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New Texas law could reshape state authority over the U.S. border

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:25:43 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- A new Texas law that allows the state to effectively deport undocumented migrants could test the balance of power between the states and the federal government, challenging years of legal precedent that has reserved the power to police the border to federal authorities.Senate Bill 4 authorizes state judges and police to order migrants back across the Rio Grande -- a deportation power reserved for federal agencies like Border Protection and ICE. In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled in Arizona v. U.S. that the federal government's immigration laws supersede Arizona's efforts to regulate immigration at the state level. In that case, the Court halted a law that criminalized being unlawfully present in the United States -- very similar to Texas' Senate Bill 4.Gov. Greg Abbott said on Monday he "welcomes a Supreme Court decision that would overturn the precedent set in the Arizona case.""We believe this law has been crafted in a way that can and should be upheld by the cou...

More Austinites will be eligible for free library cards in 2024

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:25:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin residents who currently pay more than $100 annually for a public library card will soon be eligible to waive that fee. Currently people who live within the city limits are able to obtain an Austin public library card for free, but that benefit does not extend to everyone with an Austin address. Those who live in a limited-purpose or extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) have to pay a non-resident fee to get a library card. Austin Public Library system named one of best in Texas The ETJ is "the unincorporated land within five miles of Austin’s boundary that is not within the city limits or ETJ of another city. It is the territory where Austin alone is authorized to annex land," according to the city of Austin. "Any barrier to access is not great in my eyes when it comes to libraries," Sarah Cypher, a writer who is moving to Austin soon. She learned that her house was located in an ETJ through a neighborhood Facebook group and reached out to city council to ex...

Pflugerville ISD board to meet Tuesday on superintendent search

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:25:43 GMT

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) – The Pflugerville Independent School District Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. to discuss its search for a new superintendent, according to the board's agenda. The board accepted Dec. 14 the resignation of Douglas Killian, who served PfISD for nearly seven years. His last day with PfISD is Dec. 31, according to the district.Board members will meet Tuesday evening with search consultants, according to the agenda, and talk about the search, timeline, and community input. Board members will also discuss potential superintendent candidates and get legal advice about the search, the agenda said.The meeting will occur before the regular board meeting at 7 p.m. in the PISD Administration Building on 1401 West Pecan. Both meetings will be live streamed here.The board named Steve Flores as interim superintendent on Dec. 14.

‘People on the Range are nervous’ as Japanese company announces deal to buy US Steel

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:25:43 GMT

DULUTH — U.S. Steel shaped Minnesota’s Iron Range, transforming the region from a frontier to a key part of the country’s industrial complex.“U.S. Steel isn’t just a really big company that employs a lot of people in the area,” said Aaron Brown, an Iron Range historian and author. “It’s the reason that a lot of towns that currently exist were formed.”While the Merrit Brothers began shipping ore from the Mesabi Range in 1892, East Coast financiers like John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Oliver, J.P. Morgan and Charles Schwab began to take over or peddle influence, resulting in the founding of the United States Steel Corp. in 1901.And that, Brown said, is when the Iron Range transformed.But now, the iconic Pittsburgh-based company is being sold to Japan’s Nippon Steel in a $14.9 billion deal announced Monday.No big changes have been relayed to the more than 1,800 employees at U.S. Steel’s Minntac and Keetac iron ore mines and pellet plants in Keewatin and Mountain Iron, and N...

Warren County offering free van service for senior citizens

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:25:43 GMT

WARREN COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Starting January 2, 2024, Warren/Hamilton Counties Office for the Aging and Warren County Veteran's Services will start a new senior transportation program for those over the age of 60 and military veterans, offering free shuttle transportation for errands in the Glens Falls/Queensbury area. According to Warren County, a private contractor provided senior shuttle service in western and northern Warren County towns for years, but the plan was stalled at the end of 2022 with little heads up to the affected communities and residents. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Seniors will be picked up and dropped off at their homes with service in each community outlined as such:Bolton/Hague – 1st and 3rd TuesdayChestertown/Brant Lake/Horicon – 2nd & 4th TuesdayWarrensburg/Johnsburg – 1st & 3rd ThursdayThurman/Stony Creek – 2nd & 4th ThursdayThe Warren County Veterans' Services...

