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'Mama Mack': Markham woman provides guidance for talented teens

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:12:31 GMT

MARKHAM, Ill. -- The remarkable Pamela Mack has had her share of the spotlight, both on stage and television.But, she says her best role has been as "Mama Mack," at the Knotty Luxe Arts Foundation in Markham."I was always the one that wanted to help someone," Mack said. "If I had some knowledge, I wanted to share that knowledge. I wanted everybody to win."Pamela started the non-profit, Knotty Luxe Arts Foundation, two years ago. With an open call for any teenager wanting to learn drama, dance and music: for free.Renowned blues musician Fernando Jones is Mack's right-hand collaborator and Remarkable Women nominator."When you have a person that does not have to give, and they give, it's dynamite," Jones said. "She's talented, educated and she has the opportunity to be selfish if she'd like. She has the credentials to do that but instead she is selfless, and she is altruistic."Mack's students consider her a "mother figure," that has provided them with the courage and confidence th...

Flight attendants fear for safety amid unruly flier spike

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:12:31 GMT

(NewsNation) — Being a flight attendant can be a dangerous and scary job, especially with the increase in unruly passengers these days. Just this week, a disorderly passenger was arrested after he allegedly tried to stab a flight attendant in the neck with a broken metal spoon and open an emergency door on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston. A Spirit Airlines flight from Dallas to Orlando had to make an emergency landing in Jacksonville, Florida, after the cabin filled with smoke due to a lithium battery that caught on fire in an overhead bin. Sara Nelson, president of the flight attendant union Association of Flight Attendants, said when distractions are created in the cabin, it takes away from flight attendants' abilities to monitor the cabin for actual emergencies such as a medical emergency. Can you bring your vape pen or e-cigarette on a plane? "Our job is extremely complicated, and we are aviation's first responders," Nelson said. "We respond to emergencies...

Graham calls for cartels to be designated as terrorist organizations

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:12:31 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Some U.S. senators are calling for a crackdown on Mexican drug cartels, with Sen. Lindsey Graham saying they should be designated as foreign terrorist organizations.Graham's call came after four Americans were kidnapped in Mexico, two of them killed and a third injured."We're going to terrorize the terrorists," Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, said. "Unleash the fury of the United States." Lake City, S.C. mayor: Community grieving after Mexico kidnappings Graham also wants to authorize the use of military force in Mexico. Graham says it is a necessary step to dismantle the cartels and stop their drug trafficking."We're going to destroy their business model and their lifestyle," Graham said.He pointed specifically to busting up fentanyl labs and added the designation would allow the U.S. to go after Chinese companies that he says supply ingredients to the cartels. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says fentanyl killed 71,000 Americans in 2021, a ...

$51.5M Lotto Texas jackpot up for grabs Wednesday

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:12:31 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Wednesday, March 8 drawing for Lotto Texas is now at an estimated annuitized $51.5 million, according to a news release from the Texas Lottery Commission.This is the largest jackpot prize in more than 12 years, the release said.Lotto Texas sits only behind the estimated annuitized Mega Millions jackpot, which is worth $203 million for the drawing Friday, March 10, according to the release. If there is no jackpot winner for Wednesday's Lotto Texas drawing, the jackpot prize for Saturday, March 11, will roll to an estimated annuitized $53. Dripping Springs resident wins $1M in Texas Lottery “Texas Lottery players have another exclusive chance tonight to win one of the largest lottery jackpot prizes in the world,” said Gary Grief, executive director of the Texas Lottery.Wednesday's drawing is 74th in the current Lotto Texas jackpot run since it started an estimated annuitized $5 million for the Sept. 19, 2022 drawing, the release said. There were six Lotto Texas j...

TxDOT to take over 1.2 acres of Waller Beach Park for I-35 downtown construction

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:12:31 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Documents affiliated with the Texas Department of Transportation's I-35 downtown expansion show the state agency plans to take over 1.2 acres of land at the Waller Beach Park off Lady Bird Lake.The acreage will be used for approximately six years and will serve as a construction staging and water access point, per TxDOT's I-35 environmental impact statement draft. TxDOT officials said any land used from Waller Beach Park will have to be replaced with lands "of equal value, location, and usefulness." Waller Beach is a 28-acre park northwest of the I-35 bridge over Lady Bird Lake. It's a popular downtown recreation site primarily used by joggers and walkers, cyclists, kayakers and canoers.As part of the proposed takeover, the park would need to create a trail detour for those looping Lady Bird Lake via the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail. Immediate impacts include the loss of access to one boat ramp, a picnic table, two parking areas and the trail near Waller Be...

