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Austin ISD teachers asked to pay back $2,000 bonus after district accidentally overpaid some employees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:41 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Email records show some Austin Independent School District teachers are being asked to pay back a $2,000 retention stipend after district officials said they accidentally paid them out to the wrong employees.According to a district email sent to teachers, the retention stipend was a recruitment tool meant for newly hired staff who agreed to be assigned to hard-to-staff positions. The email from the Chief Human Capital Officer said a processing error led to the bonus also going to returning employees. The district has not said the exact number of people who inadvertently received the stipend. The district said in the email to teachers those returning employees should have received their stipend in November and March.In another email from July 5, the district told employees the $2,000 stipend could either be paid back in one lump sum or over four pay periods.“I want to express my sincere apologies for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused. We understand t...

Bumblebee, Pac-Man and the Cookie Monster: Virginia man dons costumes to make people smile

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:41 GMT

A woman balanced a toddler on her hip while standing on the porch of the Jump’n Jellybeans daycare on a recent Thursday morning. She stared at what was walking down the sidewalk on the other side of Portsmouth Boulevard.So did the toddler. Then he leaned forward, frantically waving an outstretched arm at the slow-moving creature.It was Bumblebee, the bright yellow, friendly, talking robot from the “Transformers” comic books, TV show and movies.Aaron Jackson, the 24-year-old inside the Bumblebee costume, saw the toddler and knew he’d accomplished what he’d set out to do that morning: Make people smile.Aaron Jackson walks along Portsmouth Boulevard in Portsmouth, dressed as Bumblebee from Transformers on June 23. Jackson began walking around Portsmouth in costume in 2020 as a way to cheer people up during the pandemic. His love for costume was born out of his involvement in Comic-con conventions.  (Billy Schuerman / The Virginian-Pilot)Sometimes two or three times a week, Jackson step...

Baby eagle rescued 120 feet high in tree near Binghamton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:41 GMT

FENTON, N.Y. (WETM) -- It was a spontaneous group effort to rescue a baby eagle stuck over 100 feet up in a tree near Binghamton late last month, the DEC said. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Officer responded to a report of an eaglet stuck in a tree in the Town of Fenton near the Chenango River on June 22, 2023. According to the DEC, someone had been watching the nest for a while and saw that the bird was stuck in the white pine tree, at least 120 feet high, just below its nest.The ECO tried to get in touch with several tree companies but didn't receive any responses. Eventually, after reaching out to the Department of Transportation, a climber agreed to go up and rescue to the eaglet. How you can help protect Bald Eagles According to the DEC, the climber said the bird's talon was stuck in the crook of a branch. He managed to free the bird, bring it to the ground,...

Federal officials highlight offshore wind investments at Port of Albany

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:41 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Federal officials were at the Port of Albany on Thursday to showcase the first offshore wind tower manufacturing facility in the United States. The project has already completed the environmental impact statement approval process.U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said the demand for clean energy has never been greater. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "Tech advances, increased interest in economic potential make offshore wind a promising avenue for diversifying our nation's energy portfolio while combating the climate crisis and creating good paying jobs," she said.The Biden administration's goal is to have 60 gigawatts of offshore wind power by the year 2030.

Roosevelt Drive redevelopment project completed in Saratoga

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:41 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Construction has been finished on a project to improve safety along Roosevelt Drive in Saratoga Spa State Park. A ribbon cutting was held on Thursday to celebrate the opening of new pedestrian and bike paths, a plaza, and improved stormwater runoff.Officials said it will improve pedestrian safety and make it easier for people to explore the park. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "Saratoga Spa Park is a gem," Erik Kulleseid, Commissioner of NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, said. "It's a jewel in our crown. It is one of our flagship parks, and it's unlike any other."The project cost about $4 million. The state covered about $3 million. The rest came from a federal grant.

