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Blue Jackets apologize for Mike Babcock debacle: ‘We made a mistake’

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:38:44 GMT

The Mike Babcock era with the Columbus Blue Jackets ended before it ever really began and his signing can officially be declared a failed endeavour from top to bottom.“We went through a process earlier this summer prior to hiring Mike Babcock as our head coach, but we got it wrong and that’s on us,” Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson said at a press conference Monday afternoon less than 24 hours after the team and Babcock parted ways on the cusp of the 2023-24 NHL season.Babcock resigned as the team’s head coach Sunday, less than three months after being hired and mere days after allegations surfaced that he had been asking to see photos on players’ smartphones while getting to know them, which resulted in some players reportedly feeling uncomfortable.Although multiple Blue Jackets players such as captain Boone Jenner and star forward Johnny Gaudreau made public comments downplaying how Babcock’s get-to-know-you methods were...

An airstrike on a military airport in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region kills 3 people

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:38:44 GMT

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — An airstrike on a military airport in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region killed three people Monday, local officials said.The region’s counter-terrorism service said in a statement that the attack on the Arbat Airport, 28 kilometers southeast of the city of Suleimaniyah killed three of its personnel and injured three members of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.The airport had recently undergone rehabilitation to facilitate the training of anti-terror units affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of the two often-competing main parties in the region, whose seat of power is in Sulaymaniyah.The counter-terrorism service did not blame the attack on any party, but the Sulaymaniyah governorate in a statement urged “countries in the region to respect the sovereignty of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq,” implying that the strike was carried out by Turkey.Also on Monday, the Kurdistan National Congress, an umbrella organization of Kurdish groups and part...

Two migrant shelters set to open in Near West Side by Friday

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:38:44 GMT

CHICAGO -- A community meeting was held Monday night at Union Park where members of the public voiced their frustration over the city's lack of notice and transparency to the latest migrant shelters opening in the Near West Side.The latest city operated shelter to house asylum seekers at a three-story building located at 1644 West Walnut Street in Chicago's West Town neighborhood.More than 14,000 migrants have called Chicago home since last August. There are more than 2,000 still waiting to be placed at a shelter and they're living at overcrowded police stations and the airports.Although residents feel blinded of the new arrivals moving in their neighborhood, many are still welcoming them with open arms. RELATED: City considers moving migrants to West Fulton Market building The city also expects to open another migrant shelter on at a five-story building on North Ogden Avenue in the Fulton Market neighborhood on Friday, Sept. 22.

Search underway after former NFL player goes missing, mother found dead

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:38:44 GMT

MAYWOOD, Ill. — Police say a search is underway for a former NFL player whose mother was found dead in the western suburbs.Police say they are searching for 35-year-old Sergio Brown. Family members confirmed to WGN TV News that Brown is a former safety in the NFL who played from 2010 to 2016. Mexican Independence Day parade brings festive energy to Little Village According to Maywood police, family members notified officers on Saturday that they were unable to contact Sergio Brown and his 73-year-old mother Myrtle Brown. Police initiated a missing person report and began searching for both individuals.Officers say while they were conducting a search, they found Myrtle Brown unresponsive near a creek by her home. Myrtle Brown was later taken to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office and a homicide investigation into her death is now underway.The Cook County Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Simmons-Brown's death on Sunday and say she died from multiple injuries rel...

30 South Side elementary students get new shoes thanks to reality TV personality

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:38:44 GMT

CHICAGO — Students from Horace Mann Elementary School in Chicago walked home in a new pair of shoes on Monday thanks to reality TV personality Chris Williams II.Williams, a Chicago native, hosted a field trip to Foot Locker on State Street for low-income and immigrant students who attended the South Side elementary school.All 30 studetns in the group got their own pre-loaded gift card so they could pick out their shoes and experience their own transactions.Students who had the chance to attend the field trip had lunch, played games in the store gym, and picked out their new shoes for school before heading back to class.Williams appeared on the 12th season of the reality show "Married at First Sight," and is a Horace Mann alumnus.

