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In the shadow of 7 horse deaths, party goes on at the Derby

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:42 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — As the horses were loaded into the starting gate, Tedi Dietrich whispered a prayer.“Lord, let the horses get all the way around safe,” Dietrich said, watching the race Saturday on a giant screen erected amid the party in Churchill Downs’ courtyard.News had just broken that a sixth horse had died in the days and hours leading into the Derby. A seventh horse died later in the day.But here, in every direction, Derby-goers in fancy dresses and seersucker suits posed for selfies, fluffed the feathers in their hats and sipped mint juleps. It was a jarring contrast to reports of yet another horse being loaded into an equine ambulance in the stable area, just on the opposite side of the racetrack.All Dietrich could think to do was say a prayer before each race that day, and then keep enjoying the famous festivities.“People come for the party, for the experience,” Dietrich said. “Look around, look at all this enthusiasm. I think a lot of people aren’t following the new...

Mexican families get quick reunions with migrant relatives

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:42 GMT

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) — Tears flowed amid heartfelt embraces as Mexican families were allowed brief reunions at the border Saturday with relatives who migrated to the United States.As a mariachi band played the popular song “Las Mañanitas,” about 150 families passed over the Rio Grande to meet with loved ones they had not seen for years.Margarita Piña could not hide her emotion as she waited to greet her son, whom she hadn’t seen since he left home two years ago in the middle of the pandemic to seek a better future in the U.S.“It’s very hard because we don’t know what they’re suffering over there,” Piña said.Knowing their meeting would be limited to only five minutes, Piña said she would take advantage of the limited time to tell him “that we still love you very much.”It was the 10th edition of the “Hugs, not walls” event, which was organized by humanitarian groups near the Casa de Adobe Museum in the border city of Ciudad Juárez, which sprawls across the border from El P...

Speed reduction street fixtures installed in the Loop to combat drag racing

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:42 GMT

CHICAGO — last summer, drag racers and drifters created big headaches and safety concerns for residents as they took over city streets. Now, the Loop is better equipped to reduce the illegal meet ups, according to city officials.In an effort to curb drag racing and drifting downtown, several new speed reduction fixtures have been installed around the Loop where the incidents happened last year.The fixtures include several speed bumps, along with two detached bumps and a series of eight posts."It's definitely needed," said Fatima Rouf, a resident in the Loop. "You know that the speed bumps will slow them down." Tulips fill vacant lots in Chicago to highlight redlining The speed reduction fixtures are the latest implementation put in place to help address drag racing, drifting and other sideshows throughout the City. Last summer, City Council gave police the authority to tow vehicles and deflate tires of vehicles used in the illegal activities."I think it'll slow it down," said Leon...

Eloy Jiménez of White Sox hospitalized with abdominal pain

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:42 GMT

CINCINNATI (AP) — White Sox designated hitter Eloy Jiménez was hospitalized on Saturday due to abdominal pain.“He had some abdominal pain last night and it intensified throughout the night,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “This morning we took him to the hospital for further evaluation and he’s still there. We should know something shortly.”Jiménez is on a season-high eight-game hitting streak after going 1 for 4 with a single and two strikeouts in Friday night’s 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds. He went 3 for 5 with a homer and three RBIs on Thursday. Liam Hendriks gets a step closer to a return to the White Sox “Any time you have to go in with abdominal pain, it is scary,” Grifol said. “I talked to him this morning, and he said it hurt when he moves. It intensified a little bit, so we’re erring on the side of caution to see what it is.”The White Sox (11-22) have won four of their last five games after a poor April. Yasmani Grandal was to be the designated hitter on Saturda...

Isolated to scattered storms possible tonight

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After another hot and humid day, we're once again watching for the potential for storms this evening and tonight. CENTRAL TEXAS RAINFALL TOTALS We're thinking coverage may reach about 30% of Central Texas with rain and storms this evening and tonight, leaving many of us staying very warm and dry.The highest chances for storms and even severe storms will be in the Hill Country.Northern and western San Saba County is under an Enhanced Risk (3 out of 5) for severe storms this evening. Much of the rest of the Hill Country will be under a slight risk (Category 2 of 5), but also parts of western Williamson, Travis and Hays County.Another late-afternoon/evening of strong to severe stormsOur main concerns with severe weather will be very large hail and damaging winds, but a low tornado threat exists for the Hill Country.Isolated to scattered storms will be possible through around midnight before storm chances drop off. Overnight lows drop into the low 70s with mostly clo...

