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Few Republicans have confidence in elections. It’s a long road for one group trying to change that in Wisconsin.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:44:58 GMT

SUAMICO, Wis. — Kim Pytleski could barely sleep the night before. She replayed the PowerPoint slides in her head, packed her notebook and took a deep breath.The clerk from a rural Wisconsin county north of Green Bay was preparing for a public meeting to explain the election process to residents. She didn’t know who she would encounter. Would some deny the results of the last presidential election? Would the conversation get combative? Most importantly, would she get through to anyone?They were questions Pytleski never expected to ask herself when she started the job in Oconto County more than 14 years ago. But since then, election conspiracy theories have taken root in the rural, heavily Republican county in northeastern Wisconsin. It’s among large swaths of the country where distrust of voting and ballot-counting, fanned by former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election, maintains a stubborn grasp.Pytleski, who was born and raised in the county, hears consp...

Wisconsin Supreme Court is asked to redraw legislative boundaries created by Republicans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:44:58 GMT

Democratic voters in Wisconsin hoping to undo Republican-drawn legislative district maps told the liberal-controlled state Supreme Court on Monday that it should create new maps by March — forcing every lawmaker to stand for election under redrawn lines in 2024.“The current maps are unsalvageable,” attorneys for the voters argued.But Republicans who control the Legislature in Madison countered that Democrats were exercising “raw political power” and trying to take advantage of the new liberal majority on the court to overturn its 2021 ruling that adopted the current maps.“A change in this Court’s membership cannot justify overturning that precedent,” attorneys for the Legislature wrote in legal filings. Oral arguments are set for Nov. 21.Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has intervened on the side of voters asking the court to toss out the Republican-drawn maps, widely seen as among the most gerrymandered in the country, and draw new ones ahead of the 2024 election.Republicans have been in...

Is crime going up in America? Some types are, new FBI data shows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:44:58 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – A massive data dump of 11 million criminal offenses reported to the FBI paints a complicated picture of crime in the United States. The data, released Monday, shows that while violent crime dropped nationwide in 2022, property crime jumped. The FBI relies on reporting by local law enforcement agencies to compile its report on the state of crime around the country. The agency estimates its data covers about 94% of the population. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! In 2022, violent crime overall, which includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, dropped modestly. Violent crime was 1.7% lower in 2022 than in 2021, the FBI said. The drop brings violent violent crime back to pre-pandemic levels, though not as low as it was between 2013 and 2015. Violent crime rate in the U.S.The murder rate, in particular, dropped significantly. It saw a 6.1% decline between 2021 and 2022.The murder rate in the U.S. jumped 29%...

Denver Police Department first in state to receive accreditation for LGBTQ liaison program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:44:58 GMT

The Denver Police Department became the first agency in Colorado and third in the nation to receive an accreditation from Out to Protect for its LGBTQ liaison program, the advocacy organization recently announced.The accreditation will last for three years and will require the agency to annually self-report on how it is upholding the standards set by the organization, founded to create awareness of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people working in law enforcement nationwide.Denver police Lt. Michelle Folmar, who leads the department’s LGBTQ liaison program, completed the training academy to earn the accreditation for the department. The program is equivalent to 24 continuing education credits for law enforcement certification.“We not only had to take the trainings but we had to implement policy, create and develop plans for officer training, make a commitment to community engagement and undergo a peer review process of these elements,” Denver police Officer ...

Broncos’ lack of continuity in the passing game causing dysfunction

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:44:58 GMT

The Broncos’ 19-8 loss to the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football was another stain on quarterback Russell Wilson’s legacy in Denver. He threw for 95 yards — third-fewest in his career — a touchdown and two interceptions as the Broncos struggled to establish their passing game, despite the defense holding up its end.“To win in our league, you have to be better at throwing the ball,” coach Sean Payton said following Denver’s 16th straight loss to its divisional foe.On Monday, Payton clarified that his comment wasn’t directed at any one player but on the entire offense, and he’s right. The Broncos’ last two losses to the New York Jets and Kansas City have exposed issues within the passing offense, from play calling and protection to lack of production from wide receivers and Wilson.“You want to have confidence in the pocket, and we need to find ways to get guys open,” Payton said. “Typically speaking, that has to happen efficiently on early downs. It can’t be just on third down.”E...

