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Is it legal to garden in the nude in Illinois?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) -- If you're taking part in World Naked Gardening Day, you might want to consider whether it is legal to do so in order to avoid a potential indecent exposure charge. World Naked Gardening Day is a day where gardeners tend to their plants and flowers while wearing no clothes or shoes. The goal is to connect to the origins of gardening and our natural relationship with Mother Nature.In 2023, the festivities will kick off on Saturday, May 6. Can I be arrested for not showing up for jury duty in Illinois? The event is described as, "an annual tradition that celebrates weeding, planting flowers and trimming hedges in the buff."A question some may ask is, can you be arrested for public indecency if you’re naked gardening on your own property? Or, if you’re naked gardening in your own house with the window open and a neighbor sees you?According to Illinois law, public indecency is always considered a sex crime, and there are two forms of public indecency that ...

See how many music festivals are within a 1-hour drive of Chicago

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

Fifty-odd years ago, Michael Lang, Artie Kornfeld, Joel Rosenman, and John P. Roberts put on what has come to be arguably the best-known music festival of all time: the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. Advertised as three days of peace and music, the event attracted some 400,000 attendees (twice the expected 200,000 maximum) who were entertained by 32 acts. While Woodstock certainly wasn't the first music festival to be held in the U.S., it changed the course of the industry from community-run and just-for-fun to commercial and competitive.About 32 million Americans attend music festivals each year, according to Billboard. Almost half of these are millennials, who place a lot of value on experiences and travel. Organizers, recognizing the generation's priorities and massive spending power, have started making their events not just parties but destinations. Rather than running festivals in rural areas like Bethel, New York, many of the country's biggest events are now held within a...

A bright spot during a bad road trip for the Cubs

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

WASHINGTON D.C. — The club can't get back to Chicago fast enough after a forgettable week against National League East teams. Over the course of seven games on the road, the Cubs were swept by the Marlins in Miami then lost 3-of-4 to the Nationals in Washington D.C. The last of those came in heartbreaking fashion on Thursday, as a three-run comeback by the visitors was erased by a walk-off homer by the Nationals' Alex Call in the ninth off Brad Boxberger. Of the six losses on the road trip, including Thursday, the Cubs lost five by a single run, and drops the club back under .500 at 15-16.Yet this lost road trip did have a bright spot - and it concerns a rookie who finally got his chance on the major league level. A big moment for Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya as he steps to the plate for his first major league at-bat with his parents in the stands at Nationals Park in Washington D.C. pic.twitter.com/bQRpfiaRxZ— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) May 4, 2023Cubs rookie catcher Miguel Am...

18-wheeler crash cuts PfISD's access to internet, phone lines

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for May 4, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An 18-wheeler crash with network and power poles Wednesday night cut Pflugerville ISD's access to its internet and phone lines, PfISD posted on social media. PfISD said all campuses have power with lights and air conditioning, and school was expected to continue as normal Thursday.The district expects the outage for internet and phone lines to continue potentially through Friday, and PfISD Superintendent Douglas Killian said the district planned to send updates to parents Thursday evening.However, PfISD said no visitors were allowed any campuses, due to the Raptor system being down and cannot run the Raptor background check. Additionally, staff will not be able to return any emails.Killian said the PfISD Board of Trustees workshop scheduled for Thursday has been canceled. The board's workshop new meeting date and time will be posted on the PfISD website as soon as they are set.

Del Valle student awarded $40K Amazon engineering scholarship

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

DEL VALLE, Texas (KXAN) -- A Del Valle High School student was named a recipient of the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, which includes a $40,000 scholarship to study computer science or engineering at their school of choice, as well as a paid Amazon internship following their freshman year of college.Del Valle High School senior Noel Mendez was just one of 400 high school seniors across the country named as a recipient. The scholarship sought out eligible students from underserved communities.And Mendez has plenty to celebrate: He found out in mid-April he has been accepted into Harvard University, where he will attend in the fall following his graduation from Del Valle ISD later this month.Statewide, 52 students from Texas were awarded the scholarship, with more than 70% of recipients identifying as Black, Latino or Native American. Of the 400 high school seniors, 50% identified as a woman or nonbinary, per an Amazon news release.Recipients were selected based on their academic...

