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Fargo officer killed in ambush remembered as ‘brave young man’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:21 GMT

FARGO, N.D. — Jake Wallin was once a small boy who sought comfort in the arms of family, terrified of fireworks that lit up the sky. On Saturday, the Fargo police officer was remembered for growing up to be a military veteran and dedicated officer whose “final act of valor” was staring down the face of a man intent on bloodshed.Wallin, 23, was killed July 14 when a man armed with 1,800 rounds of ammunition, multiple guns and explosives ambushed officers responding to a routine traffic crash. Two other officers and a civilian were wounded before a fourth officer returned fire, killing gunman Mohamad Barakat. Police said the actions of the fourth officer likely spared the city a bigger, bloodier attack. Wallin, who had been sworn in as a Fargo police officer in April and was still in field training, was cremated in his uniform. On Saturday, the Fargo Police Department escorted his cremains to Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, for his funeral service, which was attended by loved ones, dignitari...

Wisconsin woman’s killing, dismemberment trial to begin Monday after jury chosen, judge’s ruling

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:21 GMT

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The trial of a woman charged with killing and dismembering a Green Bay, Wisconsin, man last year is set to begin Monday after a judge found her fit to assist in her own defense.Sixteen jurors were selected Friday for the homicide trial of Taylor Schabusiness, 25, following the judge’s ruling that the Green Bay woman was able to help in her defense, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported. Four of the jurors will serve as alternates.Defense attorney Christopher Froelich told the court he disagreed with that ruling.Schabusiness is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse and third-degree sexual assault in the February 2022 killing of Shad Thyrion, 25.Authorities say she strangled Thyrion at the Green Bay home he shared with his mother, sexually abused him and dismembered his body, leaving parts of it throughout the house and in a vehicle.Since her arrest, Schabusiness has had not guilty pleas entered on her behalf by the court and a...

Dive team deployed after helicopter crashes into Alaska lake; all 4 on board presumed dead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:21 GMT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A rescue and recovery dive team was deployed Saturday after a helicopter with a pilot and three state workers crashed in a large lake on Alaska’s North Slope, officials said.No survivors have been located.“The official word is, they are missing, presumed fatal,” said Clint Johnson, the chief of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska region.An NTSB investigators was also en route to the accident scene Saturday as plans were being made to recover the wreckage from the water, he said.The helicopter had been chartered by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, the department said in a statement Friday. It was carrying three employees from the Division of Geological and Geophysical Survey who had been conducting field work.“DNR is praying for our employees and the pilot, their families, and the DNR team,” the statement said. “We are continuing to await updates from the search and rescue effort.”Natural Resources Commissioner John Boyle flew to the ...

Growing B.C. wildfire closes Highway 20 following evacuation alert

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:21 GMT

BELLA COOLA, B.C. — DriveBC says Highway 20 east of Bella Coola is closed in both directions due to a wildfire that has grown to more than 25-square kilometres in size. The BC Wildfire Service says fire behaviour for the Young Creek wildfire, about 35 kilometres west of Anahim Lake, has increased due to high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds.This comes after the Cariboo Regional District issued an evacuation order for 43-square kilometres near the community of Anahim Lake on Friday and residents were told to leave immediately using the highway.More than 100 international firefighters joined BC Wildfire Service members who are battling about 460 active blazes burning across the province. The Canadian Armed Forces, which also deployed members earlier this week to help fight fires, shared photo on social media showing military members using axes to “break up hot spots” and chop charred and still-smouldering brush near Vanderhoof, B.C.BC Wildfire Service officials ...

2 adults, 2 children missing after thunderstorms cause flooding across Nova Scotia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:21 GMT

An unusually long procession of intense thunderstorms dumped record amounts of rain across a wide swath of Nova Scotia on Friday and Saturday, washing away roads, cutting power to thousands and triggering a search for at least four missing people.Torrential downpours started Friday afternoon across the Halifax region, dumping more than 200 millimetres of rain in the Hammonds Plains, Bedford and Lower Sackville areas. The port city typically receives about 90-100 mm of rain during an average July.The ensuing floods submerged multiple vehicles, and RCMP spokeswoman Cindy Bayers said two such incidents in West Hants north of Halifax have left two adults and two children unaccounted for as of Saturday morning.The two children went missing after the vehicle they were travelling in got stuck underwater, she said, noting the three other occupants were able to escape safely.Two other individuals, who Bayers described as a youth and a man, remain unaccounted for following a separate vehicle ...