Whistleblowers ask Texas Supreme Court to take up case against Ken Paxton over settlement dispute

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:12:31 GMT

AUSTIN-- Attorneys for the four whistleblowers who sued after they were fired by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday to restart the clock on Paxton’s appeal of their case. This request was made after Paxton’s lawyers would not agree to setting a deadline to finalize a $3.3 million legal settlement by the end of the legislative session in May.The whistleblowers are former deputies to Paxton who say they were fired in retribution for accusing him of malfeasance to law enforcement.The multimillion-dollar settlement, announced last month, would give back pay to the four former employees and would include an apology from Paxton as well as other concessions. But the agreement needs to be approved by state lawmakers, who have expressed an unwillingness to use taxpayer dollars to settle Paxton’s case. At the request of the parties, the Texas Supreme Court has put the whistleblower case on pause while the two sides look to finalize the deal. But witho...

British violinist Daniel Hope is featured artist for the 2023-24 Schubert Club International Artist Series

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:12:31 GMT

British violinist Daniel Hope will serve as the featured artist for the newly announced 2023-24 Schubert Club International Artist Series with performances April 25 and 26, 2024, at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in downtown St. Paul.“I’m not alone at Schubert Club in being a big admirer of Daniel Hope over many years,” said artistic and executive director Barry Kempton in a news release. “Not only a violinist of the highest calibre, Daniel’s musical intelligence, eloquence and sense of adventure make him the perfect musician to feature over multiple programs.”Now in its 141th year, the Schubert Club is Minnesota’s oldest arts organization. The upcoming season includes both the International Artist Series, held at the Ordway, and Music in the Park, which features more intimate chamber music concerts at St. Paul’s St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ.Subscriptions are priced from $280 to $105 for the International Artist Series and $125 for Musi...

Class A boys hockey quarterfinal: Hermantown 6, Luverne 0

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:12:31 GMT

Seventy-one seconds was all it took for Hermantown to seize control of its state quarterfinal matchup against Luverne on Wednesday, a 6-0 victory in the opening game of the Class A bracket at Xcel Energy Center.Senior Aaron Evjen scored at the 6:28 mark to put the Hawks in front, with River Freeman and Evan Gunderson each adding goals at the 7:09 and 7:39 marks of the first period to put Hermantown in command.Ironically, the Hawks struggled in the first few minutes to get shots, but a slashing penalty on Nolan Barker gave Luverne a chance to go up. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, it also put Hermantown’s penalty kill unit on the ice.“Our penalty kill has given us momentum throughout the year,” Hermantown coach Pat Andrews said. “We don’t want to take penalties, but we also don’t play afraid to take penalties because we’re good from the goal line out and these guys work their butts off on the PK. It’s been good all year and it was good again today. It got us into the game a little b...

Hit musical ‘Glensheen’ returning to St. Paul’s History Theatre for seventh run

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:12:31 GMT

St. Paul’s History Theatre will bring back the immensely popular musical “Glensheen” for the seventh time since its 2015 world premiere.The musical will run from July 8 through 23. Tickets are priced from $74 to $55 and are on sale now via historytheatre.com and by phone at 651-292-4323.Written by one of Minnesota’s most prolific playwrights, Jeffrey Hatcher, with music from Chan Poling of the Suburbs and New Standards, “Glensheen” tells the true-crime story of the 1977 murder of Elisabeth Congdon and her personal care attendant, Velma Pietila, in Duluth’s Glensheen mansion. It is a comedy, but the murder victims are treated with respect and compassion in the show.“Glensheen” earned rave reviews from critics and audiences from the start and has become a tradition of sorts at the History Theatre. In his Pioneer Press review of last summer’s production, Rob Hubbard wrote: “If you haven’t seen this wild and wooly comic take on the tale, I’d recommend you do. It’s a tremendo...

Jim Boeheim officially retiring; Autry to replace him

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:12:31 GMT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) -- Syracuse University News reports that SU men's basketball head coach Jim Boeheim has announced his retirement.Jim Boeheim first arrived at Syracuse University as a student and walk-on with the men’s basketball team. Six decades later, he’d be one of college basketball’s winningest head coaches, a national champion, a Hall of Famer, and one of the most prominent alumni in Syracuse University history. As his 47th season of coaching comes to an end, so too does his storied career at Syracuse University. Associate Head Coach Adrian Autry ’94, one of Boeheim’s former players and longtime assistant, has been named the program’s next head coach, according to Syracuse University News.“There is no doubt in my mind that without Jim Boeheim, Syracuse Basketball would not be the powerhouse program it is today,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “Jim has invested and dedicated the majority of his life to building this program, cultivating generations of student-athletes a...