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Colin Strickland continues testimony Monday at Kaitlin Armstrong murder trial

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:03 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Colin Strickland returned to the witness stand Monday in the murder trial for Kaitlin Armstrong. He began his testimony around 2:30 p.m. Friday. The State is still in its first line of questioning.Armstrong is accused of shooting and killing pro Cyclist Anna Moriah "Mo" Wilson at an east Austin home on May 11, 2022. Strickland was Armstrong's boyfriend at the time, and spent the day with Wilson before the shooting. You can catch up on the Armstrong case here.KXAN's Brianna Hollis will be in court Monday providing live updates of the trial on social media platform X: KAITLIN ARMSTRONG: The murder trial resumes today. Key witness Colin Strickland, in the hat and mask here, will continue his testimony. He was dating Armstrong at the time of the murder + the last person to see victim Mo Wilson. Live updates on this thread this AM @KXAN_News pic.twitter.com/Z18XknMmei— Brianna Hollis (@BriHollisNEWS) November 6, 2023 So far, Strickland has testified about this rela...

Texas gets $43.6M in federal funding for 2021 winter storm recovery

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:03 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Nearly three years after the devastating 2021 winter storm, Texas will get about $43.6 million in federal dollars to help with ongoing storm recovery. The money will come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for long-term recovery from the 2021 winter storm, the Texas General Land Office announced Monday. The funding is for community development block grant-disaster recovery, which helps address needs after other help is exhausted. The more than $43.6 million will be divided into two programs. About $30.4 million will go to the 2021 Winter Storms HUD MID Counties Program. This will go to Dallas, Harris and Tarrant counties and fund projects like infrastructure improvements and/or rehabilitation, reconstruction and new construction of affordable multifamily housing. The report said the 2021 storm “devastated infrastructure in Texas due to the lack of weatherization for extreme cold of infrastructure, critical facilities, and utilities.” There...

Kiszla vs. Gabriel: Must the Broncos beat Buffalo to make a playoff run?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:03 GMT

Kiz: With the Broncos riding high after breaking their losing streak to Kansas City, maybe we need to pull them over for a sobriety check. They’re talking about the playoffs! Playoffs?!?! Heck, running back Javonte Williams is talking about the Super Bowl. It will take no fewer than nine victories, and probably 10, for Denver to secure a wild-card bid. Can a team with a 3-5 record get there without winning in Buffalo, where the Broncos figure to be at least a touchdown underdog?Gabriel: Bookie Kiz, coming in hot. BetOnline installed the Bills as an early 7.5-point favorite. Spot on. Need I remind you that the Chiefs were eight-point favorites at Empower Field before the Broncos took care of business? Have you no faith? Wait, that was supposed to be in sarcasm font. A playoff run is possible without a Monday night win, but you’re going to need a long winning streak somewhere in there. Four games minimum, probably five. We’ve seen the Broncos play better in recent weeks, but cou...

Disbarred Denver attorney Steve Bachar sentenced to 3 years in prison in theft, fraud case

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:03 GMT

A Denver District Court judge sentenced disbarred attorney Steve Bachar to three years in prison Monday, handing down a heavier sentence than even prosecutors sought in the felony theft case.Bachar pleaded guilty in September to felony theft for defrauding an investor of $125,000. In a deal with the Denver District Attorney’s Office, prosecutors agreed to drop two other felony counts against him in exchange for his guilty plea.He asked for mercy in court Monday and said he was a changed man. His public defender, Robert Swestka, asked that Bachar be sentenced to probation, while prosecutor Ashley Beck sought two years in prison.Denver District Court Judge Eric Johnson found that three years in prison was the more fitting punishment. He noted Bachar owes about $180,000 in restitution in the case, which includes interest on the original stolen investment.“How many home invasion burglaries do you have to take to get to $180,000?” Johnson said in court. “…Ho...

Opinion: Why would reporters take the word of a terrorist organization?

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:03 GMT

What credible media organization would trust Hamas for news sourcing? The answer should be none.For those who have been asleep since Oct. 7, Hamas is the terrorist organization responsible for murdering over 1,400 people in a terrorist rampage in Israel and kidnapping 210 additional victims. Hamas’ stated mission is to obliterate Israel.Satellite images and other data prove that Hamas uses Gaza hospitals, mosques, schools and other civilian areas as command centers, rocket launching sites and storage for war supplies.In addition to killing and raping babies, children, pregnant women, and elderly people, Hamas manufactures facts. Hamas controls and restricts the press and is legendary for pushing out fake news, which their allies in social media have long spun out as factual. For example, a Hamas spokesperson denied in an earlier interview with NPR that they slaughtered 260 people at the Israeli music concert that was underway when this rampage began. Many of the atrocities that took...

