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Missouri governor asked to halt execution of Michael Tisius 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:15 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Advocates sent a petition filled with thousands of signatures to Governor Mike Parson on Tuesday, asking him to stop the execution of a man convicted of killing two Missouri jailers more than 20 years ago.Michael Tisius is now 42 years old, but back when he committed the crime in 2000, he was 19. Those who gathered at the Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty rally inside the Capitol say what Tisius did was wrong, and he should be held accountable, but the state should not be executing a man who was a child when he committed the murder."Should you be sentenced to the ultimate punishment before you become the age of maturity? It's not right," Nimrod Chapel Jr., president of the Missouri State Conference NAACP, said.Next week, Tisius is slated to be the third person to die by lethal injection in Missouri this year. He was convicted of killing two Randolph County jailers in 2000 after entering the lobby of the central Missouri jail in Huntsville with T...

Remembering Becky Rothman, the 'Queen of Carpets'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:15 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Her commercials were memorable for anyone living in St. Louis over the last three decades. Now, family members mourned the passing of Becky Rothman, known to many as Becky, the 'Queen of Carpets.'She was shown in commercials swooping into St. Louis on a magic carpet, which caught the attention of many television viewers.“There are very few cities that have as many iconic television personalities from commercials as St. Louis,” said Guy Phillips, a St. Louis radio personality. “Becky is certainly one of them. She hasn’t been on TV in a long time, but people still remember Becky 'Queen of Carpets' and Wanda 'Princess of Tile.'” Group headed to a bar robbed in Soulard early Monday Family members confirmed that Rothman died of kidney failure on Sunday. She was just 67 years old. She has also faced health issues in recent years.Rothman, along with her right-hand manager, Wanda Kilzer, sometimes by her side, became known to St. Louis viewers in the early 1990s for Becky’s Ca...

Motorcycle club member pleads guilty to gun charge in Missouri

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:15 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A New York biker riding through the Kansas City metro with the Outcast Motorcycle Club pleaded guilty to a gun charge.Edward DeJesus, 56, admitted to being a felon in possession of a firearm when a police officer arrested him last year.An Independence detective tried to stop the group for speeding on Interstate 70 as the Outcast Motorcycle Club rode through the city on June 3, 2022.Court documents show the motorcycles were weaving in and out of traffic and failing to yield for other drivers. An officer reported seeing DeJesus riding a black Harley Davidson Road Glide in excess of 100 miles an hour on I-70 at Noland Road. The officer said DeJesus was driving between cars to get through traffic. Man dies 9 months after 2022 shooting at south Kansas City bar DeJesus exited I-70 and pulled into a parking lot before stopping at a gas station. The officer pulled up beside the motorcycle and arrested DeJesus.Court documents show officers found a dollar bill in DeJesus'...

Rockies’ bullpen has been rock solid, but is fatigue taking its toll?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:15 GMT

You can understand why Bud Black is bullish on his relievers.You also have to wonder how long it will be before those relievers begin to melt down if Colorado’s starters continue providing minimal innings and poor performances.Because Rockies history tells us that too many innings and too many Coors Field slugfests amid higher temperatures will eventually crack even the best of bullpens.But let’s start with the positive stuff.For a team that entered Tuesday night’s game at Arizona with a 24-31 record and a starting rotation crippled by injuries, Colorado’s relievers have been mostly excellent. True, the 4.51 ERA is the seventh-highest in the majors, but for a team that plays half its game at 5,280 feet, that’s pretty solid. Toss out bad stints by Ty Blach (8.18 ERA) and Dinelson Lamet (12.66) and it looks even better.Consider:• The 2018 playoff team had a 4.62 bullpen ERA and the 2009 playoff team posted a 4.62. The current crew is right there with thos...

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office warns of dangerous car surfing trend after deadly crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:15 GMT

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) is warning of the dangers of “car surfing” after responding to several calls — including a deadly crash — in the past few weeks.Car surfing is when someone rides on the outside of a moving vehicle. The sheriff’s office says deputies have responded to six car surfing calls in the past several weeks.On April 17, a deputy spotted two teenagers sitting on the roof of a car via the sunroof. The car was traveling more than 55 mph on C470 near South Quebec Street, DCSO said.On April 17, 2023, a Douglas County deputy spotted two teenagers seated on the roof of a car, through the sunroof. The car was traveling over 55 mph on C470 near S. Quebec Street: pic.twitter.com/XD8y9TweNX— DC Sheriff (@dcsheriff) May 30, 2023On May 5, deputies responded to a rollover crash on Quarry Drive. A 16-year-old was critically injured in the crash, and later died. Witnesses told authorities the backseat passengers were hanging out o...

