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DeSantis appointees seek Disney communications about governor, laws in fight over district

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:54 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ board appointees are seeking communications between Disney and local media, as well as documents related to the company’s position on Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law, as part of a state court fight over control of the district that governs Walt Disney World.The request for documents and communications was made Thursday by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, now controlled by DeSantis appointees. It sued Disney this year over control of the private government which regulates design and construction and provides municipal services such as mosquito control and road repairs at the Florida theme park resort.The district wants all Disney communications about DeSantis, as well as communications dealing with laws passed by the Republican-dominated Florida Legislature that switched control of the district from Disney supporters to the governors’ appointees and nullified deals the company made with the Disney-controlled distr...

George Brown, drummer and co-founder of Kool & The Gang, dead at 74

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — George “Funky” Brown, the co-founder and longtime drummer of Kool & The Gang who helped write such hits as “Too Hot,” “Ladies Night,” “Joanna” and the party favorite “Celebration,” died Thursday in Los Angeles at age 74.Brown died after a battle with cancer, according to a statement released by Universal Music. He had retired earlier in the year, nearly 60 years after the band began, and revealed that he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.Kool & The Gang has sold millions of records with its catchy blend of jazz, funk and soul, what Brown liked to call “the sound of happiness.” In 1964, Brown helped launch the Grammy-winning group, originally called the Jazziacs, along with such friends as bassist Robert “Kool” Bell, brother Ronald Bell on keyboards and guitarist Charles Smith.After years of relative obscurity, name changes and personnel changes, Kool & The Gang broke through in the mid-1970s with “Jungle Boogie” and “Hollywood Swinging” among others ...

Woman accused of involvement in death of child found in suitcase in Indiana makes a plea deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:54 GMT

SALEM, Ind. (AP) — A Louisiana woman accused of involvement in the death of a 5-year-old Atlanta boy whose body was found in a suitcase in Indiana last year has reached a plea deal with prosecutors, news outlets reported.Dawn Coleman, 41, of Shreveport, will be sentenced Tuesday, at which time details of the plea deal will be released, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted prosecutor Tara Coats Hunt as saying in a report Friday.Coleman is accused of playing a part in the death of Cairo Ammar Jordan. The child’s body was found inside a suitcase in the woods about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of Louisville, Kentucky, in April 2022. Coleman was charged with “aiding, inducing or causing murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death and obstruction of justice.”A felony murder arrest warrant was issued for the child’s mother, Dejuane Ludie Anderson, in November 2022, but she has eluded authorities for more than a year, WTHR-TV reported.An autopsy found that Cairo died fr...

‘Now You Know With Rob Snow’ launching coast to coast on CityNews on Monday, Nov 20

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:54 GMT

Rob Snow is back on radio airwaves with a brand new show. The Canadian radio icon has a new program on CityNews. ‘Now You Know With Rob Snow’ launches coast to coast on Monday, Nov. 20. The show will feature a deep dive into the top headlines of the day, interviews with newsmakers, breaking news across Canada, live news conferences, listener interaction, and information for Canadians on how to navigate an increasingly complex world.   “This is going to be a lot of fun and I am looking forward to it,” said Snow on The Todd Veinotte Show on CityNews Halifax 95.7 on Friday, Nov. 17. “I am political news junkie and we are going to take deep dives into the issues that matter and the issues that are important.”‘Now You Know With Rob Snow’ airs on air in Halifax (2 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time), Kitchener (1 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time), Calgary (11 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time) and Vancouver (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time). A proud native o...

'Elvis' adopted by former Elvis impersonator after being only dog left at Anti-Cruelty Society

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:54 GMT

CHICAGO — Elvis has officially left the building!The Anti-Cruelty Society announced the happy news Friday, saying, in part: "His adopters had been waiting for the right time to welcome a dog into their family and once they saw Elvis on the news, they couldn't deny that it was fate!"Elvis' sweet face was spread all over the internet after he was the only dog who was not adopted at the shelter's “Fall in Love” adoption event over the weekend. Anti-Cruelty Society asking for help to find ‘Elvis’ forever home after he’s only dog not adopted According to the animal shelter's post, Elvis was adopted by a couple who "is head over heels in love with their new family member." "When no one else wanted him, we found him. We're all a bunch of misfits."Ironically, one of his new owners had formerly worked as an Elvis impersonator, and plans to keep the dog's iconic name.Elvis with his new family (The Anti-Cruelty Society)Elvis with his new family (The Anti-Cruelty Society)Elvis with his n...

