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County commissioners call use of eminent domain to save state park 'abuse of power'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:57:01 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — County leaders near Fairfield Lake State Park have called the state's intended use of eminent domain to take over the land an "abuse of power and government overreach."In a meeting of the Freestone County Commissioners Court Wednesday, commissioners voted unanimously to send a letter to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to "stop this now" and allow the new landowner, Todd Interests, to develop the property as planned. From state park to private development: The twisting timeline of Fairfield Lake The park, about 70 miles east of Waco, was leased to TPWD by Vistra Energy, which formerly owned a power plant on the lake, for about 50 years. The company sold the land to Todd Interests as of June 1, after years of failed negotiations with the state to purchase the property."TPWD had ample notification and time to purchase this land before this property was listed for sale, but blatantly and irresponsibly failed to act," the county commissioners wrote in the letter...

How Central Texas farmers are coping with days of intense heat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:57:01 GMT

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — With more than a week of intense heat, local farmers said they've had to take extra measures to keep their crops and livestock safe.Sweet Eats Fruit Farm in Georgetown hosts row upon row of flowers, vegetables, and fruit that guests can pick. The triple-digit heat has lead to extra water sessions for its produce, said Mau Morales, the farm's agricultural manager."We used to irrigate them maybe once a week or every other week, but now we have to irrigate two times per week. That's for all our products," Morales said.The farm is hosting its Sunflower festival during this latest heat wave. Jonni Meredith, co-owner, said customers have adapted what times they come in to pick their lot."They come out to see our animals, and see the property, and pick fruits and veggies and do all the things earlier in the day. We have field trips, they're scheduled earlier in the day," Meredith said.The farm also has a petting zoo where Meredith serves as the animal mana...

Foggy lenses create a foggy situation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:57:01 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It can happen when you move from indoors to outdoors. It can even happen inside when you go from one room to another. Some people might consider it to be a nuisance. People who wear glasses are familiar with this. Their lenses get foggy. It can happen to athletic or prescription sunglasses. It happens to those who wear regular eyeglasses. Foggy glasses are a nuisance (Getty Images)Why? Simple.It's the condensation that forms on the lenses. It's not just the moisture that causes the glasses to fog but also temperature changes. What's more is that dirt, grime and even scratches can enhance the fog. Dirt and grime? Scratches? They give the condensation more to cling to, so it is suggested you keep those specs clean. Wipe off those fingerprints off your lenses. Other potential culprits include the debris that builds up during the day, including dust, skin oil and skin flakes. Sitting your glasses down with the lenses touching a surface is another contributing factor. The...

Alfred, Rhasidat, Smith all named to Bowerman semifinal list

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:57:01 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Thirty percent of the semifinalists for the women's Bowerman Award are Longhorns.Julien Alfred, Rhasidat Adeleke and Ackelia Smith were tabbed as part of 10 semifinalists for the award given to the top college track and field athlete in the country, the USTFCCCA announced Wednesday.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersAll three won national outdoor championships to help the Longhorns win the women's team title in Austin, and for Alfred, she made the semifinal cut for the second time.Alfred has been one of the best collegiate athletes the entire year — indoors and outdoors. She won national titles in the 60-meter dash and 200 meters during the indoor season and pulled off the triple in the outdoor season with golds in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay. She hasn't lost a race in the 100 in two years and was named both the indoor and outdoor women's track athlete of...

Dawn Plitzuweit adds first recruit to Gophers’ 2023-24 class

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:57:01 GMT

Gophers women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit wrapped up her first recruit of the 2024-25 class on Wednesday when Wisconsin incoming senior McKenna Johnson announced her commitment on Twitter.“Totally committed … my athletic and academic career at the University of Minnesota,” she wrote.Johnson is a 5-foot-9 guard from Wilmot, Wis., who averaged 26 points, 10 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.0 assists as a junior at Wilmot Union High School in Kenosha County. She had offers from several schools, including Iowa State, Marquette, Michigan State, St. Thomas and Wisconsin.She’s a career 38 percent shooter from 3-point range. According to wissports.net, she shot 70.3 percent (52 for 74) from long range as a sophomore. She made a career-high 77 3-pointers last season but shot 30.7 percent from beyond the car.Since Plitzuweit moved from West Verginia to replace Lindsay Whalen as head coach on March 18, she has added three players to the 2023-24 class.Two of them were Mountaineers recruits fro...

