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City of Leander looks at regulations for short-term rentals

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:25:33 GMT

LEANDER, Texas (KXAN) — Regulations could be coming soon for short-term rental (STR) operators in Leander. This comes as the City of Leander considers updating ordinances, so that STR properties are subject to permitting and a local Hotel Occupancy Tax.In a May workshop, city leaders heard regulation recommendations from staff. The staff member presenting the recommendations said the city was approached by a third-party company that tracks STR data.The data showed that the area had several dozen properties that could be HOT taxed, the profits of which could then be used for city improvements.The presenting staffer also said these regulations would make properties more likely to follow other ordinances that impact neighborhoods where an STR is located."We want to minimize nuisances, educate people coming to our city, support tourism, collect the tax and then advocate for the citizens interest," the staff member said.Currently, STR properties are required to pay a state HOT tax of 6%,...

Saints’ Patrick Murphy found right fit with Twins organization

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:25:33 GMT

Saints right-handed reliever Patrick Murphy, signed by the Twins to a minor league, free agent deal in the offseason, is loving life with his new organization, and the feeling is mutual.Murphy, who turns 28 on Friday, is on a streak of 10 consecutive appearances without allowing a run, a stretch that covers 15 2/3 innings. Overall, he boasts a 4-0 record and an earned-run average of 1.48.With 35 games of major league experience to go with his strong season to date, he shapes up as a viable option for the Twins before season’s end.“How aggressive he is, and the mindset that he has is perfect for a reliever,” Saints pitching coach Pete Larson said prior to the Saints’ 7-5 loss to the Iowa Cubs on Friday night at CHS Field.Murphy’s fastball touches 100 mph, and it’s not even his best pitch.“His curveball is his best one,” Larson said. “We’ve been working on a slider, too, just to give him a different look.”Murphy made his major league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020, and appea...

State track and field: Minnehaha rallies for second-place finish

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:25:33 GMT

For Cadence Tanner, it marked a triumphant ending.For her teammates on the Minnehaha Academy 4×100-meter relay team, it’s likely a sign of even more to come.The Redhawks’ relay recorded a time of 49 seconds to win the event at the Class A state track and field meet Friday at St. Michael-Albertville High School. It marked Minnehaha’s second straight state title in the event, though only Tanner, a senior, and sophomore Gigi Troup returned from a year ago.Sophomore Ima Jones and seventh-grader Aaleyha Gulyard were the two newcomers to the team.“It’s really exciting,” Tanner said. “It’s a great way to finish off my senior year, and I’m so excited about the future for the rest of these girls. They’re going to be so good for years to come.”The relay helped lead the Redhawks to a second-place finish as a team with 49 points. Eden Valley-Watkins/Kimball claimed the girls team title with 70.The finish also capped a busy meet for all four athletes. On Thursday, Tanner finished third in t...

Lynx fall at finish to Indiana

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:25:33 GMT

Napheesa Collier is one of two current players on the Lynx All-25 Team being honored this weekend.Collier proved her merit in the group Friday with a 28-point, 14-rebound performance. But her second double-double in five games was not enough as the Lynx fell 71-69 to Indiana.Minnesota is 1-7 overall; 0-4 at Target Center.Kayla McBride was the only other Lynx player in double-figure anything with 11 points.Kelsey Mitchell led four Fever players in double figures with 22 points. NaLyssa Smith had 12 points and 12 rebounds, Aliyah Boston had 10 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana (2-5), which ended a three-game slide.Playing for the first time since last Saturday’s win in Washington, Minnesota shot just 38.1 percent. Not that Indiana was much better at 40.6 percent, scoring the fewest points by a Lynx opponent this season.Now, about those turnovers?Just like a broken record.Fourteen Minnesota miscues resulted in 20 Indiana points, including 11 in the fourth quarter off six turnovers. In...

Twins pull out 3-2 win in series opener in Toronto

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:25:33 GMT

TORONTO — It wasn’t the offensive breakout that they’ve been searching for — far from it — but on Friday, it was just enough offense for a win that the Twins badly needed.Toronto Blue Jays’ George Springer slides safely into third as Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis tries to make the tag during the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 9, 2023, in Toronto. Springer had hit an RBI double, and advanced to third. (Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press via AP)The Twins manufactured a run in the 10th inning to pull away from the Blue Jays 3-2, snapping a season-long five-game losing streak that had briefly plunged them under .500.The run came after a ninth inning in which closer Jhoan Duran performed a highwire act, maneuvering his way out of a situation with a pair of runners in scoring position and no outs.The struggling offense then put together a run, with Royce Lewis’ infield single advancing Ryan Jeffers, the automatic runner, to third. Jeffers then came around to sc...

