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Chaos erupts in Illinois courtroom after murder sentencing

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:20 GMT

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) -- A courtroom in Urbana erupted into chaos on Wednesday after a teenager was sentenced for his role in a Champaign murder that happened in the fall.About 30 spectators were in the courtroom to see Thomas Woodson, 17, be sentenced in connection to the murder of 18-year-old Nizeri Carter the night of Nov. 4, 2022. Judge Randy Rosenbaum decided on 10 years in prison, which was met with outrage from the friends and family of both Carter and Woodson.Carter's mother had wanted the maximum 15 years in prison and viewed the sentence as too light. Woodson's family and friends wanted less than eight-and-a-half years and viewed the sentence as too harsh. Source: Chase with possible armed robbery suspect in stolen car ends in Elmhurst crash The unfolding chaos prompted Rosembaum to retreat to the safety of his chambers. There were 10 security officers in the room, plus four Champaign Police detectives watching the proceedings. They tried, but failed, to restore order.The ...

The Script guitarist Mark Sheehan dies at 46 following 'brief illness'

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:20 GMT

(NEXSTAR/KTLA) — Mark Sheehan, co-founding member and guitarist of the Irish pop-rock band The Script, best known for their no. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Breakeven (Falling to Pieces)," has died at the age of 46. Sheehan had been dealing with a "brief illness," the band announced on social media Friday. The Script confirmed news of his death via its official social media accounts, writing: "Much loved husband, father, brother, band mate and friend Mark Sheehan passed away today in hospital after a brief illness. The family and group ask fans to respect their privacy at this tragic time." Disneyland has paused the sale of select Magic Key annual passes Mark Sheehan, member of The Script, an Irish indie rock band from Dublin, appears on the NBC "Today" television program, in New York, Friday, June 10, 2011. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)The band was formed in 2001 by Sheehan and keyboardist Danny O'Donoghue, who the Guardian reports had been best friends since the pair were 12. O'Donoghue a...

A Century of Champions: The 100th anniversary of Chicago's Golden Gloves

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:20 GMT

CHICAGO — These are men who might not be training in places like this anymore, but it's safe to say they became who they are because of them. Nick Petrecca is showing off some of the medals he won in the sport of boxing to Frank Smith as the sun shines through the windows on an unusually warm April day at Sam Colonna Boxing on West 35th Street in Chicago. Tim Adams isn't far away, sitting as he watches those former competitors talk while new generations in the sport are training at other spots in the gym.They are here as part of the leadup to the event that links all three of them along with thousands of other boxers over the past century: The 100th anniversary of the Chicago Golden Gloves. It's a centennial celebration for the tournament that will stage its championships at Cicero Stadium, 1909 South Laramie Avenue from Thursday until Saturday, with the bouts beginning at 7 p.m.Petrecca added to that in his career in the Chicago Golden Gloves, winning the 1963 and 1964 featherweigh...

'TikTok trickster' wanted in 4 states arrested in Lexington, Kentucky

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:20 GMT

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WDKY) — A so-called "TikTok trickster" wanted in four states was arrested on Friday in Lexington, Kentucky, according to police.According to Nexstar's WKRG in Mobile, Alabama, local police identified the man as 54-year-old Brenton Fillers. This was after a Spanish Fort, Alabama, woman told WKRG she was scammed by a "trickster" who told her his name was Jason Mitchell. Police later determined that the man she knew as Mitchell was actually Fillers.Authorities told WKRG that Fillers was wanted in Alabama, Texas, Tennessee and Kentucky. Man she met on TikTok scams Alabama woman, may be on the run in Texas The woman, identified by WKRG as Tricia, said she met Fillers on TikTok, and they spent several days hanging out together. Tricia said he won her trust and even offered to house-sit for her. After she agreed, Tricia said he stole her car and she eventually lost contact with him. “He kept texting me, telling me he had my car,” Tricia told WKRG. “And he only called me a...

Skilling: Beautiful weekend ahead for Chicago

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:20 GMT

The weather's been so gorgeous this week—you begin to run out of superlatives. We're headed for a second consecutive 83-deg high at O'Hare Friday making this the warmest April 14th in 20 years (since 2003). An April 14th has been warmer over the past 151 years in only 2 other years------1941 (and) 2003 (85).The most recent four days (since Tuesday) have averaged an eye-catching 20.3 degree above normal. April 2023 ranks 8th warmest of the past 151 years with a month to date temp departure of. +7.4-deg. And the opening 14 days of the month are running 10-deg warmer than the same period a month ago.It's interesting to note that while today's air temp was 34-deg warmer than Friday a week ago. But in that same period, Lake Michigan has only warmest 4-deg----underscoring how slowly water warms compared to the air above it. It one reason it so easy to generate cool lake breezes in spring here in Chicago. Lake Michigan's average water temp is just 46-deg which leads us to caution again tha...

