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Texas to receive $21M in federal funding for urban forestry initiatives

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:13:57 GMT

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (FOX 44) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded Texas A&M Forest Service $21.75 million for projects to expand and conserve forests in the state’s urban areas.According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the funding comes as part of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act - and will help Texas expand its urban forest canopy, improve air and water quality, reduce energy consumption and enhance the health and well-being of communities. PREVIOUS STORY: Texas A&M Forest Services Prepares for Wildfire Weekend The funding will be used to support a range of urban forestry projects across Texas - including tree planting and maintenance, tree canopy assessments and community engagement and education initiatives. The Texas A&M Forest Service says the priorities for the funding align with the Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives initiative - which aims to raise awareness about the importance of urban forests and encourages Texa...

Young people keeping Selena's legacy alive — here's how

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:13:57 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Real legends never die — and in Texas (and beyond), the legacy of Tejano music superstar Selena Quintanilla goes on. Sunday, April 16 would have been the singer's 52nd birthday.Selena’s groundbreaking career was cut short early after she was murdered in a Corpus Christi motel on March 31, 1995, by her friend and the president of her fan club, Yolanda Saldívar. At the time of her death, Selena was already widely considered “The Queen of Tejano Music” and the “Mexican Madonna” among the Latin community. She was also preparing a major crossover album, “Dreaming of You,” which was released four months after her death. How much does a wedding cost in your state? The murder was international news and catapulted Selena’s name and music to even wider audiences. A feature film, titled “Selena,” was released in 1997 — grossing over $35 million and launching a then relatively unknown Jennifer Lopez to stardom.Selena, known for chart-topping hits like “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom...

David Brooks: Why people are fleeing blue cities for red states

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:13:57 GMT

There are a lot of us in the Northeastern media who properly spend a lot of time slamming the Republican Party for what a mess it has become. I have only one question: If we’re right, why are so many people leaving blue states so they can live in red ones?Between 2010 and 2020, the fastest-growing states were mostly red — places such as Texas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina. During the pandemic that trend accelerated, and once again, most of the big population-gaining states are governed by Republicans.If you go back further, you see decade after decade of migration toward the more conservative South. Brookings Institution demographer William Frey has noted that in 1920, the Northeast and the Midwest accounted for 60% of America’s population. A century later, the Sun Belt accounts for 62% of the nation’s population. These days, we are mostly a Sun Belt nation.Why are these red states growing so rapidly? The short answer is that they are more pro-business. In a study ...

Real World Economics: Things to consider with a fifth state tax bracket

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:13:57 GMT

Edward LottermanThe DFL majority in the Minnesota Legislature is considering adding a fifth tax bracket to our income tax, one that would levy an additional 1 percentage point on incomes above $600,000. The new top rate of 10.85% would be paid by some 24,000 filers at an estimated average cost near $10,000 each. Is this a good idea?As is often the case on public issues, a pithy quote from Colbert may provide insights — referring to the 17th century French finance minister Jean-Baptiste, not late-night talk show host Stephen. King Louis XIV’s most competent official supposedly said that “The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest possible amount of hissing.”That is a political judgment of feasibility, not of economic efficiency or fairness. But as another great European minister, Prussia’s Otto von Bismarck, said, “politics is the art of the possible.” Legislators today need to be aware of these p...

Downed wires in Rensselaer cut power

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:13:57 GMT

RENSSELAER, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Hundreds in Rensselaer County are without power. Both Rensselaer Police and Fire are on the scene at Broadway and Columbia Street (Routes 9 and 20) and in the Port of Rensselaer with multiple wires down.Officials urge caution in the area. Any stop light that does not have power must be treated as a four way stop. All vehicles must stop.National Grid was notified. At around 9 a.m., police said there was no estimated restoration time. National Grid's outage map, however, indicates an 11:45 a.m. restoration.

