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Abbott has highest approval rating among state's leaders; Paxton's numbers improve in latest poll

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:41 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gov. Greg Abbott is the most popular state leader in Texas according to a new poll, while Attorney General Ken Paxton and Speaker of the House Dade Phelan are both underwater in approval ratings.The new poll, by the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project, surveyed 1,200 registered voters between Oct. 5 and 17.Of the four main state leaders — Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Phelan and Paxton — Abbott has the highest approval rating, at 49%, nine points higher than the 40% who say they disapprove of the job he is doing as governor.The nine-point margin is the best approval rating Abbott has seen since June 2020. Just two months ago, the margin was zero, with 45% of voters approving and 45% disapproving.Abbott previously hit an approval rating high in both October 2019 and April 2020, with a margin of 24 points. His low point came in August 2021, when his approval margin fell to -9 points.Patrick has also seen a marked improvement over the past two months, with 40% of...

NYSIG: Jail employee submitted forged doctor's notes

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:41 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An employee of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has admitted to submitting over two dozen forged doctor's notes to falsely obtain sick leave benefits, according to New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang. Kathleen Baeder, of Essex County, pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a forged instrument. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! According to the Offices of the Inspector General, an investigation found from October 21, 2021, to February 2, 2022, Baeder submitted 28 forged doctor's notes to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision as an employee at Adirondack Correctional Facility. The forged notes extended Baeder's sick leave over a four-month period, receiving over $4,500 in benefits she wasn't entitled to.Baeder received five years of probation and was ordered to pay $4,593 in restitution.“This case serves as an important reminder of ...

Crews responding to thrift store fire in Fairview Heights, Illinois

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:41 GMT

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. - Emergency crews are at the scene of a thrift store fire Tuesday morning.Our Bommarito Automotive Group SkyFOX helicopter is flying over the area at 'Savers,' located on the 10000 block of Lincoln Trail, where the building is fully engulfed by the flames. Surveillance cameras capture dramatic images of Central West End attack Firefighters are continuing to respond. The cause of the fire has not yet been reported. So far, no injuries have been revealed. FOX 2 will update this story with more information as it becomes available.

Family-friendly Halloween events in the metro area

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:41 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Trick-or-treaters will be out Tuesday night in full force despite the cold weather.We want everyone to have a great time this Halloween, but a reminder to drivers: make sure you keep an eye out for kids wandering the streets in their costumes. If you're still looking for something to do, here's a look at some of the events you and your family might want to check out:In Francis Park in south St. Louis, there will be a Halloween musical costume parade. People will march from Tamm Avenue to Nottingham. Everyone is welcome, even pets. The parade kicks off at 5:30 p.m.The Maplewood Fire Department is hosting its annual drive-through Halloween event from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. There will be plenty of music, blow-up decorations, and, of course, candy. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News ...

Care STL calling for emergency fosters amid slew of concerns

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:41 GMT

ST LOUIS – As Care STL reaches record-high intake, doubling its capacity limit, staffing and supply shortages are part of the reason employees and volunteers are urging community members to foster and adopt dogs.Solemn stares between bars fill stretches of a storage room. Many of the dogs are confined to 2x4 cages for about 23 hours of the day."We're at 200 percent capacity, which really tells you the urgency we have to get the community involved," Abbie Atteberry, executive director at Care STL, said.As of right now, the shelter has around 160 dogs at the facility. When the facility first started in 2018, it was built to house around 60 animals, providing a no-kill outlet for homeless animals. Prosecutors wonder about other victims after deathbed scam "We're using overflow housing, even some of our outside kennels, to temporarily house dogs," Atteberry said.The dropping temperatures are raising concerns as to how these dogs will be properly cared for."We're really trying to avoid...

