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Former environment minister in Albania sentenced to prison in bribery case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

TIRANA, Albania (AP) — A former Albanian environment minister, seven other officials and four businessmen were sentenced Monday to prison terms in connection with bribery over a contract to build an incinerator in western Albania, court officials said.The Special Court on Corruption and Organized Crime in the Albanian capital, Tirana, sentenced former Environment Minister Lefter Koka to six years and eight months imprisonment on charges of corruption, abuse of power and money laundering. He also was barred from holding public posts for five years.Koka, 59, who was environment minister from 2013 to 2017, also served as a lawmaker and before that as mayor of the western port city of Durres, had been accused of accepting a bribe of 3.7 million euros (then $4.1 million) for the incinerator contract in the western city of Fier. Koka will appeal the verdict.The court also sentenced seven other officials and four businessmen to prison terms ranging from two to eight years on similar charge...

Toronto Raptors are in the mix for Damian Lillard. But is it a good idea?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

The Toronto Raptors are back.Not officially, mind you. That doesn’t happen until next Monday, when NBA training camps officially open, but the OVO Athletic Centre has been a hub of activity for a couple of weeks now, with all present and accounted for save for incoming point guard Dennis Schroder, who was busy through the second week of September helping Germany with the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila.An excused absence, in other words.But the real question — and an unusual one on the cusp of the pre-season — is who will be in the gym when the team has its first official practice in Burnaby, B.C., on Oct. 3.On that front, you may have heard that the Portland Trail Blazers are planning to trade superstar point guard Damian Lillard.And yes, I can confirm the Toronto Raptors, per sources, are very much in the mix. Certainly not all the way there and likely not even halfway to getting a deal done, but progress has been made.Now, you may have heard this kind of thing before: big nam...

Sen. Durbin meets with striking UAW workers in Bolingbrook

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. — Senator Dick Durbin spent some time speaking with the striking union workers in Bolingbrook on Monday.About 90 UAW members walked off the job last week.The senator didn’t want to get into the specifics of the negotiations between the UAW and the big three automakers. He said that the negotiations should remain between the union and companies, not the government. The strike of the UAW on Friday spread to all 38 GM and Stellantis parts distribution centers in 20 states, including one in Bolingbrook and the Stellantis distribution center in Naperville. Many of the workers said they are standing up after years of taking cuts in their contracts, saying they were trying to help out companies during a hard time. UAW strike expands to GM, Stellantis plants in suburbs They said that the auto makers are doing better and the company heads are getting huge pay increases, so should they. Even though the senator said that the government should keep out of negotiations, polit...

A few more showers/thunderstorms today

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- There were at least 55 reports of hail in Central Texas Sunday night. Most of the hail reports come from Williamson and Travis Counties. The hail seemed to parallel I-35.So far, the largest hail stone reported is 3.50" 3 miles north of Round Rock that caused wind shield and window damage at a local car dealership. There were multiple reports of hail 2 to 3" in diameter. PHOTOS: Large, damaging hail pummels parts of Central Texas The rain was heaviest in much of western Gillespie and southwest Mason Counties where some totals eclipsed an inch. The highest total in our viewing area is 3.17" at a gauge 8 miles northeast of Harper in southwest Gillespie County.There were also heavy downpours along I-35 from Georgetown to south of Austin. One observer in Georgetown recorded 1.13". Camp Mabry had a decent rain total of .75".Showers and thunderstorms will be increasing especially late this afternoon with the majority of the storms south of a line from Fredericksburg to A...

Texas GOP executive committee calls on Speaker Dade Phelan to resign in wake of Paxton impeachment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Over the weekend, the state Republican executive committee passed a resolution calling for Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan to resign from his leadership role over his "yea" vote on the articles of impeachment against Attorney General Ken Paxton.The Texas GOP executive committee, which consists of 64 elected members, voted on the resolution Friday with accusations that Phelan "pressured other members" to vote to impeach through his leadership team "despite the weakness of the case."The Texas GOP does not have any ability or power to make decisions on behalf of the Legislature, but frequently makes requests for its fellow Republicans. Vacating a House Speaker from the chair is rare, and state representatives would not be able to do so until the next regular legislative session in 2025.The most recent overthrow in Texas history was in 2009, when Democrats and a number of Republicans went up against Republican Speaker Tom Craddick, replacing him with Joe Straus as Hou...

