Crime victims fear looming crisis, what will happen to their cases

Published Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:15:59 GMT

Crime victims fear looming crisis, what will happen to their cases ST. LOUIS - Following Kim Gardner’s resignation as Circuit Attorney, some crime victims are no less worried about their cases.Critical court hearings and high-profile murder trials are scheduled even starting Friday, in which the prosecutor assigned to the case no longer works for the Circuit Attorney’s Office.The Scott family has been attending hearings for years for two alleged killers of their loved one, Brandon Scott. Both cases are assigned to prosecutors who have recently quit. Prosecutor from Kim Gardner’s office dies on I-270 April Scott never expected the Circuit Attorney to also resign.“I just feel like that’s a coward move of hers, honestly, on behalf of her character, taking the fact she has not taken any accountability for her actions,” she said.April said her brother was shot to death after a case of road rage that ended on the arch grounds in 2021. She said Gardner’s resignation announcement was yet another surprise.“We are totally in awe,” she said. “We just don’t ...

Payroll error creates chaos for some Jefferson County government employees

Published Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:15:59 GMT

Payroll error creates chaos for some Jefferson County government employees HILLSBORO, Mo. – Ashley Fears has two roles in this report – spokesperson and victim.“Yes, I was one of the employees who was impacted by the reversal,” she said.Fears isn’t just one of approximately 200 Jefferson County employees who had their recently-deposited paychecks erroneously withdrawn from their bank accounts this week, she’s also the deputy director of administration for Jefferson County government.“This was an issue with our third-party payroll processor. This was not something our human resources department initiated. Unfortunately, when it occurred, the third-party payroll processor did not notify us,” Fears said. “As soon as we were aware of the issue, our human resources department jumped right on it and started investigating to try and resolve the issue as quickly as they could.”We obtained internal emails sent by the county’s human resources manager alerting elected officials and directors to the issue. The email sent Tuesday night notes, “this issue has been resol...

PHOTOS: Uber and Lyft drivers hold protest, calling for change in working conditions

Published Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:15:59 GMT

PHOTOS: Uber and Lyft drivers hold protest, calling for change in working conditions Gig drivers from the Front Range rallied Thursday outside Denver International Airport, holding an afternoon work stoppage to protest their working conditions.The strike lasted from 3-7 p.m. for participating drivers, who called for better wages, safer working conditions and changes to deactivation policies, among other things from Lyft and Uber.A bill that would have given gig drivers more information about the rides they accept died in a state Senate committee late Tuesday night — a significant blow to labor groups and legions of workers who say they’re nearing a breaking point.Click here to read the full story.

Kiszla: Dare we say sweep? Nuggets thinking bigger than stealing one playoff game in Phoenix.

Published Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:15:59 GMT

Kiszla: Dare we say sweep? Nuggets thinking bigger than stealing one playoff game in Phoenix. Do you really think the NBA will let Nikola Jokic and your gritty little Nuggets snuff out the Suns without a fight?No team wins its first championship without adversity. Why should the Nuggets be any different?“Things have gone our way so far. We haven’t had much adversity in the postseason,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Thursday. “So what’s going to be important is if and when we face that adversity, how do we react? Not over-react. And not panic.”When last we saw Denver and Phoenix on the basketball floor, 37-year-old Suns guard Chris Paul was limping toward retirement and a spicy crowd in Ball Arena demanded a sweep by chanting: “Nugs in four!”The Nuggets are rolling. And the Joker has jokes.Asked what he anticipated in Phoenix for Game 3, with the Suns’ backs against the wall, Jokic deadpanned: “I expect they (will) surrender.”OK, don’t get your undies in a bunch, Kevin Durant. Without a doubt, Jokic w...

Boulder City Council removes oversight panelist who criticized police

Published Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:15:59 GMT

Boulder City Council removes oversight panelist who criticized police A community leader who publicly criticized policing and previously sued the city will lose her place on Boulder’s Police Oversight Panel, the City Council voted Thursday.The City Council’s 5-2 decision overturned the work of the commission charged with choosing panel members and a previous vote by the council to approve those selections. Council members who voted to remove her and explained their reasoning said they did not think the panelist, Lisa Sweeney-Miran, was unfit for the job but feared retaining her against the recommendation of an outside investigation would jeopardize the work of the panel as a whole and open its decisions to litigation.“To be honest, removing Lisa is a slap in the face to the people who vetted and nominated her,” Councilwoman Rachel Friend said before voting to remove her.Sweeney-Miran in a statement said the City Council acted against the movement for more just and fair policing in Boulder and silenced marginalized groups who helped select ...