Halloween candy sticker shock for consumers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:41 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Trick-or-treaters probably don’t know or care, but the price of Halloween candy is no joke! The U.S. Department of Labor says the price of candy is up 13% from last year.“There’s no doubt that price rises by companies like Hershey, Mondelez, Mars are starting to hit consumers,” Anthony Myers, editor of ConfectionaryNews.com, said.Myers says Mother Nature is to blame for the rise in candy prices.“A lot of the cocoa comes from the Ivory Coast, Ghana, West Africa. They’ve had drought; too much rain; too little rain. It’s caused a huge effect on supply,” he said.“The second-largest sugar supplier in India has banned exports because of monsoon rain,” Keenan, executive vice president and general manager at Advantage Solutions, said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News SIGN UP NOW...

Fort Collins’ newest natural area doubles as a working farm

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:41 GMT

On a surprisingly brisk September morning, the just-risen sun cast its warmth over a line of young cottonwood trees and a fallow field. Steps away, greens burst from the ground in perfect alignment, a hint to the rows of carrots, lettuces and onions growing below. Homes bordered the scene on three sides.Attendees enjoyed a nature trail at the opening of Kestrel Fields Nature Area in September 2023. (Provided by the city of Fort Collins)Green spaces like this aren’t unusual in northern Colorado. The Fort Collins area is home to 52 natural areas, equaling about 55,000 conserved acres. People often think of these sites as places to hike or bike or spot wildlife (think: the bison herd at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area). But when Kestrel Fields Natural Area opened to the public last month, it marked a new approach to the city’s efforts: Open space that doubles as farmland. It’s the third piece of a pilot project that’s using agriculture as a way to achieve land conservation goals.Colorad...

Jazz, big band are right at home at Dazzle 3.0 in Denver Performing Arts Center | Opinion

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:41 GMT

Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s new series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we will offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems).Jazz fans will be happy to hear that Dazzle is still the place to hear live jazz and big band music in Denver.Of course, since the new Dazzle moved to the Denver Performing Arts Center in August, many die-hard jazz lovers have already seen that for themselves.A packed house listens to The Shuffle-Tones on March 28, 2009, at Dazzle, at 930 Lincoln St. (Evan Semon, Special to The Denver Post)Sure, we miss downtown’s Jazz at Jack’s and the Crimson Room, and La Cour on South Broadway, and, of course, El Chapultepec, and others that haven’t survived. But we’ve been getting our live music fix at Nocturne, Soiled Dove Underground and Herb’s Hideout, as well as biking over to City Park in the summers for its...

Denver’s first cannabis spa will offer massages with infused topicals

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:41 GMT

Few things sound more relaxing than a toke of marijuana and a massage. Lucky for Denverites, they’ll be able to find both in one place next year when Pure Elevations Spa & Garden opens in the Baker neighborhood.The idea for a cannabis-focused spa and salon came from owner and CEO Rebecca Marroquin’s own experience using infused topicals to treat pain. In 2011, Marroquin was preparing to finish school and become a massage therapist when she was involved in a car crash that broke her neck.Marroquin began using Mary Jane’s Medicinals‘ lotions and salves infused with cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to help with her neck pain. Four months after the incident, she was back on track to graduate.Rebecca Marroquin shows marijuana-infused topicals she hopes to use in massages and to sell to customers at her forthcoming hospitality business, Pure Elevations Spa & Garden. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)“It didn’t stop me,” she said. ...

Emergency pizza, $5 movies, the Zoo and more free and cheap things to do in Denver in November

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 15:51:41 GMT

Denver Zoo’s final free day for the yearMonkey around with family and friends for free one last time this year at the Denver Zoo. The popular attraction’s final free day for 2023 is on Nov. 12. Tickets are no longer given away via a lottery. Instead, they are now released on a first-come, first-served basis 11 days in advance, That means you will want to be at your computer starting at noon on Nov. 1. Bookmark this link:  https://tickets.denverzoo.org/DateSelection.aspx?item=3486.  Explore Predator Ridge populated with lions and other carnivores, the indoor rainforest Tropical Discovery, the Toyota Elephant Passage, Harmony Hill Bear Habitat, Primate Panorama, Northern Shores and more. Free Days for 2024 should be announced shortly. denverzoo.org/free-daysDomino’s free emergency pizzaSound the alarm! Everyone needs a free pizza, and Domino’s has everyone covered with its new program offering a free medium two-topping pizza whenever you need it. Any Domino’s Rewards member who ...