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The St. Louis roots of NHL playoff hero Matthew Tkachuk

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Well before he carried the Florida Panthers to their upcoming Stanley Cup Final quest, rising star Matthew Tkachuk was a St. Louis kid with big ambitions. Matthew is the oldest of three children of former St. Louis Blues great Keith Tkachuk. His brother Brady Tkachuk is the captain of the Ottawa Senators. His sister Taryn is also a field hockey star for the University of Virginia.Matthew was born in Arizona while his father played for the then-called Phoenix Coyotes. The Tkachuk family moved to the St. Louis metro after Keith was traded to the Blues in 2001. Matthew was heavily involved in local junior hockey programs as a kid, and his path to stardom took off in the early 2010s. At the start of the decade, he represented St. Louis through the 2010 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. Up north, he was joined by fellow St. Louis-raised youngsters and future NHLers Clayton Keller, Luke Kunin and Logan Brown. RELATED - Five things to know for NASCAR’s Enjoy Il...

A new law was supposed to revamp Colorado’s towing industry. Lawmakers say Wyatts Towing is flouting it.

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

On Aug. 10, a revamped set of regulations governing Colorado’s towing industry took effect — a sea change that lawmakers and consumer advocates promised would shift the balance of power back to vehicle owners and away from “predatory” companies looking to make a buck off your sedan.HB22-1314, dubbed the “Towing Bill of Rights,” mandated towers give 24-hour notice in most cases before they take your car. No longer could a vehicle be towed for expired tags.The big-ticket item: Tow yards would be required to hand back your vehicle if you pay 15% of the total fees upfront, not to exceed $60. Drivers would still owe the balance, but could pay it off over time — a crucial change for Coloradans living paycheck to paycheck and unable to stomach bills that could run into the hundreds of dollars.But nine months after the law took effect, advocates and state legislators who sponsored the bill are sounding the alarm over what they call a blatant disrega...

Bellarmine homecoming: Who is David Diaz-Infante and what are his plans for Bells’ football program?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

SAN JOSE — David Diaz-Infante played for Jack Elway and Claude Gilbert at San Jose State and Mike Shanahan with the Denver Broncos. He blocked for John Elway in a pro career that stretched well over a decade.Since retiring with two Super Bowl rings on his fingers, he has worked for ESPN as a broadcaster and helped coach in the NFL.Now, Diaz-Infante is coming home.And to hear him tell it, he couldn’t be happier about moving from Arizona to take over as the football coach of his high school alma mater, Bellarmine College Prep.“No one has what Bellarmine has,” Diaz-Infante, 59, told the Bay Area News Group. “That’s the history and tradition of one of the oldest high schools in the state of California and with a rich and incredible tradition of football and doing great things.”Diaz-Infante’s buddies from back when he was a team captain at the San Jose Jesuit school in the early 1980s nudged him toward adding his name to the list of candidates when Jal...

Opinion: Simplify financial aid process for undocumented students

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

Growing up undocumented in this country instilled plenty of doubt and uncertainty about my future, especially while navigating the education system.Throughout elementary and middle school, I thrived academically and was placed in advanced courses. But when I got to high school, my immigration status began to cast a shadow over my plans for the future. The realization that my dreams were slipping away broke me.California has led the nation in opening up in-state tuition and financial aid opportunities to undocumented students. However, the path through college for undocumented students in California is daunting, riddled with obstacles and largely unaffordable. According to a new report by the California Student Aid Commission, only 14% of California’s undocumented college students received financial aid in the 2021-22 academic year.Why are so many undocumented students still struggling to afford college, and what can California’s policymakers do to ensure that undocumented students a...

Rockville bank employee sentenced for fraud scheme targeting churches, religious organizations

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

A man from Rockville, Maryland, was sentenced Friday to three years in federal prison for a yearlong bank fraud scheme that stole millions from local churches and religious organizations.The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland said that Diape Seck, 29, helped carry out the fraud scheme that stole nearly $2 million in checks from the mail of religious institutions between January 2019 and January 2020.Federal prosecutors said Seck, who was a customer service representative at a bank, opened 412 bank accounts with fake identities by mainly using Romanian passports and driver’s license information in exchange for cash bribes.Seck was paid to open accounts for his at least eight co-conspirators, while at the same time working and conducting legitimate bank activities.Checks payable to, and written from, churches and other institutions were deposited into many of those accounts and then withdrawn at ATMs in cash.Co-conspirators also used fraudulent debit cards...

