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CHP urges San Diego drivers to 'stay off the roads' during Hilary, especially these areas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:32 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- California Highway Patrol is encouraging San Diegans to stay off the roadways Sunday as Hilary arrives in the region.Unless you absolutely must, CHP has advised drivers to avoid traveling in what's expected to be rainy and windy conditions."We have sediment on the roadway. It's pretty slick right now, so it makes for very dangerous situations," said CHP Sgt. Brian Pennings. This is especially true for mountains, deserts and the coastal foothills where high winds are expected. MORE: Tracking Hilary "We have a unique situation in San Diego. There's several locations in our mountains that act as a funnel in some of these valleys, and they go directly across Interstate 8 and they funnel the winds," Sgt. Pennings explained. "Sometimes, we have big rigs blow over. It can be very dangerous."Some places where he says these big rigs tend to tip over include places like Pine Valley, Descanso and Crestwood.For those who do need to travel, CHP says the main tips they can offer i...

Explosion causes two-alarm fire in Rusholme Road and Bloor Street West area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:32 GMT

A two-alarm fire has broken out in an apartment building in the Rusholme Road and Bloor Street West area near Ossington Avenue on Sunday afternoon.Police responded to reports at approximately 2:19 p.m. of an explosion in the electrical room of the building.Police are on the scene with Toronto fire who are advising it is a two-alarm fire.Rusholme Road is closed southbound from Bloor Street West.

Tropical Storm Hilary makes landfall along Mexico’s Baja coast, carrying deluge to California

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:32 GMT

ENSENADA, Mexico (AP) — Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall along Mexico’s Baja California coast Sunday as concerns mounted over the storm causing what could be deadly flash flooding in the border city of Tijuana, Southern California and places as far north as Idaho that rarely get such heavy rain.Forecasters expected Hilary to make history as the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, bringing flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes, high winds and power outages.Hilary hit the coast in a sparsely populated area about 150 miles (250 kilometers) south of Ensenada, Mexico. The storm has already caused flooding along the length of the Baja peninsula, and torrential rains threatened mudslide-prone Tijuana, where improvised houses cling to hillsides just south of the U.S. border. Other western states could be hit with once-in-a-century rains, with a good chance Hilary could break all-time records as the wettest known tropical cyclone to douse Nevada, Orego...

‘A great feeling’: Okanagan wildfire battle has turned a corner, say fire chiefs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:32 GMT

KELOWNA, B.C. — Fire chiefs say the fight against devastating wildfires that have been rampaging around Lake Okanagan, B.C., has turned a corner after days of destruction.West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund said “things are finally looking better,” with an army of 500 firefighters engaged in a battle that is now in a new phase.He told a news briefing Sunday that no more homes in West Kelowna had been destroyed by the McDougall Creek wildfire in the past 24 hours and it was possible to begin to “talk about recovery.”Kelowna fire chief Travis Whiting told the briefing he was also “very excited” about the advances being made, with his crews optimistic and in good spirits.He said there had been decreased fire activity, compared to the extreme behaviour of fires in recent days as they tore through neighbourhoods and destroyed homes in both West Kelowna and Kelowna, on either side of the lake.The positive developments in the Central Okanagan come amid...

Court documents suggests reason for police raid of Kansas newspaper

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:32 GMT

The police chief who led the raid of a Kansas newspaper alleged in previously unreleased in court documents that a reporter either impersonated someone else or lied about her intentions when she obtained the driving records of a local business owner.But reporter Phyllis Zorn, Marion County Record Editor and Publisher Eric Meyer and the newspaper’s attorney said Sunday that no laws were broken when Zorn accessed a public state website for information on restaurant operator Kari Newell.The raid carried out Aug. 11 and led by Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody brought international attention to the small central Kansas town that now finds itself at the center of a debate over press freedoms. Police seized computers, personal cellphones and a router from the newspaper, but all items were released Wednesday after the county prosecutor concluded there wasn’t enough evidence to justify the action.Late Saturday, the Record’s attorney, Bernie Rhodes, provided copies of the aff...

