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'Only going to get worse': Local leaders issue local disaster declaration amid wildfire danger

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:47:45 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- City of Austin and Travis County leaders discussed ongoing efforts to address record-breaking heat and the potential for wildfires Tuesday. Several city and county officials talked about wildfire and disaster preparation at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. A total of 30 fires have burned 2,826 acres in the 15-county KXAN viewing area, as of Aug. 13. You can find an active map here. "It's terrible but it's going to get worse," said Bob Nicks, the president of the Austin Firefighters Association. "The dirty little secret about wildland fires is that they get to a certain size, there's nothing you can do to stop them." Another 7+ days of triple digits but hints of change ahead According to Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, the city ranks sixth in the nation in the number of homes at risk of wildfire. The top five cities are in California. Because 90% of wildfires are caused by people and are preventable, Watson said the city has been "paying specific attention" to home...

School district discusses fire safety plan in case of wildfire

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:47:45 GMT

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) --- Much of Central Texas is still considered at a high to very high fire danger by the Texas A&M Forest Service.Fires have burned through hundreds of acres in areas of Kyle, Buda, San Marcos and Cedar Park. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘Fleeing for our lives’: Hays County residents, businesses recount escaping 400-acre Oak Grove Fire School districts, like Hays CISD, said it is prepared should a fire start near a school. Hays CISD Head of District Safety Jeri Skrocki said if there's smoke nearby, they will secure the area."We bring everyone inside," Skrocki said. "We don't want them being affected by potential contaminants in the air smoke."But if there's a fire that's approaching a school, Skrocki said they'll evacuate. "We get our transportation team or drivers to the location. We have buses strategically placed at both the east side of the county and the west side of the county," she said. "So in the event any school needs to be evacuated, we deploy t...

Earn $1K to test Buc-ee's snacks — how to apply

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:47:45 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Are you a Beaver Nugget expert? The chance to put your taste to the test for the South's favorite roadside stop has arrived. FinanceBuzz, a financial news and data outlet, is offering one applicant $1,000 to become its Buc-ee's Bud-ee — a role that comes with some serious snacking involved. What happens to airline passengers when a plane loses cabin pressure? In addition to the chain's iconic Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets, the Bud-ee will need to sample kolaches, tacos, barbecue sandwiches, fudge, banana pudding, biscuits, gravy and more. The tester will document their impressions of the snacks via written product reviews and photos, according to FinanceBuzz.The gig also comes with $250 to cover cost of snacks, gas and/or Buc-ee's merchandise.Here are the requirements to apply:Must be at least 18 years oldMust live near or be willing to travel to a Buc-ee's locationMust be willing to try most kinds of snacksTaste test must be completed in two weeks Apple to start paying o...

Tyler Cowen: How prosperous is America? Ask UPS drivers

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:47:45 GMT

By the end of the five-year deal that the United Parcel Service and its drivers just agreed to, full-time drivers will make about $170,000 a year, counting health care coverage and other benefits. That’s up from $145,000 currently. Quite aside from what those numbers say about the skills of the Teamsters’ negotiators, they are also testament to America’s prosperity and offer some clues to where its economy may be headed.U.S. living standards are very high. Given a typical ratio of salary to benefits, UPS drivers might be earning a direct-dollar salary of up to $130,000 in the final contract year. To put that in perspective, Connecticut’s wealthy hedge-fund metropolis, the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk area, has a per capita GDP of about $127,000. If those UPS drivers formed their own city, it would be one of the wealthiest in the U.S.In the U.K., a city of UPS drivers would be the country’s richest by far, easily surpassing the London metropolitan area. T...

Stillwater beverage companies Lift Bridge, Lyvly suing each other

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:47:45 GMT

Lift Bridge Brewing Co. has filed a lawsuit against Lyvly, a CBD seltzer company, for allegedly failing to hold up its end of a contractual agreement.The agreement, according to the complaint filed last month by Lift Bridge, was for the brewing company to manufacture CBD, THC and Delta-8 seltzers for Lyvly. The Stillwater-based brewing company claims Lyvly never ordered any of the products under their contract and “will be unable to do so in the future because of its lack of capital,” per the complaint.The complaint, which describes Lyvly as a “failed business,” also alleges that the non-compete provision in the agreement is overbroad and unenforceable.“Lift Bridge hoped and expected to have a productive relationship with Lyvly. Lift Bridge has upheld its side of the agreement with Lyvly, but unfortunately, Lyvly’s business has not gone as expected,” said Joseph R. Richie, lead attorney for Lift Bridge.Started by Daniel Schwarz and Brad Glynn in 2008, the brewing company manufacture...

