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West Virginia University recommends keeping some language classes, moving forward with axing majors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia University plans to eliminate its world languages department but is recommending retaining five teaching positions and letting students take some language courses as electives, the university announced Tuesday as it faces a $45 million budget shortfall.The office of the provost for the state’s flagship university also said it is proposing slashing bachelor’s degrees in French and Spanish along with Chinese, German and Russian studies and master’s programs in linguistics and teaching English to speakers of other languages.Amid declining enrollment and the budget shortfall, the school announced earlier this month that it was reviewing the possibility of cutting its Department of World Languages, Literatures and Linguistics. The announcement sparked criticism and a protest last week from students and faculty.After an appeal hearing Aug. 25, the university’s office of the provost announced Tuesday it planned to go forward with the recom...

New Mexico’s top prosecutor vows to move ahead with Native education litigation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — It’s been five years since a New Mexico judge issued a landmark ruling finding that the state was falling short in providing an adequate education to Native American students and many others, and the pace of progress since has been frustratingly slow for tribal leaders. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said he intends to take over the ongoing litigation that led to the ruling from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office to ensure that the state complies with court-ordered mandates. The announcement was made public Tuesday, just days after Torrez met with Pueblo governors. The leaders welcomed Torrez’s move, saying that many students who have graduated over the last five years were unable to reap the benefits of any changes.“Now, my hope is that policies will finally be put in place and education programs will be developed, along with recurring funding, so that our children get the education they richly deserve both now and in the future...

Manhattan building superintendent accused of killing wife, two young children in murder-suicide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A longtime superintendent at a New York City apartment building fatally stabbed his wife and two children, ages 1 and 3, before taking his own life, police said.The bodies were discovered in the family’s residence Monday afternoon on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, shocking neighbors and friends who told police there were few outward signs of trouble inside the fourth-floor apartment.Police officials said Edison Lopez, 41, used multiple kitchen knives to kill his wife, Aleksandra Witex, and their two young children. The children and wife were stabbed multiple times and left near the front door of the apartment hallway. Lopez was found on his bed with a single wound to his neckThere were no previous 911 calls or reports of domestic incidents at the address, police said.Lopez grew up in the building, inheriting the role of super from his father, who now works across the street. Lopez’s father discovered the crime scene by unscrewing the peephole to the apartment when he h...

Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalls more than 20 brands of energy drinks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

OTTAWA — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is expanding its recall of energy drinks to include more than 20 brands.The agency began recalling the drinks in July because they do not comply with various caffeine content and bilingual labelling requirements.Sonic the Hedgehog, Toxic Rick and Liquid Rage are among the brands added to the list in recent days.  Other caffeinated energy drinks, including Monster and Prime, were part of previous recall notices.  Tuesday’s notice says people should not consume, serve or sell the recalled drinks. Health Canada warns that high levels of caffeine may have adverse health effects, especially for children, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, people who are sensitive to caffeine and people who are exercising while consuming it. It says side effects of caffeine can include insomnia, irritability, headaches and nervousness. The recall notice says there have been no reported illnesses from the energy drinks.  A list of the problematic en...

What makes Idalia so potent? It’s feeding on intensely warm water that acts like rocket fuel

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

Feeding on some of the hottest water on the planet, Hurricane Idalia is expected to rapidly strengthen as it bears down on Florida and the rest of the Gulf Coast, scientists said. It’s been happening a lot lately.“It’s 88, 89 degrees (31, 32 degrees Celsius) over where the storm’s going to be tracking, so that’s effectively rocket fuel for the storm,” said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. “It’s basically all systems go for the storm to intensify.”That water “is absurdly warm and to see those values over the entire northeast Gulf is surreal,” said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy.Hurricanes get their energy from warm water. Idalia is at an all-you-can-eat buffet. “What makes this so tough and so dangerous is” that Idalia is moving so fast and intensifying so rapidly, some people may be preparing for what looked like a weaker storm the day before instead of what they’ll get, said National Weather Service Director Ken Graham.Ida...

