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Plan for expressway from St. Louis region to southern Illinois builds momentum

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS - One southern Illinois mayor is leading a push to build a highway that could connect the St. Louis region to many rural parts of the state. Will Stephens, the mayor of Murphysboro, Illinois, first introduced such a proposal through the Four County Highway Coalition in 2018. Half a decade later, the proposal is taking on new life. Map of the proposed Southwest Illinois Connector. (Provided by: Four County Highway Coalition)Current plans call for a four-lane rural expressway through Monroe, Randolph, Perry, and Jackson counties in Illinois. According to a map from the coalition, highway development would begin around Waterloo, divert from a current path that runs through the heart of Sparta, and end around Murphysboro. The route would be known as the Southwest Illinois Connector. "The impact of the Southwest Connector project for Southern Illinois, the Metro East and the City of St. Louis would be enormous," said Stephens. "The Southwest Connector would cut travel time for ...

Feds seize $24K in cryptocurrency scam targeting Metro East woman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:00 GMT

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. - Federal investigators seized $24,000 in a suspected cryptocurrency scam that targeted at least one Metro East resident. No criminal charges have been filed as of Friday, and no suspect information is available. Top story: Mishandled evidence leads to murder case dismissal According to court records, a woman contacted the O’Fallon Police Department in June 2022 to report she was a victim of fraud in a cryptocurrency scam. One month prior, the victim had communicated with a Twitter account unbeknownst to her, which was impersonating a cryptocurrency influencer.The fraudster instructed her to deposit more than $32,000 worth of Bitcoin into a “3Twarriorstrading.com” account. By the time the victim realized the website was a scam, she could not retrieve the cryptocurrency.While the victim lost around $32,000, feds could only recover around $24,000 worth of currency. The money will be returned to the victim through a remission compensation process. Close ...

Scott Drew, Baylor roll UC-Santa Barbara 74-56 in NCAA Tournament opener thanks to dominant second half

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:00 GMT

Scott Drew isn’t in the same realm as Coach K, Jim Boeheim or Roy Williams, coaching legends all. But it appears he’s on his way. His No. 3 Bears rolled to a 74-56 win over No. 14 UC-Santa Barbara on Friday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena. But Drew, whose younger brother Bryce is the Grand Canyon coach and whose father Homer was the longtime coach at Valparaiso, isn’t one for reflecting during the tournament. He believes his Bears, who won the program’s first national title two years ago, are primed for another deep run.“There’s really no reflecting, especially in the middle of this tournament, because once you start to reflect, you’re done,” Scott Drew said. “One thing that did hit home to me was when it was pointed out that it’s the 25th anniversary of my brother’s (famous March Madness) shot. I thought about it, that none of our guys were born at that point. I felt old at that point, but t...

Woman pleads guilty to owning dangerous dog in attack that killed 89-year-old in Golden

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:00 GMT

A woman whose pit bulls attacked and killed an 89-year-old woman pleaded guilty earlier this month to unlawful ownership of a dangerous dog, but she will avoid jail time if she completes the conditions of her agreement with prosecutors.Kayla Mooney must serve 100 hours of public service and enroll in a dog ownership class and avoid owning a dog for one year. After the first year, she may only have one dog, weighing less than 20 pounds, in the house for a two-year period, Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Brionna Boatright said.Charges are pending against Victor Bentley, who also was charged in connection with the dog attack, Boatright said.Mary Gehring, 89, and her 12-year-old grandson were attacked by the two dogs Sept. 14 in the 15000 block of West First Avenue in Golden. Gehring was taken to a hospital, where she later died, while her grandson was flown to Children’s Hospital Colorado.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Former Denver p...

Actor Lance Reddick, star of ‘The Wire,’ dead at 60

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:00 GMT

Evan Rosen | (TNS) New York Daily NewsActor Lance Reddick was found dead at his home in Studio City, California, on Friday morning. He was 60.The actor, best known for his work in “The Wire” and the “John Wick” movies, is believed to have died from natural causes, according to a police source who spoke with TMZ.The death comes as a shock, as Reddick was in the midst of a press tour for the fourth installment of the John Wick franchise.He had an interview scheduled for next week on Kelly Clarkson’s show.Before ‘Wick,’ Reddick was best known for his work on “The Wire,” playing police lieutenant Cedrick Daniels on the hit HBO series and appearing in all five seasons.Reddick was born and raised in Baltimore and was a graduate of University of Rochester and Yale University.©2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Burbank unveils larger-than-life bronze statue of Wonder Woman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:00 GMT

