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Guatemalans choose new president after a tumultuous electoral season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:12 GMT

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalans voted Sunday to elect a new president and vice president as well as fill all congressional seats and hundreds of local posts after one of the most tumultuous electoral seasons in the Central American nation’s recent history.Many Guatemalans expressed disappointment with their presidential choices after three opposition candidates were excluded by authorities. A large number of null ballots were expected, and experts said it could depress turnout.With none of the 22 presidential candidates polling near the required 50% threshold for winning outright, a second round of voting on Aug. 20 between the top two finishers was almost certain. At the Mixed Urban School No. 2, a combined elementary and middle school in Sumpango, voters began lining up outside its muralled wall an hour before voting was scheduled to begin. The town of about 37,000 sits in the mountains less than an hour west of the capital. Voting appeared orderly.Walter Alfredo Hernández...

A woman fatally shot an Uber driver. Police say she wrongly thought she was being kidnapped

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:12 GMT

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A Kentucky woman has been accused of fatally shooting her West Texas Uber driver after mistakenly believing she was being kidnapped and taken to Mexico, according to police.Phoebe Copas remained jailed Sunday in El Paso, Texas, after being charged with murder last week in the death of 52-year-old Daniel Piedra Garcia.Court and jail records did not list an attorney who could speak for Copas, 48.The shooting took place on June 16 as Piedra was driving Copas to a location in far southeast El Paso. Copas, who is from Tompkinsville, Kentucky, was in El Paso visiting her boyfriend, according to authorities.During the ride, Copas saw traffic signs that read “Juarez, Mexico,” according to an arrest affidavit. El Paso is located on the U.S.-Mexico border across from Juarez.Believing she was being kidnapped and taken to Mexico, Copas is accused of grabbing a handgun from her purse and shooting Piedra in the head, according to the affidavit. The vehicle crashed into barri...

3 killed in fiery crash near Michigan City after driver hits disabled car

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:12 GMT

LAPORTE COUNTY, Ind. — Three people are dead after a driver hit a disabled car on the shoulder Saturday morning near Michigan City, according to Indiana State Police.The crash was reported around 8:35 a.m. about two miles east of Michigan City on Interstate 94. Person shot on Interstate 80 in Northwest Indiana Sgt. Glenn Fifield said a car was disabled and was on the shoulder with its hazards on when a driver struck the car while driving fast.The car stopped on the shoulder was pushed into the center travel lane and caught on fire, Fifield said.The driver of the car, a 39-year-old, of Apex, North Carolina, was able to get the driver's door open and escape, Field said. Three other people in the car weren't able to get out.Alkesha Patel, 58, Hina Alkesh Patel, 54, and Aditi Nirmit Patel, 30, all of Apex, North Carolina, were killed in the crash. Anti-gay graffiti spray-painted on Chesterton Municipal Complex sign The driver of the other car, a 41-year-old man, of Muscatine, Iowa, ...

Water testing underway where train carrying hot asphalt, molten sulfur plunged into Yellowstone River

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:12 GMT

COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) — Authorities on Sunday were testing the water quality along a stretch of the Yellowstone River where mangled cars carrying hazardous materials remained after crashing into the waterway following a bridge collapse.Seven train cars carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur fell into the rushing river Saturday morning near the town of Columbus, about 40 miles (about 64 kilometers) west of Billings. The area is in a sparsely populated section of the Yellowstone River Valley, surrounded by ranch and farmland.Water testing began Saturday and will continue as crews work to remove the cars, a spokesperson for train operator Montana Rail Link, Andy Garland, said in a statement Sunday. Montana Rail Link was working with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the federal Environmental Protection Agency on the cleanup, removal and restoration efforts, he said. Train derails into Yellowstone River between Columbus and Reed Point “Montana Rail Link remains commit...

Kalahari Resorts opens new outdoor waterpark expansion

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On the first official day of summer, the City of Round Rock said Kalahari Resorts — the city’s waterpark and adventure park — has opened its new outdoor waterpark expansion.The city previously announced the expansion plans in January. PAST COVERAGE: Round Rock waterpark Kalahari Resorts to expand by ‘thousands’ of square feet “You can now enjoy the new Adventure River, Bugs Burrow, Thirsty Turtle attractions and the many outdoor pools and slides,” the city said.Bugs Burrow is a water-play area with nine slides just for kids. The Wave Action Rider is 900 winding feet of a new “not-so-lazy” river, and the Thirsty Turtle is a new 1,100 square-foot swim-up and walk-up bar for adults only.Kalahari Resorts said on its website visitors could enjoy “thousands of square feet worth of brand-new rides and attractions” as part of the expansion.

