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Vigil held outside hearing of landlord accused in murder of 6-year-old in unincorporated Plainfield

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:10 GMT

JOLIET, Ill. — The man accused of fatally stabbing a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy and injuring his mother in unincorporated Plainfield appeared in court Wednesday.The family of the boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, held a candlelight vigil outside the Will County courthouse before 71-year-old's Joseph Czuba's hearing.Authorities allege Czuba, targeted Wadea and his mother Hanaan Shahin, on Oct. 14 because of their Muslim faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas. "This morning, our community is standing united in pursuit of justice for Wadea and Hanaan, and to shed light on the broader context surrounding Wadea's murder, and the attempted murder of Hanaan, his mother," said Maggie Slavin of CAIR-Chicago.Czuba pleaded not guilty in October to hate crime and murder charges. He was the family's landlord.Czuba is facing hate crime charges along with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder charges.Prosecutors said Czuba stabbed the boy more than...

'Stop coming here': Suburban man pleads guilty after killing wife considering court order

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:10 GMT

KANE COUNTY, Ill. — A man pleaded guilty Tuesday for murdering his wife who filed for divorce and was considering a court order to remove him from the home.Timothy Gordon, 48, of Montgomery, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder following the incident on Halloween in 2022.During the hearing, Gordon admitted to the murder.Prosecutors outlined the motive during the hearing and said that Gordon's wife, Yajaira Gordon, recently filed for divorce and was possibly seeking a court order to remove him from the home they still shared at the time.Gordon became angry after learning of her considering a court order. At around noon, he returned to the home and went into a room where Yajaira was seated at a computer desk.Her mother, aunt and two young children were also in the room.Prosecutors said Gordon told her he had no where to live and she replied, "stop coming here."Gordon then admitted to shooting her at close range in the head with a .25 caliber Beretta hand gun. Hickory Hills man accu...

Mountain Dew bringing 'fan-favorite' drink back to stores nationwide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:10 GMT

(WXIN) – Fans of Baja Blast will have an easier time finding the drink in 2024. The Mountain Dew flavor started as a Taco Bell exclusive in 2004. As it grew in popularity over the years, PepsiCo released limited quantities in stores on a seasonal basis.For the most part, though, quenching your thirst for Baja Blast meant making a Taco Bell run.That’s all changed for the new year. As the lime-flavored soft drink marks its 20th anniversary, you’ll find Baja Blast cans and bottles at stores nationwide year-round for the very first time.The brand has also set up a special website where fans can enter a sweepstakes and collect points to redeem for Baja Blast gear. Starbucks allowing customers to use reusable cups for drive-thru, mobile orders “Mountain Dew Baja Blast has cemented its place as a fan-favorite flavor in pop culture and as a staple in countless Taco Bell orders, so we knew we had to celebrate its 20th anniversary in a big way,” said JP Bittencourt, vice president of m...

Florida GOP chairman under video voyeurism investigation amid rape probe

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:10 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) - Embattled Florida Republican Party Chairman Christian Ziegler is under investigation over possible video voyeurism amid claims that he raped a woman, according to court documents. Ziegler recorded himself having sex with a woman who has accused him of rape, according to the documents. A search warrant shows that Sarasota Police asked for access to Ziegler's Instagram account and videos on his phone. Ziegler allegedly texted the woman he's accused of raping and told her to check out an Instagram message in which he sent a copy of the video to the woman in "vanish mode." Content sent this way disappears when a user leaves the chat or turns the function off. Former Sarasota student slams Bridget Ziegler at school board meeting in viral clip Ziegler and his attorney showed the video of the sexual encounter to Sarasota police detectives to prove the sex was consensual, according to the court documents. Attorney Bryant Camareno, who is not involved in the case, said...

Raul Meza, alleged serial killer, possibly linked to 2018 cold-case homicide, police say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:10 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Police have found an APD cold-case homicide from 2018 that may be linked to Raul Meza Jr., 63, according to a new search warrant affidavit. Austin Police detectives filed Tuesday a search warrant to gain access to Meza’s Google account, which police believe will help them uncover more details in the murders Meza is already linked to, as well as any additional cold case homicides. In the affidavit, Patrick Reed with the Austin Police Department wrote a detective "identified an APD Cold Case Homicide from 2018 that matches the Modus Operandi of Meza." Police find ‘possible burial site’ tied to suspected ‘serial killer’ Raul Meza Jr. In May, Meza was arrested and charged after confessing to the murder of Jesse Fraga, 80. Meza also implicated himself in the murder of his former neighbor, Gloria Lofton, 65, in 2019, according to police. Additionally, police said after Meza’s arrest that he may be connected to as many as ten cold cases. W...

