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Top 5 invasive plants in Illinois which could ruin your yard

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:39:00 GMT

ILLINOIS — Yardwork season is well underway across Illinois and the experts at the Chicago Botanic Garden have a list of unwanted plants for you to exterminate with extreme prejudice.The expertWhen WGN reached out to the Botanic Gardens to ask about the worst invasive plant offenders, they had just the person.Andrea Kramer is the Director of Restoration Ecology, an Associate Conservation Scientist, and the David Byron Smith Family Curator of Natural Areas at the Chicago Botanic Garden. She holds a Ph. D. in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Illinois Chicago and has been involved with the Chicago Botanic Garden for more than 20 years. Is it legal to collect rainwater in Illinois? Continue reading to see her answers to our questions.List of plants with photosBuckthorn, both common and glossy (Rhamnus cathartica and Frangula alnus)Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)Callery or Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana) - not picturedLesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)Lonicera spp....

Don't look at the 'look who died' scam on Facebook

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:39:00 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (WTTV) -- Cyber security experts are spreading the word about a Facebook direct message hacking scam that is quickly spreading across the social media platform.It's called the "look who died" phishing scam, and it’s aimed at gaining access to your Facebook account. Look out for the resume formatting scam It starts with a direct Facebook message that appears to be from someone you know.  The message says “look who died” and contains a link to what appears to be an article about an accident that killed someone you know or possibly a celebrity.  If you click on the link, it won't take you to a news article, but it will download malware onto your phone or computer that gives the hackers access to your Facebook login information.Online criminals love getting into Facebook accounts because they often contain such information as shopping history and photos that can be sold on the dark web. Accessing your account also means they can spread the phishing scam by ...

Recommended Project Connect light rail plan unveiled

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:39:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The transportation entity tasked with constructing Austin's Project Connect mass transit system unveiled Tuesday which light rail route they want to see built in the capital city.The Austin Transit Partnership is recommending Austin's initial light rail system runs from 38th Street down south to Oltorf Street, as well as southeast to Yellow Jacket Lane. The 9.8-mile route would feature 15 stations and service an average ridership upwards of 29,000 people per day, if adopted.ATP Project Connect Light Rail RecommendationDownloadThe recommended route's sticker price comes in between $4.5 billion and $4.8 billion, with possible Phase 1 buildout points to Crestview in the north and the airport to the southeast, depending on costs and available funding. Future light rail extensions post-Phase 1 could carry the two-line system to the North Lamar Transit Center and Stassney Lane, with southern stops proposed at St. Edward's University and the South Congress Transit Center. ...

Medical cannabis expansion nears critical deadline in Texas Senate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:39:00 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for May 23, 2023. AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Legislation to expand access to medical cannabis for Texans with chronic pain will die if a Texas Senate committee does not pass it by Wednesday.HB 1805 by Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, passed the Texas House 127-19 on April 12. It has been awaiting action in the Texas Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs since May 3. Wednesday is the last day the Senate can pass bills. Texas House passes bill to expand medical marijuana program The legislation would allow Texans living with chronic pain or other debilitating medical conditions to get a prescription for low-THC medical cannabis products like edibles and oils. Current law limits eligible patients to those with epilepsy, cancer, autism, multiple sclerosis, and other incurable neurodegenerative diseases.The bill would also raise the amount of THC allowed per dose to 10 milligrams. Current law limits THC...

What did and didn't happen on gun laws one year after Uvalde

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:39:00 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for May 23, 2023.UVALDE, Texas (Nexstar) — Following America's second-deadliest school shooting in a small Texas town, grieving families and angry communities mourned, conversations about prevention turn political and people marched and protested to "do something." Those calls are turning into action.A month after an 18-year-old gunman used an AR-15 to kill 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Congress passed its first federal gun safety legislation in decades. The Safer Communities Act expands background checks in certain cases, closed the "boyfriend loophole" to prevent domestic abusers from getting or keeping firearms and clarifies the created penalties for straw purchases and those who don't follow federal firearm licensing requirements. Additionally, the bipartisan package doled out grants to bolster mental health resources and to better secure schools.Many longtime gun control ac...

Metro Transit gets major boost from 0.75% metro-wide sales tax; St. Paul roads repair, Stillwater parks, in doubt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:39:00 GMT

Transit advocates are hailing a proposed metro-wide sales tax increase that is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz this week as an unprecedented win for efforts to restore and expand Metro Transit’s bus and rail network, which has suffered bruising challenges since the outset of the pandemic.The 0.75% sales tax increase included in the proposed transportation omnibus bill would raise more than $440 million per year for public transit spending, roughly equivalent to the Metropolitan Council’s annual transportation budget. Another 17% of the tax revenue — as much as $90 million annually — would flow to the seven metro counties to fund county road maintenance, as well as bicycle and pedestrian improvements.“I am thrilled by this bill,” said Sam Rockwell, executive director of Move Minnesota, a St. Paul-based transit advocacy organization. “It’s an incredible bill. It’s a transformational bill. I think it’s a nation...

Warren Co. state of emergency due to migrant crisis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:39:00 GMT

WARREN COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - Another North Country county has declared a state of emergency in response to a project to relocate migrants from downstate. On Tuesday, Warren County announced a state of emergency, signed by county Chairman Kevin Geraghty. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The state of emergency is in response to large numbers of migrants being relocated by bus, from New York City to other parts of the state seeking asylum. The declaration is not a condemnation, but rather a way of preparing the county for what's ahead. It encourages owners of short-term dwellings like hotels to consider opening their doors. It also makes the county eligible for financial aid to support those who come and stay there."Warren County residents and leaders have a long history of welcoming individuals from around the world to our beautiful county," said Geraghty in Tuesday's announcement. "However, a rapid increase of individuals i...

Movies in the Park returns to Ballston Spa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:39:00 GMT

BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association is once more hosting Movies in the Park! This year, there will be three showings at Wiswall Park on the first Fridays of June, July, and August. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! In case of rain, the showings will be postponed until the next day. Movies start at dusk, approximately 8:30 to 8:45 p.m. The summer showings are Strange World on June 2, Minions: Rise of Gru on July 7, and Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile on August 4.

Herkimer County man sentenced, intended to sell bath salts

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:39:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Ilion man was sentenced to three years in prison for possessing a drug, sometimes marketed as "bath salts" with intent to sell in, according to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Jordan Burks, 32, will also serve three years of post-release supervision. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The DOJ says on January 12, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Burk's home and found roughly 454 grams of alpha-Pyrrolidinohexiophenone, three digital scales, and $19,393 in cash. Leading up to the execution of the search warrant, agents seized five packages of alpha-Pyrrolidinohexiophenone, one of which had more than a quarter kilogram of the drug allegedly bound for Burks home.The DOJ says Burks admitted he intended to distribute the "bath salts."

Albany County DSS Offices closed Tuesday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 08:39:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Albany County DSS Offices located at 162 Washington Avenue will be closed for the remainder of Tuesday, due to a water issue. Clients will not be served from this office location for today. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! According to the Office of the Albany County Executive, homeless clients needing placement may call HATAS at (518) 463-2124. DDS child support services at Family Court will continue.