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The results are in: MTS elects new chair

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:37 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- The Metropolitan Transit System held a meeting Thursday morning to elect a new chair after a failed majority vote at a previous session last month.The task of appointing a replacement leader was set into motion after a sexual misconduct investigation into alleged actions by former County Board of Supervisors Chairman Nathan Fletcher, who's accused of sexual harassment and sexual assault by a former MTS employee.That employee, Grecia Figueroa, is currently suing both Fletcher and MTS. Fletcher has admitted to having an affair, but denied the allegations of assault and harassment.The candidates up for consideration to lead MTS included San Diego City Councilman Stephen Whitburn, La Mesa City Councilwoman Patricia Dillard and El Cajon City Councilman Steve Goble. Timeline: Unfolding of the Nathan Fletcher scandal After a failed vote on April 20, Whitburn remained in the position of interim chair until the re-do nomination meeting Thursday, where a successful majority vo...

How foxtails in San Diego can sly their way into your dog's skin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:37 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Winter rainfall has left San Diego County in full bloom, but among the plethora of wildflowers is an invasive weed armed with clusters of spiked seed pods that could burrow into your dog's skin. A seemingly leisurely outing on a hiking trail or quick sprint about in a grassy area can quickly become a very painful experience for pets if they encounter "mean seeds," a term used in reference to foxtails. 6 places to go kayaking in San Diego These clusters of grass have barbed awns or seed heads which resemble the tail of a fox. Once they break down into spikelets, foxtails -- as sly as they come -- could burrow directly into the skin of a dog that comes in contact with them, explained Advanced Veterinary Care of San Elijo, a North County practice.The American Kennel Club explained these prickly menaces further saying dogs may pick up a grass awn on an ear, eye, mouth, nose or between their toes. The barbed seeds could then travel inside the animal from the nose to the b...

8-year-old girl dies in Border Patrol custody in Texas, as agency struggles with overcrowding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:37 GMT

MCALLEN, Texas (AP) — A little girl from Panama born with heart problems died at a Border Patrol station Wednesday, the second death of a child from Latin America in U.S. government custody in two weeks.The 8-year-old girl and her family were being held in Harlingen, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the busiest corridors for migrant crossings, the Border Patrol’s parent agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said.The girl experienced “ a medical emergency ” and died at a hospital, the agency said.An autopsy has been ordered, said Jesus T. “Chuy” Garcia, Jr., the local judge presiding in the case. The girl’s name was Anadith Tanay Reyes Alvarez, said Honduran Consul José Leonardo Navas, who is based in McAllen, Texas. He said she is from Panama, although her parents are from Honduras. The consul said that she was traveling with her father, mother and two older siblings.She was born with heart problems and was operated on three years ago in Panama, according to...

Ethics probe finds Alberta Premier Danielle Smith violated conflict of interest rule

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:37 GMT

EDMONTON — Alberta’s ethics commissioner has found United Conservative Party Premier Danielle Smith contravened the Conflict of Interest Act.Marguerite Trussler’s report comes in the waning days of a bitter election campaign with voters going to the polls on May 29.Trussler says the violation has to do with discussions Smith had with the province’s justice minister related to criminal charges against a Calgary pastor. Artur Pawlowski was found guilty earlier this month of mischief and other charges for his role in a protest over COVID-19 restrictions that snarled Alberta’s main border crossing into the U.S. in early 2022.Trussler says she’s not recommending sanctions against Smith at this point but reserves the right to do so once the legislature is back in session. She does recommend new legislature members attend training about the roles of the three branches of government. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2023. The Canadi...

Montana governor bans TikTok. But can the state enforce the law?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:37 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte on Wednesday signed into law a first-of-its kind bill that makes it illegal for TikTok to operate in the state, setting up a potential legal fight with the company amid a litany of questions over whether the state can even enforce the law. The new rules in Montana will have more far-reaching effects than TikTok bans already in place on government-issued devices in nearly half the states and the U.S. federal government. There are 200,000 TikTok users in Montana as well as 6,000 businesses that use the video-sharing platform, according to company spokesperson Jamal Brown. Here’s what you need to know:WHY IS MONTANA BANNING TIKTOK?Proponents of the law in Montana claim the Chinese government could harvest U.S. user data from TikTok and use the platform to push pro-Beijing misinformation or messages to the public.That mirrors arguments made by a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. Senate, as well as the heads of the FBI and the CIA, all ...

