48th annual 'A Christmas Affair' kicks off in Austin

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:45:31 GMT

48th annual 'A Christmas Affair' kicks off in Austin AUSTIN (KXAN) —If you're looking to get your holiday shopping started look no further than the Palmer Events Center near downtown Austin.The 48th annual "A Christmas Affair" opens to the public Thursday Nov. 16 and runs through Sunday Nov. 19.The cosmic holiday themed event, which is hosted by the Junior League of Austin, features more than 200 vendors from around the nation.A full list of the vendors can be found here.Ticket sales from the will benefit programs, including Kids In Cool Shoes, Coats for Kids, and FIT – Food In Tummies, as well as 20 other nonprofit partners.Event organizers are porjecting about $1 million going back to the community."This is the best time to do your holiday shopping, now before the crowds rush in, and you are benefiting the community," said Sheridan Butler Binford, A Christmas Affair Chair "So it is a win win for everybody. You don't have to go online and it really is a fun experience, you get the holiday cheer before Thanksgiving. "Tickets for the e...

The Loop Fantasy Football Report Week 11: Is Bills’ Allen the biggest disappointment?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:45:31 GMT

The Loop Fantasy Football Report Week 11: Is Bills’ Allen the biggest disappointment? It’s often been said that fantasy football bears only the faintest resemblance to actual football, and that success in one does not necessarily mean certain success in the other.Case in point: Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen.As far as REAL football goes, the Bills’ QB has been a tremendous disappointment this season. Ball security? Allen’s three turnovers proved fatal Monday night in the Bills’ shocking loss to Denver, and the former first-round draft pick leads the league with 11 interceptions.But fantasy-wise, Allen is still a god. He’s the top scoring NFL quarterback with 19 touchdown passes, seven rushing TDs and 2,600 passing yards. So Allen’s struggles this season have been much more painful for Bills Mafia than the Fantasy Mafia that drafted him in the first two rounds of most drafts.The statistics haven’t been as forgiving for the following players, who make up our list of the first half’s biggest fantasy non-factors:Deshaun Watson (Browns QB) – There’s no way to massage this...

Three weekends of holiday gifts in Lake Luzerne

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:45:31 GMT

Three weekends of holiday gifts in Lake Luzerne LAKE LUZERNE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The Lake Luzerne community's local historical organization is holding three weekends of special events for gift-givers. Holiday on the Hudson comes to the Kinnear Museum of Local History this November and December. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Holiday on the Hudson is made up of three Saturdays, all from noon to 3 p.m. The Kinnear Museum sells handcrafted jewelry, maps, and more gift items, as well as books by local authors. Each event is organized by the Hadley-Lake Luzerne Historical Society. The events include:Small Business SaturdayNov. 2510% off on all purchasesHoliday on the HudsonDec. 210% off on all purchasesA free raffle ticket to win a map of Luzerne and Hadley with each purchaseHadley-Luzerne Historical Society Discount DayDec. 910% off on all purchasesAnother 10% for historical society members with proof of membershipFree collector's glass etched ornament with proof of membership; al...

Trans-Siberian Orchestra members discuss winter tour, Albany visit

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:45:31 GMT

Trans-Siberian Orchestra members discuss winter tour, Albany visit ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is ready to rock for another holiday season! The popular group is bringing their holiday rock tour to the MVP Arena on November 29. Trans-Siberian Orchestra returning to MVP Arena This year's TSO tour promises a new and larger presentation of the beloved holiday tradition, "The Ghosts of Christmas Eve." Since its touring debut, the band has played more than 2,000 winter tour shows to more than 18 million fans.Vocalist Kayla Reeves said she still has to pinch herself that she gets to be a small part of the beloved holiday tradition.  Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! “This is going to be a very special tour, I can’t wait for you guys to see it,” said Reeves.

Odd 3.6 magnitude earthquake shakes north-central Illinois

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:45:31 GMT

Odd 3.6 magnitude earthquake shakes north-central Illinois STANDARD, Ill. -- A 3.6-magnitude earthquake shook north-central Illinois early Wednesday morning. The quake, which the USGS recorded at 4:41 a.m., was at a depth of 2.8 miles just south of the Illinois River. The USGS lists that area as a stable continental region, and earthquakes are unusual here. It may have been the result of faulting bedrock.The earthquake was fairly large, at 3.6 on the Richter scale. Because of its location, it would have been felt for around 60 miles from the epicenter.There have been other earthquakes in this region, as well as larger ones in Illinois. There was an earthquake near the same location in 1972 that measured between four and five on the Richter scale, according to the New York Times. A 5.0 quake shook southeastern Illinois in 1987, causing minor damage. St. Louis native’s story to hit big screen, local filming continues The largest Illinois earthquake happened on November 9, 1968 and measured 5.4 on the Richter scale. And caused significant da...

