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Justice minister planning to introduce bail reforms this week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:51 GMT

OTTAWA — Justice Minister David Lametti and the federal government are expected to bring forward legislation to enact bail reform as early as tomorrow. Lametti has said he will make “targeted reforms” to the Criminal Code after the provinces and territories publicly raised concerns about repeat offenders. The federal government says the reforms will aim to deal with repeat violent offenders and offences involving firearms and other dangerous weapons.The premiers have asked for a “reverse onus” system for some offences, which would require a person seeking bail to prove why they should not stay behind bars.Calls for action have grown after several high-profile crimes, including the shooting death of an Ontario Provincial Police officer in February, which police say was committed by a man who had been released on bail. The federal Conservatives and law enforcement leaders have also put pressure on the Liberals to make bail more restrictive.This report by The Ca...

Convicted child rapist, former Baltimore Catholic school teacher dies in prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:51 GMT

BALTIMORE (AP) — A convicted child rapist, whose crimes were recently highlighted in an extensive state report on sex abuse and coverups within the Archdiocese of Baltimore, died last week in prison, according to Maryland’s corrections agency.John Merzbacher, 81, was serving four life sentences after his 1995 rape conviction for committing sexual abuse while he was a teacher at a Catholic middle school in Baltimore in the 1970s. He died Friday of natural causes in the infirmary at Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover, Maryland, state corrections officials said.Merzbacher’s crimes have received renewed attention in recent weeks with the release of a report by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, which spent years investigating child sexual abuse in the archdiocese. It found more than 150 priests and others associated with the Baltimore archdiocese sexually abused over 600 children for decades, often with impunity.The report, which paints a damning picture of the nation’s o...

Native Americans demand accountability for ancestral remains identified at Dartmouth College

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:51 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — As a citizen of the Quapaw Nation, Ahnili Johnson-Jennings has always seen Dartmouth College as the university for Native American students.Her father graduated from the school, founded in 1769 to educate Native Americans, and she had come to rely on its network of students, professors and administrators. But news that the Ivy League school in New Hampshire identified partial skeletal remains of 15 Native Americans in one of its collections has Johnson-Jennings and others reassessing that relationship.“It’s hard to reconcile. It’s hard to see the college in this old way where they were taking Native remains and using them for their own benefit,” said Johnson-Jennings, a senior and co-president of Native Americans at Dartmouth. The remains were used to teach a class as recently as last year, until an audit concluded they had been wrongly catalogued as not Native. Native American students were briefed on the discovery in March.“It was very upsetting to hear, especially w...

Stellantis stops construction on Windsor, Ont., EV battery plant amid fed dispute

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:51 GMT

WINDSOR, Ont. — One of the world’s largest automakers said Monday it has stopped construction on a $5-billion electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor, Ont., saying the federal government has not delivered on what was promised.Stellantis, which makes Chrysler, Ram and Fiat cars among others, and South Korean battery-maker LG Energy Solution announced the plant last year and said it was expected to create 2,500 jobs.All levels of government were to provide financial support. While the amounts were not disclosed at the time, Stellantis now says the federal government has not held up its end of the bargain.“As of today, the Canadian government has not delivered on what was agreed to therefore Stellantis and LG Energy Solution will begin implementing their contingency plans,” the company said in a statement. “Effective immediately, all construction related to the battery module production on the Windsor site has stopped.”The federal government says negotiations are on...

Smash Mouth headlining 2023 Pierogi Fest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:51 GMT

WHITING, Ind. — Pierogi Fest attendees this summer will be "walking on the sun" after rock band Smash Mouth was announced as the main headliner.Known as "the wackiest festival in all the Midwest," Pierogi Fest is celebrating its 29th anniversary near the shores of Lake Michigan in Whiting.It returns this summer from July 28-30. Chairman and co-founder Tom Dabertin credited partners Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana for helping book Smash Mouth.He said the fest wouldn't be what it is without an "amazing" network of volunteers.Aerial of Pierogi Fest"What's really amazing and what makes it different from another other fest is that it's run by 650 volunteers," Dabertin said.While the music lineup has been announced, an eclectic mix taking place on seven stages, the vendor list is still under wraps. ‘Uncontainable excitement’: 18-year-old captures northern lights over Illinois The fest limits traditional fair food like elephant ears, but patrons will be able to taste any kind of pierog...