Rapper 50 Cent will headline Xcel Energy Center on tour marking 20th anniversary of debut album

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

Rapper/actor/entrepreneur Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson will celebrate the 20th anniversary of his multi-platinum debut album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” with an extensive world tour that lands at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center on Sept. 15.Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. May 12 through Ticketmaster, which is using the Verified Fan program. Fans can register through Sunday for a presale that starts May 10. Neither the venue nor the promoter announced ticket prices. Busta Rhymes and Jeremih will open, with additional special guests to be added.Raised by his grandparents, Jackson boxed and sold drugs as a teenager. His 1994 arrest inspired his stage name, a metaphor for change. Two years later, he met Run-DMC’s Jam Master Jay, who taught him how to write songs. He landed a deal with Columbia Records and recorded the album “Power of the Dollar.” But after Jackson was attacked and shot nine times outside his grandmother’s home in 2000, the label dropped Jackson and left the record...

St. Paul: Hamline-Midway Library to close May 28, with demolition this fall. Preservationists: No.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

Two sides in an escalating fight over the uncertain fate of the Hamline-Midway Library launched separate salvos on Thursday, with the city announcing a closing date this month in advance of planned demolition, and historic preservationists organizing a party on the library’s front lawn in advance of likely legal action to stop it.The St. Paul Public Library system issued a written statement Thursday indicating the library will close to the public on May 28 for decommissioning. All books and materials will be moved into storage over the course of several months in advance of demolition and construction of a new building, which could begin this fall and take up to 18 months.The library system has $8.1 million, obtained through the city’s capital investment budget, to put toward a new structure, which was designed with greater accessibility for the disabled, safety features, community spaces and modern technology in mind, as well an outdoor reading garden and interactive ch...

Rail Explorers Cooperstown takes 'first ride' of summer

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

MILFORD, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Before the summer tourism season gets into full swing, Rail Explorers Cooperstown took a "first ride" Thursday morning. There, Mary Joy Lu helped people ride the rails like never before. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "What you can expect is to be immersed in the beautiful hills of Cherry Valley here in Cooperstown and Milford," said Lu. "And you ride with friends, family, whoever you want to bring, and just really enjoy yourself." Alex Catchpoole works with Lu, giving riders a break from the norm. "The great thing about this company, I think, is that every day is different," he noted. "Every day is a different challenge. And it's all good fun." Repairs underway on bridge dripping sticky substance Fun, and easy as pie—thanks to the company's custom-built bikes. "Riding one of these Rail Explorers vehicles is so different from riding a bike," added Catchpoole. "Once you get going, it's like skat...

SUNY Adirondack unveils a new home for the Timberwolves

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

QUEENSBURY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - Next to the residence halls, something shines a new shade of green against the nature of SUNY Adirondack. For the first time in the college's history, its student-athletes won't have to play outdoor sports on uneven grass. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On Thursday, SUNY Adirondack cut the ribbon on a new, $5.7 million turf field. Emblazoned with the forest green and white of the Adirondack Timberwolves, the field is ready for use by softball, baseball, soccer and lacrosse - creating a new opportunity for the school's own sports teams, as well as visiting teams and regional events."Just having a facility of this size and this quality is an attractor for our students and athletes, and lets us recruit more who enroll not just from Warren and Washington counties, but from places across the world," said SUNY Adirondack President Dr. Kristine Duffy. "We know that it becomes a recruitment tool for us....

NY thruway will need more funding in coming years

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:23 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- Whether it's pot-holes or bridges that need a little TLC, the New York thruway system requires maintenance and money. A new report from the National Transportation Research Nonprofit (TRIP) shows New York’s thruway system needs about $1.2 billion over the next eight years to maintain safety and service levels. New York proposes a Thruway toll price hike According to TRIP, travels among the 570-mile thruway system have returned to pre-pandemic levels and are expected to grow. "The thruway is one of the most critical pieces of infrastructure in New York State, clearly in the Albany area, in fact the busiest intersection on the New York thruway is in Albany it’s carrying 14 million vehicles a day," said Rocky Moretti, Director of Policy & Research with TRIP. He said the health of our thruway system is critical. Funding comes from profits made from rest areas and tolls, which are expected to increase next January. Moretti said while the toll hike will help ...