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Fright Fest 2023: What's new at Six Flags Great America this Halloween

Published Wed, 05 Mar 2025 11:07:36 GMT

The Halloween season has begun.Six Flags Great America is getting ready to launch the 32nd year of their Fright Fest Halloween event. We were at the park earlier this week to check out the work that was underway. Crews were all over - setting up tombstones, propping up the creepy clowns, putting the finishing touches on haunted houses and more. If you've never been to the event, the entire park is transformed into a spooky spectacular. During the day, you can expect the regular thrills, but come nightfall the monsters come out. There are nine "scare zones" set up throughout the park. As you are walking around these, costumed characters will jump out or just be mingling around. Here are a few more things you can expect at this year's fest: Haunted HousesThere are six different haunted houses this season. Two of them are new, including:Saw X - This is a somewhat new concept for Six Flags and Great America. The park has partnered with the movie studio Lionsgate to operate a haunted hou...

Pease Park wants to add giant troll as statement piece near downtown Austin

Published Wed, 05 Mar 2025 11:07:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Pease Park wants to add a statement piece to the landscape just on the edge of downtown Austin.Leaders with Pease Park Conservancy want to explore the feasibility of a public artwork donation from the Conservancy to the City of Austin.The park, along Lamar Boulevard from 15th Street to 24th Street, strives to be a place opening up the wonders of the natural world to guests. Now, the park wants to add a giant troll.Pease Park Conservancy wants to explore the feasibility of a public artwork donation from the Conservancy to the City of Austin. | Courtesy Pease Park ConservancyThe artwork would be fully funded and maintained by Pease Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with city, according to the Pease Park website.Danish artist, Thomas Dambo, is known for using recycled materials to construct troll sculptures across the world, according to the website.Dambo would grant a 15-year exclusive license to the proposed artwork, which is subje...

KBVO Game of the Week: 4A Lampasas leads 5A Pflugerville Connally 14-6 at half

Published Wed, 05 Mar 2025 11:07:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — An undefeated Class 4A team is putting its perfect record on the line away from home against a Class 5A squad Thursday in the KBVO Game of the Week.Lampasas rang up 72 points against East View last week to notch its third consecutive win, and the Badgers will head down to The Pfield to take on Pflugerville Connally. The Cougars enter the game 2-1 following a 56-42 defense-optional win over McCallum last week.REPORT YOUR SCORE: We'd love to post your team's score on our website, but we need your help to do it. Email the score of your game to sports@kxan.com and we'll get it on our websiteThe Badgers have outscored their opponents 152-60 to start the season 3-0 and racked up 664 total yards in the win over East View. Quarterback Reed Jerome threw for 293 yards, ran for 100 more and accounted for six touchdowns. He needed to have a huge game as his defense allowed nearly 500 yards of total offense to the Patriots.Connally, who finished 0-10 last season, is led by senior...

Twins ride Kenta Maeda, rookies to blowout win over White Sox

Published Wed, 05 Mar 2025 11:07:36 GMT

CHICAGO — The rookies took care of (much of) the offense. A veteran took care of (much of) the rest.CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 14: Edouard Julien #47 of the Minnesota Twins hits a solo home run off Jose Urena #54 of the Chicago White Sox (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 14, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)Home runs from rookies Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis as well as a two-run single from Matt Wallner gave the Twins their lead. That, paired with a strong seven-inning outing from Kenta Maeda, helped the Twins to a 10-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.Maeda turned in one of his longest starts of the year — and one of his best, too — throwing a season-high 105 pitches in his seven innings.He was unscored upon until his last inning, when he walked Yoán Moncada and then gave up a two-run home run to Andrew Vaughn. Other than that, he held the White Sox quiet,...

Proposed changes coming to old Bennington High School

Published Wed, 05 Mar 2025 11:07:36 GMT

BENNINGTON, Vt. (NEWS10) -- The town of Bennington and a local real estate developer agreed to give the old Bennington High School a new life. After several failed attempts to convert the century-old former Bennington High School, a newly agreed upon $30 million project was sparked by the town. There will be a gym and a childcare center with both being operated by the YMCA. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! "The gym will be renovated, and there will be a weight room and some locker rooms. That will be run by the YMCA. The senior center will be relocated there, and there will be an office space and a commercial kitchen."The real estate company partnering with the town will cover 90 percent of the bill. They have secured 60 percent of the money and are awaiting more state and federal money. There are plans to break ground for the 18-month project by March 2024.

