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Texas receives $1.8 million to reduce vehicle collisions with endangered ocelots

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is giving $1.8 million to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in Texas to build underpasses in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge around 70 miles east of McAllen, to reduce vehicle collisions with the endangered ocelot, a medium-sized spotted wildcat. The cat’s habitat is intersected by a roadway and has been closed since 2013 due to a high number of collisions. There are fewer than 100 ocelots left in Texas. This project will allow the road to open again, according to an FHWA press release.  MORE: Texas Parks and Wildlife exploring protection options for ocelots The funding comes from a new program in President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that helps fund projects building wildlife crossing, fencing and acquiring tracking and mapping tools around the U.S. There is a total of $350 million available over the next five years. Laguna Atascosa is one of the first 19 ...

Joe Soucheray: This weather is just heavenly and I know it can’t last

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:00 GMT

Christmas Eve day happens to be the third day of spring for members of the Royal Order of the 21sters, those of us who are comfortably delusional with the insistence that once the days began getting longer at 9:27 p.m. Dec. 21, the misery of winter was behind us. We see light at the end of the tunnel. Some of us are jogging in shorts.And aren’t the running paths and streets and sidewalks glorious? Of course they are. We could just as easily be fighting icy ruts and slippery going and the wet glop that moves young mothers to sigh as they constantly change snowsuits and place the mittens and boots to dry near the radiator, promoting the malodorous smell of wet dogs.It was about this time of year in 1991, following the Halloween Blizzard, that I was driving on Grand Avenue one night when my wheels jumped out of the rutted paths and I was suddenly sailing horizontally down the street. I don’t miss that.We went to a preschooler’s Christmas program the other night and everybody seemed che...

St. Louis Mom Battles HOA 'Grinches' to create Christmas wonderland for her son

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis mom aimed to bring a little Christmas cheer to her subdivision and her son. This year, she decorated her front yard and surrounding property with over 100 inflatables and decorations ranging from gnomes, Santas, reindeer, and Disney characters.“My son Conner and I moved to our home when he was 6 months old and 4 months out from having a heart transplant. That, along with some other major health issues, had me relocating us a bit closer to Cardinal Glennon, Conner’s hospital,” said Mother Jennifer Walkenhorst.Walkenhorst explained that her subdivision, though small, has encountered some Homeowner Association issues. “Although nothing crazy,” she added. About four years ago, Conner developed an interest in holidays and wanted to have a collection of inflatables. St. Peters man catches state record fish from Missouri River “With all of his health issues during the fall and winter, we tend to stay in more, so we don't increase the risk of a hospital stay. Not t...

Fire breaks out during private event at historic L.A. building 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:00 GMT

A large fire tore through a historic building in L.A.’s Cypress Park neighborhood during what authorities believe was a wedding reception.According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the blaze was first reported around 2:10 a.m. at L.A. River Studios, located near the intersection of North San Fernando Road and Division Street. 3.4 magnitude earthquake rattles Orange County The Smith-Miller Toy Company, known for their vintage toy trucks, had their factory at that location in 1931, according to the studio's website.A large fire tore through a historic building in L.A.’s Cypress Park neighborhood during a wedding reception on Dec. 23, 2023. (KeyNewsTV)A large fire tore through a historic building in L.A.’s Cypress Park neighborhood during a wedding reception on Dec. 23, 2023. (KeyNewsTV)A large fire tore through a historic building in L.A.’s Cypress Park neighborhood during a wedding reception on Dec. 23, 2023. (KeyNewsTV)A large fire tore through a historic building in L.A.’s Cyp...

Confidence With Cannabidiol- Can CBD Get Rid Of Shyness?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:00 GMT

View the original article about CBD for Shyness and Anxiety at Real Tested CBD.Shyness isn’t a sickness, but many people with this personality trait risk developing anxiety. There’s also evidence that as many as 20 percent of people have a genetic predisposition towards shyness. The NIH estimates about 12 percentof US adults have some degree of a social anxiety disorder (SAD).Again, it’s important to note that shyness isn’t a mental illness. However, people with some degree of shyness may need extra help to bolster their self-esteem. In most cases, cognitive behavioral therapy can work wonders for shy patients. There’s also evidence that supplements like CBD oil can tremendously impact a person’s “shyness score.” Adding CBD to a person’s daily schedule may help those on the shy spectrum feel more comfortable speaking up.Why Does CBD Work So Well For Shyness?There are still debates over how CBD seems to help people with anxiety issues like SAD. However, most researchers believe CBD p...

