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Exclusive: Hays County Tax employee arrested for selling license plates, registrations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Rangers and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles are investigating after a Hays County employee was arrested, accused of illegally selling license plates and vehicle registrations for months, along with a state-licensed inspector who is accused of illegally selling vehicle registrations, according to several law enforcement sources who shared the information exclusively with KXAN.The Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector's Office is now being audited, and law enforcement officers said this could just be the beginning. TxDMV officials said they are "aware of concerns" with the now former employee but declined an interview, citing the ongoing investigation."Department staff have been cooperating with both county office leadership and law enforcement investigating the issue," TxDMV spokesperson Adam Shaivitz said in a statement. "Department staff are conducting compliance reviews of all office operations to ensure the actions were limited to a single county em...

With days to spare, Senate gives final OK to debt ceiling deal, sending it to Biden

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:21 GMT

By LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING, STEPHEN GROVES, FARNOUSH AMIRI and MARY CLARE JALONICK (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Fending off a U.S. default, the Senate gave final approval late Thursday to a debt ceiling and budget cuts package, grinding into the night to wrap up work on the bipartisan deal and send it to President Joe Biden’s desk to become law before the fast-approaching deadline.The compromise package negotiated between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy leaves neither Republicans nor Democrats fully pleased with the outcome. But the result, after weeks of hard-fought budget negotiations, shelves the volatile debt ceiling issue that risked upending the U.S. and global economy until 2025 after the next presidential election.Approval in the Senate on a bipartisan vote, 63-36, somewhat reflected the overwhelming House tally the day before, relying on centrists in both parties to pull the Biden-McCarthy package to passage — though Democrats led the tal...

Settlements in principle reached in Schoharie limo crash and Mavis Discount Tire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:21 GMT

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - This week's sentencing of Nauman Hussain in the Schoharie limo crash trial is another chapter in the heart wrenching journey that the victims’ families live every day. NEWS10 has learned some of the families are moving forward in a civil lawsuit. Capital Region community centers ready to help Asylees Nauman Hussain, the operator of Prestige Limousine was sentenced to 5 to 15 years in prison. Patrick Cushing's father feels the sentence was not enough.“It works out to about 7 months per lost soul. That's hardly fair justice,” said Kevin Cushing.  The families of the victims are fighting another battle. This time they want more accountability from another entity linked to the crash.“There is still one key thing that is wide open and that is Mavis and everything that they have contributed to this that has to be sorted through,” said Kyle Ashton. “They held a part in this, there were quite a few people that held a part in this. DOT, DMV, M...

Woman claims of weight-shaming at St. Charles water park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:21 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The St. Charles Parks and Recreation Department has issued an apology after a claim of "weight-shaming" at the popular water park in Wappelhorst Park.Signs at the base of the Boomerango water slide make it clear that there is a weight minimum of 100 pounds and a maximum of 300 pounds for a single rider and 400 pounds for a pair. However, the signs make no mention that riders must step on a scale on the boarding platform before being allowed to slide down on the two-person riding tubes.The Boomerango is a twisting tube slide. Riders splash out of a chute at the bottom with momentum, taking them high up a water-slicked wall before the ride ends in a shallow pool. It’s one of the park’s top attractions. Guilty verdict for man who struck, killed woman with his truck Kailee Dickey, 28, did not expect the weight to be an issue when she climbed the stairs to ride with her 5-year-old son. She knew about the 400-pound limit. The two of them together were not even within ...

Wrong person identified in fatal hit-and-run; family questions investigation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:21 GMT

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A fatal hit-and-run crash last week left families confused about who died, and what police are doing about it.It happened in the early morning hours of Monday, May 22. A pick-up truck reportedly ran a red light on Highway 3 at 8th street and hit a Ford Escape. Justin Stewart suffered serious injuries. His sister, Nichole Kent, was killed.“She was really just a good, kind-hearted person,” Ashley Stewart, Nichole’s sister, said. “She didn’t deserve this at all.”Ashley and her mother, Cynthia Mobley, are numb.“Nichole was very special. She was unique. She was loyal,” Mobley said.Their grief is compounded by the suspect running off, and an unexpected response from authorities. They said the hospital told them a different family member had died; someone who was not even in the car. Guilty verdict for man who struck, killed woman with his truck They began to figure it out when they saw Nichole’s car on FOX 2 and could not reach her. Ashley described, “…running aro...

