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First congressional hearing on Maui wildfire to focus on island's sole electric provider and grid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:19 GMT

Watch the opening remarks by the committee chair and those testifying in the video above.WASHINGTON (AP) — Hawaii's top public utility officials and the president of Hawaiian Electric testified Thursday in a congressional hearing about the role the electrical grid played in last month's deadly Maui wildfire.Members of a U.S. House Energy and Commerce subcommittee questioned the utility officials about how the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century began — and whether the electrical grid in Lahaina was safe and properly maintained.The fire killed at least 97 people and destroyed more than 2,000 buildings, mostly homes. It first erupted at 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 8, when strong winds appeared to cause a Hawaiian Electric powerline to fall, igniting dry brush and grass near a large subdivision.Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura, Hawaii Public Utilities Commission Chair Leodoloff Asuncion Jr. and Hawaii Chief Energy Officer Mark Glick were present to testify. Immigration dominated ...

INSIGHT: Austin Film Festival returns for 30th annual event

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:19 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Film Festival is less than a month away, beginning Oct. 26 and running through Nov. 3.Barbara Morgan, the executive director of the Austin Film Festival, joined KXAN’s Jennifer Sanders to tell us a little bit more about the festival.Read a full transcription of the discussion below or watch the interview in the video player above.SANDERS: Thirty years—A huge accomplishment! What can people expect this year?MORGAN: It's really exciting here. I feel like the whole industry has been a little bit in disarray. And obviously, people know about the strike and then streaming. The world of streaming has changed so much. But actually, for us, I've seen so many great movies this year that we're programming. It's probably one of the best crops of films. It's a great way to have a 30th anniversary, right, to have such great storytelling that we are really excited about. And the conference is going to be great too because we have so many writers that are here. Hope...

Texas State emotional support dog helps fire victims, first responders in Maui

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:19 GMT

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — At the request of local officials in Hawaii, the Texas State University Police Department's mental health officer and Brady, the university's therapy dog, went on a two-week trip to Maui to help victims and first responders there. RELATED COVERAGE: Hawaii officials say DNA tests drop Maui fire death count to 97 Officer Kendra Marsteller and Pawfficer Brady are a certified therapy team that helps individuals in crisis and victims of crime. “Bringing a dog to Hawaii is no simple task. It normally requires a multitude of tests and long-term quarantine upon arrival. Kendra was able to work with our veterinarian to get the specialized tests needed to enter Hawaii, and I believe we are the first out-of-state therapy dog team to enter Hawaii without having to quarantine," said UPD Chief Matthew Carmichael in a news release. Brady, the TXST emotional support dog, flew to Maui to help fire victims and first responders. (Photo: Texas State University Police Depart...

Could the ocean take away our carbon problem?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:19 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As the world looks for ways to reduce our carbon dioxide output in order to curb climate change, there's another option to reduce carbon — recapturing it. KXAN Meteorologist Nick Bannin spoke with Dr. Kevin Kroeger from the United States Geological Survey about some ways they're looking at storing CO2 in our oceans to make this world more livable while we attempt to reduce our carbon footprint above the sea surface.Nick Bannin, KXAN Meteorologist: Dr. Kroeger, you're looking into ways to store more CO2 in our oceans. What are the benefits for this?Dr. Kevin Kroeger, USGS: It turns out that wetlands, including salt marshes and mangroves, they naturally remove CO2 from the atmosphere and export a lot of it to the ocean... in a form of carbon, called bicarbonate, which is alkaline, and it counters some of the ocean acidification. There's a second way, which is an approach to accelerate natural rock weathering. So rock weathering is a reaction in which rainwater mixes wi...

A fear for Gophers football: Could phenom tailback Darius Taylor transfer out, like ‘Bucky’ Irving?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:19 GMT

Gophers football radio productions on KFAN this fall have included a fair amount of free air time for Dinkytown Athletes. Sometimes, it’s as if the flagship station has cut to commercial.The U’s official name, image and likeness collective — which assists Minnesota student-athletes with opportunities to earn money during their collegiate careers — has often been mentioned by Athletics Director Mark Coyle during halftime shows this season. In those segments, Coyle will repeat Dinkytown Athletes’ website address a few times — as if he’s reading a cue card.A robust NIL collective, which came out of a U.S. Supreme Court decision and NCAA rule changes in July 2021, has become the most important arms race in major college sports.Dinkytown Athletes seeks individuals who will become paying members in a fan club-like set up. The NIL collective wants businesses to enter partnerships and endorsement deals with players and for boosters to provide donations. Plus, they are adding passive income ...