State boys tennis: SPA brings home Class A doubles title

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:25:33 GMT

St. Paul Academy tennis coach Luke Eilefson will be busy next week re-arranging the school’s trophy case.A day after he watched his team claim a second straight Class A team title, the doubles tandem of Leo Benson and Maik Nguyen added more hardware to be taken back to school with a solid win in the Class A doubles tournament at Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in Minneapolis on Friday afternoon. The junior pair broke the serves of Litchfield’s Alex Draeger and Braden Olson early and often en route to a 6-3, 6-1 decision.Earlier in the day, Benson and Nguyen used the same tactics to put away Mounds Park’s Aarti Prochnow and Garrett Webb in straight sets in the semis.It was the first state title doubles win for a Spartans pair in four years. SPA came close to grabbing some individual hardware as well, but eighth grader Zahir Hassan came up just short, falling in a tiebreaker in the third-place match.“All season long, we built towards this week,” Eilefson said. “We knew we were very capable....

Greene County man killed after Colonie motorcycle crash

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:25:33 GMT

COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Greene County man is dead after a motorcycle crash in Colonie on Friday.Around 1:30 p.m., police said a motorcycle was heading east on Cohoes Crescent Road when it crossed into the westbound lane and crashed into a car. The driver of the car called 911 and tried to render aid to the motorcyclist. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Alexander Ortiz, Jr., 74, was taken to Albany Medical Center where he later died. Police are unsure why he crossed into traffic.The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

Mother of Christian Ferguson pushing for a new alert system in his memory

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:25:33 GMT

ST. LOUIS - This weekend marks the 20th anniversary of when Christian Ferguson went missing. His father was convicted of Ferguson’s murder, but the child’s body was never found.Ferguson’s mother, Theda Person, is pushing for a new alert system she believes will save lives. She joined St. Louis Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard Friday to announce the effort to make the alert system a reality.“We can’t just lay back,” Person said. “We can’t be complacent. We have to do what we can while we have time.”She’s pushing for an alert system that would alert the public when someone with a medical condition or disability is missing. The CTF Medical Alert would be named after Christian Taylor Ferguson. Person said she welcomes feedback from anyone who could help make the idea a reality. St. Louis County town tows cars from driveways with expired tags “Some mothers probably would have crawled up, balled up, and went away, but Theda, we thank you as a community for not doing that,” Hubbard said....

St. Charles announces new plan to crack down on reckless driving

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:25:33 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The City of St. Charles is launching a new summer crackdown on reckless driving in the area.Mayor Dan Borgmeyer said it’s a growing problem that puts neighborhoods in danger. He and the police want to diminish the issue before it gets out of hand."It’s called "zero tolerance." One of my primary complaints that I’m receiving from the mayor’s office is speeding, all kinds of speeding," Borgmeyer said. "We were kind of a quiet little community, and now our 25 mile-per-hour speed limits, we are starting to see people coming to court with tickets of 45, 55, even 65 miles per hour. It’s unsafe, it's intolerable, and we’re just at the point where we're going to draw the line now, and if you’re speeding in St. Charles, you’re going to be ticketed, and you're going to be fined." St. Louis County town tows cars from driveways with expired tags The crackdown started this week and will run through August. The mayor said they are also going to put an end to kids illegally dr...

Over $1.2 million worth of fake luxury watches seized at Los Angeles Airport

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:25:33 GMT

Over $1.2 million worth of fake luxury watches were seized at the Los Angeles International Airport.U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to LAX seized a total of 41 counterfeit watches “bearing luxury trademarks" over a five-week period from April 12 to May 22. “If genuine, the seized watches would have had an estimated manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,294,500,” authorities said.The counterfeit goods arrived through individual packages via air cargo from China to destinations across the U.S.In what authorities say was an attempt to evade detection by officers, the watches were falsely declared as “Bracelet,” “Belt,” “Decoration,” “Watch Box,” and “Wall Clock.”Among the confiscated watches, authorities found 37 Rolexes, one Luminor Panerai, one Patek Philippe, one Audemars Piguet and one Omega watch.Over $1.2 million worth of fake luxury watches were seized at Los Angeles International Airport.(U.S. Customs and Border Protection)Over $1.2 million worth of f...