Nashville to name street after ‘Harmonica Wizard,’ Opry founder DeFord Bailey

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:37 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The city of Nashville is naming a street after Grand Ole Opry pioneer DeFord Bailey, the “Harmonica Wizard” whose popularity and contributions to country music and blues are still being recognized decades later.On Saturday, DeFord Bailey Avenue will be officially dedicated in the Edgehill neighborhood of Nashville where Bailey lived most of his life until his death in 1982. Two of Bailey’s grandsons, Carlos DeFord Bailey and Herchel Bailey will perform at a concert after the dedication. Bailey overcame huge obstacles on his way to stardom. He contracted polio as a child, which led him to learn the harmonica while he was bedridden. He came from a family of Black musicians and his music created a link between the rural “Black hillbilly music” he learned living in Smith County, Tennessee, and the contemporary country music that was being formed on the Opry stage. “He traveled throughout the South with Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe and Minnie Pearl and that ...

Russia extends detention of US consular worker by 3 months

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:37 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court on Thursday extended by three months the detention of a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok on charges of cooperating with a foreign state.The U.S. State Department has condemned the arrest of Robert Shonov, which was reported this week. He was detained in Vladivostok on the Pacific coast and brought to Moscow.The specifics of the charges haven’t been reported, including Shonov’s alleged actions or what country he was suspected of cooperating with. The U.S. State Department says Shonov is a Russian national who worked at the consulate in Vladivostok for more than 25 years. The consulate closed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened.In 2021, Russia ordered the dismissal of all local employees from U.S. diplomatic outposts in the country. From then on, Shonov worked at a company which held a U.S. contract to support the embassy in Moscow, the department said.Shonov is being held in Moscow’s notorious...

Telus offering buyouts after investing in customer service tech, self-serve options

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:37 GMT

VANCOUVER — Telus says it’s offering buyouts to a large group of employees and anticipates several hundred workers will take them.The Vancouver-based telecommunications company says in a statement that the buyouts come as a result of significant investments it’s made in customer service technology and self-serve options for customers. Spokeswoman Brandi Merker says the company offered the package to a large group of employees in order to be fair and equitable. She says the company has the right to limit how many buyout packages are taken. According to Telus’ annual report, the company had 108,500 active employees in 2022. The annual report says that changes in customer preferences stemming in part from the pandemic led to a major acceleration of Telus’ digital transformation and of self-serve options for customers. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:T)The Canadian Press

Massive Texas dairy farm blaze caused by engine fire in manure hauler

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:37 GMT

DIMMITT, Texas (AP) — A fire and explosion at a dairy farm in the Texas Panhandle that injured one person and killed an estimated 18,000 head of cattle was an accident that started with an engine fire in a manure vacuum truck cleaning part of the massive barn, according to state investigators.A State Fire Marshal report of the April 10 fire at the Southfork Dairy Farm about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Amarillo did not determine what caused the engine fire, but found there was “no intentional act to cause a failure.” The April 24 report said the investigation was closed.A worker driving the truck through a section of the 2 million-square-foot barn told investigators he noticed what he first thought was steam coming from the engine compartment. He tried to drive out of the barn when he realized it was a fire, but couldn’t make it.The driver said he tried to put out the fire with two extinguishers but failed. Several other employees told investigators they rushed ...

Man shot with own gun after road rage incident on DuSable Lake Shore Drive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:37 GMT

CHICAGO — A road rage incident led to a shooting on DuSable Lake Shore Drive.Officers responded to a person shot in the 6600 block of South DuSable Lake Shore Drive around 2:17 a.m. Thursday.According to police, a 25-year-old man and 44-year-old man got into a verbal altercation following a minor traffic accident. The 44-year-old pulled out a gun, the 25-year-old reached for it and a struggle ensued. Man fatally shot outside violence prevention center on South Side The gun discharged, hitting the 44-year-old twice — in the hand and buttocks. He was placed into custody and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition.Area One detectives are investigating.