Broadway Upstate brings 'Chicago' to Glens Falls

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:47:45 GMT

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) - This weekend, "Chicago" comes to Glens Falls. The talents behind this production come not from Broadway, but from schools around the North Country. Broadway Upstate is putting its next show on the Charles R. Wood Theater stage - and leaving the COVID-19 pandemic in the rearview mirror. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! For Executive Director Rachel Sebode, the pandemic hurt like it did for any other arts organization. Shows had to be postponed - a production of "Frozen Jr." put on hold for two entire years. Despite the hardship, that time showed her the thing perhaps most important about youth-centric theatre programs."This program allows kids to meet other kids who have the same interest in the arts in different districts." Sebode said on Tuesday. "They form lifelong friendships.""Chicago" takes the stage as Broadway Upstate's summer show, running from Aug. 17-19 at the Wood Theater. The 24-student c...

Gattuso expecting more from UAlbany's defensive front this season

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:47:45 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The University of Albany football team may not have been the most productive on defense last season, but head coach Greg Gattuso and his staff have made some moves to rectify that as the 2023 season approaches. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Last season the Great Danes finished seventh in the Colonial Athletic Conference in total defense and were ranked 13th in stopping the run. Despite last season's struggles coach, Gattuso believes that adding some new talent to the defense in the off-season will bode well for the Danes, as they try to turn things around this season. "The front of our defense has to be physical and control the line of scrimmage," Gattuso said. "Last year we didn't do that effectively enough but you gotta realize we literally had four new starters. Anthony Lang was the only guy back he didn't even start for us, so the good thing is they've been through the battles and you can see sig...

Stopping for school buses in Missouri & Illinois: What are the laws?

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:47:45 GMT

ST. LOUIS - As children around the St. Louis area prepare to return to school, take this as a friendly reminder to watch out for school buses on the roads. For most, it's a pretty simple concept. When a school bus extends its red "STOP" arm to pick up or drop off students, it's best to hit the brakes and stay in place until the pickup or dropoff is done. St. Louis Zoo unveils new attractions But that's not the only consideration, and school bus slightly differ from state to state. If you're driving around Missouri and Illinois as school buses hit the roads again, here's some basic information to consider. MissouriAccording to the Missouri State Highway Patrol...Missouri drivers must stop for school buses when the stop arm is extended on all two-lane roads, regardless of their direction. Drivers must stop your vehicle and remain stopped until the bus's flashing lights are turned off, the stop arm is withdrawn, and the bus starts moving again.On a four-lane roadway without a median...

Free gun locks offered through St. Louis 'Lock It For Love' program

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:47:45 GMT

ST. LOUIS - One important step for adults to protect their children from gun violence is to secure their weapons. Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice, a group advocating for safety in the St. Louis area, is working to protect children through its free gun locks program, Lock It For Love. Road rage mystery solved as ghost driver gets prison time "Lock It For Love provides free gun locks and gun safety information in communities, particularly those experiencing high levels of gun violence," said volunteer Cathy Gilbert. "Gun violence is always awful, but when we know it's an innocent child with an entire life ahead who lost their life, it seems to hit even harder."You can pick up free gun locks through the Lock It For Love program at St. Louis Fire Department, St. Louis City and St. Louis County library branches and BJC and SSM hospitals.

How much will Denverites pay for sidewalk repairs next year? Estimates are now available.

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 11:47:45 GMT

Denver property owners can now visit the city’s website to see the annual fees they will be expected to pay to finance sidewalk construction and repairs citywide in accordance with a ballot measure voters approved last fall.The sidewalk fee lookup tool is available at denvergov.org/sidewalks. Bills will start arriving next year.Property owners must type in their legal address — including N, S, E or W directional abbreviations — and find an estimated total annual fee for their home or commercial property. The search bar does not recognize punctuation marks.The fees are dictated by the length of the sidewalk running along a property and the type of street on which the property is located. Different style streets require different width and style of sidewalks.For instance, a private home in the city’s southwestern Harvey Park neighborhood with 65 linear feet of sidewalk along a residential street will pay an estimated $134.38 in 2024. Meanwhile, the Choice Marke...