The city of Burbank’s newest resident is an iconic superhero from the DC universe.The city unveiled a seven-and-a-half-foot-tall bronze statue of Wonder Woman on Wednesday.The 600-pound statue was based on a design by DC Comics artist Jenny Frison and crafted by various artisans at Burbank’s American Fine Arts Foundry and Fabrication, a news release said.  The city of Burbank’s newest resident is an iconic superhero from the DC universe. ( City of Burbank) The 600-pound statue of the iconic DC superhero was based on a design by DC Comics artist Jenny Frison and crafted by various artisans at Burbank’s American Fine Arts Foundry and Fabrication (City of Burbank) The Wonder Woman statue took two years to construct.“Burbank’s newest resident is a symbol of justice and will forever stand in front of Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood,” Burbank Mayor Konstantine Anthony said in a statement. “As one of the world’s most beloved and iconic DC Superheroes of all time, I encourage everyo...

No injuries after gun battle in Oakland neighborhood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:00 GMT

OAKLAND — No one was apparently injured in a shootout Friday morning in the city’s Cleveland Heights area, but some parked vehicles and a residence were hit by bullets, authorities said.The shooting happened about 9:13 a.m. Friday near the intersection of Spruce Street and MacArthur Boulevard, a usually quiet residential area.Police believe a gun battle happened between someone in a moving vehicle and someone standing outside.When police got to the scene they did not find anyone shot and no one showed up later at a hospital, authorities said. Numerous shell casings from two different firearms were recovered at the scene.Police said two parked vehicles were hit by gunfire, as was a residence in the area, but no injuries were reported.The shooting happened a few blocks from Oakland High School, but there was no lockdown at the school, officials said.A motive for the shooting was under investigation. No arrests were been announced.Anyone with information is asked to call po...

Wisconsin residents spent millions on legal pot – in Illinois

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:00 GMT

By Caroline Reinwald | WISN via CNNILLINOIS (WISN) — Wisconsin residents are choosing to spend their hard-earned cash in Illinois, specifically on weed.The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation estimates the state made $36.1 million in tax revenue last year from Wisconsinites traveling across state lines to buy marijuana.The same report said more than half the cannabis sales made in counties bordering Wisconsin were made by out-of-state residents.“It’s the power of the purse. We know people spend their money to match their values and it’s clear the legislature here in Wisconsin is out of touch with what the majority of people want,” said Wisconsin state Sen. Melissa Agard. “I think we need to continue to lift up the voices and values of the people who send us here to the building and do the real work that they’re asking.”Wisconsin is currently an island for marijuana legalization in the Midwest, with each surroun...

McDonald: Jimmy Garoppolo will truly prove his winning bonafides if he can turn Raiders around

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:00 GMT

For a long time, Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr lived a parallel tortured existence with the bottom line.Was Garoppolo responsible for the 49ers winning so many games during his tenure as a starter, or did his teammates and coaching staff carry him there?Was Carr responsible for the Raiders losing so many games during his tenure as a starter or did his teammates and coaching staff drag him there?Now that Garoppolo has officially signed with the Raiders, we’ll begin to find out. One thing’s for sure: If Garoppolo can deliver 10-plus wins, we have our answer. The Raiders love to talk nostalgia and mystique, but the only mystery with the franchise over the last 28 years is how many losses were on the horizon, as the Raiders have finished over .500 just five times in that span.Garoppolo gave the 49ers their due right out of the box, then looked to the future.“I just want to thank the Yorks, thank the 49ers for everything that they’ve done,” Garoppolo said a...

March Madness: Saint Mary’s advances, calmly

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. — Mitchell Saxen had 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, and Saint Mary’s beat ailing VCU 63-51 in the NCAA Tournament on Friday.Alex Ducas also scored 17 points as the fifth-seeded Gaels (27-7) advanced to the second round for the second straight year. Logan Johnson had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and reserve Augustas Marciulionis scored 13 points.Freshman sensation Aidan Mahaney was plagued by foul trouble and didn’t score.Ace Baldwin led VCU (27-8) with 13 points, but he appeared to sprain his right ankle on his landing after taking a jumper with just over 14 minutes left in regulation. The Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year lay on the court for a couple of minutes before receiving treatment on the bench and back in the locker room.VCU was down 38-34 when Baldwin left and 48-39 when he came back with 9:03 left after the Gaels of the West Coast Conference went on a 10-5 spurt sparked by a three-point play by Kyle Bow...