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Federal prediction says parts of Canada could see wildfires through winter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:57:48 GMT

OTTAWA — The latest federal government forecast says Canada’s already unprecedented 2023 wildfire season could continue late into the fall or winter.Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says there is potential for increased wildland fire activity from eastern Alberta through to central Ontario at least until the end of this month, while fires in B.C. and the Northwest Territories will continue to smoulder. Although fall brings cooler nights and fewer lightning storms, a government statement says ongoing warm and dry weather could contribute to new fire starts, and mean some existing large fires could remain active for months.Wilkinson also announced $65 million in federal funding for wildfire equipment and other supports for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Yukon and Northwest Territories.He says B.C. and the Northwest Territories have signed deals to receive their full allotments under Ottawa’s wildfire and equipment fund, amount...

Probe of Florida building collapse that killed 98 to be completed by June 2025, US investigators say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:57:48 GMT

The probe into the 2021 collapse of a beachfront condominium building that killed 98 people in South Florida should be completed by the fourth anniversary of the disaster, federal officials said Thursday.The investigation led by the National Institute of Standards & Technology is looking into two dozen different scenarios that could explain why the 12-story Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, Florida, abruptly failed early in the morning of June 24, 2021, they said. Surfside is a suburb north of Miami.“We’re still not prepared to close the door on any of them yet,” said Glenn Bell, associate team lead of the Champlain Towers probe. “We are still testing, testing, testing.”Bell told a meeting of NIST’s National Construction Safety Team Advisory Committee on Thursday that most of the intensive work on such things as concrete core samples, corrosion in reinforcing bars and evidence of subpar construction in the 40-year-old building will be done by next spring, ...

Maui beckons tourists, and their dollars, to stave off economic disaster after wildfires

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:57:48 GMT

KAHULUI, Hawaii (AP) — Richie Olsten has been in Maui’s helicopter tour business for a half century, so long he’s developed a barometer for the tourism-dependent economy: rental cars parked at the island’s airport. There are so many since wildfires killed 115 people in the historic town of Lahaina that Olsten is worried about a full-blown economic catastrophe. Restaurants and tour companies are laying off workers and unemployment is surging. State tourism officials, after initially urging travelers to stay away, are now asking them to come back, avoid the burn zone and help Maui recover by spending their money. Airlines have started offering steep discounts, while some resorts have slashed room rates by 20% or are offering a fifth night free.“I know what a terrible disaster that was. But now we’re in crisis mode,” Olsten said. “If we can’t keep the people that have jobs employed, how are they going to help family members and friends that lost everything...

2 restaurants robbed within minutes of each other on North Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:57:48 GMT

CHICAGO -- Two restaurants were robbed within minutes of each other in the city's Lincoln Square neighborhood Wednesday night.Chicago police have not established a connection between two robberies that occurred around the corner from each other on the North Side. Police responded to a robbery at The Green Post pub near the 4700 block of North Rockwell Avenue around 11:45 p.m. A 33-year-old man told officers he was closing the bar when an unidentified man entered and demanded money from the register. The employee complied and the offender took off on foot. A weapon was not recovered and there were no reported injuries. There is currently no one in custody. What is CPD’s response time? Experts can’t say with certainty Just minutes earlier, another robbery took place at a sushi restaurant, Kimberli Sushi, near the 2500 block of West Lawrence Avenue around 11:22 p.m. A woman relayed to officers that an offender entered the restaurant and demanded money from the register. She complied...

'Shoot this place up': Fired Menards employee accused of threatening to kill manager

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:57:48 GMT

PORTAGE, Ind. — A Menards employee who was fired in Northwest Indiana is accused of threatening to kill a manager while being escorted out of the building.On Saturday just after 12:45 p.m., Portage police responded to the Menards, located in the 6200 block of Route 6, on the report of threats being made.Following a preliminary investigation, police believe Nicholas Pruitt, 27, of Gary, was escorted out of Menards by the store's security guard after he was terminated.The security guard told police Pruitt said, "I'm gonna come back and shoot this place up straight fire" while in the parking lot.He also allegedly said, "I'm gonna shoot (name of manager) point blank, I got warrants — I don't care." ‘Want this for my parents’: Reward increased in 1979 murders of Niles West students as families want answers Pruitt was charged with intimidation. According to court documents, he was also served with a warrant for allegedly driving on a suspended license in July.

