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Cannabis dispensary licensing process resumes in New York State

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The roadblock preventing cannabis dispensaries across New York State from getting their licenses to operate was lifted Friday. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The New York State Supreme Court lifted the injunction preventing the state's Office of Cannabis Management from processing Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary —or CAURD— licenses. That injunction had been in place since August, when a group of veterans sued over the licensing process.“Today is a good day for New York, for the dream of equity in cannabis, and for every New Yorker hoping to have a legal, licensed cannabis dispensary in their community," OCM Executive Director Chris Alexander said, in a statement sent at 4:20 p.m. Friday. "I’m also deeply relieved for the many entrepreneurs, who have spent the last three months trapped in limbo, who are now able to open their cannabis businesses, and for our communities, which will soon begin to...

Small NY colleges fighting negative trends

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)-- The College of Saint Rose will be closing next year, just days after announcing it needed financial aid from the city and county of Albany and New York State. The school says a decline in enrollment because of the pandemic and fewer high school graduates."We’re fighting a few negative trends, a population loss, a demographic downturn in this cohort of students," explained Assemblymember Pat Fahy, Higher Education Committee Chair. "COVID, where students did too much online learning and now they want to do that for college as well."Saint Rose isn’t the only private school that recently has had to make this decision. According to the New York State Education Department, since 2016, 10 schools have closed. That includes Buffalo’s Medaille University in August and back in June, Cazenovia College— which now serves as a site for the New York State Police Auxiliary Academy."It’s not just a Cazenovia and Medialle, and a couple of others," said Fahy. "We also saw a rec...

Home health aide pleads guilty to $28,500 theft

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

GUILDERLAND, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A 43-year-old Rensselaer woman accused of stealing $28,500 from a victim with dementia pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny in the third degree. Lakeisha Stewart faces a sentencing of at least five years of probation and up to six months in the Albany County Correctional Facility. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The indictment alleges that Stewart was working as a home health aide when she cashed checks from the victim's account. Due to the victim's diagnosis, she was unable to consent to the payments.Sentencing is scheduled for February 2, 2024. Stewart is also expected to be sentenced to five years of post-release supervision.

NYS Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony postponed due to weather

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Due to anticipated weather conditions, the schedule for New York State's Holiday Tree Lighting at the Empire State Plaza has been altered. While indoor activities will be offered on Sunday, December 3, the tree lighting and fireworks ceremony has been moved to Monday, December 4. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! From 1 to 5 p.m., families can stop by the Empire State Plaza for free family activities, including holiday-themed arts and crafts, meet and greets with Santa, and performances by Erin Harkes Band, The Rusty Pipes, and Tuba Christmas. The activities will be held in Meeting Room 6 and the Concourse. Free parking is available after 11 a.m. Tree lighting and fireworks are scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday. There will also be a special performance by the Hudson Mohawk Figure Skating Club. Free parking will be available after 4 p.m.

St. Louis man avoids retrial through plea deal in murder case

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A man charged with murder realized after he was sentenced that he would be sent to life in prison without parole. He claimed that his lawyer did not tell him he was facing a life sentence when he went on trial.Circuit Judge Bryan Hettenbach annulled Benjamin A. Chatman's, 35, conviction of life in prison after finding that his lawyer had provided incorrect advice about the sentencing law for murder.Chatman, 35, had been convicted in 2017 but claimed he was not informed about the life without parole sentence; he thought he would be getting a maximum of 20 years behind bars.Chatman’s lawyer testified in a hearing in 2021, admitting that he misinformed his client. To avoid a second trial, Chatman took a plea bargain of 20 years in prison on December 1.Chatman pleaded guilty to the murder of 35-year-old Gregory Jordan. The fatal shooting occurred on September 7, 2015, in the 1400 block of Shawmut Place in the city’s Hamilton Heights neighborhood. The shooting happened over a...

