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Church members hoping whoever stole truckload of organ pipes will repent, shipment can be recovered

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Members of a Tennessee church are hoping and praying that whoever stole a moving truck over the weekend will repent after finding out what’s inside: old organ pipes, and lots of them.Calvary Episcopal Church in downtown Memphis had loaded a Penske truck with nearly 2,000 organ pipes for transport to Spencer Organ Company in Boston, where they were to undergo restoration, news outlets reported. Instead the church discovered on Sunday that the truck and the almost 90-year-old pipes were gone.Spencer Organ Company owner Joseph Rotella said in a police report that the pipes have limited value to whoever has them now.“They have amazing intrinsic value to this project, they are historic. It is going to be very hard to duplicate them, but they don’t have a lot of value outside of this organ,” Rotella said.A statement posted on the church’s website says Memphis Police and Penske are involved in the search for the missing truck. The church also relayed...

Democrat pledges ethics package in his challenge of Mississippi GOP governor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Democrat running for Mississippi governor said Tuesday that he will push legislators to enact an ethics package that includes limits on campaign donations, frequent disclosure about lobbyists’ spending and a ban on former state officials quickly becoming lobbyists.“We’re going to send a message in the tune of that old Willie Nelson song: ‘Shut Out the Lights, the Party’s Over,’” Brandon Presley said during a news conference on the Capitol steps.Presley is trying to unseat Republican Gov. Tate Reeves. Presley is in his fourth term as an elected member of the three-person Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities.Reeves is seeking a second term as governor in a state where Republicans hold all statewide offices and a supermajority in the Legislature. Reeves previously served in other statewide elected offices — two terms as lieutenant governor and two terms as state treasurer. “Brandon Presley is a classic Democrat — accusing every Republican o...

Gas pipeline gets new permit to build in Appalachian national forest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A controversial and long-delayed natural gas pipeline got the green light for construction on national forest land in Virginia and West Virginia after the U.S. Forest Service reissued approval for a permit, despite past federal appeals court rulings determining developers had “inadequately considered” the project’s environmental impact.Monday night’s decision will allow the $6.6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline to be built — for now — across a 3.5-mile (5.6-kilometer) corridor through the Jefferson National Forest.The 303-mile pipeline would transport natural gas that’s drilled in Ohio and Pennsylvania across rugged slopes in the Appalachian Mountains. Environmental groups say construction has led to violations of regulations meant to control erosion and sedimentation.Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC, the joint venture behind the project, still has other federal permits it will need approved as it works to complete the pipeline by the end of th...

Kim Gardner steps down as St. Louis’ elected prosecutor 2 weeks sooner than planned

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Embattled St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, who had announced she would resign effective June 1, said Tuesday she is leaving office immediately, ending a turbulent tenure marked by frequent criticism, especially from Missouri’s Republican leaders.A statement from Gardner’s office said she has been working with St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell on the transition plan so that his office can take over city cases “to prioritize public safety.” It didn’t explain why the transition was happening sooner than expected.Gardner had been facing an ouster effort by Missouri’s attorney general and was under scrutiny from Republican-led state lawmakers when she announced May 4 that she would resign, effective June 1. But on Tuesday, after Gardner and Bell met with a circuit judge in St. Louis to finalize a temporary transfer of power, Gardner said in a statement that she was stepping down immediately.“Effective immediately, Kimberly M. Gardner wi...

Quebec government says it won’t appeal $385,000 judgment for ex-premier Charest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

QUEBEC — The Quebec government says it won’t appeal a judgment last month awarding $385,000 to former premier Jean Charest after he sued the province for invasion of privacy.A Superior Court judge sided with Charest in the case involving leaked details about a police investigation into alleged illegal Liberal party financing during his tenure as premier.The former premier and recent candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada was never charged in the investigation and has said the 2017 leaks tarnished his reputation and affected him personally.The province says it will, however, contest the roughly $700,000 claim Charest recently filed for abuse of process in connection with his lawsuit.Charest, who became Quebec Liberal leader in 1998 and was premier from 2003 to 2012, says the attorney general used stalling tactics during the proceedings and that its conduct was abusive from start to finish.In February 2022, Quebec’s anti-corruption police closed i...

