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Washington County board OKs 2024 tax levy limit. Levy to increase, but tax rate will fall.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

The Washington County Board on Tuesday unanimously approved its maximum property tax levy – the upper limit of what the county can collect in property taxes for 2024.Although the $132.7 million tax levy is a 3.95 percent increase over 2023, county officials said the county tax rate is actually set to decrease by 7.3 percent. That’s because of the growing value of commercial property in the county and the addition of new construction to the county’s tax base.The board also approved a tax levy of $660,000 for the Washington County Regional Rail Authority, the same as in previous years.The proposed budget adopted by the board on Tuesday by a 4-1 vote includes $289 million in operating expenses; $59.2 million in capital projects and $15.3 million in debt service. Commissioner Michelle Clasen, who represents the Woodbury area, was the lone dissenter. Clasen said Thursday that she has concerns over equity and transparency in capital projects.Among the capital improvement projects pl...

Albany rally for addiction treatment and recovery

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) — Various community organizations came together at the Treatment Works Recovery Rally and March with a common message. Treatment works and recovery is possible.“Treatment works” chanted Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple along with crowd of supporters.About 300 people were in attendance today, K-9s and cops alike joined in on the festivities.There was a banner competition the event, one from the Addiction Recovery Centers of Albany that displayed superheroes from winning first prize. Despite the fun and games there was a serious undertone. The size of the crowd was testament  to how many lives the disease of addiction has touched in the Capital Region.Edward Bittig from Schenectady County is nearing 50 years of sobriety from alcohol — and as he jokes — jelly donuts. He says his recovery has come full circle.“I could not ask for a better life. I was recently honored by mothers against drunk drivers. A former drunk driver was honored ...

Edwardsville man charged with six felonies in child porn investigation

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

MADISON COUNTY, Ill. - An Edwardsville man faces six felonies in connection with a child porn investigation dating back to last year. Prosecutors have charged Connor Bazzell, 24, with six counts of child pornography. Four counts are considered high-level criminal offenses in Illinois as a Class X felony. Girl’s path to school: speeding cars, sex offenders, dangerous crosswalk The Edwardsville Police Department received a tip in December 2022 that a resident was distributing child pornography. Bazzell was charged Wednesday in connection with the investigation, and he's linked to child pornography crimes from Jan. 2022 and Aug. 2023. According to court documents obtained by FOX 2, Bazzell reportedly distributed videos of lewd acts involving two girls under the age of 18, including one under the age of 13. Charging documents also allege that Bazzell had videos of sex acts involving children on his phone. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your in...

Teen, two others charged in Washington Park homicide

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

WASHINGTON PARK, Ill. - A teenager and two others face criminal charges in connection with a recent Washington Park homicide investigation. Police recently arrested 22-year-old Deantae Hoskins, 26-year-old Cheyennea Hoskins, and a 16-year-old in connection with the investigation. Deantae, Cheyennea and the teen are accused in the death of 36-year-old Peter Hester Jr. on Sept. 8, 2023. Illinois State Police say Hester was fatally shot in the afternoon hours near 47th Street and Caseyville Avenue. Girl’s path to school: speeding cars, sex offenders, dangerous crosswalk ISP says a suspect vehicle led to the arrest of Deantae, Cheyennea and the teen. Investigators have not disclosed a motive or any other information regarding the case. Prosecutors have charged Deatae and the unidentified teenager with first-degree murder. Cheyennea has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon.Deantae and the teen are both jailed on a $1 million. Cheyennea is jailed on a $50,000 bond.

Denver man charged with human trafficking, pimping

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

A Denver man is accused of human trafficking, pimping and money laundering in new charges announced by the Denver District Attorney’s Office today.William F. Galbreath, 37, is charged with human trafficking for sexual servitude, pimping, money laundering and violating a protection order, according to the district attorney’s office.Galbreath pleaded guilty to pimping in 2020 and was sentenced to four years of supervised probation.But starting in January, he allegedly “identified multiple vulnerable women, coerced them to engage in commercial sex with promises of large sums of money and created fake businesses to launder the proceeds of the commercial sex,” the district attorney’s office wrote in a news release.An arrest warrant dated Sept. 6 details how Galbreath allegedly recruited women who were young, homeless or dealing with addiction and convinced them to engage in commercial sex work.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Aurora man sentenced to 40 years for 2021 ...