18-year-old defendant sentenced to life in prison for double shooting in Lakewood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:15 GMT

An 18-year-old defendant was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison for a double-fatal shooting of teenage brothers in Lakewood.Marqueil Banks, 18, shot Damian Wikoff and Dillon Wikoff, 18 and 17 respectively, in 2020 in a robbery involving the selling of firearms, according to the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. Banks, a 16-year-old at the time of the shooting, was convicted in March as an adult by a Jefferson County jury of first-degree murder. His sentence includes the possibility of parole after 40 years in prison.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Opinion: A racially charged murder trial in small-town Oregon results in manslaughter and minimum sentence Crime and Public Safety | Suspect arrested in deadly shooting in Aurora; police cite road rage Crime and Public Safety | Suspect arrested in Denver double shooting that left one man dead Crime and Public Safety | Boulder King Soopers defendant under...

Lawmakers pitch exemptions to 'antiquated' travel rule which could mean more direct flights from L.A. to D.C.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:15 GMT

If you've ever tried to fly from Los Angeles to Washington D.C., you may have noticed there's a surprising lack of direct flight options between two of the nation's most populous cities. It turns out, that's intentional, and several local organizations, with the help of some lawmakers, want to change that — with or without the local airport authority's cooperation. In the 1960s, Congress enacted a specific set of rules that limited travel to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), then known simply as Washington National Airport.The DCA Perimeter Rule restricted the number of direct flights coming and going out of the airport to flights that were traveling less than 650 miles. The purpose of the Perimeter Rule was to reduce congestion and encourage travelers to use the newer and larger Dulles International Airport, located about 25 miles west of Reagan, as the region's "long-haul" airport, while utilizing the Reagan Airport as its "short-haul" travel hub.DCA is the only air...

L.A. County hospital seeks public's help identifying patient

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:15 GMT

Authorities with the Los Angeles General Medical Center are asking for the public’s help in identifying a male patient.  The approximately 55-year-old man was admitted on May 27 after an unknown incident in the 900 block of North Vignes Street in Los Angeles, not far from the Twin Towers Correctional facility. The patient is described as being around 6 foot 1 inch tall and weighing about 170 pounds with an average build. He has shaved light brown, dirty blond hair and hazel-colored eyes. The unidentified man is seen in a photo released by Los Angeles General Medical Center on May 30, 2023. Anyone with information about this man or who may know his family is asked to contact Cesar Robles, a clinical worker at L.A. General Medical Center’s Department of Social Work at 323-409-6884.  

Tomas Ayala Pronounced Dead after Fiery Crash on Old Nogales Highway [Sahuarita, AZ]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:15 GMT

20-Year-Old Driver Dead and 24-Year-Old Suspect Arrested in Fatal DUI Crash near Quail Crossing BoulevardSAHUARITA, AZ (May 30, 2023) – Early Saturday morning, police were called to a deadly car accident that claimed the life of Tomas Ayala.The incident happened just after 12:00 a.m., May 13th, in the area of Old Nogales Highway, just half-mile north of Quail Crossing Boulevard.According to the authorities, a white Cadillac sedan driven by 20-year-old Ayala and a red Ford F150 pickup truck driven by 24-year-old Camron Ortega were the involved in the collision.Upon investigation, the officers have learned that Ayala was on his way home from work when Ortega collided with him.Furthermore, Ayala’s vehicle was engulfed in flames while he was still inside. He was pronounced dead by the responding authorities.Meanwhile, a witness told police that Ortega had fled the scene by foot. He was later captured and taken to the hospital.Following the crash, Ortega was booked to jail fo...

Indigenous groups protest Brazil bill that limits land recognition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:15 GMT

By Duarte Mendonca, Julia Vargas Jones and Tara John | CNNIndigenous groups blocked a highway just outside the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo and burned tires in the early hours of Tuesday to protest a draft bill that could hamper efforts for indigenous ancestral lands to gain protected status.Protestors could be seen burning tires, firing arrows and throwing objects at the riot and military police, who arrived at the scene soon after the start of the protest, using water cannons and tear gas to disperse the small crowd.The bill, known as PL 490/2007, strips the environment and indigenous people ministries of some powers, weakening their oversight of environmental protections and the demarcation of indigenous lands.The bill will be up for a vote in Brazil’s lower house in the coming days.Indigenous groups from across the country also planned protests in the capital Brasilia, where President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is meeting with several other leaders from across South America.While ...