'It was terrifying': Storm destroys camper at Alabama park, 2 injured

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:20 GMT

GULF SHORES, Ala. (WKRG) — Upside down, twisted and smashed. A camper with a couple from Canada inside it was tossed by wind in Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama, Thursday morning."It was just terrifying," said camper Charlie Raymond, whose site was nearby. "It was just awful." As the wind started building early Thursday morning at the campground at the park, he says couldn't sleep."It was blowing hard and our camper was rolling and bouncing and all kinds of squeaks and noises," said Raymond. NOAA issues El Niño watch: Here’s where and when we will feel the impact That's when he heard it. "This loud crash," Raymond recalls. "I opened the window and looked out and I see that camper just blowing across the road. Then it slammed up against another camper on the other side of the road upside down."Kayla James heard it too. "I wasn't sure what had happened," said James. "It never even crossed my mind that something like that [could happen]." She and her family were camping just ...

Jan. 6 rioter who pinned officer in door sentenced to more than 7 years in prison

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:20 GMT

A man who pinned an officer into a doorframe with a stolen riot shield during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on Friday. A release from the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Columbia states that Patrick McCaughey III, a 25-year-old from Connecticut, was sentenced to 90 months in prison for nine offenses. McCaughey was convicted in September on seven felony charges, including three counts of aiding or abetting or assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers and one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, and two misdemeanors. McCaughey was involved in one of the most widely known moments of the day, when Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges screamed as he was crushed into a metal door frame for more than two minutes. Hodges was disarmed and attacked by other rioters as the mob tried to force their way through the lower west terrace tunnel. The release states that ...

More housing in Austin? Commission comes up with new zoning plan

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In an attempt to work around Austin's decades-old Land Development Code (LDC), the planning commission is working on a new zoning category intended to incentivize more housing.The new zoning category would allow developers to come to the city with desired height, setbacks and parking, among other zoning standards in exchange for some affordable housing. The city would still get the final say.Council Member Ryan Alter explained the new zoning category like this: It "creates a base level of your allowable use -- whether that's height, floor area ratio, impervious cover -- and then what they do is they say 'we'll give you more height, in exchange for more affordability." The proposed zoning category, called "Town Zoning," was brought forward by Commissioner Greg Anderson. He pointed at the difficult zoning cases the commission has had to work through recently because of the city's outdated LDC."This will help us get a lot of housing units -- and whatever else makes sen...

Texas House panel advances bills banning puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender kids

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:20 GMT

(Texas Tribune) — Texas lawmakers are a step closer to banning puberty blockers and hormone therapies for transgender youth after the House Public Health Committee advanced Senate Bill 14 and House Bill 1686 on Friday.The committee voted 6-3 to approve the two bills, and they will now have to get through the Calendars Committee before getting to the House floor. The Senate has already passed a version of the legislation, and a majority of Texas House members have signed on to an earlier version of HB 1686.The versions of SB 14 and HB 1686 approved Friday would require trans youth already receiving puberty blockers or hormone therapy to be “weaned off the prescription drug over a period of time and in a manner that is safe and medically appropriate.” The bills would also ban surgeries, though they are rarely performed on kids.SB 14 author Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, at one point wrote her bill so that trans children already receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapies c...

Scandia-Marine Lions Club plans day of doing good

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:17:20 GMT

Fifteen hands-on service projects and 21 collections are planned for this year’s Scandia-Marine Lions Club’s “Service Project Sampler Day.”Scandia-Marine Lions Club member June Eagleton cuts donated jeans at the Service Project Sampler Day on April 2, 2022 at the Scandia Community Center. The pieces were donated to Sole Hope, which made them into shoes for children in Uganda. (Courtesy of Ann Rinkenberger)The free event will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Scandia Community Center.The service projects will benefit local, national and international nonprofit organizations, including local schools, Sole Hope, Color A Smile, Gammelgården Museum, Global Health Ministries, Northwoods Humane Society, Children’s Minnesota and the Wildlife Science Center.“It’s a great way for people who enjoy volunteering to come together to do a variety of service projects in one location,” said Ann Rinkenberger, event organizer. “Some people choose to work on one project for the entire time whi...