emergency and landed the plane safely 24 minutes after takeoff.The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all U.S.-registered planes with the same PW4000 engines shortly after the February 2021 incident. The Associated Press

Correctional Service reports death of inmate at Victoria-area prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:00 GMT

VICTORIA — The Correctional Service of Canada says an inmate serving a sentence for second-degree murder has died at the Victoria-area William Head Institution.A statement Friday says inmate Richard Paul Preston died on Saturday while in custody at the minimum-security federal institution.The Correctional Service statement does not provide details on the cause of death, but says Preston’s next of kin have been notified as have the police and coroner.The statement says Preston was serving a sentence for second-degree murder, which commenced on April 28, 1994.The Correctional Service statement says it will review the circumstances surrounding Preston’s death.It says William Head is a minimum-security institution that consists of about 35 hectares of federal land located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island about 30 kilometres northwest of Victoria.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2023.The Canadian Press

Chicago Sky's path to the playoffs isn't complicated ahead of final weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:00 GMT

CHICAGO — From a number of new players to the departure of their coach and general manager mid-season, there have been a lot of complications for the Chicago Sky in 2023.But their scenario to clinch a spot in the WNBA Playoffs is not. Thanks to the Sparks' loss to the Liberty on Thursday, all the Sky need to do is get one more victory in their final two games to clinch the eighth seed in the postseason. That's because the Sky own the season tiebreaker against Los Angeles, having beaten them in three of their four match-ups.Interim head coach Emre Vatansever's team will face the Lynx at Wintrust Arena on Friday night and then the Sun on Sunday on the road. One win in either game will punch the Sky's ticket to the postseason, but if they lose both, they'd still make it if the Sparks lose to the Storm in Seattle on Sunday. If that happens, the Sky will extend their franchise-long playoff streak to five seasons, having made it from 2019-2022. They would face the No. 1 seed in the three-...

New Friday Dance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:00 GMT

It’s Friday — and you know what that means. It’s time for a brand, spankin’ new Friday Dance to help kick off your weekend!Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Severe storm risk Saturday as pattern change begins

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Record highs were absolutely smashed today. As of 2 p.m. we've already hit 106º, beating the previous record of 102º back in 2019. We'll likely end up around 108-109º when the official numbers come in early this evening.Skies will stay sunny to wrap up the day with a mostly clear sky this evening. Some patchy low clouds may return to start the morning. Overnight lows will be warm again with lows in the upper 70s. It'll be the warmest night for at least the next week.Weekend forecastA westerly shift in the heat dome will allow a few disturbances to clip parts of northeast Texas, potentially bringing a few spotty showers and isolated storms into our area Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's storm chances look higher for the Austin Metro, whereas Sunday's rain chances look highest in the Hill Country. Rain coverage won't get everyone wet, but some spotty downpours should bring some of us beneficial rain.Storms possible Saturday and SundayThe storms on Saturday come with a s...

Poll: Majority of Texas voters support border buoy barrier

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A recent poll, partially focused on border policy, asked Texas voters to assess Texas’ policies on the border with Mexico, including the buoys in the Rio Grande River. The Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin conducted the poll.The poll found a majority of Texas voters (52%) supported “placing buoys and barbed wire at the Rio Grande River to deter migration” while 40% of voters opposed.According to the poll, among Republicans, 88% supported the policy, with 73% expressing strong support, and 10% opposed it. The poll also found that among Democrats, 18% supported the policy and 74% expressed opposition. RELATED: Border buoy barrier in Rio Grande allowed to remain after state appeals ruling A federal judge recently ordered Texas to remove the buoys after the state was sued by the federal government, but the buoys will remain in place while an appeal from the state moves forward.

Alabama has lost at home 6 times in 16 years. Can the Longhorns make it 7?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — "We have to leave the fear here in Austin."No. 11 Texas hits the road to take on No. 3 Alabama on Saturday, and against a Crimson Tide program with a 99-6 record at home since 2008, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said there's simply no room to be intimidated by the atmosphere at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Longhorns take on the Tide No. 11 Texas vs. No. 3 Alabama, 6 p.m., Saturday Sarkisian ‘had all intentions’ of playing Arch Manning … .cls-4{fill:#000;} Horns Pregame Southeastern Showdown: Getting you … .cls-3{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} Coaching at Alabama gave Steve Sarkisian the opportunity … .cls-3{fill:#fff;fill-rule:evenodd} ‘B...

UT Austin names Darden Smith its inaugural Texas Songwriter in Residence program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:15:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The University of Texas Austin named Texas-based musician and artist Darden Smith was named the first recipient of the new songwriter in residence program UT, according to a news release from the university.The program, which is housed in the College of Fine Arts, is part of the university's efforts to expand live music experiences while integrating the campus community into Austin’s vibrant live music community and economy, the release said.“The location of our University is significant. Being in the heart of Austin creates collisions and synergy with industry, intellectual pursuits, and the arts, including live music. UT has been a big part of making Austin the live music capital of the world, including the talent that is gathered on the Forty Acres or launched from it. I am truly excited that one of those talented artists, alumnus Darden Smith, will interact with our students as our resident songwriter, passing on his life lessons as a UT student and successful m...