Home

Council to decide what to do with $12.5 million in special fund

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin City Council could decide what to do with $12.5 million of taxpayer money associated with a special fund that was used to pay for the redevelopment of the area surrounding the Seaholm Power Plant. City staff has told council members the money can not be touched unless the special fund, known as a TIRZ, is officially closed so the funds can be returned to the General Fund and reallocated. The money could be used to reinvest into the Seaholm area even further or be used to address other projects and needs in the city. What is a TIRZ? A Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone is an economic tool used by cities around the country to provide financing for the redevelopment of a certain area. The city will set a boundary for the zone. For the Seaholm Zone, the city created an original boundary in 2009 and then extended it in 2012. The city of Austin set this boundary to establish the Seaholm Redevelopment Zone (Photo Courtesy: City of Austin).When a TIRZ is formed it will ...

AAA Texas: 9M Texans expected to travel for end-of-year holidays

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new report from AAA Texas released Monday estimates nine million Texans will travel this end-of-year holiday season, a slight uptick from last year's travel levels.While travel volumes are still down 6% from 2019 — the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic — AAA Texas is anticipating a 2% increase from last year's numbers. Nationwide, 115.2 million people are expected to travel during the year-end holiday period, a 10-day stretch running from Dec. 23 through Jan. 1.Texas holiday travel numbers are broken down into the following brackets:Travel by car: 8.3 million peopleTravel by air: 410,000 peopleOther forms of travel: 255,000 peopleVehicular holiday travel is up 2% from 2022, while air travel is up 8% and other forms of travel climbed 12%. Compared to 2019 levels, vehicular travel is down 6%, air travel is down 2% and other forms of travel have slightly risen by 0.5%. RELATED: Holiday crowds at airports and on highways are expected to be even bigger than last ...

Texas Monthly crowns Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick 'Bum Steer of the Year'

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:54 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Facing off against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Texas A&M University and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, Texas Monthly awarded Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick its "Bum Steer of the Year."Last year's award toasted to the "dopes, villains, and terrible ideas that bedeviled our beloved state our the past twelve months," with the City of Austin taking the crown. Previous years' winners included Gov. Greg Abbott, the Texas Democratic Party and former Texas Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen. Texas Monthly dubs Austin its 2023 ‘Bum Steer of the Year’ In its tribute to Patrick, Texas Monthly referred to the lieutenant governor as "arguably the most powerful politician the state has produced in a quarter century." The article referenced Patrick's oversight over Paxton's impeachment trial, his pushes for school vouchers and reversal of his previous plans to step down in 2027, instead announcing his interest in seeking another term in office."The past year was one of crowning ach...

Traffic stop leads to drug arrest for Glens Falls man

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:54 GMT

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A traffic stop led to the arrest of a Glens Falls man on Saturday. Taylor Hatch, 37, is charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! On Saturday, around 12:04 a.m., troopers pulled a car over on Peck Avenue in Glens Falls. Hatch was identified as the driver.State Police say Hatch did not have a valid driver's license and the car he was driving wasn't registered. Upon further investigation, police say Hatch was found to have a controlled substance packaged in a manner intended for sale. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Hatch was arrested and taken to Greenwich State Police for processing. He was turned over to the Warren County Correctional Facility to await arraignment.

Judy Collins to perform at Universal Preservation Hall

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:54 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs will be hosting a performance by singer-songwriter Judy Collins. The concert is scheduled for December 16. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! The Grammy Award-winning singer has earned several top-ten hits as well as numerous platinum and gold-selling records. Collins has released a prolific 55 albums across her multi-decade career, ranging in genre from folk and country to pop and rock. The concert will feature holiday songs as well as a collection of Collins' hits. The show is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. Legendary trumpeter Wynton Marsalis to perform in Troy Universal Preservation Hall is located at 25 Washington Street. You can buy Judy Collins tickets online by visiting the venue's website. Only a few tickets remain available before the show is sold out.

