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Crews fighting Kelowna-area wildfire see ‘cautious’ reprieve overnight: officials

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

BC Wildfire Service says they had success overnight fighting the McDougall Creek wildfire near Kelowna, after some of the most challenging days yet.Dense smoke from the fire — which now covers an estimated 10,500 hectares — actually helped firefighting crews by preventing the sun from drying out fuels on the ground, BC Wildfire Service Fire Information Officer Nicole Bonnett says.“That helped keep fire behavior to a rank two, rank three overnight,” Bonnett explained. “That’s more of a low vigor surface fire to moderate vigor surface fire where you’re starting to see like open flame and consumption of those larger fuel types.”Despite this, West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund says he’s hesitant to call Friday evening a reprieve.“We were still fighting multiple structure fires at the same time, across the community. So to [be able to] call that a reprieve, it boggles my mind.”The fire grew by more than six times betwee...

12-year-old boy drowns in lake in Rogers Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

CHICAGO — A child died after drowning in the lake in Rogers Park on Wednesday, according to Chicago police.Officers say it happened just after 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 16. 4 teenagers shot in North Lawndale late Friday night The Cook County Medical Examiner identified the boy as 12-year-old Fred Elouga.Police say Elouga entered Lake Michigan in the 1200 block of West Jarvis and went underwater for an extended period of time. After being pulled from the lake, police say Elouga was in critical condition and taken to the hospital. 1 hospitalized after fire breaks out at high-rise in Lake View The Cook County Medical Examiner says Elouga was pronounced dead just after 12:30 p.m. the following day.Police say an investigation into the drowning is underway.

Removal of Maui fire debris could take a year, cost $1 billion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

HONOLULU (KHON) – Crews across Maui continue to carefully search for victims amid the rubble of last week's wildfires, which claimed the lives of at least 114 people. But only approximately 60% of the disaster area had been covered by search and rescue teams as of Friday, according to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, meaning the process is far from over.Even after the job is done, clearing the ashes and debris from Lahaina and nearby communities will be a long, expensive and potentially dangerous process, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D) said."It could be up to a billion dollars and take up to a year," Schatz explained. "And so we have to brace ourselves for a really big enterprise of removing all of that debris." LATEST: Lahaina fire fatalities rise to 114 Schatz said the cleanup can begin once crews finish searching for missing family and friends."Once that process is done, FEMA goes in with the Environmental Protection Agency, and also the Army Corps of Engineers, and they start to determine ...

Can coffee or a nap make up for sleep deprivation?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

(The Conversation) - There is no denying the importance of sleep. Everyone feels better after a good night of sleep, and lack of sleep can have profoundly negative effects on both the body and the brain. So what can be done to substitute for a lack of sleep? Put another way, how can you get less sleep and still perform at your peak?As a psychologist who studies the ways in which sleep benefits memory, I’m also interested in how sleep deprivation harms memory and cognition. After some initial research on sleep deprivation and false confessions, my students at Michigan State University’s Sleep and Learning Lab and I wanted to see what interventions could reverse the negative effects of sleep deprivation.We found a simple answer: There is no substitute for sleep.Sleep deprivation impairs cognitionFor many years, scientists have known that sleep deprivation reduces the ability to maintain attention. When asked to monitor a computer screen and press a button whenever ...

Man sentenced in fatal central Austin shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 19, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was sentenced Wednesday to 13 years in state prison for manslaughter, according to Travis County court documents. The manslaughter charge was in connection to a central Austin shooting.Image of Antonio McCullen (Bell County Photo)According to documents, 35-year-old Antonio McCullen previously faced a murder charge, but he accepted a plea deal. RELATED: Man dies after being found shot inside central Austin business According to past KXAN coverage, Austin police began investigating a homicide on Jan. 8, 2022, where a man was found with gunshot wounds at a business in the 2300 block of Pasadena Drive. The man was identified as 35-year-old Zachary Townsend.Records showed McCullen had a jail credit of 548 days toward his sentence.