NYDOH: New reports on adult food insecurity

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:10 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- On Wednesday, the New York State Department of Health released the "Self-Reported Food Insecurity Among New York State Adults by County, BRFSS 2021." The report revolves around adults from the Bronx, Queens, Kings, Herkimer, and Oswego. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! In New York City boroughs, the data shows food insecurity is highest among adults in the Bronx and lowest among adults in Richmond County. Outside of New York City, the highest percentage of adults who experience food insecurity are in Herkimer County at 28.8% and Oswego at 26.6%.The counties with the lowest percentage of adults experiencing food insecurity are Wyoming at 11.2%, Columbia at 12.3%, and Lewis at 12.5%. According to the report, approximately one in four adults (24.9 percent) in New York State experience food insecurity. Hochul proposes “Back to Basics” reading plan “No one should have to go hungry,” State Health Commissio...

Hochul proposes "Back to Basics" reading plan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:10 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Governor Kathy Hochul spoke today at Watervliet Elementary School regarding a new reading plan that will be a part of her "State of the State" proposal. The plan, titled "Back to Basics Reading Plan," will aim to give teachers all the resources necessary to combat illiteracy, and focus on phonics, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Hochul announced her first proposal on Tuesday. She spoke on affordability in the new budget. A full video including the entire press conference is available above.

Clayton Kershaw says three of his 'toughest at-bats' are against Cardinals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:10 GMT

LOS ANGELES - Clayton Kershaw, one of the most prolific pitchers in 21st-century baseball, has an interesting history against the St. Louis Cardinals. Clayton Kershaw made his MLB debut against the Cardinals in 2008. He's 10-6 against St. Louis all-time in the regular season with a 3.00 ERA over 135 innings. However, that hasn't generally translated to postseason success against the Cardinals, as Kershaw is winless against them in five head-to-head starts.On Tuesday, in a recent episode of Bleacher Report's digital series "On Base With Mookie Betts," Kershaw offered some interesting insight with a Cardinals connection.Betts, a teammate of Kershaw's on the Los Angeles Dodgers for the last four seasons, asked the southpaw to reflect on his "five toughest at-bats" at the MLB level. Kershaw couldn't quite come up with five definitive answers, but he immediately named four players that came to mind. Five things to follow with the St. Louis Cardinals and Blues in 2024 His list included...

Missouri awards over $7.9M in ARPA funds to expand statewide phone service

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:10 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The plan to expand cell phone service is currently in the works. The Department of Economic Development (DED) announced Wednesday that they were granted more than $7.9 million in the second phase of the 'Cell Towers Grant Program.'Funded through the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act), 14 new projects will be established throughout the state. Along with cell phone service, the program aims to improve 911 connectivity.“This second round of funding awarded through the Cell Towers Grant Program will further promote economic growth and public safety statewide,” said Governor Mike Parson. “As we continue to improve Missouri’s critical infrastructure, including cellular service, we appreciate the efforts of the Office of Broadband Development. As a result of this program, thousands of locations lacking adequate coverage will now receive quality, reliable cellular connectivity.”With over 18,000 locations that lacked quality service, the DED's Office of Broadband Developme...

Opinion: How an Israeli family who lost their home on Oct. 7 found community in Denver

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:10 GMT

I recently led a delegation of rabbis to Israel to provide financial and moral support to the people there. Around 7,000 miles and over 15 hours of flight time — with a connection in New York — separate Colorado and Tel Aviv, Israel. However, for myself and my community in Denver, these two places couldn’t be any closer.Following the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, people turned to me as a communal leader for guidance on how to respond. Immediately, our community sprung to action to help however we could. We held prayer vigils, raised funds, and supported the half-dozen families whose fathers were called for reserve duty by babysitting, grocery shopping and hosting them for dinner.But more impactful than what we sent to Israel, is what Israel sent to us.The Shalev family from Kibbutz Be’eri sought refuge in Denver following Oct. 7. With their house destroyed, friends and relatives murdered and a shattered community, they turned to their cousins the Niv’s, longtime Denver residents, to seek...