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Charges put focus on Jehovah’s Witnesses’ handling of abuse

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:03 GMT

YORK HAVEN, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania grand jury in recent months accused nine men with connections to the Jehovah’s Witnesses of child sexual abuse in what some consider the nation’s most comprehensive investigation yet into abuse within the faith.The sets of charges filed in October and February have fueled speculation the jury may make public more about what it has uncovered from a four-year investigation.A similar grand jury investigation into child sexual abuse by Catholic priests culminated in a lengthy 2018 report that concluded hundreds of priests had abused children in Pennsylvania over seven decades and church officials had covered it up, and more recently a similar report was issued in Maryland.But documents made public so far include nothing about what critics have long maintained has been a systemic cover-up and mishandling of child molestation within the Jehovah’s Witnesses.Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry, at a news conference in February announcing charge...

Inside Toronto’s confusing, chaotic, wide-open mayoral race

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:03 GMT

In today’s Big Story podcast, there are currently almost 50 candidates running to become Toronto’s next mayor. And with no incumbent, or clear front-runner, that means that at this point anyone’s got a shot.Momin Qureshi is a City Hall reporter for CityNews. He joins us today to walk us through some of the more notable candidates, and outline their respective visions for the future of Canada’s largest city. “One of the things that you’re going to hear again and again, regardless of what issue we’re talking about, whether it’s housing, mental health issues, homeless supports, transit, is that the city is in a real hole financially,” he said, “we have more than a billion dollar deficit in this city that they have to fill, because they can’t have an unbalanced budget in this city, by law.” So who’s in the race? Who might join them? And what issues will decide the fate of Canada’s largest city?You can subscribe to The Big Story podcast on Apple Podcasts, Go...

Poet Sandra Lim wins $85,000 Jackson Poetry Prize

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:03 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — An $85,000 literary prize has been awarded to Sandra Lim, a poet who has published three collections. Lin is this year’s winner of the Jackson Poetry Prize, given to an American poet of “exceptional talent.” The award was announced Wednesday by Poets & Writers, a nonprofit organization that publishes Poets & Writers Magazine and helps support hundreds of writers each year.“Wielding a striking combination of cool detachment and sly humor, Lim constantly points to the mundane aspects of the world and to how we nevertheless cling to them, always expecting something more,” the judges’ citation reads in part. “It’s a poetry of interrogation, whose fierceness lies, paradoxically, in its quiet steadiness and precision.”Lim’s books include “The Curious Thing,” “The Wilderness” and “Loveliest Grotesque,” and her work has appeared in a numerous publications. Joy Harjo, Henri Cole, Sonia Sanchez and Claudia Rankine are among the previous wi...

Man, woman dead in UTV crash in Antioch

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:03 GMT

UNINCORPORATED ANTIOCH, Ill. — A man and a woman were killed in a crash in Unincorporated Antioch.Police said the accident happened around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of West Dressel Road and Douglas AvenueLake County Sheriff’s deputies arrived to the scene and located a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) with major damage.According to a preliminary investigation, a 56-year-old man was driving the UTV and a 50-year-old woman was in the front passenger seat. The man of the UTV was traveling westbound on West Dressel Road just west of Douglas Avenue and for unknown reasons, the driver veered off the roadway and struck a large tree.  Deputies said neither occupant was wearing a seatbelt or helmet, and both were partially ejected from the vehicle. They sustained major injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene.  Chicago woman charged after altercation, crash at gas station in Forest Park Their identities have not yet been released.An autopsy is scheduled for both th...

Derrick Rose's next venture - a chess tournament

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:03 GMT

LAS VEGAS — One of the most popular basketball players ever to come out of Chicago is venturing into another form of competition in 2023. This week, Englewood native Derrick Rose announced that he's starting a new chess tournament called "Chesstival" that will be staged in Las Vegas this summer. It will take place July 7 and 8 at Resorts World and will coincide with the NBA's Summer League stop in the city. Per the Chesstival website, a total of $147,500 of prize money will be awarded over the two days, with the winner of the event taking $50,000. The entry fee is $7,500.So why chess?Rose said it's an activity that he was first introduced to during seventh grade and began playing during his early days with the Bulls in the NBA. He said that his love for chess grew during his recovery from injuries when he was looking for mentally engaging activities.“The game of chess is something I’ve been passionate about since high school,” said Rose in a news release. “Chess is undeniably compet...

