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Gov. Abbott signs new law about 'sexually explicit' school books

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:37 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas governor signed his name to four bills Monday afternoon that he said fulfilled his promise to empower parents more in their children's education. One of these new laws will require vendors to rate books they sell to school libraries based on their depictions or references to sex, and that could result in the removal of some titles. Gov. Greg Abbott said House Bill 900, which he signed alongside one of the authors, will set new standards for Texas school libraries to keep what he called sexually explicit content off shelves. TxTag, lawmakers resolve some tolling problems. What comes next? "Every minute of time spent on vulgar materials is time away from the task of kids learning what they need to learn to advance in our state and our country," Abbott said. The law broadly defines "sexually explicit" as material that "describes, depicts, or portrays sexual conduct in a way that is patently offensive." Ash Hall, who serves as the policy and advocacy strateg...

Austin Creative Reuse receives $66K to support mobile school supply shops

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:37 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Nonprofit Austin Creative Reuse was named a recipient last week of an education grant from Impact Austin, an Austin-based women's collective giving organization that gives back to Central Texas nonprofits. The nearly $66,000 awarded grant will help fund ACR's Materials Mobile. The mobile pop-up initiative will travel to school campuses and allow educators to shop new and gently-used classroom supplies. RELATED: Local non-profit looking for storefront before new school year The mobile project is designed to support teachers and educational staff with access to gently used supplies while also preventing them from ending up in landfills, per a release.Currently, Materials Mobile is expected to visit school campuses in August, prior to the start of the 2023-24 school year.This latest news comes as ACR celebrated its two millionth pound of donated materials collected. The nonprofit has been accepting donations since its first materials collection drive in 2011, per th...

Texas House Speaker announces new education committee ahead of anticipated special session

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:37 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for June 12, 2023AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Speaker of the House announced Monday a new committee to begin working ahead of a special session tackling education.In a tweet, Speaker Dade Phelan said a special session on education matters was “all but certain.”It comes after a regular session ending with no movement on giving raises to a dwindling public education workforce in Texas or on the governor’s main priority – school choice. Central Texas school districts call for more funding as lawmakers talk public education The committee consists of 12 members, including Brad Buckley, R- Salado, who led the House Committee on Public Education during the regular session.Rep. James Talarico, D- Round Rock, and Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, D- San Antonio, are the only former educators on the committee.The group must submit a report identifying the “current menu of choices available to K-12 students in Texas and highlightin...

East Metro boys lacrosse player of the year: Lakeville North’s Quinn Power

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:37 GMT

Quinn Power can’t walk by his lacrosse stick at home without picking it up to do a couple of extra reps. He puts in countless hours wearing out the carpet in his basement.It may seem tedious, but that’s the work required to be a face-off phenom.“Face-offs is just a thing that the only way to get better is by doing it. So you just have to be willing to always be working in your free time,” the Lakeville North junior midfielder said. “I enjoy it, so I just always do it. That’s what really makes you good at face-offs is just constantly getting reps and working on that technique and making it muscle memory.”The proof is in the pudding. Power leads the state this spring with 289 face-off victories, and also owns the top spot with 207 ground balls. He has won 79.4 percent of his face-off attempts this season, which is perhaps the biggest reason the Panthers are 14-2 and the No. 2 seed in this week’s boys lacrosse state tournament. Lakeville North will meet unseeded Cretin-Derham Hal...

New laws to crack down on unlicensed Cannabis dispensaries

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:37 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The state is passing new regulations to crack down on unregulated Cannabis dispensaries and help consumers identify unlicensed dispensaries. The moves come as Office of Cannabis Management agents seized products from 11 unlicensed dispensaries in New York City. MORE NEWS from NEWS10 “When you don't have a licensed business that's abiding by the state regulations, there's concerns that there's laxer enforcement in terms of purchasing the products from people who aren’t 21 years of age and older, making sure that really cannabis products are going to the people who are allowed to purchase and have them” said Brandon Kurtzman, Partner at Vincente, LLP New York. The firm represents Cannabis dispensaries across the country. The OCM & the Department of Taxation will adopt new measures such as criminalizing the sale of unlicensed Cannabis products, and creating a new tax fraud crime for vendors that knowingly fail to collect or pay required Cannabis taxes.W...

