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Can I legally grow tobacco in Illinois?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The use of tobacco has become less popular in recent years, but many adults still partake in smoking the plant.With prices being as high as they are, many smokers in Illinois might be wondering if they can save some money and grow the plant at home.Growing tobacco is legal in Illinois, according to the Daily Journal, but only for personal consumption. Selling the plant without a license can lead to stiff penalties. There are also no federal laws on the amount of tobacco that a resident can grow, so they can grow as much as they choose. Can I bring weed purchased in Illinois to other states? Earwigs, also known as "pincher bugs," reportedly love to munch on tobacco leaves. If a resident is wanting to grow their own plants, it is important to have a plan to either keep the bugs from eating the leaves or deal with them once they do.While growing tobacco is legal at the state level, local laws can prevent residents from growing the plant. They might need to get...

What are my rights if I get arrested in Illinois?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Since 2007, the number of arrests in Illinois has been on a downward trend, with 155,266 arrests made in 2021, according to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.While the numbers are going down, arrests are still happening across the state, and do not seem like they will be stopping anytime soon. If a person does get arrested, they might be wondering what rights they have.Citizens' rights are outlined in the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments of the United States Constitution's "Bill of Rights," according to the Illinois State Bar Association. Being aware of these amendments can make a person sure that how they are being treated while in custody is constitutional or not. Is it legal to spit on someone in Illinois? If a person is arrested, they will be read the Miranda Rights. The person performing the arrest will tell the detainee that "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Y...

Maryland attorney general investigation finds hundreds abused by archdiocese

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) – This week, the Maryland attorney general released the findings of a four-year investigation into sexual abuse at the hands of catholic priests and others within the archdiocese of Baltimore.While the investigation found there were hundreds of victims, investigators believe many other survivors -- some of whom now live in other states -- have yet to come forward.Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown says the investigation documented abuse of at least 600 children by priests, deacons and other leaders within the Baltimore archdiocese from the 1940s through the early 2000s.“It was tormenting, painful, in some ways sadistic,” Brown said. “Typically there are many more who have not come out and spoken up and made a claim, then there are who have.”Through a grand jury subpoena, the Maryland attorney general’s office obtained hundreds of thousands of records from the archdiocese – revealing the church knew about the abuse and systematically covered it up. No rule...

MAP: AutoPed deaths endemic along I-35, US-183, Ben White Blvd.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A vehicle colliding with a pedestrian (AutoPed) at any speed can injure or even kill. KXAN looked at such collisions over 2022 and into 2023 to determine where they occur.According to data from the Austin Police Department (APD), the majority of AutoPeds appear to occur near I-35, US-183 and Ben White Blvd. AutoPeds also were reported in outlier areas in east Austin. These locations roughly line up with where fatal car collisions also occur in the city. MAP: Where have Austin’s fatal crashes occurred in 2023? What makes an AutoPed fatal?Multiple factors are at play in any vehicle collision, but the primary ones are speed, size of a vehicle and the general health of a pedestrian. The heavier a vehicle, and the faster that vehicle travels, the more force it imparts in a collision.Research in 2011 by AAA's Foundation for Traffic Safety (FTS) found that the risk of death in an AutoPed reaches 10% if the impact speed is over 23 miles per hour. That risk jumps to 50% if...

Some city council members make micro-mobility a priority for Austinites

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — City of Austin Council member Mackenzie Kelly of District 6 was set to address an agenda item related to micro-mobility in the city during the April 20 council meeting, but the agenda was changed after a “desired outcome” was achieved.Kelly expressed her gratitude toward Mayor Kirk Watson and council members Zohaib Qadri, José Vela and Leslie Pool for their collaboration on the resolution.“I'm grateful to share that we were able to achieve the desired outcome of my resolution thanks to productive discussions with stakeholders and the Austin Transportation Department,” Kelly said. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: City of Austin postpones discussion on e-scooter regulation downtown In a memo to Interim City Manager Jesus Garza, Kelly said ATD emphasized its commitment to collaborating with micro-mobility providers to ensure the services were safe and reliable by developing and implementing strategies to encourage micro-mobility use.“I would like to commend the City Manager’s offic...