Pittsfield cancels snow emergency

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:54 GMT

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (NEWS10) -- The City of Pittsfield has canceled the snow emergency that was effective as of 7 a.m. on Monday. The snow emergency was originally supposed to last until Wednesday but has ended as of noon. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Regular signs and parking regulations will be in effect.

Broncos RG Quinn Meinerz returning to Denver Monday, coach Sean Payton says: “Quinn is healthy and is going to be fine”

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:54 GMT

LOS ANGELES — Broncos right guard Quinn Meinerz was released from a Los Angeles-area hospital Monday and is returning to Denver.Head coach Sean Payton on Monday morning didn’t say much more than that, but confirmed, “Quinn will be back today. That’s really the update we have.”Meinerz reported chest tightness and shortness of breath to the Denver training staff around halftime during Sunday’s 24-7 Broncos win over the Los Angeles Chargers and was transported to a local hospital as a precaution, sources told The Post on Sunday. Meinerz had an elevated heart rate, and his doctors decided to keep him for overnight observation rather than clearing him to return to Denver with the team after the game.Players after the game expressed confidence that Meinerz was in good spirits. Payton acknowledged similar Monday when he was answering a question about second-year guard Luke Wattenberg, who filled in ably for Meinerz in the second half Sunday.“Certai...

Letters: Denver’s archbishop is right. Marijuana is bad for Colorado.

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:54 GMT

Archbishop did his homeworkRe: “Denver Archdiocese issues a deeply flawed pastoral letter on cannabis,” Dec. 3 commentaryMost Reverend Samuel J. Aquila, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Denver, wrote a deeply researched, impeccably sourced pastoral letter expressing concerns about the well-documented risks and harms of marijuana commercialization.Although the Archdiocese of Denver includes about 600,000 Catholics, The Denver Post did not cover this thoughtful letter in its news pages. The Post decided instead to publish a one-sided rebuttal from Ricardo Baca, who runs a company that promotes the marijuana industry. Unsurprisingly, Baca downplays the risks of marijuana and side-steps well-documented harms that the archbishop notes.The archbishop’s letter accurately notes today’s marijuana products have become highly potent, with unprecedented levels of THC, the mind-alternating chemical. This, in turn, has led to well-documented increases in addiction and marijuana-induce...

Uzbekistan is fortifying the foundations of political stability by strengthening interethnic harmony and friendship in Central Asia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:54 GMT

Rich in cultural and historical heritage, Uzbekistan, located on the crossroads of the Great Silk Road, for centuries served as a bridge between Europe, Middle East, South and East Asia. Eminent men of science, who laid the foundations of various disciplines were born and found their fame on this land, writes Victor Mikhailov, head of the Center for the Study of Regional Threats.The international law has a concept of national minority. But there is no such thing in Uzbekistan. Representatives of different nations and nationalities till this day live in harmony and friendship. In our country the state guarantees equal rights for all people. The concept “the one nation of Uzbekistan,” enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, serves as a legal and spiritual foundation for strengthening the feelings of mutual respect, friendship, and harmony among people of different nationalities and nations, living in the same country in the name of common goals. Besides, article f...

Iranian exiles file legal complaint in Switzerland against Iranian president, urging his prosecution on the verge of his Geneva trip

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:11:54 GMT

A group of former political prisoners in Iran, survivors of the 1988 massacre now residing in Switzerland, have filed a legal complaint against Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran (pictured). They seek his prosecution for Genocide and crimes against humanity. Raisi is accused of being a key figure in the 'death commission' in Tehran during the 1988 massacre. This massacre, following a decree by Ruhollah Khomeini, the regime's founder, led to the execution of 30,000 political prisoners over several months, writes Shahin Gobadi.The complaint was filed as the coordinator of the United Nations Global Refugee Forum announced that Raisi is expected to attend the forum in Geneva on Wednesday, December 13.The plaintiffs, associated with the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), a primary Iranian resistance movement, allege that Raisi, then a Deputy Prosecutor in Tehran, was directly involved in the execution of thousands of political prisoners. They also highlight Raisi's involvem...