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Heidi Firkus murder: Evidence from husband’s trial made public

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:35 GMT

When Nicholas Firkus went on trial this year for the 2010 killing of his wife in St. Paul, jurors and people in the courtroom saw and heard evidence that had never before been made public.That included audio of the couple’s 911 calls, video of the only time Nicholas Firkus talked to an investigator and testing that police did at the Firkus home.A jury convicted Firkus in February of premediated murder in the shooting of Heidi Firkus, 25. He told police an intruder broke into their home, he armed himself with a shotgun, and he and the stranger struggled. He said the shotgun went off twice, fatally shooting Heidi in the back and grazing him in the thigh.RELATED: Nicholas Firkus gets life sentence for wife Heidi’s murder he blamed on intruder. ALSO: How Nicholas Firkus jurors decided in hours that he killed Heidi.Prosecutors told jurors that Firkus staged the break-in because he hadn’t told Heidi their home had been foreclosed on and there were going to be evicted the next ...

Black bear cubs rescued near train tracks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:35 GMT

PAWLING, N.Y. (NEWS10) - On March 31, Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Franz received reports of two bear cubs stranded and motherless next to the Metro-North Railroad in Pawling. Officer Franz followed a rail employee about a half mile down the tracks before finding the cubs. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! He found the cubs in a bushy area and was able to get control of the animals using a hooded sweatshirt. Wildlife rehabilitators from Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center met with the rail worker and ECO Franz and took in the cubs. After an assessment, the cubs were determined to be in good condition and expected to recover.

Structure fire closes down parts of Columbia Turnpike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:35 GMT

RENSSELAER, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A structure fire has broken out in an area of Columbia Turnpike. The East Greenbush Police say Columbia Turnpike from Discovery Drive to Sherwood Avenue is closed in all directions. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Drivers should avoid the area and expect heavy traffic delays. An East Greenbush officer tells NEWS10 the structure was fully involved and no injuries have been reported at this time. The officer also says the fire seems to be under control at this point.We will provide updates as more information is released.

Pizzeria owner sets sights on cannabis for Whitehall, Glens Falls

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:35 GMT

WHITEHALL, N.Y. (NEWS10) - Joe Kelley has run businesses around Whitehall since the 1990s, when he first opened Joe's Pizza on Broadway. He still remembers the date: September 24, 1998. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! In the decades since, Kelley has expanded to different corners of the northern Washington County town. First came the introduction of Bigfoot Wine & Liquor on the same property, followed by a move across the bridge over the Champlain Canal, where he operates an ice cream parlor and BBQ business. After a flood in 2020 ruined the foundation of the original pizzeria, and an electrical fire tore the building down in 2022, Kelley has been rebuilding his starting point - while selling pizza out of the BBQ business. He's doing it while keeping one eye on the future - thanks to a retail cannabis license he was approved for just a few weeks ago."The way it ended up rolling around, if you had a marijuana conviction ...

Experts discuss bail and possible changes to discovery law

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:35 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- Public safety has been one of the major hold ups in the state's now 12-day late budget. The Governor is pushing for some reform surrounding the least restrictive means standard and possibly discovery laws. But what exactly are discovery laws in the criminal context? Steve Coffey, partner at O’Connell and Aronowitz said in 2019, the changes to discovery forced the DA to disclose to the Defense Attorney their file, that includes all statements from witnesses, grand jury testimonies, photos, internal documents, anything pertaining to the case within 15 days.  Drag storytime postponed following backlash in Lake Luzerne "It's a big advantage to the defense because now they have a right to see exactly what the DA is seeing. In effect, they’re looking at the same records as both sides," said Coffey. While it’s unclear what changes are being proposed for discovery, some are saying there could be rollbacks. In a statement the Legal Aid Society said in part, “Now, Gov...

Pittsfield PD arrest suspect with drugs and a handgun

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:35 GMT

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (NEWS10) -- On Wednesday night, Pittsfield Police patroling Burbank Park noticed an occupied vehicle parked near the boat ramp. Police say while they were speaking with the driver and passenger, they observed a bullet and drug paraphernalia in the front seat. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Both individuals were detained. Police searched the vehicle and located a handgun and drugs. Neither individual possessed a license to carry. The driver was arrested on drug and firearm charges and arraigned in District Court on Thursday morning.

Emergency rule seeks to limit access to certain procedures for transgender Missourians

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:35 GMT

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey released details of an emergency rule Thursday seeking to make it harder for transgender children and adults to access certain medical procedures, calling them “experimental” and arguing they need “substantial guardrails.” The rule, once filed with the Secretary of State, would be in effect from April 27 to Feb. 6, 2024.Citing the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act — a law intended to prosecute fraudulent business practices — Bailey’s office prescribed a multi-faceted disclosure and screening process for physicians offering gender-affirming care.The attorney general’s rule mandates that anyone receiving puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or gender-transition surgery must first receive 15 hourly sessions with a psychologist or psychiatrist over at least 18 months.The rules also include a provision that bars physicians from prescribing puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones unless a patient has three “most recent, consecutive years” of ...

Missouri gets F, Illinois gets A- in annual gun law scorecard

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:35 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Gun control laws might look a little different on a state-to-state basis, though one new analysis suggests there's a stark contrast between both states of the St. Louis Metropolitan area. GIFFORDS Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence recently released its annual gun law scorecard, evaluating states based on their gun control laws. Missouri received a failing grade in the scorecard, while Illinois received an "A-" grade. A research team with GIFFORDS, an American advocacy organization promoting gun control, has released an annual gun law scorecard for several years. The scorecard offers grades and ranks for each state on their crimes rates, in addition to their enforcement and strength of gun laws. Top Story: Missouri students physically restrained, secluded thousands of times “There is no debate. Lawmakers can save lives, reduce violence, and make their states safer by following a simple blueprint: pass gun violence prevention laws," said Peter Ambler, Executive Directo...

Ban on transgender care passes Missouri House, setting up possible clash with Senate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:35 GMT

Differences between the House and Senate on how strict a ban on certain transgender health care should be could spell trouble for the proposal’s chances as the Missouri legislative session nears completion.Leaders in both chambers told reporters Thursday they are pushing for their respective body’s legislation.The Senate passed a version last month that allows transgender minors currently receiving care to continue treatments and includes an expiration date for the ban on hormone therapy. Both provisions were included as a compromise to end a Democratic filibuster. The House version, passed Thursday, leaves the compromise language out. Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said the House needs to pass his chamber’s version for any bill to have a chance this year. “We don’t get second chances on huge, huge issues like that very often,” Rowden said.Republicans in the House, however, stand by their version of the bill without any compromise.“I stand by what ...

Kevin Strickland sues K.C. Police Board over wrongful imprisonment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:42:35 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri man who spent more than 40 years in prison for a triple murder he did not commit alleges in a lawsuit that Kansas City police conducted a reckless investigation that led to his conviction.Kevin Strickland, 63, filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Jackson County Court against the Kansas City Police Board of Commissioners, which oversees the police department, and five officers who have retired.Strickland alleges that officers attributed false statements to him during the investigation and pressured the only eyewitness to the murders to identify him as the killer, The Kansas City Star reported.The Kansas City Police Department said it does not comment on pending lawsuits.Strickland was released from prison in November 2021 after a judge ruled he was wrongfully convicted of killing three people in Kansas City in 1978. That decision followed a hearing held after Jackson County prosecutors said a review of the case led them to believe Str...