Spurs' Keldon Johnson still loyal to Buc-ee's even though he's 'not supposed to' eat there

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A road trip up Interstate 35 usually results in a stop at Buc-ee's. For Spurs small forward Keldon Johnson, a stop at the iconic Texas gas station was "mandatory," before heading to Austin to play the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moody Center Thursday.The stop was not his first and will not be his last, but Johnson might not make the stop right before a game again. In a post-game press conference, Johnson said he got an upset stomach after the visit. San Antonio Spurs help refurbish 5 basketball courts around Austin "Stopped at Buc-ee's, that's all I'm going to say," Johnson told a room of reporters. "Buc-ee's is always good. I'm not supposed to be eating Buc-ee's, it tastes good, probably like 10 out of 10, my stomach just didn't agree with it, this time."Johnson added that he loves Buc-ee's and will definitely go back. He said he stopped at the gas station often while traveling between Cedar Park and San Antonio. Johnson started his NBA career playing in the G-L...

Drones, road closures and email blasts: How St. Paul, Stillwater are preparing for flooding

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Here come the drones, and at least a handful of road closures, as well as email alerts, sandbags and sewer work, among other precautionary steps to prepare for possible spring flooding along the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers.For St. Paul Public Works and the properties along aptly-named Water Street, rising Mississippi River water levels following sudden snowmelt are nothing new. Technology has provided new tools — like drones — to document damage and predict various scenarios.A temporary road closure on Shepard Road on Friday morning allowed a St. Paul sewer team to go underground and work on valves, one small mitigation effort in an elaborate flood plan that includes state, county and federal partners. The capital city declared a procedural flood emergency on Wednesday, a presumptive step that empowers the city’s emergency management officials to mobilize resources quickly if the need arises.That’s a big “if.” Twin Cities temperatures over th...

Man fatally shot outside St. Paul Target ID’d as 23-year-old

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

A man who died after he was shot outside a St. Paul Target store was a 23-year-old, police said Friday.No one was under arrest as of Friday afternoon in the killing of Jadonn Taylor, of St. Paul.Officers responded to calls at 9:50 a.m. Thursday about the shooting in the parking lot of the Target on Suburban Avenue just south of Interstate 94. Someone drove Taylor to fire station No. 24 at Suburban and White Bear avenues, where firefighters gave him emergency medical aid in the station’s driveway, but he was pronounced dead.Police are investigating the circumstances of the shooting and continue to ask anyone with information to call them at 651-266-5650.The Target location closed Thursday after the shooting and reopened Friday with additional security.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Tim Walz takes murder case from Hennepin County, gives it to Keith Ellison Crime & Public Safety | S.D. Supreme Court orders unsealing of affidavits in T. Denny ...

Timberwolves have one last chance to take an inferior foe seriously. Their play-in seed depends on it

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

The NBA regular season wraps in a very fitting way for the Timberwolves.Lurking Sunday is a home game against New Orleans that could determine whether Minnesota needs to win one play-in game to reach the playoffs, or two. Such a game would be an exciting conclusion to the 82-game campaign in front of a packed home crowd. The Timberwolves have fared well in high-stakes square-offs against high-level competition throughout the season.But, before the Wolves take part in such a high-stakes duel, they must first take care of lesser competition the day prior.Minnesota controls its own destiny in its pursuit of a top-eight seed. But, assuming the Pelicans take care of the short-handed Knicks on Friday, the Timberwolves must first handle their business against a bad team Saturday before earning their must-see matinee.If Minnesota doesn’t beat San Antonio on Saturday in Austin, Texas, Sunday’s game could be rendered moot from the Wolves’ perspective, and they could be locke...

HALT's segregated confinement, year-in-review

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:00 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- It’s been just over a year since the state implemented the HALT Act; limiting the time an incarcerated person spends in solitary confinement to 15 days. Some say the bill makes prisons more dangerous, but others think it’s necessary to maintain the mental and physical health for incarcerated people.   NYSCOPBA doesn’t want to HALT solitary confinement According to the State Department of Corrections, since HALT was enacted, there’s been a total of 3,113 assaults in New York’s correctional facilities. The year prior, that number was 2,375. A 33% jump in overall violence.  It’s something the Correction’s Officers union sees first hand. "Incarcerated, individuals, understand the system, you know they play the system, they work the system to an extent and I’m not suggesting that they all do it but you know there’s some that do it and they recognize that the consequences aren’t there anymore and there’s no deterrent for them to stop that," said Michael Powers, pr...