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Massive alligator charges at Texas Girl Scout troop during swim

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:20 GMT

HOUSTON, Texas (WFLA) — An alligator in Texas gave a Girl Scout troop a weekend they won't forget after it began to charge at them during a swim at a state park.According to KPRC, a group of 11-year-olds were on an overnight camping trip at Huntsville State Park to explore and earn badges.Shortly after the troop got into the water, panic and chaos ensued as the alligator, estimated to be about 12 to 14 feet long, swam toward the children. Shouting and screaming could be heard on video that captured the incident."I was thinking, 'This is the day I die,'" Ava Miller told the news station. "It was moving, like, faster than us or about the same."David Siljeg, who shot the video, told Storyful that he thought the gator would leave once it saw people swimming and splashing, but that was not the case."The alligator switched to attack mode and was aiming quickly toward the little kids,” he said.Troop leader Nichole Gleen quickly helped some of them to safety. "There was no doubt in my mind ...

Vikings get major boost with left tackle Christian Darrisaw active against Eagles

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:20 GMT

Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw played 58 of 64 snaps in the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  He played through the pain despite suffering an ankle injury, and while head coach Kevin O’Connell praised Darrisaw for his toughness postgame, he seemed to know the thing was going to swell up in the week that followed.“I’m sure he’ll be sore,” O’Connell said at the time. “He’ll be fighting like crazy to make it.”In the end, Darrisaw won the fight, playing for the Vikings in Thursday’s primetime game against the Philadelphia Eagles. It wasn’t a guarantee that Darrisaw was going to be ready given the a short turnaround between games. He was a limited participant in practice this week.The fact that Darrisaw was available was a major boost for the Vikings after that had to sit center Garrett Bradbury with a back injury. The starting offensive line for the Vikings featured Darrisaw at left tackle, Ezra Cle...

Funerals set for Oakdale woman and Woodbury man killed in northern Minnesota crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:20 GMT

Madison “Madi” Warren loved going to the movies, hanging out with her grandparents and traveling.Friends and colleagues described the Oakdale woman, who was killed in last weekend’s single-car crash in St. Louis County, as a “radiant, joyful, empathetic, stone-cold weirdo, which fit her perfectly,” according to her obituary.Joseph “Joey” Trowbridge, the Woodbury man killed in the Saturday crash, was always “full of life and lived every minute to the fullest,” according to his obituary. “He was known for his huge smile, quick wit, and the largest heart anyone could have. He loved hunting, fishing, four-wheeling and jeeping.”Warren and Trowbridge, both 23, graduated from Mahtomedi High School in 2018. The two were passengers in a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado pickup driven by another Mahtomedi High School Class of 2018 graduate, Darren A. Tenney, 23, of New Richmond, Wis. The crash occurred around 2:45 a.m. Saturday on a curve on Highway 8 in Floodwood, Minn., about...

High school football: New St. Thomas Academy coach Travis Walch brings different ideas to Cadets’ program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:20 GMT

Travis Walch took over a St. Thomas Academy football program that was wildly successful under his predecessor, Dan O’Brien.And then, in Walch’s first game as head coach two weeks ago, the Cadets lost 55-29 to Andover.Travis WalchNot exactly a dream start.“I gotta tell you, I was sitting there last Monday, after we lost to Andover, I’m thinking to myself going, ‘Am I really doing this right?’ ” Walch said over the phone this week.But the early bump in the road proved to be a good test for Walch taking on an ambitious operation in Mendota Heights.Walch is deeply rooted in college football. The Elgin, Minn., native was a first-team, Division II All-American running back at Winona State before embarking on a 20-plus year college coaching career that featured stops at Winona State, Carleton, Macalester and St. Thomas.Walch was a coordinator at St. Thomas, working under his mentor and the officiant at his wedding, Glenn Caruso, in a gig he called ”a dream come true,” before he and his wif...

FCSS offering autism and down syndrome support groups

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:20 GMT

By Garrett SimmonsFCSS CommunicationsThere are very few opportunities for rural families of children with disabilities, including Autism or Down Syndrome, to access community resources. In most cases, in fact, the resources simply do not exist.With that in mind, Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) is offering Autism and Down Syndrome Support Groups in communities throughout its coverage area.“The idea to have Support Groups came from working one on one with families with children with disabilities, including Autism and Down Syndrome. It was clear that families would benefit from the connection and support that accompanies a support group environment,” said Jackie Fiorino, FCSS Family Support Worker.  As a result, Fiorino established two supports groups, one for families with children diagnosed with Autism, and one for families with children diagnosed with Down Syndrome.The support groups started in March 2023.  The preferred structure for families was an online setting, as ...

