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Ontario announces plan to hire 1,000 new teachers for math and literacy

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

Ontario is hiring nearly 1,000 teachers for specialized math and literacy programs, the province’s education minister announced Sunday, but critics say that won’t provide enough help for students in the vast majority of schools.Stephen Lecce said more than $71 million will go toward supporting about 300 teachers, consisting of one math lead per school board to direct curriculum implementation and training and math coaches to provide support in classrooms. There are currently about 140 math coaches and the funding will see that number doubled.Lecce also said $109 million will go toward funding 700 teachers for reading intervention programs to support literacy development, as well as setting up early reading screening tools for students from senior kindergarten to Grade 2. An overhauled language curriculum will be in place for this coming September, he said.The government will also send so-called math action teams – made up of trained math educators – to school...

New Brite Spot restaurant in Ottawa damaged by fire

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

OTTAWA, Ill. — An Ottawa restaurant was damaged during a fire late Saturday night, according to the Ottawa Fire Department.Firefighters were called to the New Brite Spot restaurant in the 800 block of East Norris Drive. 2 teens shot in the Loop during large disturbance There was heavy smoke and flames coming from the restaurant when they arrived.According to a press release from the fire department, it took firefighters about 30 minutes to put the fire out.The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall is helping investigate the cause of the fire. The cause and origin of the fire are still under investigation. "To our customers, we are so appreciative to have you as part of our family," an employee said in a Facebook post. "Please keep us in your prayers that we can rebuild and come back strong. We will miss seeing all of you and hopefully get back to serving you soon. After 22 years of working for the Imeri family my heart is broken. They are such a big part of our community."

Coast Guard searching for 3 Americans who disappeared while sailing from Mexico

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

SAN DIEGO (KSWB) - The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for three American sailors who went missing off the coast of Mexico in early April. Kerry O’Brien, Frank O’Brien and William Gross were aboard a 44-foot Lafitte sailing vessel named Ocean Bound that left Mazatlán en route to San Diego on April 4, the Coast Guard stated in a news release.Ocean Bound, the missing sail boat, is pictured here. (U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Southwest)The sailors planned to stop in Cabo San Lucas on April 6 along the way but there was no record of them arriving in Cabo San Lucas or a report of their location, according to officials. Family recipe to phenomenon: The San Diego restaurant credited with creating taquitos “We know that they did not arrive in Cabo San Lucas, nor have there been any sightings of the vessel after (April 4) when they left Mazatlán,” Commander Greg Higgins, U.S. Coast Guard Search Mission Coordinator, told Nexstar's KSWB.Higgins said the journey should have taken about two days, bu...

Judge sentences man to 25 years for 2020 murder

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was sentenced to 25 years in state prison for an August 2020 murder.According to Travis County court records, 30-year-old Antonio Joiner was found guilty and convicted by a jury April 6. Documents showed he entered a not-guilty plea April 4 before his trial. He was sentenced April 7.Court records show Joiner’s attorney filed a motion for a new trial April 10. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man accused in August 2020 Manor Road killing arrested According to past KXAN coverage, Joiner was arrested for the shooting death of Dontra Kinsey, who was found in an apartment complex parking lot outside a barbecue gathering in 2022. Police said Kinsey was taken to an area hospital, but he later died from his injuries.Two other charges were dismissed after his sentencing, according to Travis County jail records. Only one was related to the shooting.

High school star among 4 slain in Alabama party shooting

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

By JEFF AMY and KIM CHANDLER (Associated Press)DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A high school senior who planned to play college football was celebrating at his sister’s 16th birthday party Saturday night in Alabama when gunfire killed him and three other people and wounded several others.Police were gathering evidence Sunday at a dance studio where the party was held in downtown Dadeville. They did not immediately say if a suspect was in custody, or if they knew more about any motivation.Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, a Dadeville High School senior who had committed to Jacksonville State University, was celebrating at his sister Alexis’ party before he was shot to death, his grandmother Annette Allen told The Montgomery Advertiser. “He was a very, very humble child. Never messed with anybody. Always had a smile on his face,” Allen told the newspaper, calling it “a million-dollar smile.”Dowdell’s mother was among those hurt in the shoo...

