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Travis County unanimously votes to bump corrections officers, deputies pay

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:05:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Travis County Commissioners voted unanimously to increase base pay for both its corrections officers in the jail and deputies in the field. Both will get a $5,000 base rate increase. The conversation was brought forward largely due to understaffing at the jail. The Travis County Sheriff's Office said of it's 731 corrections officer positions, 248 are vacant. That's a roughly 35% vacancy rate. Corrections officers will go from a base rate of $50,000 to $55,000 starting in June. TCSO law enforcement deputies will go from $63,000 to $68,000. There will also be adjustments in pay for people in higher positions to ensure the pay scale remains balanced. "We have a lot of staff that are stuck inside the jails. They don't get to go home in the evenings to see their families," said Jacob Bentura, a senior corrections officer and the president of the TCSO Association.Bentura said because there are state minimums for staffing, corrections officers are being required to stay fo...

Austin FC expects 'combative' New Mexico United as Verde seeks first-ever win in U.S. Open Cup

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:05:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin FC certainly hopes its second try at the U.S. Open Cup tournament goes better than its first.The team's first appearance in the tournament last year was brief after they fell 2-1 to San Antonio FC in the third round — the round that Verde and Black entered the tournament in. On Wednesday, Austin FC has another shot to advance in the tournament when it takes on New Mexico United at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Q2 Stadium.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersWith a "congested" schedule as Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff puts it, the club's May calendar is jam-packed. They'll have four matches in a 10-day span starting with the Open Cup, and if they win Wednesday, they'll have another Open Cup match on the backend of the hectic slate. Wolff said he'll use his available roster to its fullest, and in the end, he's playing every game to win."The ambition is to win t...

MN state tuition freeze and free college included in higher ed funding bill

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:05:50 GMT

The Legislature will tap $650 million from the state’s budget surplus to freeze tuition at Minnesota State institutions the next two years and provide free college to some students.House lawmakers approved a conference committee report Tuesday with a 69-62 vote along party lines. Now the Senate needs to OK the updated bill that was worked out over the last week by a bicameral panel of lawmakers from both chambers.“Minnesotans deserve a higher education system that is affordable, accessible, and prepares them for the workforce of tomorrow,” Rep. Gene Pelowski, House Higher Education Committee chair, said in a statement after the updated bill was approved in the House.Pelowski added that it was only the second time the Legislature provided funding to freeze tuition at state institutions. At about $4.2 billion over the coming two years, the overall higher education spending increase is about 19 percent more than current spending levels.“There is a great need in higher education, ...

MN State Patrol, other law enforcement to focus on street racing, other dangerous driving this spring and summer

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:05:50 GMT

Minnesota State Patrol troopers and other law enforcement partners will be working to halt street racing and other dangerous driving this spring and summer.“Street racing and intersection takeovers are not innocent acts. They put lives at risk, cause major disturbances to neighborhoods, and damage to private property and public roadways,” said Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, in a statement. “Communities are tired of it. We are dedicated to working with our partners to keep Minnesotans safe and send a message that street racing will not be tolerated.”Efforts to address street racing began in the summer of 2021 and since then fewer incidents have been reported, according to the State Patrol. It does continue and has become more aggressive in certain cases with high speeds in populated areas.Work will include partering with other law enforcement agencies and gathering intelligence from analysts behind the scenes, according to the State Patrol.According to the Sta...

As state moves to ban ‘forever chemicals,’ law will be named after young Maplewood cancer victim

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:05:50 GMT

Minnesota is on the verge of banning nonessential uses of “forever chemicals.” And lawmakers say they are naming the legislation after a young Maplewood woman who spent the last months of her life campaigning for restrictions that will be some of the toughest in the country.Legislators, environmentalists and family members paid tribute Tuesday to Amara Strande. She died two days shy of her 21st birthday last month from a rare form of liver cancer. She grew up in the suburban east metro, where the groundwater is contaminated by PFAS linked to 3M Co. manufacturing, and believed the chemicals were part of what caused her cancer, which was diagnosed when she was 15.“Through her pain and exhaustion, Amara was willing to be a voice of those who have become the victims of illnesses that are linked to these forever chemicals,” said her father, Michael Strande. ”Amara called on the lawmakers of Minnesota to do what is right in passing laws that will not only protect our environment, an...

Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels misses out on NBA’s All-Defense teams

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:05:50 GMT

Despite being considered by many to be one of the league’s elite perimeter defenders this season, Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels was snubbed from either of the NBA’s two All-Defensive teams that were released Tuesday.McDaniels was listed as a forward — meaning he had to compete with the likes of Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr., Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Golden State’s Draymond Green for spots on the All-Defense rosters, which only have room for four forwards.Jackson and Mobley were first-team All-Defense, while Green and Toronto’s O.G. Anunoby earned second-team honors.McDaniels finished sixth among forwards in voting, behind Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 22-year-old received three first-place votes and 34 second-place votes out of 100 total media voters. McDaniels almost certainly would’ve fared better had he been classified as a guard and dueled the likes of Memphis’ Dillon Brooks or Boston’s Derrick White ...

St. Paul lawyer gets 16 months in prison for car-crash scheme involving chiropractors

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:05:50 GMT

A St. Paul personal injury lawyer was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison Tuesday for defrauding auto insurance companies with phony injuries from car crashes.Brad Ratgen, 52, admitted in November that between 2015 and 2021, he paid runners to recruit car-crash clients who would seek treatment from chiropractors who were in on the scheme.Ratgen sought $59,483 in fraudulent payments and ended up with $22,748, according to federal prosecutors.The Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau informed Ratgen in July 2021 that he was the target of an undercover investigation. Yet, Ratgen continued negotiating with State Farm on behalf of recruited client, reaching a $3,500 settlement months later.U.S. District Judge Joan Ericksen told Ratgen on Tuesday she was “struck by the determined approach you took to committing the crime,” even after he was interviewed and other defendants were indicted. “It still didn’t click that you should stop.”Prosecutors charged Ratgen in October, and he pleaded guil...

Dog attack reveals alleged squatting in building

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:05:50 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (News10)-A recent dog attack that sent a woman to the hospital has uncovered some complicated underlying issues at a property in Troy. The problem involves a battle between a woman who claims to be the current property owner and the people who feel they have the right to live there."That should not happen to her, and I feel sorry for her. But I don’t feel sorry that she was here. If she wasn’t here, it wouldn’t have happened.” That's how Debbie Plante, views the dog attack at 876 River Street in Troy. "There’s not even supposed to be dogs here," added Plante.  Troy Police say the woman suffered wounds to her arm and leg during the unprovoked attack by the American bulldog but is expected to make a full recovery. The dog, which police say belongs to the injured woman, is being held at an area shelter until a determination over what to do with the animal. Monday's attack has exposed a larger more complicated problem. The building is currently in foreclosure. Plant...

Mesa County deputy involved in fatal shooting identified

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:05:50 GMT

A deputy who fatally shot a man in Mesa County has been identified amid an ongoing investigation by the 21st Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Man in vehicle at La Salle Family Dollar fatally shot by police; investigation launched Crime and Public Safety | Family-fight standoff, knife attack leads to fatal shooting by Denver police Crime and Public Safety | Greeley police shoot, kill man who allegedly shot at them; no officers injured Crime and Public Safety | Four bystanders shot by Denver police officer in LoDo file civil rights lawsuit over “life-altering injuries” Crime and Public Safety | Aurora police officers cleared in death of man after 120 mph chase that ended at DIA Deputy Andrew Baca, who has been with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office for five years, “discharged his duty firearm” during an April 28 inciden...

Jeffco considers middle school closures as it moves to next phase of consolidations

Published Sat, 01 Feb 2025 11:05:50 GMT

The full story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters. Jeffco Public Schools is laying out a roadmap for the next phase of school closures and consolidation in anticipation of fewer students enrolling next year and for several years to come.Recommendations for middle school closures could come as soon as August under a resolution the school board is expected to approve this week. The resolution would put a moratorium on any high school closures while the district works on other plans around the future of high school. Jeffco is planning to take a more comprehensive look over the next year at enrollment patterns, school boundaries, and feeder zones, as it considers which schools to close and where to consolidate. The resolution also lays out unsustainable enrollment as a factor for middle school closures, as well as one new factor: the accountability clock.Being on the state’s accountability clock — the name for when schools have re...