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New APD cadets could get up to $15K in bonuses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:07 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department announced it was offering bonuses to new cadets.“The updated pay range for police officers has increased to $65,411.00 - $109,382.00, and officers may qualify to earn additional monthly pay incentives such as shift differential for working nights/evenings, bilingual pay, and education pay. Overtime opportunities are available, and base pay increases further as officers promote,” APD said.The department said it was hiring multiple upcoming academy classes through 2024 and that prior law enforcement experience was not required to apply.“The Austin Police Department (APD) is searching for qualified men and women who have the heart and desire to serve and protect our diverse and growing Austin community,” APD said.According to a release, new cadets beginning with the 152nd class starting in February 2024 would receive a financial incentive of up to a total of $15,000.The bonuses will be paid out as cadets reach certain milestones in their tra...

2 St. Paul men plead guilty to assaulting a federal agent during drug sting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:07 GMT

Two St. Paul men pleaded guilty this week to assaulting a federal law enforcement officer during a March undercover drug sting.The U.S. attorney’s office announced Friday:On March 30, an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent made arrangements to buy about 1,600 M30 fentanyl pills from Dion Darnell Miller, 27, and Aaron Maurice Amir Harris, 28, both of St. Paul, in a sting operation.At about 1:15 p.m., an undercover law enforcement agent arrived in the 600 block of Van Buren Avenue to buy 1,600 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl for $2,400. After he texted he was there, a silver Volkswagen arrived with Harris in the driver’s seat and Miller in the back seat. The undercover agent was told to get into the front passenger seat. He did so reluctantly, leaving the door ajar with his leg sticking out.Shortly after the agent asked to see the drugs, Miller, who was in the back seat, reached into his jacket and took out a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine and...

California has a new millionaire as Mega Millions jackpot now estimated to be largest in game's history

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:07 GMT

Someone in California is a new millionaire, but no one was able to claim the billion dollar prize on Friday night, causing the jackpot to increase to the largest in Mega Millions history.The current Mega Millions jackpot is estimated at $1.55 billion dollars.For now, though, that figure is only an estimate: Officials say there’s a slight possibility Tuesday’s jackpot could fall short of the record (a $1.537 billion jackpot awarded in 2018), but it doesn’t look likely.“With enthusiastic players across the country, many of whom are newcomers to the game, it is indeed likely that there will be a new record Mega Millions jackpot,” reads a press release issued by Mega Millions. “However, we won’t know for sure until we get closer to Tuesday’s drawing; at this level, jackpots are hard to predict with complete accuracy.” Why the Mega Millions jackpot winner won’t actually get the jackpot amount Friday night’s winning numbers — 11, 30, 45, 52, 56, and the Mega Ball 20 — went unmatched onc...

A Natural Alternative? CBD’s Potential for Athletes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:07 GMT

To read the original article about CBD for Athletes at Real Tested CBD.When it comes to a strong sense of resilience, athletes are known to have some of the best. But that doesn’t mean that they are resilient to over exertion or injury.These days there are a ton of great options for athletes and active people to incorporate into a recovery routine, and CBD is swiftly becoming one of them. CBD can be utilized for several ailments or injuries, whether directly related to sports or not.Researchers are currently looking at the benefits of using cannabidiol (CBD) to treat anxiety, sleep disorders, pain,mental health disorders, inflammation and more. This natural compound is becoming a newfound natural alternative for athletes, those with active lifestyles and just about everyone in between. Let’s see why!1. Help With StressEven if you are an amateur athlete or maybe are new to competition, you know how stressful participating in sports sometimes can be. One of the greatest advantages of ...

Saratoga teen exhibits artwork he hopes inspires environmental legislation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:07 GMT

Saratoga teenager Aiden Chen is exhibiting his paintings of endangered bird species in the hopes of raising awareness and promoting conservation efforts to protect them.“I’m currently advocating for a bill in the California Legislature, AB 38,” Aiden said, “and I believe it would reduce light pollution in California, which would help protect a lot of birds, because artificial light at night can confuse them and cause them to crash into buildings. So millions of birds die every year due to light pollution, so reducing it would be a great help for the population.”The paintings are on display through Sept. 5 at the Saratoga Library, located at 13650 Saratoga Ave., and Aiden will host an artist’s reception on Sunday, Aug. 27, 3-4 p.m. The 28 paintings in the exhibit include landscapes, portraits and plein air works.Aiden said he separated his artwork into thematic groups, one of which showcases the growth and evolution of his skills over time. His plein air series feat...

