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'I have some serious problems with that plan': Mayor Watson talks future of Zilker Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:31 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Zilker Park Vision Plan has become a hot button topic in Austin.According to the City of Austin's website, the park needs some upgrades.The site said Zilker is in crisis and facing increased ecological degradation, accessibility issues and damage from overuse in certain areas. The Vision Plan looks to address those issues with new parking garages, new pedestrian and bicycle bridges and even an amphitheater, but not all the proposed changes have been welcomed."I have some serious problems with that plan," said city Mayor Kirk Watson.Watson said the park needs to improve on its accessibility, but he's not in favor of the three proposed parking garages."I think we can address the parking issues in ways other than putting a parking garage in one of our crown jewels, or three parking garages," said Watson. "We could get parking nearby, we could get a tram service."Another controversial proposed addition is the amphitheater.The great lawn is a place many people like to...

Texas A&M names Mark A. Welsh III as interim president

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:31 GMT

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KIAH) -- The board of regents at Texas A&M University named Mark A. Welsh III as the new interim president in a special-called meeting Sunday.Chancellor John Sharp previously named Welsh on July 21 as the acting president of the university. The board’s action was needed to place Welsh into a longer-term role to lead the university.“I cannot think of a better person than Mark Welsh to lead Texas A&M right now,” Sharp said. “He has experience running a large organization, but he also is widely respected and universally well-liked in the Aggie community. General Welsh has earned a reputation as a smart, thoughtful and collaborative leader. We are lucky to have him in the president’s office.”Welsh has been dean of the university’s Bush School of Government and Public Service since 2016, but his time in the academic realm came after a long and decorated career in the United States Air Force.“I am grateful to the Board of Regents and Chancellor Sharp for th...

Palazzo Riggi in Saratoga Springs going to auction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:31 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Palazzo Riggi, the "Jewel of Saratoga," is going to auction. The live luxury auction is set for September 8 at 6 p.m. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The Palazzo Riggi, owned by socialite Michelle Riggi, was listed for sale in September 2022. First listed for $17.9 million, the price was reduced to $12 million but still hadn't sold.A luxury auction is a time-sensitive sale, meaning it will sell that day, said Margie Philo, Broker and Owner of Berkshire Hathaway-Adirondack Premier Properties & Adirondack Realty. With Riggi now living full-time in Lake Placid, she doesn't want to leave the home empty. Cannabis dispensary looking to open in Saratoga Springs The Palazzo Riggi is about 25,000 square feet and has six bedrooms and 13 bathrooms. The home was built in 2003 and has four garage spaces, a finished basement, and an in-ground pool.The luxury auction is without reserve. The auction...

Pittsfield launches applications for Citizens Academy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:31 GMT

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (NEWS10) -- The City of Pittsfield has launched applications for a Citizens Academy, slated to begin in late August. The 12-week program aims to help community members understand the operations of local government. Those interested can sign-up online, fill out an application, or grab a paper copy available in the Mayor's Office at City Hall at 70 Allen Street. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! All applicants must be at least 18 years old, live or work in Pittsfield, and must be able to attend each of the 12-week sessions to the best of their ability. Class size will be limited to 25 people, and sessions will be held on Thursdays between August 31 and November 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. The sessions will be held at various locations throughout the city. Topics to be covered in the sessions include the following:- Overview of Municipal Government• City Council and School Committee• Police and Fire Departments• Departmen...

Rock Community Firefighter, Bo Caldwell, receives $500 and our Proud to Serve Award

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:31 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- FOX 2’s Proud to Serve recipient for the month of July 2023 is Bo Caldwell, a Rock Community firefighter and paramedic, father of four including a 1-year-old and the husband of a critical care paramedic! Bo has advanced his first responder skills set to include rappelling, boat rescues, hazmat training, and also serves as one of the Chaplains in the district. When he is not on his 48-hour shifts with Rock Community Fire Protection District, he is often doing ongoing trainings and also serves as a volunteer firefighter in his home community of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, where he answers the call to put out fires anytime he is at home.In addition, Bo serves as a volunteer in the Honor Guard with Jefferson County. Bo says this career is a lifestyle, not a job. He was nominated by a close friend who tells us:Bo is a Firefighter/Paramedic with Rock Community. He is also a volunteer firefighter with Ste Genevieve Fire Dept. He is the first Pagin Chaplain in the Fire Dept in Mi...

