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South Dakota attorney general calls on lawmaker to repay more than $600K in COVID-19 relief funds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:11:20 GMT

UNDATED (AP) — South Dakota’s attorney general called on a state lawmaker Thursday to repay more than $600,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funding she received for her preschool business. Attorney General Marty Jackley gave fellow Republican state Sen. Jessica Castleberry, of Rapid City, 10 days to return the money she accepted for Little Nest Preschool, which she owns.In a letter dated Wednesday, Jackley cited a 2020 South Dakota Supreme Court advisory warning state lawmakers that it is unconstitutional for them to accept federal pandemic funding. “The Supreme Court has expressly forbidden such payments to legislators,” Jackley wrote to Castleberry. Gov. Kristi Noem has said Castleberry violated the state constitution by accepting the pandemic aid. “The Supreme Court, could not have spoken more clearly, or on point to this issue. The Senator has a personal and ethical obligation to avoid conflict of interests,” Noem had written in an earlier letter to the attorney general.Cast...

Motorcyclist critically injured in Mississauga collision

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:11:20 GMT

A motorcyclist has life-threatening injuries after being involved in a collision with another vehicle in Mississauga.Peel Regional Police were called to the Dixie Road and Dundas Street area around 6 p.m. on Thursday for reports of a multi-vehicle crash.Officers located a motorcyclist with critical injuries. They were rushed to a local hospital.The driver remained at the scene.Delays are expected in the area.

Citigroup says some predecessor companies likely saw indirect financial benefits from slavery

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:11:20 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Some of the companies that formed what is now Citigroup likely benefitted financially from slavery in the 1800’s, the financial giant acknowledged Thursday, an admission that comes at a time when numerous institutions are re-examining their historic roots and the roles they played in slavery in the U.S.In research conducted last year, Citi found that none of its predecessor companies directly purchased, sold, or held slaves. But the research did find that some of predecessor entities “likely indirectly profited from the institution of slavery through financial transactions and relationships with individuals and entities located or operating in the United States before 1866.”Many of the nation’s biggest banks including Citi are conglomerations of financial institutions that have merged or bought each other over many years. Citi traces its founding back to 1812 when the City Bank of New York was created.One of Citi’s most prominent presidents in the 19th Century ...

David Lametti’s legacy as justice minister is advancing cause of wrongfully convicted

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:11:20 GMT

OTTAWA — When David Lametti met David Milgaard in his office a few years back, he pulled a copy of The Tragically Hip’s “Fully Completely” off a shelf and asked Milgaard to sign his record. Its song “Wheat Kings” was inspired by the wrongful conviction that kept Milgaard falsely imprisoned for 23 years, starting when he was a teenager.“He called David his hero when he was a student,” recalled James Lockyer, a Toronto-based lawyer who helped found the organization Innocence Canada, which works to exonerate people like Milgaard, who died last year.“He had a photographer come in and take multiple photographs with him and David in his office … I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he’s framed one.“I saw how visibly affected he was, and it visibly affected me to see that.” As justice minister, Lametti introduced legislation earlier this year seeking to establish a long-fought-for independent commission to review cases wh...

Skilling: Threat of severe weather Friday ahead of weekend cooldown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:11:20 GMT

FIRST, THE LATEST THURSDAY WEATHER HEADLINESTHE HEAT IS ON--THOUGH AN EXPECTED LAKE BREEZE IS TEMPERING THE HEAT IN LAKESIDE AREAS THURSDAY---LOW & MID 90s WITH TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT INDICES INLAND THURSDAY----FRIDAY HOLDS THE POTENTIAL OF BEING THE HOTTEST IN THE CURRENT HOT SPELL--BUT SEVERAL TWISTS WARRANT MONITORING, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS A POTENTIAL "WIND-SHIFTING BACK DOOR COLD FRONT" WHICH COULD SEND TEMPS CRASHING FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER SECTIONS OF THE AREA EVEN AS WITHERING TRIPLE DIGIT HEAT INDICES GRIP SOUTHERN SECTIONS---ALSO SEVERE WEATHER AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERY FLOODING DOWNPOURS COMES INTO PLAY LATE FRIDAY OR, MORE LIKELY, FRIDAY NIGHT---MUCH COOLER, LESS HUMID WEEKEND FOLLOWSIt's hot out there Thursday--though the predicted easterly lake breeze is doing its thing and restraining the most extreme heat in lakeside and north suburban areas closest to the lake. 34 states are under heat advisories Thursday and Friday; sections of 15 states are under...

'Can feel the sweat': Chicagoans grapple with scorching heat and high humidity

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:11:20 GMT

CHICAGO - Staying hydrated and trying to catch a little shade is part of the mix at the colorful Fiesta Del Sol, but for those forced to work in the heat across the city, the stifling conditions have presented an enormous challenge. For many, the heat brought about a fun day in the sun. For others, it was business as usual with no reprieve in sight.Work continued amid the scorching temperatures for a hard-working street crew in Pilsen. Thursday Forecast: Heat Advisory issued for parts of area, isolated storms possible tonight "We got to be here. Someone has to do the work,” said utility worker Daniel Rendon.  Even through leisure, Alejandro Chavez told WGN News he bore the brunt of the hot weather.  “I'm sweating already,” the laundromat patron said. "It's really humid. I can feel the sweat."   At the Pier 31 Restaurant, drinks on ice were the beverage of choice at Chicago's 31st Street Beach.  List: Cooling centers in Chicago "I’m going to go dip my feet in the water ...

Chase Claypool on 2023: 'This is the biggest year of my life.'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:11:20 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — He's been one of the most talked about players in the 2023 offseason for the Bears other than Justin Fields. That's because many are wondering if Chase Claypool will be able to reach his potential with the team after a slow start to his career late in the 2022 season when he came over from the Steelers.But you can be that the receiver is feeling just as much anticipation for this upcoming campaign as any other in his football career. "This is the biggest year of my life. I understand that," said Claypool to reporters as training camp opens this week at Halas Hall. "If anyone thinks my work ethic isn't matching that, they're deeply mistaken."I get motivated and motivated and motivated and it just keeps building on top of each other. My work ethic grows from last year, it will grow after this year, I learn from things, I'm always growing, just like everyone in the world should be - you always grow and learn from your mistakes."The goal is the same at the end of the...

3M Open: Potential redemption stories abundant as struggling golfers find form on Day 1 in Blaine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:11:20 GMT

TPC Twin Cities proved to be friendly confines on Thursday for golfers in search of rediscovering their form.Billy Horschel is still a top-50 player in the world by the Official World Golf Rankings’ count. But he hasn’t logged a finish inside the top 40 in more than three months, a stretch that includes four missed cuts.He shot a 5-under round of 66 in Round 1 of the 3M Open.Brandt Snedeker went nearly nine months between tournaments after undergoing surgery to address the major pain in his sternum.He shot a 7-under 64.Tyler Duncan entered the week having made just 10 cuts in 27 tournaments played this season. He hasn’t finished higher than 47th in an event in four months. He shot a 7-under 64.Kevin Streelman’s last five results read as follows: missed cut, tied for 49th, missed cut, tied for 51st, missed cut. He, too, shot a 7-under 64.They’re all chasing Lee Hodges, the solo leader after an 8-under 63, who came to Blaine this week having missed three cuts in his past four starts.T...

Stillwater bar no longer facing criminal charges in George Musser death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:11:20 GMT

A downtown Stillwater bar is no longer facing criminal charges of selling alcohol to 20-year-old George Musser prior to his death in December.In an amended complaint filed Wednesday in Washington County District Court, Brian’s Bar & Grill is still accused of having sold liquor to an underage patron on Dec. 23, but not to Musser.George Musser (Courtesy of Bradshaw Funeral Home)“After reviewing all of the evidence, we could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Musser was served any alcohol by the establishment,” Stillwater City Attorney Joe Kelly said Thursday.Musser, of Stillwater, was last seen alive around 2:20 a.m. Christmas Eve, leaving Brian’s Bar & Grill at 219 S. Main St., the Washington County sheriff’s office said at the time.The temperature was below zero with fairly strong winds when Musser left the bar in a flannel shirt and jeans with a stocking cap and shoes but no coat. His body was found around 7 p.m. on Christmas Day about two miles from the bar, near...

Vikings’ Alexander Mattison getting comfortable as RB1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:11:20 GMT

Alexander Mattison is taking the biggest opportunity of his life and running with it. Literally.After serving as the primary backup to Dalvin Cook for the past few seasons, Mattison is finally the guy shouldering the load as the team’s top running back. That much was decided earlier this offseason when the Vikings released Cook to save some money during a salary cap crunch.Now, with training camp underway at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, there’s no question that Mattison is the starting running back for the Vikings.“It’s my job now to go out there and prove their decision right,” Mattison said. “I’m extremely honored that they trust and believe in me.”To the untrained eye, the decision to roll with Mattison instead of Cook this season might not make a lot sense. Take a closer look at the body of work, however, and it sheds some light on why general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah felt comfortable taking that risk.Not only is Mattison a p...