UT recommends 2030 contract extension for athletics director

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

Editor's Note: The video above shows KXAN Live's top headlines for Aug. 19, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Friday, The University of Texas at Austin asked the UT System Board of Regents to approve a contract extension for UT Athletics Director Chris Del Conte.The university said Del Conte’s contract extension would be up to $19.255 million through 2030. VIDEO: UT unveils new burnt orange stadium lights According to a release, under Del Conte’s leadership since joining Texas in December 2017, the Longhorns have secured 11 national championships and 58 Big 12 Conference titles, solidifying the university’s reputation as a powerhouse in collegiate athletics.“Nearly six years ago, I followed my dream to lead the best collegiate athletics program in the country at a university that changes the world,” said Del Conte, who also serves as UT’s vice president for athletics.UT said the Board of Regents will vote on the motion to extend Del Conte’s contract at its regularly scheduled meeting Aug. 2...

Texas Eclipse wants to change the way you interact with nature

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

DALLAS (KDAF) — A festival celebrating Earth's cosmic gift is coming to Central Texas in 2024."In April 2024 the moon will give us a gift. One that won't occur in the United States for another twenty years in the Central Texas sky. The moon will come out mysteriously blocking the sun for four minutes and twenty seconds. People from all over the Earth will celebrate this Cosmic gift of temporary night. "Texas Eclipse is a celebration of music, art, space and technology. The event will take place from April 5 through April 9. Texas Hill Country's Reveille Peak Ranch is 1,200 acres of camping ground and 60 miles of trails fill the festival grounds. The festival will include DJs, producers, multi-instrumentalist bands, singers and more under the Texas skies for four days and nights of musical exploration. For more information click, here.

West Lake High School senior honored for her environmentalism

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) –  A West Lake High School senior is one of only 17 young people from across the world to be honored for their environmentalism by an international organization. Anushka Dogambe, 17, received an honorable mention in the 2023 International Young Eco-Hero Awards for her “Plants in Classrooms” project.“I started this project during freshman year to bring a plant to every single classroom in [the Eanes] school district. It's been three years since I started, and there are now over 1,000 plants placed in schools, offices, break rooms and libraries,” Dogambe said. Anushka Dogambe, 17, received an honorable mention in the 2023 International Young Eco-Hero Awards for her “Plants in Classrooms” project.Anushka Dogambe, 17, received an honorable mention in the 2023 International Young Eco-Hero Awards for her “Plants in Classrooms” project.Anushka Dogambe, 17, received an honorable mention in the 2023 International Young Eco-Hero Awards for her “Plants in Classrooms” pr...

Affidavit says Texas woman was allegedly bludgeoned to death by husband

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

ECTOR COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- 56-year-old Michael Brian Miller was arrested Aug. 12 in connection with the death of his wife, 58-year-old Lisa Clark Miller. Now, an affidavit has revealed new details about the case. Around 7:00 a.m., deputies with the Ector County Sheriff's Office were called to an RV park in the 16000 block of Snow Moon Road after Michael's brother called 911 and asked for a welfare check. According to the affidavit, the call for help came after Michael reportedly called his brother and confessed to killing his wife. The brother told investigators that Michael also ingested a handful of prescription medication and planned to die by suicide. Lisa was found dead on the living room floor and reportedly had "extensive" blunt force trauma to her face and head, consistent with being struck by a blunt object, the report said. Michael was found unconscious in the bedroom of the RV and was taken to Medical Center Hospital where he was treated and later released. Inv...

This Texas city is the least 'pet-friendly' in America

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:10:37 GMT

DALLAS (KDAF) — Many owners see pets as their family or their fur babies. According to a new study by WalletHub, Dallas doesn't care about your pets the way you do!"With animal parents in mind, WalletHub compared the pet-friendliness of the 100 largest U.S. cities across 23 key metrics. Our data set ranges from minimum pet-care provider rate per visit to pet businesses per capita to walkability," WalletHub mentions. When it comes to expenses, veterinary care costs, insurance and more Texas has some of the highest. Dallas ranked 99 as the least pet-friendly city, according to WalletHub. WalletHub compared the 100 most populated cities across three key dimensions:Pet Budget 2. Pet Health & Wellness 3. Outdoor Pet-FriendlinessSource: WalletHub