New Avalanche lines centered by Ryan Johansen, Ross Colton taking crash course on chemistry building

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:44:58 GMT

SAN JOSE — Ross Colton is spending the early days of his first season with the Colorado Avalanche trying to build some chemistry with his new linemates, Miles Wood and Tomas Tatar.The level of familiarity they’re looking for can be cultivated in a variety of ways — working together in practices, accumulating as many game reps as possible … and also on the golf course. It’s probably not a coincidence that Colorado’s new-look third line was part of a foursome with goalie Alexandar Georgiev during the team’s group outing Sunday at Pebble Beach Golf Links. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Alexandar Georgiev (@aghockey)“We’re just trying to find some chemistry out there,” Colton said Monday after practice. “There’s going to be some adjustments. We’re all coming from different teams with different systems, so 5-on-5 structure-wise, offensively, defensively, we’re just trying to watch some extra video and read off other guys at practice. As these games go on, we’re going to get...

Denver to pay $557,000 to settle case of police officer who hit pedestrian while texting and driving

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:44:58 GMT

The Denver City Council approved settlements payments Monday worth a combined $557,000 to an Arapahoe County man and his wife stemming from a 2019 incident in which a Denver police officer who was texting and driving struck him with her patrol vehicle as he walked along Colfax Avenue.Eric Szakmary and his wife Kimberly filed a lawsuit against the city, the Denver Police Department and Officer Jamie Taft last year centered on the events of Sept. 17, 2019.In the lawsuit, attorneys for the couple say Szakmary was in a crosswalk just after 11 a.m. that day when Taft made a left turn in the Denver Police Department SUV she was driving and hit him. Szakmary, who was 51 years old at the time, suffered serious injuries including fractures to two of his vertebrae and required several surgeries after the collision, according to the complaint.An active bicyclist, hiker and backpacker before he was hit, complications from the collision left Szakmary with potentially permanent injuries that have...

Hamas releases video of 21-year-old woman taken hostage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:44:58 GMT

Hamas has released what is believed to be the first video of an Israeli hostage kidnapped during its surprise incursion on Oct. 7.“Hi, I'm Mia Shem, 21 years old from Shoham. Currently, I'm in Gaza,” the young woman says in Hebrew, according to The Jerusalem Post. “I returned early Saturday morning from Sderot; I was at a party. I was seriously injured in my hand. I underwent surgery on my hand at the hospital [in Gaza] for 3 hours.”The video, which was posted on Hamas’s Telegram channel on Monday, shows Shem apparently receiving medical treatment to her right arm.Hamas released video of Mia Shem, 21, one of the hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attack.“They are taking care of me, giving me medicine, everything is fine. I only ask that they bring me home as soon as possible to my parents, to my siblings. Get me out of here as soon as possible. Please,” she pleads.The video’s caption says Shem was captured on the first day of the attack dubbed the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle. She was among t...

12 arrested in undercover prostitution sting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:44:58 GMT

Officials with the Claremont Police Department, in cooperation with several neighboring law enforcement agencies, arrested 12 men during a prostitution enforcement operation last week.The enforcement detail, which took place on Oct. 13, was planned after the Claremont PD received multiple complaints from residents, business owners and others about prostitution in the area of Indian Hill Boulevard and the 10 Freeway.  As part of the operation, five undercover officers posed as prostitutes and solicited subjects attempting to pay for sex acts, according to a Claremont PD news release.  Among the 12 arrested was a 64-year-old Pomona man, identified as Maher Salama, who is a registered sex offender for sexual battery, police said. Salama was arrested for being out of compliance of his “sex registrant conditions” and for soliciting a “prostitute.”  Yet another individual, identified as 33-year-old Jeremiah Salcedo from Big Bear, was arrested for soliciting a “prostitute” and fo...

Ontario Airport continues to see higher number of travelers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:44:58 GMT

One of America's fastest growing airports continues to reach new milestones.On Monday, officials for the Ontario International Airport announced an 11.6% increase in passenger volume during the first nine months of 2023. That includes a 7.6% increase in September 2023 from the previous year. Last month, Ontario saw more than 550,000 passengers — an increase of nearly 40,000 travelers in September 2022.The month of September also saw a 151% increase in international travel compared to the previous September. Ontario Airport visitors can say goodbye to loved ones at the boarding gate In all, nearly 4.7 million passengers opted to fly from the Inland Empire gateway between January and the end of September. Domestic fliers made up 4.4 million, while international travelers made up the rest — but international travel is up more than 116% from 2022, likely spurred by growing desires and high-demand for travel experiences following months of pandemic lockdowns and restrictions across the...