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Texas grants funeral director license to veteran who cared for fallen soldiers, then takes it away

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:34:28 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) — Desaray Wilson does things many of us can’t or won’t. Not only did he sign up to serve our country when he was 20, but he also took on a daunting task.“I love the saying that 'We don’t serve because somebody died, we serve because somebody lived,'” said Wilson from his home in Houston.Wilson was a mortuary affairs officer in the army. His job was to take care of fallen soldiers.He estimated he cared for “close to 3,000,” people who died in the line of duty.Wilson’s military records show his duties, stateside and overseas, included embalming, dressing soldiers, placing them in caskets and shipping their remains and property home to family. He said he considered it his honor.“You get the chance to go through their personal effects, read the letters that they didn’t get a chance to send home, look at the pictures in their wallet,” he said.  Desaray Wilson joined the army in 2003 when he was 20 (Courtesy Desaray Wilson)Wilson became a mortuary affairs special...

2 dead in crash on 183A Toll frontage road in Leander; Police searching for driver

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:34:28 GMT

LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Two people are dead and several others injured after a crash in Leander on Saturday, according to the Leander Police Department. LPD said the crash happened around 11:30 a.m. at the intersection of 183A Toll Road frontage road and Hero Way. A silver vehicle and a tan vehicle with a trailer were in the crash. Police said the driver and front-seat passenger of the silver vehicle died at the scene. Two adults were taken to St. David's Round Rock, and two others were taken to Dell Children's. LPD said the driver of the tan vehicle fled the crash on foot heading southbound on 183A Toll Road. As of Saturday night, police were still looking for the driver. Police said there is no evidence of further danger to the public. This is an ongoing investigation, police said.

Trial set to start for Austin 6th Street mass shooting suspect

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:34:28 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Jury selection for a man accused of killing one person and injuring more than a dozen others in a mass shooting on downtown Austin's Sixth Street is set to begin Monday.Police believe the suspect opened fire into crowds following some kind of confrontation between two groups. According to court records, he and a group of friends drove to Sixth Street from Killeen when they encountered a rival group of men they knew from Killeen. Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza said prosecutors believe De'Ondre White was the only shooter. PREVIOUS REPORTING: Witnesses describe scene of Sixth Street shooting The June 2021 downtown shooting took the life of 25-year-old Douglas Kantor, who was in town visiting from Michigan. Douglas Kantor (Photo provided by Kantor family)Kantor was an innocent bystander. “[Kantor] chose Austin, because he heard it was a fun, beautiful city,” said the victim's mother Julia during an April 2022 interview with KXAN investigator Dalton Huey. “...

What is the future of northern Minnesota’s Superior Hiking Trail?

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:34:28 GMT

TWO HARBORS, Minn. — The Superior Hiking Trail Association is setting out to plot the future of Minnesota’s most famous footpath, and they want your input along the way.From now through November, the association is asking for public comments on what should be included in the trail’s first-ever master plan that’s hoped to guide the trail forward.The trail was laid out in the 1980s by hiking enthusiasts who had more vision and enthusiasm than they did experience or training in building trails.Crystal Gail Welcome leads six people on the Superior Hiking Trail on July 4, 2022, for a George Floyd 8.46-mile memorial hike. (Tyler Schank / Forum News Service)“Despite all the work that has gone on, there are still some places where the trail could probably be in a better place,” said Lisa Luokkala, executive director of the Superior Hiking Trail Association. “And as we get more and more people using the trail, we need to make sure we retain that trail experience that so many peop...

Fast and furious; Bommarito 500 revs up following rain-delayed qualifying

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:34:28 GMT

MADISON, Ill -- This morning at the Worldwide Technology Raceway, racers are gearing up for the Bommarito 500, following a rain-delayed qualifying session.Qualifications are scheduled to commence at 11 a.m., with tickets still available for purchase. These sessions lead up to the main event, the Bommarito 500, which is set to start at 3:30 p.m. Today holds the potential for historic moments in the world of IndyCar racing.The history of this racing series dates back to the late 1990s. This year, Josef Newgarden stands out, aiming to secure his sixth consecutive victory on an oval track. The 325-mile course will be challenging for drivers to navigate due to its uniquely sharp and intricate corners.Newgarden's prowess on oval tracks in the area is well-established, with three consecutive wins last year. In the current IndyCar driver standings, he holds a strong third position, boasting 434 points. Wood River’s Atomic Pinball Arcade is a haven for pinball and community However, today'...

