Drought conditions could present firework complications

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:41:28 GMT

Drought conditions could present firework complications ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. - We're still a couple of weeks away from the Fourth of July, but Tuesday is the official start of fireworks season in Missouri."And here you have a wide variety from anywhere from like $30 all the way up to $200 or $300 per box," said Joshua Galati, fireworks stand operator.From little fireworks costing a few dollars to the big ones costing a few hundred, Galati has been selling fireworks for about 10 years. He opened his Firework City tent off Highway 94 in Weldon Spring on Tuesday afternoon. Galati said he expects this season's sales to be a little down simply because the Fourth of July falls on a Tuesday, but that's not the only reason."What plays a factor is the weather," he said. "I mean, that's probably the biggest important factor in anything." Missouri family finds relative 10 hours after hearing she died Our drier season means more fire danger. Abnormally dry conditions in the St. Louis area; moderate drought conditions in surrounding counties, an...

Board of Aldermen in St. Louis County city votes to use public funds to repair private swim club  

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:41:28 GMT

Board of Aldermen in St. Louis County city votes to use public funds to repair private swim club   ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - During Tuesday night’s Warson Woods Board of Aldermen meeting, the board voted in favor of authorizing the city to use slightly more than $150,000 to resurface the pool at the Warson Woods Swim Club.Some Warson Woods taxpayers have raised concerns about the plan. The city owns the pool property, but the swim club is private and requires memberships.Supporters of using public money argue it’s in the city’s best interest to have a viable pool that provides a recreational benefit. The city owns the land and leases it to the swim club. Most of the citizens speaking during Tuesday’s meeting voiced support for using public money.Some citizens said the pool enhances property values for all residents. Several residents said the pool is a big reason they enjoy living in Warson Woods. Missouri family finds relative 10 hours after hearing she died Some taxpayers argued the swim club should pay for all the repairs. Opponents of using public funding do not believe the c...

Cleaning is underway for the mosaic at Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:41:28 GMT

Cleaning is underway for the mosaic at Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis ST. LOUIS - Mosaic pieces are getting a cleaning for the first time in nearly a century on Tuesday."This place. It's all stone. You have to hand clean almost every little spot. There is a lot of work to it," said William Connors, a machine operator for John Tiedemann Incorporated.Connors and his crew are out of New Jersey and specialize in restoring churches."You can see the clean side, and you can see the kind of dirty side. They're going to realize that, oh, that wasn't grey marble; that's really white marble," said Monsignor Henry Breier with the Archdiocese of St. Louis.He said the challenge with the project is the height."That baldachino it sits at about 60 feet tall. The challenge had been finding a piece of equipment that wouldn't damage the floors," Breier said. How many Missouri bridges need to be repaired or replaced? Depends who you ask There are several types of stones. The first step in cleaning the marble is vacuuming, then scrubbing with soap and polishing."It's som...

Judge Strikes Down Arkansas Law Banning Gender Transition Care for Minors

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:41:28 GMT

Judge Strikes Down Arkansas Law Banning Gender Transition Care for Minors ATLANTA — A federal judge in Arkansas on Tuesday struck down the state’s law forbidding medical treatments for children and teenagers seeking gender transitions, blocking what had been the first in a wave of such measures championed by conservative lawmakers across the country.The case had been closely watched as an important test of whether bans or severe restrictions on transition care for minors, which have since been enacted by 19 other states, could withstand legal challenges being brought by activists and civil liberties groups. It is the first ruling to broadly block such a ban for an entire state, though judges have intervened to temporarily delay similar laws from going into effect.In his 80-page ruling, Judge James M. Moody Jr. of U.S. District Court in Little Rock said the law both discriminated against transgender people and violated constitutional rights of doctors. He also said that the state of Arkansas had failed to substantially prove a number of its cla...

Bobcats get cozy in Claremont backyard, residents concerned

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:41:28 GMT

Bobcats get cozy in Claremont backyard, residents concerned Residents in a Claremont neighborhood are concerned after a family of bobcats moved into a resident’s backyard. The wild cats haven’t caused any trouble yet, but residents are worried they could become a threat.Video footage from Patrick Cullen’s Claremont home shows a sighting of a mother bobcat and her two kittens near some furniture patio and then later returning to the backyard. "It was a strange-looking cat initially and then I saw it,” Cullen said. “I started looking a little more intently at it and I was like, 'Oh, that’s a bobcat.' Then I saw the two little ones wander in.” Residents in a Claremont neighborhood are concerned after a family of bobcats moved into a resident’s backyard.(Source: Patrick Cullen)The wild cats, which are generally small in size and often prey on rodents, can still become aggressive on rare occasions when they feel threatened. Mackenzie Rich, conflict specialist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, says people who find themselve...

