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Family files lawsuit after vicious attack at Kankakee group home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

KANAKEE, Ill. -- A mother is demanding answers after her 30-year-old son with autism was severely beaten nearly two and a half years ago while staying at a Kankakee group home.Micki Stankewitz told WGN-TV her son Zach was diagnosed with autism as a child and has developmental disabilities.But Zach was a highly functional, outgoing, and active young man. That was up until two years ago."My son pretty much got his life changed, upside down and a lot of him got taken away," Stankewitz said. SUV crashes into townhomes in Niles; 2 taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries In 2019, Zach moved into a small group home in Kankakee run by a company called "Help at Home."Micki said he was doing well there until she got a call in the summer of 2021 that he had been taken to the hospital."I got a call from the hospital stating that my son has multiple brain bleeds because he needs more intensive care," Stankewitz said.Reports show in addition to brain injuries, Zach had 39 cuts and ...

Rare mushroom that hisses only blooms in Japan — and this U.S. state

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) – A hissing mushroom might sound like something out of "Super Mario World" but this rare toadstool wasn't made up by Nintendo. It's called chorioactis geaster but it goes by a few other names.Here in the U.S., it's likely known as the Texas star since it's only been found in Texas — not to mention over 6,000 miles away in Japan, where it grows on decaying oak trees. In 2021, it was even designated the official State Mushroom of Texas.It typically appears during cooler months and grows only on the decomposing cedar elm tree stumps and roots in the U.S. Oh, and yes, it hisses.  ‘Ferrari’ review: Fast and furious family drama takes wrong turn “[The Texas star] will open up into a leathery star of four to eight points,” said Angel Schatz with the Central Texas Mycology Society. “That's when it starts to send off its spores, and sometimes you can hear an audible hiss,” Schatz said. “[Mushrooms] will shoot their spores when there's humidity and also when t...

Memorial marks 35th anniversary of Pan Am 103 bombing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

The sound of bagpipes rang through the air, as more than 100 people marked the 35th anniversary of the terrorist bombing of Pan American Airlines Flight 103."Three hundred and six thousand, six hundred hours, and yet it feels like just yesterday," Kara Weipz, Victims of Pan Am Flight 103 President, said.The explosion took the lives of 270 people, in the skies over Lockerbie, Scotland."Too many mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, siblings and children, who perished, far before their times," Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Homeland Security Advisor, said.190 of the passengers were Americans, including students from Syracuse University. The impacted families have spent decades providing each other support."Over those years, we've provided friendship and support for one another, while working to find the truth and obtain justice for all those lost in this terrible act of terrorism," Judy O'Rourke, Syracuse University retiree, said.Family members, friends, and current Syracuse students ...

Top U.S. officials to visit Mexico for border talks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) says the situation at the border is getting worse. “Migrants are jumping on the trains so they can get to the U.S. faster,” Cuellar said. On Sunday, to mitigate the sudden surge of migrants, Customs and Border Protection shut down operations at the international railway crossing bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso. Cuellar says that hurts the economy. “Especially in Eagle Pass,” Cuellar said. “There are 10 to 14 trains a day. Depending on them you can go from 5 to 10 million dollars per train. That's a lot of business that we are losing.” Republican senators are demanding the Biden administration re-open the rail ports of entry immediately. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Republicans argued “American producers and consumers will suffer daily as long as these entry points are closed.” The White House says President Biden and Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador are w...

Hermès heir wants to leave $6 billion to his former gardener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – An 80-year-old heir to the Hermès fortune has an unconventional idea of how he wants pass down his massive wealth. Nicholas Puech, whose mother is Yvonne Hermès, is a member of the fifth generation of one of the wealthiest families in the world. Puech's real-time net worth is near $12 billion, according to Forbes. He resigned from Hermès' board in 2014, according to Forbes, but still owns about a 5% stake in the fashion and luxury goods company. Originally, his wealth was set to be inherited by a philanthropy organization he founded called the Isocrates Foundation. But now it appears Puech has had a change of heart. At least 15 people die in a mass shooting at a Prague university Puech is instead fighting to make a former employee his legal heir, Swiss news outlet Tribune de Genève reported this month. The would-be heir is described by the Swiss paper as a "doméstique" of Moroccan origin. CNN reports he was a former gardener, handyman and domestic worker for Puech. Pu...

