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Ex-Philadelphia police officer sentenced to 15 to 40 years after guilty pleas in sex assault cases

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:43 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A former Philadelphia police officer has been sentenced to 15 to 40 years in state prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting women and girls — often while in uniform and in the back of his police vehicle.Patrick Heron, 54, entered the pleas Friday after reaching an agreement with prosecutors in advance of a trial on more than 200 counts that included child sex assault, child pornography, kidnapping and related offenses, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.Jane Roh, spokesperson for the district attorney’s office, said victims who are now spared the trauma of a trial welcomed the guilty plea. Defense attorney Anthony List also said he hoped the plea would spare the victims the anguish of having to testify, and added “hopefully everyone can move on.”Heron, who retired from the force in 2019, was initially accused last year of posing as an active officer to lure girls. Investigators said they later found photos and videos indicating predatory behavior spann...

Man United, England soccer great Bobby Charlton dies at 86

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:43 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Bobby Charlton, an English soccer icon who survived a plane crash that decimated a Manchester United team destined for greatness to become the heartbeat of his country’s 1966 World Cup-winning team, has died. He was 86.A statement from Charlton’s family, released by United, said he died Saturday surrounded by his family.An extravagantly gifted midfielder with a ferocious shot, Charlton was the leading scorer for both United (249 goals) and England (49 goals) for more than 40 years until being overtaken by Wayne Rooney.“Sir Bobby was a hero to millions, not just in Manchester, or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world,” United said.“He was admired as much for his sportsmanship and integrity as he was for his outstanding qualities as a footballer; Sir Bobby will always be remembered as a giant of the game.”Alex Ferguson, who managed United from 1986-2013, said before Charlton’s death that he “is the greatest Ma...

Weekend Break: Pinball Expo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:43 GMT

Join WGN Weekend Break on Weekend Morning News to visit the Pinball Expo in Schaumburg. Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

'Calculated misery': Here's why airlines want you to be uncomfortable

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:43 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Watch any old movie where the characters take a flight and it looks like a glamorous getaway in-and-of-itself — but the days of comfort in the skies are long gone for most of us. And it may not surprise you to know that air travel these days is designed to be less comfortable.Have you ever heard of "calculated misery"? It's the theory behind what we all know deep down: airlines want us to be miserable so we pay more for upgrades. These are the 7 ‘most offensive’ behaviors that break airplane etiquette The idea was first distilled in this way back in 2014 by Columbia Law School professor Tim Wu for the New Yorker. "Here’s the thing: in order for fees to work, there needs be something worth paying to avoid. That necessitates, at some level, a strategy that can be described as “calculated misery.” Basic service, without fees, must be sufficiently degraded in order to make people want to pay to escape it," Wu writes. "And that’s where the suffering begins."Wu explains that...

More than 100 guns found at AUS so far in 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Officials with the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) said it was on track to break another record. But this time, it's not for the number of passengers.So far this year, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents confiscated 101 guns at AUS. Austin-Johnson Airport? Mayor in talks to possibly rename AUS after former president Last year, TSA discovered a total of 150 guns at the airport, so officials believe the airport was on track to surpass that number this year.Of the 101 found so far this year, three firearms were found Friday in a passenger's carry-on luggage--one of which was loaded, according to airport officials. The passenger from the incident now faces a fine of up to $15,000.

CapMetro rail services suspended Saturday for construction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — CapMetro will suspend all rail services Saturday to allow crews to work on the McKalla Station. The public transportation provider will have alternative services in place on Saturday. Here are the changes in routes: Leander: Shuttle Route 454, Route 985 Leander/Lakeline DirectLakeline: Shuttle Route 454, Route 985 Leander/Lakeline DirectHoward: Shuttle Route 454Kramer (at Braker & Burnet or The Domain): Route 3 Burnet/Menchaca and Route 803 Burnet/South LamarCrestview: Route 1 North Lamar/South Congress, Route 7 Duval/Dove Springs and Route 801 North Lamar/South CongressHighland: Route 7 Duval/Dove SpringsMLK: Route 18 MLKPlaza Saltillo: Route 4 7th StreetRegular rail service will resume Oct. 23, according to CapMetro. Riders with questions can call Customer Service at 512-474-1200.The under-construction McKalla Station will be near Q2 Stadium and is expected to open before the 2024 Austin...