Verstappen tops rainy final practice at Spanish GP, ignores team orders to go faster

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Max Verstappen made it a sweep of fastest lap times in all three practice sessions at the Spanish Grand Prix despite the Red Bull driver shooting down team orders to pick up the pace during the rain-hit P3 on Saturday.Formula One’s two-time defending champion and current points leader will aim for a fifth pole position in seven races later.Near the end, Verstappen reacted firmly to team orders to pick up the pace, saying it wasn’t worth the risk.“I don’t really feel comfortable to push in these conditions,” he twice told his team by radio.It rained lightly throughout the hour-long session, and the slippery surface may have played a part in some wobbles by drivers.Charles Leclerc had his Ferrari almost go off course, while Lance Stroll took a trip through the gravel before keeping his Aston Martin on course.American rookie Logan Sargeant was not so lucky. He spun his Williams into the barrier. Sargeant said he was “fine” after profusely apologizing to his team ...

Ruud rallies to beat Zhang at French Open ahead of all-teen showdown

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Last year’s finalist Casper Ruud rallied to beat Zhang Zhizhen in the third round of the French Open on Saturday, ending a strong run by the Chinese player.The fourth-seeded Ruud, who lost to Rafael Nadal in last year’s final, won 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.Zhang was the first Chinese man to reach the third round at Roland Garros since Kho Sin-Khie in 1937. Kho also reached the fourth round in 1936 but that proved a step too far for Zhang, despite a lightning start on Court Suzanne Lenglen.Zhang broke Ruud in the opening game and went on to take the set as the Norwegian player grew more and more frustrated.Matters grew worse for Ruud as he found himself 0-40 down on his serve early in the second set but he collected his emotions and — after a topsy-turvy set — went on to level the match at his first opportunity.Ruud then improved in the last two sets and sealed the match with a forehand down the line on the first of two match points.The match will be followed by an intriguing t...

Police investigate Lauderhill shooting; 15-year-old dispatched to hospital

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

Lauderhill detectives are still investigating a shooting on Saturday morning that wounded a teenage boy. At approximately 5 a.m., police received two Shotspotter alerts in the area of Northwest 59 Avenue and Northwest 21 Street. Shortly after, several 911 calls were received as well. Upon arrival, officers discovered a Black, 15-year-old boy who had been shot several times. Lauderhill Fire Rescue transported the victim to Broward Health in Fort Lauderdale for treatment.According to officials, the victim is currently in stable condition and undergoing surgery. The Criminal Investigation Department and Crime Scene Investigation were also notified of the incident and responded to the scene. Police have not yet confirmed if a suspect is in custody, what led to the shooting, or if the gunman and victim knew each other. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Mexico police find 45 bags containing body parts ‘matching characteristics’ of missing call center staff

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

(CNN) — Forty-five bags containing human remains with characteristics matching seven missing call center staff has been discovered in a ravine in a suburb of Guadalajara, according to the state prosecutor’s office in Jalisco.The Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office investigating the deaths said it has preliminary information that the body parts “match the physical characteristics of some of the young people missing employees of the call center.”Seven call center employees were reported missing between May 20 and 22 in the metropolitan area of ​​Guadalajara, in western Mexico.Luis Joaquín Méndez Ruíz, a Jalisco prosecutor, said they found the human remains inside bags thrown on a lot with a very steep slope.Forensic experts have yet to determine the number of victims and their identities.The Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences is working with the families of those missing to determine the identification of the human remains.The country has been troubled by an epidemic of disappearanc...

‘I have no role in this case,’ Qatargate suspect Eva Kaili says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

BRUSSELS — EU lawmaker Eva Kaili says she was wrongly jailed after spending more than four months in prison as part of an ongoing corruption probe at the European Parliament.“I was put in jail for something I was not involved in,” Kaili told French daily Libération in her first extensive interview since she was arrested in the “Qatargate” investigation last December. “It’s so obvious that I have no role in this case,” the Greek MEP said. “Everything I’ve said or done is public, including on Qatar, and I have no possibility of influencing anything whatsoever at the European Parliament.”Libération said the interview was conducted at Kaili’s Brussels residence on April 25, 11 days after she was released from jail to house arrest. Her house arrest was lifted on May 25. In the interview, Kaili stressed that she was “never mentioned” in the discussions between former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, the alleged...