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What's in floodwaters? Hurricane Idalia's surge poses hidden risk, CDC says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:00 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- Hurricane Idalia left anywhere from a few inches to a few feet of standing floodwaters in cities across the Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday.Emergency officials urge residents to stay out of the water for a myriad of reasons, including the risk of drowning and injury from hidden debris, but floodwaters also contain many things that pose a serious health risk.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it's impossible to know exactly what is in floodwaters. It could contain sharp debris or even downed power lines obscured by the murky depths. Hernando County officials: areas west of US-19 ‘no longer accessible’ due to flooding Floodwaters can also contain dangerous wildlife. On Wednesday, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office posted photos of a rattlesnake navigating a flooded street.(Hernando County Sheriff's Office)"You never know what could have washed in with the flooding," the sheriff's office said.Floodwaters can also hold hazards t...

Fatal shooting of college student who tried entering wrong home 'justifiable': South Carolina authorities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:00 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) — The fatal shooting of a University of South Carolina student has been ruled justifiable, authorities confirmed Wednesday. Nicholas Anthony Donofrio, 20, of Connecticut, was shot and killed Sunday morning while attempting to enter the wrong home. Police said Donofrio lived on the same street where he was shot but that he had attempted to enter another home. Following an investigation, the Fifth Circuit Solicitor's Office and the Columbia Police Department now say charges will not be filed against the homeowner and ruled the shooting justifiable. Person gets sick, dies from amebic infection after swimming in Texas lake Police said Donofrio repeatedly banged and kicked the door, then broke the glass window and reached inside for the doorknob. That's when police said the homeowner shot and killed Donfrio. Authorities have not released any additional information about the homeowner. His parents declined to comment about the shooting to Nexstar's WTNH, saying th...

Person gets sick, dies from amebic infection after swimming in Texas lake

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:00 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A person in Texas got sick and died after developing an illness caused by an amebic meningitis infection after swimming in Lake Lyndon B. Johnson earlier this month. Austin Public Health reported the death and urged people to take precautions when swimming in natural bodies of water amid the ongoing, intense heat Texas is experiencing. Toxic algae confirmed in several Austin waterways, including Barton Springs According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, amebic meningitis, or primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), is a rare brain infection that is caused by Naegleria fowleri and is usually fatal. Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba that lives in warm fresh water and soil around the world and infects people when it enters the body through the nose. A teenager in Georgia died from the same cause last month, also after swimming in a lake. "Although these infections are very rare, this is an importan...

$72 million in student loans canceled by Biden administration: Who qualifies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is canceling $72 million in student loans for 2,300 borrowers who say they were cheated by Ashford University, a former for-profit college that was purchased by the University of Arizona in 2020.The Education Department announced the action Wednesday, saying it will seek to recoup the money from the University of Arizona. The university did not immediately provide a comment.Before its sale, Ashford was an online for-profit college that enrolled more than 100,000 students. It was owned by the company Zovio and based in San Diego.A California court in 2022 found that Ashford frequently lied to students to get them to enroll. Its recruiters misled students about the college's accreditation, costs and the amount of time it would take to graduate, the court concluded. Who qualifies for $0 student loan payments? That lawsuit, brought by the state of California, was the basis of the Education Department's cancellation.President Joe Biden said hi...

WATCH LIVE | First Lady Jill Biden visits Chicago, speaks at Federation of Labor event

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:00 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) began its Labor Day celebrations Wednesday which includes First Lady Jill Biden headlining a McCormick Place event.Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is also expected to speak, and there may be an appearance by Governor JB Pritzker, both of whom met Biden on the tarmac as she arrived at O'Hare International Airport. McConnell freezes for 2nd time while taking questions The CFL, the third-largest council of the national American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), holds the annual Labor Day reception as it builds toward its Labor Day parade and Eddie Fest.WGN plans to livestream the speaking portion of this event within this story beginning at approximately 3:15 p.m.

