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3rd Illinois corrections officer sentenced in inmate death

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

(WBHF) -- A former sergeant at a Illinois correctional facility was sentence to six years in prison Wednesday for his role in the death of an inmate.Willie Hedden, 43, a former sergeant at the Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. Sterling, Illinois, was sentenced on Wednesday to six years’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, according to a news release. Hedden was sentenced for civil rights deprivation resulting in bodily injury and death and obstruction of justice offenses in connection with the death of Larry Earvin, an inmate at the facility, the release says. In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Hedden, of Mt. Sterling; Todd Sheffler, 54, of Mendon, Illinois; and Alex Banta, 31, of Quincy, Illinois, charging each of them with civil rights resulting in bodily injury and death and obstruction offenses. Cooperating guard gets 6 years in Illinois inmate’s death Hedden accepted responsibility for his crimes by pl...

'One big family' mindset has glued Longhorns together, put them into 1st Sweet 16 since 2008

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team hasn't been to the Sweet 16 in 15 years, and while that's a tremendous accomplishment the team is proud of, they certainly aren't satisfied.The second-seeded Longhorns take on third-seeded Xavier at 8:45 p.m. Friday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City to see who moves on to Sunday's Elite Eight, and what has held the team together this season has been their love for one another.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersSenior forward Timmy Allen, one of 16 players in college basketball since 1992 to score at least 2,000 points, grab 800 rebounds and notch 300 assists during a career, said "he's soaking everything in.""I'm taking this to heart because I'm not getting this again," he said Tuesday before the team left for Kansas City. "I'm mature enough to know how special this is. There was a moment after we beat K-State on t...

Where to get the best tamales in the Austin area

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After KXAN did a callout on social media asking where the best tamales were in Austin, there were a few places in and around the area everyone preferred.While not one person said a single place in Austin stood out, the consistency remained in where Austinites said the best places for tamales reign, even if they are not directly in Austin.Tamale HouseTamale House has always been a neighborhood spot since 1958, the Tamale House website said. The business served the downtown Austin community.Tamale House East opened in 2012, according to the Tamale House website. The first time the business opened, it served its very first customers during South by Southwest."True to form, we remain a neighborhood spot. And while the neighborhood has changed, we remain steadfast in cooking the old-fashioned way, making everything fresh and from scratch," the website said.Texas-sized tamale menu:Pork tamaleChicken tamaleBean, cheese and jalapeno tamaleTo view the menu in full, go here.D...

Texas border bills aim to challenge federal law and consolidate state power

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The Texas Senate Committee on Border Security on Thursday heard a bill that would create a state crime for illegally crossing the federal border. It's the latest legislative effort to consolidate border enforcement authority at a time when Texas officials accuse the Biden Administration of ignoring the strain on border communities.SB 2424 by State Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury) would create a Class A misdemeanor for noncitizens who attempt to cross the Texas-Mexico border illegally. Additional offenses would be charged as felonies. The power to patrol and prosecute border crimes is reserved to the federal government. But that's not stopping top Texas Republicans from trying to push the limits of state power."As a result of the federal government's unwillingness to enforce federal immigration laws and secure our southern border, the State of Texas has stepped up and devoted time and resources to combat the unprecedented border crisis that the state is facing," t...

Texas Longhorns to battle veteran Xavier team Friday in Sweet 16

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KXAN) - The Texas men's basketball team has already made history in an emotional season making the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008. Now they are set to duel with the Xavier Musketeers out of the Big East at 8:45 p.m. Friday.Xavier reached the second weekend after beating a pair of double-digit seeds. The Musketeers handled 14th-seeded Kennesaw State 72-67 and 11th-seeded Pittsburgh 84-73. ‘One big family’ mindset has glued Longhorns together, put them into 1st Sweet 16 since 2008 The Longhorns, too, have played only double-digit seeds. The test against Xavier looks on paper to be their toughest yet in the tournament."Xavier is a really good team," said Longhorns senior guard Marcus Carr. "Obviously, they wouldn't be here if they weren't. Great offensive team that likes to push the pace. They can shoot the ball well."That offensive attack is led by Souley Boum, a graduate transfer that Rodney Terry coached at UTEP. In his first year with Xavier, the veteran...

