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No teacher raises, no voucher program: Lawmakers fail to reach compromise on school funding bill

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:52:02 GMT

AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) — A multibillion-dollar school funding bill that became a last-ditch effort to enact a voucher-like program in the state — a priority for Gov. Greg Abbott this legislative session — died Saturday after lawmakers failed to reach a compromise before a key deadline. Previous: Districts in "dire straits" as they watch school funding fights in Texas legislature It was a dramatic end for one of the top items on the governor’s wish list. Abbott, who traveled around the state promoting the idea, has said he’s prepared to call lawmakers back for a special session if lawmakers didn’t pass a “school choice” bill he liked.The proposal’s failure means that school districts won’t get funding to raise teachers’ salaries or balance their budgets, which they said became necessary expenses after the pandemic rattled their finances and inflation diminished the value of the money they get from the state. The Legislature’s proposed budget, which was released Thursday, d...

St. Paul’s many changes to rent control

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:52:02 GMT

St. Paul voters approved one of the nation’s strictest rent control policies in November 2021, imposing a 3% cap on rent increases. The city’s administrative rules have offered landlords a way to seek exemptions for capital improvements, increased operating expenses and new services, and the St. Paul City Council approved additional changes last fall through a wide-ranging ordinance amendment.The new provisions, which took effect Jan. 1, include:• The city council approved a complete exemption from rent control for all new construction for 20 years. A lookback period exempts apartments built within the past 20 years, as well.• Affordable housing was exempted, too. That includes subsidized housing, deed-restricted housing and other apartments whose rents are maintained below a certain level through written agreements with city, state or federal government.• The city council’s ordinance amendment includes improved tenant notifications when a landlord seeks a rent con...

St. Paul rents flat for two-bedrooms, spike for three-bedrooms

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:52:02 GMT

Pricing in key segments of St. Paul’s rental market remained relatively flat this past year.Median rents for two-bedroom apartments ($1,300 per month) in St. Paul showed no increase from March 2022 to March 2023, according to the housing research group HousingLink. Rents for two-bedroom rentals in Minneapolis increased 7% in the same period.Did rent control have an impact there, or were St. Paul’s stable rents a function of the same pandemic-era trends — like relocations due to remote work — that have softened rents in many urban areas across the country, from New York to San Francisco?That’s unclear.“There’s a lot of dynamics at play,” said Angie Wiese, director of the St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections. “Housing supply has an impact. The number of bedrooms has an impact. The supply chain has an impact. Workforce has an impact.”Median rents for three-bedrooms or family-size housing in the Twin Cities tell a diff...

Large warehouse on fire in St. Louis, north of downtown

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:52:02 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Fire crews are responding to a large warehouse fire Saturday evening in St. Louis, just a little north of downtown.Fire crews are responding to a large warehouse fire Saturday evening in St. Louis, just a little north of downtown. (Photo courtesy: Mary Scott/FOX 2)Large flames engulf what appears to be an abandoned warehouse near North Seventh and O'Fallon streets in the Columbus Square neighborhood, according to a tweet from the St. Louis Fire Department. Teen walks two hours for 8th grade graduation in St. Louis It's unclear what caused the fire at this time or if it has led to any injuries. The St. Louis Fire Department and other agencies are responding to the scene. FOX 2 employees around Downtown St. Louis say they can see thick smoke from several miles away. This is a developing story. FOX 2 will update as more information becomes available.

Colorado Mammoth drop opening game of NLL Finals in Buffalo

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:52:02 GMT

If the Colorado Mammoth are going to repeat as NLL champions, they’ll have to do it the hard way.The top-seeded Buffalo Bandits flipped a one-goal halftime deficit with a 5-1 third quarter, then held on in the final minutes to escape with a 13-12 victory over Colorado in Game 1 of the NLL Finals in Buffalo.Colorado will be playing for its season in Game 2 of the best-of-three series at 2 p.m. Monday inside Ball Arena.It appeared the defending NLL champions just might escape Buffalo with a victory, with the Mammoth withstanding a 4-0 Buffalo run to begin with game by scoring eight of the next 11 goals to go up 8-7 late in the second quarter. But a penalty late in the first half came back to haunt the Mammoth, with Tehoka Nanticoke scoring a power play goal to even the score just 24 seconds into the third quarter.The Bandits scored three straight after that over the next three minutes, including one of Dhane Smith’s game-high five goals, to take control of the game with an...

