'A hot mess' Mayor slams proposals for state control of St. Louis police

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:05:51 GMT

'A hot mess' Mayor slams proposals for state control of St. Louis police ST. LOUIS - Mayor Tishaura Jones hasn't changed her stance against state control of St. Louis police, and she made that clear during Tuesday's State of the City address. "We have been vocal about what we need to improve public safety, and a state takeover of [the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department] isn’t it," said Jones during Tuesday's address. "We have 99 problems, and the state stepping in and taking over our criminal justice system ain’t one." The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has operated under the control of the mayor’s office for nearly a decade after approval from voters in 2012. For more than 150 years before that, the agency operated under a police board rather than local control. Top Story: Mushroom hunter describes discovering body in the woods With the end of Missouri's legislative session is drawing closer, it seems some lawmakers are still pressing hard for St. Louis City to return to its previous system. One bill from St. Louis County-based lawmake...

New charge for Franklin County man accused of child sex crimes

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:05:51 GMT

New charge for Franklin County man accused of child sex crimes ST. LOUIS – A Franklin County, Missouri, man previously accused of crossing state lines with the intention of having sex with a child is facing a new federal charge involving a minor.Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Scott Arnold-Micke, 46, was indicted March 22 on one count of transportation of a minor to engage in a criminal sex act. He pleaded not guilty to that charge during a prior court appearance.According to the indictment, that between spring 2018 and fall 2020, Arnold-Micke took a child as young as 11 across state lines to have sex. Top Story: Mushroom hunter describes discovering body in the woods On April 19, a federal grand jury handed down a superseding indictment charging Arnold-Micke with another count of transportation of a minor to engage in a criminal sex act. This crime occurred from summer 2020 through February 2022, and involved a 16-year-old.The superseding indictment also includes a charge of being a felon...

Ex-Arkansas lawmaker gets 4 years for Missouri bribery case

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:05:51 GMT

Ex-Arkansas lawmaker gets 4 years for Missouri bribery case KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A former Arkansas state senator has been sentenced to four years and two months in prison for accepting multiple bribes in Missouri, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.Jeremy Hutchinson, 48, of Little Rock, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Kansas City, Missouri, for his conviction on a charge of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. That sentence will run after previous sentences of three years and 10 months for similar convictions in the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, bringing a total of eight years in prison, the department said.Hutchinson admitted that as a senator he was hired as outside counsel for Preferred Family Healthcare Inc., and in exchange took action in the Arkansas Legislature to help the Springfield, Missouri-based nonprofit. This St. Louis restaurant has the best soul food in Missouri, food writers say Hutchinson admitted to holding up agency budgets, initia...

Nuggets’ depth, which helped turn Timberwolves series, could be key ingredient against Phoenix Suns

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:05:51 GMT

Nuggets’ depth, which helped turn Timberwolves series, could be key ingredient against Phoenix Suns For the Nuggets to advance past the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, they had to turn one of their greatest perceived weaknesses into a strength.During the regular season, the Nuggets struggled to maintain leads whenever two-time MVP Nikola Jokic wasn’t on the floor, orchestrating the offense and being a magician with the basketball. Minnesota was hoping to exploit that in its best-of-seven series against Denver. Instead, the Nuggets’ bench turned out to be a net positive in the series — a development that bodes well for their next series against the star-driven Phoenix Suns.“We thought coming into the series that we had a chance to gain an advantage there (when Jokic was off the floor), but we couldn’t,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said after a 112-109 loss to Denver ended his team’s season in Game Five on Tuesday night.The Nuggets attacked the Timberwolves from all angles in winning the best-of-seven series in five game...

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy upbeat after talk with China’s Xi

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:05:51 GMT

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy upbeat after talk with China’s Xi By DAVID RISING and JOE MCDONALD (Associated Press)KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had a “long and meaningful” phone call Wednesday, their first known contact since Russia invaded Ukraine over a year ago, and Beijing appointed an envoy to pursue a “political settlement.”The nearly hour-long call came two months after Beijing, which has long been aligned with Russia, said it wanted to act as a mediator and a month after Xi visited Moscow. The timing was also relevant because it comes as Ukraine is readying its forces for a spring counteroffensive.Zelenskyy was upbeat about the call, which offered him the chance to insert his views into what had been a bilateral dialogue between Moscow and Beijing. Russian President Vladimir Putin is eager to keep Xi close as a counterweight to the United States, which has sided with Ukraine.“I believe that this call, as well as the appointment of Uk...

