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Matt's El Rancho is one of America's most successful restaurants -- here's how

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:47 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. The story on Matt's El Rancho will air on KXAN Thursday afternoon. AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- Some may wonder if a 71-year-old restaurant has the vitality to keep up with Austin’s fast-changing food landscape and rising real estate costs.But Matt’s El Rancho, an iconic Tex-Mex restaurant off South Lamar Boulevard — one of those places that would create a community-wide uproar if it ever closed — has staying power. It has the family members to sustain it for generations to come, and they're sitting on a license to print money.Inside Matt's El Rancho.ARNOLD WELLS / ABJConsider these numbers from the website Restaurant Business: Matt's consistently plays among the nation’s top 100 independent restaurants, ranking No. 43 right now. Matt’s served more than 630,000 meals last year, which is on par with New York City’s famous Tavern on the Green. With an average check of $31 and annual ...

12-year-old piano prodigy serenades the White Earth Reservation

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:47 GMT

NAYTAWAUSH — Music has been filling the air more frequently on the White Earth Reservation in recent weeks.Whenever 12-year old Jayme Littlewolf has free time, he can be found in his living room on the piano bench.His favorite song to play is “River Flows In You.”Littlewolf has only been playing the piano for a few months. He taught himself by watching YouTube and practicing on an electronic keyboard.“Usually I would pause the video, and then I would look at the keys and then I would press them,” he said.The sixth grader said his love for piano music started at a young age as he would listen to it before bed.Recently he began to think the music would sound better if he played it.“It’s so peaceful, it’s really, really peaceful listening to him play,” said his mother Amy.Wherever Jayme goes music fills the air.“Every time I see a piano, it’s hard not to want to play it,” he said.“Every town or city we go through, ...

Traffic stop leads to illegal gun possession arrest in Albany

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:47 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Albany man was arrested following a traffic stop on Quail Street in Albany on Sunday. Kymir Pearson, 32, faces multiple charges. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! On Sunday, December 17, around 2:34 a.m., troopers pulled over a car on Quail Street in Albany for a vehicle and traffic law violation. State Police identified the driver as Pearson, who they say did not have a valid driver's license. State Police say they saw a gun in the passenger seat which led to a search of the car. Police say a second handgun was found, both loaded with one having an illegal high-capacity magazine. Police say Pearson did not have a pistol permit and illegally possessed the firearms. Albany woman in critical condition after pedestrian crash Charges:Second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (two counts)Third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (three counts)Other vehicle and traffic law violationsPearson was arrested and...

St. Louis man convicted in shooting death of his ex-girlfriend

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:47 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY – A man who killed his ex-girlfriend and then shot her mother has been found guilty of murder and assault. The St. Louis County Circuit Court convicted has convicted 23-year-old Dairius Kinnie in the death of 19-year-old Tianna Baker. Investigators say Kinnie shot and killed Baker on March 24, 2021. He also shot and injured her mother, then ran away from police as they chased him.The state called witnesses to the trial, one being a daughter who saw the shootings but wasn't injured, as well as several detectives, police officers, crime lab technicians, and the medical examiner.The jury heard a ShotSpotter recording that showed Kinnie paused after beginning to shoot and then started shooting again, clear evidence of deliberation. He shot Tianna Baker more than a dozen times.ShotSpotter is a device that hears gunshots and uses acoustic sensors to find illegal gunfire and immediately notify law enforcement and security staff.“The courage and composure this mother a...

Warmer weather and rain likely in St. Louis for Christmas Eve and Day

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:47 GMT

ST. LOUIS - If you wanted a White Christmas this year, you'll need to wait for another time. The FOX 2 weather team is tracking several developments that point to a relatively warm, but also rainy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the St. Louis metro. For Christmas Eve, this Sunday, we're looking at highs of up to 61 degrees. There's also a moderate chance for rain near the end of the night. For Christmas Day, this Monday, we're looking at highs of up to 58 degrees. Anyone around St. Louis should also anticipate some periods of rain. Could this Christmas Day holiday be the warmest ever in St. Louis? The current record has stood for more than a century. According to the National Weather Service, it reached 64 degrees in the St. Louis area in 1889. As of Thursday, FOX 2 estimates around a 50% chance of rain on Christmas Eve and an 80% chance of rain on Christmas Day. Despite the precipitation, the warmup dampers hope for a White Christmas this year. St. Louis weather from Meteorologi...