Longhorns baseball evens Kansas series behind strong pitching

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - After suffering a loss in the series opener against Kansas Friday evening, the Texas baseball team bounced back with an impressive 6-2 victory Saturday to even the series.The Longhorns have been searching for consistency in the starting rotation behind regular Friday starter Lucas Gordon and got a major boost in Saturday's win. Lebarron Johnson Jr. returned to starting after a number of strong outings of the bullpen and made the Texas coaching staff look awful smart for the decision.Johnson went seven strong innings allowing just one run while striking out 12 Jayhawks. That is the redshirt sophomore's third straight outing where he's gone at least five innings and allowed one or zero runs.Coming in after Johnson Jr. was Ace Whitehead who held Kansas scoreless in the eighth before allowing an earned run in the ninth. Andre Duplantier II came in relief of Whitehead with the bases loaded and recorded the final two outs to earn his first save since 2020.The offense provi...

Wainwright goes five innings in return, but Cardinals lose eighth straight

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:42 GMT

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals extended a losing steak to eight for the first time in 16 years, losing to the Detroit Tigers 6-5 on Saturday in Adam Wainwright's return from the injured list as Akil Baddoo hit a go-ahead double in the 10th inning.St. Louis is on its longest skid since nine straight losses from Sept. 7-15, 2007. At a National League-worst 10-24, the Cardinals are 14 games under .500 for the first time since ending the 1997 season at 73-89.A squirrel got one of the day's biggest ovations when he scampered across the infield in the bottom off the seventh.Baddoo doubled off Giovanny Gallegos (1-2) to drive in automatic runner Jonathan Schoop.Wainwright, starting his 19th and what he said will be his final major league season, allowed four runs and eight hits over five-plus innings struck out five and walked none. He had started the season on the injured list with a groin injury.The 41-year-old right-hander pitched two-hit ball for four innings and was staked to a t...

Webster Groves ALS run raises $15,000 for local patient

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:42 GMT

WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. - The Webster Groves community showed up in full force Saturday morning for the 22nd annual Jim Schoemehl ALS run, raising $15,000 for one local ALS patient. For more than two decades, students from a Webster Groves High School marketing class have organized the event. It serves a dual purpose of education and service.“They’re learning how to put on an event, how to market and promote on an event, but it also means a lot to our community because Jim Schoemehl was the husband of the former marketing teacher here," said Webster Groves Marketing Teacher, Katie Laurentius. "The run was created by students to help their teacher out, and it’s just continued out." Top Story: St. Louis residents react to deadly downtown shootings This year, the run will help local resident, Djenad Novalic, who immigrated from Bosnia with his family in 2001, the first year of the run. Novalic has also been diagnosed with ALS. Organizers raised more than $15,000 in support of Novalic pri...

Bellefontaine Neighbors, Moline Acres join forces for large cleanup event

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:42 GMT

BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS, Mo. - The City of Moline Acres joined the City of Bellefontaine Neighbors for a “City 2 City”-wide community clean-up event.  Volunteers spent part of their Saturday morning picking up trash.  "This is the first time that we reached out to municipalities surrounding us to see if they would clean up on the same day that we do,” Earlyn Gordon said. “We see a whole lot of people out volunteering and cleaning up. This is the first time that we are joining forces."  Trending: King Charles III coronation in London: Watch live Gordon is the chairperson of the Bellefontaine Neighbors Image & Beautification Commission. She says around 20 volunteers showed up to help Saturday morning. They hit the main stretches of the city first. “It's wonderful,” she said. “I've been doing it for 10 years. This is the first year that I'm the chairperson. I'm thankful for everyone that volunteered, thankful for all the people that has been doing this so long. It means...

Man fatally shot at Tesla charging station in Edgewater is identified

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:41:42 GMT

A man shot dead at a Tesla charging station in Edgewater was identified Saturday as a 33-year-old father with two young children.Adam Michael Fresquez of Denver was shot Wednesday when an argument at the Edgewater Public Market, West 20th Avenue and Depew Street, escalated, according to the Edgewater Police Department. The Jefferson County coroner’s office identified Fresquez on Saturday.On the day of the incident, Fresquez was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He also is survived by a wife and other family members, who ask for privacy and “time to process and heal after this tragic event,” said Sgt. Bob Brink in an email.A GoFundMe page is posted seeking donations to help Fresquez’s family with burial costs, and remaining funds will be used to help his family with expenses. The post, which has a goal of $17,000, had raised around $13,500 as of Saturday.The other man involved in the incident left the scene Wednesday and later called 911, poli...