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How to keep your pets safe from wildfire smoke

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

As wildfire smoke makes an expected but unwelcome comeback to Toronto, it’s important to take precautions not only for ourselves but for our furry friends as well.Smoke can pose serious health risks to pets, just as it does to humans, and the Toronto Humane Society (THS) is providing some guidelines on how to keep them safe.“The first really important thing is just to stay informed,” says Greg Ratelle from THS. “[Make sure we’re] following Environment Canada, making sure we understand when air quality is the worst and then making sound decisions for our little ones,” he says.Pets need the same protection as humans, so staying indoors as much as possible, closing doors and windows and using air purifiers will be beneficial for them as well. But while animals like cats, rabbits and hamsters may fare well without outdoor activities, dogs must be walked.Ratelle offers the following tips to keep them safe if you must go outside:Reduce exposure by taking shor...

Presumed human remains recovered from Titan wreckage, Coast Guard says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - Potential human remains have been found in the recovered wreckage of the Titan submersible, which returned to land Wednesday, according to authorities. A formal analysis of the "presumed human remains" will be conducted by U.S. medical professionals, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release. Five people were killed when the submersible imploded earlier this month: Ocean Gate CEO and pilot Stockton Rush; two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.Debris from the vessel was found on the Atlantic Ocean's floor last Thursday, roughly 1,600 feet from the Titanic and about 12,500 feet underwater. How long had the Titan journeyed before its ‘catastrophic implosion’? The submersible, belonging to OceanGate, Inc., suffered a “catastrophic implosion” less than two hours after it began its underwater journey to the Titanic's wreckage, authorities determined...

UPS Teamsters say nationwide strike is 'imminent' if Friday deadline not met

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

The Teamsters working for shipping giant UPS said a strike is “imminent” after walking away from the bargaining table. The UPS Teamsters said in a statement late Wednesday it gave UPS a one-week notice Tuesday to “act responsibly and exchange a stronger economic proposal” to more than 340,000 employees of the shipping company. The Teamsters demanded that UPS delivers its “last, best and final offer” to the union by Friday. “The largest single-employer strike in American history now appears inevitable,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “Executives at UPS, some of whom get tens of millions of dollars a year, do not care about the hundreds of thousands of American workers who make this company run,” he said.A UPS truck makes deliveries May 10 in Northbrook, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)Earlier this month, UPS agreed to “equip all newly purchased U.S. small package delivery vehicles with air conditioning” in 2024.The company also promised to...

Iowa woman who lost home in tornado wins $2 million lottery prize

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

CLIVE, Iowa (WHO) - An Ottumwa woman who lost her home in a 2001 tornado has won the Iowa Lottery's $2 million Powerball prize. Tammy Gordy, 56, and her husband Steve lived in Agency in 2001 when the community was damaged by a tornado. The Gordys lost their home in that storm. Tammy told the Iowa Lottery that she plans to use her winnings to finish building their new home. Can you increase your odds of winning Powerball? "We were in the process of building a home and it kind of got put on hold for a few years, so now this is going to speed it up," she said. "And it's going to go into better details. I'm talking a walk-in closet and a Jacuzzi tub!"Tammy purchased her ticket at the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh in the 1000 block of North Quincy Ave. in Ottumwa. Her ticket matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball in Saturday's drawing. Tammy added the Power Play, which multiplied her winnings to $2 million. "I fell to my chair," she said, recounting the moment she realized ...

Shelter-in-place at Austin Community College lifted after reports of man with machete

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A shelter-in-place order was lifted at the Austin Community College Eastview location after previous reports of a man near campus armed with a machete, according to the ACC District Twitter.Shortly after 5 p.m., ACC posted on Twitter writing the campus was under a shelter-in-place until further notice.However, after approximately 15 minutes, ACC posted another tweet writing the order was lifted at Eastview, and police issued an all-clear.The campus returned to normal operations effective immediately, according to ACC.

