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Judge acquits St. Paul man in Alex Becker fatal shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:49 GMT

A St. Paul man was acquitted Friday in the killing of 22-year-old Alex Becker, who was shot six times in the alley behind his North End house after walking home from work last December.Ramsey County District Judge JaPaul Harris found Shaun Lamar Travis, 26, not guilty of second-degree intentional murder for aiding and abetting in the death of Becker, who prosecutors say was ambushed Dec. 27 in an apparent robbery by Travis and his two accomplices.Becker’s mother, Tara Becker, cried as she walked out of the courtroom with family and friends.Detwan Cortell Allen, 19, of St. Paul, and Arteze Owen Kinerd, 21, of Minneapolis, have also been charged with aiding and abetting in Becker’s murder, and have pleaded not guilty. Allen’s jury trial began Monday before Judge Paul Yang.Travis, of Brooklyn Park, waived his right to a jury trial. A bench trial before Harris ran from Oct. 25 to Nov. 6, with the prosecution and Travis’ attorney filing their written closing arguments Nov. 29.Becke...

Lame-duck St. Paul City Council rushes to finish line with bevy of legal amendments

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:49 GMT

Before he steps down from public office in January, St. Paul City Council Member Russel Balenger wants to rename a section of Concordia Avenue for the old Rondo neighborhood.City Council Member Chris Tolbert, the outgoing chair the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority, hopes to make it easier for the city to sell surplus land to neighboring property owners in cases where the buyer “will make best use of the property for the well-being of the community.”As one of her last acts in office, outgoing Council President Amy Brendmoen plans to vote to reduce the city’s overall number of tobacco shop licenses, limiting the field through attrition.Also before the lame-duck council are proposed ordinance amendments making it easier to apply for outdoor amplified sound permits, enable the city to assess building owners for litter pick-up in downtown skyways, and allow planter beds in public boulevards — a widespread practice that technically runs afoul of cit...

Gov. Walz orders flags to fly at half-staff in honor of Minnesotan who died in Osprey crash in Japan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:49 GMT

Gov. Tim Walz has ordered all U.S. and Minnesota flags to fly at half-staff at state buildings from now until sunset on Friday, Dec. 15, in honor and remembrance the Minnesotan who died in an aircraft crash during a training mission in Japan.U.S. Air Force Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, was a CV-22 instructor pilot and officer in charge of training, assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan, the Air Force has said. He was one of eight members of an Air Force crew who died in the crash.The CV-22B Osprey crashed on Nov. 29 during a training mission.“Major Jeffrey T. Hoernemann was a courageous member of the United States Air Force, dedicating himself to protecting our country,” Walz said in a statement. “Minnesota mourns this tragic loss and recognizes Major Jeffrey Hoernemann for his selfless service to his country. His family, friends, and loved ones are in my thoughts and prayers.”Others with flags — s...

$3.5 million donation for Maria College Nursing School

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:49 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Colleges and universities in the Capital District have been in collaboration to try to step in and fill the gaps that Saint Rose will be leaving next year. On Friday one private college got a record $3.5 million donation that will assist the school’s nursing program.During the ceremony at Maria College one thing was abundantly clear, Andrea Lewis Siek is loved by her family, her friends and her colleagues.  Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! “Oh, it gives me a great deal of comfort, joy. It brings her back to life for me. Even though she’s been gone for seven years, today she is here with me,” said her husband Richard Siek. The former nurse and Maria College graduate passed away seven years ago. President of Maria College Lynn Ortale said they dedicated the nursing school in her name, the newly unveiled Andrea Lewis Siek School of Nursing.“Knowing that he believes every time Andrea‘s name is said it furthe...

Interfaith reaction to shots fired at Synagogue

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:49 GMT

ALBANY COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Shots fired outside of this synagogue during Hanukkah, in the midst of the Israel-Hamas war, are prompting difficult conversations in the community about antisemitism. Crowds gathered last night for a menorah lighting in solidarity with the Jewish community. This father recounted his first instincts after a teacher ran inside and told him about the shots. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! “Secure the two boys that I was taking care of, and find somewhere to hide in the building,” Sam Blatt told NEWS 10.Hanukah is the Festival of Lights. For Rabbi Zalman of the local Chabad, light today is in shorter supply than the oil on that first Hanukkah.  “The message of Hanukkah is that just a little bit of light is able to push away tremendous darkness and that's what we're facing today,” Zalman said. For the faith leader, gunshots set off eerily familiar alarm bells, underscoring the need for security....

