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Several thousand people forced from homes as wildfires burn across Alberta

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:55 GMT

Several thousands of people were ordered to leave their homes as 92 wildfires burned across Alberta on Friday.“Everybody’s out, everybody’s alive, nobody’s injured,” said Steven Lacroix, managing director of Alberta Emergency Management Agency.Thirty-one fires were listed as out of control as of Friday evening, when an evacuation order was issued for the town of Edson and Yellowhead County. Edson, about 215 kilometres west of Edmonton, has a population of more than 8,000. “You need to evacuate immediately,” the town said on its website. An evacuation was ordered Thursday night for Drayton Valley, a town of around 7,000 people about 140 kilometres west of Edmonton. Tyson Pietsch, president of the Drayton Valley Pro Rodeo, said his crew was able to herd more than 100 horses and cattle into trailers to be moved out of the area as the wildfire caused the rodeo to shut down.“Literally the ash was falling on us while we were loading out rode...

Man charged after allegedly filming woman in clothing store change room

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:55 GMT

A man accused of using his cell phone to film a woman as she changed in a west-end clothing store has been charged.Toronto police were notified of a voyeurism call in the Bloor Street West and Dufferin Street area in the Dufferin Grove neighbourhood just after 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 28.It’s alleged that a woman was shopping at a clothing store when she used the changing room to try on some clothes.The woman noticed a man holding a cell phone underneath the changing room door. When she confronted the man, he fled the store.Police said 38-year-old Adrian Alejandro Perez of Toronto was arrested and charged with voyeurism.Perez is expected to appear in court on June 27.

Strong quake in central Japan; 1 dead, more than 20 injured

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:55 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — A strong, shallow offshore earthquake hit central Japan on Friday afternoon, killing at least one person and injuring more than 20 others and disrupting plans for holidaymakers.The magnitude 6.2 quake struck Ishikawa prefecture on the west coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The Japan Meteorological Agency measured the quake at 6.5 and said it was centered at a depth of about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles). More than 50 aftershocks strong enough to be felt have been recorded since, including one at 5.8 magnitude on Friday night.Most injuries and damages were reported in Suzu city at the northern tip of Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture. One person died after falling from a ladder, and 22 others were injured in the prefecture, two of them seriously. The rest were mild injuries.Some 100 residents took refuge at evacuation centers Friday night, according to the prefectural crisis management department. One injury was reported in th...

Putin invaded Ukraine this time because nobody stopped him the last time: Clinton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:55 GMT

OTTAWA — Russia’s current invasion in Ukraine happened because the world didn’t do enough to respond when they did it before, former U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton said Friday in Ottawa.And failing to stop Russia now would also be “disastrous in terms of unleashing Chinese aggression,” she said.“It is in our interest to stop them,” Clinton said, as a keynote speaker at the Liberal policy convention in Ottawa.Clinton was sharing a stage with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland for a wide-ranging discussion that heavily focused on the threats to democracy and human rights in both Canada and the United States.Clinton said when Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Georgia in 2008, “we all sat him down, we gave speeches about it.” “We, you know, expressed our absolute opposition, but nobody really did much. Think of the lesson Putin took from that.”Then he invaded Ukraine the first time in 2014, “and again...

Paul Lisnek discusses latest on migrants, ComEd four verdict and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:55 GMT

CHICAGO — WGN Political Analyst Paul Lisnek joined WGN Evening News to talk about the latest political news.The topics include the latest news on the migrants arriving in Chicago, the verdict in the ComEd four trial and more. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesWatch this story in the player above.

