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Ontario expands ‘strong mayor’ powers to more cities, creates $1.2B housing incentive fund

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:57 GMT

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is giving ‘strong mayor’ powers to 21 more municipalities and announcing $1.2 billion in incentives for cities and towns to meet housing targets.In a speech Monday at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s conference in London, Ont., Ford said the moves are to help communities build at least 1.5 million homes by 2031 in order to meet the needs of the province’s fast-growing population.“This new fund [Building Faster Fund] is an incentive program that supports municipalities to build more homes … that will reward municipalities for reaching annual housing targets. These targets will be ambitious, but realistic,” Ford said at the conference.Strong mayor powers include allowing mayors to propose housing-related bylaws and pass them with the support of one-third of councillors, as well as override council approval of certain bylaws and prepare their city’s budget, instead of council.The expansion involves ...

Toronto man broke into east end home, sexually assaulted woman: Police

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:57 GMT

A Toronto man is facing charges after he allegedly broke into a home and sexually assaulted a woman in the city’s east end.Officers responded to reports of a sexual assault near of Main Street and Danforth Avenue around 3 a.m. on Aug. 20.Police allege a suspect broke into a residential unit in the area and sexually assaulted a woman.Toronto resident Dominic Mark Eustache, 49, was arrested and is facing two charges for breaking and entering and sexual assault. The accused appeared in a Toronto courtroom on Sunday morning.Investigators have released an image of the suspect and believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with information is being asked to contact police.

What to know about home insurance if you’re been displaced by B.C. or N.W.T. fires

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:57 GMT

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says all standard homeowner and tenant insurance policies cover damage caused by fires, and also provide coverage to help with the cost of mass evacuations. In a news release, the organization advises anyone forced to flee due to wildfires in the Northwest Territories and British Columbia to make a list of damaged or destroyed items and keep receipts for expenses they incurred.Devastating wildfires have forced thousands from their homes in the Northwest Territories and the B.C. Interior over the past week.A provincial state of emergency was enacted in B.C., with around 30,000 people under evacuation order as of Sunday. IBC says it’s too early to provide estimates of insured damages from the fires as they are still ongoing.Before these fires started their rampages, it was already a year of record-setting wildfires. More than one in four Canadians told a polling firm in June that they had been affected by fires during the spring. This report by The Canad...

USC’s Caleb Williams, Ohio State’s Harrison Jr. and Michigan’s Corum top AP preseason All-Americans

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:57 GMT

Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams of USC, Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michigan running back Blake Corum are among the returning first-team players who were selected to The Associated Press preseason All-America team announced Monday.Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt and Miami safety Kam Kinchens also followed up their stellar 2022 seasons by being named preseason All-Americans by voters in the AP Top 25.Two-time defending national champion and No. 1 Georgia had the most players on the first team with four, including tight end Brock Bowers, center Sedrick Van Pran and defensive backs Malaki Starks and Javon Bullard.No. 3 Ohio State was second with three. Harrison was joined by fellow receiver Emeka Egbuka and linebacker Tommy Eichenberg.Williams was named the AP Player of the Year before he won the Heisman last year, his first at USC after transferring from Oklahoma.Corum was a Heisman contender last year until a late-season injury and returns to lead the second-...

Happy 104th birthday, Sister Jean! See how you can celebrate the beloved Loyola chaplain

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:57 GMT

CHICAGO — It's a special day for a special person in the Loyola University and Rogers Park community in Chicago. Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt BMV, or more commonly known as Sister Jean, is celebrating her 104th birthday on Monday. She was born on August 21, 1919 in San Francisco, California where she spent the first part of her life before moving to the Chicago area, where she's been for over 60 years. Sister Jean is currently the chaplain of the Loyola men's basketball team, a role she's had since 1994 and came to international fame during the Ramblers' NCAA Tournament runs in 2018 and 2021.She began her time in Chicago as a teacher at Mundelein College, an all-woman's catholic school in Rogers Park and Edgewater, in 1961. Sister Jean remained there until that institution merged with Loyola in 1991, eventually joining the men's basketball team as a chaplain three years later, a role she still holds today. Loyola is planning a few ways to pay tribute to Sister Jean on her 104th birth...