Auto union plans strike at GM Wentzville plant, 2 other factories if deal not reached

Published Wed, 05 Mar 2025 11:07:36 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union says it will go on strike at three factories as it presses Detroit companies to come up with better wage and benefit offers.The factories include a General Motors assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri, a Ford factory in Wayne Michigan, and a Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio.Contracts between 146,000 auto workers and the companies are set to expire at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. Despite increased offers from Ford and GM, it appears that no deals will be reached before the deadline.UAW President Shawn Fain said Thursday night that more factories could be added to the strike list if negotiations don’t go the union’s way.The union has a list of demands including 36% pay raises over four years, cost of living raises, and an end to different tiers of wages for workers. Ford and GM are offering 20% during the next contract while Stellantis’ last known offer was 17.5%.THIS IS BREAKING NEWS: Previous version of story below:With a deadline looming j...

Murdered Troy, Illinois waitress remembered for generosity

Published Wed, 05 Mar 2025 11:07:36 GMT

TROY, Ill. – The murder of longtime Troy, Illinois, resident Norma Caraker has hit customers of the Troy Family Restaurant especially hard. She was a waitress there and was known for her generosity.“It breaks my heart,” said Julie Atwell, a former customer.Caraker would set one day aside each year to donate her tips from that day to Partners for Pets, an animal rescue organization. Friends say she raised more than $1,000 each year.On Thursday, Neil Howard was charged with her murder. Friends say Howard is Caraker’s son.Longtime friends are still having a difficult time coming to terms with her loss. Caraker was the widow of former Mayor Tom Caraker and a mother and grandmother. New rules for repurposed WWII-era duck boats aim to improve safety on 16 in use after drownings “Norma is going to be so missed in that family, said Dawn Mushill, president and CEO of the Troy, St. Jacob, Maryville, Marine Chamber of Commerce. She said Caraker had a heart of gold and always brought a smile ...

FOX Files: An inside look at stopping the next jailbreak

Published Wed, 05 Mar 2025 11:07:36 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Changes are underway in jails across the St. Louis region following a killer’s daring escape in Pennsylvania. That killer is now back in custody after a near two-week manhunt, while detention centers here are immediately asking if it can happen here.We began inside the St. Charles County Department of Corrections in an area similar to where the Pennsylvania convict escaped.“It’s called our urban yard,” Corrections Director Dan Keen said. “We start out with the worst-case scenario. That’s where we have to think all the time and work our way backwards. So, something just like this—the rec yard—coming in here as a security lieutenant or the director of corrections and saying, ‘How can I get out of here?’”They may ask themselves, ‘Can someone pull themselves up on a window or something hanging from the walls?’ Maybe. That’s why officers need to make sure the mesh ceiling is secured.“We are in their business,” Keen said.Like an inmate who was buying a ton of toothpaste from t...

Concerns as cash bail ban starts Monday in Illinois

Published Wed, 05 Mar 2025 11:07:36 GMT

RED BUD, Ill. – There are big concerns in a small town in Randolph County, Illinois, about a man accused of setting someone on fire and killing them.People in Red Bud, Illinois, about 35 miles southeast of St. Louis, fear Shawn Porter may be freed from jail on Monday while awaiting trial.Monday is the day Illinois becomes the first state in America to ban cash bail.Porter, 48, is charged with a single count of first-degree murder.Court documents say he set his neighbor, Donald Steibel, 76, on fire at Steibel’s home in June. A standoff ensued at Porter’s home, a half block away, according to authorities. Porter allegedly threatened police and threatened to set his home on fire before surrendering.Multiple Red Bud residents told FOX 2 they fear Porter’s potential release. They also asked not to be identified because of that fear. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News ...

$260K in high-end watches stolen during smash-and-grab robbery

Published Wed, 05 Mar 2025 11:07:36 GMT

Surveillance cameras captured three smash-and-grab suspects storming into a Newport Beach jewelry store and getting away with an estimated $260,000 worth of high-end watches last week.  The robbery at Jewelers on Time, located in the 100 block of Riverside Avenue, happened on Sept. 8 at around 4 p.m., according to a store employee.  Surveillance footage shows three masked suspects in black clothing rush into the jewelry store as man inside the store, who was wearing a yellow shirt, appeared to be holding the security gate open. One of the thieves uses a hammer to shatter the glass display cases while the other two suspects begin snatching trays of watches and putting them in bags.  Thieves seen smashing display cases at Jewelers On Time in Newport Beach, and making off with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of watches on Sept. 8, 2023. (KTLA)Two of the masked suspects then turn toward the door, which was still being held open by the man in a yellow shirt. As they...