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Chicago officer relieved of police powers after deadly pedestrian accident in River North

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

CHICAGO — A Chicago police officer has been relieved of her police powers after a deadly accident in River North.The crash occurred around 12:30 a.m. Thursday in the 300 block of North State Street. Police said the 40-year-old officer was off-duty and driving a white SUV, when she lost control of her vehicle and jumped the curb — striking a 56-year-old woman who was on the sidewalk.The victim sustained trauma to the body and was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.According to an employee at a nearby hotel in the city and several Facebook posts, WGN News has learned that there was a Chicago Police Department holiday party at the House of Blues Wednesday night. It is unclear at this time if the officer attended that party. Pedestrian struck and killed on sidewalk in River North The was issued several citations, including failure to reduce speed, failure to stay in lanes, negligent driving and driving while using her cell phone.According...

How to become a 401(k) millionaire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

New employees start with nothing in their retirement accounts. Reaching the popular goal of $1 million for their golden years seems daunting. But a select percentage reach that magic value every year. What are their secrets?In 1978, the retirement landscape changed with the start of the 401(k) plan. After that, the number of companies offering pension plans decreased. Today, employees are responsible for their own retirement planning and saving.Sadly, the average 401(k) balance by age 65 is just over $200,000. That’s not a lot. It’s nowhere near $1 million.People with little to no personal finance knowledge see this as an insurmountable challenge. However, others have managed to scale that Everest by applying the best strategies for retirement saving. They start by focusing on the factors they can control.Start EarlyThe age at which a person starts contributing to a retirement plan is entirely in their hands. Successful workers who save $1 million ...

Three Texas cities voted among the nation's most underrated winter destinations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — When you think of a winter destination, you probably think of a ski resort, a mountain lodge or a place to see the Northern Lights — not exactly things Texas is known for.But a new survey finds three Texas cities on the list of most underrated winter destinations in the country.Travel website Family Destinations Guide asked 3,000 Americans to name their favorite destinations that might not immediately come to mind when you hear "winter."Fredericksburg came in at No. 20 on the list, with Jefferson, in East Texas, right behind at No. 21. Gruene, a historic district right outside New Braunfels, ranks at No. 130. Two Central Texas cities named among 'coziest winter towns' in the country Here's what the website had to say about each destination:Fredericksburg: "Nestled in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, this charming town offers a unique blend of German heritage and Texan hospitality. During the winter months, its historic Main Street comes alive with festive decor...

Strong winds, freezing temperatures follow weekend cold front

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Spring-like warmth to finish the work week, but don't get too comfortable. A strong cold front brings BIG changes to our weekend forecast.This morning's low clouds, patchy fog and spots of mist/drizzle will gradually fade into partly to mostly sunny sky this afternoon. While starting the day mild in the 60s, this afternoon will be even better with temperatures soaring well into the 70s. Breezy winds out of the south will increase both humidity and warmth through the day.Following today's warm weather comes a harsh reminder as to what time of year it is courtesy of a strong weekend cold front.Weekend cold frontWHAT: Strong Pacific cold frontWHEN: Hill Country - 8AM-11AM / Austin-metro - 10AM-2PM / Eastern counties - 1PM-4PM IMPACTS: Gusty north winds, low rain chance and cooler temperaturesSpotty rain showers are possible along and ahead of the cold front, mainly over the I-35 corridor eastward Saturday morning and early afternoon. Rainfall accumulation looks very li...

Police identify man killed in stabbing near 7-Eleven

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police Thursday identified a man who died after they say he was stabbed near a 7-Eleven in northwest Austin. According to APD, someone stabbed Chad Barron, 48, near the 7-Eleven on Research Boulevard and West Braker Lane on Sunday night. Barron then walked into the store, police said, and fell to the ground. Police said they were notified of the stabbing just after 8:30 p.m. Officers found Barron on the ground inside the 7-Eleven with "an apparent knife wound." Barron was taken to the hospital, police said, where he later died. According to police, the suspect ran away after the stabbing. MAP: Where have Austin's homicides occured in 2023? Anyone with any information should contact APD’s Homicide unit at 512-974-TIPS or email [email protected]. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program or by calling 512-472-8477. You may get a reward of up to $1,000 for any information that leads...