3 arrested after 24-year-old fatally shot in North St. Paul

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:57:01 GMT

Police have identified a man fatally shot Monday evening in North St. Paul and said three people are under arrest.Officers responded to an apartment complex in the 2100 block of McKnight Road shortly after 6 p.m. Monday on a report of a disturbance where a weapon was mentioned, according to police.Police found Anthony R. Rojas, 24, dead in an apartment.“This tragic homicide appears to be a targeted act,” police said in a Wednesday statement.Police arrested a 19-year-old woman on suspicion of murder, and a 19-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman on suspicion of possession of a firearm with an altered serial number. The man is also jailed on suspicion of aiding an offender to avoid arrest.The Ramsey County attorney’s office is reviewing the case for charges.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Prosecutors get extension to file charges against ex-St. Paul state representative’s son in crash that killed 5 Crime & Public Safety | ...

U.S. customs seizes 83 pounds of beef jerky at MSP

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:57:01 GMT

A Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport traveler arriving from South Africa was discovered to have 83 pounds of contraband beef in his luggage.The man tried to declare the vacuum sealed, dried and cured beef biltong he had in five bags, saying it was worth more than $2,000 and he didn’t want it to be seized. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists told him meat from South Africa was restricted because of animal diseases including foot and mouth disease.U.S. Customs agriculture officials say cured meats like sausages, plants, seeds and fruit are the items most commonly seized at ports of entry. Sometimes holidays can spur an increase in agriculture items brought into the country.“Minnesota’s CBP agriculture specialists are focused on their mission to prevent entry of prohibited items from entering into the United States,” LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations in Chicago, said in a statement. “This seizure clearly shows how critical their ...

St. Paul City Council seeks 1% sales tax increase for roads

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:57:01 GMT

The St. Paul City Council has instructed city staff to begin preparing a Nov. 7 ballot question that asks residents to raise city sales taxes by 1 percentage point — or 10 cents on every $10 sale — to fund road maintenance on city streets and bridges, as well as capital improvements at St. Paul Parks and Rec facilities.The St. Paul mayor’s office has estimated that the proposed local option sales tax, which would cover debt service on bonds issued to finance the projects, could raise nearly $1 billion during the course of 20 years.A resolution calling for city staff to move forward with crafting the ballot language was approved Wednesday, but the seven-member council was not unanimous.Pointing to streets in her East Side political ward well overdue for reconstruction, Council Member Jane Prince cast the sole dissenting vote, noting “major new (Parks and Rec) capital improvements … will then add to the maintenance backlog that we already have. We’v...

Festus woman charged after meth found on floor of child day care

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:57:01 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - The manager of a child day care was charged Wednesday for allegedly leaving crystal methamphetamine on the floor where infants were present.According to a probable cause statement filed by the Manchester Police Department, the incident occurred on June 16 at the Kidsplay Childcare and Preschool in Manchester.Police had received word of a possible controlled substance at the day care.An officer searched the facility and located a small plastic baggie on the floor of the infant room. The baggie contained a large crystal and crystalline dust. Eight infants were in the room at the time. Crews respond to apparent sinkhole near Dogtown homes Police claim the director of the day care, identified as Nichole Doster of Festus, had left the baggie on the floor. Doster allegedly agreed to allow an officer to check her purse.The officer found another baggie containing crystals inside an interior purse pocket. A lab later confirmed the substances in the purse and the bag...

MSD: Collapsed sewer pipe caused Dogtown sinkhole, not water main break

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:57:01 GMT

ST. LOUIS – A large sinkhole in Dogtown was not caused by a water main break, as previously thought, but rather a collapsed sewer pipe, according to the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District."The pipe, which is old, has taken in some debris over time; water, pressure that got in during those storms on Sunday probably just made it give up," said Sean Stone, an MSD spokesman.Stone said crews have gone 12-feet down and located the pipe. The next step is to find out how much of the pipe needs to be cut out and replaced.But there's no sign of a water main break, Stone said. MSD initially thought it was the cause of the sewer collapse, as responding crews saw water coming up. Camper illness leads to panic in Eureka Tuesday night "We got a couple calls from customers in the area indicating there had been some back up, so we knew that there was likely a problem with the sewer main as well," Stone said.Dogtown resident Morgan Mayberry said she was running an errand Tuesday morning and drov...