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'There's help out here for you': First trauma recovery center in Texas opens in Austin

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:14 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN)— Clarence Watson fought back tears as he stood in front of a crowd during the grand opening of the Harvest Trauma Recovery Center in Austin. Survivor, Clarence Watson embraced after emotional speech during Harvest Trauma Recovery Center open. (KXAN photos/Tim Holcomb).Watson is a survivor of violent crime, and for years, worked to bring a trauma recovery center to the area. He said he was shot in a drive-by shooting when he was in his 20s, among other traumatic experiences. "I've experienced homelessness, and I am a survivor of sexual assault as a child," Watson said. "If I had access to these resources...the pain I experienced would have ended a long time ago."Harvest Trauma Recovery Center is the first of its kind in Texas, according to the City of Austin and the African American Youth Harvest Foundation (AAYHF). This center was created in partnership with multiple entities including Travis County.Setting out to provide a holistic approach to helping survivors of vio...

A new motorized wheelchair for St. Paul man — and probation for the man who stole his old one

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:14 GMT

Kyle Schultz had a great day Monday, when a brand new power wheelchair was delivered to his St. Paul home.“It’s all fitted to him,” said his mother, Jodi Halverson. “So, we’re very thankful.”Schultz’s SUV, along with the electric wheelchair he used to get around, was stolen in July from his driveway on St. Paul’s East Side.“I just think of the day he called me screaming and crying that his truck was stolen with his wheelchair,” Halverson said Wednesday.The theft set off an outpouring of community support for Schultz, who has ALS.The local O’Neill Foundation of Hope bought Schultz a portable electric wheelchair a few days after the theft. The new power wheelchair was paid for through state disability funds, Halverson said.A GoFundMe page raised about $15,300, and the O’Neill Foundation provided the rest of the funds needed for a wheelchair-accessible minivan, which Rollx Vans in Savage sold at a discounted price, Halverson said.The 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan arrived at Schultz’s home S...

Boys soccer state tournament: Hill-Murray cruises to another championship match

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:14 GMT

Hard as it may have been for the past year, staying in the moment has led to another prime opportunity for the Hill-Murray boys soccer team.On Wednesday afternoon, Zach Frey had two goals, fellow seniors Vinny Pearcy, Wilfredo Vargas, Taylor Petrich and Austin Mjanger also scored, and the second-seeded Pioneers scored four times in the second half to beat unseeded St. Cloud Tech 6-1 in a Class 3A state tournament semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium.No. 1 Orono will be the opponent in Friday’s 12:30 p.m. championship game back at U.S. Bank Stadium. Lisle Cherwien scored late in the second overtime, and the Spartans beat DeLaSalle 4-3 in the other semifinal.The tournament’s top seed in 2022, Hill-Murray lost to DeLaSalle via shootout in the title game. The Pioneers have yet to win in three championship game appearances.“State final is our next game” or “State final is our next practice” were commonly heard things throughout this season, be it practice or games, said midfielder Jacon Dinzeo...

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah talks Kirk Cousins, Danielle Hunter, Justin Jefferson and more

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:14 GMT

From the moment they joined forces with the Vikings, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell had a shared vision for the franchise. They always wanted to be playing meaningful games in Minnesota.That has been the driving force behind the competitive rebuild that has become synonymous with the current regime. In the pursuit of a Super Bowl, the Vikings were not going to sacrifice the present for the future. In other words, they weren’t willing to tank to become a contender.As he sat in his office at TCO Performance Center this week with the trade deadline approaching, Adofo-Mensah kept coming back to that shared vision. Though the Vikings had lost franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles less than 48 hours earlier, and nobody would have blamed them for selling off some of their assets in response, Adofo-Mensah believed this group still deserved a chance to compete for the playoffs.As a result, the Vikings decide to add journeyman qua...

Effort to expel George Santos from the House fails

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:14 GMT

WASHINGTON -- A Republican-led effort to oust Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from office failed on Wednesday, allowing the embattled GOP lawmaker to stay in the House despite mounting legal and political trouble.The chamber voted 179-213-19 on a resolution to oust Santos from office, far short of the two-thirds threshold needed to expel a member of Congress. Only five lawmakers have been expelled from the House in its history, three of whom were booted for being disloyal to the Union during the Civil War. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Wednesday marked the second attempt this year to remove Santos from office. In May, the House voted to refer a Democrat-led expulsion resolution to the Ethics Committee, a decision that was largely regarded as redundant because the panel had been looking into the congressman for months.But this week’s try — which came during the first full week of Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) tenure — was signifi...

