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Minnesota prison on lockdown, inmates 'refuse' to return to cells amid heat wave

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

STILLWATER, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota prison has been placed on emergency lockdown after about 100 inmates in one housing unit facing dangerously high temperatures would not return to their cells Sunday in what one former inmate there called an act of “self-preservation."The situation is “currently stable" and the reason inmates “are refusing to return to their cells remains unclear,” a Department of Corrections spokesperson said.But advocates positioned outside of the Stillwater prison, some of whom have family members inside, said inmates are fed up from the excessive heat, limited access to showers and ice, and unclean drinking water.Inmates have been on intermittent lockdowns since Friday because of staffing issues, they said, meaning they are kept in their cells, which reportedly don't have air conditioning. The prison is in Bayport about 25 miles east of Minneapolis, which was under an afternoon heat advisory for temperatures approaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit.“My organization ...

Record heat makes a September comeback

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- We're watching slim rain chances in the Hill Country through early this evening, but most areas don't get a drop of rain. Tonight will be mostly clear with lows dropping into the mid 70s by the time you start Monday morning.Labor Day Monday should be the "coolest" day of the week ahead with sunshine and scattered clouds. Less than 10% rain chances exists for our eastern counties, but generally it's another hot day with higher humidity.Labor Day forecastHumidity kicks up even more heading into Tuesday with more widespread morning clouds to begin the day. Humidity forecastA few spotty showers and storms are possible later in the day on Tuesday, but rain chances barely rise to 10%.Heat builds by the end of the week with highs up near 103-104º, which is hot enough to tie or break records this time of year.Highs this weekIf there's a positive to the forecast it's that rain chances are back in the forecast for next weekend, especially Sunday. Spotty showers and storms pos...

Texas State stuns Baylor 42-31 for first-ever win over Power 5 program

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The GJ Kinne era at Texas State started with one of the biggest wins in program history Friday in Waco.The Bobcats beat the Big 12 Conference's Baylor Bears 42-31 at McLane Stadium for the program's first-ever win over the Power 5 school behind a potent offensive attack led by quarterback TJ Finley.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/newslettersFinley threw for 298 yards with three touchdowns and added a score on the ground. The Bobcats put an exclamation point on the big win with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Finley to Joey Hobert with 13:52 left in the game to take a 42-24 lead. Hobert finished with 105 receiving yards on six catches to lead the Bobcats' pass catchers."That was pretty fun," Kinne said after his first game as the Bobcats head coach. "I'm really proud of everyone involved, and we couldn't have done it without them. This is a big-time win for our progr...

Stillwater prison on lockdown after 100 inmates reportedly refuse to return to their cells

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

The Stillwater prison was placed on emergency lockdown Sunday after about 100 prisoners in a living unit declined to return to their cells, according to a Minnesota Department of Corrections press release.No injuries have been reported.Staff have been removed from the housing unit’s common areas at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater. Two correctional officers are safe in the unit’s secure control area and “in communication with facility command personnel,” the press release said.The department said it has activated a crisis negotiation team and deployed a special operations response team “out of an abundance of caution.”Representatives for the inmates say the prisoners are peacefully protesting because recent conditions have become intolerable.David Boehnke, a spokesman for the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, said that prisoners are protesting because they have no air conditioning and fresh water in their cells, are not allo...

Dying and disabled Illinois prisoners kept behind bars, despite new medical release law

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

Phillip Merritt’s dementia is so advanced he’s lost the ability to speak. But with the help of his cellmates at Western Illinois Correctional Center, the 71-year-old still manages to get on the phone with his brother every few weeks.“He has to have someone call me, and then I don’t know what to say to him because he can’t understand anything, so I’ll just talk,” said Merritt’s brother, Michael Merritt, in an interview. “All he can say are two words. … I mean, he’s just gone.”Merritt’s deteriorating condition makes him a prime candidate to get out of prison under the Joe Coleman Medical Release Act, a pivotal criminal justice reform bill touted by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois Democrats as an effective way to alleviate the state’s decrepit prison health care system, reduce the “staggering” costs of caring for ailing people in prison, and reunite families with frail loved ones.Under the act — named after a decorated Army veteran who died of prostate cancer while ...