What to do during Colorado winter when you don’t ski

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:25:43 GMT

Colorado winter may be synonymous with skiing, but there are plenty of ways to enjoy the state’s coldest months without strapping in and zooming downhill.Whether you’re looking to warm your bones or embrace the seasonal chill, here are eight activities to enjoy winter if you don’t ski.6th Alley Bar & Grill at Arapahoe Basin is known for its party vibe. (Provided by David Camara, A-Basin)Go lodge-hoppingJust because you don’t ski doesn’t mean you can’t have fun in a mountain town or even at the slopes. The lodges at or near resorts are often cozy and offer good drinks and entertainment.The 6th Alley Bar & Grill inside the base lodge at Arapahoe Basin, for example, is famous for its revelry. People line up early on opening day to get a space in the mug club and there’s often live music. And Copper Mountain just debuted a new mid-mountain lodge called Aeire, which features a food hall vibe with five different food stands, TVs, coffee and more. Guests only need a foot traffic ti...

What’s considered a mobile home park in Colorado? Even judges can’t agree.

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:25:43 GMT

Over the past year, two lawsuits in Colorado sought to clarify the difference between mobile home parks and seasonal RV campgrounds that cater to out-of-state tourists.The difference involves more than semantics: If a park falls under the state’s Mobile Home Park Act, owners are obligated to fulfill a litany of additional regulations, from tree and snow removal to rent-increase restrictions. RV parks have far fewer rules.But as park owners and residents seek a better understanding of where their communities may fall, even judges can’t seem to agree.In October, a La Plata County judge sided with the state’s interpretation of the law, ruling even seasonal parks with five or more mobile homes that are closed during the winter can be considered mobile home parks.This month, however, a Denver District Court judge issued a completely different ruling in a similar case. Judge Sarah B. Wallace, in a case pitting a Grand Lake park against the state’s Department of Loc...

Colorado takes new swing at reducing ozone pollution from oil and gas, but critics say it’s not enough

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:25:43 GMT

Colorado’s oil and gas industry will need to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, which contribute to smog along the Front Range, under new rules that state air-pollution regulators are calling a bold plan.However, critics of the new regulations say they don’t go far enough in requiring the oil and gas industry, which is one of the largest sources of nitrogen oxides, to cut emissions. And as a result, Colorado once again will fail to meet federal air quality standards and will face the consequences imposed on residents and businesses.And those who advocated for more stringent regulations on behalf of people who live and work in the most polluted areas of the state said the new rules fail those communities.The new emissions rules, approved Friday by the state’s Air Quality Control Commission, will require oil and gas companies to reduce nitrogen oxides emissions during the summer months when pollution is at its highest levels. Companies also will have to reduce emis...

Experts stress caution during holiday season as mystery dog illness continues to circulate in Colorado

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:25:43 GMT

Since a mysterious, potentially fatal respiratory disease started spreading through Colorado’s dog population in September, veterinarians from more than 15 states have reported cases.The disease, which is unique in both how many dogs are being affected and how long symptoms last, has still not been identified and its unclear if transmission rates are slowing down for Colorado.“Contagious respiratory disease in dogs … is common and there are multiple viral and bacterial causes,” said Michael Lappin, a board-certified veterinarian at the Colorado State University’s teaching hospital, in a Dec. 4 news release. “However, in recent months, cases are being diagnosed more frequently and the course of disease is different than usual, surprising both pet owners and veterinary health care providers.”Experts still aren’t sure if the illness is viral or bacterial, but in the release CSU veterinarians said that the infection has been linked to cases of severe pneumo...

Denver Book Club: “The Bookbinder” and more short reviews from readers

Published Thu, 13 Feb 2025 14:25:43 GMT

Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. Sure, you could read advertising blurbs on Amazon, but wouldn’t you be more likely to believe a neighbor with no skin in the game over a corporation being fed words by publishers? So in this series, we are sharing these mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email [email protected].“The Bookbinder of Jericho,” by Pip Williams (Ballantine Books, 2023)“The Bookbinder of Jericho,” by Pip Williams (Ballantine Books, 2023)Related ArticlesBooks | “Time Shelter,” by Georgi Gospodinov, and more short book reviews from readers Books | Two new mysteries from Colorado authors Books | “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store,” by James McBride, and more short reviews from readers Books | “Starkweather” r...