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New Zealand police arrest, charge man in connection with hostel fire that killed at least 6

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 17:41:51 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand police said Thursday they arrested a man and charged him with two counts of arson in connection with the fire at a Wellington hostel that killed at least six people. Police said the investigation is ongoing and they could file more serious charges in relation to the deaths at the scene.Earlier, police said they had launched a homicide investigation.Police Inspector Dion Bennett said Thursday they are confident they’re not seeking anybody else in connection with the fire.The suspect, who was not immediately named by police, is scheduled to make his first appearance Friday in the Wellington District Court.Earlier, police removed the first two bodies from the Loafers Lodge hostel and said they planned to remove the next two on Friday. Bennett said it’s possible they could find more victims as officers continue their scene examination.“The damage on the third floor is significant,” Bennett told reporters. “The debris is piled high, ...

Man indicted in theft of ruby slippers from 'Wizard of Oz'

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 17:41:51 GMT

A man has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of stealing a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz,” federal prosecutors in North Dakota say. The shoes were stolen in 2005 and recovered in a 2018 FBI sting operation, but no arrests were made at the time.Terry Martin was indicted Tuesday with one count of theft of a major artwork, prosecutors announced Wednesday. The indictment did not provide any further information about Martin and online records do not list an attorney for him.A pair of ruby slippers once worn by actress Judy Garland in the "The Wizard of Oz" sit on display at a news conference on Sept. 4, 2018, at the FBI office in Brooklyn Center, Minn. Federal prosecutors say a man has been indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, on charges of stealing a pair of ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz.” The FBI recovered the slippers in 2018. (AP Photo/Jeff Baenen, File)The Minneapolis Star-Tr...

City to authorize $27 million for airport expansion design process

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 17:41:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin airport is moving on to phase two of its design process in the airport expansion program. Airport staff will ask city council to authorize the remaining $27 million of its $52 million contract with architectural design firm, HNTB Corporation. Council authorized the first $25 million back in December of 2021. HNTB is consulting the airport on how it can expand, as the city continues to grow and the need for a bigger airport becomes more apparent.  Austin airport expects busy summer 2023 Elizabeth Ferrer, a spokesperson for the airport, said phase one of the design phase has been about long-term feasibility studies and creating a vision for expanding the airport. The next phase will focus on creating a firm outline on the projects it can do, what order the projects will be done, and how much they will cost. Phase two will start focusing on some of the bigger expansion projects, like the midfield concourse with the underground connector tunn...

Austin airport expects busy summer 2023

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 17:41:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – After hosting a record 21 million passengers in 2022, Austin Bergstrom International Airport said Wednesday it would likely set records for busiest month and busiest summer travel season in 2023.AUS said airlines have increased route frequencies, added new destinations, and are using larger aircraft, resulting in 4%, 6% and 7% more airline seats for sale this May, June and July respectively, compared to summer 2022. This summer, AUS will regularly see upwards of 30,000 departing travelers a day and the airport expects to reach the 40,000 mark on some days. The airport said the following nonstop services from AUS will launch between May and July: Sacramento, Calif. with American AirlinesVancouver, Canada with Air CanadaCalgary, Canada with WestJet (returning from a pandemic temporary suspension)Omaha, Neb. with AllegiantPanama City, Panama with Copa AirlinesPensacola, Fla. with Southwest Airlines and American Airlines PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Passenger growth hitting for...

Downtown Austin Alliance to host safety forum Thursday

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 17:41:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Downtown Austin Alliance will provide its monthly update on safety concerns Thursday. The nonprofit will host a Downtown Safety Forum from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. According to the Alliance, there will be an update from Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the Austin Police Department will provide an update on public safety.The Alliance will also provide results of a May 3 count of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness downtown. According to the Alliance, it saw "a significant decrease" in people experiencing unsheltered homelessness downtown over 2022.

Sarah Green Carmichael: Is AI the answer to moms’ mental overload?

