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Austin creating standalone homeless strategy office

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The City of Austin announced Tuesday plans to relocate its homeless strategy division from the purview of Austin Public Health and into its own, standalone office.After historically operating under APH's umbrella, the new office will report directly to the city manager's office. Back in June, Interim City Manager Jesús Garza spearheaded a homeless strategy special assignment to incorporate "the broad spectrum of programs, policies, and funding the City utilizes in support of addressing homelessness in the Austin community," per a city release.One of the central findings from that assignment determined the homeless strategy division's current operations under APH do "not effectively respond to this critical priority." AUSTIN NEWS: Austin City Council to vote on additional funding for two hotels meant to house the homeless “While the Homeless Strategy Division was embedded within one department, the initiatives to address homelessness span multiple departments and re...

City of Austin rolls out new telework policy, helping city meet climate goals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Starting in 2024, many City of Austin employees will have the option to work from home 50% of the time, according to a new telework policy. As COVID-19 cases waned and employees from various industries started to leave their working-from-home arrangements, Interim City Manager Jesus Garza announced it was also time for city employees to prepare to return to the office. PREVIOUS: City of Austin employees to return to the office, union not on board Garza said in May that all workers would return to the office by the end of 2023, which caused some employees to protest, citing a better work-life balance when getting to work partially from home. “I know when I announced a Citywide standard, employees were concerned about changing their schedules. Some felt they were losing what many viewed as a new benefit the city had been able to offer. But at the heart of our organization is our ability to serve the public and be available for those city needs. It is through tha...

Woodbury boy needs special care and Gophers football team provides weekly highlights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:50 GMT

When Jessie and Dan Starken tell Mitchell about an upcoming visit with the Gophers football team, the couple’s 5-year-old son doesn’t have much to say.That doesn’t mean he isn’t thrilled.“His body starts wiggling,” Jessie said of Mitchell’s response. “He gets excited. He smiles. He understands, and he enjoys it.”Mitchell Starken has been welcomed into the Gophers locker room this season. Like other players, he has a locker inside the Larson Football Performance Center. His jersey is No. 11, which matches his birthday.Mitchell isn’t going to be giving a pregame pep talk before the Wisconsin rivalry game Saturday, but all season he has boosted the Gophers’ understanding of what families in need go through on a daily basis. Amid the Thanksgiving season, players shared gratitude for the ability to give back to them.Mitchell has a rare, genetic, multi-system health disorder known as Gould Syndrome. He is nonverbal and non-ambulatory, but his mother says he can “work a room” with his “cha...

Stillwater to host World Snow Sculpting Championship for third time

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:50 GMT

The city of Stillwater will host the World Snow Sculpting Championship this winter for the third time.The event will be held Jan. 17-21 in Lowell Park.Teams from around the world will come to town to compete for prize money and the title of “World Champions,” said Robin Anthony, executive director of the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce.Sculptors will have 72 hours to carve their sculptures out of snow. Spectators can watch the entire process, visit with the teams and vote for their favorite sculpture; the team with the most votes will win “The People’s Choice Award.”The event, sanctioned by Finland-based Association Internationale de Sculpture sur Neige et Glase, was first held in Stillwater in January 2022. Last year’s event brought 50,000 visitors, Anthony said.“It’s a great event for the city,” Anthony said. “The bars and restaurants are always full. This year, we’re going to have two tents on site — one is hospitality and one is c...

East Metro football player of the year: St. Thomas Academy’s Savion Hart

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:50 GMT

Larry Suggs remembers the first time Savion Hart was dropped off for a West Side Boosters football practice.Hart, just a young boy at the time, refused to get out of his mom’s car.“So I had to stop practice, walk all the way up there, basically get him out of the car, and tell him, ‘You’re going to play football today,’ ” said Suggs, the father of Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs.“I was crying,” Hart recalled from that day. “That’s all I know.”But once he got down to the fields, he watched as his peers ran around and played the game. His interest was piqued enough to give it a shot.“When I first tried it, I didn’t really like it at first,” Hart said. “Because I was getting hit so much.”Then he scored his first touchdown.“That’s kind of what flipped the switch,” Hart said. “I just wanted to play football.”He hasn’t stopped since. And now, instead of getting hit, the St. Thomas Academy senior running back is the one delivering the blows.“What surprised me more than anything is just how...

