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Proposition 9 adds billions to Texas teacher's retirement system

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:18 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texans will vote on adjusting the retired teacher pension in the Nov. 7 constitutional amendment election.Proposition 9, stemming from H.J.R 2 from the 88th regular session, would make an "appropriation of $3.45 billion to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)" to provide cost-of-living adjustments to eligible annuitants within TRS.BackgroundJoe Ramirez, a former high school teacher of the year from the Austin Independent School District, has been retired for 11 years, and his pension check of $2,000 hasn't increased since.“People are basically living from month-to-month. And they need to have a little bit more security to make sure that their futures in their golden years are better off,” Ramirez said.Over a quarter of the system’s beneficiaries receive less than a thousand dollars each month. Proposition 9 aims to address this by providing an increase of up to 6% for the nearly half a million annuitants in the Teacher Retirement System (TRS). This constit...

SP: Queensbury landlord tried coercing revealing images

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:18 GMT

DRESDEN, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A landlord from Queensbury was arrested on Wednesday and is accused of coercion. John Daly Jr., 58, is charged with third-degree coercion. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! According to New York State Police, on Wednesday, around 4 p.m., troopers responded to a home in Whitehall for reports of a past dispute. Police say an investigation found that the day prior, Daly Jr. solicited the victim to give him revealing photographs in exchange for a preferential leasing opportunity in a Dresden apartment. Daly was arrested and taken to Granville State Police for processing. He was arraigned at the Washington County Centralized Arraignment Part Court and was released on his own recognizance.

Bi-state police chase ends in St. Louis City

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:18 GMT

ST. LOUIS - There's new information on a police chase earlier Tuesday morning.Our Nissan Rogue Runner reporter, Nic Lopez, was at the end of the pursuit on 9th Street Near Salisbury at around 4:30 a.m. Hazelwood police started the chase when they tried to pull over a vehicle wanted for assault and armed criminal action. Former Missouri teacher speaks out on OnlyFans account, made nearly $1 million The chase crossed into Illinois on Interstate 70. Illinois State Police got involved and chased the vehicle as it crossed back into St. Louis City. At that point, a trooper successfully stopped the car with a pit maneuver.The driver was taken into custody and no one was injured.

Murder victim's body found burned in south St. Louis City

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:18 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A gruesome murder occurred early Tuesday morning in south St. Louis.It happened around 2:30 a.m. in an alley on Oregon Avenue at Wyoming Street in the Benton Park West neighborhood. The man's body was found burned."We've called out our partners at the fire department, their fire investigation unit, and also our bomb and arson unit and the homicide unit is responding from the metropolitan police department," Lt. Matthew Karnowski said. Illinois AG blocks push for Metro East county to join Missouri Investigators say an autopsy will determine if the man died from the fire or something else. If you have any information, you're asked to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS. You will always remain anonymous.FOX 2 will update this story with more information as it becomes available.

Tishaura Jones signs short-term rental bills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:18 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Airbnb owners will now need permits in order to operate.St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones has signed a bill regulating short-term rentals. Owners must also have a contact person available 24 hours a day in case of emergencies. Violators could have their permits revoked and face a $500 fine. Former Missouri teacher speaks out on OnlyFans account, made nearly $1 million The move comes after several problems with parties and deadly shootings involving teens in downtown rental properties. Jones went on to say short-term rentals are vital to the revenue and economy of the city, and they are still welcome in St. Louis.

6 holiday markets near Denver where you can shop, sip and celebrate the season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:18 GMT

Holiday celebrations are fast approaching, which means you might be on a time crunch to purchase gifts for everyone on your list.Don’t fret: The Denver region is home to many holiday markets that include festive fun so shoppers can simultaneously knock out their to-do lists, get in the giving spirit and sip some spirits.Here are six seasonal shopping opportunities not to miss.Mile High Holiday MartDates: Nov. 10-12Location: Gates Field House at the University of Denver, 2201 E. Asbury Ave., DenverThe Junior League of Denver’s 44th annual holiday market celebrates the season with a fundraiser where locals can shop for their loved ones and support a good cause. Proceeds from tickets support the organization’s mission to empower women in leadership roles and disrupt the cycles of poverty for local women and children. The price also affords access to an array of local and national artisans selling housewares, specialty food items, jewelry, apparel, pet products, and more.Tickets t...

