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Illinois teacher's 'beautifully lived life' impresses on Drew Barrymore

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:24 GMT

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. -- A local teacher is being recognized as one of the best in the US. Briana Morales made a recent appearance on the Drew Barrymore Show with a former student and her foster child. Her story and her impact on the community are gaining national recognition.Morales works at the Gordon Bush Alternative School in East St. Louis School District 189. She was recently named the 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year by the Illinois State Board of Education. Selected from almost 500 applicants, Morales was recognized for her positive impact on students.Gun violence is a problem in the school district where she teaches. The English teacher helps students process trauma through poetry, a concept she learned from her 7th-grade teacher."I was struggling a lot in the seventh grade and I experienced a lot of trauma. It was almost too much to bear and I attempted suicide. When I came back to school after psychiatric rehabilitation, I had the coolest English teacher that I could eve...

Police say Cherokee business burglars stole $20K in equipment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:24 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Police are asking for the public's help to identify suspects wanted in connection with a Cherokee business burglary. They are accused of stealing $20,000 worth of property from Kuts by Kurtis. The items include barber's clippers, clipper blades, and bottles of cologne.The burglary happened in the 2900 block of Cherokee Street on Sunday, November 5, at around 3 a.m. The suspects were captured on surveillance video breaking into the business.Anyone with information should call detectives at 314-444-2500. You may remain anonymous or be eligible for a reward by calling CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-8477.

Hiker in cotton hoodie with no food, water saved from Colorado 13er after 10-hour rescue

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:24 GMT

An ill-prepared hiker who attempted to bushwhack to the summit of a 13er in Chaffee County on Nov. 8 was located and brought down safely by Chaffee County Search and Rescue North after nearly 10 hours, according to a Facebook post. The individual had been caught in inclement weather and was hypothermic when found by search and rescue.Related ArticlesOutdoors | Denver to pay $100K to a church for access to city’s new mountain park Outdoors | Colorado wildlife officials say elk herd numbers may not be sustainable over the next 20 years Outdoors | This Aspen park is the most peaceful place in Colorado | Opinion Outdoors | Should skiers be allowed to pay for early access to Colorado chairlifts? Outdoors | Four more ski areas open this weekend, with Vail’s earliest opening in 25 years Per the post, the individual found themselves out of water with no food and was only wearing a cotton hoodie with ...

Man seriously injured after mobile home goes up in flames in San Fernando

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:24 GMT

A man was hospitalized with serious injuries after a mobile home in San Fernando became completely engulfed by flames Tuesday afternoon.The fire broke out in a singlewide mobile home located in the Orange Grove Mobile Home Park on the 1600 block of Celis Street just before noon.Video from Sky5 showed the trailer completely overtaken by fire with large flames and plumes of black smoke. A mobile home in San Fernando was completely engulfed in flames on Nov. 13, 2023. (KTLA)Flames eventually spread to two nearby mobile homes with smoke billowing from both.It took 53 firefighters about 45 minutes to extinguish the blaze. The initial structure that caught fire was completely destroyed and the other two sustained major damage.A man was injured in the fire, suffering burns to his hands and face that were described by Los Angeles Fire Department officials as "significant."He was transported to the hospital in serious condition.No other injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is und...

3 injured when SUV overturns in multi-vehicle collision involving luxury sedan  

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:24 GMT

A multi-vehicle crash involving a luxury sedan in downtown Los Angeles sent three people to the hospital Tuesday morning. According to an LAPD spokesman, the collision occurred at 9:53 a.m. at 1455 E. 18th St. near Hooper Avenue. Out of the three victims, two were taken to a nearby hospital in serious condition while one was transported with minor injuries, LAFD officials said. A multi-vehicle crash in downtown Los Angeles sent three people to the hospital on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. (Citizen App)A multi-vehicle crash in downtown Los Angeles sent three people to the hospital on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. (Citizen App)A multi-vehicle crash in downtown Los Angeles sent three people to the hospital on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. (Citizen App)A multi-vehicle crash in downtown Los Angeles sent three people to the hospital on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. (Citizen App)One of the vehicles involved in the crash, a Honda SUV, was seen overturned on its side in the middle of the street. “The...

