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Jury acquits Hastings woman accused of siphoning mother’s trust fund

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:16 GMT

A Dakota County jury has acquitted a Hastings woman who was accused of using her elderly mother’s bank accounts for her own personal expenses while acting as her power of attorney and sole trustee.Mary Rose Polley Schommer, 55, was found not guilty last week of all five counts of felony financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult that prosecutors filed in March 2022.“We’re grateful the jury looked at the evidence and recognized that Mary didn’t commit any crimes,” her attorney, Kevin Riach, said Wednesday. “She took good care of her mom. This is far from a financial exploitation case.”Meanwhile, Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena said in a statement she was “disappointed” with the verdict, while adding “it was a difficult case and I respect the verdict that was reached.”The charges accused Schommer of using just over $173,000 from her mother’s trust for her own personal expenses between October 2016 and April 2020. Schommer was power of attorney for and sole...

The Loop Fantasy Football Report Week 16: Sidelined stars ruin many playoff dreams

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:16 GMT

A whole lot of fantasy football mavens rolled into the playoffs riding the coattails of the NFL’s fastest man, the Cheetah, Tyreek Hill.Miami’s star wideout was having an MVP level season, taking aim at being the first receiver in NFL history to reach 2,000 yards. And his fantasy backers were laughing all the way to the bank.Until the Week 15 playoff opener … when the Dolphins’ speedster was sidelined by an ankle injury. The Fins didn’t need him to dispatch the lowly New York Jets 30-0, but fantasy teams certainly did. We thought we could hear some of the wailing in the background all day Sunday while watching RedZone.Injuries happen. Just ask anybody who drafted Aaron Rodgers … or Joe Burrow … or Kirk Cousins … or Nick Chubb … or J.K. Dobbins …Fantasy playoff injuries seem crueler. And there are a bunch of them. We’ll break down the most significant Week 16 absences, and we’ll offer some last-second waivers options you might be able to grab to save your postseason.Running backs – B...

Bronx man pleads guilty to bank fraud, identity theft

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:16 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Bronx man accused of using fake identifications to defraud bank branches in the Capital Region pled guilty in court on Wednesday. Antonio Vargas, 58, faces a maximum term of 30 years in prison for bank fraud and a mandatory term of two years for aggravated identity theft. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Vargas admitted to using counterfeit passports and driver's licenses at Trustco Bank, Pioneer Bank, Broadview Federal Credit Union, Adirondack Trust Bank, and Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company. The IDs had his photograph but contained the names and other personal information of customers at the banks.He reportedly withdrew $58,000 from multiple accounts in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady Counties. He was taken into custody on July 13 by the Saratoga Springs Police Department.In addition to time in prison, a bank fraud conviction carries a maximum fine of up to $1 million. Vargas is expected...

Fultonville man pleads guilty to third-degree arson

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:16 GMT

FULTONVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Fultonville man accused of setting his own home on fire in June pleaded guilty to third-degree arson. Michael Bell, 37, faces a maximum of five to fifteen years in prison. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Bell was arrested following an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire. Multiple agencies, including the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the cause of the fire and unveiled evidence that led to the filing of charges against Bell. Bell's family was not home at the time of the fire, but at least one pet perished. Sentencing is scheduled for March 14, 2024.

How much daylight will St. Louis have on the shortest day of 2023?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:16 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The darkest day of the year is nearly upon us.This year, the "darkest" day of the year — when Americans get as little as six hours of daylight — lands on Dec. 21 (it’s usually around Dec. 21 or 22).During the darkest or "shortest" day of the year — better known as the winter solstice — the northern hemisphere is tilted as far away from the sun as possible. This causes us in the U.S. to experience the least amount of sun during the day. As you can guess, we have the opposite during the summer solstice, which occurs in June. That's when we have the most sunlight during the day and the "shortest" night. 2023 could be one of the wettest years on record, even with a dry fall But first, we have to get through the shortest day of the year. On Thursday, most parts of the country will have only about eight or nine hours of daylight. In Denver, for example, residents will have nine hours and 22 minutes of sunlight, which is over five hours less than Denver's longest day in ...

