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Dakota County education levy referendums: Several pass, two rejected

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:39:25 GMT

Many Dakota County voters were asked to consider giving more money to public schools at the polls on Tuesday.Here’s a look at what voters were asked, what passed and how homeowners will be affected.FarmingtonFarmington Area Public Schools asked voters to consider revoking the district’s existing operating levy of $677 per student and replace it with a new one following a budget reduction for the 2023-24 school year and a projected deficit of $3.5 million for the 2024-25 school year.The referendum failed Tuesday with nearly 53% of voters against the new operating levy. The district requested $1,239.92 per student for taxes payable in 2024, which would have provided $9 million annually for the first three years, and then an additional $562.95 per student for taxes payable in 2027, which would have provided an additional $4 million annually for the remaining seven years of the new levy, according to the district.HastingsHastings Public Schools asked voters to consider a 10-year capital...

Stillwater Area Public School District voters approve referendum; elect Lauer to school board

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:39:25 GMT

New elementary schools will be built in Bayport and Lake Elmo and a host of safety and security improvements will be made at other schools in the Stillwater Area School District following passage of Tuesday’s bond referendum.Voters approved the $175 million bond referendum by a 57-43% margin. The money will be used to fund construction projects to address growth in the southern and central parts of the district and the addition of safety and security improvements at all district schools, including a secured front entrance addition and remodel at Stillwater Area High School in Oak Park Heights.Chris Lauer (Courtesy of the candidate)Voters in the district also elected Chris Lauer to the school board.Passage of the bond means the district can add capacity in the communities served by Andersen Elementary in Bayport and Lake Elmo Elementary, the two oldest schools in the district, and construct additional classroom space and a new gymnasium at Oak-Land Middle School in Lake Elmo.About 1,...

Kyle Bourgault elected as Rensselaer County Sheriff

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:39:25 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The race for Rensselaer County Sheriff has come to an end. Republican candidate Kyle Bourgault defeated Brian Owens with 52.15% of the votes. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Bourgault spoke with NEWS10 before election night and stated that his number one priority is the opioid epidemic. "The epidemic is not only here in this county but all over the state."Additionally, Rensselaer County Jail works directly with the federal government to help enforce immigration laws. Outgoing Sheriff Patrick Russo fought hard for that partnership. Bourgault says he feels it is a perfect fit. “It’s commonsense law enforcement. You can equate it to somebody having a warrant out of a different jurisdiction in the state and then calling that jurisdiction as they’re being released from the jail to see if they want them.”

Nina Nichols concedes in Troy Mayoral race

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:39:25 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Nina Nichols, Democratic candidate for Troy Mayor, conceded the race. Nichols ran on a platform for a safer, greener Troy. Nichols thanked her supporters and said she is looking forward to working with Mayor-Elect Carmella Mantello in her current role as a county legislator. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! “I would like to congratulate my opponent," Nichols said. "Who ran a formidable race that reminded us everyday about how passionate we all are about making Troy a better place to live. It was clear from the beginning that voters had a choice between two candidates who share a deep love for this city as well as a deep desire to do everything they can to improve it.” 

Carmella Mantello becomes first female mayor in Troy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:39:25 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The City of Troy has a new mayor. Republican Carmella Mantello, who has served as the Troy City Council president for eight years, declared her victory over democratic candidate Nina Nichols. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! "We couldn't celebrate this victory without you," said Mantello. "This victory is as much yours as mine. It is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together, and that is what we are going to bring beginning on January 1, 2024. We are going to be together."Mantello says her two top priorities include quality of life and crime and claims that state mandates are making fighting crime more difficult, but local governments still have options. “Park, walk, and talk program is a huge priority of mine,” said Mantello. She adds the program is very intensive community policing. “This isn’t just a stop at a ball game or a stop at a barbeque. This is like the days of my dad. He walked t...

