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Rain helps ease wildfires in North Carolina, but reprieve may be short

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:31:14 GMT

PINNACLE, N.C. (AP) — Heavy rain and lower temperatures helped slow down some wildfires in North Carolina on Tuesday, including blazes that had prompted evacuations of homes and campgrounds, forestry officials said.But the reprieve for crews will likely only last through the Thanksgiving weekend, since rain isn’t expected again for another 10 days, according to Shardul Raval, director of fire and aviation for the U.S. Forest Service’s southern region.“Unless we get some more continuous rain, we will probably be back to being active again in a few days,” he said. On Saturday, a fire broke out in North Carolina’s Sauratown Mountains and grew to more than 750 acres (303 hectares) by Tuesday, according to Jimmy Holt, a ranger with the North Carolina Forest Service. The rainfall helped crews reach 41% containment Tuesday, Holt said. Evacuations there have been lifted. “It’s so much better than it was a couple of days ago,” Holt said. The Black Bear Fire in N...

Alabama inmate asks judge to block first nitrogen gas execution

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:31:14 GMT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Lawyers for the first inmate scheduled to be put to death with nitrogen gas argued in Monday court filings that Alabama is seeking to make him the “test case” for an experimental execution method and asked a federal judge to the block the January execution.Attorneys for Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, filed an amended lawsuit challenging the proposed new execution method as a potential violation of the Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. They asked a federal judge to issue a preliminary injunction to block the execution from going forward next year. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey this month set a Jan. 25 execution date for Smith using nitrogen hypoxia, an execution method that is authorized in Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma but that has never been used to put an inmate to death. The Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office did not have an immediate comment on the lawsuit, a spokeswoman said Tuesday. The multi-pronged lawsuit asked a fe...

Voter-approved Oregon gun control law violates the state constitution, judge rules

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:31:14 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A voter-approved Oregon gun control law violates the state constitution, a judge ruled Tuesday, continuing to block it from taking effect and casting fresh doubt over the future of the embattled measure.The law, one of the toughest in the nation, was among the first gun restrictions to be passed after a major U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year changed the guidance judges are expected to follow when considering Second Amendment cases.The decision was handed down by Circuit Court Judge Robert S. Raschio, the presiding judge in Harney County in rural southeast Oregon.The law requires people to undergo a criminal background check and complete a gun safety training course in order to obtain a permit to buy a firearm. It also bans high-capacity magazines.Measure 114 has been tied up in state and federal court since it was narrowly approved by voters last November.The state trial stemmed from a lawsuit filed by gunowners claiming the law violated the right to bear ar...

Skilling: Sunny, cooler Wednesday ahead of Thanksgiving

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:31:14 GMT

The Chicago area received its most soaking rain in 5 week today.  Final rainfall tallies came in at 0.61" at O'Hre—but more than 1" (1.05") at Midwest.A number of 1"+ tallies were recorded including 1.31" at Crete, 1.24" Chicago Heights, 1.22" Morris and totals exceeding 1" at Joliet, Frankfort, Munster IN, Glenwood, Burnham, Markham, South Holland, Wilmette, Rogers Park in Chicago and Hickory Hills.But the rain's over and the dry pattern which has dominated November here is back in control.  Clouds break later tonight in the chilly "NW" winds on the retreating storm's back side.A series of SUN-FILLED DAYS and just mixed clouds follow—including for Thanksgiving (Thursday)--with temps headed for the mid to upper 40s the next two days.Frank Wachowski reminds us 7" of snow fell on this day 8 years ago in 2015.And while no snow is in our immediate future even as we march into the closing week of November, a survey of Chicago weather records since 2000 indicates that 16 of the past ...

Bears, DJ Moore team up with Salvation Army to feed migrants Thanksgiving dinner

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:31:14 GMT

CHICAGO — DJ Moore and the Chicago Bears teamed up with the Salvation Army to help give migrants a Venezuelan-themed Thanksgiving meal in Little Village."I talked to one of the group of families here, they've been through a lot, it was heartwarming," Moore said. "I just wanted to get back over there and start talking to him some more even though it's a language barrier right there."About 150 migrants gathered at a Southwest Side shelter Tuesday, where Venezuelan restaurant Rica Arepa helped cater a meal that is like a taste from home for a group of people who have risked their lives fleeing economic and political turmoil in South America. More from Sean: Chicago LGBTQ+ groups honor trans & gender non-conforming people who have lost their lives One those migrants is named Jose Ramon Garcia, from Venezuela. Garcia told WGN's Sean Lewis that he wants to perfect his English and use his background in engineering to start over in the United States.According to the Salvation Army, o...

