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Williamson Co. jury finds Round Rock man guilty of indecency with a child

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:15:22 GMT

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- Earlier this week, a Williamson County jury found a Round Rock man guilty of indecency with a child by sexual contact, according to a Williamson County District Attorney news release.John Frank Scheer, 42, was sentenced to 10 years confinement in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison and was also fined $10,000. However, there was a recommendation that the prison time be suspended and Scheer be placed on community supervision, according to the DA's office.Scheer will be formally sentenced on Feb. 24, 2024, the release said.According to the DA's office, Scheer was accused of molesting a 15-year-old transgender teenager in September 2021 in a Round Rock home. He was known to the victim and "was in a position of trust for the child," the release said.On Sept. 2, 2021, the victim called a teen crisis hotline to report the crime. Then, the crisis hotline contacted Child Protective Services to further investigate.Scheer was arrested by the Round R...

Texas' Julien Alfred captures Bowerman award as NCAA's top female track and field athlete

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:15:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Longhorns sprinter Julien Alfred is the best college track and field athlete in America.Alfred was named the winner of The Bowerman, the highest honor in collegiate track and field akin to football's Heisman Trophy. Alfred had one of the best years in both indoor and outdoor track in NCAA history en route to claiming the award. She's the second Texas woman to win the award and the first since Courtney Okolo did it in 2016, and the St. Lucia native is the first international woman to win the award. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Texas sprinter Julien Alfred on a quest to become the fast woman alive Nobody could beat her in the 60-meter dash during the indoor season, and she broke the NCAA record six times shaving her time down to 6.86 seconds on her way to the national championship in the event. She completed the sprint double during the indoor season with a win in the 200 meters, becoming the first woman from the Big 12 Conference to accomplish the feat and the second wo...

Nonprofit's 2024 housing predictions: A new era in real estate?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:15:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new report from the non-profit Urban Land Institute (ULI) claims that the real estate sector will need a "new era of thinking" in 2024, and can no longer relay on metrics that were once relied upon.What's in the report?The report "Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2024" is an annual publication by ULI in its 45th year. Previous reports, according to a ULI spokesperson, ranked Austin in the top 10 for overall prospects since 2010. This year's report ranks the city as fifth in that list and as the top for homebuilding prospectus (financial security of the industry).These results are the topic of a Dec. 5 luncheon held by the local ULI branch. A report co-author reviewed the report, and a panel discussion covered the local market's place in the data.ULI Programs Committee Chair Lance Copeland attended the meeting and shared his takeaways in a December 8 interview."The report was perhaps more somber than reports of past. Everybody being pretty realistic about the impact o...

Wild super rookie Brock Faber reminds reporters he’s not perfect

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:15:22 GMT

Most high-level athletes, college or professional, don’t like it when reporters bring up a mistake they’ve made. Brock Faber, on the other hand, sometimes brings them up himself.Faber has a goal and 12 points, and is among the team’s leaders with a plus-7 despite consistently playing against opponents’ top scoring lines. In what has been a disappointing season so far, his storyline is a major positive.So, on the heels of playing a career-high 30 minutes, 8 seconds in Thursday night’s 3-2 shootout victory over Calgary at Xcel Energy Center, Faber was presented with a series of questions about how, and why, he has played so well.“I’ve had bad games,” he said. “Last night I didn’t have a great game, to be honest with you.”In what way?“I turned pucks over, I wasn’t clean on breakouts, I didn’t create much offensively,” he said. “I defended fine, (but) I have a standard for myself, that I know I can be better. It doesn’t bother me, by any means; we won, that’s all I care about.”Faber als...