House censures Tlaib for Israel criticism

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:39:25 GMT

The House voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib Tuesday night, rebuking the Michigan Democrat for her criticism of Israel following Hamas’s unprecedented attack on the U.S. ally.The chamber approved the reprimand in a 234-188-4 vote, with 22 Democrats bucking party leadership to support the resolution and four Republicans voting against it.The vote is the culmination of a week-plus effort by Republicans to punish Tlaib — the only Palestinian American serving in Congress — for comments critical of Israel that have drawn condemnation from both sides of the aisle.And it marks the pinnacle of the current controversy surrounding Tlaib. The congresswoman posted a video on X over the weekend that said President Biden “supported the genocide of the Palestinian people” and included clips of protesters changing “from the river to the sea,” which the Anti-Defamation Leagues characterizes as antisemitic. In a subsequent social media post, Tlaib defended her use of the controversial phrase.The rem...

Dog adopted after 7 years in Pennsylvania shelter—and a shocking discovery

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:39:25 GMT

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — A woman in Pennsylvania gave a longtime rescue dog named Ella a new home in what a Bloomsburg shelter called "an extremely special adoption." Saying "you might want to grab a tissue real quick for this one," the Animal Resource Center posted on social media. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Ella had been at the shelter for the last seven years, making her the adoption center's longest resident. Recently, a woman identified only as Kaitlyn emailed the adoption center about her interest in adopting Ella. She told the center that her own dog, Jo, had died a few months before, and that she was ready for another dog. According to the center, when Ella saw Kaitlyn, the staff knew Ella had found her "person." Ella, who had a history of fear and aggression, usually needed multiple visits for her to get comfortable with strangers. That was not the case with Kaitlyn. "She immediately walked over to Kaitlyn with n...

Two crime scenes found burned with bodies hours apart

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:39:25 GMT

ST. LOUIS - There are two major investigations unfolding in the metro Tuesday involving burned crime scenes with bodies; one in St. Louis City and another in St. Louis County.There are so many questions for two different police departments, and the FOX Files is pushing for answers. Two gruesome scenes leave city and county detectives scrambling to determine what they have on their hands. In St. Louis County, detectives are in the early hours of what's described as a suspicious death investigation. Detectives are investigating a scene in the 12600 block of Columbia Bottom Road. Results: November 7 Missouri Special Election In an exclusive video that you'll see only on FOX 2, our drone captured county detectives looking for evidence, specifically in an area that had burned.Authorities have not officially said if the body had been burned, only that there is no obvious cause of death. Police first responded to that scene in a rather rural area of north St. Louis County around 2:15 p....

North county homeowners challenge MoDOT's sound walls plan

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:39:25 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - Some north St. Louis County homeowners are trying to put the brakes on a MoDOT sound wall project. Sound walls have prompted concerns for many people in the Hathaway Manor North Subdivision near Interstate 270 and Old Halls Ferry Road. Concerned residents fear the walls will become a safety hazard and hurt the value of their homes. Curtis Faulker says there are big issues with the traffic that the wall would worsen.”It blocks vision from individuals coming off the highway doing 60 miles an hour, and it also blocks vision of people who are entering Dunn Road," said Faulker. "They can’t see that traffic coming off as well." Results: November 7 Missouri Special Election The sound walls would be around 12 to 20 feet tall. Plans for the sound walls came with the I-270 North Improvement Project. There are already sound walls on one side of Interstate 270. The sound walls will cost around $46,000. MoDOT says they're required by federal law to see if people affect...

Connor, Scheifele lead Jets to 5-2 win over Blues

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:39:25 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kyle Connor scored twice, and Mark Scheifele added a goal and an assist to help the Winnipeg Jets beat the St. Louis Blues 5-2 on Tuesday night.Neil Pionk and Cole Perfetti also scored, and Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves as the Jets (6-4-2) won their second consecutive game after dropping three in a row.Winnipeg is 10-1-1 in its last 12 against St. Louis.Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn scored for the Blues (5-5-1), and Jordan Binnington stopped 32 of 36 shots.Perfetti scored his second goal of the season into an empty net with 2:28 remaining after Schenn got his second this season 8:08 into the third period.Connor scored his second goal of the game and team-leading eighth of the season on a feed from Scheifele as Binnington scrambled back into the crease after trying to play the puck behind the net. That expanded Winnipeg’s lead to 4-1.Connor scored his first of the game on a shot that deflected off the blade of Nick Leddy’s stick 4:34 into the second period to gi...