Men accused of stealing jerseys at NFL Draft identified as USC student-reporters

Published Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:15:59 GMT

Men accused of stealing jerseys at NFL Draft identified as USC student-reporters Two men who were arrested last week on allegations that they stole jerseys from a restricted area at the NFL Draft in Kansas City have been identified as student journalists at the University of Southern California.Eric Lambkins, 41, and Jude Ocañas, 19, were arrested after the Draft following accusations that they used their media credentials to gain access to restricted areas where they later allegedly swiped the jerseys.On Wednesday, the USC Annenberg student newsroom published a story that identified the two men as students in the journalism program who were given media credentials to attend the NFL Draft. The pair were among five USC students who were the first to be granted permission to attend the draft on behalf of the school, the article says. The student journalists described the arrest as taking place while they sat on a plane awaiting their return trip. The report states that Kansas City police officers boarded the plane and detained them. Each man has since made bond an...

L.A. County hospital seeking patient's family

Published Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:15:59 GMT

L.A. County hospital seeking patient's family Officials at a Los Angeles County hospital are asking for the public’s help in locating family members of a 62-year-old patient who is unable to provide that information.  Viet Pham was brought by ambulance to the trauma center at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills from 9370 N. San Fernando Rd. in Sun Valley. “He had been wandering in an altered state. He speaks Vietnamese but isn’t able to clearly communicate,” hospital officials said in a news release. Viet Pham, 62, was brought to the hospital by ambulance from Sun Valley. (Providence Holy Cross)Pham is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing around 140 pounds, with black mid-length hair, brown eyes, tan skin tone and a gray goatee and mustache.  Anyone who recognizes the patient is urged to contact Providence Holy Cross at 818-365-8051 and ask for the nurse supervisor’s office.  

Rare spring snowstorm hits Southern California

Published Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:15:59 GMT

Rare spring snowstorm hits Southern California A spring storm brought tons of snowfall to Southern California for a rare taste of wintertime in May.Heavy overnight storms created wet, slushy road conditions for mountain residents, catching many off guard. Running Springs received around three inches of snow, while some areas of Mt. Baldy saw up to eight inches of snow.Don Marquez, who was visiting Running Springs from Los Angeles, was completely unprepared for the winter weather.“This isn’t the easiest thing to do,” said Marquez while chaining up his tires in the wet weather.Marquez was in Running Springs and decided to head back down the mountain on Wednesday. Little did he know, the area would be completely covered with snow.With the spring season in full bloom, experts say the overnight storm activity is actually quite rare to experience in May.“It’s rare. We don’t see another storm like this on the horizon,” said Alex Tardy with the National Weather Service. “This probably was an anomaly, kind of a one-and-done storm.”An ove...

Oakland teachers strike to continue Friday

Published Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:15:59 GMT

Oakland teachers strike to continue Friday OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- Thousands of Oakland Unified School District teachers refused to return to their classrooms on Thursday and a strike is underway at hundreds of schools. The Oakland Education Association announced Thursday night that the strike would continue into Friday. Teachers will picket starting at 7:30 a.m. and there will be a rally at the United for Success Academy in Oakland. The goal of the strike is to compel the district to approve a new contract with Oakland Education Association teachers union that will improve working conditions for teachers, as well as learning supports for students. Nearly 3,000 educators have been working without a contract from OUSD since October.Teachers are demanding a livable wage, improved services for students with disabilities, additional mental health support for students struggling post-pandemic, and investment in Historically Black Community Schools.The school district held a 25-minute-long news conference with reporters Thursday...

Overturned vehicle catches fire, shuts down lane on Highway 17

Published Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:15:59 GMT

Overturned vehicle catches fire, shuts down lane on Highway 17 (KRON) -- A car flipped over and caught on fire Thursday evening on Highway 17 in Santa Cruz County, according to California Highway Patrol (CHP). The incident caused the right lane of the highway to shut down.As of 7 p.m., all lanes have reopened. SF parking ticket scam going around in city: Here’s what to look out for The car flipped over around 5:58 p.m. near the intersection of Summit Road and Highway 17. A photo posted by CHP Santa Cruz shows the car in flames. Another photo shows firefighters have extinguished the car fire.Photos of the scene can be viewed below. CHP Santa CruzCHP Santa CruzBoth fire crews and CHP were at the scene responding to the flipped vehicle. The location of the incident is approximately 10 miles south of Los Gatos in Santa Clara County.