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Soucheray: Tax increase after increase and now new taxes, too. What’s sustainable about that?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:51 GMT

It was interesting to note, but all too telling, that St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter’s State of the City address the other day was attended by mostly city workers and longtime campaign supporters. All of us might have attended, and were certainly welcome, but the event at the Oxford Community Center was scheduled during the day. Many of us were busy and could not accommodate another mayoral matinee. All mayors seem to do it that way, take their victory laps during the day when the only people who can be counted on to attend are grateful for knowing where their bread is buttered.The rest of us are just wondering what is going on.The city is in great shape? We have no discernible evidence that the city is chugging along smoothly and leaving a wake of accomplishment and a feeling of general well-being.Yes, by all accounts Carter believes the city is practically a shining beacon on the hill, if only he can win his request of yet another tax, a 1 percent increase in the city’s sales tax, w...

2-Year-Old girl reported missing in St. Louis County, endangered person advisory issued

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:51 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis County police have issued an endangered person advisory for a 2-year-old girl. Lay-lonny West is described as being two feet tall and 60 pounds. She has black hair, brown eyes, and a birthmark on her left thumb. She was last seen wearing a purple tie-dye shirt and pants. Thomas forcefully removed his child, Leilani, from the child's mother after the child's mother broke up with him. Thomas has made statements indicating he may harm himself and has refused to speak with law enforcement when contacted by telephone. Anyone seeing the missing person, suspect, or vehicle, or anyone having any information related to the endangered missing person, should immediately dial 911 to contact the nearest law enforcement agency or call the St. Louis County Police Department at (636) 529-8210.

Best public high schools in Missouri

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:51 GMT

As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a '96 commencement address at Wellesley College, "Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead." If that's the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.It's a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, public education is key: 49.5 million students enrolled in public PreK-12 schools in 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, about a third were in high school, enrolled across about 23,500 public secondary schools nationwide.For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out fo...

At least 2 people shot inside Glendale restaurant 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:51 GMT

Multiple people were shot at a restaurant in Glendale around 1 a.m. Saturday morning. The shooting took place at the Phoenicia Restaurant on the corner of Central Avenue and Lexington Drive. According to preliminary information from the Glendale Police Department, a manager at the restaurant called 911 and reported that shots were fired in the restaurant.  Suspect wanted for attacking diner at Santa Monica restaurant No suspects or victims were at the scene by the time police arrived, but reports indicate that two people showed up at a local hospital with gunshot wounds. The shooting remains under investigation. This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA for updates.

Disneyland attractions that typically don't have long lines

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:51 GMT

Disneyland and Disney California Adventure are filled with various attractions, restaurants and retail shops that make for a magical visit, at least for the part of the visit where you aren't in line. For Disneyland Resort fans and first-time visitors who want to enjoy the park more and spend less time standing in line, here are some attractions and experiences that typically don’t have long wait times.Attractions Splash MountainSplash Mountain at Walt Disney World Resort's Magic Kingdom on July 23, 2020. (BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images)The famous yet controversial water ride typically has a shorter wait time during the evening since guests usually don’t want to get wet at night. However, wait times during the day for this attraction may be longer than usual since Disneyland officials announced that the ride is set to close on May 31 for an extensive reimagining process.Take a royal ride on the King Arthur Carousel A photo of the King Arthur Carousel at Disneyland. (Christian...

Better Pain Relief: CBD Oil vs CBD Topicals

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:51 GMT

View the original article about CBD For Pain Relief at Real Tested CBD.These days you can get CBD in just about any form, and each has somewhat of a different use. CBD oils and CBD topicals are both popular choices for managing pain and finding relief. But does one work better than the other?Let’s take a deeper look into CBD oils and CBD topicals and which one could benefit you the most for pain relief.How Does CBD Work for Pain?Two of the most common product choices for pain relief when it comes to CBD are orally consumed products and topically applied products. One of these is used inside the body while the other works on the outside. Both works to achieve the same goal, homeostasis, or balance for the body.CBD is thought to be effective in managing and reducing pain because of its unique way of interacting with the human body’s endocannabinoid system. The ECS is largely responsible for bodily functions like pain, mood, sleep cycles, appetite and more. CBD has the ability to inter...