Adams County sheriff’s deputies kill man in shootout; deputy also injured

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:47 GMT

Adams County sheriff’s deputies killed a man in an overnight shootout in which a deputy also was injured, officials said in posts on social media.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | No charges for Denver officer who fatally shot man holding marker Crime and Public Safety | Boulder police fatally shoot woman carrying replica gun near recreation center Crime and Public Safety | Police shooting reported near North Boulder Recreation Center Crime and Public Safety | Colorado Springs police shoot armed man after suspected stolen vehicle pursuit Crime and Public Safety | Commerce City man sentenced to 50 years in neighbor’s shooting death The shooting occurred about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday, but the Adams County Sheriff’s Office did not say where it happened. A sheriff’s office spokesperson did not immediately return a call Thursday morning seeking more information about the shooting....

Letters: How can Xcel, a public utility, justify such lavish digs in RiNo?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:47 GMT

Lavish digs for public utilityRe: “Why Xcel’s new HQ stings so bad,” Dec. 17 editorialBravo to the editorial board for this piece. Wearing my RiNo landlord hat, this is great news for the neighborhood and will likely serve as a catalyst for continued momentum and growth. However, when switching to my Xcel ratepayer hat, one must question this decision. The T3 building may be the best-in-class building in RiNo and likely in the entire downtown sub-market. It is incomprehensible that a public utility can justify the need or expense for such a high-caliber building.Certainly their workforce should occupy a building with appropriate amenities and a work environment commensurate with similar types of entities, but it’s hard for me to imagine there is justification for best in class. Given the plethora of vacant and bargain office space currently on the market, one would think there are far more economical options.This decision on its own is bad enough, but in light of Xcel’s ...

Flooding prompts evacuation orders, warnings in Port Hueneme

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:47 GMT

Several inches of rain hit Ventura County overnight, causing flooding and evacuations for parts of Port Hueneme Thursday morning.The storm was so severe in Port Hueneme that the Ventura County Fire Department said crews responded to 12 swift water rescues. An evacuation order was issued shortly after 5 a.m. due to the flooding, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Emergency Services dashboard.An interactive map identified the area under an evacuation order as "Zone 1" in Hueneme Bay. An evacuation shelter was open at Oxnard College located at 4000 S. Rose Ave. Evacuation orders and warnings are seen on Dec. 21, 2023. (Ventura County Sheriff's Emergency Services - interactive map can be found here)Three evacuation warnings due to a continuing threat of flooding were issued for the areas of "Zone 2" in Hueneme Bay, Camp Chaffee/Casitas Springs and Grada/Trueno.No power outages had been reported for the areas. There was no word on when the evacuation orders would be lifted. Stor...

Let’s Binge It for the Boys: 7 New Docs Giving Creative Men Some Love

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:47 GMT

Artists and writers get the documentary film treatment all the time, and increasingly, that takes the form of unearthing hidden figures in the arts to correct the imbalances of history. But for some reason, in 2023, the spotlight has swung back to illuminate some influential, if enigmatic and mostly white, men who helped shape American and global culture at the turn of the century. New films on painters Anselm Kiefer and Roy Lichtenstein, Light and Space icon Robert Irwin, cultural impresario Michael Chow, and writers Tom Wolfe, Allen Ginsberg, and John Le Carré—all but two of whom are dead—are spicier than the usual hero-worship hagiographies (though with the exception of the Lichtenstein piece, they certainly are that). They each take stylistic liberties, intriguing cinematic risks and poetic turns, corralling A-list interviews, archive access, and in some cases years of vintage and brand new footage and spinning it all into the neatest of documentarian tricks—reviving an old tale...

The Kamayan Feast At Wattles Farm And A Krampus Funeral For 2023 – Here’s What’s Popping Up

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:47 GMT

Krampus’ Cove’s twisted holiday pop-up will close out the new year with A Funeral for 2023 at Lost Property Bar in Hollywood. Hosted by the fabulous and filthy queen Valora Von Tease, the night will be complete with specialty cocktails honoring the good, the bad and the ugly of 2023, along with special performances, tarot readings, games, prizes and music. Tickets are limited and available to purchase here with general admission at $50 and VIP at $75. General admission tickets include:9 p.m. EntryWelcome CocktailTarot ReadingsMidnight Champagne ToastGames & PrizesWhile VIP tickets include:All GA InclusionsExclusive 8 p.m. EntryHour of Hors D’oeuvresReserved VIP TableGift BagSurprises GaloreFuneral for 2023 (Courtesy Krampus Cove)Last minute gift idea: Chef Nico de Leon, owner of Lasita in Chinatown, is planning a Kamayan feast at Wattles Farm in Hollywood on Sunday, Feb. 18, as part of Outstanding in the Field. Translating to “by hand,” the traditional style of...