Bennington County crews mobilize to fight mountaintop fire

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

ARLINGTON, Vt. (NEWS10) — At 2 p.m. on Saturday, the Arlington Fire Department responded to the scene of smoke reported in Sandgate. They saw smoke on top of a mountain, but they could not access it. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Because their brush trucks couldn't make it to the remote location, they called for aid from throughout Bennington County in the form of ATVs, UTVs, and more hands on deck. The call for mutual aid extended into New York. Crews responded from Shushan in New York, and Bennington, Rupert, Manchester, and Shaftsbury in Vermont.The Arlington Fire Department said that, all told, 10 acres burned in the fire.

These cities are the allergy capitals of America, study says

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A new report from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranks the 100 largest cities when it comes to the worst seasonal allergies in the U.S.The study looks at how challenging it is for residents to manage seasonal pollen allergies. Researchers analyzed the cities' weed, grass and tree pollen scores, use of over-the-counter allergy medications and availability of immunologists and allergy specialists to determine their placement. NOAA issues El Niño watch: Here’s where and when we will feel the impact Wichita, Kansas topped the list of cities based on its high pollen count and lack of board-certified allergists. Florida had the most cities in the top 20, with seven. Sixth-place Sarasota ranked highest in the state. Climate change is making seasonal allergies worse and warmer states like Florida have been feeling the effects for decades, AAFA researchers said. Rising global temperatures means more time for pollen producers to grow, which leads to highe...

Kings probe 'racial bias' claims after rapper E-40 ejected

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Sacramento Kings are investigating allegations from a Bay Area hip-hop star that “racial bias” led to him being kicked out of his seat during a playoff game against the Golden State Warriors.The rapper E-40 said in a statement that he was heckled throughout the game Saturday night and addressed one heckler "in an assertive but polite manner” before security guards came and ordered him to leave the arena."Unfortunately, it was yet another reminder that — despite my success and accolades as a musician and entrepreneur — racial bias remains prevalent," he said in a statement. "Security saw a disagreement between a Black man and a white woman and immediately assumed that I was at fault.”The Kings said they are investigating the circumstances behind the ejection."The Sacramento Kings take these claims seriously and are investigating the facts and circumstances regarding the situation, as we do anytime an accusation like this is made,” the team said in a stat...

Reggie Jackson offers gloomy outlook for A’s remaining in Oakland

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

OAKLAND – The A’s days in Oakland are numbered, as far as Reggie Jackson is concerned.Jackson, who at one point wanted to purchase the A’s from Steve Schott and Ken Hofmann, believes the team will have no choice but to vacate the East Bay in the coming years because of low revenue issues created by their decaying 55-year-old stadium.“No, they’re not going to have a team here. You can’t play with three, four, five six thousand people in the stands,” Jackson said Sunday before the A’s held a celebration for the 1973 World Series championship team. “You have no revenues here. What’s the signage look like? You’ve got to have revenue.“You’ve got to have players on your team making $20-$30 million a year if you’re going to compete and contend. You can’t do that here.”Jackson also offered a gloomy outlook on the organization and local government’s ability to come together and develop a waterfront ballpark at Howard Terminal near Jack London Square. Since Novem...

Google devising radical search changes to beat back AI rivals

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:11:02 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Google’s employees were shocked when they learned in March that South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung was considering replacing Google with Microsoft’s Bing as the default search engine on its devices.For years, Bing had been a search engine also-ran. But it became a lot more interesting to industry insiders when it recently added new artificial intelligence technology.Google’s reaction to the Samsung threat was “panic,” according to internal messages reviewed by The New York Times. An estimated $3 billion in annual revenue was at stake with the Samsung contract. An additional $20 billion is tied to a similar Apple contract that will be up for renewal this year.AI competitors such as the new Bing are quickly becoming the most serious threat to Google’s search business in 25 years, and in response, Google is racing to build an all-new search engine powered by the technology. It is also upgrading the existing one with AI features, according to internal docume...