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Suburban residents, Metra concerned about new railway merger

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

ITASCA, Ill. — Much to the disappointment of some residents in a number of Chicago suburbs, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board has approved the merger of Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern.The deal is worth billions of dollars and proponents say it will be good for the economy, but opponents have long expressed concerns about what it will do to their communities.Wednesday's decision is two years in the making and comes after the board held several local public hearings and reviewed an environmental impact study. "We made this decision because, in general terms, we found that on balance, the merger of these two railroads will benefit the American economy and be an improvement for all citizens in terms of safety and environment," board Chairman Marty Oberman said from Washington D.C.The $31 billion merger will create the largest freight company and run from Canada to Mexico through the United States. It will impact 54 crossings on 20 miles of Metra's Milwaukee Distri...

MedWatch Daily Digest: A female hormone that could hurt the heart – and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

For Wednesday, March. 15, WGN’s Dina Bair has the latest on new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch How estrogen, a naturally occurring hormone, may alter heart rhythm.Why a new study by researchers at the University of Alberta reveals how fevers are good for helping the body heal.Have back pain? Why riding a horse may help.

Wrestling's Bella Twins are changing their name, leaving WWE

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – The Bella Twins aren’t going by “The Bella Twins” anymore.The former WWE wrestlers, 39, announced on this week’s episode of their SiriusXM “Nikki & Brie Show” podcast that they’ve decided to embark on a “new chapter,” which necessitated a name change.“So today is a massive day for Brie and I, huge,” the entertainer formerly known as Nikki Bella said. “It’s a day of celebration, a day of excitement. It is the start of a new chapter. We are going back to our roots; we are going back to the names that we were given at birth.“Today, we are officially, from here on out, the Garcia Twins.” Can you increase your odds of picking the perfect NCAA March Madness bracket? Nikki and Brie Garcia went on to explain that they changed their names after a “mutual” decision not to renew their contracts with WWE. WWE, meanwhile, owns the trademark on “The Bella Twins,” Variety reported, citing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.The women added that they harbored no ill will toward t...

Police: 18-year-old Austin woman a high-risk missing person

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

CHICAGO — An 18-year-old woman last seen in Austin is missing and the disappearance has been designated high-risk, police said Wednesday.Tamia 'Mia' Johnson was last seen in the 1300 block of North Parkside Avenue by her mother around 11 a.m., and she suffers from anxiety and depression and requires medication. Police: Girl, 15, reported missing from Near West Side Police described Johnson as 5-foot-1-inches, weighing 110 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. She also has a tattoo near her right ear and a nasal piercing. Anyone with information on Johnson's whereabouts is asked to call police at (312) 746-6554 or leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.

'Let's show them': Elmhurst mother starts sports program for special needs children

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

ELMHURST, Ill. -- For a woman who was never into sports, Dena Seidenfuss sure spends a lot of time dragging around equipment.For 17 years, Seidenfuss has been at Access Sports in Elmhurst, ensuring all kids have a chance to get in the game.This isn't a story about coaching as much as it's about a mom going to bat for her specially abled son."I really wanted my son to be able to play, wear the uniforms, hoist the trophies play on the same fields and have the same connection just the same way other kids have with their peers," Seidenfuss said."And then someone said to me 'why don't you start your own?' and I'm like oh, maybe I could do that!"The beginning of what is now known as "Access Sports."In their first year, she had six kids, along with her own four at home. Today, Access Sports has grown from six kids and one sport to 80 participants and four sports every year. ‘Mama Mack’: Markham woman provides guidance for talented teens Behind an easy smile and sweet giggle is a woman wo...

