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APD searches Pflugerville field for 2nd time in relation to murder suspect Raul Meza Jr.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department did a follow-up investigation in a field Monday in Pflugerville in connection with the case of a man accused of multiple murders. APD said the investigation was off Farm-to-Market Road 1825, the same area APD, Pflugerville Police and the FBI searched July 12 in relation to a case connected with Raul Meza Jr. APD said it couldn't provide any details about the investigation since it is ongoing. TIMELINE: What we know about Raul Meza's criminal history Meza, 62, is in Travis County Jail and faces two murder charges, a capital murder charge and a charge for unauthorized use of a vehicle after confessing to the murder of his roommate, 80-year-old Jesse Fraga, the arrest affidavit said.APD said it believes Meza is connected to "multiple murders" and is looking into eight to 10 cold cases in which he could be involved.Meza also told detectives he was responsible for the 2019 killing of 66-year-old Gloria Lofton, according to an arrest affidavi...

Police investigate murder-suicide in southeast Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police Department investigators believe a man shot and killed his wife before shooting and killing himself in southeast Austin Sunday, according to an APD release Monday.APD said officers responded to a home around 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the 7500 block of South Glenn Street, which is near McKinney Falls Parkway and Burleson Road. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2023? Officers found 73-year-old Eva Carol Dotson Penton and 65-year-old Timothy McDonald dead inside the home with gunshot wounds, APD said in the release. On Sunday, APD said the shooting was an isolated incident with no further threat to the public.The incident is Austin's 37th homicide of 2023.Anyone with information is asked to call APD's homicide tip line at (512) 477-3588 or contact APD Crime Stoppers by calling (512) 472-8477 or visiting austincrimestoppers.org. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.

Trudy Rubin: Can Ukraine win the war against Russia? I’m traveling there to find out

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

When this column appears, I will have arrived in Odesa, Ukraine.I want to see how Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are faring on the ground, as the country wages its counteroffensive against the Russian invaders. I also want to learn how the disappointing NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, has affected Ukrainian morale, and whether new weapons pledged by NATO countries will arrive fast enough to make a difference.What many Americans don’t realize is that Ukraine has a second enemy beyond Vladimir Putin’s Russia.That enemy is time.In his concluding speech in Vilnius, President Joe Biden seemed to imply he expected Russia’s war on Ukraine to continue indefinitely. He compared the struggle to the Cold War struggle for freedom in Eastern Europe. “Putin still wrongly believes that he can outlast Ukraine,” Biden said. “After all this time, Putin still doubts our (NATO allies) staying power. He is making a bad bet.”But, as a visibly disappointed Uk...

Nicholas Kristof: How to break a country

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia — Vladimir Putin has compared himself to the czar Peter the Great. But to travel through Eastern Europe is to see how much he has instead caused Russian influence to shrink.I’ve been on a road trip through Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia — and it’s clear that Putin has managed to unite nearly everyone against Russia. Even Russian speakers who often used to feel loyalty to Moscow are now fundraising for Ukraine.One of my first memories is of a trip to Poland in the 1960s to visit my grandparents (Kristof is short for Krzysztofowicz). What I remember is that communist Poland seemed endlessly bleak and depressing. Later, when I began to travel around Eastern Europe as a law student and aspiring journalist, my main impression was that in the communist bloc, you didn’t need color film.Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who was in Vilnius, Lithuania, for the NATO summit, told me that when he first visited the country in 1979, he had the sa...

Beechnut factory site transformation proposals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

CANAJOHARIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — “Today we’re really excited about the future…hope is back in Canajoharie,” said Matt Ossenfort, the Montgomery County Executive.The renderings for the community development space that will replace the old Beech Nut baby food factory in Canajoharie were revealed today. The former factory might not look like much now but town officials see it as key to their revitalization.MORE NEWS from NEWS10Ossenfort said the construction contracts have been written up to demolish the factory, and funding has been secured for its proposed replacement. Ossenfort said the 27 acre site will be a park encompassing a community space and a trail that will join with the Erie Canal bike path that will also connect with Downtown Canajoharie. “This is  a tremendous site with all the visibility and access from the thruway. It’s not a matter of when something’s gonna be here. It’s a matter of what it’s gonna be and making sure we follow through on our commitment to the vi...