Valor Christian in command of Class 5A state baseball tournament heading into final weekend

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:52:02 GMT

LAKEWOOD — Somebody better check the RPI machine, because in no baseball universe is Valor Christian a No. 15 seed.The Eagles played like the Class 5A favorite through the first weekend of the state tournament, beating Rocky Mountain 12-7 in Friday’s opener before routing Regis Jesuit and Rock Canyon, 11-1 in both Saturday games, to advance to next weekend’s championship.It puts Valor Christian, which won three straight 4A crowns from 2016-18, in the driver’s seat to win the program’s first 5A title.“We’re not done,” asserted senior second baseman Carson Tinney, who homered in both of Saturday’s games. “We’ve got a job to finish.”The Eagles used a nine-run second inning to uncork the blowout against Rock Canyon in Saturday’s semifinals at All-Star Park, a frame fueled by a pair of three-run homers from Tinney and junior first baseman Keegan Waters. Tinney, a Notre Dame pledge, is one of six college commits...

1 killed in three-vehicle road rage crash in San Bernardino

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:52:02 GMT

A three-vehicle hit-and-run road rage crash in San Bernardino left one person dead and another in critical condition on Saturday.The vehicles smashed through the front yard of a home on the 350 block of West Base Line Street around 10:45 a.m., according to the San Bernardino Police Department.The incident began when a Dodge Ram truck and a BMW coupe were traveling eastbound on Base Line Steet near D Street.At some point, the Dodge tried to overtake and pass the BMW, but was unsuccessful and clipped the BMW on the side, police said.The maneuver caused the Dodge to collide with a minivan and both vehicles crashed through a fence and landed in the front yard of a home.Video of the scene showed major damage to both the truck and the minivan as stunned onlookers surrounded the area.One person was killed and another was hospitalized after a a three vehicle road rage hit-and-run crash in San Bernardino on May 27, 2023. (OnScene.TV)One person was killed and another was hospitalized after ...

Former Duke teammates Boutier, Maguire set for LPGA Match Play semifinal showdown

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:52:02 GMT

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — Former Duke and Solheim Cup teammates Celine Boutier and Leona Maguire remained undefeated Saturday at Shadow Creek to set up a semifinal match in the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play.The third-seeded Boutier, from France, edged Ayaka Furue of Japan 2 and 1 in the quarterfinals. The seventh-seeded Maguire, from Ireland, held off American Lindsey Weaver-Wright 3 and 2.In the other semifinal Sunday morning, Linn Grant of Sweden will face Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand. Grant beat Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland 3 and 1, and Anannarukarn edged Carlota Ciganda of Spain 3 and 2 to crash the European party.The 29-year-old Boutier, a two-time European Solheim Cup player, won the LPGA Drive On Championship in March at Superstition Mountain in Arizona for her third LPGA Tour title. She topped Angel Yin 4 and 2 in the morning in the round of 16.Maguire, 28, won the 2022 LPGA Drive On Championship in Florida for her lone LPGA Tour title. She beat Perrine Delacour 5 ...

Seattle Thunderbirds beat Peterborough Petes 6-3 to open Memorial Cup

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:52:02 GMT

KAMLOOPS, British Columbia (AP) — Kyle Crnkovic had a hat trick and the Western Hockey League champion Seattle Thunderbirds opened Memorial Cup play Saturday with a 6-3 victory over the Ontario Hockey League champion Peterborough Petes.Lucas Ciona, Nolan Allan and Jordan Gustafson also scored for Seattle, and Thomas Milic made 23 saves.Seattle will return to action Monday night against the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Quebec Remparts, an 8-3 winner over the host Kamloops Blazers on Friday night in tournament opener.J.R. Avon, Owen Beck and Avery Hayes scored for the Petes. They will face Quebec on Sunday night.Source

AP source: Biden, GOP agree to 2-year budget, debt-limit increase; includes enhanced work requirements for food aid

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:52:02 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — AP source: Biden, GOP agree to 2-year budget, debt-limit increase; includes enhanced work requirements for food aid.Source