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From piñata to postage stamp, US celebrates centuries-old Hispanic tradition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service on Friday rolled out its latest special edition postage stamps, paying homage to a tradition with global roots that has evolved over centuries to become a universal symbol of celebration. The release of four new stamps featuring colorful piñatas coincides with a monthlong recognition of Hispanic heritage in the U.S. and the start of an annual festival in New Mexico where the handmade party favorites are cracked open hourly and children can learn the art of pasting together their own creations.Piñatas are synonymous with parties, although their history is layered and can be traced to 16th century trade routes between Latin America and Asia and the efforts of Spanish missionaries to convert Indigenous communities to Christianity. It was through dance, music and the arts — including the making of piñatas — that biblical stories were spread throughout the New World.Piñatas became a key part of celebrating Las Posadas — the festivities hel...

Vegas hotel operations manager accused of stealing $773K through bogus refund accounts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A former operations manager at a Las Vegas Strip resort is facing 15 felony charges alleging he siphoned more than $773,000 in hotel refunds into a personal account that he used for luxury shopping, expensive dinners, spa treatments and private jet flights.Brandon Rashaad Johnson, 38, of Las Vegas remained jailed Friday following his arrest Sept. 1 in a scheme that lasted more than a year, according to Clark County Detention Center records and a police report obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The arrest report was not immediately available Friday to The Associated Press.Johnson was identified as a former manager at the Aria Resort & Casino, an upscale 4,000-room property operated by MGM Resorts International. Company spokesperson Brian Ahern declined to comment Friday about Johnson’s case.Johnson’s defense attorneys, Michael Becker and Seth Strickland, did not respond Friday to text, telephone and email messages.Johnson is due for a court hea...

Bally’s Casino temporary location officially opens Saturday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

CHICAGO -- Chicagoans will be able to walk into the historic Medinah Temple Saturday to find the temporary home of Bally's Casino.The Medinah Temple location of Bally's Casino in Chicago will allow guests to enjoy three levels of gaming with nearly 800 slot machines and 56 table games, as well as a variety of dining options and full service bars.In order to gain approval to open, the casino had to successfully complete regulatory rehearsal events which were conducted this past Wednesday and Thursday. Kroger and Albertsons sell hundreds of stores in a bid to clear merger of the 2 largest US groceries All proceeds generated from those days will be presented to selected local charities during a ribbon cutting which will take place later this month. "Bally’s Chicago will redefine the entertainment landscape as the first and only casino in Chicago. Beyond gaming entertainment and dining, the casino is boosting the local economy with the creation of more than 700 permanent jobs," B...

Skilling: Cloudy weekend until sun breaks though on Sunday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

CHICAGOANS experienced the COOLEST DAYTIME TEMPS FRIDAY of the past 3 months—and the early season chill is hardly the norm for the day. The day's (Sept 9's) official high is likely to end up 68-deg at O'Hare.  That's the coolest daytime high temp since 68-deg back on June 16th and 65-deg on June 13thThe loss of daylight begins impacting the temps here more frequently this time of year and forward—even the period of daylight we see here in Chicago began slowly decreasing after Juen 21st.  That decrease is accelerating as we move deeper into autumn.  Chicagoans saw 145 minutes (2.32 hrs) LESS DAYLIGHT in Chicago than back on our LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR and the opening day of astronomical summer:  June 21st.The period of daylight will continue its seasonal decrease. We'll see another 61 minutes of daylight disappear in Chicago over the  remaining  days of September in Chicago. It was 84 on this date a year ago.  And previous Sept 8th high temps since records began in Chicago in 18...

VIDEO: Family rushing to save dog's life held at gunpoint by police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

BERNALILLO, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico family rushing to try and save their dog's life was stopped and held at gunpoint by police. KRQE obtained the police videos from a traffic stop that still has a family in disbelief.Did Bernalillo Police officers take things too far? That's what attorneys with the ACLU believe, and now the family plans to file a lawsuit. ‘Murdaugh Murders: The Movie’ to premiere on Lifetime in October It was a neighborhood cat that lured Stella the labradoodle into traffic in July. "I was like, oh my God, our dog just got hit," Tara Albrecht recalled. She said she was bringing food inside the house for dinner when she realized a speeding car in her neighborhood had hit her dog.Photo of Stella the Labradoodle. The Albrecht family jumped into action, Tara holding Stella in the passenger seat while her husband William drove, and their teenage son in the backseat. "We jumped in the car and started trying to get to the E.R. as fast as we could to try to s...