Crowds, law enforcement honor fallen Austin Police Officer Jorge Pastore

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police Officer Jorge “George” Pastore, who died in the line of duty Nov. 11, was honored in Austin Friday morning.Law enforcement began setting up for the funeral procession at 7 a.m., and all vehicles equipped with emergency lights and sirens were invited to join. The procession for Pastore’s final patrol began at 8 a.m. MAP: Funeral procession route for fallen Austin Police officer People were encouraged to line the route of the procession to show support.The Austin Police Department said public visitation would be from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the funeral service was from 11 a.m. to noon at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater, located at 9201 Circuit of the Americas Boulevard.Austin Police officer salutes as Officer Jorge Pastore’s procession moves past Interstate 35 and St. Johns (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez)All vehicles equipped with emergency lights and sirens were invited to join the funeral procession for Officer Jorge Pastore's final patrol. (KXA...

'Pastore was always all-in': APD chief remembers fallen officer, honors him with Medal of Valor, Purple Heart

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Friday, Austin Police Interim Chief Robin Henderson spoke at the funeral service of fallen officer Jorge “George” Pastore.Pastore died in the line of duty Nov. 11 while responding to a SWAT call in south Austin. TIMELINE: APD describes events leading to officer line-of-duty death in south Austin “His dedication to our department, our community and his teammates was second to none. None. Pastore was always all-in,” Henderson said. “Pastore exemplified leadership, teamwork, inclusion, selflessness, passion and resiliency.”During her speech, Henderson announced Pastore was being posthumously honored with two awards.“Jorge Pastore, number 9097, is being awarded the Medal of Valor for displaying exceptional bravery and courageous action, risking life for serious bodily injury while in the performance of duty, in addition to a Purple Heart for his death resulting from a suspect's actions in the line of duty under honorable circumstances with valor,” Henderson said.Bef...

From Bach to Qeej: St. Paul awards $1.3 million in Cultural STAR grants to 66 nonprofits

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:54 GMT

The St. Paul City Council this week approved nearly $1.3 million in grant funding to 66 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations.The grants are funded by a portion of the city’s half-cent sales tax, which for 25 years has supported the Cultural Sales Tax Revitalization (STAR) program. A nine-member board appointed by St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter reviewed the applications and made recommendations to the mayor and city council prior to council approval on Wednesday.The board received more than $3 million in funding requests, making it one of the most competitive years in recent memory, said Bethany Gladhill, business director for FilmNorth and the vice-chair of the Cultural STAR board, in a statement.“The applications were incredibly diverse, highlighting our city’s rich cultural life,” she said.A separate program, Neighborhood STAR, provides competitive funding for capital projects in St. Paul neighborhoods.Among the Cultural STAR grant recipients announced this week wer...

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter celebrates 150,000th Evie Carshare trip

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:54 GMT

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter this week hopped aboard an Evie — the city-owned electric-vehicle carshare launched last year with nonprofit HourCar — and celebrated the EV Spot Network’s 150,000th trip.The all-electric carshare fleet rolled out in February 2022 with charging stations throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul. Since then, Evie Carshare users have logged more than 1.5 million zero-emission miles, reducing both cities’ carbon footprint.In a written statement, HourCar president and chief executive officer Paul Schroeder noted “1.5 million miles of usage is the equivalent of driving to the moon and back three times. The sky’s the limit for this project.”Carter’s office took the lead in organizing the network as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ “American Cities Climate Challenge.” The 170 vehicles can be found throughout a 35-square-mile home area. Half of the car-sharing stations are located in communities of color and most are along transit ro...

Cottage Grove selects deputy chief as new fire chief

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:00:54 GMT

Jon Pritchard, deputy chief of the Cottage Grove Fire Department, will become chief of the department at the end of the year.Jon Pritchard, deputy chief of the Cottage Grove Fire Department, will become chief of the department on Dec. 30, 2023. (City of Cottage Grove)The Cottage Grove City Council appointed Pritchard to be chief, effective Dec. 30, at their Wednesday council meeting. Fire Chief Rick Redenius, who has been chief since 2012, is retiring on Dec. 29. Except for a stint from 1992 to 1994, Redenius, 55, has been with the department since 1987.The fire department has 45 employees in a combination of full- and part-time positions.Pritchard, 41, of Cottage Grove, has 18 years of experience in fire and emergency medical services, including roles as a career chief officer, paid on-call and part-time firefighter. He has been deputy chief since 2019.Prior to working full-time in Cottage Grove, Pritchard worked as a nurse supervisor in the emergency department at Regions Hospital...