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'Gravy-themed' roller coaster coming to Midwest theme park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:11 GMT

(WEHT) – An amusement park in the Midwest has announced plans for a new roller coaster featuring elements designed to take riders "back in time to Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma's house."The "gravy-themed" ride, called Good Gravy, is scheduled to open in 2024 at the Holiday World theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana.Once open, the ride will join Holiday World's other holiday-themed attractions spread across the park's Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween and Fourth of July sections.(Holiday World)Matt Eckert, the president and CEO of Holiday World and its Splashin' Safari water park, said it was hard to keep details of the new coaster under wraps."After a while it gets really hard to keep a secret," said Eckert. "I didn't even tell my kids, I didn't tell my wife." Americana-themed’ amusement park coming to Oklahoma Thrill-seekers who ride the Good Gravy coaster will start in the station, which is decorated in the style of "grandma's house," according to a press release from Holiday Wo...

'I wasn't going to come out of the water without finding her.' Good Samaritan credited with pulling three from reservoir

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:11 GMT

CUMMINING, IOWA (WHO) -- What started as a normal evening for Jason McLendon and his wife quickly turned into the opposite after they jumped into action in an attempt to save three people at Iowa's Dale Maffitt Reservoir. On Monday at 6:48 p.m., the Dallas County Dispatch got a call requesting help for three people who had been fishing at Moffitt Lake and fell in the water. The Dallas County Sheriff's Office said that a passerby helped two people out of the water and then dove to the bottom and pulled out the third who had been underwater for several minutes. Authorities said the 14-year-old girl who was underwater later died at a hospital.That passerby was McLendon."My wife and I were driving back from a friend's house," said McLendon. "I came across the dam here. I noticed a lady with a fishing pole ahead of us, walked out halfway in the road, walked back, looked a little confused. Thought they were just fishing. I get halfway down (the dam) and I see a man and a young boy running...

Highest-paying jobs in Chicago

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:11 GMT

The rich are getting richer, and have been for some time.Across the nation, wages have continued to rise this year despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to temper inflation. In June, average weekly earnings grew at a higher rate than the Consumer Price Index, the nation's primary inflation indicator.While pay is increasing across income levels, the historical growth for high-income jobs has been most profound. High-income jobs have grown 69% over the past 50 years—more than both middle- and lower-income jobs, a Pew Trusts analysis shows.The highest earners in the U.S. are what you'd expect: doctors and other medical professionals, engineers, tech workers, executives, and corporate leaders. Nationally, the 50 top-paying jobs all require at least a bachelor's degree, and many require a master's, doctorate, or another professional degree. Indeed, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that higher degree holders earn more in a typical week and face lower rates of unemployment.Still, the ...

Park district hosting boxing events in August

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:11 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Park District is hosting outdoor boxing events at five locations across the city this month.Each event features 10 bouts where boxers between 8 and 25-years-old will face off against each other.Highlights include a showcase featuring Chicago police officers as judges and referees and the Daley Plaza citywide boxing showcase.More information at chicagoparkdistrict.com/boxing-gyms.This month’s upcoming Chicago Park District Citywide Boxing events include:Sheridan Park, Citywide Boxing | 910 S. Aberdeen St., 7:00 p.m., August 3, 2023Ogden Park, Chicago Police Department Showcase | 6500 S. Racine Ave., 7:00 p.m., August 10, 2023Eckhart Park, Citywide Boxing | 1330 W. Chicago Ave., 7:00 p.m., August 24, 2023Daley Plaza, Citywide Boxing | 50 W. Washington St., 12:00 p.m., August 30, 2023Portage Park, Citywide Boxing | 4100 N. Long Ave., 7:00 p.m., August 31, 2023

Could the Big Ten expand again? Report says the conference is looking into it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:11 GMT

CHICAGO — Ahead of the addition of two more teams to the conference in a year, the Big Ten may be looking west again to increase its membership. Per a report from Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, a group of presidents in the conference have begun "exploratory discussions" on expanding again. This comes as the Big Ten gets ready to welcome UCLA and USC to the conference beginning with the 2024-2025 academic year. Per Wetzel, this comes in light of the instability in the Pac-12, which lost both of those schools and will have Colorado leave next year as well. The report has the conference eyeing Oregon and Washington as potential future members with the possibility of adding California and Stanford. All four would expand the conference to 20 teams, but all discussions, according to the report, are preliminary.The Big Ten has yet to respond for comment. Conference realignment has been a major topic for the past few in major college athletics with teams changing their affiliations more often ...

Photos of late Iowa cop found in California RV, man hopes to reunite them with family

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:11 GMT

(KTXL) — An Iowa woman has helped identify a man seen in old photos found in an RV but she is still wondering how these found their way to Northern California. “I just don’t know how those items got across the country,” Sherri Thomas told Nexstar's KTXL. “I was shocked.” Thomas became aware of the photos after KTXL published the story of a man who fell on hard times and lived in an RV that had the photos and other documents inside when he purchased it. The man, Juan Garcia, reached out to KTXL after selling the RV in an effort to help get the belongings back to their rightful owner. ‘Looks like a lot of history’: Stockton man searching for owner of photo album found in RV Thomas got in touch with KTXL and shared more details about the man seen in the photos and named in the documents, and she said she is hoping to take possession of her ex-husband's belongings. Photo album, other documents found in an RVJuan Garcia of Stockton lost two family members to COVID-19 and ended up un...

US workers estimate they need $1.8M to retire: survey

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:11 GMT

(The Hill) -- Workers in the United States believe they will need to save around $1.8 million for retirement, as inflation continues to fuel anxieties over savings, according to a survey from Charles Schwab. This estimate is up from last year’s $1.7 million, with 37 percent of respondents stating they think it’s very likely they will reach this number, down 10 percentage points from last year, according to the survey.The survey of 401(k) participants found 62 percent of workers think of inflation as a challenge to saving for a “comfortable retirement,” up from last year’s 45 percent, while 42 percent said stock market volatility is an obstacle, compared to last year's 33 percent. Around 78 percent said both inflation and stock market volatility are influencing their spending and saving habits, while 36 percent said they plan to delay retirement in light of these conditions. Having a 401(k) plan is becoming a requirement for potential employees; 88 percent said it is a “must-have ben...

New Frontier Airlines policy requires you to drop off bags sooner

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:11 GMT

(WKBN) – A new Frontier policy could cause a time crunch for some passengers. Beginning Aug. 16, the airline's ticket counters will close to passengers for check-in and bag drop 60 minutes before flight departures. Previously, that time was 45 minutes. That means if you plan to check your bags at the counter, you will have to do it 15 minutes sooner. "We continue to be committed to getting you and your bags to your destination without interruption," the company wrote about the new policy on its X (formerly Twitter) feed. United Airlines pilot has license suspended after turning up drunk to work The reaction from passengers was mixed, with some saying they believe the move is designed to get more passengers to use the app. "I think you guys are trying to make people use the app to check in which is fine. But what about people who get free check[ed] bags like military?" asked one user. "They have to go to the agents counter[,] so will you make it easier for them to check in with th...

DeSantis: Florida history standards 'not shilling for slavery'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:11 GMT

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Wednesday further dug his heels into his defense of his state’s slavery curriculum and sharply rebuked what he described as “bad faith” criticism against him.“Well, first of all, those are criticisms in bad faith, Harris, because, as you suggest, there's hundreds of pages of painstaking detail,” DeSantis told Fox News host Harris Faulkner. “This was done by Black history scholars, most of whom were Black themselves. They are not shilling for slavery. They are showing the injustice of slavery.”DeSantis, who's running for president in 2024, then defended the particular line in the curriculum that has drawn significant pushback. The line tells teachers to instruct students on “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit."DeSantis continued, “But that particular passage wasn't saying that slavery was a benefit. It was saying there was resourcefulness, and people acquired skills in spite of slavery, no...

Trump to make first court appearance Thursday afternoon in Jan. 6 case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:11 GMT

Former President Trump is scheduled to make his first court appearance Thursday afternoon after being indicted on federal charges related to the transfer of power after the 2020 election.His appearance is slated for 4 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse in Washington, D.C.A spokesperson for special counsel Jack Smith said it was the office’s understanding that the appearance will be in person but that it was ultimately up to the court. A Trump attorney during a CNN appearance similarly indicated it was the court’s decision.“That’s up to the court. The court makes those decisions. So, we’re prepared to follow whatever the court rules are. The judge issued a summons, and he will appear either virtually or in person,” Trump attorney John Lauro told CNN after the indictment was filed.A court spokesperson did not return a request for comment.Prosecutors unveiled a four-count indictment against Trump Tuesday evening, charging him with ...