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‘This is a crisis.’ Lawmaker seeks transfer deadline for state hospital waitlist

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:02:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – House lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday on a bill that would require mentally ill defendants in county jails to be transferred to a facility for competency restoration within three weeks of a court order, according to testimony at a House Corrections Committee hearing Tuesday.State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, filed the bill – HB 479. Her legislation comes as the state hospital system’s waitlist and wait times near record highs. In some cases, mentally ill individuals charged with a crime and found incompetent to stand trial are waiting in county jails for years before being admitted to a state hospital to get help, according to Texas Health and Human Services Commission records.“We have about 2,500 people across the state waiting in jail to access competency restoration services, and the state has been sued for its failure to timely transfer these individuals,” Hinojosa said Tuesday.The state hospital system’s waitlist for defendants in need of mental competency re...

Austin Transit Partnership unveils 5 light rail designs to public

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:02:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Transit Partnership, the entity responsible for delivering Austin's mass transit program known as Project Connect, unveiled five design options for the next light rail to the public. The light rail designs are scaled down in scope to what was advertised when Austin voters decided to approve the billion-dollar project. The five designs all connect some portions of Austin both north and south of the lake, but did not go as far as originally planned. Only one of the options goes to the airport. Austinites got the chance to see the designs for themselves at an open house on Tuesday night and provided their own feedback using sticky notes and filling out written paper forms. Project Connect debuts 5 scaled down light rail options You can view the designs of the five light rail options here. You can also provide any feedback to the designs online, or email your comments to [email protected] or mail them physically to ATP at 203 Colorado St., Austin.Starting wi...

Unidentified pedestrian hit, killed on Decker Lane

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:02:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A person died over the weekend after they were hit by an SUV in east Austin. Austin Police Department officers responded to a crash between an SUV and a pedestrian just before 9:50 p.m. Saturday in the 7700 block of Decker Lane. Related: ATCEMS: 2 auto-pedestrian accidents reported overnight, 1 dead Austin-Travis County EMS originally said the crash was in the 7900 block. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene. APD is still working to identify them. The driver remained on the scene and cooperated with the investigation, police said. This incident is being investigated as Austin's 23rd fatal crash of 2023, resulting in 23 fatalities for the year.Anyone with any information should contact APD's Vehicular Homicide unit at 512-974-8111. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477.

Lineup announced for FreshGrass festival at MASS MoCA

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:02:36 GMT

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. (NEWS10) -- The FreshGrass Music Festival is returning to North Adams for 2023. The festival is set for September 22 through 24 at MASS MoCA. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! FreshGrass is a family-friendly festival with bluegrass and roots music filling the fields, courtyards, and galleries of MASS MoCA. Gallery admission is included with festival admission.The festival will be headlined by Dropkick Murphys, playing songs from their two albums, as well as acoustic arrangements. The three-day festival is produced in partnership by MASS MoCA, the FreshGrass Foundation, and "No Depression." ‘Concert in the Catskills’ features country lineup LineupDropkick MurphysLukas Nelson + POTRSierra FerrellRhiannon GiddensThe Devil Makes ThreeAoife O’DonovanAllison RussellMighty Poplar featuring Noam Pikelny, Andrew Marlin, Chris Eldridge, and Greg GarrisonAlison BrownBombinoAJ Lee & Blue SummitBuffalo NicholsSunn...

Community call to blood action drive happening today

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:02:36 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The American Red Cross is calling on the people of St. Louis to roll up their sleeves Wednesday morning.They're hosting a blood driver at Busch Stadium in honor of the city's first responders. It takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. FOX 2's Mallory Thomas spoke with American Red Cross' Beth Elders, about how locals can get involved. Trending: After two escapes, bear from Saint Louis Zoo moving to Texas To make an appointment, please visit Redcrossblood.org

Police: 32-year-old man missing since Sunday morning

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:02:36 GMT

GRANITE CITY, Ill. - The search continues for 32-year-old Joshua Amos from Granite City.He was last seen in the Washington Park area near Bunkum Road, Sunday morning. The family said Amos walks with a limp and was on foot in the area. Trending: After two escapes, bear from Saint Louis Zoo moving to Texas Anyone with information is asked to call 911. FOX 2 will update this story with more information as it becomes available.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science ends COVID-era reservation policy for members

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:02:36 GMT

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science has ended one of the last vestiges of the COVID-19-era restrictions that were put in place three years ago in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.As of Monday, members of the museum are no longer required to reserve advance, timed tickets to gain entry to the general admission exhibits (advanced tickets are still recommended for the Infinity Theater, the Gates Planetarium and surcharged exhibitions like the current “Bugs”), according to a member newsletter distributed this week.Prior to the pandemic, members of most Denver cultural facilities, like the museum, the Denver Zoo and the Denver Botanic Gardens, could show up whenever they wanted. To help control crowds during social-distancing restrictions, however, most of these institutions required members to reserve timed tickets — typically at no charge — so as to limit the crowds.Related ArticlesThings To Do | Colorado — a national hub for eati...

How Colorado banks compare to the financial institutions that just failed 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:02:36 GMT

The government takeover of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank has bank customers large and small on edge. And while the banks failed for different reasons, the combination of a rapid rise in interest rates and high levels of uninsured deposits has also put stress on banks in Colorado and everywhere else.“The recent bank closures in California and New York appear to be outliers and not reflective of the norm for banks across the United States and Colorado. The California bank had significant concentrations of tech and venture capital clients while the N.Y. bank had a significant concentration of cryptocurrency clients,” the Colorado Bankers Association said last week in a statement.A research paper by finance professors Erica Jiang, Gregor Matvos, Tomasz Piskorski and Amit Seru, however, estimates that the nation’s banks are sitting on $2 trillion in unrealized losses in their investment portfolios because of higher interest rates and that 186 more banks could f...

Denver car dealers still able to command a premium on new vehicles

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:02:36 GMT

Before the pandemic, the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price or MSRP pasted on the windows of new cars and trucks was more of a suggested price, a ceiling a buyer would negotiate lower with the dealer. For many models, it has now become the ground floor entrance to an elevator that goes higher.The online car shopping portal iSeeCars studied over 12 million new car listings from February 2022 through February 2023, comparing the MSRP to the average list price of new cars to see what premium, if any, dealers were demanding.In metro Denver, it found that new cars were selling for 9.5% more on average than the sticker price on the window, a bit higher than the 8.8% premium averaged nationally. In dollar terms, Denver buyers pay on average $4,117 more than the MSRP.“The manufacturers keep raising their prices and then the dealers raise them again, to the point where the average new car is priced above $45,000,” said Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars, in comments in...

Vail’s “Happy Knees” Keenan rules age group at junior nationals

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:02:36 GMT

Vail skiing phenom Ava “Happy Knees” Keenan continues to shine nationally in competitive moguls.Keenan, who was featured last fall in the annual Warren Miller ski film “Daymaker,” was the top female competitor for her age group at the U.S. junior national championships last week in Steamboat Springs.Related ArticlesOutdoors | Vail phenom Ava “Happy Knees” Keenan wants to be the first Black skier to win Olympic gold Keenan, 12, was the top under-13 competitor in individual moguls and in dual moguls. In individual moguls, skiers compete one at a time. In dual moguls, they compete head-to-head in a knockout format. In duals she finished ahead of the under-15 (13 and 14 years old) skiers as well. She turns 13 in two weeks.Ava Keenan of Vail, 12, was the top moguls skier in two events at junior national championships last week in Steamboat Springs. (Provided by Jim Keenan)“It was a lot of fun,” said Keenan, who says her goal...