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State asks judge to sentence Daniel Perry to at least 25 years for murder

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN)—Ten or a minimum of 25 years in prison?That's what the 147th District Court Judge Clifford A. Brown is considering on Tuesday. Attorneys brought forth their final witnesses and closing arguments during Daniel Perry's sentencing hearing. Perry, a former Army Sgt., was convicted on April 7, 2023 of murdering Air Force Veteran and Protester, Garrett Foster during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in downtown Austin in 2020. Judge Brown said he will issue a sentence at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Both the state and the defense did everything they could to appeal to Brown's emotions before he decides how long Perry will spend behind bars.Perry walked into the court room, with shackles around his feet. His family, as well as Fosters' were overcome with emotions as they've been in the entirety of the process. "It's extremely hard to be in that house," Foster's fiancé Whitney Mitchell said in her final appearance on the stand during Perry's sentencing hearing. "A house that me and him...

Austin's Andy Langer breaks down 2023 ACL lineup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Summer might just be around the corner but Austin music lovers' attention has shifted to the first two weekends in October following the release of the 2023 Austin City Limits Music Festival lineup. The annual concert series will feature the Foo Fighters, Kendrick Lamar and Shania Twain among its headlining sets when the festival returns to Zilker Park Oct. 6-8 and Oct. 13-15. ICYMI: Who's performing at the Austin City Limits Music Festival this year? ACL Radio's Andy Langer sat down with KXAN Tuesday following the lineup's release. He referred to this year's bunch as a slew of "big, recognizable names" that speak to the festival's core demographics."There's a lot of, 'who's that? I don't know who these people are' -- that's a common reaction to lineup releases. And you're not going to get that from this one," Langer said. "There's gonna be opinions, but on this one, you've got a bunch of big, recognizable names that fall off pretty safely into a demo that we know...

How many ACL 2023 artists have Texas connections?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for May 9, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Calling all music lovers: The 2023 Austin City Limits Music Festival lineup has arrived, with tickets now on sale for the two-weekend fall concert series. This year's lineup is headlined by Kendrick Lamar, the Foo Fighters, Mumford & Sons, Odesza, The Lumineers, Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, The 1975 and Hozier. Who's performing at the 2023 Austin City Limits Music Festival? But among the slew of supporting acts comes dozens of artists with connections to the Lone Star State. Here's a look at all the Texans -- or Texas-inspired artists -- performing at this year's festival.Cigarettes After SexTexan Greg Gonzalez formed the dream pop band in El Paso back in 2008. In a 2016 interview with Vice, Gonzalez told the publication he recorded the band's first EP, "I.," in the stairway of his alma mater, The University of Texas at El Paso. The Mars VoltaProgressive rock band The Mars...

Boys volleyball will be a sanctioned MSHSL sport starting with 2024-25 school year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

The long pursuit to make boys volleyball a sanctioned Minnesota State High School League sport came to fruition Tuesday, when the MSHSL Representative Assembly approved the bylaw amendment with 39 votes — seven more than the minimum required to reach two-thirds approval.The vote came one year after boys volleyball fell short of achieving the desired result by a single vote. Boys volleyball votes failed at the representative assembly level each of the last two years before Tuesday’s breakthrough.Minnesota is the 25th state to sanction boys volleyball. Currently, nearly 2,000 boys play through the Minnesota Boys High School Volleyball Association. It remains undetermined whether boys volleyball will compete during the spring or the fall season. The process to determine that will begin this summer through the work of a “task force of member school representatives,” per the MSHSL.“This is another milestone day in the League’s rich history of supporting member sch...

Former Minnesota employee sues BNSF for employment discrimination after her gender transition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

A former BNSF worker from Minnesota who was named one of the railroad’s employees of the year in 2021 for her work in supporting LGBTQ+ workers is now suing the railroad where she worked for 30 years, saying that after being promoted regularly earlier in her career she was denied advancement opportunities after her gender transition.Randi Berghorst sued the Fort Worth, Texas-based railroad in federal court recently, arguing BNSF discriminated against her.“I’m extremely disappointed that this is where it had to go,” she said.BNSF declined to comment directly on Berghorst’s lawsuit, and it hasn’t yet responded formally in court. But railroad spokesperson Lena Kent defended BNSF’s hiring practices and said the railroad doesn’t discriminate against people based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Kent cited the PRIDE+ employee group that Berghorst helped form as evidence that BNSF “is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace.”“Once hired, our employees are entitled to...