Copperheads begin exhibition play Sept. 16

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:20 GMT

By Garrett SimmonsSunny South NewsMain camp has kicked off for the Coaldale Copperheads as the team prepares for the 2023/2024 Heritage Junior Hockey League season.Things get underway on Saturday, Sept. 16 at The Snake Pit arena, as the Copperheads are set to face off against the Medicine Hat Cubs in exhibition action. On Sept. 17, the teams will back at it in exhibition play, this time in the Hat at the Kinplex at 3 p.m.Coaldale is coming off a 2022/2023 campaign where the team finished with a 13-20 record, with five overtime points, which resulted in a 31-point season. The Copperheads finished fifth overall in the South Division and lost in game three in overtime against Strathmore in the playoffs.The Okotoks Bisons return as the back-to-back HJHL champions, as the team is coming off a 4-0 sweep of the Cubs in the league final.Coaldale’s quest for the playoffs begins Saturday, Sept. 23, when the Copperheads begin the regular season with a two-game homestand. Saturday’s game at 7 p...

Lethbridge County Council Sept. 7 briefs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:20 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsThe following are selected briefs from the Sept. 7 council meeting:Bridge File 79589 Lethbridge County has approved a $100,000 budget increase for galvanized culverts.County Council heard from the County’s Director of Municipal Development & Infrastructure, Devon Thiele during the Sept. 5 regular council meeting for an update on Bridge File 79589.The bridge is located at the intersection of Howe Road and Brown Road and was previously scheduled for replacement in 2023-2024. Initially, the project was expected to cost $300,000, and would include the installation of two 2.5 metre galvanized culverts.Thiele said during the design phase, it was determined two 2.5m culverts would not sufficiently accommodate water flows.It was determined two 2.7m culverts would be a more appropriate solution. The design process also revealed for an additional $30,000 the County would be able to invest in polymer-coated culverts which would add an extra 25 years to their...

Feds should cut spending, but don’t hold your breath

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:20 GMT

Cutting back on Big Macs so you can spend more on beef Wellingtons isn’t saving money.Taxpayers want to be optimistic as Treasury Board President Anita Anand orders ministers to find $15 billion in savings. Only one problem: saving money means something different in Ottawa than in the rest of Canada.“The budget … includes that $15 billion of savings so we could fund the programs outlined in the budget,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said. “It is not new savings.”In other words, the savings will be spent – and then some.Budget 2023 shows spending was $470 billion in 2022. By 2027, Ottawa plans to spend almost $556 billion. When you increase spending by $85 billion, you’re saving money wrong.The Trudeau government was spending all-time highs before the pandemic, even after accounting for inflation and population differences. The 2019 budget then projected spending this year at $402 billion. The Trudeau government now plans to spend $491 billion this year.After years of embarking ...

Database connects local libraries and schools with books published in-province

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:20 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsThe Book Publishers Association of Alberta has released its 2023-2024 Alberta Books for Schools catalogue, in addition to publishing updates to the digital database.The catalogue is intended to be used as a resource for libraries, schools, booksellers, and educators to help them discover books published in Alberta. Although the subject matter varies by genre and author, many of the titles on the list are set in or feature Alberta landscapes. The annual print catalogue now contains nearly 100 titles, and the digital database contains over 150 titles.Although it is a useful resource for bookworms looking to “read local”, staff at the Alberta Library have determined curriculum connections for all titles in both the digital database and the selected titles featured in the print catalogue, with accessibility/alternative formats, such as eBooks or audiobooks, noted in the catalogue’s description.Executive Director of the Book Publishers Association of Alber...

Local ag research continues to benefit from OFCAF funding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:49:20 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsResults Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) has declared the first year distributing OFCAF funding to be a huge success.Last month, Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) announced the organization had distributed funding to over 1,200 projects on over one million acres of farm land since August 4, 2022.In 2022, RDAR was selected as the distribution partner of $33 million in federal funding provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF).The OFCAF facilitates funding to farmers giving them the supports to adopt best management practices which are geared towards sustainability. Just under one third of the $33 million in funding ($10 million) was been awarded by RDAR in 2022, with an additional $18 million to be distributed in 2023 with the program.While BMP’s (beneficial management practices) are often goals for producers, cost can be a barrier for farmers looking to adopt new techniques, especially in cases...