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'Warehouse is half full'; Toys For Tots needs toys now

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:32 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Christmas is fast approaching and many families will turn to non profits like Toys for Tots for a little help."I found out that we were receiving toys from non profit foundations," said Toys for Tots Austin coordinator Samantha Martinez.Martinez says her family relied on organizations like Toys for Tots during the holidays and now she is in charge of making sure families in need get all the help they can."To even just donate a $5 toy, even that small act will make the hugest difference," Martinez said.This year, organizers tell KXAN demand is way up, but donations have not been coming in like in years past."This year the demand went from 1,500 families to almost 3,000," said Major Jeremiah Dennis who is one of the organizers.Dennis says the warehouse looks almost empty compared to last year. Brown Santa in need of toy donations after reporting lowest donation turnout ever "It is probably about 50 percent of what it was last year," said Dennis.Tha...

Local USPS plant staying busy during holiday season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:32 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Officials at local United States Postal Service plants are working around the clock to ensure gifts make it to their destination this holiday season. Officials said they have seen a 10 percent increase in the number of packages coming through their facility compared to last year. At the Albany plant, they are helping different plants throughout the Northeast process the large amount of packages. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Officials said the equipment they use can help process up to 7,000 packages an hour."The team has done a great job, employees really care, and they feel like they are Santa's little helpers this time of the year," USPS Albany Plant Exec. Plant Manager Martin Siminski said. "It is great."Each day, the plant goes through an average of 120,000 packages a day. Officials said this is easily their busiest time of the year.

Over 900 kids to receive gifts thanks to Adopt-A-Family program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:32 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- More than 900 children will have a gift this holiday season thanks to the generosity of the local community. Albany County officials gave an update on the 2023 Adopt-A-Family program.Nearly 350 people and organizations have donated so far. Items include toys and games as well as essentials such as coats and bedding. Organizers are grateful to everyone who has contributed so far. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! "And you really are going to make families have an extremely happy holiday. And that really does mean a lot because families are under a great deal of stress during these challenging times."There's still time to help. The county is accepting gifts, monetary donations and gift cards through Monday.

Drone patrols coming to Gravois Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:32 GMT

ST. LOUIS – In an effort to fight crime in St. Louis, a faith-based filmmaker from the Washington, D.C., area tells FOX 2 that drone patrols will soon be getting a test run in the Gravois Park neighborhood of south city.With blue skies and sunshine, Tuesday afternoon was perfect for walking around Gravois Park, playing with the dog or lunching under the pavilion.Things often change drastically after dark, however. A few residents have coined an unflattering and pretty frightening nickname.“The ‘gunshot park,’ because you hear gunshots throughout the night all the time on a general basis,” resident Cynthia Reed said.A new effort is set to lift off to patrol the Gravois Park neighborhood with drones. SMS Novel Films of the Washington, D.C., area has chosen St. Louis, Memphis, and Los Angeles for testing of a drone monitoring program with the goal of deterring crime. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now ...

Violent collision flips St. Louis police vehicle; officers uninjured

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:32 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Two St. Louis police officers were uninjured after their vehicle was flipped over following a violent collision at a north city intersection.The crash happened just after 8:30 p.m. in The Ville neighborhood, at North Sarah Street and St. Louis Avenue.Police claim a white Nissan was traveling north on Sarah, blew through a stop sign, and smashed into a squad car traveling west on St. Louis.The force of the impact rolled the police car onto its roof, coming to a rest in front of a convenience store.The driver of the Nissan was not seriously injured. A blood alcohol test will be administered.

Fans join St. Louis Blues in fighting cancer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:32 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Tuesday night at the Enterprise Center was about more than a hockey game. Emotions ran high as cancer survivors and their loved ones gathered to commemorate those who have fought and are still fighting battles with cancer.The St. Louis Blues’ annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night is also an effort to raise money for cancer research. Chris Zimmerman, Blues president and CEO, knows the pain of losing a loved one to cancer. He shared a powerful message about why the effort means so much to him. St. Louis Blues fan Richard Norris stopped outside the Enterprise Center to find a commemorative brick memorializing his late wife, Glenna. She fought a battle against ovarian cancer. A tearful Norris said of Tuesday’s event,“It’s just honoring those that we’ve lost but also those that continue to fight,” he said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News ...