Top-rated steakhouse in the Lone Star State is in Central Texas, according to Yelp

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:12 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The average steakhouse usually specializes in all the foods your cardiologist warns you about: large portions of red meat, gooey mac and cheese, towers of fried onion rings, and various vegetables that have been generously creamed (corn or spinach, mostly) before reaching your table.For the sake of your next angiogram, you probably shouldn’t eat these foods on a regular basis. But if you’re dead-set on disregarding your doctor’s advice, you should at least break your diet at a steakhouse that gets rave reviews.To help you find the best of the best, Nexstar has asked the analysts at Yelp to determine the top-ranked restaurants within the site’s “steakhouse” category. Using their extensive database of user-generated restaurant ratings, Yelp’s team ultimately identified the best-reviewed chophouses in each state based on the collective tastes of the Yelp community.Ready to dig in? Take a look below at Yelp’s top-rated steakhouses in every state — many of which have a lovely...

Twins rally late, take series from Tigers with extra-inning victory

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:12 GMT

DETROIT — Since taking a step forward by putting together a three-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory here Friday, the Twins were on the verge of taking another two steps back on Sunday.But four Minnesota relievers pitched scoreless baseball while the Twins tied the game, then took a lead in the 10th, before Jhoan Duran came in to close out a 6-3 victory in the rubber match of a three-game series at Comerica Park.Automatic runner Carlos Correa scored from second on a Royce Lewis grounder off Brandon White (1-1) that got past Nick Maton at third, sliding his left hand over the plate as the relay throw got away from catcher Jake Rogers for a 4-3 lead.Lewis went to second on the throw, and Willi Castro drove him home with a single to center field that made it 6-3. Duran retired the three batters he faced in the 10th on two groundouts and a strikeout to earn his 13th save.It was a big rally for the Twins, who have won four of five games heading into a three-game series at National Le...

Why St. Paul’s rent-control ordinance couldn’t save Selby Ave. renters from 8% rent hikes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:12 GMT

When residents of Selby Avenue’s stylish Blair Boutique Apartments were hit with rent increases of up to $158 per month, they appealed to the city of St. Paul.How could their rents be rising as much as 8% when the city’s voter-approved rent-control ordinance generally caps annual increases at 3%?But when a city hearing officer crunched the numbers provided by the property owner, she found Reacor Limited and Selby Avenue Realty technically could qualify for rent increases of more than 16%, double what the landlord had been approved for.The Blair case illustrates the disconnect between what St. Paul voters approved and what ultimately became law, following landlords’ complaints, developers’ threats and changes approved by the city council. The ordinance may say 3%, but landlords have had little trouble justifying rent hikes of up to 8%.The Blair tenants were taken aback by the hearing officer’s conclusions but resolute. Together, residents of at least fou...

Man arrested in Saugerties for assault, weapon charges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:12 GMT

SAUGERTIES, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A man has been arrested in Saugerties following an assault investigation, according to police. Jose Aponte, 46, is facing multiple charges. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On June 23 at 5:34 p.m., officers initiated an investigation into a domestic dispute that reportedly occurred earlier that day at 454 Washington Avenue Extension in Saugerties. According to police, the investigation yielded that Aponte had physically beaten the victim, threatened the person with a knife, and forcefully prevented the victim from leaving their home.Officers located Aponte and took him into custody. He now faces the following charges:ChargesTwo count of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon Fourth-degree criminal mischiefSecond-degree attempted assaultThird-degree assault Second-degree menacingSecond-degree unlawful imprisonment Albany man charged with damaging statue on Lark Street Aponte was arraigne...

Sinkhole swallows Jeep whole in Weld County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:12 GMT

A drone photographer stopped on a Weld County road Saturday to capture the flooding caused by heavy rain.Little did that photographer know, but that decision meant a quick rescue for the trapped occupants inside an upside-down Jeep.A sinkhole opened up on Weld County Road 2 Saturday and swallowed the Jeep whole, according to the Colorado State Patrol.The drone photographer, who happened to be in the area, noticed the Jeep and called 911.Authorities arrived on the scene and removed the occupants trapped inside the Jeep. The extent of their injuries is unknown.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | CIRT: Greeley police shoot, kill armed barricade suspect Monday morning Crashes and Disasters | Greeley police shoot, kill armed barricade suspect Monday morning, according to CIRT Denver the full story from our partner at denver7.com.Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.