White Sox sign free agent shortstop Paul DeJong

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:31:14 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox offseason continued Tuesday afternoon, as the club signed a free agent shortstop to join their major league roster next year.According to mlb.com's Mark Feinsand, shortstop Paul DeJong has a deal in place with the White Sox, pending a physical. Contract details have yet to be released.DeJong is a seven-year Major League Baseball veteran best known for his time with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he made an all-star team in 2019, before he bounced between three teams last season. Bears, DJ Moore team up with Salvation Army to feed migrants Thanksgiving dinner In 99 games for the Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants, DeJong batted .207 with 14 home runs and 38 RBI's, producing an On-base Plus Slugging percentage (OPS) of .612.During his all-star campaign with St. Louis in 2019, DeJong batted .233 with 62 extra base hits (31 doubles, 30 home runs and one triple) and 78 RBI's to go with a .762 OPS.

Thanksgiving travel underway in Chicagoland, O'Hare International Airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:31:14 GMT

CHICAGO — Tuesday is a busy travel day at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport but thankfully the delays and cancelations have been kept to a minimum.Sunday will be the busiest travel day with nearly 3 million people flying. On Wednesday. 2.7 million will fly and 2.6 million on Tuesday. Gas prices could hit lowest Thanksgiving level in years In Chicago, Sunday is also expected to be the busiest day with nearly 300,000 passengers coming in and out of both of the city's international airports.Between Monday and Tuesday, both airports will welcome more than 1.65 million passengers. That's about 1.5% higher than last year.The Chicago airports are reminding people to use the cell phone lots if they are coming to pick someone up. Flight delayed or canceled? Here are your rights as a passenger United Airlines is expecting one of its busiest travel days since before the pandemic on Sunday. The company said they have de-icing trucks ready at airports experiencing cold weather and that ...

24-year-old shot, killed in Lower West Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:31:14 GMT

CHICAGO -- A 24-year-old man has died after being shot nine times after he exited a car in the Lower West Side neighborhood early Tuesday morning.According to the Chicago Police Department, 24-year-old Miguel Villegas was shot after he exited a car on the 2300 block of West 18th Place in the city's Lower West Side neighborhood just after 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Munster family offers $15K reward after they were bound, robbed during home invasion As Villegas exited a car, a black SUV approached and someone from inside the car reportedly fired shots at him. He sustained nine gunshot wounds to the body and was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.No one is in custody at this time. The investigation is ongoing.

Willie Hernández, MVP and Cy Young winner for champion 1984 Detroit Tigers, dies at 69

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:31:14 GMT

Three-time All-Star relief pitcher Willie Hernández, who won the 1984 AL Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards for the World Series champion Detroit Tigers, has died. He was 69.Tigers spokesman Chad Crunk said Tuesday that Hernández died in Florida and the team confirmed Hernández's death with his family. No cause was announced.The left-handed Hernández had a 13-year career but is mostly known for his role as the closer on one of the most dominant teams in the past 40 years. The 1984 Tigers, led by Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker and Jack Morris, opened 35-5 and cruised to the AL East title with a 104-58 mark before sweeping Kansas City in the AL Championship Series and beating San Diego in a five-games World Series.Hernández had a 9-3 record and 32 saves in 33 chances in 1984, with a 1.92 ERA over 80 games and 140 1/3 innings. He is among just 11 pitchers to win the Cy Young and MVP in the same year, edging Kansas City's Dan Quisenberry for Cy Young in 1984 and Minnesota's Kent Hrbe...

Holiday season expected to be busiest for travel in U.S. history

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:31:14 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — With the holiday season just around the corner, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Americans will see the busiest travel days in U.S. history."This year we are seeing more people flying than ever with fewer cancellations than we've seen in years and we're investing to make sure it stays that way long term," he said.Buttigieg said 2023 had the lowest fight cancellation rate in the last five years, "which translates to millions more people getting home getting to work or getting to their loved ones as expected."Winter weather may present a challenge in the coming weeks, but the Transportation Department has new travel protections in place, such as guaranteed hotel and meal accommodations and free re-bookings due to delays or cancellations.The FAA is preparing for the worst, as it's provided $50 million to airports across the country for de-icing equipment.  Administrator Michael Whitaker said around 50,000 flights are expected the day before Thanksgivi...