Denver weather: Possible afternoon heavy rain, intense storms, hail and flooding

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:31 GMT

A mostly sunny warm Monday at the end of a heat wave will turn turbulent as storms roll across metro Denver in the late afternoon, bringing heavy rain, lightning, hail, and possible flooding, according to the National Weather Service.The storms will hit mostly after 5 p.m., weather service forecasters said. The weather service issued a flash flood watch, warning that meteorologists expect up to 2 inches of rain in less than an hour. This could lead to flooding, especially in low-lying areas within Colorado’s Front Range cities and in the mountain foothills where fires have reduced vegetation across burn scars. Weather service officials advised drivers to avoid flooded roads, watch for warnings and be ready to move to higher ground if flooding is imminent.State health officials issued an air quality alert due to increasing pollution.The high temperature in Denver will be 90 degrees — the tenth day in a row with highs above 90 — decreasing to 63 degrees at night, for...

“The Covenant of Water,” “A Gentleman in Moscow” and more quick book reviews from readers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:31 GMT

Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. Sure, you could read advertising blurbs on Amazon, but wouldn’t you be more likely to believe a neighbor with no skin in the game over a corporation being fed words by publishers? So in this new series, The Book Club, we are sharing these mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email [email protected].“A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles (Viking)In 1922’s Communist Russia, unfortunate Count Alexander Rostov is placed under house arrest by the Bolsheviks for political “crimes.” Fortunately, his prison is a posh, famous Moscow hotel, home to royalty, stars, and politicians. He works for his keep, participates in numerous adventures with compelling personalities, meets a precocious and charming young girl, and launches a love affair, while trying for years to escape. Replete with humor and major historical i...

Is an Oakland cat’s nighttime disappearance because of a botched neutering job?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:31 GMT

DEAR JOAN:  I adopted my cat, Chong, when he was 3 months old. I was told he was fixed and had shots but never got the paperwork.I am trying to make him an indoor cat, but one night he sensed another cat and took off. I could not catch him, and he did not return home that night or the next. On the morning of the third day, I woke up early and went out to get the newspaper and look down the dark street for him. I called his name and heard a faint meow, and there he was. I was so happy to get him back.My question is, if he is really fixed properly wouldn’t he just want to stay home? I plan on bringing him to the shelter to see if he can get a check up and mainly to see if he is fixed properly.— Phil Wilson, OaklandDEAR PHIL: When male cats are neutered, their testicles are removed, which prevents them from reproducing. As a source of testosterone has been removed, the majority of the time neutering also makes them calmer, less likely to roam and less likely to spray urine.It doe...

TasteFood: A Danish berry soup celebrates summer fruit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:31 GMT

In a splendid reflection of cultural priorities, count on the Danes to assign a bowl of soup as a measure of linguistic ability. For us well-intentioned yet decidedly non-Danish spouses and friends who have attempted to speak the language, there is an inside joke among Danes when it comes to testing our linguistic skills. Simply put, it’s to repeat the tongue-twisting phrase rodgrod med flode, which directly translates as “red porridge with cream,” or a red berry soup.So, what is it about this phrase that never ceases to delight our Danish friends while consistently providing them with a laugh? Suffice it to say that if you can even get your mouth around the correct sound for an “O”, you will likely stumble when you try to pronounce the “D” (of which, so it happens, there are many in this phrase). When spoken correctly, the Danish “D” should sound as though you are attempting to enunciate the letter “D” with a mouth f...

49ers’ Drake Jackson eager put put new body to use as padded practices begin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:31 GMT

SANTA CLARA — With the 49ers coming with an inside linebacker blitz Sunday, second-year defensive end Drake Jackson was compromised.When Elijah Mitchell circled out of the backfield to the left, it was up to the 6-foot-4, 273-pound Jackson to keep up with a 200-pound running back 25 yards downfield.“That just happens every time an an inside linebacker blitzes and you’re in scat protection,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “When the back goes, the D-end has to peal. When defenses call those blitzes, they’re praying that’s not the offensive play call and sometimes it happens.”Quarterback Trey Lance correctly identified the mismatch, and sensing a big play opportunity, let one loose for Mitchell. The pass was a bit of a wobbler, but it really didn’t matter because Jackson had stayed with Mitchell step for step. The ball fell incomplete.Much to the relief of Jackson.“That play, it just so happened I had to do what I had to do,” Jacks...