National Signing Day: Where Colorado high school football stars in Class of 2024 are going

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:16 GMT

National signing day arrived in Colorado on Wednesday and brought with it zero drama — as well as a familiar theme.Each of the state’s most coveted recruits stayed true to verbal commitments made months ago, with every last one of them signing on the dotted line with schools outside the Centennial State.The state’s top-rated Class of 2024 prep prospect, three-star offensive lineman Gage Ginther out of Fossil Ridge, was among them. In fact, he’d already joined his new team at Tennessee before the early signing period for senior high school football recruits began Wednesday.Ginther’s pledge to the Volunteers marked the seventh straight year that Colorado’s top-rated prep recruit signed with a program outside state lines. The 6-foot-5, 287-pound lineman joins fellow Fossil Ridge grad Trey Zuhn (Class of ’21) as the second No. 1 overall recruit from the Box State to head to the SEC in the last four years. Throw in former Valor Christian running back G...

EPA to demolish Penrose funeral home at center of improper storage investigation on Jan. 17

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:16 GMT

The southern Colorado funeral home at the center of an improper storage investigation will be demolished on January 17, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Monday.Related ArticlesColorado News | Relatives watch as the Colorado funeral home owners accused of mishandling 190 remains appear in court Colorado News | Colorado funeral home owners arrested in Oklahoma; face charges of abuse of corpse, forgery Colorado News | Family sues Colorado funeral home where 189 decaying bodies were found over alleged fake ashes Colorado News | Evidence suggests families received fake ashes from Colorado funeral home where 189 bodies were found Colorado News | Grisly discoveries at Colorado funeral homes fuel push for tougher state regulation The agency’s Emergency Response team will handle to demolition. Hazardous materials contractors will mobilize at the site on Jan. 17, and demolition will ...

Opinion: Only bad options for the U.S. Supreme Court can keep Trump on the ballot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:16 GMT

In a remarkable plot twist, the Colorado Supreme Court has found that former President Donald Trump must be excluded from the state’s primary ballot because he engaged in insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. Now the pressure is on the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, on which the Colorado court relied, truly does block Trump from the ballot.This would be a historic case, to say the least. If the justices rule directly on whether Trump is disqualified under the Constitution, their ruling would apply in every state, not only Colorado.If you’re one of those people who want the justices to save us from the shame and danger of reelecting a president who tried to break democracy in his first term, try not to get too hopeful. Given the unprecedented nature of the case and the court’s composition, it’s likely that the justices will overturn the Colorado decision.The high court has several means at its disposal to overturn the Colorado ruling, none of which are ...

In-N-Out adds new drink options to its menus

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:16 GMT

In-N-Out is adding more soft drinks to its beverage lineup.The Irvine-based chain announced that it added two new drink options to its menus: Lite Pink Lemonade and Cherry Coke.The new lemonade is made with real lemon juice and is sweetened with stevia leaves and monk fruit. This is the first time the company has added new items to its menus since 2018, when hot cocoa was added. Doritos rolls out nacho cheese-flavored liquor On rainy or snowy days, depending on the In-N-Out’s location, the company gives out free cups of hot cocoa to customers 12 years old or younger.The California-based restaurant makes hot cocoa by combining a chocolate powdery mix from Ghirardelli with hot water.In-N-Out Burger opened in 1948 as a tiny stand at Francisquito and Garvey avenues in Baldwin Park. Harry and Esther Snyder, the company’s founders, are credited with inventing the world’s first drive-thru with a two-way speaker box that same year. New version of McDonald’s snack wraps could be coming t...

Glendale arrested in fatal Shadow Hills hit-and-run

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:37:16 GMT

A Glendale man has been arrested after he allegedly struck a pedestrian with his car in Shadow Hills Tuesday night.Arvien Atakhanian, 28, was driving a 2023 Tesla Model 3 in the 10000 block of Sunland Boulevard at about 10:30 p.m. when he hit a pedestrian, then fled the scene, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.The victim, a man in his 40s, was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. His identity has not been released.Atakhanian was booked into the Van Nuys Jail on a count of felony hit-and-run. No information on bail or a future court date was immediately available.Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Otrosina at 818-644-8033 or Officer Garcia at 818-644-8117. During nonbusiness hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247).To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or go directly to lacrimestoppers.org.