How mindset has aided Chicago's Belal Muhammad's rise in UFC

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:55 GMT

CHICAGO — Sometimes a simple observation can change the course of an entire life. That was certainly the case for a Chicago Mixed Martial Arts fighter who will once again be on the biggest stage of the sport on Saturday night. "My high school wrestling coach was there for a year and he left and I was at the University of Illinois in Champaign going for law," said Bilal Muhammad, a south side native who went to Bogan High School. "I ended up seeing him in the newspaper, fighting on TV and I was like 'Oh crap, that's my old wrestling coach.'"That led to a Facebook message, a visit to his old coach's gym, and the start of a journey in MMA for Muhammad that's put him among the best in his division in the sport. The UFC welterweight fighter has a 22-3 professional record and has worked his way up to the No. 4 ranking in the division in 2023. He's in the co-main event on Saturday's UFC 288 on Saturday night at the Prudential Center in Newark as he'll face fifth-ranked Gilbert Burns.Muhamm...

Severe storms creeping toward the Austin Metro

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Scattered storms, with a history of producing large hail, are moving toward the Austin Metro with at least one large severe thunderstorm warning. Localized flash flooding is also a possibility with these storms.A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for most of Central Texas until 10 p.m. The main severe weather threats this evening will be for large hail and damaging winds, but an isolated tornado can't be ruled out.Severe thunderstorm watch until 10 p.m.The latest outlook from the Storm Prediction Center has most areas along and west of I-35 under a slight risk (2 out of 5) for severe storms beginning mid-Friday afternoon through midnight.Risk of isolated to widely scattered severe storms Friday afternoon & eveningAnother round of isolated strong to severe storms is possible Saturday.Risk of isolated severe storms in the Hill Country on SaturdayYet another risk of severe storms is in place for Sunday.Risk of isolated strong to severe storms across the area o...

Mental Health Awareness: Meet Luna! Llano County's new therapy dog

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:55 GMT

LLANO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Many Americans struggle with mental health conditions that sometimes can go unnoticed or untreated and in rural America getting help can be a challenge."The need for therapy has gone up," said Catherine Bitney, a clinical assistant professor at Texas State University.Bitney said the biggest change over the past few years has been the increase of awareness in mental health problems and people being able to talk about it more."Certainly in my group practice we have gotten a lot more clients looking for therapy," said Bitney.Raising awareness about mental health resources and letting people know that there is help is important, Bitney said.From anxiety to depression, there are a number of factors that contribute to a mental health breakdown. Bitney said someone's profession can also play a part."Anyone who is doing frontline work is probably going to see gruesome stuff, so EMT's, child protective services, firefighters, police officers," Bitney said.A repor...

Minnesota, Wisconsin to detail plans for replacing Osceola Bridge over St. Croix River

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:55 GMT

The Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation are holding a joint meeting to share plans to reconstruct Highway 243 at the Osceola Bridge spanning the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.The meeting will be held at 5 p.m. May 10 at Osceola Village Hall, 310 Chieftain St. in Osceola, Wis.There will be a presentation followed by questions from the public to learn more about the options being considered for the bridge, which was initially built in 1953.The reconstruction plans began in 2021 and construction is expected to begin in 2026. The bridge connects Washington and Chisago counties in Minnesota with Osceola and Polk counties in Wisconsin.The team is working with various levels of government to make sure the project’s impact on the river and other natural resources are minimized.Related ArticlesLocal News | Railroad tracks back in service after Mississippi River derailment in Wisconsin Local News | MN Senate passes transportation bill wi...

Villa di Como restores Italian goddess statue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:47:55 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -A statue outside Villa di Como and 288 Lark Wine & Tap was broken last month by someone walking by. After a month of hard work, chef and owner Ali Celik, was able to rebuild the goddess from its five pieces.Albany police officers arrived to the scene after a report of vandalism came in, which was caught on security cameras last month. As police looked for the suspect, Celik worked with a team of artisans to reassemble the statue. Schenectady PD to enforce Kings Road speed limit "I'm excited to share a glass with my statues again. To us, it felt like forever because we were not happy," said Celik.After completing the statue's restoration, Celik answered a call from Albany police. "It's very ironic. We finished around Tuesday night, we closed the doors, and APD called us and told us they made an arrest," explained Celik. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! 37-year-old Jordan Michael was arrested on Ma...