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Letters: Good intent, St. Paul Council. But child-care proposal is poorly thought out

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:28:54 GMT

Good intention. Poor planSt. Paul has been a wonderful place to raise my children and, more recently, to help raise my grandchildren. As a city taxpayer, I support government efforts to raise revenue to support families, kids, and especially our childcare workforce. However, in all such efforts, the devil is in the details, and the more I’ve learned how we’d raise revenue, the more it gives me pause.Childcare IS expensive. Families at all income levels pay punishing sums of money for it. Apart from regular opportunities to spend time with my granddaughter, easing the financial pressure on my son and daughter-in-law is the main reason I assist them with childcare. Truthfully, childcare should be as available to everyone as our public schools. If it’s needed, it’s available for little or no cost, regardless of family income.So, while I support the intent of the ballot question recently approved by St. Paul’s City Council, I find it poorly thought out.As written, its financial un...

Some Missouri school districts approved to use own assessment tests

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:28:54 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Preliminary test scores show Missouri students are still not performing as well in school as they were before the pandemic.It's no surprise that the pandemic affected students' learning. Initial 2022–2023 Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) test scores show that while there was an increase in math, English language arts and science, there was a decline in social studies. The report shows higher English scores in elementary and high school but lower or flat scores in middle schools.Starting this school year, 20 districts will be allowed to use their own assessment plan, instead of the state's end-of-year evaluation system."A number of school leaders and local school boards have come together to say, let's give this a run and see if we can figure out a way to do things a little bit better," Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven said.A new plan to measure student achievement by using alternative assessments had been i...

Kristin Smart killer Paul Flores in serious condition after being attacked in prison

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:28:54 GMT

The man convicted last fall of killing Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart in 1996 was hospitalized after he was attacked in prison, according to an official for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.Paul Flores was taken to the hospital Wednesday after he was attacked at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, according to his attorney Harold Mesick and CDCR. He was most recently listed as being in "serious condition," according to CDCR officials. The circumstances surrounding his attack are under investigation by the prison's investigative unit.Flores was transferred to Pleasant Valley less than a week ago while he awaits appeal for his murder conviction.Flores was convicted of first-degree murder in October 2022, following a whirlwind trial and years of speculation related to the most infamous unsolved crime on California's Central Coast. Smart was 19 years old when she vanished on May 25, 1996 from Cal Poly's campus in San Luis Obispo. Flores was also a stude...

Missing elderly SoCal woman was swept away during Tropical Storm Hilary

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:28:54 GMT

Loved ones are searching for a missing SoCal woman whose home was swept away during Tropical Storm Hilary.The missing woman, Christie Rockwood, 74, is a resident of Angelus Oaks who was last seen on Aug. 20, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.Rockwood’s mobile home in the Seven Oaks Village area was “overwhelmed by rising river water and her residence was swept away from its foundation,” authorities said.Debris from her home was found nearby, but only the foundation Rockwood’s home sat on is left at the site.Rockwood’s daughter, Tracey Monteverde, said she knows her mother was inside the home during the storm and is hopeful she’s still alive.“I know she didn't leave because her car was still there and she lived alone,” Monteverde said. “She only had one car and myself and other people that had talked to her before that, that got late into the night. She was still there.”Loved ones are searching for Christie Rockwood, 74, a missing SoCal woman whose home was ...

Scientists solve 'Octopus Garden' mystery off California coast

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:28:54 GMT

A deep-sea mystery involving thousands of octopuses found off the coast of Central California was recently solved by a team of ocean researchers, KTLA sister station KRON reports. The mystery appeared three years ago, when the largest known "Octopus Garden," in the world was discovered two miles underwater on the seafloor.In 2018, researchers discovered thousands of octopuses near the base of an extinct volcano, Davidson Seamount, 80 miles off the coast of Monterey."It is the biggest aggregation of octopuses ever discovered, and the only one off the coast of the U.S.," a San Jose State University spokesperson wrote. Blue whales are thriving in California waters – the story of their amazing comeback A team of biologists, ecologists, geologists, and engineers monitored the Octopus Garden using high-tech tools to learn why octopuses are attracted to the deep-sea location. The team included members of SJSU’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, ...