Water main break in Mechanicville

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:50 GMT

MECHANICVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Department of Public Works is responding to a significant water main break on Underwood Ave. All water service will be shut off to allow for repairs. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The shut-off is expected to happen by 4:30 p.m. There is no current estimate on when the service will return. Residents should expect a boil water order when water service is back. Questions can be directed to the Department of Public Works at (518) 664-7171. A reverse 911 message will be sent out soon.

2023 Lookback: Budget and Legislative items

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:50 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — This week on Empire State Weekly, the state is currently in the third quarter of the fiscal year, which will end in March of 2024. Despite the time that has already passed, and with the next year ahead, experts believe that significant steps can be taken in the economic process. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Patrick Orecki, the Director of State Studies for the Citizens Budget Commission weighed in on the biggest items that will impact the next state budget. He explained that this time of year is when the next budget is calculated based on the available tax data already collected. "So there are teams of people at the state who are monitoring tax returns especially to see what things are looking like going forward making projections of the economy and how that impacts taxes over the next year and years after that too," Said Orecki. Also this week, Blair Horner the Executive Director for the New York Pu...

Capital Region bars prepare for Thanksgiving Eve rush

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:50 GMT

CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The night before Thanksgiving is often referred to as “Drinksgiving," because bars become packed with patrons visiting their hometowns. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Bill Geltzeiler, bartender at The Copper Crow in Albany, is mentally preparing for a busy night on Broadway. He said he’s well versed on tactics to help patrons out of uncomfortable situations, with strategies he learned in the Albany Safer Bars program.“Diversions: this includes 'nonverbal checking' with the person, making sure they’re O.K.," Geltzeiler explained, "you can write a note on a receipt. You can do a lot of different things to ensure that everyone feels safe in the bar.”While all-night happy hour specials will be sure to keep drinks flowing at the Copper Crow, Geltzeiler said he knows when it’s time to cut someone off.“We don’t serve someone who is too visibly intoxicated, and no one should,” he added.Downtown Sarato...

Amtrak passengers brave holiday rush on the rails

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:50 GMT

RENSSELAER, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A little bit of snow and rain did little to slow down holiday travel. Crowds packed the Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station on Nov. 22, looking to get to their Thanksgiving destinations. “We’re visiting our daughter and her husband in Queens," Charles Huff said. "Nice, easy trip taking the train down to New York.” Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Not everyone is able to visit family this weekend -- some students who can't make it home are using the break to explore Canada. “This is my first time going internationally," Andrea Buscos said. "I’m really excited for that and also in Williamstown we don’t get the best food so I’m really really excited for that.”“It’s hard to travel where we go to school," Yazen Oubari said. "It’s really isolated so we’re looking forward to going to a big city.” Amtrak said they're prepared for the busiest travel days of the year, increasing the number of running trains through...

Schenectady man pleads guilty to felony gun charge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:10:50 GMT

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- On Wednesday, Raki Johnson, 25, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. Sentencing is scheduled for February 7, 2024. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Johnson was arrested on August 20. An officer from the Saratoga Springs Police Department was on foot patrol in the area of Caroline Street when they came across a parked car with an expired registration. Johnson was sitting inside the parked vehicle. According to the officer, a 9mm semi-automatic Taurus handgun was in plain view in the rear passenger compartment. The 9mm semi-automatic handgun was recovered by the Saratoga Springs Police Department. Johnson was then taken into custody. The firearm was recovered from the car with nine rounds of ammunition, and police discovered that the gun had been reported as stolen to the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina.