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How does the Blackhawks' outlook change with Connor Bedard?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

Phil Thompson, the Blackhawks' beat writer for the Chicago Tribune, joins "9 Good Minutes" on WGN News Now to discuss the team's draft and offseason.CHICAGO - Oh how a little luck can help change things when it comes to a team in professional sports. A few lucky ping-pong balls, and a generational talent can end up on your roster.That's how the Blackhawks and their fans are feeling after they got a lot of lottery luck on May 8, winning the No. 1 overall pick and the shot to select elite prospect Connor Bedard. It's highly, highly likely that the center will be selected by the team when they go on the clock at the NHL Draft on June 28 in Nashville.But even when the Blackhawks get Bedard, he'll be the first major player on a team that is still very much rebuidling. Even with the phenom, who had 71 goals and 72 assists with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League that season, it could be a while before the team returns to the playoffs. General manager Kyle Davidson has a number of...

“In a word, the future is smoky": Canadian wildfires linked to climate change

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- 100 million people are facing air quality alerts as thick Canadian wildfire smoke streams into the northeastern U.S., leading to apocalyptic scenes in New York City similar to the infamous images from San Francisco during California fires in 2020.The thick smoke traveling southward degraded air quality in five U.S. states to the "unhealthy" range. As Yale Climate Connections writers Bob Henson and Dr. Jeff Masters wrote on Thursday, "At 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday, June 7, the worst air in the U.S. was in Syracuse, New York, which had an hourly PM 2.5 AQI of 402 — well into the 'Hazardous' range. EPA warns that an AQI in this range will 'trigger health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is even more likely to be affected by serious health effects.'"Meteorologist Bob Henson, Yale Climate Connections writer and author of "A Thinking Person's Guide to Climate Change", joined the KXAN Chief Meteorologist live on KXAN News at 4 p.m. Thursday to discuss the...

Twins mount late comeback but fall on walk-off home run to Rays

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Amid an offensive lull, Twins general manager Thad Levine gave his team a vote of confidence in the hours leading up to Wednesday’s game.“We’re going through an extremely aggressive part of our schedule and we believe in the guys,” Levine said. “We’ve got a great unit in players in there. At some point, we’re going to need to see them shine.”That point wasn’t Wednesday.Starting pitcher Pablo López threw seven strong innings in one of his best starts of the season and the Twins’ slumping offense mounted a ninth-inning comeback, but Randy Arozarena’s home run off Jhoan Duran sent the Twins to a 2-1 loss to the Rays on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.The Twins finished the game with just three hits — two in the first eight innings before Royce Lewis’ single brought home Michael A. Taylor to tie the game in the ninth. Taylor, who was in as a pinch runner, stole second and third base to help set up the run.But there was no other offense to speak of, ...

North St. Paul woman charged in South St. Paul crash that killed her ex-husband, injured 2 others

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

A North St. Paul woman is accused of drunkenly crashing her minivan into an oncoming pickup Monday afternoon in South St. Paul, killing her ex-husband and injuring two other people.Bobbie Jo Braun, 53, was charged Wednesday with one count of criminal vehicular homicide and two counts of criminal vehicular operation, according to a criminal complaint filed in Dakota County District Court. If convicted of all three charges, she faces up to 14 years in prison.Braun made her first appearance before a judge on Wednesday in Hastings, where her bail was set at $250,000. Her next court appearance is scheduled for June 21.No attorney was listed for Braun in court documents.South St. Paul police responded about 3:20 p.m. Monday to the intersection of Concord and Chestnut streets, where they found a white Dodge minivan and a white Chevrolet pickup facing each other with heavy front-end damage and deployed airbags, according to the criminal complaint.Officers determined Braun, who was sitting o...

Class A state boys tennis: Youth movement leads St. Paul Academy to another state title

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

After cruising to a second straight Class A state title, it’s reasonable to believe the best is yet to come for the St. Paul Academy boys tennis team.That’s because the Spartans don’t have a senior on their current roster.The youth movement has paced St. Paul Academy this year, and it did so again on Wednesday afternoon at Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center, fueling a dominant 7-0 win over Rochester Lourdes in the Class A state tournament final.“It’s hard to repeat,” coach Luke Elifson said. “There’s a lot of pressure involved with it.”St. Paul Academy’s Zahir Hassan returns a shot during his match in the Class A Boys Tennis Tournament at Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday June 7, 2023. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)It was worth it in the end as the Spartans hoisted the hardware.“It was a lot tougher than last year because there was a lot more pressure after winning it all,” said junior Leo Benson, who s...