Showers am, clearing pm, and sunny days ahead

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:34:28 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- We have had a few showers across our far southern counties this morning. Elsewhere, there are overcast skies and temperatures in the 60s to low 70s. Lingering showers and maybe a rumble or two of thunder are possible, especially across southeastern Missouri and southern Illinois. The best chance of showers is during the morning hours, tapering off by early afternoon. There will be lots of clouds overhead today, keeping highs only in the upper 70s to low 80s. Gradual clearing is expected later in the day and especially overnight. Fast and furious; Bommarito five hundred revs up following rain-delayed qualifying Overnight lows will be cooler, ranging from the 50s to the low 60s. Monday looks beautiful, with highs in the low 80s. Expect sunshine and temperatures in the mid-80s for most of the workweek, with a warm-up as we head into the weekend.

Avalanche Journal: Does Colorado have the best core in NHL? Here’s who Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and company are up against

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:34:28 GMT

It’s that time of the NHL offseason when tumbleweeds can be spotted rolling across ice rinks. Training camps are still weeks away, but the biggest summer talking points have been beaten to death with a hammer since early July.That means it’s the perfect time to construct goofy rankings with arbitrary criteria, and this week, that means posing a question that’s relevant to the Avalanche.Does Colorado have the best “core” in the NHL?Defining the word is tricky. The loose idea: a collection, but unspecified number, of a team’s best players around whom said team is building its roster. What should the number be? If it’s as simple as your “big three,” the Avs might the gold medal locked up. But that fails to take into account a vital position.The parameters here, then: four players, consisting of a team’s best forward, best defenseman, best goalie and best remaining player regardless of position. That leaves every team with a sa...

Projecting Broncos’ opening 53-man roster: Tough calls in secondary, injury impact and what to do at TE?

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:34:28 GMT

The preseason is in the books.Denver’s cutdown from 90 players to 53 will start as early as Sunday and proceed up to Tuesday’s 2 p.m. deadline.The Broncos have several questions to navigate, including some shorter-term injuries.Will Denver carry wide receiver Jerry Jeudy until he’s ready to return from a hamstring injury that could hold him out the the first couple weeks of the regular season? Do the Broncos feel good about a host of defensive backs – K’Waun Williams (ankle), P.J. Locke (foot/ankle) and Riley Moss (core) – being available for the opener vs. Las Vegas? Are a pair of veteran defensive linemen in Mike Purcell (knee) and D.J. Jones ready to roll right from the start?Head coach Sean Payton on Saturday night downplayed the number of injury related decisions to make.“We’ve gone through – (general manager George Paton) and I, a handful of scouts and coaches – a ton of different scenarios from a personnel standpoint and we’ll continue to,” Payton said.In outlining his roster...

As realignment rumors swirl, CSU players say they could see Rams jumping to Pac-12. Assuming there’s some Pac-12 left to jump to.

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:34:28 GMT

FORT COLLINS — Mo Kamara doesn’t just know how to read a quarterback’s eyes. Unlike some conference commissioners these days, the star of CSU’s defensive line can actually read a map.“The Pac-12 just makes sense (for us),” the Rams’ senior pass-rusher said of his preferred realignment destination for CSU.“It makes sense. And I think we match up against them. They’re not that much better. They’re regional, but they’re not that much better.”The 6-foot-1, 250-pound Kamara hails from Newark, N.J., which is now technically Big Ten country. Although pretty much every state save for the ones in the Mountain time zone, Hawaii and Alaska could probably make that claim these days, given that the formerly Midwest-centric league has added (deep breath) USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland into its ranks over the last 13 years. (The Trojans, Bruins, Ducks and Huskies are joining the conference next summer.)It’s getting loopy on the realignment front. An...

Chasing first LPGA Tour victory, Megan Khang opens 3-shot lead in CPKC Women’s Open

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:34:28 GMT

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Megan Khang birdied four of the last five holes for a 4-under 68 and a three-stroke lead Saturday in the CPKC Women’s Open.Seeking her first LPGA Tour victory, Khang rebounded from bogeys on Nos. 10 and 12 with birdies on Nos. 14-16 and 18 — holing a 15-footer on the last.“At the end of the day I’m just going to try my best to keep that same mindset, stay patient,” Khang said. “These fairways are tight and the greens are firm and really just kind of trust myself out there.”The 25-year-old American had an 11-under 205 total at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, the challenging water-side layout with towering trees — and plenty of mosquitoes. While winless on the tour, she has 33 top-10 finishes, career earnings over $5 million and is ranked 27th in the world.“Honestly, it’s a lot of like learning over the past few years to stay patient, don’t get you ahead of myself,” Khang said.Three strokes ahead at the turn Saturday, Khang found herself two...