Wild black bear captured at Walt Disney World in Florida after search

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:38:44 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — It wasn't an escapee from the Country Bear Jamboree attraction, but a wild black bear managed to be the star of its own show Monday at Walt Disney World.The presence of the black bear in a tree in the Magic Kingdom delayed the opening of three lands Monday morning — Frontierland, Liberty Square and Adventureland.Staffers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were at the park, attempting to capture and relocate the bear, Disney World said in a statement. The bear was eventually captured Monday afternoon.The bear was likely in search of food as it looks to pack on fat reserves for the winter, the wildlife commission said in a statement.“In most cases, it is best for bears to be given space and to move along on their own, but given this situation, staff are working on capturing and relocating the bear,” the wildlife commission said.The wildlife commission estimates there are more than 4,000 black bears in Florida, with the most located in centr...

Musk: X, formerly Twitter, 'moving toward' monthly fee

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:38:44 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — From Netflix to Disney, Amazon to Walmart, and countless other services, Americans are already juggling a multitude of subscription fees. They could soon be facing another. While speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Elon Musk said his company X, formerly Twitter, is "moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system," CNBC reports. He added that the move is intended to combat "vast armies of bots."Musk didn't share any other details, like when this change could happen, what it entails, or what it would cost. Netanyahu urges Musk to curb antisemitism and ‘hatred’ on X He also didn't say how many bots may be present on X, either. He did, however, claim that X has garnered 550 million "monthly users."A paywall is something Musk has reportedly considered before. X does already have a subscription, X Premium (formerly known as Twitter Blue), that starts at $8 a month and gives members a blue checkmark previously reserved for those who met ...

Showers likely between 8 am and 2 pm, then mostly cloudy during the afternoon hours Tuesday

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:38:44 GMT

Chance of showers and thunderstorms occur again after 8 pm Tuesday eveningTHE AUTUMN EQUINOX BEGINS ­SATURDAY— TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION OUTLOOKSTHIS PAST WEEKEND'S RAINFALL THROUGHOUT THE CHICAGOLAND AREAFUTURE OUTLOOK FOR POSSIBLE CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATIONCLICK TO ENLARGE

Georgetown ISD board unanimously approves resolution to accept chaplains as volunteers

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:38:44 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) -- The Georgetown Independent School District unanimously approved a resolution to accept chaplains as volunteers, with six trustees voting in favor of the resolution on Monday during a board meeting. Trustee Cody Hirt was absent.In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 763 into law, which permits school districts to use school safety funding to hire chaplains or allow them to volunteer in public schools.After the vote, GISD board member Anthony Blankenship made a comment, saying when people from the community reach out, their voice and concerns are heard. Citing mental health concerns, Texas to allow chaplains as uncertified school counselors "I just want to reiterate that my vote for this in no way is voting to remove counselors, replace counselors, [or] play any sort of political or religious favoritism within our public schools," he said. "I understand the importance of keeping these things separate. We already have this system in place. I just wan...

Recommendation for new affordable housing in downtown Austin

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 12:38:44 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- People "overwhelmingly" want to see more affordable housing - with the priority given to people working in the healthcare, hospitality and service industries, according to a community impact survey referenced in a new City of Austin memo. In response, the City Manager's Office had made an official recommended to convert at least part of the former HealthSouth property into affordable housing. The land is on the corner of Red River and 12th Streets, walking distance from Dell Seton and the heart of downtown. This is rooted in the Austin City Council's priority for "mixed-income housing affordable to households at or below 60% Median Family Income," according to the memo. Below are the results from a survey of 396 people, where city staff asked "What three community uses would you be excited to see on this site?"Current market conditions present unique challenges to the immediate redevelopment of the site," the memo reads. "In addition to increasing development costs ...