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Retired teachers hope for long awaited pension adjustment

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:31:59 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Joe Ramirez gave and received a lot of love across 28 years in Austin Independent School District.As a high school teacher of the year, two-time middle school teacher of the year and a beloved mentor for students decades after they graduate, Ramirez said he would still be in the classroom if a bad fall didn't force him to retire at just 48. That was 11 years ago, and the pension check of about $2,000 a month hasn't increased a penny, he said."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.This month, retired teachers hope to get the first cost-of-living adjustment in nearly 20 years. Proposition 9 would give as much as a 6% increase to the nearly half a million annuitants in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas -- a needed cushion as retirees face rising prices and the need to pick up a second career."You don't go into it for th...

State girls tennis: Rochester Mayo completes sweep of Class 2A crowns

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:31:59 GMT

Rochester Mayo junior Claire Loftus lost her first match of the high school tennis season this fall, falling to Eagan’s Cassandra Li.Loftus won her final match of the high school tennis season this fall, topping Li.The latter match was for the Class 2A individual state championship. Loftus, the No. 2 seed, scored redemption via a 7-5, 6-0 victory at Baseline Tennis Center.“Going up against (Li, the No. 1 seed who hadn’t lost this season), it wasn’t like, oh, I was supposed to win,” Loftus said. “And I think that helped me. I was able to play more relaxed and without the pressure and the stress.”But not without the fatigue. This has been a long, successful week for Loftus, who helped Rochester Mayo win its first-ever team state title on Wednesday.“It’s been a long week. Lots of matches,” she said. “So I was definitely feeling tired.”Loftus took her time between points to catch her breath, but also made a point to switch up her game plan and be aggressive in an attempt to play shorter...

After ugly loss to Flyers, Wild coach Dean Evason lets top line have it

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:31:59 GMT

WASHINGTON — A night after benching Jujhar Khaira for committed a couple of bad turnovers in the Wild’s end during a 6-2 loss at Philadelphia, the winger was a healthy scratch for Friday’s game against the Capitals.Khaira essentially didn’t play after passing the puck to the opponent twice in one shift, and head coach Dean Evason was asked before a 6 p.m. puck drop at Capital One Arena if that was the reason he didn’t play Friday.“Nope,” Evason said. “Because we’d sit the whole team.”The Wild entered the second of back-to-back games with losses in three of their previous four games (1-2-1), and Evason saved most of his pregame ire for the top line of Kirill Kaprizov, Ryan Hartman and Mats Zuccarello. After combining for 10 points in a comeback victory over Edmonton on Tuesday, they were a combined minus-7 against the Flyers.“They were really bad last night,” Evason said. “They were awful.”The trio combined for 10 shots on goal, none of which found the net, and, officially, fiv...

Vikings list Ezra Cleveland as questionable. What does that mean for Dalton Risner?

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:31:59 GMT

After missing last week with a foot injury, Vikings left guard Ezra Cleveland has been a limited participant in practice this week. He is listed as questionable heading into the rivalry game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.Asked how Cleveland has looked in practice this week, head coach Kevin O’Connell noted that he is slowly working his way back to 100 percent. He also acknowledged that left guard Dalton Risner has looked good in practice this week.It raises the question: Which player starts for the Vikings if Cleveland and Risner are at full strength heading into the game against the Packers?“We are working through that,” O’Connell said. “As we have said from the beginning of training camp, we are on the look for the best five, and that is ultimately is going to be what drives the decision.”It’s worth noting that with Risner starting Monday night’s game, the offensive line for the Vikings had arguab...

University City taxpayers to foot bill for Seafood City cleanup

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:31:59 GMT

UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. - University City officials say taxpayers will be on the hook for paying for some of the Seafood City cleanup costs after the owner left behind thousands of pounds of rotted seafood.The cleanup process for Seafood City costs about $7,000 a day. University City says the owner does not have enough money to pay for the bill, and the city had to step in due to a health hazard. After several weeks, a biohazard company has removed rotting fish inside the Seafood City Supermarket. The St. Louis County Health Department shut down the grocery store in December 2022 and then again last March, saying it was operating without a health permit. Sex offender charged after being found with missing North Carolina girl University City officials did not want to speak with FOX 2 on camera, but provided a memo from the city manager. The memo states that the board approved to pay the remaining balance   ($127,831.78) after the owners of the now-shuttered Se...

