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Father speaks out as search for 2-year-old continues, $25K reward offered

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:00 GMT

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) - Authorities are continuing to search near freeways and in wooded areas around Lansing, Michigan for any sign of 2-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith, who has been missing since Sunday.Cole-Smith was abducted Sunday night after her mother was stabbed and physically assaulted, police said earlier this week. A suspect, 26-year-old Rashad Maleek Trice of Detroit, was arraigned Wednesday on multiple charges, including assault with intent to murder and aggravated domestic violence. Trice, the woman's former boyfriend, has also been accused of kidnapping Cole-Smith. Authorities say Trice stole the woman's car, taking Cole-Smith with him, and drove from Lansing to metro Detroit. While Trice is in custody, police say the 2-year-old girl wasn't in the car when he was arrested. Now, Cole-Smith's father says he is just trying his best to stay strong day by day. He tells Nexstar's WLNS he is sure he will see Wynter again. "I miss my baby, I miss her. I miss her so much. It's real...

IRS issues 'last call' for taxpayers to claim $1.5B in 2019 refunds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:00 GMT

(The Hill) - The IRS has issued a “last call” for U.S. taxpayers to file for roughly $1.5 billion in unclaimed refunds from the 2019 tax year.The agency estimates that around 1.5 million people are eligible to claim a combined nearly $1.5 billion in outstanding refunds, with the average median refund estimated at $893.The deadline to submit a tax return for 2019 and claim the refunds is July 17. "Time is running out for people owed a tax refund in 2019,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a news release, which stressed that the deadline is "rapidly approaching."The IRS chief urged anyone “who may have overlooked filing” during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic “to act quickly before they lose their final chance to claim a potentially substantial refund." Honda recalling 124K cars over possible brake failure Taxpayers had "more time than usual" to claim refunds for the 2019 tax year because of the pandemic, the agency noted, with the deadline extended a few months p...

South Austin had the most fireworks complaints over Fourth of July holiday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin 311 received almost 1,000 calls complaining about fireworks over the Fourth of July holiday, data shows.Between 12 a.m. on July 2 and 6 a.m. on July 5, Austin 311 received a total of 929 firework-related service requests, according to data obtained by KXAN.The majority of those — 699 — were on the Fourth of July itself, while 106 were in the early morning hours of July 5. A further 99 calls were on July 3.A breakdown by zip code shows a concentration of calls in south Austin. One hundred calls were received from the 78748 zip code alone, and 60 came from neighboring 78745.East Austin's 78741 had the third most calls, with 51 in total.At least one complaint was received from 41 zip codes over the holiday period.

Black artists at Belwin Conservancy challenge racial stereotypes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:00 GMT

Belwin Conservancy welcomed Tomas Alvarez and Whitney Terrill as artists in residence this June.The Conservancy partnered with the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery to create a residency for local Black artists interested in connecting with nature and creating art. Alvarez and Terrill shared a private studio at Belwin for study, work, meditation and creating art during the month of June. Both artists received a $1500 stipend.“We believe nature belongs to everyone and we are seeking to change the narrative that Black people ‘don’t do the outdoors,’” Tina Burnside, co-founder and curator of MAAHMG said in a press release. “We hope this residency will play a role in Blacks reclaiming outdoor spaces.”Terrill, originally from Minneapolis, focuses on painting, photography and printmaking. Her works often feature topics such as the environment, gender, faith and her African faith.Minnesota photographer Thomas Alvarez at the Belwin Conservancy. (Courtesy of Belwin Conse...

Letters: Legacy admissions? It’s about time for scrutiny

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:00 GMT

About timeMy response to the article “Legacy Admissions under new scrutiny”:  Good. It’s about time. What’s fair is fair.Mary E Baker, St. Paul Experience with trans people?I have given considerable thought to the June 29 Letter to the Editor titled “An ugly, false idea” and find myself wondering what experiences the letter writer has had with trans adults and with children who are dealing with identity discomfort. My guess is very little if any.The emergence of transgender adults and of children dealing with gender identity questions as a political football is indeed inflicting severe pain, fear and restriction of medical and psychological services, much less compassion, in the lives of those individuals dealing with the issues and on those who care for them.It is credibly reported that adults and children dealing with gender identity issues experience significantly higher rates of suicidal ideation, depression and eating disorders than those who are not.These folk...