Applied Materials’ ‘face of philanthropy’ stepping down in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:00 GMT

For the past 25 years, Siobhan Kenney has been the face of philanthropy for Applied Materials, heading up food drives and getting up on chilly Thanksgiving mornings to lead the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot. But in early 2024, she’ll be retiring from her positions as Applied’s senior director of global community affairs and executive director of the Applied Materials Foundation.“I’m going to miss colleagues here at Applied and the philanthropic world,” she said. “I’m going to miss the leaders in the nonprofit community working on important issues. They’ve always been so generous with their time in helping us to understand the community and understand what their vision is in meeting community needs.”Kenney has been a familiar and welcomed presence at countless nonprofit events where she represents Applied, but her experience with the sector stretches even further back. She spent 10 years as executive director of the Volunteer Exchange of Silicon...

Milpitas native is an ace on the ice with amateur hockey team

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:00 GMT

Milpitas native Christopher Lai is making a name for himself in ice hockey, despite growing up in a city with no natural snow or ice. Lai ( No. 95) has been with the Ontario Jr. Reign since August 2023. He is among the top five scorers for the 2023-24 season, with 13 goals and 14 assists in 28 games played.“As I grew up, I was always in sports and never realized ice hockey was a sport I could maybe play one day,” said Lai. “I mean who would think that [in] California?  There’s barely any snow and no ice on the ground.”Lai is a forward who can play center, left wing and right wing. The Jr. Reign play more than 50 games each season, according to Lai.The Jr. Reign recently participated in the second annual USPHL Las Vegas Showcase, held Dec. 17-21 at the City National Arena, the practice home of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, last year’s Stanley Cup winners.The team belongs to the Pacific division of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), founded in 2012. It is the largest ama...

Man charged in Fremont fatal shooting that may have stemmed from jealousy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:00 GMT

FREMONT — A man once convicted of attempted murder as a juvenile was charged Friday with murder and other crimes in a Tuesday night fatal shooting at an apartment complex that may have been motivated by jealousy, according to authorities and court documents.In addition to the murder count, Darreis Buckley, 26, who according to court records lived at the apartment complex where the shooting happened, has also been charged with unlawful firearm activity and possession of a firearm by a felon. The charges include several enhancements, including one alleging that he was on parole at the time of the killing.Police had originally said that they arrested his girlfriend on suspicion of murder, but she has not been charged in the case, authorities said. According to Santa Rita Jail records, she remained in custody Friday afternoon.According to court documents, Buckley admitted being at the scene of the killing, shooting at the victim several times and discarding the gun as he fled.The ...

Santa Clara County taking applications for civil grand jury

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:00 GMT

Grand jury serviceSanta Clara County is taking applications from residents who want to serve on the Civil Grand Jury. As an independent arm of the judicial branch, the Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury investigates the operations of the various officers, departments and agencies of local government and is responsible for acting as a civil watchdog agency, reviewing resident complaints and filing accusations. Applications are due March 29, 2024, for a one-year term commencing July 1, 2024.  For more information, visit https://www.scscourt.org/court_divisions/civil/cgj/grand_jury.shtml.Neighborhood NotesROSE GARDEN>>Playful People Productions is seeking cast members for a production of “The Marshmallow Incident,” an original musical based on the book by Judi Barrett and Ron Barrett (creators of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”). In the show, residents of two towns live their lives determined not to interact with their neighbors, although no one can remember exactly why.Play...

Los Gatos teen’s image has a shot at state honors

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:00 GMT

Winning imageA photo taken by a 13-year-old Los Gatos resident is in the running for California Wildlife Photo of the Year 2023.Parham Pourahmad’s image of a red-shouldered hawk in flight with prey in its mouth was among the winners of the annual California Watchable Wildlife photo contest, making the shot he took at Natural Bridges State Beach eligible for state honors.Parham began taking wildlife photos on hikes with his family during the pandemic. For his 10th birthday, his parents gave him a new camera, and he started reading on the Internet about how to take photos. His mother says Parham has the right temperament for wildlife photography.“He sits for hours to get the right photo, studies other photographers to see what they captured and does a lot of planning to get the photos he wants,” she adds. “He has learned to observe and be patient.”For more information, visit https://owac.org/california-wildlife-photo-contest-winners-september-october-2023.Promoting ShakespeareLos Gato...