Flooding from dam break strands hundreds and leaves thousands with no drinking water in Ukraine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

By VASILISA STEPANENKO (Associated Press)KHERSON, Ukraine (AP) — Authorities rushed to rescue hundreds of people stranded on rooftops and supply drinking water to areas flooded by a collapsed dam in southern Ukraine on Wednesday, in a growing humanitarian and ecological disaster along a river that forms part of the front line in the 15-month war.The collapse of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam and emptying of its reservoir on the Dnieper River added to the misery the region has suffered for more than a year from artillery and missile attacks.With humanitarian and ecological disasters still unfolding, it’s already clear that tens of thousands of people have been deprived of drinking water, many are homeless, crops are ruined, land mines have been displaced, and the stage is set for long-term electricity shortages.Some residents of Russia-occupied areas hit by high water complained that help was slow in arriving, with some stranded on roofs and streets passable only by boat ...

3 people hospitalized after car jumps curb, crashes into Chase Bank building 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

Personnel with the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the Carthay neighborhood of Los Angeles where a vehicle reportedly drove onto the sidewalk, struck several pedestrians and crashed into a building on Wednesday.Crews were dispatched to 6161 West Pico Boulevard, near La Cienega Boulevard at around 5:28 p.m. after receiving calls about the crash.  At the scene, firefighters found three pedestrians who had been hit by the vehicle before it crashed into a Chase Bank building.  A 48-year-old female and a 51-year-old male were taken to the hospital in serious condition and a 19-year-old male in fair condition, according to an LAFD news release. The driver of the vehicle was also treated by paramedics but declined to go to the hospital.  Aerial footage from Sky5 showed a large presence of first responders as the dark-colored sedan sat on the sidewalk as a clear view of damage to the building could be seen.  First responders on the scene of a crash in Carthay that sent th...

Public’s help sought in identifying woman killed in San Jose crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying this woman, who was hit and killed by a driver on northbound Interstate 880 just north of Stevens Creek Boulevard in San Jose on May 14, 2023. (Santa Clara County-Medical Examiner’s Office) SAN JOSE – The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying a woman who was hit and killed by a driver last month in San Jose.The fatal crash occurred May 14 on northbound Interstate 880 just north of Stevens Creek Boulevard, the coroner’s office said in a news release Wednesday. The woman’s cause of death is under investigation.The coroner’s office described the woman as White, 40 to 50 years old, about 5 feet 1 inches tall and 110 pounds with brown eyes and medium-length gray and red hair.The coroner’s office also released a sketch of the woman.Anyone with information related to the case can contact the coroner’s office at 408-...

Teen identified in fatal pedestrian collision in San Jose

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- A teenage boy died in a pedestrian collision early Wednesday morning, according to the San Jose Police Department. Arrest made in anti-LGBTQ hate crime assault in San Francisco Just before 1 a.m., a collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian occurred in the 2400 block of Rinconada Drive. The area was partially closed for several hours during the investigation, police said.The boy was later identified as 15-year-old Justin Estira. A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family through this time. "Justin was a bright, funny, kind, well-loved kid that brought so much joy to those who knew him. He was part of a close, loving family and was adored by his young brother, Joshua. He has many friends in the Willow Glen High School community that are heartbroken with this news,"  the GoFundMe reads.  Estira was also a student at Willow Glen High School, according to a statement from the San Jose Unified School District. The district is prov...

SFPD requests help in months-long search of missing dog

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:25 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A pet dog went missing after an armed robbery on the night of Feb. 4, according to the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). Officers were at the scene near Lincoln Way and La Playa Street around 9:51 p.m. responding to the incident. Four months later, SFPD is asking for the community's help in finding "Stella" (pictured below). Spotted an escaped prisoner in SF this week? Guess again Stella has been missing since February (San Francisco Police Department). (San Francisco Police Department)Stella is a 2-year-old black Labrador mixed with Husky who was with her owner inside of an RV at the time of the alleged armed robbery, SFPD said in a press release Wednesday. That night, Stella's owner walked out of the RV when an unknown man brandished a gun and demanded her dog.The suspect and victim fought over the latter's keys. The suspect pepper-sprayed the victim and took her keys. The suspect went inside the RV and ran away with Stella, according to SFPD.KRON O...