Best craft beer brand in Illinois, according to Yahoo! Finance

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

ILLINOIS (NEXSTAR) — In the words of the late Jimmy Buffett, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.For those who enjoy them, craft beers open up a world of unique and interesting flavor combinations. With the right mixture of ingredients, craft beers satisfy those looking for a wider variety of tastes than the typical domestic brand offers — in addition to posing potential health benefits.In the spirit of drinking craft beer, Yahoo! Finance’s Sultan Khalid put together a list of the best craft beer brands in each U.S. state.For this, Khalid looked through Reader’s Digest, Rolling Stone, BeerAdvocate, RateBeer, etc., and Google Trends to the best American craft beers by state.Ultimately, Khalid ranked the best craft beers alphabetically in order of descending quality in every state. Depending on the batch, craft beer’s ABV (alcohol by volume) can vary.In Illinois, Yahoo! Finance ranked Chicago’s Goose Island’s 312 Urban Wheat Ale, 4.2% ABV as the best craft beer option in the state. According to ...

The 2023 Mercedes Benz EQB 250 all electric SUV

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

What is an EQB 250? The EQB 250 is a compact all electric SUV built in Kecskemet, Hungary and is sold worldwide by the forward thinking Mercedes Benz company. The EQB 250 is their entry level all electric SUV, with a starting price of less than $53K. This model comes with 188 HP horsepower and 284 lb-ft of torque. Compact on the outside and roomy on the inside, the EQB 250 SUV is big on space and style with smart ideas.This week Mercedes Benz sent me an EQB 250 all electric SUV to test drive and review. The base window sticker price for this EV model is $52,750. The options on the test SUV are: the metallic paint for $750, the natural grain black Linden wood interior trim for $325, the all season black rubber floor mats for $170, a first aid kit for $35, the charging pad for $250, the garage door opener for $280, the panorama roof for $1,500, the heated steering wheel for $250, the speed limit assist package for $300, SiriusXM radio for $150, heated front seats for $500, the heated ...

Read the text of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s resolution calling for a constitutional amendment on gun control

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for a U.S. Constitutional amendment to lock in gun restrictions nationwide that are based on California rules.Article V of the U.S. Constitution lays out two pathways for amending it. One of the methods was used in the adoption of the 27 current amendments, in which Congress by a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate calls for an amendment, which then must be ratified by three-fourths of the states.California’s Democratic governor is seeking the alternative path, in which the legislatures of two-thirds of the states — 34 of them — ask Congress to call a convention for proposing constitutional amendments, which also then must be approved by three-fourths of the state legislatures or conventions.The proposed resolution, Senate Joint Resolution 7, is carried by Sen. Aisha Wahab, a Fremont Democrat, and Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer, a Democrat from Los Angeles. Scroll down for the text approved by the California Senate Public Safety Committ...

Driver rescued after 4 days trapped in wrecked truck near Bakersfield

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

A driver who was trapped for more than four days in a wrecked truck at the bottom of a Kern County ravine was discovered and rescued on Saturday, the county’s fire agency said.The pickup truck was reported around 11 a.m. on Saturday at the bottom of a 100-foot cliff off a remote road between the communities of Arvin and Stallion Springs. A firefighter who was lowered on a rope found an injured person inside the truck. Three more firefighters were then lowered and the driver was secured in a rescue litter and lifted to the road. A helicopter took the patient to a hospital.The driver’s condition and the nature of the injuries were not reported, but the account by the Kern County Fire Department said the person had been trapped in the truck since Tuesday.The crash site is about 20 miles southeast of Bakersfield. Related ArticlesCalifornia News | Pedestrian hospitalized after being hit by car exiting Walnut Creek parking garage California News | 3 ...

SF Giants plan to catch Patrick Bailey almost every game this September: ‘It’s the playoff hunt’

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:46:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO — In baseball, it’s a pretty good bet that the backup backstop will be behind the plate for a day game following a late finish the night before. It’s the most taxing position in the sport, and in the era of load management, there are few guys left who catch everyday, or close to it.Adley Rutschman, the Orioles’ runner-up for Rookie of the Year last season, and Phillies All-Star J.T. Realmuto are pretty much in a class of their own.By the end of this month, the Giants hope Patrick Bailey is mentioned in the same conversation.“We plan to play him as much as he’s physically capable of playing,” manager Gabe Kapler said of Bailey, 24. “I just think he’s physically capable of it. I personally believe the younger players are the ones you can really push this time of year. I think Adley Rutschman (in 2022), he basically caught nonstop down the stretch. I kind of see Pat Bailey in the same mold.”That started Sunday afternoon, with Bailey b...