DEC and DOH offering assistance to protect water sources

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:19 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of Health announced the launch of the Drinking Water Source Protection Program. The initiative will offer free technical assistance toward protecting public water sources to participating municipalities. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The program will assist communities by developing and initiating unique drinking water source protection plans at no cost to the city or town. Efforts toward conserving clean water will help municipalities enhance environmental protection and recreational opportunities in their area, while supporting economic viability and promoting public health and safety. “The Drinking Water Source Protection Program empowers communities across New York to assess and protect sources of public drinking water, benefiting both public health and the environment,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “DEC is committed to improv...

Arena football returning to Albany

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:19 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- As reported by NEWS10's Griffin Haas, arena football will be returning to Albany under a new ownership group. The group is working on finalizing a team name and they have not decided on a league at this time. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! According to the new ownership group, former Albany Empire offensive coordinator and interim head coach, Damon Ware will be the head coach and general manager of the franchise. Jeff Levack will serve as team president. Albany's last arena football team, the Albany Empire, was terminated from the National Arena League, citing the Empire’s failure to pay overdue league-mandated assessments. The termination came months after former NFL pro-bowler Antonio Brown became part of the previous ownership group.More details will be unveiled at a press conference at the MVP Arena at 10:30 a.m. Monday. Stick with NEWS10 as this story develops.

XFL and USFL announce plans to merge football leagues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:19 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- The United States Football League and the XFL both announced their intent to merge today. The spring American football leagues plan to grow together instead of competing against each other. Source: Majority of St. Louis cops in police district call in sick It is not yet clear if any teams will be eliminated from the leagues after the merger. The name of the new league has also not been confirmed. Many details are still developing and will likely not be released for weeks. The leagues released the same statement about the news today:"Today, the United States Football League (“USFL”) and the XFL announced their intention to merge.Subject to customary regulatory approvals and if the transaction is consummated, the new league will establish best-in-class operations based on the most recent seasons of both leagues. This historic combination will anchor professional spring football with substantial capabilities and resources to ensure future growth and continue to enhance...

Illinois player wins $5 million in scratch-off game

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:19 GMT

SAVOY, Ill. – Someone won $5 million from a scratch-off ticket sold in a town near Champaign, Illinois. The winning ticket was purchased for the Million $$ Match game and was sold at Schnuck’s supermarket in Savoy.To play the game, players need to buy a $30 ticket. The lucky winner walked away with the game's jackpot of $5 million. The chances of winning the jackpot are around one in 1.2 million. Missouri restaurant among TripAdvisor’s 25 best ‘hidden gems’ The grand prize will be paid in installments of $250,000 per year over two decades. The winner can also choose to get a $3 million one-time cash payout.Schnuck’s supermarket is also celebrating its win since they sold the winning ticket. As a result, the store will receive a cash bonus equal to 1% of the prize amount. This bonus translates to $50,000 awarded by the state.

40,000 drivers caught on camera cutting illegally in and out of Colorado highway express lanes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:14:19 GMT

More than 40,000 drivers were caught on camera and received warnings this month for weaving illegally in and out of express lanes along Interstate 25 and C-470.That’s nearly six times the number caught crossing over the double white lines between lanes during a month-long grace period this past summer on the Interstate 70 mountain express lanes, Colorado Department of Transportation officials announced Friday morning. The latest warnings were issued between Sept. 1 and Sept. 20.“We hope this is the highest number of violations we’ll ever see,” CDOT spokesman Tim Hoover said in a news release.An enforcement grace period ends Saturday. Drivers who cross those solid white lines on I-25 north of Denver and along C-470 now will be issued civil penalties. They’ll face fines of $75, which double to $150 if not paid within 20 days. The penalties will begin for violators along C-470 between the intersection with I-25 and Wadsworth Boulevard and along I-25 between the intersection with U.S. 3...