Toddler riding on someone’s lap in SUV of 10 people killed in Platteville crash, fire district says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

A toddler who was sitting in someone’s lap was killed in a crash between an SUV and semi-truck on U.S. 85 at the Justin Avenue exit in Platteville, according to emergency responders.Initial reports showed that 10 people were riding in the medium-sized SUV when the crash with a semi-truck driver occurred at about 1:17 a.m. Sunday, Platteville Gilcrest Fire Protection District spokesperson Matt Concialdi said.According to preliminary reports, the SUV was headed northbound on U.S. 85 and turned left onto Justin Avenue (Colo. 66) when it crashed into the semi-truck.Multiple people were ejected from the vehicle, including the adult and the child being held, as well as another adult who was holding an infant, both without car seats and unrestrained, authorities said. Police didn’t find any car seats in the SUV or at the scene of the crash.Police and fire crews also rescued a person who was trapped in the SUV after arriving at the scene, and multiple people were taken to hospit...

Family of five was poisoned by arsenic found in Boulder monastery’s well, lawsuit alleges

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

One day in 2021, a married couple looking to buy a 27,000-square-foot former Buddhist monastery in Boulder asked the sellers about a disturbing rumor they had heard.A neighbor had grown irate, the story went, and poisoned the monastery’s water well. But it was only a tall tale — “a false threat from environmental activists” — the couple was told.Fifteen minutes northwest of downtown Boulder, at 500 Arroyo Chico Road, is one odd mansion. Built by an eccentric inventor and entrepreneur to be an off-the-grid monastery, it includes a 30-car garage, 7,000-square-foot deck, solar panels, cistern and greenhouse.That appealed to Nicholas and Tatiana Becker, a health-conscious couple with two young children in search of rural living. Especially important to them was clean water — specifically, water free of chlorine. They had reason to believe the monastery would be ideal.For one, the founder of a water purification company built the monastery. Howard Selby III, who goes by Binx,...

Is it antisocial to wear headphones at work?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

As a growing number of employers are demanding that workers be in the office for most of the week, a growing number of employees are bringing headphones with them.It's not a new trend -- workers have been sporting headphones and earbuds in the office for years.But with feelings still a bit raw over postpandemic return-to-work orders, some see headphone use as a way of tuning out the workplace at a time when businesses are actively promoting camaraderie and being a team player."I feel like they’re ignoring me when I’m trying to talk to them," an administrative assistant named Anna Metcalf told the Wall Street Journal.She cited the example of an intern at her office who spent much of his days wearing headphones and laughing at videos on his phone. After Metcalf complained to a manager, she said, the intern turned surly.Many workers, myself included, find headphones a helpful way of alleviating stress and avoiding distractions at work.But there's definitely an antisocial aspect to thei...

Disney shares new concept art for planned neighborhood in Coachella Valley

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

Disney has shared new concept art for Cotino, a planned community the company hopes to build in Rancho Mirage, about 11 miles southeast of Palm Springs. The new concept art shows what community-exclusive areas like Longtable Park and Laughing Place Ranch could look like once construction is complete. Disney did note that concept art images are subject to change at any time.Residents of Longtable Park, a community made for adults 55 or older, will have access to Longtable Park. In the park, residents can be “surrounded by beautiful palo verde and olive trees along with shaded seating and barbecue grills - the perfect place to spend time with friends and family,” the Disney Parks Blog said. (Disney) The concept art also showed a rendering of Laughing Place Ranch, an area all residents in the community can visit with their dogs. (Disney) Residents of Longtable Park, a community made for adults 55 or older, will have access to Longtable Park. In the park, residents can be “surrounded by...

Man's body recovered after tubing accident in Lake Perris

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:05:00 GMT

The body of one of two men who disappeared into the water after a tubing accident in Lake Perris Wednesday afternoon has been recovered. Authorities have not released any details about the victim, but his body was pulled from the water around 2:30 p.m. Thursday.California State Parks dispatchers received a distress call around 4 p.m. Wednesday reporting an accident in the boating zone just north of Alessandro Island. The person who called in the report told responders a man was tubing behind their boat when he fell into the water and could not swim back to the tube. Another man, who was a passenger on the boat, then jumped into the water to attempt to rescue the tuber and also began to struggle. Both men went under the water in distress and did not surface, a State Parks official confirmed. The unidentified men were about 45 years old, according to the official. Gas cloud prompts dozens of homes to be evacuated in West Whittier The men were not wearing life jackets and "are presu...