Decade-long I-270 project finally finished  

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:32 GMT

HAZELWOOD, Mo. – It was 10 years ago when the Missouri Department of Transportation began hosting public input meetings for planned improvements along Interstate 270 in north St. Louis County.On Tuesday, MoDOT representatives, local elected officials, and Governor Mike Parson were in attendance in Hazelwood to celebrate the completion of the $278 million project."This is what makes me happy,” Missouri Highways Commissioner Greg Smith said on Tuesday. “(It) makes me proud.”Construction on the nine-mile stretch of I-270 began in late 2019."This was one of our most in-need interstate corridors in the St. Louis region," Tom Blair, MoDOT district engineer, said.Governor Parson had visited the site a number of times throughout its construction, meeting with nearby residents."I remember early on a lady came up to me and her biggest issue was to get across the highway, and she didn't have a car,” Parson said. 12-year-old shoots mother’s boyfriend following argument The projects are helpin...

Nikola Jokic’s second ejection of season causes controversy, but Nuggets survive Bulls at end of back-to-back

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:32 GMT

CHICAGO — Eastern Conference NBA cities get to see Nikola Jokic play basketball in-person once a year. Already this season, two of those cities have been snubbed with less than half a game of the two-time MVP.Jokic was thrown out after barking at officials for the second time in his first 24 active games of 2023-24 on Monday night at United Center. Unlike Nov. 20 in Detroit, this ejection was abrupt, unexpected and controversial enough to evoke a smattering of boos from the Chicago fans.But like in Detroit, the Nuggets survived the second half without Jokic for a resilient win on the second leg of a back-to-back. Denver is 5-1 playing on 24 hours of rest this season after a 114-106 win over the Bulls, who were missing Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso.And like in Detroit, Reggie Jackson played a huge part in lifting the Nuggets’ offense when they needed it. Starting his 14th game this season, Jackson shot 9 for 16 from the field and 5 for 8 from 3-point range to lead Denver wi...

Armed bus driver abandons bus full of passengers and enters school lobby

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:32 GMT

A man who worked as a bus driver for the Victor Valley Transit Authority was arrested Monday, after he allegedly abandoned his bus with passenger onboard and entered a nearby school while armed with a handgun.Joshua Aldana, 28, of Victorville, was arrested around 11:15 a.m. at the campus of Lakeview Leadership Academy.Aldana was employed by Keolis, which operates buses for Victor Valley, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.For reasons that are unclear, Aldana apparently ditched his bus and the passenger on board and entered the school's campus lobby.School officials told authorities that Aldana appeared to be "in an altered state" and the school's campus security and resource officer were called to respond.The officer detained Aldana in the lobby on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance. After he was searched, the officer recovered a 9mm handgun on his person.He was arrested and transported to the High Desert Detention Center in Ade...

2 SoCal suspects accused of stealing millions through ‘grandparent scams’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:32 GMT

Two L.A. County residents are accused of stealing over $2 million through “grandparent scams."The suspects were identified as James Wesley Jackson III, aka “Imperial,” 42, and Christopher Fagon, 45, who used several aliases, mostly variations of “Christopher Broker," according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.“Grandparent scams” typically involve convincing elderly victims to send money to help their relatives. Oftentimes, the victims are told their grandchildren are in legal trouble.Victims are told to send the money to bank accounts, business entities and addresses provided by the scammers through interstate wires and cashier’s checks, according to court documents.The stolen money is then handled by “money mules” who allow their addresses or bank accounts to be used to receive or negotiate cashier’s checks.Fagon was allegedly a manager of money mules, including Jackson, who then recruited his own money mules, officials said. Fagon is accused of creating businesses and opening bank ac...