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For Craig Counsell, the chance to manage the Cubs was one he couldn't pass up

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:39 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Craig Counsell was ready for a new challenge and couldn't pass up the opportunity to manage the Chicago Cubs.The Cubs hired the 53-year-old Counsell away from Milwaukee last week, landing the former big leaguer with a record contract and firing David Ross in a pair of surprising moves. He became the majors’ highest-paid manager with a five-year contract worth more than $40 million.“I just thought that a new challenge was where I had to push myself,” Counsell said Monday at his introductory press conference.Counsell led the budget-conscious Brewers to five playoff appearances in six years, including three NL Central titles. His contract expired at the end of the season, making him one of the biggest managerial free agents in recent years. "From a baseball standpoint, I think I saw quickly that the organization is just in great health," Counsell said. "It's time for the Cubs. There is a lot of momentum happening here and it feels close and that means there is a real exc...

61st annual production of 'The Nutcracker' returns to Ballet Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:39 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Ballet Austin is poised to ring in the holiday season with its annual production of "The Nutcracker," beginning in December. The dance organization will host 15 performances between Dec. 2 and Dec. 23 at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, per a Monday release. Ballet Austin's performance will feature Stephen Mills' original choreography and the artistry of 150 dancers, including some Ballet Austin Academy students, officials added.As part of this year's rendition, "The Nutcracker" will include a live accompaniment of Tchaikovsky’s score performed by the Austin Symphony Orchestra.“One of the most gratifying things about The Nutcracker is knowing that people are sharing their holiday tradition with us, making us a part of their family during this very special time,” Stephen Mills, Ballet Austin’s Sarah & Ernest Butler Family Fund artistic director, said in the release. “When they leave the theater, if they leave elated or inspired or just happy to be with the...

New rideshare company Wridz taking on Uber and Lyft with driver incentives

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:39 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new rideshare company guaranteeing more income for drivers is hoping to gain more market share with more stringent security measures, and no surge pricing.Wridz can be found in Austin and 19 other regions around the country. Cat reunited with owner after Lyft trip separates them "We designed this company with my daughters and my wife in mind, and then trying to take care of the drivers better," Wridz CEO and Founder Steve Wright said."We came up with a program, that the driver really gets to keep everything from the fare except for, you know, the airport fee or you know, a little bit of insurance. But everything that can go to the driver does," Wright said.How does Wridz pull that off? Drivers pay a subscription fee between $25 to $100 a month, but for now, they're only charging in one market."It is a very cost-heavy industry. I've been doing this for seven years. This is my fifth vehicle in that seven years," James, who is a full-time rideshare driver for Uber, ...

AAA: 4 million Texans to travel for Thanksgiving this year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:39 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Approximately four million Texans are projected to travel for Thanksgiving this year, AAA Texas said in a Sunday news release.This year's estimated travel volume is expected to be approximately 2% higher than 2022 numbers. Despite the slight uptick since last year's festivities, AAA Texas officials report these projections still mark a 4% decrease since the last pre-pandemic Thanksgiving in 2019. When’s the last time Texas went one day without a death on state roads? Nationally, this Thanksgiving is anticipated to be the third busiest holiday stretch that AAA has reported on record. An estimated 55.4 million travelers are expected to travel this year, compared to 58.6 million in 2005 and 56 million in 2019, AAA Texas added.AAA Texas classified Thanksgiving holiday travel this year as Wednesday, Nov. 22 through Sunday, Nov. 26. Of the expected four million Texans traveling, 3.7 million of those will do so via car, 244,000 by plane and 84,000 through other transporta...

Minnesotan among 5 US troops killed in helicopter crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:39 GMT

WASHINGTON  — The U.S. Army Special Operations Command identified the five Army aviation special operations forces killed when their helicopter crashed in the Eastern Mediterranean over the weekend, calling each a “national treasure” whose loss cut deeply.Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe, 24, of Mankato, Minn. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Special Operations Command via Facebook.)The military’s European Command said the UH-60 helicopter went down during an air refueling mission as part of military training.The five service members who died were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen R. Dwyer, 38, of Clarksville, Tennessee; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane M. Barnes, 34, of Sacramento, California; Staff Sgt. Tanner W. Grone, 26, of Gorham, New Hampshire; Sgt. Andrew P. Southard, 27, of Apache Junction, Arizona; and Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe, 24, of Mankato, Minn.. They were all part of the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.The commander of the Army Special Operations...

