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In a last-ditch effort, longtime Southern Baptist churches expelled for women pastors fight to stay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The robed choir performed a rousing missionary chorus, the worshippers sang from the Baptist Hymnal, and the pastor preached on the need to listen to God before inviting people to come forward and profess faith in Jesus.If there was ever a blueprint for a traditional Southern Baptist worship service, Fern Creek Baptist Church followed it to a tee on a recent Sunday.Except for one key detail.The pastor is a woman.And because of that, Fern Creek is no longer a Southern Baptist church.In February, the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee voted to oust Fern Creek for having a woman pastor — the same issue it cited for expelling four other churches, including the massive California-based Saddleback Church. All Baptist churches are independent, so the convention can’t tell them what to do, but it can decide which churches are “not in friendly cooperation,” the official verbiage for an expulsion.Fern Creek and Saddleback are appealing the decision to the...

Man, 70, found dead in house fire on far South Side ID'd

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

CHICAGO -- A 70-year-old man who was found dead in a bed in a house fire on the city's far South Side overnight has been identified. The man was identified as Aaron Gill and relatives told WGN he had been living in the home for 27 years. The Chicago Fire Department reported the fire at a home in the 104th and South Calumet Avenue just before midnight in the city's Roseland neighborhood. Boy, 15, injured after shooting in Austin overnight Firefighters said upon arrival, flames were coming from the back of the house. They believe that is where the fire erupted. Reports said the windows of the home were broken, the ceiling collapsed and there was damage to the roof. A cause of the fire has not been named yet. Relatives told WGN that firefighters stated a possible cause could been electrical due to faulty wiring. The incident is currently under investigation.

England's health service says it won't give puberty blockers to children at gender clinics

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The publicly funded health service in England has decided it will not routinely offer puberty-blocking drugs to children at gender identity clinics, saying more evidence is needed about the potential benefits and harms.The National Health Service said Friday that “outside of a research setting, puberty suppressing hormones should not be routinely commissioned for children and adolescents.”Children can still be given puberty blockers in exceptional circumstances, the NHS said, and a clinical study on their impact on kids is due to start by next year.The four new regional clinics are due to open later this year. They replace London’s Gender Identity Development Service, previously the only facility of its kind in England. It is scheduled to shut down after a review said it was overburdened by increasing demand and there was not enough evidence about the outcomes of its treatment.Hormone blockers are drugs that can pause the development of puberty, and are sometimes presc...

Splash time in Texas! 10 must-see water parks in Texas to visit this summer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

DALLAS (KDAF) — Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy the warm weather and take a break from everyday life. If you're looking for a fun, splashy way to cool off in Texas, then these 10 must-see water parks are where you need to be.1. Schlitterbahn Waterpark in New Braunfels is known for its tall slides, lazy rivers, and cool wave pools. With lots of attractions, there’s something for everyone here.2. Splashway Waterpark and Campground in Sheridan offers both wet and dry fun. It has thrilling slides, a lazy river, and a swim-up bar.3. Big Rivers Waterpark in New Caney boasts more than 20 rides and attractions, including a wave pool, lazy river, and several water slides.4. Hurricane Harbor Splashtown in Spring is the place to go for thrills. It has heart-stopping slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river.5. Typhoon Texas Waterpark in Katy is a great destination for families. It offers a wave pool, lazy river, and a variety of slides.6. Aquatica in San Antonio is a Caribbean-themed water...

Headless 'Jane Doe' found in West Texas in 1982 identified

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

LUBBOCK, Texas -- For the first time, officials Thursday publicly identified a body found in 1982 as Debra Mackey.  As part of the announcement, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Lubbock Police Department asked for the public’s help in that case. The remains of a headless Jane Doe were found more than 40 years ago in Hale County.Mackey was 20 years old when she disappeared and her family reported her missing to police, according to LPD. A little over a month later, a body was found in Hale County but the remains couldn't be identified, LPD said. In 1983, American serial killer Henry Lee Lucas confessed to being responsible for the death, but it was later determined to be untrue. Lucas' case was dismissed in 1986 and Mackey's body was buried in 1993. Previous reports said her body was exhumed in 2015 when doubts arose about the medical examiner's conclusions that she was a Caucasian female. DoeNetwork a non-profit focused on unidentified and missing persons, said that the sku...