Investigation underway after 16 and 19-year-old killed in Glenview shooting, both ID'd

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:57 GMT

GLENVIEW, Ill. — Two teens have been identified after a Saturday night double-homicide in Glenview, according to multiple sources.The Cook County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) said the deadly shooting happened just after 9 p.m. in the 10400 block of Michael Todd Terrace in unincorporated Glenview. String of 7-11 robberies within 30 minutes on North Side Officers said when they first arrived on scene, they found two victims who had both been shot several times. One was pronounced dead on the scene, while the other victim was taken to the hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. Man, 38, killed in Austin hit-and-run ID’d The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has identified one of the victims as 16-year-old Jose Guzman, and the other as 19-year-old Carlos Guzman, both from Glenview, IL.Currently, it is unclear what led to the shooting and police say an investigation is underway. Shooting in Chicago Heights leaves 18-year-old dead Anyone with information on the deadly shooti...

Major wildfires burn in Greece, Spain's Canary Island of Tenerife

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:57 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Major wildfires were burning in Greece and on one of Spain’s Canary Islands off the African coast Monday, with hot, dry and windy conditions hampering the efforts of hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes. Two of the fires have been burning for several days.European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017.In Greece, authorities said the body of a man was recovered from a sheep pen in an area in the central Viotia region under evacuation as a wildfire that broke out Monday morning approached. Local media reported the man apparently died of smoke inhalation while trying to save his livestock.Two villages in the Viotia region, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Athens, were under evacuation orders, as were villages in three regions of northeastern Greece where several separate wildf...

VIDEO: Mudflow shoots into the air as Tropical Storm Hilary brings heavy rain

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:57 GMT

CALIFORNIA — Tropical Storm Hilary brought heavy rain and flooding to Southern California on Sunday, Aug. 20.Footage from San Bernardino County shows a powerful mud flow affecting Oak Glen Road in Yucaipa. https://wgntv.com/news/more-than-1000-flights-canceled-due-to-tropical-storm-hilary/ Residents were warned to shelter in place and to avoid all unnecessary travel amid the heavy rain.The National Weather Service (NWS) said that three of its California climate stations reported record-breaking rainfall amounts for the entire month of August from Sunday’s rain alone.Credit: San Bernardino County Public Works via Storyful Meanwhile, a Californian hiking enthusiast was on hand to capture what he called the “incredible” moment a mudflow came sweeping through Sheep Canyon, near Wrightwood, California, also on Sunday, Aug. 20, carrying wood and debris along with it.The footage, by X user @TransverseDream, shows the debris approaching as he and two childre...

I-35 northbound at 290 East reopens after deadly crash

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Interstate 35 northbound near Highway 290 has reopened after all lanes were closed due to a fatal crash early Monday morning. I-35 northbound was shut down at exit 238B after a person was hit and killed by a vehicle in the area, according to the Austin Police Department. APD said one vehicle involved stopped and stayed at the scene but it's unclear if that was the only vehicle involved. The interstate was fully reopened by 11:30 a.m.

ACC seeing enrollment rise after a few down years

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:00:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – During the pandemic, enrollment numbers dropped at Austin Community College, but the school says they are seeing numbers rise once again.“We are projecting that we will get to about 37,000 students for the fall semester,” said Gaye Lynn Scott, Vice Chancellor of instruction with ACC.Student enrollment is still open so numbers will change over the next few weeks.In the Fall semester of 2020, ACC had 40,739 students enrolled, but that next year, in Fall 2021, enrollment dropped to 36,344 students. The numbers dropped again in Fall 2022, to 35,011 students.“In that first year of the pandemic, there was a big rush to take advantage of remote learning. We lost quite a lot of ground in Fall of '21 so we are building back up from there.” Austin Community College to launch partnership to train more nurses The school is also seeing growth in certain fields like Computer Science and IT, which has seen enrollment rise by 7.5%. Liberal Arts enrollment has risen 10% and Science...