Relief in Nova Scotia as main road reopens to Peggy’s Cove after disastrous floods

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:32 GMT

HALIFAX — The manager of a sea kayaking operation in Nova Scotia says locals and tourist alike are relieved to have a road reopened to a key provincial tourist destination.Adam Zita with East Coast Outfitters says the opening of a temporary bridge on the road to the Peggy’s Cove lighthouse will put an end to lengthy detours.He says in an interview that the road was washed out during the devastating floods last month that resulted in the deaths of four people, including three children, who were trying to escape the rushing waters.Pam Lovelace, the municipal councillor for the area, says it’s a spark of good news for a region that was hit hard by forest fires in May and then by July’s flooding.She says residents were worried that the closed road would have made it more difficult for ambulance and fire services to respond quickly.The provincial Department of Public Works said Friday it had opened a single-lane temporary bridge along the road near Blind Bay, N.S.This r...

As college football season arrives, schools pay monitors to stop players and staff from gambling

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:32 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — North Carolina junior tight end John Copenhaver gets a group text message from his university pointing out the latest betting scandal or reminding him of the importance of not violating rules against betting on sports.“It’s being put in our heads every single day,” he said.Schools feel they have no choice. The spread of legalized sports gambling — and some early scandals — have captured the full attention of athletic departments and conference offices. All major conferences are paying independent betting monitors to make sure their athletes abide by the rules — and to catch those who are not.All of this means the personal information surrendered by athletes — birthdays, addresses, Social Security numbers, cellphone numbers — is used in a way unlike the same information shared by their fellow students. Some combination of those details can tip off a betting monitor that something doesn’t look right.“They’re just onboarding and they’re going through ...

Navy shipbuilders’ union approves 3-year labor pact at Bath Iron Works

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:32 GMT

BATH, Maine (AP) — The largest union at Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works in Maine overwhelmingly approved a new three-year contract, the union said Sunday, averting another strike like the one three years ago that contributed to delays in delivering ships.The contract, which takes effect Monday, raises pay a range of 2.6% to 9.6% in the first year with differences due to a mid-contract wage adjustment that already took effect for some workers, and will be followed by a 5% increase in the second year and 4% increase in the third. Workers are receiving an increase in contributions to their national pension plan while health insurance costs will grow.Machinists’ Union Local S6, which represents about 4,200 production workers, touted the biggest pay raises by percentage since the union’s founding in the 1950s.“Local S6 would like to thank you for your vote and support as we continue to advocate for our members’ best interests and uphold the contract with the utmost dedication,” un...

From turmoil to triumph, Spain earns its first Women's World Cup title with a 1-0 win over England

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:32 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Spain was celebrating its first Women's World Cup trophy Sunday after an impressive display proved too much for England in a 1-0 victory for La Roja. Olga Carmona scored in the first half of the final and Spain held on to cap the month-long tournament. Overcoming the turmoil that had surrounded the team, the victory made Spain the first team to hold the under-17, under-20 and senior world titles at the same time. Spain is the fifth winner in nine editions of the Women’s World Cup and joined Germany as the only two nations to win both the men’s and women’s titles.At the final whistle the Spanish players piled on each other in front of their goal. They were still dancing on the field until the trophy presentations, where they kissed the trophy and raised their arms triumphantly as golden glitter fell from above. “We’ve suffered a lot throughout the past 12 months but I think everything has a reason to be. This has made us a stronger team,” Carmona said. “And it’s really ...

Maui town ravaged by fire will 'rise again,' Hawaii governor says of long recovery ahead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:32 GMT

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Friday that what's rebuilt from the ashes of the devastating wildfires on Maui will be determined by the people.“Lahaina will rise again,” Green said during a livestreamed evening address from Honolulu. The seaside town will be rebuilt as a living memorial to those lost — a number that increased by three on Friday to 114 — while preserving and protecting Native Hawaiian culture, he said.His wife, Jaime Kanani Green, stood next to him and cried as she described Lahaina as a vibrant community rich in history and culture.“Tragically it took less than a single day for us to lose Lahaina in the deadliest fire our country has seen in more than a century," she said.Native Hawaiians and others from Lahaina said earlier Friday they worry Hawaii's governor is moving too quickly to rebuild what was lost while the grief is still raw.“The fire occurred only 10 days ago, and many people are still in shock and mourning,” Tiare Lawrence, who grew u...