Man shot and killed in a north St. Louis motel

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:45:31 GMT

Man shot and killed in a north St. Louis motel ST. LOUIS -- A man was shot and killed at the Carousel Motel in the 3900 block of North Kingshighway on Tuesday. Police were called to the motel at around 7:15 p.m.Officers found a 40 to 50-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his chest. EMS took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.Police are still looking for a suspect and homicide detectives are investigating the fatal shooting. They are asking anyone with information about it to call 314-444-5371. Anyone with a tip who wants to remain anonymous should contact CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.

Broncos rookie Marvin Mims Jr.’s “good football intelligence” paying off in return game

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:45:31 GMT

Broncos rookie Marvin Mims Jr.’s “good football intelligence” paying off in return game Marvin Mims Jr. may not be seeing the ball much on offense, but the rookie has still turned himself into a one-man drive-starter.The wide receiver out of Oklahoma is setting the Broncos offense up nicely almost every time he gets a chance in the return game.This week, that work earned him the AFC’s special teams player of the week honor.Mims, a second-round pick last spring, has already blossomed into one of the NFL’s most dangerous return men on both punts and kickoffs and his impact was on full display in Denver’s 24-22 win Monday night at Buffalo.He logged a 31-yard kick return but really made an impact with punt returns of 17 and 27 yards. Those returns set up the Broncos’ only two touchdown drives of the night. That kind of production becomes even more pronounced when Denver had just one offensive snap that went for 20-plus yards without the aid of a defensive penalty.Even without many explosives, the Broncos were able to hold the ball for more than 37 minutes and generate a ma...

Nikola Jokic, Nuggets use same offensive set to score variety of ways in crunch time vs. Clippers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:45:31 GMT

Nikola Jokic, Nuggets use same offensive set to score variety of ways in crunch time vs. Clippers Five times, the Nuggets started their crunch-time offense in the same exact set, and five times, the Clippers have lost since trading for James Harden.The blockbuster deal with Philadelphia early this season added reinforcement — detractors would call it redundancy — to a Los Angeles lineup already stacked with big-name guards and wings. It’s more natural for coach Ty Lue to use a small lineup down the stretch in close games now due to his personnel, especially thanks to the isolation scoring potential of so many players.Add in the fact that two-time MVP Nikola Jokic has occasionally struggled against smaller, stingier defenders, and it made sense that the Clippers were rolling the dice late in their in-season tournament game Tuesday at Denver, using a lineup without starting center Ivica Zubac.The Nuggets still found a way to exploit it. They ran their offense out of the same set, over and over.“It’s a play that we usually run for our power forwards,” Nuggets coac...

Opinion: Some might say it’s futile, but pulling invasive thistles sows hope

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:45:31 GMT

Opinion: Some might say it’s futile, but pulling invasive thistles sows hope For the past few years, I’ve participated in “Thistle Thursdays,” targeting a popular trail near Jackson, Wyoming. The weekly weed party was organized in 2019 by Morgan Graham, wildlife habitat specialist with the Teton County Conservation District, and it attracts more volunteers each year — 16 of us in 2023.To slow the steady march of musk thistle, a fast-spreading weed from Eurasia, we spend Thursday morning each week bending down to tackle these interlopers. We know what we do is a drop in the bucket, but right here, along this trail, we see results.Joining Morgan is a mixed crew: native plant enthusiasts, elk hunters, employees of non-profits and the Forest Service, plus “youngsters” in their 30s and retirees like me.My friend Mary, nearly 80, wins the prize as the oldest and most enthusiastic of the crew. While we were waiting for a friend at a trailhead this summer, she spotted a musk thistle on a steep slope, went to her car for some gloves and signaled for me to follo...

Browns QB Deshaun Watson out for rest of season with shoulder fracture; rookie to start vs. Steelers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:45:31 GMT

Browns QB Deshaun Watson out for rest of season with shoulder fracture; rookie to start vs. Steelers By TOM WITHERS (AP Sports Writer)CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson’s season is over, once again leaving the Cleveland Browns without a franchise quarterback.Watson will miss the rest of his second year with Cleveland after sustaining a fracture in his throwing shoulder, an injury that came during his best performance since joining the team following a controversial trade in 2022.“I’m still in disbelief,” Watson said Wednesday.Watson will undergo surgery to repair the fracture in his right shoulder, which happened during Sunday’s 33-31 win in Baltimore on an unspecified hit in the second quarter. The team said an MRI revealed a displaced fracture to the glenoid.The Browns (6-3) must go forward without Watson and coach Kevin Stefanski said rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3).It will be the second start for Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round pick from UCLA who made an emergency start on Oct. 1 against B...