Mike Johnston nominates former rival from Denver mayor’s race for cabinet post

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:03 GMT

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has nominated Al Gardner, a fellow candidate for mayor in this spring’s city election, to lead the city’s Department of General Services.Johnston announced his selection on Friday afternoon. Gardner is an information technology professional and an adjunct professor at the University of Denver’s School of Technology and Communications. He has been a member of several city boards and commissions over the years, including the public safety department’s Citizen Oversight Board and the Denver Civil Service Commission.In April, Gardner was among 16 candidates for Denver mayor in the first-round election. He trailed the leaders in fundraising and came in 13th, with 725 votes. Johnston earned the most votes in that election and defeated Kelly Brough in the June runoff.Now Johnston has put forward Gardner as a nominee on his slowly growing list of mayoral appointees, with several key positions still unfilled.Johnston previously tapped state ...

CHP releases new information about crash-and-grab robbery

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:03 GMT

The group of thieves who robbed a driver after deliberately causing a crash on a Los Angeles freeway were after a haul of jewelry, authorities tell KTLA.The shocking robbery, which was captured on video on Oct. 24, unfolded on the eastbound 10 Freeway near Arlington Avenue.According to the California Highway Patrol, a black Dodge Caravan deliberately crashed into a black Alfa Romeo sedan, forcing it into the embankment along the shoulder of the road.  Video: Car plows into group of people in front of L.A. area restaurant With the Alfa Romeo disabled, video recorded by two drivers shows four men wearing dark clothes and masks jumping out of the Caravan and swarming the sedan, grabbing items while the victim was on his knees with his arms raised.Video shared on Citizen shows a group of thieves rob the driver of an Alfa Romeo after a collision on the 10 Freeway in Los Angeles. Oct. 24, 2023. (Citizen)Video shared on Citizen shows a group of thieves rob the driver of an Alfa Rome...

Building evacuated, road closed due to hazmat investigation near Caltech campus

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:03 GMT

An apartment building has been evacuated and a road is shut down for a hazardous materials investigation near the Caltech campus Monday morning. According to Pasadena Fire Department officials, the investigation is under way on Del Mar Boulevard between Mentor Avenue and Wilson Avenue. “Apartment units in the impacted buildings are being evacuated and traffic will be affected for several hours,” Pasadena FD said. The building being evacuated is adjacent to Caltech; Pasadena fire officials confirmed to KTLA that it is not student housing, but some students do live there.  Police pursue domestic violence suspect in 35-foot RV in Los Angeles Earlier on Monday morning, a police officer drove by and “saw a situation that didn’t look right” on someone’s porch, fire officials said.  Video from Sky5 shows what appears to be an impromptu lab setup on the ground floor porch of one of the apartments. It is unclear what chemicals may be present. Video from Sky5 shows what ...

Review: $80 interactive robot Dog-E delivers tail-wagging fun

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:03 GMT

The concept of a robot dog has been around for many years, but usually, they’ve been too expensive, too complicated, or both.Now, one toy company thinks they have the answer with a one-of-a-kind dog at an affordable price point.It's called the Dog-E by WowWee, and it's inspired by those popular blind boxes, where kids love the surprise of not knowing what they're getting."When you turn him on, this is when the magic really starts," said Sydney Wiseman, Dog-E's creator. She has high hopes for the robotic pup this holiday season."Honestly, I think I love toys more than kids," she quipped. Wiseman comes from a family of toy makers and one of her earliest inventions, called Fingerlings, was a massive hit."I think we really achieved in creating a character and a movie on your finger at a $14.99 price point, and no one had ever seen anything like that before," explained Wiseman. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rich DeMuro (@richontech)Dog-E is being marketed...

Video: Humpback whales entertain Southern California tourists

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:15:03 GMT

Passengers aboard an Orange County whale-watching tour had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with two humpback whales last week as they appeared to be "playing" around their boat.On Sunday, the majestic creatures spent nearly three hours cheerfully entertaining a Newport Coastal Adventure vessel, swimming up and around the small Zodiac while putting on an incredible display. ‘Aggressive shark activity’ prompts closure of beach in Orange County According to Captain Delaney Trowbridge, the humpbacks were seen doing pectoral fin slaps, which is a movement when a whale raises its fin into the air before slamming it back into the water, and tail throwing - a similar movement that is done with the tail.They were also seen rolling around in the water and peeking their heads above the surface in a movement called "sky hopping." Tail of a humpback whale seen on a Newport Beach whale watching tour on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. (Courtesy of Newport Coastal Adventure)Humpback whales are one of the m...