Bears' focus shifts from long-shot playoff run to picking themselves up when they host Cardinals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — It's no longer about a long-shot run to the playoffs for the Chicago Bears. Their hopes are just about dashed.They're simply looking to pick themselves up after yet another collapse and make something of the remainder of the season when they host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.“How do we get an emotional edge?" cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. "I mean, if we don’t have an emotional edge by now, I feel like I don’t know what’s going to get us going. I feel like we have had too many opportunities that we’ve had in our hands that we’ve lost. But honestly, we just have to try and get this next win and take that taste out of our mouth, and that’s what we’re focused on.” Opinion: Bears need to at least call on Justin Herbert It would be understandable for the Bears (5-9) to pack it in with three games remaining.They're last in the NFC North following a demoralizing 20-17 loss at Cleveland last week just when it looked like they might be priming themsel...

Man arrested in connection with greenbelt homicide, US Marshals say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A man was arrested on Wednesday in connection with a homicide that happened in the West Bouldin Creek Greenbelt last month, according to a U.S. Marshals news release.That man was identified as Melcolm Martin Lee, AKA "Tanto," 24, of Austin, according to officials.On Nov. 27, the Austin Police Department homicide unit “received multiple tips” that a murder happened on the greenbelt trail, located in the 1100 block of South Sixth Street. Further information said the murder victim was buried there. APD: Skeletal remains found in greenbelt trail considered homicide Then, on Nov. 29, officials “responded to process the scene with a search and rescue K9,” and that is when the skeletal remains were found.Furthermore, an autopsy “revealed injuries consistent with homicide,” according to police.Then, on Dec. 12, APD requested for the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force to find and arrest Lee, "who was last known to be transient in the Austin community."A member of the task force...

Trail of Lights parking lot closed Thursday due to rain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Trail of Lights organizers said the Zilker Tree (Polo Field) parking area would be closed and unavailable for parking Thursday evening due to rain in the area.Organizers said the trail was still scheduled to open.According to a statement, all Zilker Tree parking would be automatically refunded by Ticketbud within five to seven business days, and purchasers were asked to find an alternate form of arrival.Limited spots can be reserved online for the Austin High School Surface Lot Parking, or shuttle rides are available from Toney Burger Center or Republic Square.Organizers provided a list of alternate, unaffiliated parking locations:Parking garage at 1221 MoPac Expressway1000 MoPac CircleRiver South Public Parking (401 South First St.)One Texas Center (505 Barton Springs Rd.)

Austin Trail of Lights working to rectify accessibility concerns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Steven Eichner has lived in Austin for years but had never made his way out to the city's annual Trail of Lights holiday display. When he tried to attend a Rice University alumni event at Trail of Lights Sunday night, he said he ran into several accessibility issues that made navigating the event in a wheelchair all the more difficult.Eichner said he and his wife arrived at the event around 6 p.m. Sunday. When he tried to make his way over to the party registration tent, he said the accessible ramp laid over the curb was approximately a four-inch over one foot of ramp. Under ADA standards, those should be one inch of rise over one foot of ramp, he said. Trail of Lights parking lot closed Thursday due to rain "[That four-inch ramp is] like, incredibly steep," he said. "If you tried to go up something like that, there's a good chance you're going to tip over, and that's not good...

Heavier rain expected at times over the holiday weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- On and off waves of light rain continue, leading to a dreary late-December stretch of weather. Periods of heavier rain are possible late Saturday and early Sunday, then drier, cooler weather returns starting Christmas Day.A Pacific storm spinning near California is sending cloudy skies and damp weather our way. Occasional light rain continues with areas of light fog overnight, Friday and early Saturday.As the storm makes its closest approach to Texas, we may see more numerous rain and even a few heavier thunderstorms locally Saturday night into Sunday morning.Additional rain totals are expected to reach one inch in many areas, leading to storm totals as high as 1.25" in some communities.A cold front brings back sunshine and chilly weather on Christmas Day. A period of dry weather and sunshine continues all of next week, then wet weather may return for the first week of the new year. BLOG: How often does Austin typically freeze Winter Weather Outlook: What a str...