Child rushed to fire station, hospital after shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:37 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A 5-year-old is being treated for a gunshot wound at a local hospital after being shot Monday afternoon.According to a spokesperson for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting happened around 4:35 p.m. in the 1600 block of McLaren Avenue.The victim was shot in their right side. They were brought to a nearby fire station for immediate help. EMS then took the child to the hospital.They were said said to be conscious and breathing.This is a developing news story and will be updated later as more information becomes available.

Ameren Missouri donates 800 AC units, energy assistance to Cool Down St. Louis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:37 GMT

ST. LOUIS – On a cool Monday morning, business and political leaders, Ameren employees, volunteers, and meteorologists gathered at Ameren headquarters in downtown St. Louis.The gathering marks the kickoff of the 23rd annual CooldownStLouis.org’s Save Our Seniors (S.O.S.) Cooling Summer Project. The nonprofit helps citizens in need of assistance during the soaring summer heat.It’s Ameren Missouri’s 18th year participating in the program.“Cooldown’s partners will deliver to qualified seniors and the physically disabled, so they can have a cooler, healthier, and safer summer as a result,” St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said.One by one, brand new Energy Star-rated window air conditioners were loaded by hand and by forklift onto trucks waiting to get the units out into the St. Louis region. ‘Worst roads in America’ : St. Louis man makes viral videos in push for change “Today, 800 donated Ameren energy-efficient air conditioners in support of their energy assistance grant speaks volumes...

St. Louis attorney sentenced for faking legal documents

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:37 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A U.S. District Court judge sentenced a St. Louis lawyer to federal prison on Monday for faking legal documents.Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Andrew Wynne, 35, pleaded guilty in March to five felony counts of identity theft.Wynne admitted to forging signatures on documents for cases in St. Louis City, as well as St. Louis and St. Charles counties. He'd make fictitious court orders, judgments, and emails in the name of at least 10 different judges. Some of those documents claimed to award money to Wynne's clients. Former St. Louis alderman under federal indictment for insurance fraud In one instance, Wynne emailed a client in February 2020 with a phony judgment and "decree of dissolution," along with the forged signature of a judge. That fake decree said the couple would share joint legal and physical custody of their children, and that the client was owed $900 per month in child support, as well as $5,000, a car, ...

Denver to pay $450,000 to family of teen who bled to death after officers failed to render aid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:37 GMT

The city of Denver will pay $450,000 to the family of an 18-year-old shooting victim who bled to death while two Denver police officers watched for more than 10 minutes and did nothing.Jalonte Jones, 18, died Sept. 7, 2020, on the pavement outside an apartment complex in the care of Officer Dewayne Rodgers and Officer David Clough. Neither officer rendered first aid even as Jones begged for help, according to a Denver Department of Public Safety disciplinary letter. Public safety officials found that it’s reasonable to assume Jones would’ve been alive when paramedics arrived had Rodgers acted.“At no time did Officer Rodgers crouch down near the victim,” the disciplinary letter stated. “At no time did Officer Rodgers touch the victim. At no time did Officer Rodgers offer words of comfort. The callous lack of humanity that Officer Rodgers displayed is best exemplified by his response to the victim saying ‘Oh my God, help me,’ when Officer Rodgers replied, ‘Do you live in this co...

Former Broncos kicker, Ring of Fame inductee Jim Turner dies at 82 years old

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:37 GMT

Former Broncos kicker and Ring of Fame inductee Jim Turner died Saturday, his family and the franchise confirmed Monday afternoon.Turner, a Martinez, Calif., native and longtime Denver resident, was 82 years old.“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Denver Broncos Ring of Fame kicker Jim Turner,” the team said in a statement. “Retiring as the second-leading scorer in NFL history, Jim was instrumental in helping establish the Broncos’ winning tradition in the 1970s as a key member of our first Super Bowl team. While his competitive spirit and reliability defined him as a player, Jim’s dedicated mentorship and support of youth following his career will leave a lasting legacy within our community.“Our hearts go out to Jim’s wife, Mary Kay; daughters Lisa, Chris and Alison’ and the entire Turner family.”A 19th-round draft pick in 1963, Turner began his professional career with the New York Jets. Among his highlights there, Turner...