Met Council backs real estate in Highland Bridge, University Avenue, East Seventh, Maplewood

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:15:22 GMT

The Metropolitan Council, the seven-county metro’s regional planning agency, approved a series of grants this week to back affordable housing and job creation, much of it along transit corridors.One set of “Livable Communities” grants will support transit-oriented development in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Richfield.The grants include $975,000 toward a mixed-use development led by Project for Pride in Living at 892 Seventh St. E. in St. Paul. Located between the Mexican consulate, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and Phalen Boulevard, the structure will provide affordable housing to multi-generational families, as well as supportive services and retail. It would be situated near the future route of the Purple Line, a bus rapid transit project previously known as the Rush Line corridor.Another grant for $889,000 will back the 2441 Arts Building, FilmNorth’s project at 2441 University Ave. W. in St. Paul, which is aimed at converting a former furniture...

Police arrest man for using bear spray on victim

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:15:22 GMT

MALTA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Saratoga County Sheriff's Office arrested Jorge F. Torres, 44, on December 13. Torres was charged with second-degree assault and aggravated criminal contempt. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Torres is accused of spraying the victim in the face with bear spray at the X-Tra Mart on U.S. Route 9. The victim reportedly had an order of protection against Torres. The victim was treated by EMS. Torres was arraigned in Malta Town Court and remanded to the Saratoga County Jail in lieu of bail or bond pending further action.

Can you drive with colored headlights in Missouri?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:15:22 GMT

ST. LOUIS – According to Missouri statutes, "Headlamps, when lighted, shall exhibit lights substantially white in color." This is a verbatim excerpt from Missouri law concerning motor vehicles. Those UV blue headlights that emit a blue light when turned on are, in fact, illegal.Driving with colored headlights is a violation of traffic laws. Headlights are typically mandated during periods of reduced visibility to encourage safe driving practices. However, they must be exclusively white. While cars are originally equipped with white headlights, custom UV headlights represent aftermarket modifications.The only exception to the rule pertains to school buses, which are allowed to have headlights of any color when used for school purposes, and emergency vehicles on any street or public highway.The primary function of headlights on a vehicle is to provide light for the driver during low-light conditions, such as nighttime or inclement weather (e.g., fog, rain, or snow). They significantly...

Grant's Farm seeks more mural submissions for Tiergarten façade

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:15:22 GMT

ST. LOUIS - In celebration of its 120th anniversary, Grant's Farm is looking for artists to design and paint a permanent mural on its iconic Tiergarten façade. Organizers are making a last call for mural submissions. The winning artist receives $5,000. Two runner-ups will get $1,000 each.The mural should honor Grant's Farm's natural environment, historic architecture, its many animals, along with the Busch family's German heritage. Organizers say it should also evoke the four seasons.For more information on how to get involved, click here.

Woman killed in homicide in Broomfield’s Anthem neighborhood

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:15:22 GMT

A woman was found dead by police in a home in Broomfield’s Anthem neighborhood on Thursday afternoon after officers responded to a call for a welfare check, according to the Broomfield Police Department.Police are investigating the woman’s death as a homicide, Broomfield police posted on X at 2 p.m. Friday. Officers were called for a welfare check at the home in the 3100 block of Promontory Loop just before 1 p.m. and found the woman’s body with “apparent injuries,” the department posted.No arrests have been made in the case. The woman’s name and cause of death will be released by the Adams and Broomfield County Coroner.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Colorado couple allegedly broke into Silverthorne condo unit, stayed for a month before being arrested Crime and Public Safety | Aurora man convicted of vehicular homicide in DUI crash that killed mother, daughter Crime and Public Safety | Suspect ...

Commerce City man sentenced to 50 years in neighbor’s shooting death

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 15:15:22 GMT

The Commerce City man who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and attempted murder in the 2021 shooting death of his neighbor was sentenced to 50 years in prison Friday, according to court records and the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.Andrew Reineke, 30, was sentenced to 30 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections for second-degree murder and 20 years for second-degree attempted murder in Adams County District Court on Friday. The sentences will run consecutively.Reineke pleaded guilty to the lesser charges on Sept. 20 in a plea agreement with the district attorney’s office. He was initially charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault on a peace officer and felony menacing.According to the district attorney’s office, Reineke confronted his 65-year-old neighbor, Andrew Ervin, on Aug. 3, 2021, near their homes on Grape Street and shot him in the back 11 times.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | On heels of...