LIVE: TEA allows for alternative to state intervention for Austin ISD special education department

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Education Agency granted a request from the Austin Independent School District on Wednesday for less severe state intervention in the district’s special education services, according to AISD officials.The TEA announced in March its recommendation for a state-appointed management team to direct the operations of the Austin ISD special education department. The team would be able to make decisions for the district, as it relates to special education.The recommendations came after the TEA released a report finding the district repeatedly missed strict state and federal deadlines on evaluating students suspected of needing special education services.The report found the district had in some cases waited up to nine months to evaluate students.The district appealed TEA’s recommendation in April 2023, requesting instead the state appoint a monitor. A monitor, according to the TEA, would only be able to report activities of the board of trustees or the superintende...

Trial over several charges begins for Burnet County judge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:00 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video in this story displays the top headlines for Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023.BURNET COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- A trial began Wednesday morning for a Texas county judge who was previously indicted in March on felony and misdemeanor charges.Burnet County Judge James Oakley was booked into the Lampasas County Sheriff’s Office March 9 and was released, officials confirmed to KXAN. Burnet County judge suspended without pay following indictment He was booked on the following charges:Abuse of Official Capacity-Count 1Abuse of Official Capacity-Count 2Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence W/Intent to ImpairOfficial OppressionAccording an indictment, Oakley faces two abuse of official capacity counts, stemming from his role as a Pedernales Electrical Cooperative board member while also serving as Burnet County judge. The court record claims this is in violation of Texas local government code.Records state, on multiple occasions in 2021, Oakley used a Burnet County vehicle to dr...

Rethink35 filing lawsuit against TxDOT's I-35 downtown expansion plan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Just over a week after the Texas Department of Transportation released its final environmental impact statement (EIS) on its Interstate 35 expansion plan, grassroots organization Rethink35 announced it will join several other plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the project.The I-35 Capital Express Central project is a $4.5 billion, eight-mile endeavor to expand the interstate from U.S. Highway 290 East down south to State Highway 71 and Ben White Boulevard. Project components include the addition of two managed, non-tolled high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes for carpooling and mass transit purposes along with the following features:Removal of existing I-35 decksLowering the roadwayEast-west cross-street bridgesPedestrian and bicycle shared-use pathsOn Aug. 21, TxDOT announced it had approved the final version of the EIS, a component required under the National Environmental Policy Act to determine any environmental impacts on the corridor surrounding the project. “The Cen...

Vikings start finalizing practice squad following cutdown day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:00 GMT

Less than 24 hours after finalizing their initial 53-man roster, the Vikings started to fill out their practice squad on Wednesday.The following players have been announced as members of the practice squad: center Alan Ali, cornerback C.J. Coldon Jr., defensive tackle Sheldon Day, receiver Lucky Jackson, receiver Triston Jackson, running back DeWayne McBride, defensive tackle T.J. Smith, receiver Thayer Thomas, edge rusher Luiji Vilain, edge rusher Benton Whitley, cornerback Jaylin Williams and cornerback Joejuan Williams.All of those players were in training camp for the Vikings.The most interesting name on the practice squad is Joejuan Williams, who surprisingly was released on Tuesday despite rotating in with the starters throughout training camp. He signed with the Vikings this offseason after starting his career with the New England Patriots.A couple of other names that stand out are McBride, a seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and Vilain, a standout pass rusher through...

Twins waste Sonny Gray gem, lose to Guardians in 10 innings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:51:00 GMT

Cleveland isn’t quite dead yet. Staring down a seven-game deficit to first-place Minnesota in the American League Central race, the Guardians rallied to keep their slim postseason hopes alive.Cleveland leaves Minnesota with a 2-1 series win and a five-game deficit in the Central. The teams play three more games this season, Sept. 4-6 at Progressive Field.Trailing 2-1 in the ninth, the Guardians tied the score on a wild pitch from Twins closer Jhoan Duran, then got a three-run homer from Kole Calhoun in the 10th to beat first-place Minnesota 5-2 in front of an announced crowd of 20,169 at Target Field.It was a wild finish to what had been a pitchers duel between staff aces Sonny Gray and Tanner Bibee.Gray pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and a walk while striking out five, and Jorge Polanco’s two-run double off Bibee gave the Twins a 2-0 lead that held until the eighth, when Gabriel Arias hit a leadoff double off Griffin Jax and scored on Steven Kwan’s single...