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BraveHearts: Horse therapy for veterans

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:15 GMT

About an hour and a half outside the city, locals will find a unique place that offers the promise of a new day in body and soul and a clean break from the skeletons of yesteryear. Veterans who are still struggling to come to terms with the military service of then and what is their life now. BraveHearts, in the idyllic countryside of beautiful Harvard, is home to an organization dedicated to stopping veteran deaths by suicide. Bill Mercurio was drafted in 1966 to serve in the Vietnam War. He was a part of the 20th Engineers Battalion at Pleiku Air Base, a former Air Force base in Vietnam. "I left Vietnam in May of '67. Three days later I was on my couch," Mercurio told WGN News. Fifty-six years later, Mercurio said his time in Vietnam was relatively brief, but his actions a world away and what he witnessed there stays with him to this day. He said he is one of the lucky ones, however. Not only did he survive, but he conquered his own personal demons from that time in...

Northwestern women bring home lacrosse national championship

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:15 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. - The champs are back on campus. Northwestern women's lacrosse team was welcomed home in style Monday after the Cats clawed their way past Boston College for their first national title since 2012."I don't even really know how to put it into words. I've been crying like every ten minutes," explained Izzy Scane, who scored four goals in the decisive 18-6 win over the Golden Eagles. "We've just been having the most fun possible. This group has done a great job of enjoying the little things all season. This, obviously, is a big thing. Celebrating it with everyone has been awesome. Everyone's just so happy and emotional and proud of each other. It's a lot of hard work that went into it. It's a great feeling."Scane, the favorite to win the national player of the year award, reached 99 goals for the season, one more than she scored in 2021, before she sat out last year with an ACL injury. The grad student star who said she would return next season, moved past Selena Lasota f...

'When you lose a child, that love has to go somewhere,' says family of 4-year-old run over in Wisconsin parking lot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:15 GMT

ROCKTON, Ill. (WTVO) — The parents of Jack Baumann are trying to move forward after the 4-year-old was run over by a car in the parking lot of his first soccer game last year."It was his first game, and he was super excited to play," said his mother, Valerie.Jack was known as the happiest goalie in his Pre-K soccer league, she said. "He jumped at being a goalie. People called him 'Smiling Jack.'"Jack Baumann. Photo: Valerie BaumannOne of the last photos of Jack was taken only minutes before he was accidentally run over in the parking lot of the Beloit Sports Center, on October 1st, 2022."It plays hundreds of times a day. It's an image that you'll never forget," Valerie said.The Beloit Police Department said Jack was wearing cleats and walking in the parking lot when he slipped and fell, out of the line of sight of the driver.Police said the driver was not speeding or distracted.Jack was taken to a nearby hospital but died. He was only days away from his fifth birthday."The anger com...

Man sentenced to 28 years for killing girlfriend, leaving body in Illinois storage unit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:15 GMT

ROSCOE, Ill. (WTVO) -- A man has been sentenced to two decades for killing his girlfriend and leaving her body in a Winnebago County storage unit.Jonathan Vanduyn pled guilty to Murder in a Winnebago County Court on Friday. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison followed by three years mandatory supervised release. Two 2-years-olds among 48 shot across Chicago over holiday weekend Michelle Arnold-Boesiger was last seen in November 2020. She and Vanduyn had been living together in Wisconsin.Her body was later found inside of a Jeep in a U-Haul storage unit in Roscoe. The Jeep was registered to Vanduyn.He is currently serving a prison sentence in Wisconsin for another crime.

Indiana to require financial literacy course in high school

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:15 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS - Under a new state law, Hoosier high school students will need to pass a financial literacy course to graduate.Under Senate Enrolled Act 35, the requirement will start with the class of 2028. That means schools will have to make some changes since many only offer the class as an elective right now."I've worked with multiple generations of people - I see the level of knowledge kind of decreasing," said State Sen. Mike Gaskill, (R-Pendleton), who introduced the legislation.Gaskill works in the financial services industry."If you don't have the knowledge that you need, it's easy for others to take advantage of you and not do what's best for you," he said.The class will cover several topics, such as filing taxes, managing debt and saving for retirement."I felt that there was enough material to justify being a standalone course, and I wanted to emphasize the importance," Gaskill said.The law allows the course to count toward other graduation requirements, such as math, for ...