Dozens of cats to be rescued by Mohawk Hudson Humane Society

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

Last week, NEWS10 reported on dozens of cats taking over a property in Montgomery County. News10 is checking in to see what progress has been made in the rescuing of those cats.Edgar Moore has lived in his Montgomery County home his entire life and he's finally getting the help he needs. The Mohawk Hudson Humane Society (MHHS) is stepping up vowing to capture and take care of all those cats. Cats overwhelm homeowner in Montgomery County Several area cat rescue groups came together last week to assist but quickly learned they needed more help than they could provide.“A lot of cats and kittens are getting hit by cars out on the roadway and they went over to see what they could do to help and realized that it was going to be a very intensive effort and they needed some more resources,” said Andrew Fiumano, Director of Outreach and Humane Law Enforcement with Mohawk Hudson Humane Society (MHHS).The MHHS says their team was able to assess the situation and capture a few of the cats who...

House explosion in St. Charles injures 3 adults, 2 children

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Five people are being treated at an area hospital after a home explosion in St. Charles late Monday morning. According to Deputy Chief Steve Brown, St. Charles Fire Department, the explosion occurred shortly before 11:40 a.m. in the 500 block of Transit Street.Neighbors said they heard the explosion, and that the home had recently been renovated on the interior.“I was sitting on the couch and heard this massive boom, like a firework,” Kara Schemkes said. “I looked outside, and the house is just kind of like, it went out on the bottom, and I immediately called 911.”  Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW Schemkes grabbed water bottles and offered them to the family as they sat on her front lawn, watching the h...

Vandalism, short-staffing keeping Denver’s public restrooms, drinking fountains closed despite summer heat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

As temperatures near triple-digits on Monday, Denverites may have to bring their own water before they go to the park.Many of the city’s parks have broken water fountains, the result of vandalism and a short-staffed Parks and Recreation department, city officials said.“We’re trying to open as many of the fountains as we can,” said Cyndi Karvaski, a Parks and Recreation spokesperson. “But we don’t have a clear timeline.”It’s not as simple as turning on the water after the winter, Karvaski said. Some of the fountains have sustained significant damage and the department has been short on plumbers.Meanwhile, 13 of the 30 permanent bathrooms at city parks are closed “due to ongoing vandalism,” Karvaski said. Parks with inoperable restrooms have an ADA-compliant portable bathroom on site.At Ruby Hill Park, for example, someone stole all the copper tubing from the bathroom, Karvaski said. In Washington Park, individuals have place...

Rep. Lauren Boebert outpaced in second quarter fundraising by a wide margin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

For the second quarter in a row, Democratic challenger Adam Frisch raised appreciably more money than did Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican firebrand who delights in provoking political enemies, in Colorado’s closely watched 3rd Congressional District contest.Frisch, a former Aspen city councilman, brought in over $2.6 million in the period April 1 to June 30 versus Boebert’s $818,000 take during the same three months. He also outpaced the incumbent by nearly $1 million in fundraising during the first three months of the year.“Boebert continues to vote against the interests of her constituents while devoting her time to ‘angertainment’ antics that do nothing to help (the district),” Frisch said in a statement after the numbers were posted. “We can do better than Boebert, and thanks to our generous supporters, we will defeat her in 2024.”Boebert’s campaign manager, Drew Sexton, told The Denver Post the race “will be won on the strength of the congr...

I-70 closed at Eisenhower, Johnson tunnels due to vehicle fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:24 GMT

Interstate 70 is closed in both directions at the Eisenhower and Johnson tunnels due to a vehicle fire on the westbound side.There’s no ETA for when the highway will open, Colorado State Patrol said on Twitter.Full closure of I-70 at the Eisenhower & Johnson Tunnels for vehicle fire on westbound bore. No ETA.S1 pic.twitter.com/FgiK3To1fC— CSP Golden (@csp_golden) July 17, 2023