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President Obama urges people to 'malama' and help Maui victims

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:33 GMT

LAHAINA, Hawaii (KHON) -- As the search, recovery and assistance efforts on Maui continue, former President Barack Obama is urging Americans to help take care of the communities devastated by fires last week. "Aloha everybody," President Obama said in a message shared with Nexstar's KHON. "Like so many people around the world, Michelle and I have been absolutely heartbroken by the devastating images coming out of Maui and Lahaina over the last week. As someone who grew up in Hawaii, someone who has taken my family to enjoy the incredible beauty of that island and the hospitality of the people of Lahaina, we now find ourselves mourning the lives that are lost. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families that have lost so much."The death toll stood at 96 Monday, and was expected to grow as cadaver dogs and search crews continue to sift through the rubble. Maui Fires: How to find missing, how to help "The thing about it is though, thoughts and prayers in a moment like this are no...

Texas woman receives maximum sentence for role in Vanessa Guillén's murder

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:33 GMT

McLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KWKT) – A woman involved in the murder of then-Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillén received a 30-year prison sentence Monday for her involvement in the murder. Judge Alan D. Albright announced Cecily Ann Aguilar's sentence after going into a short recess following Guillén's family testimony during the sentencing hearing about their deep grief following her death.Earlier Monday, Texas Ranger Justin Duck testified regarding the role Aguilar played in Guillén's disappearance. After Guillén was reported missing, Duck said he had several conversations with Aguilar because her boyfriend, Aaron Robinson, was the last person to see Guillén.It wasn’t until the authorities discovered human remains by the Leon River that Aguilar confessed. Aguilar admitted to helping Aaron Robinson dismember and bury the body of Vanessa Guillén. PREVIOUS STORY: Sentencing of Cecily Aguilar reset to August 14 Aguilar is the last surviving person charged in connection with the death of ...

FBI: Utah man allegedly pointed .357 at agents during raid over threats to Biden

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:33 GMT

PROVO, Utah (KTVX) -- A Provo man killed last week in an FBI raid over threats to President Joe Biden allegedly pointed a .357 at agents during that raid, according to a press release from the bureau Monday.On the morning of Aug. 9, Craig Deleeuw Robertson was shot and killed during an FBI raid after allegedly making numerous online threats against President Biden and a number of other high-profile targets, such as Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden landed in Salt Lake City later on the afternoon of Aug. 9 and stayed through most of the day Aug. 10. Robertson had allegedly posted threats online several times and was being investigated by the FBI in the weeks leading up to Biden's visit. “Complete and total shock.” Neighbors speak about the Provo man killed by the FBI One of his posts stated: "The time is right for a presidential assassination or two. First Joe then Kamala!!" Before President Biden's visit to Utah, FBI agents were investigating Robertson in connection with his thr...

Fighting fires from the skies: Inside the Texas air tankers saving land and lives

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:33 GMT

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — As Elic Kirby ducks into the cockpit of his "Super Scooper," he doesn't know where the flames may fly him next. His bags stay packed in the hollow, hybrid floating aircraft, ready to follow the latest sign of smoke anywhere from College Station to Canada."Most people don't love flying into smoke and fires and all that," he said. "I like doing stuff that's challenging. Not that it's, you know, a particularly hard job." MAP: More than 2,800 acres have burned in Central Texas wildfires this year A common observer may disagree with that humble assessment. What Kirby describes as a normal day at the office entails flying low through turbulent smoke screens, skimming lake surfaces at 100 miles per hour to scoop up 1,600 gallons of water in just ten seconds, then dousing flames from above and returning for more — often up to one hundred times a day."It's fun. I hate to say that, you know, you're fighting fires, you're trying to protect people, property, whatever ...

AISD: How many teachers does the district need?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:33 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It's back to school for Austin ISD and this year the district says they are better off when it comes to teacher vacancies.Last July, Austin ISD was looking to fill about 500 teaching positions, but this year the district has about 200 openings. Austin ISD plans to pull millions from reserve funds to give educators 7% raise "We do have some key areas we are looking to fill still," Matias Segura, AISD interim superintendent, said. "Some of these certifications whether it is multilingual education or special education services can be difficult."A closer look at the data shows the biggest needs are in elementary schools where there are 148 teacher vacancies. Out of those openings, 64 are for bilingual teachers and another 32 are for special education positions."They play an incredibly important role in our students' lives," Segura said.There are 36 teacher vacancies for middle schools, with 16 openings for special education positions.In high school, there are 23 vacanc...