HVAC fixes could begin 'as soon as this summer' for some Austin ISD campuses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – School may be out for summer, but work is just getting started at some Austin ISD campuses, as the district tackles heating, ventilation, and air conditioning repairs or improvement projects.Over the last few years, KXAN investigators have been tracking tips from parents, teachers and students about hot classrooms and other maintenance issues. Thousands of air conditioning issues at Austin ISD schools this year Leadership has repeatedly pointed to aging facilities in need of new HVAC equipment or systems, rather than just repairs.“Some of them -- the original structures are over 100 years old. That means that equipment ages out and it's failing, and it's no longer a maintenance issue. It is a replacement issue,” said Michael Mann, AISD's executive director of construction management.  The district gave KXAN records in the spring showing more than 4,700 work orders had been filed across 130 campuses from July 2022 to February 2023. However, just 29 campuses acc...

A few days of sunshine & fair-weather clouds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:15 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Rain came to an end during Monday evening. Thirteen (13) rain gauges spread over Blanco, Gillespie, Llano and San Saba Counties measured more than one inch of rain during Memorial Day. Afternoon thunderstorms, producing these high rain totals, provided a generous amount of lightning. Pea-sized hail was reported west of Fredericksburg for the only hail report. Monday afternoon's Local Storm Reports Central Texas rain totals There was very little rain measured in areas along and east of I-35. Camp Mabry had a small shower between 9 and 10 a.m. with .01" measured. It brings the May total to 4.30". There is no rain in the Tuesday/Wednesday forecasts meaning that May's rain total will be below the normal of 5.04". BLOG: Summer forecast released: When do 100º days begin A period of dry and seasonably warm weather will be part of the forecast overnight through the middle of Friday afternoon. Most overnight lows will be in the upper half of the 60s to low 70s. Most day...

9 injured in shooting near beach in Hollywood, Florida; some taken to children’s hospital

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:15 GMT

Associated PressHOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) — Nine people were injured Monday evening when gunfire erupted along a beach boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida, sending people frantically running for cover along the crowded beach on Memorial Day.Several of the victims were taken to a children’s hospital, police spokesperson Deanna Bettineschi said. However, authorities have not yet released the ages of the victims or provided details about their conditions.A preliminary investigation shows that an altercation between two groups resulted in gunfire, police said. One person has been detained and another suspect is being still being sought.The shooting happened about 6:30 p.m. on the broadwalk near a convenience store, a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream store and a Subway sandwich shop.Alvie Carlton Scott III said he was on the beach when all of a sudden he hear numerous gunshots go off. He said he hid behind a tree and then fled the area after a police officer told people to run.Jamie...

Long, grueling path brings Royce Lewis back to Twins

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:15 GMT

HOUSTON — Unfortunate for the both of them, Alex Kirilloff can relate to what his good friend, Royce Lewis, went through more than most. Kirilloff, like Lewis, underwent two surgeries — his on his wrist, Lewis on his knee — that altered the early years of his career.Some of their rehab was conducted side by side, and what impressed Kirilloff the most was watching Lewis attack every day with the same mindset and attitude, bringing relentless positivity despite receiving a second torn anterior cruciate ligament diagnosis that forced him out of action for a year.“I know at least a little bit of what he has gone through, and I know the work that went behind it to get back to this point,” Kirilloff said. “I’m proud of him. I’m happy for him to be able to be back and doing the things that he’s accustomed to doing and … feeling good and healthy. I’m just really happy for him.”That’s a sentiment echoed around the Twins’ clubhouse.Exactly one year after crashing into the outfield wall and re...

First bus of Asylum Seekers arrive in Albany

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:15 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — On Sunday night, the City of Albany welcomed 40 asylum seekers after New York City decided to form a contract with the Ramada Inn on Watervliet Avenue in Albany. Mayor Kathy Sheehan says that the city has already been in contact with community-based organizations to help each person.“And ensuring that they are kept safe, and they have the resources they need to pursue their asylum petitions,” Mayor Sheehan said. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Over the weekend, there was a miscommunication between New York City officials and Albany County officials causing one bus with about 25 asylum seekers to arrive at the sure stay best western in Colonie.Town Supervisor Peter Crummey said in a statement over the weekend that there was not a coordinated effort among county, state, and local officials.According to reports in the times union, the town of Colonie has won a temporary court order that will now prevent...