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Relentless winter brings pros, cons for Tahoe ski resorts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:46 GMT

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Last winter, most ski resorts at Lake Tahoe had to postpone their usual November openings because there wasn’t enough snow.This season, several have been forced to close at times because there’s been too much.A relentless winter has dumped more than 50 feet (15 meters) of snow on mountain resorts around the lake over the past three months, along the California-Nevada line.The latest Sierra storm, packing more heavy snow, winds gusting in excess of 100 mph (160 kph) and even some flooding, forced about a half-dozen to shut down on Friday.Even when the resorts have been open for business, storms have prompted frequent closures of mountain highways and the main U.S. Interstate connecting San Francisco and Reno to Lake Tahoe atop the Sierra Nevada, making it nearly impossible at times for out-of-towners to make their way to the slopes.But locals who’ve been skiing at Tahoe for decades say any disruptions are offset by the premium, powdery snow conditions and the real p...

Oregon eyes mandate for climate change lessons in schools

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:46 GMT

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon lawmakers are aiming to make the state the second in the nation to mandate climate change lessons for K-12 public school students, further fueling U.S. culture wars in education.Dozens of Oregon high schoolers submitted support of the bill, saying they care about climate change deeply. Some teachers and parents say teaching climate change could help the next generation better confront it, but others want schools to focus on reading, writing and math after test scores plummeted post-pandemic.Schools across the U.S. have found themselves at the center of a politically charged battle over curriculum and how matters such as gender, sex education and race should be taught — or whether they should be taught at all. One of the bill’s chief sponsors, Democratic Sen. James Manning, said even elementary students have told him climate change is important to them.“We’re talking about third and fourth graders having a vision to understand how this world is c...

Third teen charged in connection to online threats against Mississauga school

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:46 GMT

A third teen has now been charged in connection to alleged online threats against Mississauga and Brampton schools earlier in the week. Peel police were called to Lincoln Alexander Secondary School in Mississauga around 8:45 a.m. on March 9 to investigate an online threat.Investigators have arrested and charged a 16-year-old girl from Mississauga with one count of uttering threats.On Saturday, police said they had also charged a 15-year-old boy from Mississauga with uttering threats and mischief to property. Both teens have been released with conditions and are expected to appear in court in Brampton at a later date.Neither can be identified due to provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Police previously arrested a 14-year-old boy for a separate unrelated online threat made against Chinguacousy Secondary School in Brampton. The youth faces one count of uttering threats.Private security guards and Peel police officers patrolled seven high schools in Brampton and Mississauga on...

Quake death toll nears 48,000 in Turkey, 6,000 in Syria

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:46 GMT

ISTANBUL (AP) — The head of Turkey’s disaster and emergency management agency has raised the country’s death toll from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake last month to 47,975. Yunus Sezer said during a news conference on Saturday that the people who died included 6,278 foreigners, with Syrian nationals accounting for the largest share. The Feb. 6 quake affected 11 Turkish provinces and parts of neighboring Syria. The United Nations has estimated Syria’s death toll at 6,000.The quake was followed by a magnitude 7.5 temblor hours later, as well as thousands of aftershocks. At least 230,000 buildings were destroyed or badly damaged in Turkey. Experts have pointed at lax building code enforcement as a major reason why the earthquake was so deadly. The Associated Press

2 men shot in Chicago Loop, good condition: Police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:46 GMT

CHICAGO — Two men were injured in a shooting that took place in the city's Loop Saturday morning. According to police, the shooting took place near the 0-100 block of North Dearborn Street just before 9 a.m. CPD officer injured in incident over gun in Lincoln Park Police say a 58-year-old man sustained a graze wound to his left arm and a 34-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to his right leg. Both men were transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition. There is no one in custody and police are investigating the incident.