Movie review: ‘Poor Things’ with Emma Stone is rich in lessons of humanness

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

In the middle of “Poor Things,” the new film from Oscar-nominated oddball auteur Yorgos Lanthimos, our heroine Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) toddles off on a solo adventure for the very first time. Wandering the streets of a pastel storybook Lisbon in silky shorts and a blouse with enormous puff sleeves, her long mane of raven hair swaying down back, Bella heads for a pastry stand, where she crams as many custard tarts as she can into her mouth. Later, she vomits them up on a balcony overlooking a picturesque vista of the city. Cause, meet effect. Bella observes this bit of data and reports it back to her scientist father figure, Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) in a crudely scrawled postcard home.This kind of self-experimentation is the backbone of “Poor Things,” Lanthimos’ strange and ravishing masterpiece about a young woman who receives one of life’s rare gifts: a chance to start over, from scratch. What will Bella do with her new lease on life? She’ll devour every last crumb, without a...

STL Help medical equipment drive every Friday this month

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. - Help is on the way for those in need of medical equipment. 'STL Help' will be in St. Charles every Friday this month.They're taking donations of unused medical equipment and providing free, refurbished ones to those in need. The care service is at 4116 McClay Road in St. Charles. Missouri’s top educator warns of ‘domino effect’ with four-day school weeks STL help will be there from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every Friday.

Xcel Energy-Colorado’s $15B resource plan called “transformational,” but “jarring” for cost

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

While calling Xcel Energy’s proposed blueprint for the next several years transformational, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission is balking at nearly $3 billion in additional transmission costs — “jarring” one member called it — in the proposal.The PUC weighed in during a meeting Wednesday on the second phase of Xcel’s energy resource plan, which will help chart the utility’s spending and mix of resources to generate electricity through the rest of the decade. The company’s preference out of the different scenarios proposed would add roughly 6,500 megawatts of wind and solar power and storage on Xcel’s system while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 87% from 2005 levels by 2030.“This is likely to be the most impactful decision I’ll make during my term,” Eric Blank, commission chairman, said in what he called the beginning of regulators’ conversation on the proposal.PUC members will discuss the ...

Hit musical “Six” brings Henry VIII’s exes to vivid life | Theater review

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

If the Six were a girl group, it’s not clear how much they’d have topped the charts. Which doesn’t mean the women in the Tony-winning — and just plain winning — musical “Six” don’t have beautiful voices. They do, and each puts her mark on a breakout number.But the arrival of King Henry VIII’s six wives to the Buell Theater (through Dec. 24) is proof that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.Terica Marie as Anna of Cleves (center) in the North American Tour Boleyn Company of “Six.” (Joan Marcus, provided by the Denver Center)In what can be considered one of the best concerts of Denver’s fall season, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s blast-from-a-past, her-story lesson brings together Catherine of Aragon (Gerianne Pérez), Anne Boleyn (Zan Berube), Jane Seymour (Amina Faye), Anne of Cleves (Terica Marie), Katherine Howard (Aline Mayagoitia)  and Catherine Parr (Adriana Scalice) for a rock show. Or, as the opening song “Ex-Wives” so deftly and drolly introduces...

Family alleges UCHealth cut off Indigenous patient’s hair, then lied about it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:22 GMT

The family of an Indigenous man receiving medical care at UCHealth alleges the Aurora hospital cut and disposed of their relative’s waist-length hair — something that goes against sacred Native American cultural practices — and then lied about it when confronted.Now, the family of 65-year-old Arthur Janis is seeking an apology.“They continued to deny that they cut his hair,” said Keith Janis, a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, of his brother. “They tried to make us all sound crazy.”On Thursday, UCHealth officials released a statement saying they had determined through an investigation that Arthur Janis arrived at their hospital with shoulder-length hair that hospital staff cut shorter to prevent the intensive care patient from developing a pressure ulcer.Dan Weaver, UCHealth’s vice president of communications, said the patient was not identified as someone with Native American roots before hospital staff cut his hair.“Our medi...