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St. Paul teachers contract talks headed to mediation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:28 GMT

Contract negotiations between St. Paul Public Schools and the district’s teachers union are headed to mediation once again.It’s the eighth bargaining cycle in a row where the district and union have brought in a third party to help with the negotiations.The district on Friday announced both sides agreed to bring in a state mediator to help with the next two-year contract, which will replace the one that expired in June.State of negotiationsNegotiations for the last contract also went to mediation, and the district narrowly averted a strike. And this year there’s an even bigger gap between what the St. Paul Federation of Educators wants and what the school district says it’s willing to offer.Early on in negotiations this November there was already a $94 million gap between what the union wanted in new pay, benefits and other programs and what the district was willing to offer.SPPS officials estimated that requests from the SPFE could top $106 million, and the district said it w...

Court docs: Woman made $100K for unworked hours at Chesterfield nursing home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:28 GMT

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. - A woman faces a felony charge after she allegedly earned $100,000 for unworked hours at a Chesterfield nursing home over parts of the last two years. St. Louis County prosecutors have charged Cia Hardin, 34, with one count of stealing in excess of $25,000. Missouri’s top educator warns of ‘domino effect’ with four-day school weeks According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Hardin had been employed at the Delmar Gardens nursing home amid allegations of unpaid work. Investigators say she submitted fraudulent time sheets with her supervisor's forged initials from June 2022 to August 2023. Per court documents, Hardin was paid at least $100,000 for hours not worked at the nursing home. Authorities requested a warrant for Hardin's arrest on Thursday, per Missouri court records. If convicted, Hardin could face up to anywhere from 3-10 years in prison.

Colorado road conditions: Multiple snow-related crashes that closed I-70 cleared

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:28 GMT

6 p.m.: Eastbound I-70 at Glenwood Springs and westbound I-70 at Parachute have reopened to traffic.4:36 p.m.: Westbound Interstate 70 at Golden has reopened to traffic.Interstate 70 was closed in several places across Colorado on Friday for crashes as a winter storm moved west across the mountains and into metro Denver.Related ArticlesTransportation | Interstate 70 westbound closed near De Beque for 18-car pileup Transportation | I-70 westbound reopens at Golden after oversized load hits bridge Transportation | Colorado Department of Transportation wraps up major I-70 project between Frisco and Silverthorne Transportation | Colorado weather: Heavy snow and strong winds create hazardous travel conditions Transportation | Interstate 70 westbound near Glenwood Springs reopens after crash Eastbound I-70 was closed at Glenwood Springs through Glenwood Canyon to exit 129 for Bair Ranch due to a pileup crash a...

Wife of LASD deputy who died by suicide files claim against department

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:28 GMT

The widow of a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputy is considering legal action after her husband died by suicide.Arturo Atilano-Valdez was one of four department employees to die by suicide in a 24-hour span in early November.Arturo's wife, Michele Atilano, said for years that her husband had complained about long hours at work and stressful jail conditions. She claims he didn’t receive the necessary support or help from his employers that could’ve saved his life.“My daughters cry every night when they go to sleep,” Michele said. “It's just me and my daughters left now.”The grieving widow is speaking out as she recalls the day her husband died.She said Arturo was home one night, sitting on the couch. She and her daughters were in their bedrooms when they heard a single pop that sounded like fireworks. It was gunfire. Arturo had fatally shot himself. Upon the gruesome discovery, Michelle said she threw a blanket over her husband, who was still bleeding, and quickly tried t...

Californians will be able to recycle these beverage containers beginning in 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:28 GMT

Californians will be able to recycle wine, liquor and large juice bottles and earn cash for doing so beginning next year.The beverage containers will now be considered in the California Redemption Value Fee, a statewide program implemented after the 1986 Bottle Bill, which requires consumers to pay a fee when purchasing aluminum, glass, plastic, or metal-packaged beverages. Planned Parenthood sues Fontana for allegedly blocking abortion access Previously, the bill applied to nonalcoholic beverages such as juice, soda, and water but excluded milk, vegetable juice over 16 ounces, beer, wine coolers, distilled spirits coolers, and drinks in refillable containers.As with containers already included in the program, the fee will be refundable when the containers are returned to a recycling center beginning on Jan.1, 2024, according to CalRecycle.Wine, liquor, alcoholic coolers and juice in containers 24 ounces or less will be redeemable for five cents, those over 24 ounces will be redee...

