Illinois man pleads not guilty to hate crime and murder charges in attack on Muslim mother and son

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:38:24 GMT

Illinois man pleads not guilty to hate crime and murder charges in attack on Muslim mother and son JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — A man accused of murder, attempted murder and a hate crime in an attack on a Palestinian American woman and her young son pleaded not guilty Monday following his indictment by an Illinois grand jury.Joseph Czuba, 71, is charged in the fatal stabbing of six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume and the wounding of Hanaan Shahin on Oct. 14. Authorities said the victims were targeted because of their Muslim faith.Shahin told police that Czuba, her landlord in Plainfield in Will County, was upset over the Israel-Hamas war and attacked them after she had urged him to “pray for peace.”Shahin, 32, is recovering from multiple stab wounds. Hundreds of people attended her son’s funeral on Oct. 16.The murder charge in the indictment against Czuba describes the boy’s death as the result of “exceptionally brutal or heinous behavior.”Czuba appeared in court Monday wearing a red jail uniform, socks and slippers. His attorney George Lenard entered the not guilty plea. Czuba did not speak, l...

Tarantula causes crash in Death Valley; motorcyclist hospitalized

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:38:24 GMT

Tarantula causes crash in Death Valley; motorcyclist hospitalized LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - A tarantula crossing the highway in Death Valley National Park caused a crash that sent a motorcyclist to the hospital, according to the National Park Service. On Saturday afternoon, a couple was driving on California State Route 190 when they suddenly hit the brakes to avoid hitting a tarantula crossing the road. A 24-year-old motorcyclist then crashed into the back of the couple's camper van, according to NPS. The motorcyclist was taken to a hospital in Pahrump, Nevada. His condition is unknown at this time. “Please drive slowly, especially going down steep hills in the park,” Superintendent Mike Reynolds, who was the first NPS employee on the scene said. “Our roads still have gravel patches due to flood damage, and wildlife of all sizes are out.”  These cars and trucks are stolen most often in Nevada, crime data shows Tarantulas spend most of their long lives in underground burrows. However, they are seen most often in the fall, when 8- to 10-year-old male ta...

Ken Paxton to face criminal trial next year on securities fraud charges

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:38:24 GMT

Ken Paxton to face criminal trial next year on securities fraud charges Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN Live’s top morning headlines for Monday, Oct. 30, 2023.HOUSTON (Nexstar) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will go to trial on April 15, 2024, after eight years of delays in a case relating to two felony indictments for securities fraud.Paxton appeared in a Houston courtroom Monday morning for a pretrial hearing. He is facing charges that allege he broke state securities regulations and failed to disclose stock transactions to the state. That case has been delayed since 2015.Paxton was acquitted of 14 articles of impeachment by the Texas Senate in September, but the jury of senators did not consider the charges of securities fraud. Paxton's special prosecutors say this case, in a real courtroom with an impartial jury and real threats of prison time, will be different."The Senate was just a complete farce," prosecutor Kent Schaffer said. "This case is going to be different. There will be evidence, rules of evidence will be followed. And I t...

22-year-old hospitalized after Coeymans boating accident

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:38:24 GMT

22-year-old hospitalized after Coeymans boating accident COEYMANS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- On Saturday, the Albany County Sheriff's Office responded to the Port of Coeymans to assist with a boating injury involving a 22-year-old. Deputies say the man had his leg crushed between a boat and a barge. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! When deputies arrived, the man was stuck and unable to move, quickly losing consciousness. Deputies, Coeymans Police, and EMS personnel were able to free the victim.He was taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital via ambulance. Deputies say the injuries suffered are non-life-threatening.

John Mellencamp to perform in Schenectady

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:38:24 GMT

John Mellencamp to perform in Schenectady SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- John Mellencamp is coming to Schenectady. He is set to perform at Proctors Theatre on March 14, 2024. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! This concert announcement comes after Mellencamp canceled his sold-out Albany stop at the Palace Theatre for June 13. No reason for the cancellation was made public.Mellencamp’s “Live and In Person 2024” Tour is set to begin in Rochester on March 8 and end in Savannah, Georgia on April 23. This is an extension of his sold-out "Live and In Person 2023" Tour. Sold-out John Mellencamp concert in Albany canceled Mellencamp's 25th studio album "Orpheus Descending" was released in June. He is best known for the 1980s songs "Jack & Diane," "Hurts So Good," and "Small Town."Artist presale tickets go on sale November 1 at 10 a.m. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, November 3 at 10 a.m. You can buy tickets on the Proctors website.