Tuesday hottest in decades or centuries. Wednesday hotter?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:00 GMT

By MELINA WALLING and SETH BORENSTEIN (Associated Press)The planet’s temperature spiked on Tuesday to its hottest day in decades and likely centuries, and Wednesday could become the third straight day Earth unofficially marks a record-breaking high. It’s the latest in a series of climate-change extremes that alarm but don’t surprise scientists. The globe’s average temperature reached 62.9 degrees Fahrenheit (17.18 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday, according to the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer, a common tool based on satellite data, observations, and computer simulations and used by climate scientists for a glimpse of the world’s condition. On Monday, the average temperature was 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit (17.01 degrees Celsius), setting a record that lasted only 24 hours.For scientists, it’s a sweaty case of I-told-you-so.“A record like this is another piece of evidence for the now massively supported proposition that global warmin...

When Missouri drivers can expect construction on I-70 to start

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:00 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The largest item in the nearly $50 billion state budget this year includes the long-awaited widening of Interstate 70 and work on the 200-mile stretch will start this summer. Back in January, Gov. Mike Parson asked lawmakers to approve money to expand I-70 in Columbia and suburban areas of Kansas City and St. Louis, but during debate this past session, that plan nearly tripled. Now that the governor has signed off on the plan, billions of dollars will be spent over the coming years to improve the major interstate. "We're actually kind of behind other states in the investment into the interstate system, the reconstruction and expansion of it," Director of the Missouri Department of Transportation Patrick McKenna said. "Instead of taking 30 years and piecemealing it, let's take advantage of this time and get the entire project done."It's being called a big win for Missourians. If you drive, I-70 from outside St. Louis, to Columbia and then on to the suburbs of K...

Colorado Rapids acquire left back Andrew Gutman from Atlanta United for $400,000 in GAM plus incentives

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:00 GMT

Like the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to signify trading was open, once 9 a.m. struck on the opening day of the Major League Soccer secondary transfer window, the Colorado Rapids announced they had completed a significant move.On Wednesday the Rapids acquired Andrew Gutman, a 26-year-old seasoned left back from Atlanta United FC, in a deal that could fetch upward of $650,000 in General Allocation Money and additional assets. Colorado will pay the “Five Stripes” $300,000 in 2023 General Allocation Money (GAM), $100,000 in 2024 GAM, and gave up an international roster slot. Additionally, Atlanta could receive up to $150,000 in conditional GAM if multiple incentives are hit.The Rapids will be on the hunt this summer for fresh players as the team looks to avoid the dreaded “Wooden Spoon,” mockingly awarded to the supporters of the team with the league’s worst record. Colorado currently sits in that spot with a record of 2-10-8 on 14 points.Re...

68 people killed in crashes on California highways over Fourth of July weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:00 GMT

Dozens of lives were lost in crashes on California highways over the long Fourth of July weekend.The California Highway Patrol released sobering totals that showed 68 people were killed during the agency's Maximum Enforcement Period, which went into effect Friday evening. Nearly half of all those killed were not wearing seatbelts, CHP said. Man loses part of hand in July 4 fireworks mishap The CHP Maximum Enforcement Period was in place from Friday through the July 4 holiday, with increased law enforcement officers looking out for drunk or speeding drivers.In total, across the multi-day enforcement period, CHP officers issued 9,700 citations for speeding and made 1,224 arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence. That's an average of one arrest every five minutes, CHP said. Why have traffic fatalities increased in California? CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee called the results of the weekend long enforcement period "concerning."“All of these deaths were preventable, and th...

Illegal fireworks suspected in fire that torched Corona yard

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:55:00 GMT

A fire possibly caused by fireworks torched the backyard of a home in Corona Tuesday night.Residents say a neighbor was setting off illegal fireworks during a 4th of July party when the blaze began. Flames could be seen burning 20 feet into the air in a video shared with KTLA. Barbara Tucker’s neighbors alerted her of the blaze around 9 p.m. Ring video provided by Barbara Tucker shows firefighters responding to a blaze at her Corona home on July 4, 2023. (KTLA) What’s left are blackened tree stumps and damage to the south side of Tucker’s home of 45 years. Trees she planted when she first moved in are now gone.“Now look at it, it’s destroyed by fireworks,” Tucker told KTLA.Tucker's Ring camera captured some of the chaos as neighbors rushed to help placate the flames.Moments later, firefighters arrived and told Tucker and her husband they had to leave.Despite warnings ahead of the holiday on the dangers of setting off illegal fireworks, the blaze was one of many to break out in the I...