Mike’s Diner Bar in Palo Alto faces eviction after owner paid rent one day late

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:07 GMT

After 29 years of business in Palo Alto, Mike’s Diner Bar faces eviction, because owner Mike Wallau paid rent a day late following a family medical emergency.His rent was due July 17, but he was unable to drop off the rent check until the following day, he said, because he was at the hospital with his disabled daughter.In a letter dated July 20, his property manager, Eugenia Seraia of Ventana Property Services, returned his rent check of $22,052.81 and told him the property owners had initiated the eviction process.Wallau is working with his lawyers to request a halt to the eviction proceedings. In the meantime, the Midtown neighborhood and the city of Palo Alto are looking for ways to rally their support for the longtime eatery and for Wallau. If the eviction proceeds, Mike’s Diner Bar will be the latest in a run of business closures that have faced the neighborhood, which has lost 15 businesses in five years and has still not recovered from the pandemic’s economic effe...

Bay Area air-quality agency a discriminatory ‘old boys club’ hostile to minorities: lawsuit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:07 GMT

Racism, misogyny and anti-LGBTQ harassment permeated the public agency responsible for controlling pollution in the Bay Area, a pair of new, related lawsuits claims.Two former managers accuse the Bay Area Air Quality Management District of operating “a hostile and discriminatory ‘old boys club’ where heterosexual, White men are in charge, while others are deprived of equal opportunities and treatment.”Terri Levels and Stephen “Rex” Sanders contend in their lawsuits that the district fired them for pushing back against discrimination at the agency. Both lawsuits were filed this week in San Francisco County Superior Court by the same law firm, and contain many similar claims.In response, the district said the lawsuits contained misleading and false claims, though it did not respond to the specific allegations. “The Air District works to foster an inclusive culture and we view diversity as one of our greatest strengths,” the district said...

Will Lance or Darnold be 49ers’ QB2? We’re about to learn what Kyle Shanahan thinks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:07 GMT

SANTA CLARA — It turns out the three-way quarterback battle to lead the 49ers in 2023 is down to two.And that’s to determine if Kyle Shanahan’s backup to Brock Purdy is Trey Lance or Sam Darnold.Forget the fact that the 49ers once traded an obscene amount of draft capital to Miami just to move up from No. 12 to No. 3 and get Lance. Although they traded first-round picks in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and a third-round pick in 2022 for their supposed quarterback of the future, the NFL is a fast moving train.Circumstances derailed Lance’s seemingly inevitable ascension. Here we are in Year 3, with the 49ers still not exactly sure what they have in Lance to the point where they signed Darnold, a former No. 3 pick himself, as insurance.Just as they brought back Jimmy Garoppolo back as insurance a year ago because there was no way to know if Lance would thrive as an NFL starter.The 49ers have been hedging their bets with Lance ever since he joined the team.With five regul...

From trauma to triumph: What the Little League World Series means to this South Bay family

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:07 GMT

The tears were eight years in the making.Live on ESPN last weekend, Almaden Little League softball coach John Drake answered a simple question: What did it mean to watch his daughter, Jayda, throw the final pitch in the game that sent their team to the Little League World Series next week?Drake started to cry.“It’s everything,” he said. “It’s everything.”The interview has been viewed more than 10,000 times on the Little League’s social media pages. But the story behind those tears hasn’t been told.In 2016, Lottie Drake, John’s wife and Jayda’s mom, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She needed a double mastectomy and heavy chemotherapy.“It came out of nowhere,” said John, 49, a special education teacher at a San Jose middle school. “It just rocked our family. The kids were so young.”Jayda was 4, Joelle was 8 and Jordyn was 13. Tommy was a newborn.There was so much to do every day. Taking the kids to school. Cooking dinner. Helping them with their homework. One of the girl...

Catholic archdiocese may declare bankruptcy over child abuse lawsuits in SF: archbishop

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:08:07 GMT

(BCN) -- The Catholic archbishop of San Francisco says the Archdiocese may seek bankruptcy protection because of claims for child sexual abuse filed against it. Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone, in a letter to parishioners posted Friday on the archdiocese's website, said that a Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization "is very likely." "Chapter 11 would allow the archdiocese to reorganize its financial affairs to continue its vital ministries to the faithful and to the communities that rely on our services and charity," Cordileone said. The archdiocese sold excess property and drew on insurance to pay about $68 million to about 100 plaintiffs to settle claims filed under a 2002 state law, the archbishop said. In 2019, the state lifted a statute of limitations allowing about 500 additional sexual abuse claims to be filed, he said. The bankruptcy move is coming now because "the judge assigned to us has set an imminent trial date for one of the initial cases," Cordileone said. The ...