Thursday Forecast: Breezy and cool with temps in low 70s

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:57:48 GMT

CHICAGO — Cloudy Thursday with isolated showers off the lake. Winds: N 5-10 G15. High swim risk until 10 p.m. High: 71. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Mostly cloudy tonight with isolated showers. Winds: N 5-10. Low: 60.Friday Forecast: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of lake effect showers. Winds: NNE 5-10. High: 71.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

ERCOT issues conservation request for Thursday evening

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:57:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, is asking Texas to conserve energy Thursday evening from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.Due to "continued high temperatures, high demand, low wind, and declining solar power generation," ERCOT said operating reserves are expected to be low into the afternoon and evening hours and is asking Texans to conserve electric use if it's safe to do so. The council also expects similar conditions through Friday and said it will keep the public informed. ERCOT said Thursday's conservation appeal does not indicate ERCOT is experiencing emergency conditions at this time. Current forecasts are showing a potential for low reserves today because of continued high temperatures, high demand, low wind, and declining solar power generation into the afternoon and evening hours. For a portion of Wednesday evening, ERCOT said it entered an emergency level 2 declaration to maintain the stability of the grid. That alert level states rolling outages are p...

Central Texas drought 'top one or two driest'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:57:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Every Thursday morning, the U.S. Drought Monitor map gets updated to show any improvement or deterioration of the drought nationwide. Lately, most of Central Texas was downgraded to the worst level of drought "Exceptional." Meteorologist Nick Bannin spoke with Brian Fuchs from the National Drought Mitigation Center about the factors that go into the drought map and what it would take to get us out of drought.Nick Bannin, KXAN Meteorologist: Brian, what factors go into the drought monitor that's released every week?Brian Fuchs, Climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center: So yeah, the Drought Monitor is quite complicated, and it is actually a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center, the USDA, or Department of Agriculture, and NOAA. And our groups come together, and we kind of put together...the process of what we look at and it's very much a data-driven process. That means that, again, precipitation is going to be one of the big thin...

Fentanyl awareness top priority for Texas grandmother

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:57:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office just announced it's handing out another 60,000 units of naloxone, also known as NARCAN, to Texas police departments.It's just one effort to combat Fentanyl-related deaths, but some families who have been impacted by this deadly drug are working to educate people on the dangers.JoAnn Lopez has an entire wall filled with pictures of people who have lost their lives from fentanyl and one of them is her granddaughter."You wake up in the morning and they are not here," Lopez said. "And it is just a reminder that fentanyl took her life."Victoria Trevino was just 26 years old when she died."I started with a desire to do something," said Lopez. "To bring awareness. I couldn't just sit at home and grieve over my granddaughter." Kyle Police Chief: Large quantity of fentanyl found in the region Lopez said she joined groups and shared Victoria's story in hopes of saving the lives of others.According to Travis County, in 2020, fentanyl-related ov...

Judge dismisses Twin Metals lawsuit against Biden administration

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:57:48 GMT

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit Twin Metals filed last year against the Biden administration over its decision to cancel the company’s mineral leases for its planned copper-nickel mine near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.Judge Christopher Cooper of the U.S. District Court in Washington on Wednesday granted a motion by two federal agencies and a coalition of environmental groups and recreational businesses to dismiss Twin Metals’ claims. The decision can be appealed, according to the order.In a 21-page decision, Cooper said the court found it lacked jurisdiction on two of the company’s claims “and that the remaining two fail to state a claim.”In August 2022, Twin Metals and its exploration subsidiary Franconia Minerals sued the U.S. Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management, arguing the federal agencies’ decision to cancel two of their mineral leases in January was “arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful evisceration” of the company’...