ARC Music Festival celebrated Chicago and house music for third year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

CHICAGO -- For the entire Labor Day weekend, festival-goers young and old danced from dusk to dawn around Chicago courtesy of ARC Music Festival.From Thursday night to the late hours of Tuesday morning, ARC Music Festival hosted a weekend celebration of house music and the city itself."You can find house music seven days a week here and you can't say that about many places," Chicago house music legend Mike Dunn said. "There's always going to be some house in the city. Somewhere, in some nook or cranny in the city."While now a mainstream genre, some may be unaware that a small community in Chicago laid the foundation for house music that's enjoyed around the world.“The ashes of Disco’s black and queer culture in the late 70s laid the foundation for a new genre of dance music that was conceptualized in the clubs of Chicago, and thus house music was born,” SPIN magazine wrote in 2021. Chicago & House Music: A relationship over four decades in the making It still thrives...

Georgia law enforcement agency has recruitment billboard in Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A billboard on Interstate 35 in north Austin reads "Got Georgia on your mind?" It's from the Cobb County Sheriff's Office."We're looking for the absolute best, and if that means we have to go out of the state of Georgia to get it, we will," said Sgt. Jeremy Blake with the Georgia agency. The billboard advertises a $50,377 - $77,575 starting salary for existing officers willing to make the move. Cobb County Sheriff's Office billboard in Austin.According to the Austin Police Department's website, cadets make $50,000 per year during the academy, and that salary rises to $65,411 upon graduation. This is not the first time an out-of-state agency has advertised in Austin. In 2021, the Spokane County Sheriff's Office offered a $15,000 signing bonus in an attempt to lure APD officers to Washington State. "We've chosen areas around the country that have a history of now showing a lot of support for local law enforcement," Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said.Currently...

Austin Fire union, city reach labor contract through arbitrator

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An arbitrator has ruled on a labor contract between the City of Austin and the Austin Firefighters Association (AFA). The contract is effective as of Friday and does not require approval from the AFA or city council. The contract will be in place until October 2025. Because the fire association's contract expired roughly a year ago, the contract factors in back pay and is considered a 3-year contract starting in October 2022. Firefighters will be paid roughly 4% more year-over-year for the duration of the contract starting in October of last year, according to the city. Because the contract covers the past year, firefighters will see a roughly 8% wage increase starting in October 2023. Assistant fire chiefs and firefighters in specialized units -- the wildfire battalion, arson division and dispatch division -- will get stipends. “This arbitration has been a new and rather protracted process, but we are pleased with the arbitrator panel’s decision and award. We belie...

DPS driver's license offices to reopen Monday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Driver License (DL) Offices will reopen Monday after they were closed for a week due to a system upgrade, a DPS news release said Friday. Online services will also be available, the agency said.Over the Labor Day weekend, offices closed for a driver's license system upgrade, the release said. The offices closed Sept. 1 and were scheduled to open Tuesday. However, "a capacity issue caused by the upgrade overloaded the system, and services were unavailable," according to DPS."We understand the frustration the extended upgrade has caused to those customers who had their appointments cancelled this week, and we apologize for the inconvenience. Our customer service team is contacting impacted Texans via preferred email or phone to give them priority rebooking as quickly as possible," the release said. Need a driver’s license? Get in line Offices will extend hours in high-volume areas in order to help with rebooked appointment...

What's happening with Austin first responder contracts? A break down

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:48:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- At the start of the week, the City of Austin was working on contracts with all three of its first responder unions. Here's where they're at as of Friday. Austin Fire Department An arbitrator ruled on a labor contract between the City of Austin and the Austin Firefighters Association (AFA) Friday night. The contract is effective as of Friday and does not require approval from the AFA or city council. The contract will be in place until October 2025. Because the fire association's contract expired roughly a year ago, the contract factors in back pay and is considered a 3-year contract starting in October 2022. Austin Fire union, city reach labor contract through arbitrator Firefighters will be paid roughly 4% more year-over-year for the duration of the contract starting in October of last year, according to the City of Austin. Because the contract covers the past year, firefighters will see a roughly 8% wage increase starting in October 2023. “This arbitration has ...