Toronto police officer struck in hit-and-run in Parkdale

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:21 GMT

The search is on for two suspects who fled the scene of a hit-and-run in Parkdale on Saturday afternoon that injured one police officer. Toronto police say the female officer was in the area of King Street West and Jameson Avenue attempting to stop a vehicle when they were struck just before 2:30 p.m. The vehicle then fled the scene but was recovered a short while later, however, the occupants were nowhere to be found. Police say they are looking for two males between the ages of 17 and 20. Both were last seen wearing all black clothing.Paramedics transported the female officer to a local hospital in stable condition with minor injuries.

Human remains found in luggage at Texas ranch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:21 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Authorities in Texas are investigating what appears to be a homicide after workers on a ranch in Bexar County discovered human remains inside a piece of luggage.The gruesome discovery was made Thursday morning around 10:45, Sheriff Javier Salazar of the Bexar County Sheriff's Office said in a news release this week."Some folks that were out here feeding animals … saw a duffel bag of some sort, a piece of luggage, out in the middle of the property," Salazar said. "They began investigating it and found what appears to be human remains." How hot is too hot for the human body? The suitcase containing the remains wasn't hidden or obscured, but rather left on the side of a hilly area, according to Salazar."There really wasn't a whole lot of effort to hide the body, other than it was inside a suitcase," he said.On Thursday morning, workers feeding animals at the ranch spotted "a duffel bag of some sort, a piece of luggage" and found human remains inside, according to...

Want to design your own Barbie Dream House? Here are the colors the pros suggest — and where to use them

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:21 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — You may not be able to afford a real-life Malibu Dream House just yet, but you can still incorporate Barbie-inspired design touches into your current living space.Barbie-approved pinks currently adorn everything from Crocs to popcorn to hamburgers. And now, people are increasingly looking to slather similar colors on their walls, according to Sue Wadden at Sherwin-Williams.A representative for HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams said the brand's Amaryllis HGSW6591 is good for nooks, especially those with "fun lighting." (HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams) Wadden, the company's director of color marketing, told Nexstar that pale, softer pinks had already been growing in popularity, but bolder shades are currently having their moment, partly due to the “Barbie” movie.“Now that the trend is brightening up thanks to the movie, I’m super excited to see how homeowners use these joyful pops of color,” said Wadden. Mural in Austin, Texas, gets Barbie makeover Of course, there’s really o...

4 mistakes travel points experts don't make

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:21 GMT

(NerdWallet) - Travel rewards are complicated.Nearly a quarter of travelers (24%) say they have difficulty understanding earning and redemption rules, according to a 2022 survey of 2,041 U.S. consumers by iSeatz, a loyalty program service provider. Yet this complexity makes travel rewards a prime target for spreadsheet-wielding obsessives who want to wring every penny from their points and miles.These experts love to share lavish vacations on social media and online forums, nitpicking over the best overwater bungalow in the Maldives. They rarely share the more mundane expertise they’ve garnered, even though these basic tactics are the most important, especially for beginners.Understanding and avoiding these four simple mistakes can help you make smart travel rewards decisions, whether you’re visiting the Maldives or Milwaukee.1. Accruing credit card debtThis mistake is so critical, it should probably also be Nos. 2, 3 and 4 on this list. Travel credit cards are a great way to earn p...

PHOTOS: 'Splooting' squirrel sightings on the rise in Austin, Central Texas as temperatures soar

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:21 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Residents across Central Texas have spotted squirrels in some peculiar spots while the critters attempt to cool off as temperatures soar. This particular position is called "splooting."Over the past month, temperatures in Central Texas have reached triple digits on numerous occasions, oftentimes for several days in a row. Why squirrels are ‘splooting’ in the heat and what we can do to help them Some KXAN viewers noticed squirrels lying flat on their stomachs with their legs stretched out. Some viewers said they have even seen the little critters digging holes in the ground to lie in as well.Squirrel seen splooting in Austin (Courtesy Ryan B)Squirrel seen splooting in Austin (Courtesy Bob P)Squirrel seen splooting in Georgetown (Courtesy Jim H)Squirrel seen splooting in Round Rock (Courtesy Angie K)Squirrel seen splooting in Cedar Park (Courtesy Amy G)Squirrel seen splooting in Round Rock (Courtesy Maggie A)Squirrel seen splooting in Marble Falls (Courtesy Carrie F...