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Psychotropic drugs take center stage in Texas foster care fight

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Jackie Juarez remembers taking pills – lots of pills.  “They would make me sleepy, and I would throw up every night,” Juarez told the courtroom, recounting memories from her seven years in the Texas foster care system.  She said she remembers being prescribed psychotropic drugs, which are medications that alter mood, perceptions, and behavior. She remembers missing class often because she was tired, but doesn’t remember exactly how many different schools she attended while bouncing from placement to placement.She testified she remembers being treated “poorly.” Q&A: Lawyers for foster care children ask judge to hit state with extreme penalty About one specific placement, she recalled, “When we misbehaved, they would tell us that our family didn’t want us, or we were bad kids, and nobody wants bad kids.”Juarez, 18, has since aged out of foster care, but told the court she spent time in five different unlicensed placements – at times sleeping at a churc...

Drug dealers sentenced to 'decades' in prison for role in 18-year-old's fentanyl overdose death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – An Austin man and two others from Central Texas were sentenced in court for their roles in selling counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl and led to the death of an 18-year-old man.In investigating the 18-year-old’s death, police identified David Lee Jr., 46, and Virginia Zepeda, 43 — both from Austin — and Jackie Lynne Chester, 37, from Taylor, as suppliers of counterfeit oxycodone and other prescription pill tablets, according to the United States Attorney’s Office. ‘It can and has destroyed families’: Travis County fentanyl deaths more than double between 2021, 2022 The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office all callaborated on this investigation. During the investigation, Police reviewed video surveillance, which showed the victim walking up to Lee’s vehicle and communicating with Chester. After the victim died, Police found four-and-a-half tablets of counterfeit oxycod...

ERCOT outlines weatherization inspections ahead of winter season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced Monday new weatherization inspectors completed their certification program and can begin checking electric units and transmission facilities ahead of the winter. It comes as ERCOT officials said they continue "to deploy a comprehensive suite of programs and tools to ensure grid reliability and resiliency during the winter months," per a release. Those efforts include added ancillary services, expanding its firm fuel supply service and tacking on additional weatherization inspectors, the release added. ERCOT cancels program aiming to increase power reserves ahead of winter “There are unique challenges that each weather season in Texas presents for the grid. The winter preparedness efforts made by market participants, reinforced by ERCOT weatherization inspections, continue to strengthen the reliability and resiliency of the ERCOT grid,” ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas said in the release.The release o...

Clouds increase later this week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Another cold morning is in the forecast Wednesday under mostly clear skies. Rural areas and suburbs drop into the 30s with temperatures in Austin near 40 degrees.As winds turn to a southeasterly direction beginning Wednesday afternoon, a warming trend resumes and clouds increase each day. By Friday, high temperatures approach 80 degrees in some areas with overnight low temperatures only in the upper 50s.The next storm to impact our weather gives us only a glancing blow on Saturday. A morning cold front passage is expected to bring a brief 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with windy, cooler weather to follow.Rain will not fall everywhere, but where it does, we currently expect between 0.10" and 0.20".Another chance of rain is on the horizon during the middle of next week, when there is optimism for more widespread rain in the area.Chances of rain increase in mid-December Winter Weather Outlook: What a strong El Niño could mean for rainfall and ice risk A...

Perhaps some NBA title contenders can coast to the playoffs. Timberwolves know they’re not one of them.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:48 GMT

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was named Western Conference Coach of the Month on Monday which, as he noted, was a nod to the team’s accomplishments and a credit to the work everyone in the organization has put in to this point in the season.Finch was a shoo-in for the award. Minnesota enters Wednesday’s home game against San Antonio with the best record in the NBA (15-4). The Timberwolves come to play on a nightly basis, and currently have the look of one of the league’s top dogs. Minnesota is presently at or near the top of a number of national NBA power rankings.That’s a great designation for a team to carry at any point in the season, but it comes at a cost.Karl-Anthony Towns went to Mike Conley at Monday’s practice and noted how tired he was.“I’m like, ‘Well, you know, it’s really hard to win in this league.’ Because when you win a lot in this league, your effort is just so much more. It’s almost like you’re playing playoff-level basketball i...

Public meeting scheduled for Wednesday on two proposed specialty hospitals in St. Paul, Roseville

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:48 GMT

The Minnesota Department of Health is holding a virtual public meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday to gather public comment on two proposals for new specialty hospitals in Ramsey County.The changes will not result in any loss of services, according to state officials.While there is a moratorium on adding new hospitals or hospital beds in Minnesota, the Legislature has a process to weigh exceptions. State law requires the health department to assess whether new proposals serve the public interest.Nobis Rehabilitation Partners has asked to build a new free-standing 60-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Roseville. The hospital would focus on providing intensive rehabilitation services — such as physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy — to those requiring these services long-term.Meanwhile, Regency Hospital is seeking to open a second campus of its Golden Valley long-term acute care hospital to be located at the Regions Hospital Campus in St. Paul. The pro...

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores ignoring head coaching rumors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:48 GMT

As the Vikings trickled back into TCO Performance Center on Monday morning fresh off their bye week, defensive coordinator Brian Flores gathered his group together like he usually does before game prep begins. He went on to deliver a message to the defense to make sure everybody fully understood what’s at stake over the next month or so.Defensive coordinator Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings reacts against the Chicago Bears during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field on October 15, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)“We’ve got 35 days,” Flores said. “That’s all we’ve got that’s guaranteed.”Indeed. The playoffs certainly aren’t guaranteed for the Vikings despite the fact they currently sit above the cut line with a 6-6 record. They have games against the Las Vegas Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions (twice), and Green Bay Packers coming up, and while the offense is about to get a boost...

Dakota County Historical Society is looking for new board members

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:48 GMT

The Dakota County Historical Society is on the hunt for new board members for 2024.The board is made up of volunteers who serve two-year terms where they set organizational policy and help to preserve, interpret and promote the history of the county, according to a news release from the Historical Society.The Dakota County Historical Society, which was founded in 1939, operates three historic sites including the Lawshe Memorial Museum in South St. Paul, the LeDuc Historic Estate in Hastings and the Sibley Historic Site in Mendota as well as a research library and website.“The organization is excited for what is to come,” said Executive Director Matt Carter, in the release. “We just completed a $1.2 million renovation of the Lawshe Museum in South St. Paul and have funding to provide more needed upgrades to the space,” Carter said.Other upcoming projects for the Historical Society include the George Daniels project at the LeDuc Estate, the Black Heritage Trail project in Hastings and...

Arrest warrant issued for VT gun range owner

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:48 GMT

WEST PAWLET, V.T. (NEWS 10) — A Vermont judge issued an arrest warrant for the man operating what the state calls an illegal paramilitary training center. A Vermont Environmental Court Judge again issued the warrant for Daniel Banyai owner of Slate Ridge,  a former firearms training center in West Pawlet, Rutland County. The judge ruled that Banyai is in contempt of court for failing to bring his property into zoning compliance after an inspection last week. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The gun range and associated buildings are on 30-acre land only zoned for an apartment and garage. The state outlawed paramilitary training camps including Slate Ridge earlier this year. As a result of these violations, Banyai owes Pawlet more than $100,000 in fines over the unpermitted structures. This is the second time an arrest warrant was issued for Banyai over his property. This is the wooded area surrounding the entrance. Even locating...

Family sues Panera, saying its caffeinated lemonade led to Florida man's cardiac arrest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:48 GMT

FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — The family of a 46-year-old Florida man has filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against one of the biggest fast-casual restaurant chains in the U.S., claiming Panera Bread Company's caffeine-filled lemonade drink led to his death.David Brown had high blood pressure and didn't drink energy drinks, but the lawsuit said he believed the Panera Charged Lemonade was safe since it was not advertised as an energy drink. It was offered in the same place as the restaurant chain’s non-caffeinated or less-caffeinated drinks, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in Superior Court in Delaware, where Panera Bread Company is registered.The lawsuit states that on Oct. 9, Brown had the drink three times during a visit to the Panera Bread Company location in Fleming Island, Florida. On his walk home, he suffered cardiac arrest and died a short time later. He had ordered a Panera Charged Lemonade at least seven times over the course of two weeks in September and O...