Suspected catalytic converter thief crushed to death at Georgia car lot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:46 GMT

CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) — A man was crushed to death while attempting to steal a catalytic converter from a local business, according to officials in Georgia.On Tuesday, Mar. 7, officers with the Chatham County Police Department (CCPD) were called to Prestige Auto Sales around 9:15 a.m. after a deceased man was found under a vehicle in the car lot. Police say evidence at the scene indicates that the man was killed while he was illegally removing a catalytic converter from the vehicle, and the vehicle fell on top of him. The man was identified as 32-year-old Matthew Eric Smith. Arrest records show he had been arrested multiple times in Chatham County. Catalytic converters: Which vehicles are most at-risk for theft? Chief Jeff Hadley of the Chatham County Police Department says the expensive metals found in catalytic converters make them a hot item for thieves to make fast cash. Hadley believes one way to stop the problem is for state lawmakers to pass a law that makes it hard fo...

These Oscar nominees could make history this year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:46 GMT

(KTLA) – We're inching closer to the 95th Annual Academy Awards. As Hollywood prepares for the big ceremony, there are a few nominees who are poised to make history if they take home the statuette. In the acting categories, 16 out of the 20 are first-time nominees. Why do the Oscars still separate acting categories by ‘actor’ and ‘actress’? Many viewers will also notice increased diversity among the acting honorees as the Academy evolves from criticism that spawned the social media hashtag #OscarsSoWhite many years ago. Sunday's show is the first time that four Asian actors are competing across multiple acting categories. Michelle Yeoh is nominated for Best Actress for "Everything Everywhere All at Once," and co-stars Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu are nominated for Best Supporting Actor and for Best Supporting Actress, respectively."The Whale" actress Hong Chau is also in the running for Best Supporting Actress.If Ke Huy Quan wins, he will be the first Asian man to rece...

How your ex could boost your Social Security benefits

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:46 GMT

(NerdWallet) - Katja Rivera, 64, is a massage therapist and theater director in Berkeley, California, who says she’s never earned more than about $30,000 a year. When her two daughters were small, she sometimes earned much less.But Rivera was married for 10 years to a man who has consistently earned much more than she has. When Rivera retires in a few years, she expects to receive a Social Security check based on her ex’s greater earnings. Many divorced people don’t realize they can get Social Security benefits derived from their ex-spouse’s work history, says William Meyer, founder of Social Security Solutions, a website that helps people determine when and how to claim Social Security. Those who are aware of the benefits often misunderstand crucial details and can make decisions that cost them tens of thousands of dollars over their lifetimes, he says.Here are the basics: You may qualify for benefits based on your ex’s work record if your marriage lasted at least 10 years. An...

The first Best Picture Oscar movie was filmed in this Texas city

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:46 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — The Lone Star State has a surprising claim to fame at the Academy Awards. Did you know the first movie ever named "Best Picture" at the Oscars was filmed right here in Texas?It goes back all the way to the first ceremony, held May 16, 1929, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' honored the 1927 silent film "Wings" with the first-ever Academy Award for Best Picture. Why do the Oscars still separate acting categories by ‘actor’ and ‘actress’? Directed by acclaimed director William A. Wellman, "Wings," was a high-flying action-romance following Army Air Service combat pilots in World War I. The film starred the 1920s "It Girl" Clara Bow — and introduced a then-unknown actor named Gary Cooper to the big screen.Equipped with a massive (for the time) $2 million budget, the crew of "Wings" filmed the movie's still-notable aerial sequences at Joint Base San Antonio in San Antonio, especially the Kelly Field area. Hundreds of extras took to San Antonio's airfie...

Bud Grant, stoic coach of powerful Vikings teams, dies at 95

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:30:46 GMT

Bud Grant, the legendary coach who led the Vikings to four Super Bowls and the team’s only NFL championship, died Saturday morning at the age of 95, the team announced on its web site.Grant, who was born in Superior, Wis., in 1927, coached the Vikings from 1967-1983, then one last season in 1985, retired with a career record of 158-96-5. That includes the team’s only Super Bowl appearances after the 1969, 1973, 1974 and 1976 — all losses.“We are absolutely heartbroken to announce that legendary Minnesota Vikings head coach and Hall of Famer Bud Grant has passed away this morning at age 95,” the Vikings said in a statement. “We, like all Vikings and NFL fans, are shocked and saddened by this terrible news.”Grant might have been born in Wisconsin, and started his coaching career in Canada, but he was a Minnesotan through and through. He was a three-sport athlete at the Uniiversity of Minnesota, and after retiring, he stayed in Minnesota, living in a West Bloomington ramble...