Lights, Camera, Take Action! A star-studded telethon benefitting the MPTF

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:28 GMT

Join KTLA 5 and a long list of celebrities from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, December 9, for a live telethon benefiting the Motion Picture & Television Fund airing live on L.A's Very Own KTLA 5 and streaming live on KTLA.com and KTLA+.MPTF supports working and retired members of the entertainment community with a safety net of health and social services, including temporary financial assistance, case management, and residential living.Yvette Nicole Brown and Tom Bergeron return as hosts and serve as two of the producers for this uplifting, entertaining evening of stories, songs, and celebrities all to raise emergency relief funds for workers in need. MPTF’s first telethon last December received an LA Area Emmy® nomination and raised over $850K to provide for the entertainment community’s most vulnerable community members. Tap here to donate to MPTFNow the need is even more urgent with tens of thousands of industry workers impacted by the two strikes in 2023,...

US vetoes UN resolution demanding cease-fire in Gaza war

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:28 GMT

By Edith M. Lederer | Associated PressUNITED NATIONS — The United States vetoed a United Nations resolution Friday backed by almost all other Security Council members and dozens of other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. Supporters called it a terrible day and warned of more civilian deaths and destruction as the war goes into its third month.The vote in the 15-member council was 13-1, with the United Kingdom abstaining. The United States’ isolated stand reflected a growing fracture between Washington and some of its closest allies over Israel’s monthslong bombardment of Gaza. France and Japan were among those supporting the call for a cease-fire.In a vain effort to press the Biden administration to drop its opposition to calling for a halt to the fighting, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey were all in Washington on Friday. But their meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinke...

Thousands pay tribute to Pogues singer Shane MacGowan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:28 GMT

By Jill Lawless | Associated PressLONDON — Thousands of people lined the streets of Dublin on Friday to say goodbye to The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan as his coffin wound through the Irish capital before a small-town funeral attended by family, neighbors and friends including Johnny Depp and Nick Cave.MacGowan died Nov. 30 at the age of 65 after a lifetime of drinking, carousing and writing songs that fused Irish traditional music with the spirit of punk.He became an Irish cultural icon, and Ireland’s President Michael D. Higgins was among hundreds of people who packed St. Mary of the Rosary Church in the town of Nenagh for the funeral Mass.Mourners at the service, in MacGowan’s ancestral home county of Tipperary some 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Dublin, included former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and Irish actor Aidan Gillen, who both gave readings. There was also a recorded reading from Bono of U2. Depp, a friend of the musician, was among those who help...

San Jose, San Francisco rank last in 'housing happiness' study

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:28 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The two most populated cities in the Bay Area -- San Francisco and San Jose -- ranked dead last, and second-to-last in a new study on "housing happiness" of homeowners. The nationwide study by allstarhome.com used American Housing Survey data to analyze where Americans have made the best return on their housing investments, and the worst. Homeowners rated local attitudes about their homes and neighborhoods overall. Median home values were compared to homeowners' rankings. The study found that people who live in San Francisco and San Jose pay the most for their "housing happiness," with high average costs of homes and low happiness scores.The top reasons why Americans dislike their neighborhoods are "weird people, homes too close together, rude people, and noisy people," the study states. (Data courtesy allstarhome.com) On the opposite end of the spectrum, Detroit, Rochester, and Birmingham ranked #1, #2 and #3 for "best bang for your buck." Happiness wi...

DC says Empower rideshare is in violation of city law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:00:28 GMT

D.C.-area residents have another alternative to Uber or Lyft — it’s called Empower.The Virginia-based company claims to be “transforming the gig economy” by providing drivers with 100% of their earnings from riders’ fares.“We provide software and support services to drivers who want to build and run their own businesses,” Empower CEO Joshua Sear told WTOP.Sear’s company is a third-party vendor that lets drivers set their own rates and be paid directly in-app by riders.“In exchange, drivers pay Empower a subscription fee, which is significantly less than Uber/Lyft are withholding from drivers in taking over 40% of the fare on average from each ride,” the company says on its website. “Empower takes ZERO commission from rides.”Riders can access the service through the company’s app.But, according to D.C.’s Department of For-Hire Vehicles, Empower has refused to register with the department to operate in...