Don’t miss Cuban jazz pianist Harold Lopez-Nussa at Dazzle this month

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:18 GMT

There’s a lot of live music to dig into for November, including a recent discovery who is helping to redefine Latin jazz.The Cuban expatriate pianist and composer Harold Lopez-Nussa has just released his first album after leaving the country of his birth, and “Timba A La Americana” (Blue Note) is genuinely invigorating. Lopez-Nussa, who will bring his quartet to the new Dazzle location on Nov. 18, is simultaneously flashy and purposeful in his playing.His performances on this disc absolutely pay homage to the Latin jazz masters who appeared before him, but the production (from Snarky Puppy’s Michael League) has contemporary flourishes and touches of electronic sounds to remind us this was conceived in the 2020s. More often than not, the results on “Timba” point in the direction of an accessible brand of fusion.Cuban jazz pianist Harold Lopez-Nussa poses for a photograph in Havana, on May 9, 2019. (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP) (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images)As acco...

Election Day is here in Colorado. Here’s what to know and how to vote.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:18 GMT

Tuesday is Election Day in Colorado, as voters weigh in on a property tax relief measure backed by Gov. Jared Polis and whether to use excess tobacco tax money to help fund preschools.Besides the state’s propositions HH and II, many cities and towns are holding elections in municipal races, and some school board seats also are on the ballot. Voting centers are open for in-person voting statewide from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you’re in line to vote by 7 p.m., you’ll be able to cast your ballot. If you’re still holding onto a mail ballot, it must be dropped off at a box or voting center by 7 p.m.You can find the nearest secure 24-hour dropbox on the state’s website.RELATED: Last-minute voter guide for Colorado’s 2023 electionThe Colorado Secretary of State’s Office will begin posting results for statewide and local races from the election at 7 p.m. The Denver Post will have updates on early results at denverpost.com right after those returns begin droppi...

This full-bodied red was just named the best wine in Colorado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:18 GMT

The only Colorado winery using a special Californian grape won the top honors at the Colorado Governor’s Cup wine awards.Alfred Eames Cellars, located at Puesta del Sol Vineyards three miles south of Paonia, won Best in Show on Nov. 4, for its 2019 Carmena. The wine beat 11 other contenders that participated in the 2023 Governor’s Cup Collection.Carmena is made from the Carmine grape, which Dr. Harold Olmo of the University of California- Davis developed in 1946 by crossing Cabernet Sauvignon with Carignane, a common blending grape in southern France and Spain, and that grape was then crossed with Merlot. The variety produces full-bodied, tannic red wines in cooler climate regions, like Colorado. Alfred Eames Cellars’ wine is the only commercially available Carmine wine in Colorado.Devin Petersen, left, with his father Alfred Eames, right, celebrating their Best in Show win at the 2023 Governor’s Cup. (Provided by the Colorado Wine Board)Alfred Eames and his son Devin Petersen...

“The Wind Knows My Name,” by Isabel Allende, and more short book reviews from readers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:18 GMT

Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. Sure, you could read advertising blurbs on Amazon, but wouldn’t you be more likely to believe a neighbor with no skin in the game over a corporation being fed words by publishers? So in this series, we are sharing these mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email [email protected] WIND KNOWS MY NAMEBy Isabel Allende272 pp. Ballantine. $28.“The Wind Knows My Name,” by Isabel Allende (Ballantine Books, 2023)This one starts a bit slow, as in, how are these disparate story lines related?!? But Allende, a masterful storyteller, does tie it all together, although perhaps a bit too coincidentally for some readers. This novel explores the lasting trauma of refugee children separated from their parents, whether by choice or by force.  Inspired by a play based on the Kindertransport actions that sen...