APH monitoring malaria situation following a locally-acquired infection in Texas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Public Health said the entity is going to continue to “monitor the situation” after a Texas resident who had not traveled outside the state or country became infected with malaria. Malaria is a serious, potentially fatal disease caused by a parasite that can be transmitted to a human through the bite of a mosquito. According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, this is the first locally acquired case in Texas in almost 30 years. Texan diagnosed with malaria after working outdoors in Cameron County The infected man reportedly works outdoors and lives in Cameron County – around 330 miles from Austin – per the DSHS.  The CDC reported he has received treatment and his condition is improving.“In Texas, we, on average – according to the [DSHS] – see 120 or so cases a year that are related to persons who have traveled to areas where malaria is present,” said Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin Public Health Medical Director. The highest transmission of the d...

Heat relief, daily rain chances by the 4th of July

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Temperatures are trending downward 1-2 degrees each afternoon, slowly and steadily bringing relief from this unusual early summer heatwave and bringing a more typical 4th of July forecast.A Heat Advisory and Excessive Heat Warning continue for much of the area this evening as heat and humidity continue at unusual levels for early summer.Heat alerts continue for most of the area WednesdayThe powerful heat dome responsible for the prolonged June heat wave will finally shift east and weaken late week into the weekend. This displacement will allow high temperatures to drop slightly each day, falling below 100° in Austin by early next week.This change in pattern will also allow low daily rain chances to return beginning Sunday. A few isolated storms are possible through the July 4th holiday, with wetter weather possibly persisting through next week.6-10 day precipitation outlookSummer Fan DriveOur Summer Fan Drive is underway! Please click here to find out how you can ma...

Leander ISD student wins national high school musical award

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) -- Leander ISD high school student Langston Lee won the award for best actor at The Jimmy Awards in New York Monday, Leander ISD said on Twitter.The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, known as The Jimmy Awards, elevates the importance of theatre arts education in schools and rewards excellence in student performance, the website said.According to the NHSMTA website, Lee was presented the award for 'Best Performance by an Actor' representing Heller Awards for Young Artists.Lee starred in Rouse High School's production of 'Anastasia' this past school year and received 'Best Actor' at the Heller Awards for Young Artists in Austin, according to Leander ISD.The Heller Awards for Young Artists boosts visibility for high school musical theatre programs and generates an event that builds community, while celebrating the hard work and talent of thousands of students and teachers in the Greater Austin area, according to the Heller Awards for Young Artists websi...

Jair Camargo’s grand slam with two outs in bottom of the ninth rallies Saints past Stripers 12-9

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

St. Paul Saints catcher Jair Camargo’s skills behind the plate are thought to be what will eventually get him to the big leagues. Lately he is making a name for himself as a clutch hitter as well.Camargo’s two-out grand slam — his third slam of the season — in the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday at CHS Field gave the Saints a dramatic 12-9 come-from-behind victory over the Gwinnett Stripers . The 5-foot-11, 237-pound Camargo hit the first pitch he saw over the wall in straight-away center for his 12th home run of the season.It was an early birthday present to himself; Camargo turns 24 on Saturday.On May 28, Camargo hit a grand slam in the seventh inning against Omaha to trim the Saints’ deficit to 6-5. They went on to win, 10-6. Camargo had a grand slam in a win over Iowa on June 6. He hit two home runs the next night in a win over the I-Cubs.Wednesday’s heroics sent those of an announced crowd of 8,355 who stuck around until the end into a frenzy.“People say sometimes the g...

St. Paul City Council hosts public hearing on proposed University of St. Thomas athletic complex

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:42 GMT

The University of St. Thomas is moving ahead with plans for baseball and softball fields, an indoor training center and parking lot in St. Paul’s Highland Park neighborhood and officials discussed their plans Wednesday at a city council public hearing.The university last summer proposed a new college sports campus in the southeast corner of the Highland Bridge development, west of Cleveland Avenue. Last July, university officials announced they had scrapped plans for an NCAA Division 1 hockey arena at the site and would redraw its designs, limiting the complex to college baseball and softball facilities south of Montreal Avenue.Those plans have since come into sharper focus, and the future transformation of 13 acres of Canadian Pacific Railway land into a Division 1 sports destination appears more and more likely. That said, university officials acknowledge that several years of planning and fundraising are ahead.“I’m very excited about this,” said Ward 3 Cou...