Where Change Begins—K. Snyder, The Visionary Behind Reparations 101

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:24 GMT

Even today, people are judged not by the value they add but by the color of their skin. As racism persists in a place known to be called “The Land of the Free,” we have to ask ourselves, “Are we really free?”In 2020, we saw the world chanting “I can’t breathe” for an innocent Black man whose demise was among the countless lives that were suffocated, stripped of their voice just because of their appearance. The George Floyd protests were rare occasions when people worldwide united against the forces of hate, giving us hope that maybe there is a brighter tomorrow.However, how do we ensure our voices impact future generations?Without knowledge, there is no power. We must first examine and research America’s history of racial inequality before we pursue fighting to regain what we have lost for reparations.And helping us achieve just that, there is a man who presents a guide for anyone wishing to step forward with strength and bravery to he...

Unveiling the Unspoken: Dawn Smith-Theodore’s Journey Through Dance, Desire, and Disorder in ‘Mother, Men and Me

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:24 GMT

Dawn Smith-Theodore‘s new memoir, “Mother, Men and Me,” is a raw cut through the facade of familial perfection, a deep dive into the chaos of personal demons, and a stark revelation of the truths that shape us. Following her insightful guide for dancers, “TuTu Thin,” Smith-Theodore now turns the spotlight inward, revealing her own skirmishes with anorexia, the tangled web of relationships, and the relentless pursuit of professional dance against a backdrop of family secrets.Set in a small Ohio town, the memoir doesn’t romanticize the struggles of its author. Instead, it presents a forthright account of Smith-Theodore’s early life, marked by an innocent crush that spirals into a complex understanding of her mother’s hidden past. It’s a story that doesn’t meander through unnecessary prose but gets straight to the point—life is messy, and the journey to self-discovery is often paved with more questions than answers.Smith-Theod...

McCarthy denies accusation of elbowing Rep. in the kidney

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:24 GMT

By Annie Grayer and Melanie Zanona | CNNGOP Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee accused former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of elbowing him in the back Tuesday morning while Burchett was talking to a reporter, the latest sign of how tense the dynamics are in the House GOP conference.Burchett, who was one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy, has been heavily critical of the former speaker and the alleged altercation is the latest sign of the pressure cooker dynamics in the House GOP right now.Burchett criticized McCarthy for being a “bully” as he described his altercation with the former House GOP leader where he says McCarthy elbowed him in the kidneys while he was talking to a reporter this morning in the hallway outside the GOP conference meeting.“I got elbowed in the back and it kind of caught me off guard because it was a clean shot to the kidneys. And I turned back (and) there, there was Kevin, and for a minute I was kind of what the heck just happened and then chase...

Nevada teachers’ union to file lawsuit that could stop public funding for Oakland A’s new ballpark in Las Vegas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:24 GMT

In another effort to stop $380 million in public funding for a new baseball stadium in Las Vegas, a Nevada teachers union announced new plans for legal action on Tuesday.It is not expected to stop MLB owners from voting to approve the Oakland A’s relocation on Thursday, when the owners will meet in Arlington, Texas, and expect to approve the relocation in a unanimous vote, according to The Athletic.But the new lawsuit could call into question the viability of Fisher’s plan to move the club into a ballpark on the Las Vegas strip. Without public funding, or with a delay in public funding, Fisher may be forced to find an alternative location.The teachers’ lawsuit will challenge the language of the bill signed into law by Gov. Joe Lombardo in June, when the state legislature approved the public spending package.Dawn Etcheverry, an elementary music teacher and the president of the union’s “Schools Over Stadiums” political arm, said in a statement that the bill “violates at least five sec...

The top 10 most expensive home sales in Alameda, Piedmont and Oakland, reported the week of Nov. 6

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:24 GMT

A house in Oakland that sold for $2.1 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Alameda, Piedmont and Oakland in the past week.In total, 13 residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $1.4 million. The average price per square foot was $818.The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Nov. 6 even if the property may have been sold earlier.10. $1 million, single-family house in the 300 block of Orange StreetThe 1,419 square-foot single-family house in the 300 block of Orange Street, Oakland, has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in September and the total purchase price was $1,022,000, $720 per square foot. The house was built in 1923. The house features three bedrooms and two bathrooms.Orange Street9. $1.3 million, single-family home in the 7000 block of Elverton DriveA sale has been finalized for the single-family hou...