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Chicago honored again as the best big city in US

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:48 GMT

CHICAGO — The qualities of the "Windy City" have earned it a prestigious honor for a seventh straight year.Condé Nast Traveler has once again named Chicago as the best big city in the United States in the well-known magazine's Readers Choice Awards. It's an honor the city has earned every year since 2017. The 2023 results being based on the votes of 520,000 readers. “Today's recognition of our great city as the Condé Nast Traveler’s Best Big City in The U.S., for the seventh year in a row, is proof that Chicago continues to be a force as a destination for visitors from all over the globe," said Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson in a statement. "We have something for everyone — 77 amazing communities, beautiful parks and lakefront, world class arts, culture and food, and much more. See the Haunted Houses in the Chicago area in 2023 "This is a distinction to be proud of, and we will continue to welcome travelers from all over the world to experience all our city has to offer and t...

This is the wealthiest person in your state, new Forbes report shows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:48 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — You can probably name some of the richest people in the country: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett. But do you know the wealthiest person in your state?Unless you have a few billion dollars lying around, it likely isn’t you. Every year, Forbes releases a list of the 400 wealthiest people in the U.S. This includes those who have garnered their wealth through investments, software, sports, retail, real estate, family ties, and food. The 2023 list includes some notable firsts. Michael Jordan, for instance, is the first professional athlete to land on the Forbes 400. His off-the-court income, namely from his deals with Nike and the sale of his stake in the Charlotte Hornets, propelled him onto this year’s list. Another newcomer is Josh Kushner, the son of real estate developer Charles Kushner and brother of Jared Kushner. The latter Kushner’s father-in-law, former President Donald Trump, failed to make the Forbes 400 this year. Another name to fall off the...

Communication, shelter issues identified during 'hurricane-level' Austin ice storm, report says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:48 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for Oct. 3, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Communication difficulties between city and county staff, translation service mishaps and shelter security issues were some of the necessary improvements flagged in the City of Austin and Travis County's winter storm after-action report.The report evaluated the city and county's response to the extreme winter storm that slammed the region in late January and early February 2023, leading to thousands without power and ice coating the greater Austin area. Here’s what Austin Energy needs to fix or improve, according to 2023 winter storm after-action report The report reviewed six key areas of emergency response efforts:CommunicationsPlanning and preparationOperational coordinationResource and asset managementTechnology and infrastructureShelter managementPre-storm communications thrived, but broke down following 'hurricane-level' ice stormThe report noted strong efforts from both ci...

Here’s what Austin Energy needs to fix or improve, according to 2023 winter storm after-action report

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:48 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for Oct. 3, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Energy needs to focus on communication, customer experience, emergency preparedness, storm response and coordination, according to a newly-released after-action report on the 2023 winter storm. MORE: Communication, shelter issues identified during ‘hurricane-level’ Austin ice storm, report says Over several days at the beginning of February, nearly a third of the utility’s customers lost power when ice-coated tree limbs -- and even entire trees -- crashed down onto power lines. In some spots, ice accumulated directly on the power lines, taking them down and leaving customers in the dark and cold.Outage data shows it took the utility a full 10 days after hitting the peak number of customers affected for power to be restored to the vast majority.Read the full report here TIMELINE: How long did it take Austin Energy to restore power during ice storm? Directly following the...

Death investigation: Officer stunned man who hit himself with metal object, APD says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — An officer stunned a man early Tuesday morning after police said he kept striking himself with a metal object. The man later died at a local hospital. Police said they began receiving multiple 911 calls at about 3:05 a.m. about a pedestrian on U.S. 183 near the 12300 block of Research Blvd. The callers told police the man had obvious injuries to his body. Police said they arrived on scene at about 3:09 a.m. and attempted to speak with the man and de-escalate the situation. The man, however, would not respond to officers, and police said he began seriously injuring himself with a metal object in front of them. One officer used a Taser on the man, which police said then allowed them to render aid. Austin-Travis County EMS then took the man to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 4:05 a.m. Austin police investigate a possible in-custody death on the 12300 block of Research Boulevard Oct. 3, 2023 (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey)Austin police investigate a possible...