Senate passes first government funding package, setting up clash with House GOP 

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:14 GMT

The Senate on Wednesday passed its first batch of government funding measures for fiscal 2024, teeing up a clash with House Republicans as the party presses for steeper spending cuts and a host of partisan riders. Senators voted 82-15 to pass the package — which covers full-year funding for the departments of Veterans Affairs (VA), Transportation (DOT) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as well as the Food and Drug Administration, among other agencies. “We just passed a strong, bipartisan spending package — the only bipartisan spending bills in Congress, by the way — and we did it with an 82-15 vote,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said after the vote. “So let’s be crystal clear about what that means. Unlike the funding measures we’ve seen pushed through the House, these are serious and reasonable, bipartisan bills that can actually be signed into law. They are the product of months of hard work, careful negotiation, thoughtful input from members ...

Nearly 300 Missourians wait in jails, hospitals for mental health resources 

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:14 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - More than 250 people are waiting in Missouri jails to be transferred to a mental health treatment facility, but the state is investing in a new plan to try and speed up the process.Delays within Missouri's mental health system have not only impacted incarcerated individuals, but there's also hundreds of people in the Division of Developmental Disabilities waiting to access residential care. Director of the Department of Mental Health Valerie Huhn said money is not the answer."I have a wait list for services right now, and it's not because I don't have the funding to support those services," Huhn said. "It's because I don't have the workforce to deliver those services."It's a constant battle for the state's mental health department, with a shortage of workers causing many Missourians to wait months to receive services. According to DMH, there are 658 individuals in the Division of Developmental Disabilities waiting to access residential services. Of those 658 in...

St. Louis County pharmacist reminds parents to get RSV vaccine for infants

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:14 GMT

ST. LOUIS – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health alert due to a shortage of the vaccine used to protect babies from the respiratory disease RSV.Children's hospitals across St. Louis County are preparing for a surge in admissions amid a shortage of the RSV vaccine.RSV is highly contagious, so it’s important that young children get the vaccine, according to Dr. Kenneth Powell, a pharmacist at GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness.“Currently, there is a shortage of the two vaccines. You have a choice, but with the increased demand, that means inventory has shot all the way down,” Powell said. “They are trying to ramp up and get those sent out, but everybody has a waiting list.” Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News SIGN UP NOW R...

Broncos safety Justin Simmons named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for first time in his career

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:14 GMT

Broncos safety Justin Simmons was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after his performance in the 24-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.Simmons recorded an interception, two tackles, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery in Denver’s best defensive performance of the season. His interception on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the fourth quarter was the fifth time he has picked off the 2-time MVP and Super Bowl champion.He has 29 career interceptions—tied for the most by any NFL player since the start of the 2016 season.This is the first time Simmons has been named AFC Defensive Player of the Week in his eight-year career. He joins teammate Kareem Jackson (2019) and former Bronco T.J. Ward, John Lynch, Steve Atwater and Steve Foley as the only safeties in team history to receive the honor.Related ArticlesDenver Broncos | Broncos roundtable: Did Denver do right thing by standing pat at trade deadline? Denver Broncos | Raiders fire coach Josh...

L.A. landmarks to light up in teal for Alzheimer's awareness

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:14 GMT

Some of California's most iconic landmarks will light up in teal Thursday in support of Alzheimer's awareness.The show of solidarity was organized by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America and is part of its Light the World in Teal program. The U.S. Bank Tower crown in downtown L.A., the pylons at LAX, the Santa Monica Ferris wheel and the Long Beach International Gateway bridge are among the Los Angeles-area landmarks that will turn teal Thursday evening.The annual event is held in November as part of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and aims to "literally shine a spotlight on Alzheimer’s disease and show support for the millions of people affected by it," according to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.Teal is officially recognized as the organization's awareness color.  Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., president of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, said the colorful illumination will show support for the millions of Americans impacted by the devastating disease."By ‘Going Teal,’ thes...