Police release surveillance video in ongoing search for hit-and-run driver who killed woman in Highland Park 

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:05:51 GMT

Police release surveillance video in ongoing search for hit-and-run driver who killed woman in Highland Park  Police on Wednesday released new surveillance video of a vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash in Highland Park last month amid the ongoing search for the driver.The crash occurred around 8:30 a.m. March 17 in the 5600 block of Aldama Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.The victim, a 65-year-old woman, was struck by a Chevrolet Tahoe described as possibly being blue.The speeding driver did not stop to help the woman, who was pronounced dead at the scene.Neighbors told KTLA at the time that the victim lived on the street and went on daily walks. Woman killed in Highland Park hit-and-run crash Video released Wednesday shows a black SUV speeding down the street. The crash is not seen on camera, but it is heard.Police also released several surveillance images of the involved vehicle from different angels in hopes of generating leads.No new information about the incident was released.A reward of up to $50,000 is being offered for information leading to the dr...

Driver who ran down young mother, daughter in Mid-Wilshire was likely 'impaired,' has been detained: LAPD

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:05:51 GMT

Driver who ran down young mother, daughter in Mid-Wilshire was likely 'impaired,' has been detained: LAPD The driver who slammed into a mother and her child as they walked to school in L.A.’s Mid-Wilshire neighborhood Tuesday morning was speeding and may have been intoxicated, and he was detained Wednesday morning, according to police.The crash happened just before 8 a.m. in the 6200 block of West Colgate Avenue, across the street from Hancock Park Elementary.The male driver of a white pickup truck, according to police, was speeding when he struck a woman in her 30s and her 6-year-old daughter in an intersection, struck a light pole, and then crashed into an apartment building.The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her daughter was hospitalized in critical condition late Tuesday. Their names were not immediately released.The crash scene in the 6200 block of West Colgate Avenue where a mother was killed, and her 6-year-old daughter was critically injured. April 25, 2023. (KTLA)The crash scene in the 6200 block of West Colgate Avenue where a mother was killed, and her 6-year-old daug...

Best high schools for sports in California

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:05:51 GMT

Best high schools for sports in California More than 7.6 million high school students played sports across the U.S. during the 2021-22 academic year, according to data from the National Federation of State High School Associations. Those athletes participated in a slew of sports: from football—the most popular sport for high school boys with 1 million players nationwide—to track and field, which is the most popular sport amongst high school girls in the U.S. with more than 488,000 athletes.The dynamic landscape of high school sports has created competition not only between athletes but the institutions they represent. With more than 23,500 public and private secondary and high schools across the country, determining the best options for athletes is an arduous process. Cities with the most expensive homes in L.A. area High schools across the country are vying to be crowned the best institution for athletes in America and not only has the battle become personal but regional as well. States like California and Florida, which ...

Several Hurt in Three-Vehicle Crash on State Route 37 [Marin County, CA]

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:05:51 GMT

Several Hurt in Three-Vehicle Crash on State Route 37 [Marin County, CA] Multi-Car Crash on SR-37 Left Lanes BlockedMARIN COUNTY, CA (April 26, 2023) – Wednesday night, police responded to a three-vehicle crash on State Route 37.According to the police, the incident happened on April 12th just before 7:00 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of the Freeway.Furthermore, at least three vehicles were confirmed to have been involved in the incident.Consequently, the report stated that there were only minor injuries sustained and all eastbound lanes of the freeway were blocked.Also, the westbound lanes were blocked but it has since reopened. The cause of the incident was not yet released and further investigation is ongoing.One small driving mistake can lead to multi-vehicle accidents. That is why it is important to always keep your attention on the road when behind the wheel. Also, do not put yourself and your passengers in danger by speeding and taking shortcuts. By driving defensively and always abiding by all driving laws, you can help avoid accidents on the...

Oreste Carrasco, Barbara Garcia-Guerrero, Maria Hernandez-Torres Killed in Rollover Crash on Interstate 10 [Tucson, AZ]

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:05:51 GMT

Oreste Carrasco, Barbara Garcia-Guerrero, Maria Hernandez-Torres Killed in Rollover Crash on Interstate 10 [Tucson, AZ] Three Pronounced Dead after Rollover Car Accident near Tangerine RoadTUCSON, AZ (April 26, 2023) – Thursday, Oreste Carrasco, Barbara Garcia-Guerrero, and Maria Hernandez-Torres died in a rollover crash on I-10.Authorities responded to the scene around 2:30 p.m., at mile post 240 near Tangerine Road on April 6th.Per reports, 78-year-old Carrasco was driving a 2005 Dodge Ram and lost control for reasons unknown. As a result, the Dodge rolled over and ejected all three occupants onto the road.Due to the extent of injuries sustained, medics pronounced Carrasco, 81-year-old Garcia-Guerrero and 69-year-old Hernandez-Torres dead at the scene.Emergency crews closed both directions of the freeway for several hours during cleanup and preliminary duties. At this time, an active investigation to determine further information is still currently underway.The team at Sweet James offers their deepest condolences and sympathies to the family and friends of Oreste Carrasco, Barbara Garcia-Guer...