Minnesota House considering bill to shield trans children, their families

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

The Minnesota House was moving Thursday toward strengthening the state’s protections for children and their families who come for gender-affirming care by making Minnesota a “trans refuge state,” bucking a national backlash against transgender rights.Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order two weeks ago to protect the rights of people from Minnesota and other states to receive gender-affirming health care in the state. The bill on which the House was slated to begin debate Thursday night covers much of the same ground, but supporters said a statute would provide stronger, more permanent protections. Passage was expected.The chief author of the House bill is Democratic Rep. Leigh Finke, of St. Paul, the state’s first openly transgender legislator. She was named Woman of the Year for Minnesota by USA Today on Sunday for her activism on behalf of trans youth. Her bill is meant to protect trans people, families and care providers from a range of legal repercussion...

Gym buddies honored for saving St. Paul man who collapsed at Mendota Heights Anytime Fitness

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

Although the three men who made up the predawn crew at a Mendota Heights gym didn’t talk much, they felt a certain camaraderie showing up each day in the near empty gym for their 4 a.m. workouts.Since December, however, the three are bonded forever after two of the men helped save the life of the third.Yohuru Wiliams and Dan Goodstein, along with a team of police and emergency responders, were honored at Mendota Heights City Hall on Thursday afternoon for their extraordinary efforts to save the life of their gym buddy, 59-year-old Ken Sperle of St. Paul.It all began shortly before 6 a.m. Dec. 11 at the Mendota Heights Anytime Fitness at 756 North Plaza Drive.Williams, of St. Paul, was in the middle of doing his 50 pullups when he heard Sperle, who was on the treadmill, groan, and then heard a thud. He looked over and saw Sperle had fallen onto his face on the treadmill and then rolled partly off. His face was bleeding.Meanwhile, Goodstein, of Inver Grove Heights, had just moved to t...

Adam Minter: Farmers can’t keep hogging the water in parched Southwest

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

The lush lawns and green golf courses of Southern California are an emblem of the desert Southwest’s dependence on the Colorado River. But they’re just a small part of the demands placed on this crucial water resource in times of both drought and plenty. The far bigger part, as much as 80%, comes from millions of acres of irrigated farms across the parched region.Those farms play a crucial role in the economic health of California and the desert Southwest. But their water rights and consumption are increasingly at odds with the region’s massive growth. As the seven states of the Colorado River Basin seek to preserve the river, agriculture must give up more.The American Southwest has been farmed for thousands of years. But it was only in 1901 that the first irrigated water from the Colorado River reached California’s forbidding Imperial County, where summer temperatures typically reach 110 degrees and rain is scarce. A decade later, irrigation brought Colorado...

Kley, Lear: Our students need to learn personal finance in high school. Require it

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

If you took a personal finance class in high school, you are one of the lucky ones. Understanding the elements of personal finance at an early age establishes a foundation for people to be more successful as adults. As a group of community leaders and financial service professionals, we see the benefits of exposure to personal finance or the detriments when it’s lacking nearly every day.Today, Minnesota high school students don’t have an equal opportunity to learn personal finance skills. It’s hard to imagine how the next generation will make sound financial decisions in an increasingly complex world without a solid understanding of budgeting, investing, and managing their money.The amount of personal finance instruction differs for each school district, and there is a great disparity in finance curriculums across the state. Few districts teach personal finance as a stand-alone subject, and others don’t offer it at all. Some districts integrate this subject within another course, su...

Crews battling fire at old Doane Stuart building

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:07 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Crews are on scene of a major drive on Mount Hope Drive in the city of Albany. The fire is at the old Doane Stuart building.Several fire crews have responded to the scene. Traffic has slowed significantly in the area. Video sent to NEWS10 shows the building fully engulfed with flames shooting into the air.The Doane Stuart School sent NEWS10 the following statement regarding the fire:The faculty, staff, administration, and alumni at Doane Stuart are heartbroken to hear about the fire at our old campus. It was an absolutely beautiful building and property that held years of memories for so many of us. Doane Stuart was a tenant of the property from 1975 until June of 2009 when we moved to our current campus in Rensselaer. Our thoughts are with everyone who is grieving the loss of this special landmark in Doane Stuart’s history.