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 17:41:51 GMT

Earlier this year, I made a dumb financial decision. I bought a car that was beyond our budget. We had just been through an eight-week stretch of demanding work schedules, kitchen renovations and checking-account fraud. Our daughter’s day-care center closed three times, for a COVID outbreak, a bout of norovirus and a water leak. Not exactly tragedies, but when our old car died, my fried brain had no bandwidth for comparison shopping. I walked into a dealership and said I’d look at whatever they had on the lot. I left with a car — and a car loan.How did I become the kind of person who buys a car on impulse? Cognitive overload. It can have real financial costs. In my case, they were steep — and came with 6.9% interest.But what if I’d had an AI assistant to keep track of the chaos — or offloaded the car research to ChatGPT? Maybe my brain would have been clearer and capable of better decisions. Maybe my bank account would look a little healthier now....

Whitehall man accused of possessing stolen excavator, trailer

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 17:41:51 GMT

WHITEHALL, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, a Whitehall man was arrested on Wednesday and is accused of possessing a stolen excavator and trailer. Jerrick Jones, 37, is charged with two counts of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Deputies say an investigation found Jones was in possession of a 2015 Kubota excavator and a 2009 Cross Country flatbed trailer that were reported stolen out of Troy in October 2022. Deputies say the excavator and trailer reportedly have an estimated value of over $3,000. Jones was arraigned in Central Arraignment and was released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear in the Village of Whitehall Court at a later date, and deputies say additional arrests are likely regarding this case.

History of the Bennington Battle Monument

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 17:41:51 GMT

BENNINGTON, Vt. (NEWS10) - Owned and operated by the state of Vermont, the Bennington Battle Monument is the tallest man-made structure in the Green Mountain State. Standing at 306 feet 4 and 1/2 inches tall, it's the sixth tallest monument in the United States. Off the Beaten Path: Park-McCullough House The Battle of Bennington took place on August 16, 1777, widely considered to be the turning point in the Revolutionary War. The idea for the monument took place 100 years later when Gov. Hiland Hall felt people were losing interested in the battle.The 417 step staircase is closed to the public, but an elevator was built in the 1950s. A quick ride on the elevator will take you up about 200 feet to the observation deck, where you can soak up incredible views of three states: Massachusetts, Vermont and New York.A quick ride on the elevator will take you up about 200 feet to the observation deck, where you can soak up incredible views of three states: Massachusetts, Vermont and N...

98.3 TRY Social Dilemma: Who Controls the Window on a Long Airplane Ride?

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 17:41:51 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Today's 98.3 TRY Social Dilemma came from Marie and it's about flying. Here's the email: Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Hi Jaime. I was recently on a flight from California to New York. I was sitting in the window seat and had the window closed. The person in front of me was in the Emergency Exit row where there are only two seats so no one really has a window seat. So I reached up and shut that window because I wanted to nap on the five hour flight. Well the person in one of those two seats in the row opened it back up. So I shut it again. And she opened it again. She couldn't really see out of it, so I'm not sure why she kept opening it. I wanted to nap. Since the window didn't really belong to anyone, isn't it okay for me to shut it so I could sleep. She really doesn't have a window, so to speak. So I feel I should have been able to control that window. I was going to talk to a flight attendant ...

Pittsfield man pleads guilty in stolen car, theft cases

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 17:41:51 GMT

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (NEWS10) -- A Pittsfield man has pleaded guilty to a slew of charges relating to breaking and entering, larceny, stealing a car, notorious theft, and more, according to the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office. Robert Dondi, 50, was sentenced on 12 charges. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On May 27, 2022, Pittsfield Police responded to Cumberland Farms on Dalton Avenue for reports of a man sleeping in a car. After running the license plates, police say they found the vehicle was stolen. Dondi was identified as the driver, and police say he admitted he knew the car was stolen but claimed he didn't steal it. He was arrested, and when police searched the car, they found a black trash bag containing stolen items, including jewelry, gift cards, collector coins, and purses. Police say the items matched items reported stolen from incidents on prior days. On June 24, 2022, law enforcement says Dondi broke ...