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TDCJ moving to digital mail to try to reduce contraband entering jails

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:25 GMT

(KXAN) -- The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, or TDCJ, will soon transition to a digital mail platform. The department said in an announcement Friday the goal of the transition is to reduce the number of contraband items coming into facilities throughout the state. Texas inmates ‘being cooked alive’ in heatwave with no air conditioning TDCJ will roll the program out in phases starting on July 17, according to the announcement. It will first launch at Polunsky, Coffield, Powledge, Plane, Garza West, Allred, Clements, Halbert, Robertson, and East Texas ISF units, with remaining sites to follow in the coming weeks.Mail sent to inmates at these units will need to be sent to the digital mail processing center where it will be sorted, scanned, and uploaded to the inmate's secure tablet, TDCJ said. The messages and photos will be scanned in color and can be saved to the tablets permanently. TDCJ correctional officers burning out in Texas heat All U.S. mail being sent to inmates...

Remains of 2nd missing woman found, also in storage unit; man charged in previous murder is person of interest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:25 GMT

The remains of a missing woman have been found and a man charged with murder last week in the case of another missing woman is a person of interest, police said Friday.When Joseph Jorgenson was charged last week in the death of Manijeh “Mani” Starren, St. Paul police announced they’d received information about another missing woman who’d been connected to Jorgenson.Joseph Steven Jorgenson (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)Fanta Xayavong, 33, had last been seen with Jorgenson in July 2021, possibly in Shoreview, police said last week. She hadn’t been reported missing, so police recently started a missing person investigation.The investigation into Xayavong’s disappearance led investigators this week to a storage unit in Coon Rapids, where they served a search warrant and found human remains. They were confirmed Friday to be Xayavong, of Lakeville, and police are investigating her death as a homicide.Starren also died by homicide and h...

Listen to a pair of new, previously unheard Prince songs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:25 GMT

The first previously unreleased Prince songs in two years hit streaming services today.Prince’s estate and NPG Records released “All A Share Together Now” and “7 (E Flat Version)” to digital service providers worldwide, although oddly enough not to Tidal, the streamer Prince personally endorsed. “All A Share Together Now” is a jazzy blues number that was recorded on Sept. 4, 2006. Here’s the audio track on YouTube:“7 (E Flat Version)” is a radically different take on Prince’s 1992 hit “7,” which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Here’s the new version on YouTube:It’s worth noting that 16 years ago today — July 7, 2007 — Prince famously played a trio of Minneapolis shows at Macy’s, Target Center and First Avenue.The two recordings were previewed last month at Paisley Park’s Celebration 2023, where attendees were given the tracks on a cassette-shaped USB.Prince was notorious for his vault filled with unheard music and t...

Rutland City Police officer dies in fatal car crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:25 GMT

RUTLAND, Vt. (NEWS10) -- An officer from the Rutland City Police Department was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Friday afternoon. The crash occurred on Woodstock Avenue at around 3 p.m. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Vermont State Police have launched an investigation into the crash. Woodstock Avenue has been closed from Deer Street to Temple Street.The officer's identity will be released as the investigation continues. No other information is available at this time. NEWS10 will provide updates as more information is made available.

Swimming safety amid lifeguard shortage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:25 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)--- There’s a nationwide lifeguard shortage."We’re in a critical situation, where with over 309,000 parks and pools half of them are already reporting closings or reduction in hours," said Wyatt Werneth, Spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association.That shortage impacting New York State. The Department of Environmental Conservation announced the Adirondack and Catskill campgrounds are transitioning to unsupervised swimming. To help combat the lifeguard shortage, a law was recently signed by Governor Hochul to lower the minimum age of lifeguards at children’s camps to 15, as long as they are directly supervised. Werneth said being a lifeguard is a wonderful job."We’re very observant, we use scanning techniques, victim recognition, as well as pre-water detection. That simply means that we stop people getting into danger before they get into danger."The governor also extended the state’s Commission on Childhood Drowning. Senator Tim Kennedy in a statement, s...

ACG announces free summer meals and art program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:25 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Albany Center Gallery has announced the return of their Summer Meals Collaborative Program alongside Albany Housing Authority and United Way of the Greater Capital Region. The program will offer free meals to the area's youth while providing engaging art activities. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Children under the age of 18 can enjoy a free breakfast or lunch while drawing, painting, and being creative. The program will be held at Creighton Storey Homes, located at 158 3rd Avenue in Albany. The meals and art events will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from July 10 through August 18. Breakfasts will be served early from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and lunches will be served from 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Man shoots two dogs during an attack on Second Street

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:25 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Albany man who shot two dogs on Friday morning has been charged with one count of criminal possession of a weapon. Nasir Abbot, 24, also sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the foot. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Albany Police responded to the 200 block of Second Street for reports of a shooting early Friday morning. They located two dogs that had been shot. Both dogs were transported to the emergency veterinarian hospital in Latham. One dog sustained a non-life-threatening wound. The other sustained a serious wound and had to be euthanized.Shortly after the report, police were notified of a man who had entered the emergency room at the Albany Medical Center Hospital. The male, identified as Abbot, had a gunshot wound to the foot. Abbot was also treated for several dog bites. Albany man arrested for multiple assaults on July 6 Investigations determined that Abbot had shot the dogs on ...

NYS receives $500M to rehab bridges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:25 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- New York state is home to over 17,000 bridges that we drive on every day. State officials announced over $500 million will be distributed to localities to rehabilitate bridges and culverts  - which are those tunnel structures that allow water to pass through. That funding being provided through the states BRIDGE New York initiative, a program that provides money to localities to improve infrastructure and make New York more resilient to the impacts of climate change.  New York not able to get around SCOTUS education decisions "There’s just more and more compelling evidence that our road and bridge program in New York State is still underfunded," said Mike Elmendorf, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Associated General Contractors of NYS. A partial breakdown of how that funding will be allocated shows the Capital Region receiving over $44 million, Central New York, over $31 million, and New York City awarded $73 million. Elmendorf said while this...

Albany man arrested for multiple assaults on July 6

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:25 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Albany Police Department arrested a 22-year-old twice in three hours on Thursday, July 6. The suspect caused injuries to two separate men. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The first incident occurred around 2:15 p.m. at Paesan's Pizza at 289 Ontario Street. Police located a 60-year-old man with injuries to his face and head. He was treated by emergency medical personnel and transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.Police arrested the suspect, Taezi Washington. Police determined that the victim was sitting inside the restaurant when Washington and another male approached him and began to punch him. The victim tried to call 911 from the restaurant's phone but was struck again.Washington was charged with assault and criminal mischief. He was released on an appearance ticket. Investigation into the second suspect is ongoing. Police also arrested a 15-year-old female from Albany. During...

Queensbury brings STEM to Hovey Pond Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:25 GMT

QUEENSBURY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - Hovey Pond Park is often a place to relax and get closer to nature, offering a peaceful pond and community garden. On Friday, though, it was busier than usual - and the main attraction never left the parking lot. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The "Q-Munity Bus," a blue school bus created by Queensbury Union Free School District, was parked outside Hovey Pond Park on Friday for a host of educational kids activities. Focused around STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - those activities are exactly what the bus was made for."Whatever we think that kids need, we can put on this bus," explained Queensbury Middle School STEM teacher Jacqueline Moeller. "We can bring this bus as a library, to different areas, and we tailor it to the needs of who we're going to visit."On Friday, that meant an elementary school-level introduction to coding, using an OSMO learning kit. Kids slide lett...