Homeland Security warns of increased threats amid Israel-Hamas conflict

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:31:59 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Department of Homeland Security is sounding the alarm as violence continues to grip the Middle East in the Israel-Hamas conflict. According to the agency, the United States remains in a heightened-threat environment.While the battles between Israel and Hamas rage in the Middle East, DHS emphasizes that the most likely threat comes from people driven by violent ideologies. Lawmakers are urging the public to stand united against hate.Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, made a strong call to action, saying, "We need to speak out loudly, clearly, and forcefully against anti-Semitism and Islamophobia." Sex offender charged after being found with missing North Carolina girl The Department of Homeland Security has reported a recent surge in threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and their institutions. This is causing real fear among Americans.Congressman Ro Khanna has shared his concerns, revealing that constituents in his district a...

In Broncos vs. Chiefs rematch 17 days later, Denver would do well to recreate red zone defensive success

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:31:59 GMT

A low-scoring and ugly game partially obfuscated a reality in the Broncos’ Week 6 loss on a Thursday night to Kansas City earlier this month: For the most part, the Chiefs dominated on both sides of the ball.Perhaps the biggest thing that went wrong for Andy Reid’s team: Kicker Harrison Butker and Kansas City’s field goal unit got far too much work.The Chiefs moved the ball up and down the field against Denver’s defense and compiled 389 yards, but turned five red zone trips into just one touchdown and four field goals.If the Broncos are to pull off an upset Sunday at Empower Field, a similarly stout performance in that department might well be necessary.“Today is the day we work red zone and then we give them the red zone statistics,” head coach Sean Payton said Friday. “If you grade it offensively, let’s say you have four trips in, ultimately you’re looking at red zone touchdown efficiency and you get a percentage and a lot of times, your third down numbers in the red zone can poin...

Broncos coach Sean Payton preparing for chilly conditions vs. Chiefs

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:31:59 GMT

It’s looking like Broncos Country will need to break out the winter jackets.According to the National Weather Service, Denver’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday afternoon is expected to be played at a high of 28 degrees.There’s even a 70% chance of precipitation, with possible snow accumulation of one to three inches. While Broncos head coach Sean Payton believes advanced analytics has played a significant role in deciding whether to go for it on fourth down or attempt a two-point conversion, he thinks weather does too.“All those things factor into your approach,” Payton said. “If you said 30 degrees with overcast and snow flurries, I want to know what the field conditions are like.”It’s clear that Payton incorporates weather into his game preparation. He said the team discusses where the sun sits over the stadium, and decides if they want opposing returners to look at the sunlight.But whether it is 80 degrees and...

Boulder Creek Neighborhoods at Baseline offer sophisticated, lower-maintenance homes

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:31:59 GMT

Boulder Creek Neighborhoods at Baseline promises to push the boundaries of traditional design by offering lower-maintenance homes that feature multiple outdoor spaces and abundant windows to create a welcoming, open indoor atmosphere.BOULDER CREEK NEIGHBORHOODS AT BASELINE IN BROOMFIELDWhat: Call or fill out the online form to join the interest list to receive an invitation to an exclusive November informational event.When: Grand opening expected in early 2024.Phone: 720-636-7088More info: LiveBaseline.comThe neighborhood will offer five three-story models that range from 2,989 to 3,243 square feet and provide three to five bedrooms. Each home will also include a three-car garage designed for all the gear needed for Colorado adventures.Principal architect Mitch Traeger wanted to create fun, dynamic homes. “The Baseline community is an authentic, urban-meets-nature neighborhood,” he said. “I saw an opportunity to do something unique, lower-maintenance, and new tha...

Body of slain L.A. model was found inside her refrigerator, autopsy reveals

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:31:59 GMT

A pregnant model who was found dead inside a downtown Los Angeles apartment last month had been bound, beaten and wedged inside her own refrigerator, according to the autopsy report obtained by KTLA on Friday.The body of Maleesa Mooney, 31, was discovered on Sept. 12 after police conducted a welfare check at her apartment on South Figueroa Street.She had suffered blunt force trauma to her head, torso and arms, the medical examiner’s report states, indicating the cause of death was “homicidal violence.”Mooney was last seen alive on surveillance video at her apartment complex on Sept. 6. She was two months pregnant when she died, her sister told KTLA.This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA for updates.