California’s new 1st time home loan program is already running out of cash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:13:57 GMT

California's Dream For All Shared Appreciation loan program, designed to help make home-buying easier for prospective buyers in the Golden State, is already running out of money.The program, which launched on March 27, was available to help first-time homebuyers with down payments.The state has already fully allocated the estimated $300 million set aside for the program as of April 7, Eric Johnson, spokesperson for California Finance Housing Agency, told KTLA. "Demand was unprecedented, and we have more than 2,500 families reserved and locked in to purchase their first home," Johnson said. To qualify for the program, households must have earned less than the CalHFA’s income limit, which vary by county and range from $159,000 to $300,000.Those who took advantage of the program must repay the original down payment loan plus a portion of the home’s appreciated value if they sell or transfer the property.Additional funding for the program would have to come from the state budget process...

Woman in critical condition after Santa Ana bar shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:13:57 GMT

A woman was hospitalized in critical condition following a shooting at a bar in Santa Ana early Sunday morning.The shooting took place at Proof, located in the 200 block of North Broadway in downtown Santa Ana, around 1 a.m. Officers with the Santa Ana Police Department responded and found a woman suffering from gunshot wounds inside the bar. She was rushed to a trauma center in critical condition. A man was taken into custody as a “person of interest,” police said. Authorities were trying to determine whether or not the suspect and the victim knew each other and what led up to the incident.Anyone with information is urged to contact the Santa Ana Police Department.This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA for updates. 

Take a run or a stroll through Los Gatos at spring events

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:13:57 GMT

It’s the time of year to lace up your jogging shoes and join the Rotary Club of Los Gatos for the 45th annual Great Race April 29 at 8:30 a.m. the course covers 4 miles through Vasona and Oak Meadow parks, with access to trails many have never seen. For safety, aid stations and course monitors ensure that all participants stay on course. For the kiddos, there will be a special 1-Mile Kids Fun Run at 8:10 a.m. prior to the main event. Proceeds from the race will, as always, support scholarships for local high school youth as well as Los Gatos Rotary’s local and global service projects. Prizes will be awarded, and professional photos are included with registration to show off athletic prowess. https://raceroster.com/events/2023/71964/2023-rotary-club-of-los-gatos-great-raceThe Los Gatos Spring Wine Walk is around the corner. It’s a great chance to take a stroll around downtown while enjoying wine tasting and food samples from local shops and restaurants. Dozens of local wineries...

Eagle Scout maps Saratoga Village

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:13:57 GMT

Mapping Saratoga VillageFor his Eagle Scout service project, Larry O’Brien created a new large map of the Saratoga Village documenting all the buildings and points of interest in the downtown area. This map has been posted in four kiosks throughout downtown Saratoga.O’Brien has created a small trifold version of the map and provided it to the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce. This trifold can be used by visitors to find their way around when visiting the Saratoga Village.To complete his Eagle Scout service project, O’Brien led a team of 21 volunteers for a total of 140 volunteer hours. He earned his Eagle rank last December.SHS stages ‘Mamma Mia!’Tickets are on sale for Saratoga High School’s spring musical “Mamma Mia!” Saratoga High School Drama students are staging the show, based on the music of ABBA, April 28-May 6 at the high school’s McAfee Center, 20300 Herriman Ave.Ticket prices and showtimes are available at https://mcafeecenter.ludus.com/index.php?sections=ev...

VivaCalleSJ route runs from ‘Willow to Roses’ April 23

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:13:57 GMT

VivaCalleSJ’s “Willow to Roses” route will close streets to vehicle traffic April 23 from the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden to downtown Willow Glen to the south and San Jose State University to the east.VivaCalleSJ is a free recreational program that closes miles of San Jose streets for a day so that people can walk, bike, skate or use other forms of transportation to explore the explore the city. Participants can start anywhere along the route and head in whatever direction they choose.The event runs 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Streets along the route (see map) will be closed from 6 a.m. to approximately 3 p.m. on the day of the event, and driveways on the route will be blocked during that time. The streets are expected to fully reopen by approximately 4 p.m.VivaCalleSJ’s “Willow to Roses” route will close streets to vehicle traffic April 23 from the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden to downtown Willow Glen to the south and San Jose State University to the east. (Courtesy photo) No cars are ...