AC chillers temporarily go out at McCallum, LASA on 1st day of school

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:33 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Some high school students in Austin went back to school Monday morning to hot classrooms. McCallum High School experienced air-conditioning issues as students came to campus for their first day of the new school year. A ReportIt email from a student at the school said their classroom was 91 degrees at 8:30 a.m. ‘It was scared, it was running around’: Raccoons are running through McCallum High School The Liberal Arts and Science Academy dealt with two HVAC issues on campus Monday, according to a letter sent to parents.The letter said a new compressor is being installed Monday evening in an affected annex of the campus. The school expects to be at 100% functionality of all units by Tuesday morning, the letter states.Elizabeth Lippincott, Austin ISD's assistant director of communications, confirmed to KXAN the entire McCallum campus was without air conditioning temporarily Monday morning, and parts of the campus were still without it as of 10 a.m."The main air c...

Manor ISD superintendent talks priorities at start of his 1st full school year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:33 GMT

MANOR, Texas (KXAN) -- Manor ISD kicks off the school year with a superintendent in his first full academic year on the job, and 89 teachers working on visas to help the district meet its staffing needs. The district starts the year having scored a "C" during its 2022 state assessment. While school progress stood out as an area of achievement, the score for STAAR Performance struggled. NEXT: Set for School Superintendent Dr. Robert Sormani said the district is "ground zero" in the battle with charter schools over students as Manor ISD finished last school year with 9,255 students enrolled, which is less than had been projected.Sormani talked with KXAN about a variety of back-to-school issues ranging from staffing to safety to academic achievement ahead of the next school year.Q&A with Manor ISD superintendentManor ISD Superintendent Dr. Robert Sormani talks with KXAN's Tom Miller. (Frank Martinez/KXAN) MORE: Manor ISD filling staffing shortages with international teachers To...

Reports: Ex-Vikings running back Dalvin Cook signs with Jets

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:33 GMT

Dalvin Cook is trading the Mini Apple for the Big Apple.A couple of months after the Vikings cut bait with running back Dalvin Cook, the 28-year-old has agreed to join the New York Jets, according to multiple reports. It’s reportedly a 1-year deal for Cook that could be worth up to $8.6 million. He has been flirting with the Jets since visiting last month and will not be the presumed starter in a backfield that also features young running back Breece Hall.The punchline, of course, is that Cook will be joining forces with longtime rival Aaron Rodgers with the Jets. They have had some battles in the past with Cook a member of the Vikings and Rodgers a member of the Green Bay Packers.Originally selected by the Vikings in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft, Cook finished his time in Minnesota with 5,993 rushing yards and 1,794 receiving yards. His total yardage on the ground trails only future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson (11,747) and Robert Smith (6,818) for the most in fran...

One of three men charged in Maplewood drive-by shooting sentenced to 3 years in prison

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:33 GMT

One of three men charged in a drive-by shooting in Maplewood last summer was sentenced Friday to three years in prison.Davion Lazarick Gaines, 21, of Minneapolis, had pleaded guilty to second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with nearly four dozen gunshots that were fired outside two Maplewood apartment buildings along Clarence Street North on the afternoon of June 13, 2022.Ramsey County District Judge Elena Ostby followed a July agreement and sentenced Gaines to a 36-month prison term, which will run concurrent with a Hennepin County gun-related conviction that sent him to prison for three years in March.Also charged in the Maplewood shooting were Elias-Kareem Hany Aly, 22, of St. Paul, and De’Voncea Lashoun Griffo, 24, of Little Canada.Elias-Kareem Hany Aly, Davion Lazarick Gaines and De’Voncea Lashoun Griffo (Courtesy of the Ramsey County sheriff’s office)All three men later picked up new charges in unrelated cases after being released from the Ramsey Co...

Book Review: Small-town politics and big family drama drive Minnesota-centric crime thriller ‘Where the Dead Sleep’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:33 GMT

“Where the Dead Sleep” begins pleasantly enough: Detective Ben Packard is back, becoming more comfortable with Sandy Lake, making his rounds as acting sheriff at the small Minnesota town’s Labor Day weekend celebration.But we can’t have a murder mystery without a murder, and before he can even remember the name of the drummer he hooked up with after the celebrations, Packard gets called out to the crime that will take center stage in Joshua Moehling’s sequel to last year’s “And There He Kept Her” from Poisoned Pen Press.Bill is found dead in his bed with two bullets in him and a wife who heard only one shot and didn’t see anything. It’s a strange case from the start, as it’s quickly revealed that Bill’s wife, Carrie, is the sister of his ex-wife, Sherri. And the family drama doesn’t end there.This cover image released by Poison Pen Press shows “Where the Dead Sleep” by Joshua Moehling. (Poison Pen Press via AP)Beyond the ongoing investigation, there’s t...