See the Bears' 2023 preseason schedule

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:51 GMT

LAKE FOREST — Just a few days after the regular season schedule was announced, the Bears now know when they'll play a trio of preseason contests in 2023. A few days after announcing their regular season schedule, the Bears’ now know when they’ll play their preseason game. @WGNNews pic.twitter.com/LIh2WHJOvx— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) May 15, 2023The NFL announced the dates and times for the three exhibition games for the team on Monday morning after revealing the opponents on Thursday - with all three being Saturday contests. On Saturday, August 12, the Bears will host the Tennessee Titans at Noon to open up the preseason slate. A week later, they'll travel to Indianapolis for their only road trip during the exhibition season, facing the Colts on Saturday, August 19 at 6 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium. They'll return home the next week to face their Buffalo Bills in their preseason finale at Soldier Field with the kickoff set for Noon. See the Bears' 2023 regular season sched...

PHOTOS: The weekend in Chicago sports

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:51 GMT

CHICAGO — On this Mother's Day weekend in Chicago, it was a rough few days for Chicago's baseball teams, a history-making moment for a basketball team, and a St. Louis sweep for a soccer club. These and more are featured in the wrap-up of the weekend in sports in photos from WGN News Now.MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 13: Alex Kirilloff #19 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates his solo home run for his second of the day with a celebratory fishing rod and vest in the third inning against the Chicago Cubs at Target Field on May 13, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 14: Marcus Stroman #0 of the Chicago Cubs looks on after being relieved against the Minnesota Twins in the third inning at Target Field on May 14, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 13: Hayden Wesneski #19 of the Chicago Cubs reacts to giving up a two-run home run to Jorge Polanco #11 of the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inni...

These are the top 10 U.S. summer destinations on Airbnb

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:51 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Still wondering where to get away this summer? There's plenty of time left to figure out where to throw your PTO — and some U.S. cities are likely to be busier than others this year.Airbnb recently released its summer 2023 outlook, which includes the top-trending U.S. destinations based on search traffic to its site during Q1. But they may not be the cities you expect — and only one state claims two spots on the list. These are most popular baby names of 2022: Social Security Administration Here are Airbnb's top 10 summer 2023 domestic destinations, based on search traffic:RankCity1. Louisville, Kentucky2. Laconia, New Hampshire3.Lexington, Kentucky 4. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania5.Panama City, Florida6.Milwaukee, Wisconsin7.Surf City, New Jersey8. Bolivar Peninsula, Texas9.Kansas City, Missouri10.North Topsail Beach, North CarolinaLouisville, Kentucky, is on a hot streak, according to Airbnb's report. In addition to topping the U.S. domestic trending list, the city is als...

City to use Marshalling Yard as temporary homeless shelter, doubling up at existing shelters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin intends to use the Marshalling Yard, near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, as a temporary shelter for people experiencing homelessness, according to a new city memo. It's a part of a council-directed attempt to expand the number of shelter beds the city offers. According to the memo, a portion of the 70,000-square-foot building will be used for the shelter effort. It could create up to 300 additional emergency shelter beds. The goal is to use the shelter for roughly a year while more permanent shelter is created, the memo said. The city is also working to find a nonprofit to provide services at the shelter. The city will use roughly $9.1 million from American Rescue Plan Act funding to make it all happen. The city will host a virtual community information session and provide further details on the plan next month, the city said. The memo also announced Austin is making additional space at its Northbridge and Southbridge shelters by conv...

1 critically injured in White Bear Lake townhouse fire

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:51 GMT

A person was hospitalized with critical injuries in a White Bear Lake townhouse fire Sunday night.The fire department was notified about 11:35 p.m. about the fire in the 2600 block of Aspen Court off Glen Oaks Avenue and County Road D.Firefighters discovered one unit of a four-unit townhome fully engulfed by flames, which started to spread to a neighboring unit.A resident told officers that someone was unable to escape from the home, according to the fire department. After firefighters found the victim, they were transported to a hospital.The White Bear Lake fire and police departments, along with the Minnesota State Fire Marshal, are investigating the fire’s source.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | St. Paul man sentenced for fracturing cat’s skull with hammer during family dispute Crime & Public Safety | Derek Chauvin’s ex-wife gets community service, probation for tax evasion sentence Crime & Public Safety | ...