Breast implants, liquid paper and Dr Pepper: You won't believe how many things were invented in Texas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

LUBBOCK, Texas — Deep in the heart of Texas, innovation thrives. You might be surprised how many everyday essentials and iconic creations were Texas-born. From Beyoncé to condensed milk, the Lone Star State has made an indelible mark on the world.Culinary innovationsFirst, we take a trip to 1866, when Charles Goodnight introduced food trucks before they were cool, with the invention of the Chuck Wagon. According to the National Cowboy Museum, it was a mobile kitchen used to feed Texas cowboys looking forward to a hot meal after a long day of driving cattle. Another Texas invention is one of the nation's most beloved sodas. Dr. Pepper came about after a young pharmacist in Waco wanted to recreate the smell of the drugstore he worked in and fashion it into a drink, the Dr. Pepper Museum said.An article by Texas Monthly said that pumpable cheese for concession stand nachos was made possible by Frank Liberto of San Antonio, and frozen margaritas were created by Mariano Martinez of Dalla...

Skywatch: Love and war are heading for a rendezvous

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

The planets Venus, named after the Roman goddess of love, and Mars, named after the Roman god of war, are both making a close approach to each other in the early evening as spring ends and summer 2023 begins.A popular book published in the early ’90s, “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus,” by John Gray, describes how far apart men and women can be when it comes to developing and maintaining relationships. Sometimes worlds apart! The planets Venus and Mars are physically about as far apart as possible in their orbits around the sun. However, because they’re nearly in the same line of sight, they are drawing closer and closer to each other in our sky.You can’t miss Venus in the evening twilight of the low western sky, shining brightly because it’s getting so close to Earth this month, about 60 million miles away. It’s also brilliant because it’s entirely shrouded with a thick and reflective cloud cover that bounces quite a bit of sun...

Scattered showers and storms Sunday, dry start to work week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

St. Louis weather from FOX 2 Meteorologist Linh TruongST. LOUIS - A wet start Sunday morning as scattered showers and storms are around. Cooler temps are expected with gusty north winds at times. Temperature highs will be in the low 70s. St. Louis radar: See a map of current weather here There's a slight risk for severe storms possible south of St. Louis as well.  Accumulations are set around .50 to 1 inch. We'll have a dry start to the next work week.

Opinion: To prevent extinction for the next 50 years, we need to invest in collaboration

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

Once on the brink of extinction, the bald eagle — the quintessential American symbol — now has a population in the hundreds of thousands. This is a reality made possible by the protections and authority of the Endangered Species Act and collaborative conservation efforts spanning decades.Now in its 50th year, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has saved iconic American species like the American alligator, the whooping crane, and the peregrine falcon. The law has provided a critical safety net for fish, wildlife, and plants, preventing the extinction of hundreds of imperiled species, promoting the recovery of many others, and conserving the habitats upon which they depend. These species belong to a web of life, filling ecological niches that lead to balanced ecosystems with healthier air, land, and water for all to enjoy.President Joe Biden’s agenda — Investing in America — is central to the work to conserve species and preserve habitats for generations into the...

How rising violence, kids with guns have pushed Denver’s school board toward bringing police back to campus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:16 GMT

One morning in June 2020, as nights were filled with people marching through downtown Denver to protest the death of George Floyd, school board members stood outside of West High School and called for the removal of armed police from the city’s public schools.Denver Public Schools’ Board of Education voted unanimously less than a week later, on June 11 to phase out school resource officers, or SROs — one of dozens of school districts in the United States to do so amid the national reckoning that followed the murder of Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minneapolis.The board’s vote was one of the most high-profile outcomes in Denver of that summer’s push for racial justice, and it followed more than a decade of work by community organizers — namely the advocacy group Movimiento Poder — to end the over-policing of students of color in DPS buildings.But now, three years later, the school board is on the verge of reversing that policy &#...