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New training aims to cut down on wrongful arrests in Illinois

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:58 GMT

Illinois leads the country in prison exonerations, according to the National Registry of Exonerations and the Center for Wrongful Convictions.In Illinois, the number one reason for wrongful arrests is police misconduct.To solve the problem, the Illinois Police Training Institute has started a new training program.I dug a bit deeper into this new training, what it includes and the particular challenge Illinois faces, beating out Texas, New York and California in wrongful convictions.The majority of people who are wrongfully convicted are mainly young black men.“I’m always humbled because I can’t imagine going into a room with 102 police officers after being incarcerated by that system for something that I didn’t do,” Wrongful Conviction and Awareness and Avoidance Training Director Marcus Beach said when introducing exoneree Antione Day to a group of trainees.“I have 14 years in the system,” said Day, who was sentenced to more than 60 years for a crime he did not commit.Attorney and ...

Suspect jailed after Illinois hotel standoff

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:58 GMT

A 29-year-old Rock Falls man is in custody after police allege he was involved in a standoff Sunday at a hotel in Lee County, according to a news release. Shortly after 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Lee County Dispatch received a 911 call from the Magnuson Hotel, 443 Illinois Route 2, that a man had just threatened him with a gun at the location.Lee County Deputies, Dixon Police and the Illinois State Police responded to the scene. Through the investigation, the suspect was identified as Steven M. Armoska of Rock Falls, who was staying at the hotel. Steven Armoska (Lee County Sheriff's Office) Armoska was discovered to have a lengthy criminal history with numerous prior weapons offenses and felony convictions, the release says.The determination was made to activate the Joint Operations Group, which is a group of tactical officers from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Dixon Police Department, and medics with the Dixon City Fire Department. A perimeter was established around the room where Ar...

A cheesy casserole that lets the host savor holiday mornings

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:58 GMT

By Melissa Clark, The New York TimesIt’s not a big deal making eggs and toast to feed one or two. It’s when you try it for a crowd that things start to get tricky. The eggs or the toast always wind up cold, which is bad enough on a weekday, and even worse on a holiday morning.But turn those ingredients into a breakfast casserole and something magical ensues.Instead of remaining separate, the bread soaks up the egg, becoming custardy in the center, and puffed and golden on top after baking. You can stir in all kinds of other ingredients to fancy it up — any combination of bacon, sausage, cheeses, herbs or vegetables will heighten its appeal.Best of all, not only can all of this be done in advance, it should be.Assembling the casserole the day before allows the bread to soften and absorb the egg mixture as it sits. Then, the next day, all you need to do is pop it in the oven, leaving the cook plenty of time for other morning pursuits — going for a run or taking a shower (o...

Actor Jonathan Majors found guilty of assaulting former girlfriend

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:58 GMT

Jonathan Majors was convicted Monday of assaulting his former girlfriend after a two-week trial that the actor hoped would salvage his damaged reputation and restore his status as an emerging Hollywood star.A Manhattan jury found Majors, 34, guilty of assault and harassment. He was also acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment. Majors, who was asked to stand and face the jurors as the verdict was read, showed no immediate reaction, looking slightly downward.The charges stemmed from a dispute between the “Creed III” actor and his girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, that began in the backseat of a chauffeured car and spilled into the streets of Manhattan one night last March.Jabbari, a 30-year-old British dancer, accused Majors of an attack inside the vehicle that left her in “excruciating” pain. She said he struck her in the head with his open hand, twisted her arm behind her back and squeezed her middle finger until it fractured.Majors’ lawyers said she was the ag...

Firefighters help save Christmas for community reeling from church fire

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:58 GMT

POMONA, Calif. - Firefighters couldn’t save the church, but they were able to save Christmas for many of its congregants.The Victory Outreach Church in Pomona went up in flames early Sunday morning in a fire that remains under investigation.“The flames just began to run through the entire attic,” Pastor Robert Garcia told KTLA. “[Firefighters] had to pull out so nobody would get hurt, and they had to pretty much sit there and watch it burn for a couple of hours.”Video from OnScene.TV shows the Victory Outreach Church in Pomona, California going up in flames on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2023. (OnScene.TV)No one was injured, but around 500 toys that were to be given to children as Christmas gifts Sunday night were destroyed, along with the 42-year-old building itself.As news of the fire spread, community members started coming forward to donate toys. Then, Los Angeles County firefighters hatched a plan.“When [we] found out that community members of this church were planning their Christmas par...