Lower child-care fees could see 100,000 more Ontario women in workforce: report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

Ontario’s financial watchdog says $10-a-day child care has the potential to see nearly 100,000 more women enter the labour market, but only if the government creates more daycare spaces.The Financial Accountability Office says in a new report that labour participation rates for mothers with young children rose 2.4 percentage points just from 2021 to 2022, the first year the reduced child-care fees started taking effect.The FAO estimates that once fully rolled out, the $10-a-day child-care program in Ontario could increase labour market participation for women aged 25 to 54 from 84 per cent in 2022 to between 85.6 per cent and 87.1 per cent by 2027, adding up to 98,600 women to the workforce.However, the report says that the 71,000 new child-care spaces promised by Ontario under the federal agreement won’t nearly be enough to meet the demand for care, and if the government doesn’t create more spaces it will offset some of the positive labour market impacts.The repor...

Olympic gold-medal figure skater Sarah Hughes running for NY congressional seat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Sarah Hughes, who won a gold medal in figure skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics, has filed to run for Congress in New York, joining several other Democrats seeking to unseat Long Island Republican Anthony Esposito.Hughes, 38, will make a formal campaign announcement of her campaign for New York’s 4th Congressional District ”in the next few weeks,” spokesperson Max Kramer said Tuesday.Hughes was just 16 when she scored her upset win over teammate Michelle Kwan at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.She later earned an undergraduate degree from Yale and a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.Hughes spent three years as an associate at Manhattan-based corporate law firm Proskauer Rose and is currently studying toward an MBA from Stanford.She made headlines in 2011 when she dated Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor and Donald Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani.Hughes lives in Manhattan and is looking for a home within the 4th Congressio...

2 in serious condition after shooting on Eisenhower; inbound lanes closed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

CHICAGO — Inbounds lanes of the Eisenhower Expressway near Cicero Avenue are closed due to a shooting investigation.The shooting occurred just before 11:45 a.m.   Jamie Foxx being treated in Chicago: report According to Illinois State Police, two people were rushed to a nearby hospital in serious condition. Eastbound I-290 traffic is being diverted off at Harlem Avenue while troopers investigate, ISP added. Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesSKyCam9 is currently above the scene. Anyone who witnessed this incident or has any knowledge of it is asked to contact the ISP by phone at (847) 294-4400 or by email at [email protected]. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Jamie Foxx being treated in Chicago: report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

CHICAGO — Actor Jamie Fox is continuing to undergo physical rehabilitation for an undisclosed medical complication — but now he's reportedly seeking treatment in Chicago.According to TMZ, several family members visited Foxx at an undisclosed Chicago location over the weekend. A source tells TMZ the actor has been in the city since late April.About a month ago, Foxx fell ill and was hospitalized in Atlanta. The cause of his medical emergency has not been revealed. Jamie Foxx is ‘out of the hospital’ and recuperating, daughter says On April 12, Corinne posted to Instagram, alerting the public of her father’s medical issue.“We wanted to share that my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday,” she wrote on behalf of the Foxx family.“Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery. We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers,” the statement read. “The family asks for privacy during this time.”Foxx was filming the ...

Tuesday Forecast: Temps in low 80s, then to drop late day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:25 GMT

CHICAGO — Nice conditions Tuesday with temperatures in low 80s and partly sunny conditions. Temperatures crash by late day. Winds: WNW 5-15 G20. High: 80. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Partly cloudy tonight. Winds: NNE 10-15 G25. Low: 48.Wednesday Forecast: Mostly sunny, wide temp range, NE 5-10 G15. 62/56.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog