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Snap! Venus fly trap fans ask South Carolina to honor plant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:12 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Conservationists are pushing for the Venus fly trap to be South Carolina’s official carnivorous plant, joining other official items such as the state bird (Carolina Wren), state opera (Porgy and Bess) and the state snack (boiled peanuts).In all, South Carolina has about five dozen official state things. There are already five different plants including yellow jasmine, which is the official flower, to the official fruit — the peach — to Indian Grass, which is, unsurprisingly, South Carolina’s official grass.But supporters said honoring the Venus fly trap isn’t about one extra thing students see on an elementary school worksheet.Instead, it’s about protecting and increasing awareness of an interesting species found only in this spot on the globe: the upper part of the South Carolina coast and a small sliver of southeast North Carolina.“In a state as small as ours that is growing every day, we have to protect the things that belong here,” s...

Lower oil price, production outlook impacts revenue forecast

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:12 GMT

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska lawmakers have nearly $680 million less in expected revenue for the upcoming budget year amid lower oil price and production outlooks, a report released Tuesday suggests. The state Revenue Department’s spring forecast also revises expectations for the current year, ending June 30. The report says revenue available for general state spending and capital projects for this year is expected to be about $245 million lower than what the department forecast in December. This comes as the House Finance Committee works on its version of a state budget. Whatever passes the House will go to the Senate for consideration and differences between the two chambers are typically settled in negotiations. The new report is based on oil prices of $85.25 a barrel for the current year and $73 a barrel for the upcoming fiscal year. It is also based on an average of 485,200 barrels of oil a day for the year ending June 30, and 496,400 barrels a day for the upcoming year. ...

Deputies: Alabama player drove 141 mph to evade traffic stop

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:12 GMT

BONIFAY, Fla. (AP) — Suspended Alabama freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell drove over 141 mph (227 kph) while trying to evade deputies before his arrest on drug charges in the Florida Panhandle last week, authorities said.Mitchell and another man, who was a passenger in Mitchell’s car, were arrested Wednesday and charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. The other man also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit. Holmes County is located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Panama City and shares its northern border with Alabama.According to the report, a deputy spotted Mitchell’s black Dodge Challenge traveling 78 mph (125 kph) in a 55 mph (88 kph) zone on a rural highway north of Bonifay Wednesday night and attempted to pull the vehicle over. The deputy reported that the Challenger accelerated to over 141 mph (227 kph), and the deputy discontinued pursuit...

Man sentenced to 30 years after officer shot friend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:12 GMT

WETUMPKA, Ala. (AP) — LaKeith Smith was 15 when a police officer shot and killed his friend when the teens were caught burglarizing homes in Alabama, but it is Smith who will spend decades in prison for his friend’s death.A judge on Tuesday sentenced Smith, now 24, to 30 years in prison — a reduction from the more than 50 years he originally received — but a blow to Smith’s family and advocates who argued he should not spend decades in prison for a killing he did not commit.The new sentencing hearing was held after a judge ruled Smith’s original lawyer failed to present possible mitigating evidence about his home life and mental health.Circuit Judge Sibley Reynolds handed down the new sentence after a lengthy court hearing. Sibley gave Smith the same punishment he previously handed down — 30 years for the felony murder charge and 25 years for burglary and theft — but this time allowed the sentences to run concurrently, instead of stacked on top of one another. “What he receive...

Edmonton zoo says Lucy the elephant too sick to be moved to sanctuary

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:12 GMT

EDMONTON — For the beloved and well-known elephant named Lucy, the Edmonton Valley Zoo says it will continue to be her home for the rest of her life based on medical assessments.The medical information released by the zoo on Tuesday showed the 47-year-old Asian elephant should not be moved, despite demands from animal rights groups over the past several years that she be transferred to a sanctuary in a warmer climate.The zoo has been working closely with the animal advocacy group Free the Wild, which co-operated in the assessment, since October.Gary Dewar, the zoo’s director, said the medical report stated that Lucy has “severe breathing issues” and three of four experts believe moving the lone elephant from the zoo could be life-threatening.Two visiting veterinarians said Lucy breathes solely from her mouth  — an unusual phenomenon for elephants, the zoo said. Dewar added that the veterinarians couldn’t diagnose the root cause of the animal’s breathing...

Puzzling highway death part of West Virginia police probe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:12 GMT

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A sweeping investigation into misconduct at the West Virginia State Police has brought new scrutiny to the mysterious roadside death of a man who was hit by a trooper’s Taser during a struggle with the officer that the governor labeled “very very concerning” in ordering a major shakeup of the agency.The death of Edmond Exline last month had received scant attention until Gov. Jim Justice cited it Monday as one of several alarming incidents involving State Police troopers. In one instance, a video camera secretly recorded women in their locker room. In another, a trooper allegedly stole an envelope of cash from a gambler at a casino. Justice accepted the resignation of the agency’s superintendent and named an interim chief.On Tuesday, a police official provided new details about Exline’s death, including a trooper’s use of a Taser on him along Interstate 81 near Martinsburg.A State Police news release cited by news outlets at the time said Exline ...

Officials: 8 dolphins dead after stranding in New Jersey

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:12 GMT

SEA ISLE CITY, N.J. (AP) — Eight dolphins have died after they became stranded on a beach in New Jersey, marine animal welfare officials said. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said on Facebook on Tuesday morning that a pod of eight dolphins known as “common dolphins” had become stranded in Sea Isle City and that staff and a veterinarian had responded with help from local officials. Officials said at the time that two of the dolphins had died. On Tuesday afternoon, officials said the remaining six dolphins were assessed by the veterinarian and the decision was made to euthanize them to prevent further suffering. Their conditions were rapidly deteriorating and returning them to the ocean would have prolonged their inevitable death, officials said.The dolphins have been taken to the New Jersey State Lab for necropsies. “We share in the public’s sorrow for these beautiful animals, and hope that the necropsies will help us understand the reason for their stranding,” the post on Faceboo...

2 men charged in fatal shooting outside Fairview Mall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:12 GMT

Two men are facing second-degree murder charges in the city’s latest homicide after a triple shooting turned fatal when a 21-year-old man died due to injuries sustained in the violent incident in a mall parking lot.Officers were called to the Sheppard Avenue East and Don Mills Road area just after 4 p.m. Monday for reports of a shooting just outside Fairview Mall in North York.Police initially located two 25-year-old men suffering from gunshot wounds. They were rushed to a trauma centre, one with life-threatening injuries and the other with non-life-threatening injuries.Investigators said a third man was dropped off at the hospital and later died from his injuries. That victim was identified as 21-year-old Madar Hassan of Toronto.On Tuesday, investigators arrested 25-year-old Ahmed Mohamad and 25-year-old Samir Mohamed Unoos, both of Toronto. The two men are facing several charges, including second-degree murder and unauthorized possession of a firearm in a vehicle.The pair ap...

Indiana House considering ban on gender transitioning care for youth

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:12 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS -- A bill to ban gender transitioning care for anyone under age 18 is moving forward at the Statehouse.Senate Republicans passed Senate Bill 480 last month and on Tuesday it was approved by a House committee after hearing more than four hours of testimony."It would cause far less harm for these kids to wait, get the counseling they need, and then let them make these life-altering decisions as adults," said State Sen. Tyler Johnson (R-Leo), the bill's author.Johnson's bill would ban anyone under age 18 from receiving gender transitioning surgeries, hormone treatments and puberty blockers.During a committee meeting last month, representatives for IU Health testified that Riley Children's Hospital doesn't perform any gender transitioning surgeries on patients under 18. Several parents emotionally testified against the bill, raising concerns about the potential impact of stopping gender affirming care for transgender youth."According to this bill, I only have a few mon...

Vehicle riddled with bullets after road rage incident in Park Ridge, police say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:38:12 GMT

PARK RIDGE, Ill. — Gunfire followed an alleged road rage incident in Park Ridge, prompting an investigation by police, the department announced Tuesday.Around 3:45 p.m., police responded to the intersection of Cumberland and Talcott following reports of shots fired. The victim told police that a silver-colored sedan pointed a handgun at the victim while stopped on Cumberland. The offender allegedly fired multiple shots at the victim and sped off, police added. Illinois AG urges Hyundai, Kia to take ‘comprehensive action’ over car thefts The victim was not struck. However, the victim's vehicle was pierced by bullets and suffered glass damage.Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Park Ridge Police Department at (847) 318-5256.SkyCam9 flew above the scene.