David Perez Dies, Kendall Crump Hurt in Semi-Truck Accident on US Highway 84 [Littlefield, TX]

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:58 GMT

32-Year-Old Driver Pronounced Dead after Big-Rig Collision near South Loop 430LITTLEFIELD, TX (December 18, 2023) – David Perez died Sunday night in a semi-truck crash on US Highway 84 and South Loop 430. The incident occurred at approximately 8:00 p.m., on December 3rd.Authorities report that Perez, a 32-year-old resident of Lubbock, lost his life at the scene after failing to yield at a stop sign while driving. This resulted in a collision with a westbound semi-truck operated by 31-year-old Kendall Crump.Due to the severity of injuries, medics pronounced Perez deceased. Crump, suffering from minor injuries, was transported by paramedics to Lamb County Healthcare Center for treatment.The investigation into the incident is currently ongoing, and no further details have been disclosed at this time.In this sorrowful time, the Sweet James team would like to extend their heartfelt condolences to the family of David Perez. May you find comfort and strength during this devastating t...

Warriors: Jackson-Davis ready to pounce on opportunity with Green out indefinitely

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:58 GMT

PORTLAND — The Warriors are thin enough in the front court. But for the next three weeks, at least, that frontcourt will have to stand on its own without its foundation in Draymond Green.Now, the center rotation especially is a floating mishmash of undefined variables; Kevon Looney has regressed and is sometimes unplayable against mobile, athletic teams. Dario Saric is a floor-spacing asset on offense, but not often the solution on defense.Even with a thin paint presence, rookie center Trayce Jackson-Davis is often buried on the bench, mostly because of a few iffy stints here and there. But the Warriors need him to the front of the bench pronto.Jackson-Davis saw an extended run against Portland when Saric ran into foul trouble early in the first half and gave Golden State a look on both ends they haven’t had consistently since the Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee days. The kind of game the coach Steve Kerr could lean in on while the rotation experimentation light is on.Rel...

Actor Jonathan Majors guilty of assault, harassment

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:58 GMT

By Jennifer Peltz and Jake Offenhartz | Associated PressNEW YORK — Jonathan Majors was convicted Monday of assaulting his former girlfriend after a two-week trial that the actor hoped would salvage his damaged reputation and restore his status as an emerging Hollywood star.A Manhattan jury found Majors, 34, guilty of assault and harassment. He was also acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment. Majors, who was asked to stand and face the jurors as the verdict was read, showed no immediate reaction, looking slightly downward.His sentencing was set for Feb. 6.The charges stemmed from a dispute between the “Creed III” actor and his girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, that began in the backseat of a chauffeured car and spilled into the streets of Manhattan one night last March.Jabbari, a 30-year-old British dancer, accused Majors of an attack inside the vehicle that left her in “excruciating” pain. She said he struck her in the head with his ope...

Richmond gang member takes 36 years for two killings; one in jail, another on a Contra Costa freeway

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:58 GMT

MARTINEZ — A member of a small Richmond-area gang has accepted a plea deal that includes a 36-year prison sentence for two separate killings, one of which occurred in a jail while the defendant was facing murder charges.Elliot Johnhenry Johnson, 29, pleaded no contest to two voluntary manslaughter counts, a conspiracy charge, and various enhancements in exchange for prosecutors dropping two murder charges against him. Johnson has been in jail since 2017, when he was charge with murder in the Interstate 80 shooting that killed 24-year-old Demarcus Doss.Three years later, Johnson and his co-defendant in the Doss murder case, Bryan Jamarie Anderson, allegedly attacked beat 32-year-old Levele Williams, an Oakland resident who suffered a broken jaw and died one day later during surgery. Prosecutors charged both Anderson and Johnson with murder under the theory that the beating led to Williams’ death.Anderson — the person who prosecutors allege shot and killed Doss while...

Single-family home sells in Fremont for $3.5 million

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:11:58 GMT

451 Tangelo Court – Google Street ViewA 3,421-square-foot house built in 2016 has changed hands. The spacious, recently built property located in the 400 block of Tangelo Court in Fremont was sold on Oct. 19, 2023, for $3,511,000, or $1,026 per square foot. This two-story home provides a generous living space with its four bedrooms and five baths. In addition, the house is equipped with a two-car garage, accommodating vehicles and storage needs efficiently.Additional houses that have recently been purchased close by include:A 1,502-square-foot home on the 42100 block of Camino Santa Barbara in Fremont sold in July 2023, for $1,959,000, a price per square foot of $1,304. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In December 2022, a 1,796-square-foot home on Montevideo Court in Fremont sold for $1,890,000, a price per square foot of $1,052. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Montevideo Court, Fremont, in August 2022, a 2,230-square-foot home was sold for $2,220,000, a price per ...