Mayor Lightfoot to preside over final scheduled Chicago City Council meeting Wednesday

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:03 GMT

CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot will preside over her final scheduled Chicago City Council meeting Wednesday.Along with Lightfoot, several members of city council will also be attending the last scheduled meeting, with a number of speeches expected honoring those who are leaving.This was certainly not how Lightfoot wanted this to go. She did not make it to the run-off after finishing third in the February election.Lightfoot is leaving Brandon Johnson's administration, however, in a better place budget-wise than previous outgoing mayors have done for their predocessors.She reportedly passed along some advice to Johnson's administration — don't screw this up.Lightfoot will likely be remembered for her combative style of politics and guiding the city through COVID-19.Along with Lightfoot about a dozen city council members will enter the chamber for the last time Wednesday as sitting alderpersons, barring of course any emergency meetings. Brandon Johnson makes first trip to state Capi...

Brandon Johnson makes first trip to state Capitol as Chicago's mayor-elect

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:03 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson is traveling to Springfield Wednesday where he'll meet with legislative leaders and speak to a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly.Johnson has a day filled with spending time with lawmakers and addressing the needs of Chicago.This trip will be his first as mayor-elect, but it's not an unfamiliar territory.After addressing the Illinois General Assembly, Johnson will hold a press conference with Illinois House Speaker Chris Emanuel Welch. He was also hold meetings with Welch and Senate President Don Harmon, as well as with the Black, Asian, Latino and moderate caucuses. Johnson said his time at the statehouse is about building a better, stronger and safer Chicago by establishing a strong foundation for collaboration.Now, Johnson has already built relationships with lawmakers. He has spent time working with Don Harmon as his constituent service director.He was also the chief of staff for former state representative Debo...

ABoR report: March a good month for home buyers and sellers

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:03 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Job growth and declining mortgage rates led to a "demand-driven housing market" in March in the Austin-Round Rock Metro Area, according to the Austin Board of Realtors latest Central Texas Housing Report released Tuesday.ABoR said an increase in new and active listings shows favorable market conditions for buyers and sellers.  “This spring has ushered in a sweet spot for both buyers and sellers,” Ashley Jackson, 2023 ABoR president, said Tuesday in the release. “There are three times the number of homes on the market than a year ago, bringing more choice and opportunity to homebuyers in over a decade. REALTORS® are reporting that they are busy and the market is moving at a much healthier pace than it has in years. If sellers work with a REALTOR® to price and market their home correctly, it’s going to sell.”"Austin’s housing market is still demand driven, contributing over $1.5B to our region’s economy last month even as the pace of home sales and price growth ad...

How air conditioning and tanks could save Jacob's Well

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:03 GMT

WIMBERLEY, Texas (KXAN) -- Last July, Jacob's Well in Wimberley was closed for swimmers as the lack of water made conditions unsafe. Now, one group armed with an idea is trying to save enough water to save the well and the water supply.Since 1996, David Baker with the Watershed Association has been protecting what has grown to nearly 500 acres around Jacob's Well."Our main mission is really protecting land so we can protect water... When the well is low, that means aquifer levels are low. So it's like an indicator of the health of our groundwater system," said Baker.Last year alone, Jacob's Well missed out on 16 inches of rainfall that it would normally have. What that meant was the stream coming out of the well had no flow for 35 days, the longest period ever recorded.But the community is trying to restore the well and save the water.At nearby Blue Hole Primary School, the irrigation system outside and toilets inside are supplied by condensation from air conditioners and rain water...

New distillery, with pizza, to open this summer at Vandalia Tower from Lake Monster Brewing founder

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:36:03 GMT

A new small-batch distillery and cocktail room is coming to St. Paul’s Vandalia Tower this summer from the team behind Lake Monster Brewing.The distillery, called King Coil Spirits, will be across the plaza from Lake Monster’s taproom and will also serve Roman-style pizza, brewmaster Matt Lange said. The name refers both to the building’s origins as the King Koil mattress factory and to a component in a distillation still called a coil.Inside the cocktail room, the front half of the space has a modern, light-filled, industrial feel and an overhanging mezzanine balcony that can be rented out for private events. The back half of the space will have more of a speakeasy vibe with exposed brick, lower ceilings, vintage glassware, and a full view of the distillation room. Both sides have full bar access; the speakeasy side will typically be open but can be closed off for events, too.When King Coil opens in late summer, Lange will have a few spirits ready to roll: vodka, white rum, some li...