Double your 80’s Pleasure with Berlin and Culture Club

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:28:54 GMT

Good times are to be had at packed nostalgia act fests like “The Lost 80s” show at the Greek this Sunday, but we prefer smaller bills that allow our favorite artists to showcase more of their material before getting swept off the stage for the next act. “The Letting it Go Show,” this Friday and Saturday, features two of the most dynamic acts from the totally awesome era coming together for a night of sensual sing-alongs and flashback frolic.Berlin, led by Terri Nunn have proven themselves to be an enduringly engaging live act, from slots at the past two Cruel World festivals to smaller solo dates around the country. Along with bassist John Crawford, and keyboard player David Diamond, Nunn and Berlin have survived past their heyday thanks mostly to the platinum-selling debut Pleasure Victim. Fans of a certain age who listened to KROQ here in Southern California will never forget the naughty allure of “Sex, I’m a…” while “Masquerade” and ̶...

Researchers discover why 20,000 octopuses are brooding off Monterey Coast: It’s the warm springs

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:28:54 GMT

Five years ago, a group of scientists stumbled upon 20,000 pearl octopuses brooding their eggs near the base of an extinct volcano, 80 miles off of the Monterey coast.They had discovered the largest known “Octopus Garden” on the planet. But for years a question eluded Jim Barry and his team at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute: “What the heck are they doing there?”The scientists have their answer: Warmer water helped their eggs hatch faster.The octopuses, lined up like a string of shiny beads, are planting themselves in the crevices of a hydrothermal spring, where warmer water reduces the time they spend incubating their eggs, from five to eight years in colder water to two years or less.“There are clear advantages of basically sitting in this natural hot tub,” said Janet Voight, an octopus biologist at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago and co-author of an octopus study, published Wednesday in Science Advances.For three years, scientis...

What is Trump's weight after mugshot release? Oddsmakers join in on fun

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:28:54 GMT

(KRON) -- Former President Donald Trump is expected to turn himself in to Georgia authorities on Thursday. He is facing charges of illegally scheming to overturn his 2020 election loss in that state.However, people aren't just paying attention to the expected arrest. They are curious to see Trump's Fulton County mugshot, which is expected to list his height and weight. Sportsbooks are joining in on the fun.There has since been intrigue about how much the 6-foot-3 Trump weighs since officially leaving office in 2021. So much so that oddsmakers have placed betting props of how much the 45th United States president will weigh on the day of his arrest.The over/under betting prop for Trump is 278.5 pounds, according to BetOnline. As of Wednesday, the odds for him to weigh over 278.5 pounds is -110 and -130 for below 278.5 pounds. Jail where Trump will be booked in Georgia has long been plagued with violence The betting prop of 278.5 pounds may seem high considering what Trump weighed i...

Seth Lugo works 6 scoreless innings and Xander Bogaerts homers as the Padres blank the Marlins

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:28:54 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Seth Lugo allowed three hits in six innings, Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer and the San Diego Padres beat the Miami Marlins 4-0 on Wednesday.Lugo combined on a four-hitter with four relievers — including Robert Suarez, who didn’t face a batter. Suarez was ejected in the eighth following an inspection by umpires for having sticky stuff on his left wrist and arm, crew chief Todd Tichenor said.Tom Cosgrove replaced Suarez and retired all three batters he faced. Steven Wilson worked the seventh and closer Josh Hader pitched the ninth in a non-save situation. San Diego (61-67) took two of three from Miami (65-63), which lost ground in the NL wild-card race.The Padres also fell further behind during a 5-5 homestand, but manager Bob Melvin said his team, which would need to pass four others in the standings to move into the final wild-card spot, is still capable of making the playoffs.“It’s still doable, but later in the season we know we have to win series, we ...

Paul DeJong makes memorable debut as Giants rally to beat Phillies, 8-6

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:28:54 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Paul DeJong had a memorable first day with the Giants with a two-run homer in the fourth inning and a two-run single in the 10th in San Francisco’s 8-6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.San Francisco salvaged the final game of the three-game series to finish 2-4 on the trip, rebounding after closer Camilo Doval blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning on Bryce Harper’s homer that rang off the foul pole in right field. It was Doval’s fourth straight blown save and second in two days after recording 33 saves in 36 opportunities. Since Aug. 5, the Giants are 5-12 and have fallen from the top wild-card spot into a tie for the third spot.In the 10th, DeJong singled to center off Craig Kimbrel (7-4). Thairo Estrada’s sacrifice fly provided an extra cushion for Ryan Walker, who got his first save of the year as the 10th Giants pitcher of the day. Jakob Junis (3-3) was the winner.DeJong, a seven-year veteran mainly with St. Loui...