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Texas HHSC was under federal scrutiny as SNAP delays continue

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:06 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Texas Health and Human Services Commission was already under federal scrutiny as it struggled to keep up with months-long delays distributing food benefits to millions of low-income Texans, who rely on this lifeline.For more than a year, KXAN has investigated backlogs for Texans receiving federal food benefits through SNAP, which helps low-income households buy groceries.Texas HHSC recently sent a 62-page "Corrective Action Plan" to the US Department of Agriculture detailing problems distributing funds through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which it oversees in Texas. The state agency, it turns out, has been under USDA monitoring for years -- issues date to 2018 -- and is subject to "periodic" updates" until they "are no longer needed," HHSC spokesperson Jennifer Ruffcorn said.States that repeatedly fail to meet federal timeliness requirements are subject to corrective action. Last month, USDA officials visited HHSC, and other ...

Texas volleyball thumps SMU 3-0 to advance to 18th consecutive NCAA regional semifinal

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:06 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After dropping a set to Texas A&M in the first round of the NCAA volleyball tournament, the Texas Longhorns made sure it wouldn't happen again.The second-seeded Longhorns pummeled the seventh-seeded SMU Mustangs 3-0 to clinch a berth in the regional semifinals for the 18th consecutive season. Set scores were 25-16, 25-14 and 25-17.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newsletters"We were emotionally stable and started out at a really high level tonight," Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott said. "We put a ton of pressure on them with our serving and kept steady the whole night. It was a really good performance by the whole team."The Longhorns had 46 kills with just five errors in the match, hitting an eye-popping .446, led by Madisen Skinner's 21 kills. Jenna Wenaas chipped in 10 kills while Asjia O'Neal and Molly Phillips each had six. Texas setter Ella Swindle has 37...

Women’s hockey: Gophers use second-period flurry to bury Bemidji State

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:06 GMT

Throughout the first two months of the season, Gophers women’s hockey coach Brad Frost talked about the uncertainty that surrounded a team that lost a handful of marquee players. Was it going to prove to be good enough to retain its familiar perch among perennial national championship contenders?With the calendar having flipped to December, the veteran coach is starting to get some welcome answers to those questions.Playing on home ice for the first time in 28 days, the Gophers (12-2 overall, 8-2 WCHA) scored six unanswered goals in the second period en route to a 9-2 win over Bemidji State (1-13-1, 1-10 WCHA) on Friday night at Ridder Arena.The Gophers have won seven straight, and have given their coach reason to put some of his concerns at ease.“I love that the things we’ve been implementing from Day 1, they just keep getting better and better at,” Frost said. “We’re starting to see it on the ice a lot more. We defend really well. Our goaltenders are both tremendous, so that certa...

Multiple tenants of Parkview Apartments dead

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:06 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -An emergency meeting was called on Friday, December 1, by Parkview Apartments Tenant Association President, Diane Deitz. The residents focusing this time on their neighbors and tenants of the building who have died in the last two weeks, according to Deitz."We have recently had nine deaths here in a little over two weeks. On top of it, we have mold in the building." Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The tenants at tonight's meeting have been also complaining of rodents, pests, and water access since last year. Deitz herself has been in and out of the hospital."Multiple tenants who have had blood tests come back with mold in their blood. I'd say the past four times it was because of that. That was in two months." Parkview Apartments inspected by City of Albany Back in June, NEWS10's Anthony Krolikowski went inside the apartments to see the damages with code enforcement while being managed by Commercial Res...

East St. Louis in financial turmoil, city at risk of layoffs and payless paydays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:06 GMT

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - The City of East St. Louis facing a severe financial crisis that could result in layoffs and payless paydays. It could also force the city to slash some services. The mayor and city council held a special meeting Friday night to try to figure out a way out of the mess.The crisis was brought on by the city's failure to keep up with payments to the East St. Louis police and firefighters pension funds. Now the city is on the hook for more than $7 million in past-due payments. The pension boards, meanwhile, have struck back hard. They voted to ask the Illinois Comptroller to intercept state funds bound for East St. Louis and instead direct that money to the pensions. Three men charged in St. Charles County trafficking case plead not guilty The problem is that East St. Louis uses funds for operations to run departments like police and fire. Neither the mayor nor the city manager would comment on camera.The You Paid For Team talked to Councilman Ryan Cason. He say...