Man arrested and charged with attacking 3 people in Central West End Sunday

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:38:24 GMT

Man arrested and charged with attacking 3 people in Central West End Sunday ST. LOUIS - A shocking attack occurred in the Central West End on Sunday morning. This happened just before 9:00 a.m. near Euclid and West Pine.Police said Anthony McGee, 19, approached a family and hit one person over the head with a glass bottle. The attacker then tried to grab an infant, then choked an elderly woman and broke her arm. All three victims needed medical treatment but are expected to be okay. Second Missouri teacher suspended for OnlyFans account Police revealed that McGee was later arrested after a short chase on foot. His charges include first-degree assault, first-degree kidnapping, and resisting arrest.

Georgia man dies in Missouri semi truck crash

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:38:24 GMT

Georgia man dies in Missouri semi truck crash PHELPS, COUNTY, Mo. -- The Missouri State Highway Patrol says that a Georgia man was killed in a crash involving a semi truck on Sunday. Mohamed Aden, 25, was killed in the crash and a 25-year-old man traveling with him was seriously injured. Second Missouri teacher suspended for OnlyFans account The crash happened at around 7:45 a.m. on westbound I-44 near the 200-mile marker. The truck drove off of the left side of the road and collided with another semi truck that was involved in an earlier crash.Aden was pronounced dead at the scene. The other man was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for his injuries.

Wanted man leads officers in Maryland Heights on high-speed chase

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:38:24 GMT

Wanted man leads officers in Maryland Heights on high-speed chase MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- A man is under arrest after crashing into police vehicles and leading them on a high-speed chase. Andre Brunt, 25, faces felony assault and resisting arrest charges. He is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.On October 26, officers spotted a Kia Sorento with a "wanted" license plate in Maryland Heights. Brunt, a man the officers were familiar with, was driving the vehicle. He had active warrants for his arrest.Officers tried to pull Brunt over for a traffic stop in a parking lot. He sped off when they turned their emergency lights on, eventually striking two police vehicles before exiting onto Lackland Road. Second Missouri teacher suspended for OnlyFans account Brunt weaved in between traffic, going the wrong way, and leading officers on a chase at speeds of 100 mph. He eventually lost control of the vehicle, and it rolled over in a ditch. That is when police were able to place him under arrest.It does not appear that any officers were injured in this...

Opinion: Here’s why a Colorado court sided with Catholic pregnancy centers on abortion reversal

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:38:24 GMT

Opinion: Here’s why a Colorado court sided with Catholic pregnancy centers on abortion reversal “The law at issue here runs afoul of … First Amendment principles,” U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Domenico wrote in this week’s decision. “Because it does, the State must come forward with a compelling interest of the highest order to maintain the law. It has not even attempted to do so.”Six months ago I predicted Senate Bill 23-190, which restricts constitutionally protected practice and speech, would be struck down. The law bans medical professionals from providing women abortion pill reversal care and prevents clinics and crisis pregnancy centers from informing women about their services.Domenico’s ruling is a temporary injunction against state enforcement of the law against plaintiffs and those acting in concert with them while the full case is being decided in federal court. For the reasons stated in Domenico’s 45-page decision, I now predict that the plaintiffs will ultimately prevail in asserting their rights to provide information and medical care to the women they serve....

Bass focuses on 'customer experience of Angelenos' with new executive directive

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:38:24 GMT

Bass focuses on 'customer experience of Angelenos' with new executive directive Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is leading the charge to improve city services for residents.On Monday, Bass signed Executive Directive 5, which intends to "improve the customer experience of Angelenos requesting city services like graffiti removal, pothole repair, and bulky item pick-up by decreasing wait times, enhancing the quality of the service and better communicating the result of the operation," her office said in an announcement. To demonstrate the types of improved services Angelenos can expect, Bass visited a Boyle Heights home for the pickup of a bulky item, the "most common city service request," according to Crosstown LA."Haul a mattress or old desk out to the curb, call 311, and sanitation crews will usually remove it on the next regularly scheduled trash day, for no fee (beyond taxes already paid)," the outlet explained.On Monday, Bass said that "we need to upgrade our services," both in the way residents experience them and in outcomes. "The city is here to deliver, an...