Hurricane Idalia menaces Florida’s Big Bend, the ‘Nature Coast’ far from tourist attractions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s Big Bend is one of the last truly natural places in the state. It’s not Disney World, it’s not South Beach. This is where people go to hunt alligators, fish for tarpon and search for scallops in the shallow waters. Now it’s in the bull’s-eye of a major hurricane.The Big Bend is where the peninsula merges into the Panhandle, just southeast of the capital, Tallahassee, and well north of the Tampa metro area. Hurricane Idalia would be the first major storm to hit there since Hurricane Easy in 1950, according to the National Hurricane Center.This is where people go to appreciate nature and be left alone.“The counties of Florida’s Nature Coast believe that many people — our residents, and those who travel here from far away — think having a good time involves more than expensive restaurants, theme parks, and crowded beaches,” a website devoted to the region says. “When you want to get away, we have what you’re looking for. Forests to explore, bl...

EPA head says he’s ‘proud” of decision to block Alaska mine and protect salmon-rich Bristol Bay

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The nation’s top environmental official said he fully supports his agency’s decision to block a proposed gold and copper mine in Alaska’s salmon-rich Bristol Bay, even as the state of Alaska has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn that action.“Let me be clear, we are very proud of our decision to really evaluate the Pebble Mine project and do what is necessary to protect Bristol Bay,” Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday as he began a four-day tour of Alaska, starting in a Bristol Bay village.The EPA in January vetoed the proposed Pebble Mine, citing concerns with possible impacts on the aquatic ecosystem in southwest Alaska that supports the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery. The region also has significant mineral resources.Last month, the state of Alaska asked the nation’s high court to intervene.“The EPA’s order strikes at the heart of Alaska’s sovereignty...

10 armed robberies take place in 2 hours on West Side, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Police Department sent out a community alert to residents in West Town, Douglass Park and the Lower and Near West Sides about a string of ten robberies that happened in a span of two hours Tuesday morning.Police said in each instance, a group of 2-5 Black males around the ages of 15-25, wearing dark-colored clothing and black ski masks, arrived at a location where they got out of a vehicle displaying multiple guns, took victims' personal belongings — and in some cases — assaulted the victims. 3 arrested after armed robbery, crash on Northwest Side: police Incident times and locations4400 block of West Fifth Ave on August 29, 2023 at 3:29 A.M.2300 block of West Grand Ave on August 29, 2023 at 3:30 A.M.1200 block of South Campbell Ave on August 29, 2023 at 3:49 A.M.1800 block of South Western Ave on August 29, 2023 at 4:00 A.M.1600 block of West Cermak Rd on August 29, 2023 at 4:15 A.M.Police said a 67-year-old man was exiting a business when he was approached ...

Former University of Illinois basketball star sworn-in with new Peoria police recruits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) -- Peoria's Da'Monte Williams has a new team.Williams, a former standout basketball player for Manual High School and the University of Illinois, is now with the Peoria Police Department.He was sworn in with 15 other recruits in a ceremony at the Peoria Civic Center on Monday. The department said the 16-person class is the largest recruiting group in the PPD's history. Peoria Police make “30×30” Pledge to hire more female officers Williams said he made the decision to pursue a career in law enforcement earlier this year after his first season over pro basketball was cut short by an injury last fall. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 2020. He still has to complete officer training.

2 utility workers honored for heroic actions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:07:28 GMT

CHICAGO — Two Peoples Gas utility workers were honored in a ceremony on Tuesday for their actions in helping three injured Chicagoans over the summer.Peoples Gas Utility Workers Cesar Arreola-Sandoval and Dominique Westbrook, both Unites States military veterans, were honored for their actions when they happened upon emergency situations only one week apart. Friday Morning Swim Club canceled for the season According to Peoples Gas, on Monday, May 15, Arreola-Sandoval was nearing the end of his shift while working at an apartment in Garfield Park when he spotted a man, who lived in the building, slumped over near the front entrance. Arreola-Sandoval performed CPR on the victim until paramedics arrived and transported him to the hospital.Peoples Gas says the man survived the emergency and after he was released from the hospital, during a visit from Arreola-Sandoval, the man told Cesar that he had saved his life.“He said it was a blessing from God that I was at the right place at the...