Cars, homes in Round Rock damaged after Sunday night hail storm

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) -- People in Round Rock and the Austin area woke up to shattered windshields, dented cars, and damaged roofs Monday morning after hail fell from the sky overnight. KXAN viewers shared their videos and photos of the severe storm from overnight and its aftermath. Roy Armendariz said he saw baseball-sized hail fall in his Cat Hollow neighborhood. That kind of hail can harm people and animals that are outside. Armendariz said he had to save his pet who was outside in the storm when it started. MAP: Hail wallops parts of Central Texas during severe thunderstorm Sunday night "Matter of fact, my dog was in the front yard and got hit, and then it came down like hail," Armendariz explained. "Causing damage to my vehicle, the house, and my whole neighborhood."The Honda dealership in Round Rock sustained thousands of dollars of damage to vehicles in its lot. Cars lined up closes to the frontage road all shared the same characteristics -- a severely cracked windshie...

No. 24 Kansas is no longer a pushover, set to clash with No. 3 Texas on Saturday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — When the Kansas Jayhawks show up Saturday in Austin, they'll be a top-25 team according to voters in the Associated Press poll. Usually, those words are saved for basketball season, but not this year.The Jayhawks football team is undefeated and features multiple weapons on both sides of the ball, and they certainly have the full attention of Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian. ‘Iron sharpens iron’ when the Texas Longhorns defend in the red zone "We're playing for first place," Sarkisian said. "Our goal is to get to Arlington in December to compete in the Big 12 championship game, and this game is going to matter a lot."Kansas head coach Lance Leipold has turned the Jayhawks program around from 2-10 in 2021 to a 4-0 start in 2023 via a combination of developing players in the program and utilizing the transfer portal. Quarterback Jalon Daniels ranks No. 8 in FBS with a 74.7% pass completion rate and running back Devin Neal is No. 18 with 394 rushing yards. Coupled...

Participating restaurants for Downtown Troy Chowderfest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Downtown Troy Chowderfest is returning for 2023 on Sunday, October 8 from noon to 5 p.m. Participating restaurants and bars will show off their soup skills with chowder recipes of their choosing. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Chowder samples will be sold at participating businesses for $2 each. The event is free to attend and open to all. Participating restaurants outside the downtown area will be partnering with downtown businesses.Participating lineupCoffee House of Troy at 518 Craft, 200 BroadwayBar 353, 353 BroadwayBard & Baker Board Game Café, 501 BroadwayBootleggers on Broadway, 200 BroadwayBrown’s Brewing Company, 417 River StreetDeFazio’s at Rare Form Brewing, 90 Congress StreetDotty Lou’s BBQ at Monument SquareLa Capital Taco, 161 4th StreetLittle Peck’s, 211 BroadwayMcAddy’s Pub, 452 BroadwayMuddaddy Flats, 49 Third StreetOh Corn! Arepas, 429 River StreetRyan’s Wake, 403 River StreetSea Sm...

Car goes over guardrail on Route 82 in Dutchess County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

UNION VALE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Union Vale Fire District responded to a car that had gone over the guardrail on Route 82 on Saturday evening. First responders located an individual inside the vehicle that required extrication. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The patient was removed from the vehicle and transported to the hospital for further treatment. Route 82 was reopened at around 7:50 p.m. Assisting agencies include Mobile Life EMS, Empress EMS, New York State Police, the New York State Department of Transportation, and Precision Auto Body.

Town of Halfmoon launches Thanksgiving food drive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:23 GMT

HALFMOON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Town of Halfmoon has officially launched its Thanksgiving food drive. Donation boxes have been placed at the front entrance of the Town Hall and in the Recreation Office. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Donations will be collected through November 16. Items needed include instant potatoes, stuffing mix, dessert mix, canned cranberries, muffin mix, gravy or gravy mix, soup or soup mix, and canned vegetables. The Town will create baskets and deliver them to local seniors and families in need. For more information, contact Recreation Director Ross MacNeil at (518) 371-7410 ext. 2272 or [email protected].