Master of deception admits guilt in $109K Walmart heist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:06 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A Canadian man admitted tricking clerks out of thousands of dollars in cash in federal court Friday. It was part of a nationwide ‘sleight of hand’ scheme that hit 13 states this year. It caught up with him right here in the St. Louis area.Arnold Police have been successful lately in busting at least two alleged international crime rings, specifically crimes in retail stores that are happening right under our noses. One example landed 38-year-old defendant Mohsen Akbari in federal court. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman, who handled the case, told us, “This was a difficult case because it involved a defendant who was moving quickly across the country. He was very good at what he did.” Lindenwood University drops 10 athletic programs, cuts several jobs Police say he was targeting mostly Walmart stores and stealing cash using tricks. Court records say four days this past June netted him more than $16,000.Nationwide, court records say it added up to $109,452 during jus...

Missouri lawmakers hope to ban seclusion in schools

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:06 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Friday marked the first day for Missouri lawmakers to pre-file bills that they hope will become law next year. One state representative filed a bill that would ban solitary confinement for K-12 students in public and charter schools.State Rep. Ian Mackey (D-Clayton) is a former teacher. He backed a 2021 law that required schools to report cases of seclusion to parents and the state. The issue has been the subject of several FOX Files investigations. Three men charged in St. Charles County trafficking case plead not guilty Tracey Bloch, director of legislative advocacy for the Missouri Disability Empowerment Foundation, credits the attention for bringing greater awareness to the issue.“We have a lot of clients and a lot of family members who are put into seclusion rooms, and we are still trying to work through the trauma that all of that entails,” said Bloch.Mackey said last school year, Missouri students were sent to solitary confinement at least 8,000 times....

Former pediatrician sentenced to prison for possession of child pornography

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:06 GMT

A former pediatrician from Los Angeles will spend the next seven years in federal prison after being convicted of possessing dozens of DVDs and hundreds of images of child pornography.Gary David Goulin, 62, of Los Angeles was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison on Friday. He was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine and $22,000 in additional fees and will have to register as a sex offender for 15 years after his eventual release from prison.Goulin pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography earlier this year.In November 2021, Goulin knowingly possessed four DVDs that contained sexually explicit images of children who were younger than 12 years old. He also admitted to having dozens of additional DVDs with hours of explicit material on them.According to prosecutors, he owned more than 200 hours of child sex abuse material in various forms. In August 2021, Goulin used his cell phone to receive more child pornography. He was also found to have more than 600 images ...

Ventura County woman killed man during weed-induced psychosis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:06 GMT

A Thousand Oaks woman was convicted of killing a man during an episode of psychosis that was brought on from marijuana, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.The suspect, identified as Bryn Spejcher, 32, was convicted of killing Chad O’Melia, a man she had been dating for a few weeks.On May 27, 2018, Spejcher went to O’Melia’s apartment where they both took several hits from a bong filled with marijuana.Spejcher experienced an adverse reaction from the marijuana and suffered from Cannabis-Induced Psychotic Disorder, authorities said.During that psychotic episode, Spejcher stabbed O’Melia multiple times, eventually killing him. She also stabbed herself repeatedly, officials said.The next morning, officers arrived at the apartment to find O’Melia in a pool of blood and Spejcher screaming hysterically while still holding a knife in her hands. As officers tried to disarm her, Spejcher plunged the knife into her neck, authorities said.Bryn Spejcher, 32, in ...

Best holiday bars and restaurants in L.A: Week 1

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:06 GMT

For the entire month of December, we're checking out some of the best places to eat, drink and celebrate the holiday spirit in Los Angeles. Covered in this episode: Three Clubs Holiday Sing Along, Swiss Chalet at the Fairmont Century Plaza, Christmas at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Sherman Oaks legend Casa Vega.This series features KTLA 5's Samantha Cortese, Andy Riesmeyer, Bobby Gonzalez and Robert Puente. Tune in every week for the latest installment.