Shop at IKEA? You may be entitled to part of a $24M class action settlement

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Did you shop at IKEA between October 18, 2017 and Dec. 31, 2019? If so, you may be able to participate in a new $24 million class action lawsuit against the furniture giant's U.S. branch — over claims the company included more than the last 5 digits of customer debit and credit card numbers on printed receipts. The lawsuit, Richardson, et al. v. IKEA North America Services, LLC, et al., alleges IKEA North America Services, LLC and IKEA U.S. Retail, LLC violated the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, or "FACTA" with these receipts. Jack in the Box wants to help customers pay rent Nexstar reached out to IKEA for comment on the lawsuit but have not heard back yet. According to the official site for the lawsuit, IKEA denies its allegations and "denies any wrongdoing whatsoever," though it has agreed to pay over $24 million in a settlement. The court did not rule in favor of either the plaintiffs or IKEA, it's important to note.Here's what to know:Deadline to parti...

Ohio 17-year-old accused of fatally shooting his father after altercation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

WOOSTER, Ohio (WJW) – An Ohio teenager shot and killed his father after the two were involved in an altercation at a Wooster, Ohio home on Tuesday, according to police.The shooting happened just after 11 p.m. at a home on Gasche Street, according to a press release from the Wooster Police Department. When officers arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound who was then taken to an area hospital. The man, identified as 42-year-old Anthony Cantley, was stabilized and transported to Cleveland Clinic Akron General hospital, where he later died due to his injuries, according to The Daily Record. Airline investigating after flight attendants allegedly fight Investigators determined that Cantley had been involved in an altercation with his 17-year-old son. Details about the alleged altercation weren't immediately released. The teenager was then taken into custody.The Wooster Police Department Detective Bureau said Wednesday that the investigation was ongoing. No additional informatio...

APD: Man accused of stabbing wife in north Austin homicide

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a news release Wednesday, the Austin Police Department said a man was arrested after he was accused of stabbing his wife Tuesday in north Austin.At approximately 3:15 p.m., APD officers responded to reports of a stabbing at an apartment complex in the 11700 block of Metric Boulevard, the release said.When officers arrived on the scene, they found Minerva Jimenez, 30, with stab wounds, the release said. Jimenez died minutes later.Then, at 3:25 p.m., officers responded to another emergency call reporting a man, Jorge Luis Alvarado Blanco, 38, threatening to jump off the west Parmer Lane bridge over North Interstate Highway 35, police said.People who called into 911 dispatch said Blanco wanted to jump off the bridge because he had just killed his wife, the release said. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2023? Officers arrived at the scene and arrested Blanco without incident, according to police. As of Wednesday afternoon, Blanco is not listed in custo...

End of an era: Cowboys release 2-time rushing champ Elliott

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

The Dallas Cowboys released running back Ezekiel Elliott on Wednesday, ending a seven-season run for a two-time rushing champion who never regained the form of his dominant early years.Elliott will be designated a post-June 1 cut, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team didn't reveal details of the decision. The move will save Dallas about $11 million under the salary cap this season.Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the decision was mutual to let the 27-year-old Elliott pursue another team in free agency and give the Cowboys more financial flexibility in building a roster.“This is one of the toughest parts of operating a team,” said Jones, who issued similarly heartfelt statements after the salary cap-related releases of defensive end DeMarcus Ware and receiver Dez Bryant in the past decade. “Moments like this come, and extremely difficult decisions and choices are made. For the franchise. For me personally. For pl...

Legislative Auditor issues critical report on Met Council’s oversight of Southwest LRT project

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:36:12 GMT

The Metropolitan Council put itself on the hook for huge cost overruns on the Southwest Light Rail Transit project even through it didn’t have the money, and it failed to develop a contingency plan to find the funding, the Office of the Legislative Auditor said Wednesday.In a sharply critical report, the nonpartisan auditor’s office also said the Twin Cities regional governing agency has not been fully transparent about the snowballing costs and delays on the project.Back before construction started in 2019, the Met Council estimated the 14.5-mile extension of the Green Line from downtown Minneapolis to suburban Eden Prairie would cost just over $2 billion and open in 2023. The council now estimates that the line won’t start running until 2027 and that costs will reach nearly $2.8 billion, making it one of the most expensive public works projects in Minnesota history.Even before construction started, the Federal Transit Administration raised concerns about the council...