Jury convicts Schenectady man in fatal 2022 stabbing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:49 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Jaquan Morrison was convicted of second-degree murder for fatally stabbing Dwayne Harris on April 12, 2022. Sentencing will be set for a later date. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! According to witnesses, Harris allowed Morrison to stay at his shared apartment on Maple Avenue just days before the murder. Morrison reportedly provoked an incident on the morning of the 12th, resulting in the roommates demanding he leave the residence.A witness reported hearing a fight from an upstairs apartment later that day. The witness entered Harris's room and located Morrison crouching over the victim, covered in blood.When police arrived, Morrison admitted that he and Harris had an altercation. Officers located a large kitchen knife with the victim's blood in the bathroom of the apartment.The defense tried to present the case that Morrison suffered from a delusional disorder and that he was not criminally responsible for...

Anti-Semitism on the rise

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:49 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)-- The suspect of a shots fired incident near Temple Israel in Albany appeared in federal court Friday morning. 28-year-old Mufid Fawaz Alkhader is being held without bail. On Thursday, two shotgun shells were found near the synagogue — just hours before the first night of Hanukkah. While there were no injuries or fatalities, an early childhood center on the premises was put on lockdown. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime."We were told by responding officers that he made a comment, “Free Palestine,” said Albany Police Chief, Eric Hawkins.Shortly after, Governor Kathy Hochul held a press conference."After the October 7th attacks, I’ve directed our state police as well as the National Guard to be on high alert," said Hochul. "They have been conducting surveillance and created a presence at synagogue, yeshivas, museums, cultural centers, all vulnerable targets ever since October 7th."The Albany incident is the latest in an rise of antisemitism in Ne...

St. Charles ATM heist unraveled in high-tech crime trail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:49 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - An ATM heist mystery, seemed like the perfect crime until St. Charles Police came back with five suspects from Texas. The plot unraveled in a fascinating trail of crime-fighting technology.During an ATM attack at the St. Charles Bank of America in the middle of the afternoon last August, masked suspects drove off with a reported $294,000.The case appeared to be cold until St. Charles County Prosecutor Joe McCulloch’s Office announced charges. He said, “There’s no other way to describe it, but dogged police work by the officers.” Win Big This Holiday Season! Enter the Home For The Holidays $15K Giveaway! Video from a nearby Mobile On The Run was key, where court records say an accomplice acted as a lookout. Investigators also used license plate reader cameras, along with facial recognition technology, to reportedly track the suspects all across the St. Louis metro area.St. Charles Police Lt. Tom Wilkison said, “We had eight of our detectives go down to Texas and ...

St. Louis Board of Aldermen approves property tax freezes for seniors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:49 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Board of Aldermen passed legislation Friday to give senior citizens a break on their property taxes.Under the measure, the city real estate tax portion of their property tax bill would be frozen. That’s about 20 percent of the total. The sponsor of the legislation, Anne Schweitzer, spoke at a news conference lauding the passage of the legislation. Missouri’s top educator warns of ‘domino effect’ with four-day school weeks "It’s something where they will be able to pay a little bit less every year in their taxes, so it helps them keep money in their pockets," said Schweitzer. Seniors who are at least 62 years old are eligible for the program. There are an estimated 6,600 beneficiaries.”I think it’s a great idea," said Winnie Kesteloot. "There are a lot of seniors who, just like my husband says, are on fixed incomes, and it’s very difficult for them to pay, and I think it’s important that they be able to keep their homes. If they can’t pay their taxes, the...

Best public colleges in Missouri

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:49 GMT

If you're going to go to college—or send your child to college—you want to choose the best one. But what exactly that means is different for each person. There are a lot of factors, including how big the college is both overall and in terms of class sizes. It also matters whether a college has good programs for the fields you're more interested in studying, the types of sports or other student activities that interest you, decent access to student housing either on or off campus, and a high graduation rate. There's also life after college to consider: Does a college have a good support system for people seeking employment, a strong alumni network, or a high rate of job placements at or just after graduation?Colleges themselves suggest the most important factors for students are, or should be, emotional ones, like "whether you feel comfortable on campus," as the University of South Florida puts it, or "how the school made you feel," as Concordia College puts it.But Money.com is ...