St. Louis County releases deadly Great Dane after killing woman’s dog

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:21 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - A St. Louis County woman said her dog was mauled to death while on a walk, but animal control has released the killer dog back to its owner.Jane Fay adopted Lexy, a Shih Tzu, several years ago. It was a love-at-first-sight relationship."She was just a great little dog," Fay said. "She'd go boating with us."They loved to walk outside. On May 15, Lexy and Fay's walk took a drastic turn."All of a sudden, there was this Great Dane I'd never seen before, unleashed," she said. "It was running down the street toward me."St. Louis County records revealed the Great Dane's owner told authorities the dog ran out of the house. ‘Drought alert’ declared in Missouri, some relief possibly on way for St. Louis "I opened the door, Kaiser ran to the street (accidentally), and we heard a scream," the owner wrote.Fay said the dog went right for Lexy."When I saw Lexy, my little eight-pound dog, in this Great Dane's mouth being chewed to death," she said. "I mean, my God, I can't...

SSM Health plans to give away free gun locks after child dies to gunfire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:21 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A day shy of Gun Violence Awareness Day, a 10-year-old died due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It’s a problem local leaders and frontline workers are saying they’re seeing too much of.“We have like a two-minute warning that there's a child that's been shot, and then it's really all hands on deck at that point, everyone stops what they're doing," said Dr. Kate Forrester, a physician in the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Emergency Department.It’s a situation some frontline workers seen earlier on Thursday after a 10-year-old from the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood endured a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.“You never forget what the kid looks like, you never forget the sound of their mother screaming,” Forrester said. Guilty verdict for man who struck, killed woman with his truck The incident unfolded around 11:30 a.m. near Brantner Place. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died.“If you haven't experienced it for yourself, you can't...

Missouri hospital vacancy, turnover rates headed in right direction 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:21 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Hospital Association said there's been a decline in the vacancy turnover rates among nurses, but hospitals are still struggling to fund and retain staff. On the same day two major Missouri hospital systems announced a merger worth billions of dollars, a new report by the Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) shows that while workforce issues have only slightly improved, they remain a major concern. "We don't know how long it will take to get back to the levels that we saw in 2019," vice president of public and media relations for MHA Dave Dillon said. "The truth is, yes, we have made progress since last year. Last year's data represented the worst and darkest days of the pandemic relative to the healthcare workforce." Guilty verdict for man who struck, killed woman with his truck It's good news and it's bad news. Missouri's healthcare industry is still feeling the effects of COVID-19, as the nursing turnover and vacant rates are nearly 20%.&n...

Local restaurant opens new location in Chesterfield

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:21 GMT

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. - Some small businesses are struggling to stay afloat with high inflation and staffing shortages, while others are expanding. Billy G's is opening a second location in Chesterfield, adding more than 100 jobs.“I’ve got goosebumps right now," said Allen Corzine, general manager at Billy G's.He said Thursday's soft opening is a day that has been in the works for three and a half years."Having this little pop-up thing today, it was not planned to do this," Corzine said. "Having this going on right now brings me joy to see my staff, my brand-new staff. Half my servers have never served before, but they’re picking it up so easy." ‘Drought alert’ declared in Missouri, some relief possibly on way for St. Louis The new location in Chesterfield has a different feel and menu than the original. Over in Chesterfield, breakfast is served all day.“We’re going to have great omelets, great pancakes, great waffles, fresh fruit. Some amazing coffee as well," said John Papapagianis,...

Nuggets-Heat NBA Finals Game 1 superlatives: A heaping dose of Aaron Gordon bully ball jump-starts Denver’s title quest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:04:21 GMT

HeroNuggets forward Aaron Gordon Number 50’s night started with an auspicious airball but he turned it around quickly thanks to a heaping dose of bully ball. Gabe Vincent couldn’t guard him. Jimmy Butler wasn’t going to slow him. Caleb Martin? No, sir. Gordon made six of his next seven buckets — all around the rim — as he powered around and through the Miami defense en route to 12 first-quarter points. He finished with 16 points and six rebounds in the Nuggets’ 104-93 victory.On a night when the Nuggets had several candidates for this distinction, Gordon gets the nod because he ensured, with authority, that Denver’s long layoff did not beget an early period of lethargic play. Just the opposite, in fact.ZeroMiami wing Caleb Martin Before the series started, Denver coach Michael Malone posited that Martin could have easily been named the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals. He wasn’t wrong. Martin averaged 19.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in a seven-game vanqu...