California’s absurd energy policies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:51 GMT

Every year, the California Legislature passes blank bills.Twenty, 30, even 40 pieces of blank legislation are introduced, each with a bill number, each completely empty of language except for a single line expressing the intent of the Legislature to fill them in later with something related to the budget.These blank “budget” bills go through all the required legislative steps intended to enable thoughtful consideration and transparency and then they are brought to the floor, passed, and sent to the other house. It’s a pantomime.The state’s entire budget process is mostly theater, because the real budget is negotiated behind closed doors by the governor and legislative leaders. That’s when backroom deals become “amendments” to the blank bills. These “budget trailer bills” nearly break the sound barrier as they fly through the Legislature and land on the governor’s desk, and by the time you find out what’s in them, it’s too late.And that is how the state passed a law mandating electri...

Prep roundup: Dougherty Valley stuns No. 9 San Ramon Valley in baseball

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:51 GMT

BaseballDougherty Valley shocks No. 9 San Ramon ValleyTwo days and a change of scenery made all the difference for Dougherty Valley right-hander Cody Williams.The 5-foot-7 senior pitched a complete game on Friday as the host Wildcats stunned San Ramon Valley – ranked ninth by the Bay Area News Group – 3-0 in an East Bay Athletic League game.SRV was 12-0 all-time against Dougherty entering the game.Williams allowed three hits, struck out six and walked none as the Wildcats improved to 8-10 overall and 3-7 in the league.SRV fell to 13-7, 5-4.It was quite a turnaround for Williams.Wednesday, he allowed three runs in one inning as San Ramon Valley beat the Wildcats 9-5.The complete game was Williams’ fourth of the season – all victories – and the shutout was his second. He also blanked Deer Valley.Ethan Kim, Jayden Rouse and Brayden Braga each drove in runs – all in the second inning – and Evon Williams had two hits and scored a run to lead Dougherty on Friday.The result dropped SRV thr...

How much do the A’s matter to Oakland’s identity?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:51 GMT

OAKLAND — What is lost when a sports team jilts a city, leaving a large, empty stadium behind?A’s fans know that if the once-#RootedInOakland team completes a new deal to buy land and build a stadium in Las Vegas, it won’t change a thing about Oakland’s cultural diversity, food offerings, artistic contributions, progressive values and overall coolness.They also know better than most the nuances of loving something that doesn’t love you back.“The important part of all this was Oakland pride,” said Tony Duncan, owner of the 2101 Club in East Oakland, a top local spot to watch A’s games. “Having the team here and the fans who watch them, it feels like family.”A’s President Dave Kaval has stressed that the planned move isn’t final, and the team doesn’t intend to leave East Oakland at least until its lease at the Coliseum ends in 2024.But city leaders appear ready to move on and Mayor Sheng Thao made clear Thur...

‘I was able to give back’: Landmark firefighting law sparks new hope for former inmates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:51 GMT

When Benjamin Fowler was serving a second 10-year prison term, he didn’t see a clear path forward to a new life after his time was up. He was in his mid-30s, with a young son, a teenage daughter and a 2023 release date. He figured he would try to get back into landscaping or become a carpenter.Then in September of 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2147 into law, allowing incarcerated people who served as inmate firefighters to have their records expunged. Prior to its passage, many inmates were unemployable as firefighters after leaving prison because of their criminal records — even if they had spent years doing the exact same job, and even though California had a shortage of firefighters.“As soon as I heard about that law being passed, it was probably a two-year process,” Fowler said. “But when I got to the fire camp, I knew that’s where I was supposed to be.”Benjamin Fowler, left, wearing a bandana, with a conservation camp crew in 2020. Inmates in the Conservation Ca...