Where 2023 ACL Festival attendees are coming from, according to Airbnb

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:48 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin City Limits Music Festival starts this weekend, and thousands of festival-goers are expected to come to the Live Music Capital of the World. Vacation rental company Airbnb said the 2022 ACL Festival brought over $10 million in revenue to hosts in Austin. This was generated by about 20,000 guests. RELATED: Who is performing at ACL this year? The average guest spent about $250 per day in Austin at shops, restaurants and bars, according to Airbnb's survey of guests. In 2022, the festival brought about $448 million into the Austin economy. Since 2006, ACL has generated about $3 billion for the Austin economy. Where are festival-goers coming from? Several top origin cities for Airbnb guests during ACL are in Texas. These include people from Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio and even Austin locals. Outside of the Lone Star State, many ACL-goers and Airbnb-stayers came from Denver, Seattle, New York City, Chicago and San Diego. Here's the 10 most popul...

‘Freak’ player Koi Perich has pledged to Gophers, but USC, others not giving up recruiting battle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:48 GMT

Koi Perich has become a prime example of how the high school football recruiting process doesn’t truly begin until that coveted prospect has given a verbal commitment to one college program.Perich is a do-everything athlete at Esko High School, a mid-size program about 20 miles south of Duluth. With a four-star rating in the 2024 class, he makes it look easy at the Class 3A high school program, and at a smooth and physical 6 foot 2 and 195 pounds, he has received a level of interest rarely seen in Northeastern Minnesota.Perich committed to the Gophers in April — and Ohio State inquired about him that same day. As Perich continues to stack up reams of highlights so far this season, Southern Cal offered him a scholarship on Sunday.“Schools are going to keep recruiting,” Perich told the Pioneer Press on Monday. “That’s just what recruited is. It’s fun because they come out with new opportunities, so it’s pretty cool.”George Perich, Koi’s father and Esko’s defensive coordinator, h...

After rehabbing from fourth knee injury, Mason Shaw signs with Iowa Wild

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:48 GMT

Mason Shaw, a fourth-round pick by the Wild in 2017 who was finally finding his feet in the NHL before suffering his fourth serious knee injury, has signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Iowa Wild in Des Moines.The Wild’s AHL franchise announced the deal on social media Tuesday morning.Shaw, 25, played in a career-high 59 NHL games last spring and became an immediate favorite of teammates who admired his gritty game and the fact that he had come back from three anterior cruciate ligament surgeries suffered during his rise through the minors.He was playing well, with seven goals and 10 assists, when he crashed into the boards April 3 in Las Vegas, tearing the ACL in his left knee. He had surgery on May 7 and has been skating on his own at TRIA Rink during training camp.Asked last week whether being with the team would help motivate him during his recovery, Wild head coach Dean Evason said, “I don’t think it’s gonna help or hurt his motivation. He’s motivated, as you know. He is ex...

Maple Ski Ridge announces 16th Annual Fall Fest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:48 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Maple Ski Ridge is hosting its 16th Annual Fall Festival on Saturday, October 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be activities for all ages and discounts for the upcoming ski season. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! For those interested in automobiles and engines, there will be a tractor show, small engine displays, and a car show presented by Capital Car Shows. Trophies are awarded to crowd-favorite vehicles, so visitors should stop by to cast votes.The Fall Fest is also an opportunity to capture photos of the fall foliage. The chairlifts will be operational and can provide visitors with an aerial view of the surrounding fall colors. Riders can take the chairlift to the top of the hill and walk back down along a scenic ridge.Other activities include a craft and vendor show, hay wagon rides, a 50/50 raffle, and a silent auction. Raffle prizes include items from vendors, crafters, donors, and specia...

$50K winning Powerball ticket sold at Albany Stewart’s

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:35:48 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A lucky Stewart’s Shops customer purchased a top-prize-winning Powerball ticket worth $50,000. The winning ticket was from the October 2 drawing and was sold at the Stewart’s located at 406 Albany Shaker Road in Albany. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The winning numbers were 12, 26, 27, 43, 47, and the power ball was 5. The winning numbers for the Powerball game are drawn from a field of one to 69. The red Power Ball is drawn from a separate field of one to 26. The Powerball drawing is televised every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.The New York Lottery is North America’s largest and most profitable lottery, contributing $3.7B in the 2022-2023 fiscal year to support education in New York. New Yorkers struggling with a gambling problem can contact the confidential HOPEline at 1-877-846-7369 or text HOPENY (467369). Standard text rates may apply.