Man fatally shot in L.A., police searching for suspects

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:41:28 GMT

Man fatally shot in L.A., police searching for suspects Los Angeles police are searching for suspects who fatally shot a man in Boyle Heights on June 13. Around 4:27 a.m., police responded to reports of shots fired near the 3400 block of Emery Street. When they arrived on scene, they found 25-year-old Noah Martinez suffering from a gunshot wound, according to an LAPD news release.Emergency crews provided medical treatment, but Martinez succumbed to his injuries and died at the scene.  During the investigation, detectives recovered expended casings.There were no witnesses and it is unknown what led up to the shooting. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to call Detective Arroyo or Detective Abundis of the Operations Central Bureau Homicide at 213-996-4104.

'They are doing it wrong': Ron DeSantis visits SF, slams city in campaign ad

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:41:28 GMT

'They are doing it wrong': Ron DeSantis visits SF, slams city in campaign ad SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tweeted out a campaign advertisement on Tuesday about what he saw in San Francisco, a city he described as "once-great." In a minute-long video titled, "We Need to Restore Sanity Across This County," posted at 4:34 p.m., the 2024 presidential candidate delivered a message while standing in front of a graffitied San Francisco wall and a pile of trash. Biden in SF: Street closures, what you need to know DeSantis claimed to see people defecating on the street and using drugs such as heroin and crack. He said the city "really collapsed because of leftist policies," which led to people moving from San Francisco to Florida. "The city is not vibrant anymore," he said. "It's really collapsed because of leftist policies, and these policies have caused people to flee this area. They don't prosecute criminals like they do in most parts of the country. The wreckage has really been sad to see." "It just shows you these policies matter. Lea...

Mariners’ Crawford bruises right shoulder in a collision with the Yankees’ Bader, to get MRI

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:41:28 GMT

Mariners’ Crawford bruises right shoulder in a collision with the Yankees’ Bader, to get MRI NEW YORK (AP) — Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford left Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees after 2 1/2 innings because of a bruised right shoulder sustained in a collision with Harrison Bader.Crawford flied out leading off the game and was hurt when Bader stole second base in the second inning. Crawford grounded out in the third and was replaced by Dylan Moore in the bottom half.“Certain times you suck it up and try to stay in the game but your body tells you otherwise sometimes,” Crawford said. “It was kind of like a weird little collision and I just felt it right after, barely lift my arm up, and I knew I wasn’t going to help my team after that because I probably couldn’t make a throw to first base.”Crawford said X-rays were negative and he will get an MRI Wednesday.He is hitting .239 with four homers and 24 RBIs.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Nate Ackenhausen shines in his first start and LSU shuts out Tennessee 5-0 at College World Series

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:41:28 GMT

Nate Ackenhausen shines in his first start and LSU shuts out Tennessee 5-0 at College World Series OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Jay Johnson texted Nate Ackenhausen at 8:56 a.m. Tuesday to let him know he would make his first start for LSU less than 12 hours later in a game against Tennessee with the Tigers’ season on the line.Ackenhausen said he slept in and didn’t get back to his coach until shortly after 11. “I texted him that I would give it all I’ve got,” the big left-hander said.Ackenhausen did that and then some, pitching six innings and combining with Riley Cooper for the Tigers’ nation-leading 11th shutout of the season, a 5-0 victory in the College World Series.“When you’re on this side of the bracket, you need that,” Johnson said. “If you’re going to do something here, you need a performance like Nate gave us.”LSU (50-16) beat its Southeastern Conference rival for the fourth time in five meetings — and the second time in Omaha — and will play No. 1 national seed Wake Forest on Wednesday night. The Tigers would have to beat the Demon Deacons in ...

Reds push winning streak to 10 with an 8-6 victory over the Rockies

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:41:28 GMT

Reds push winning streak to 10 with an 8-6 victory over the Rockies CINCINNATI (AP) — TJ Friedl hit a three-run homer on a four-hit night, rookie Elly De La Cruz added a solo shot and the Cincinnati Reds extended their winning streak to 10 games with an 8-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.“I remember what it was like to lose a game,” Friedl said. “That’s why we’re trying to stay as far away from it as possible.”Will Benson had a solo homer in the sixth, helping the NL Central-leading Reds to their longest winning streak since 2012, when they also won 10 straight. De La Cruz had three hits as fans chanted “Elly! Elly!”“We’re very appreciative of the opportunity we have,” Reds manager David Bell said. “We’ve experienced what that feel like and we want to keep it going. What great crowds we’ve had the last two nights that means a lot to our team.”Jorge Alfaro’s three-run homer in the eighth, which bounced off the top of the fence in center, couldn’t keep the Rockies from their seventh straight loss.The Reds scored two run...