Prison sentence for Illinois man in bomb threat case

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

BENTON, Ill. – A man from Marshall, Illinois, has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for making a bomb threat to a company in Paris, Illinois.Justin L. Switzer, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of a bomb threat when he called North American Lighting Company, Inc. in Paris, Ill., on November 2, 2022. He admitted to calling the business and stating, “Two minutes to detonation.” Trio sneaks into abandoned Workhouse, gets trapped in cell In response to the bomb threat, the company evacuated its employees, resulting in a monetary loss of around $456,000 in revenue. In addition to his prison sentence, Switzer is required to pay $456,000 in restitution.The FBI Springfield Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations collaborated on this investigation, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Burke and Liam Coonan, who prosecuted the case.

Missouri lawmaker files bill to end student seclusion

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

ST. LOUIS – State Rep. Ian Mackey, D-Clayton, filed legislation on Friday to stop the seclusion of students in Missouri’s K-12 schools. House Bill 1677 aims to prevent every public or charter school in the state of Missouri from placing students in solitary confinement. Mackey, a former teacher, said that while educators need to daily strategize on how to manage disruptive, challenging, and even violent behavior from students, some schools resort to excessive punishment through seclusion techniques, resulting in worse long-term outcomes.FOX 2’s Mitch McCoy interviewed a mother whose child was subjected to this form of punishment, and she stated that her son now suffers from PTSD due to the experience.Shealyn Fox’s son has post-traumatic stress disorder and has been forced to isolate at school before. Trio sneaks into abandoned Workhouse, gets trapped in cell “Being grabbed, being held, even when it’s important for the other kids in school, even when it’s important for safety, it’s...

St. Charles County man admits to illegally selling guns; linked to 30 crime scenes

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles County, Harry Trueblood, 69, has admitted to selling firearms without a license, with approximately 30 of these guns being recovered at or after crimes. Trueblood pleaded guilty at U.S. District Court on November 30 to the charge of being an unlicensed firearms' dealer.Trueblood confessed to selling guns to multiple customers who purchased firearms from him at at least 15 gun shows between January 2021 and May 2023, despite having never been licensed to deal in firearms. He continued this activity even after being warned that he was committing a crime. Trio sneaks into abandoned Workhouse, gets trapped in cell The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) initiated an investigation into Trueblood after multiple guns recovered in unrelated crimes were traced back to him as the original purchaser.Trueblood sold AR-15-type pistols and handguns to undercover ATF agents. On February 1, 2023, the ATF issued a cease-and-desist letter, o...

The 7 St. Louis restaurants visited by Guy Fieri on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives’

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- The Gateway to the West has a lot of culinary gems that have been featured on national television. The number of family-owned restaurants and unique treats like thin-crust pizza, barbecue, and gooey butter cake make it a great destination for Food Network producers.The Mayor of Flavortown, Guy Fieri, has showcased numerous Missouri eateries on his popular series, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” This extends to several spots in St. Louis, all ripe for your visit (if you haven’t been yet).Explore the seven St. Louis locations that Fieri has featured across the 45 seasons of his show. Several of the restaurants have changed drastically or are no longer available to visit.Sweetie Pie'sGuy Fieri stopped by Sweetie Pie's in 2008 and was impressed with their macaroni and cheese. Owner Robbie Montgomery shares her famous recipe. Other dishes featured on the episode include smothered pork, okra, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and greens.The Manchester and Delmar locations close...

Oregon State, Washington State, Mountain West agree to 6-game football scheduling arrangement in ’24

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:30 GMT

Oregon State, Washington State and the Mountain West announced a football scheduling agreement Friday for the 2024 season that gives the two remaining Pac-12 schools six opponents each and positions them to operate as a two-team conference for at least a year.All 12 Mountain West schools will be involved and Oregon State and Washington State will each play three home games and three road games against members of a conference that includes: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Wyoming, Nevada, UNLV, San Jose State, Utah State, Fresno State and New Mexico.Oregon State and Washington State will pay about $14 million to the Mountain West next year as part of the agreement, a person with knowledge of the negotiations between the schools and the conference told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the parties were not immediately disclosing financial terms.“We are still focused on re-building the Pac-12, and continue to prioritize th...