St. Paul teen faces adult charges in fatal shooting of motorist on East Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

A 16-year-old St. Paul boy has been certified to stand trial as an adult in last year’s murder of Yuliya (Julia) Li, a 34-year-old businesswoman shot in the head while driving on the East Side in what police described as a random and unprovoked killing.Ramsey County District Judge Robyn Millenacker made the decision Monday about Melvin Dump Williams, whose name was not released in last year’s juvenile complaint because he was 15. St. Paul police officials said at the time the teen suspect had an extensive and violent criminal history.Melvin Dump Williams (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)A criminal complaint filed Tuesday in adult court charges Williams, of St. Paul, with second-degree intentional murder and second-degree murder-drive-by shooting in connection with the Feb. 16, 2022, attack.The complaint provides details not previously released by police, but does not mention an apparent motive. At the time, a police spokesperson said Lia was “going about her bus...

High school comedy taking the stage in Picture Butte

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

By Erika MathieuSunny South NewsStudents at Picture Butte High School have been busy rehearsing getting ready to put on this year’s play called “30 Reasons Not to be in a Play.” Written by Alan Haehnel, the play is being directed by teacher Mark Ogle and will feature 16 talented students ranging in age from grades 7-12. The production, which will run at the high school from May 16-18 promises to be a memorable night for audience members.The comedy, “30 Reasons Not to be in a Play” pokes fun at stereotypes and tropes which are often associated with high school productions. The play features a series of satirical sketches and monologues which consider 30 reasons why someone might not want to get involved with a school play. Some of the reasons include stage fright, being forced to wear a costume you don’t like, or “because your older sister was in a play and she loved it, so you have to hate it.” The play is bound to have audiences howling with laughter from start to finish.According ...

CAPTURE to go to Inter-municipal Committee

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

By Nikki JamiesonSunny South NewsCoalhurst will be continuing speaking with neighbouring municipalities on implementing the CAPTURE Program.During their regular May 2 meeting, Coalhurst town council received an update into their inquiry about the CAPTURE Program.The CAPTURE, or Community Assisted Policing Through Use of Recorded Evidence, program is an initiative that establishes a directory of cameras, such as doorbell and external cameras, in a community. The rationale behind it is that if there is an incident in the community, the RCMP could then look up in the database who has a camera in the area that may have captured the incident, and can contact the individual/business to ask if they would be willing to volunteer to share their footage. It is a voluntary program that people can sign up for, and everyone has the option of whether to provide the recorded information. The database would only have the camera owner’s contact information and not the information on the camera itsel...

Coalhurst makes budget adjustments

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

By Nikki JamiesonSunny South NewsA number of adjustments have been made to the Town of Coalhurst’s 2023 budget.During their regular May 2 meeting, Coalhurst town council discussed a series of amendments to the 2023 budget.The first budget motion pertained to the addition of $2,000 for Online Facility Booking Software in the 2023 budget. The software would allow facility users to be able to easily access and book facilities in Coalhurst, helping to increase office efficiencies and free up staff time. Council passed a motion that Budget Motion 74-A (Online Facility Booking Software) for $2,000 be included in the 2023 budget.The second budget motion was for an adjustment for extraordinary meetings.An extraordinary meeting would be a meeting that was not planned for. While members of council can attend these meetings if they so choose, there is no budget for attending. According to administration, no extraordinary meetings have taken place so far this year.Coun. Heather Caldwell asked i...

Missouri bill could help high school athletes land endorsements

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:57 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Missouri lawmakers approved a bill Tuesday that could open the door for high school recruits to earn endorsements, even before they begin their journeys in college athletics. The Missouri House approved HB 417 on Tuesday afternoon, though with a key amendment that allows high school students to land endorsements under certain conditions. It also allows college coaches to get more involved with helping enrolled athletes profit off their name, image and likeness. Morgan Wallen cancels 6 weeks of shows, taking vocal rest Mizzou Football coach Eli Drinkwitz shared a photo from the Missouri Capitol on Tuesday, suggesting that the legislation would be a "game changer." The NCAA first allowed college athletes around the United States, including Missouri, to legally earn money from their name, image and likeness in 2021. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Henderson (R-Bonne Terre) looks to expand upon that. The amendment to HB 417 would allow high school athletes plan...