INSIGHT: Austin Heart and Stroke Walk 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Heart & Stroke Walk 2023 began at 9 a.m. Saturday, and the event has helped spread the word to advocate for heart health and heart disease awareness.Greg Underwood, a heart disease survivor, joined KXAN’s Jennifer Sanders to share his story and time volunteering at the Heart Hospital of Austin for the last 13 years.Austin Heart & Stroke Walk 2023 at Q2 stadium (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez) Austin Heart & Stroke Walk 2023 at Q2 stadium (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez) Austin Heart & Stroke Walk 2023 at Q2 stadium (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez) Austin Heart & Stroke Walk 2023 at Q2 stadium (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez) Austin Heart & Stroke Walk 2023 at Q2 stadium (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez) Austin Heart & Stroke Walk 2023 at Q2 stadium (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez) Austin Heart & Stroke Walk 2023 at Q2 stadium (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez) Austin Heart & Stroke Walk 2023 at Q2 stadium (KXAN photo/Frank Martinez) Read a transcription of the discussion below or watch the...

Rockies Journal: MLB pitch clock, shorter games were huge success

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:43 GMT

The Rockies’ 103-loss season was interminable. Or so it seemed.But it was actually 1,579 minutes shorter than their 94-loss season a year ago.We can all thank the baseball gods, Major League Baseball, and the pitch clock for that. Despite the objections of the players’ association, MLB instituted a pitch clock this season set at 15 seconds with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on base.Players might have grumbled during spring training but the change was a grand slam and any controversy melted into the background. I can’t tell you how many games I covered where the Rockies were in the seventh or eighth inning at the two-hour mark. I was amazed, pleased and thankful that deadlines weren’t pressed quite as often.Plus, it was nice to often see the fans — especially the kids — still in the stands at the end of the night. The 3 1/2-hour games that used to be commonplace at Coors Field are not so common anymore.It’s not just that the games wer...

The pallid bat is California's newest state symbol: Here’s what makes it special

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:43 GMT

California’s list of official state symbols continues to grow after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 732, which designated the pallid bat as the official state bat.The bat’s official designation as a state emblem is more than just a coincidence as Halloween approaches but more so because bats play a significant role in the state’s agriculture.Bats eats “many pest species, including those contributing to health risks such as mosquitoes, wasps, and flies. A female bat nursing her young will eat more than two-thirds of her body weight in insects and arthropods every night,” according to the bill’s text. New California law to limit how much landlords can charge for security deposits Bats statewide also provide “more than $1,000,000,000 worth of pest control to California agriculture."State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, D-Los San Fernando Valley, authored the legislation inspired by one of her constituents.“I had a constituent of my district from Granada Hills come up to me when she was ...

Bay Area high school football roundup 2023: Best of Week 9 action

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:43 GMT

Welcome back to the Bay Area News Group’s high school football roundup.Here, you’ll find all the details from the weekend’s action in this news organization’s coverage area, which encompasses teams that play in leagues based primarily in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.Check back every Saturday during the season for scores, highlights and top performers, updated throughout the day.If you have not already, please subscribe here for complete digital access all season long. Your contributions keep us going.On to the roundup …Ranked teamsNo. 2 De La Salle 31, No. 6 El Cerrito 12On an emotional day for De La Salle after the sudden death of defensive line coach Steve Jacoby, the Spartans scored the first 31 points, which included a scoop-and-score by linebacker/edge rusher Drew Cunningham. DLS improved to 6-2. El Cerrito is 7-1. Darren Sabedra has the full story here.No. 3 San Ramon Valley 14, No. 7 California 0Marco Jones ran for a touchdown, caught a TD, blocke...