Motorcyclist dies after Aurora crash that critically injures woman driving car

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:41 GMT

A motorcyclist died and a woman was critically injured in a crash Thursday afternoon in Aurora.The motorcyclist was traveling eastbound on East Quincy Avenue after 1 p.m. when he ran into a turning Saturn station wagon driven by a woman, Aurora police said in a news release. The woman was heading westbound and was turning left onto South Jasper Street. Police said speed appeared to be a factor in the crash.The 19-year-old man on the motorcycle died after he was taken to a hospital, police said.The car’s driver, a 51-year-old Aurora woman, was in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, police said in the release Thursday evening. Her adult daughter, who was a passenger in the car, also suffered injuries but was considered stable, police said.The crash closed the westbound side of Quincy for nearly two hours. The Aurora Police Department’s traffic investigations team was investigating the crash. APD urged anyone who witnessed the crash or who had dash-camera foo...

Rapidly-spreading brush fire in Riverside County prompts evacuations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:41 GMT

A rapidly-spreading brush fire prompted evacuation orders in the Temecula area on Thursday night.Named the “Frogs Fire,” the blaze was first reported around 3:30 p.m. near Santa Rita and Anza Roads, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.By 4:30 p.m., the flames had spread to 20 acres and by 5 p.m., the fire had grown to 33 acres with zero percent containment. A little after 6 p.m., crews reported about 20% containment.Over 100 firefighters responded to the scene and additional ground and air resources, including at least four air tankers and two helicopters, are battling the flames.An evacuation warning was issued and later lifted around 6 p.m. for the area South of Highway 79, East of Butterfield Stage, North of Santa Rita Road, and West of Los Caballos Road.The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Car crash ignites 13-acre wildfire in Ventura County "Please use caution in the area as fire resources continue working to fully contain the fire," authorities sa...

Crews knock down house fire in West Hills

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:41 GMT

Firefighters knocked down a residential fire that was threatening a nearby home in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of West Hills on Thursday, authorities announced.  Crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department received calls about the blaze, located in the 7900 block of North Sale Avenue, at around 5:26 p.m, officials said.  Three occupants who were in the home when the fire started were able to evacuate before crews arrived and found heavy flames and smoke billowing from the roof.  “Firefighters quickly deployed hose lines to attack the fire inside and protect the nearby threatened building, while others ascended ladders to perform ventilation on the roof (to allow smoke and super-heated gases to escape and make it more tenable for fire crews below),” LAFD said in a news release.  LAFD on the scene of a house fire threatening nearby homes in West Hills on July 6, 2023. (Citizen App)LAFD on the scene of a house fire threatening nearby homes in West Hills on July 6...

Schwarber, Turner list Phillies to 3-1 win, send Rays to season-high 5th loss in row

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:41 GMT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner had RBI singles in the 11th inning and the Philadelphia Phillies completed a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay with a 3-1 victory Thursday night that extended the Rays’ losing streak to a season-high five.Schwarber had a go-ahead hit from one knee against Ryan Thompson (1-2), the eighth Tampa Bay pitcher on a bullpen day, and Turner followed with another single.Matt Strahm (3-3) worked two innings for Philadelphia, which has won 12 straight road games, one shy of the team record set in 1976. The Phillies also had a 12-game run that spanned the 1887-88 seasons.Tampa Bay was swept at home for the first time this season. The Rays are 34-13 at Tropicana Field.Rays pitchers struck out 13, walked none, and gave up just four hits through 10 innings. The AL-best Rays, who got a homer from Isaac Paredes, are 6-11 over their last 17 games.Darick Hall went deep for the Phillies, who also have an 12-game interleague winning streak.Phi...

Northeast DC residents remain concerned despite improving crime trends in one neighborhood

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:50:41 GMT

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on a safety walk in Northeast D.C.(WTOP/Scott Gelman) D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on a safety walk in Northeast D.C.(WTOP/Scott Gelman) Homicides, assaults and the number of crimes with dangerous weapons are down in the neighborhood near Phelps A.C.E. High School in Northeast D.C., police said Thursday, but city officials said residents are still concerned about recent acts of violence across the city.Mayor Muriel Bowser and community leaders in Ward 5 held a “safety walk” Thursday afternoon, hearing from a few residents about neighborhood trends. Among them, Bowser observed, were calls for a playground and abandoned construction projects.In a news conference before the walk, D.C....