Albany man charged with child pornography possession

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:39 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Albany man has been arrested following a sex crimes investigation, according to state police. Tyler Smith, 26, is facing multiple charges. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! An investigation conducted by the Troop G Computer Crimes Unit and the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce determined that Smith allegedly promoted and possessed images of child sexual exploitation. On November 8, police executed a search warrant at Smith's home in Albany, which resulted in him being taken into custody. Smith was processed at SP Latham and charged with promoting a sexual performance by a child and possessing a sexual performance by a child. He was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Albany City Court on November 16 before being released.

Missouri hunters bag over 90,000 deer in November opening weekend

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:39 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Missouri deer hunters had a solid start to the November firearms deer season, bagging a total of 90,334 deer during the opening weekend on Nov. 11 and 12. Of these, 53,159 were antlered bucks, 7,163 were button bucks, and 30,012 were does.Leading the harvest counts for the weekend were Franklin County with 2,114 deer, Texas County with 1,825, and Howell County with 1,726.MDC reported that this year's opening weekend harvest was in line with the average of the past five years. To put it in perspective, last year saw 93,355 deer checked during the opening weekend of the November firearms deer season. Abandoned bike leads to police discovering body at Creve Coeur Park According to MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle, the weather played a role in making the weekend enjoyable for hunters with cool mornings and comfortable afternoons.The November portion of firearms deer season will continue until Nov. 21, followed by the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) portion from ...

St. Louis County Jeopardy! winner returning for Champions Wildcard Tournament

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:39 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- A local teacher returns as a Jeopardy! contestant today. Emily Fiasco, the assistant band director at Buerkle Middle Bobcats and Washington Middle School Mehlville, was invited to play the Champions Wildcard Tournament. She will be on the show today.Emily FiascoFiasco had a winning 4-day run on the show in 2022. She won three of those days and took home over $88,000, plus she was an alternate for the 2022 Tournament of Champions."Not sure how I’ve gotten so lucky, but I was invited back to Jeopardy to participate in their Champions Wildcard tournament! So, for the fourth time (which is still so wild to consider) I headed out to Culver City to spend more time on the Alex Trebek Stage. Per usual, the experience was incredibly fun and I got to meet a great group of people who were somehow more supportive, kind, and fun than they are good at trivia… and that’s saying something!" Fiasco posts to Facebook. Eagles are coming to Enterprise Center with Steely Dan and we’ve got...

U.S. Senate candidates Wesley Bell and Karla May at township meeting today

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:39 GMT

ST. LOUIS - You can meet two of the candidates running for a seat in the U.S. Senate on Monday.Democratic candidates Wesley Bell and Karla May will both be at a joint meeting between the Clayton and Hadley townships. Abandoned bike leads to police discovering body at Creve Coeur Park It's Monday at 7:00 p.m. at the Schlafly Bottleworks on Southwest Avenue.

New MSU Denver program aims to train more male educators of color

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:39 GMT

Every time the three educators-in-training leave Denver’s Green Valley Elementary School, students ask when they will be back.They invite the three men to basketball practice and games. The students get excited to see them during special events like Trunk-or-Treat — and not just because they give big handfuls of candy.In short, Joshua Barringer, Christopher Livingston, and Jordan Puch have become very popular. That may be in part because Green Valley students — most of whom are Black and Hispanic — often don’t get to interact with Black male teachers like Barringer, Livingston, and Puch.“They love us. They always want to come up to us and give us a hug,” Barringer said. “It’s just amazing how the kids click with us and we only got here but so long ago.”Read more at Chalkbeat Colorado.Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.Get more Colorado news by signing up for our Mile High Roundup email newsletter.Related ArticlesEducation | ...