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Short-term rentals aren't keeping housing prices high, real estate agent says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:41 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Despite exceeding housing inventory by more than double, short-term rentals (STR) may not be the primary cause of high home prices.Austin Stowell, associate broker with KEEP Real Estate Group, said high demand met a city that wasn't ready for massive growth."We have a system in Austin in which we have not planned for the growth that Austin has experienced, and because of that we have a shortage of housing and a huge increase in demand," Stowell said. "I don't necessarily think [STRs] had a huge impact when it comes to affordability because quite honestly, most housing in Austin is not really truly affordable."STRs still part of the picture However, he said STRs do play some role in the housing market."I certainly think that on some level Airbnb contributed to it," Stowell said. "But I think when it comes to what really drove prices, I think Airbnb is a real small fraction of what caused the huge rush and demand in Austin." Is an Airbnb ‘collapse’ happening in Aust...

Texas softball's Mike White recalls stories en route to Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:41 GMT

Austin (KXAN) - A native of Wellington, New Zealand, Texas softball head coach Mike White was very active growing up."When I was in high school, I played just about everything," said White. "We just had a hand in everything. New Zealanders take the outlook that we want to be more of a participant than a fan."Now, he's one the most successful softball coaches in the country, but soccer was his first love. White was a strong right back on the pitch for his home country."I had a nickname of 'MeatAxe'," said White. "Basically you never got past me twice and I made it hard on people."White came to the United States at age 18 to play semi-professional softball. His first stop was over 8,000 miles from home in Saginaw, Michigan where he also worked at an ice cream shop."I don't think people could understand me," White said about his accent working in Saginaw. "I didn't last too long at that job."His playing career took him a number of other places like California, Fort Worth and Wisconsin ...

5-year-old boy dies after being found unresponsive in Eagan swimming pool

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:41 GMT

A 5-year-old boy died Thursday after being found unresponsive in a swimming pool in an Eagan neighborhood, police said.Police received a report around 12:30 p.m. of a young child running between homes in the 1600 block of Donegal Court. While checking the area, officers located the child’s mother, who said her 5-year-old son was missing from the 1700 block of Deerwood Drive.Officers found the boy unresponsive in a pool in the 3900 block of Donegal Way, which is less than half a mile north of the Deerwood address. They administered lifesaving measures on the boy before he was transported by ambulance to a children’s hospital in St. Paul, where he was pronounced dead.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Great River Energy holding open houses on plans to rebuild Dakota County power lines Crime & Public Safety | Blue Cross employees stumble upon long-forgotten time capsules hidden in Eagan Crime & Public Safety | Family of Eagan ...

West Nile Virus detected in Pittsfield

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:41 GMT

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Officials confirmed they've detected West Nile Virus in a mosquito in Berkshire County. So far, no human cases of the virus have been reported this season in Massachusetts. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Mosquito samples taken in Pittsfield tested positive for the virus, making it the fourth positive mosquito sample taken statewide in 2023. The first positive sample was taken in Brookline on July 6, the second in Worcester on July 7, and the third in West Springfield on July 20.In humans, West Nile Virus generally causes mild illness, with symptoms including fever, body aches, vomiting, and diarrhea, but you should get checked out if these symptoms become severe. However, in rare cases, it can lead to severe illness, including meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord) and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and even lead to death.Tips to avoid mosquito b...

Volunteers needed to deliver meals to homebound seniors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:41 GMT

SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Volunteers are needed to deliver meals to homebound seniors in Schuylerville. Meals are picked up at 11 a.m. and delivered until 1 p.m. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The program provides many seniors with nutritious ready-to-eat lunch each weekday. Volunteers' schedules are flexible to meet their availability.Individuals interested must submit paperwork, including references, to the Saratoga County Department of Aging and Youth Services. Volunteers must have a valid driver's license and their own vehicle. For more information, contact the Saratoga County Department of Aging and Youth Services at (518) 363-4020.

Albany man arrested following homicide investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:41 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An arrest has been made in connection to the homicide that occurred on July 4. Thaddeus Planas-Dove, 24, was charged with second-degree murder following an investigation by the Albany Police Department's Criminal Investigation Unit. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The shooting happened at an apartment on Second Street. Officers located Eduardo Montes with a gunshot wound to the torso. Montes was pronounced deceased at the scene.Police determined that Montes and Planas-Dove were involved in a physical altercation. Planas-Dove then shot Montes with a handgun.Planas-Dove was also charged with one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. He was arraigned in Albany City Criminal Court and remanded to the Albany County Jail.

Cardinals' winning streak snapped at six, Cubs win 4-3

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:41 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer, and the Chicago Cubs stopped St. Louis' six-game win streak with a 4-3 victory over the Cardinals on Friday.Bellinger capped Chicago's four-run third inning with a 400-foot drive to right against Jack Flaherty. He finished with three hits in another strong performance at the plate.Bellinger, a possible trade target ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, is 10 for 20 in his last five games. Since returning from a bruised knee on June 15, the 2019 NL MVP is batting .381 (40 for 105) with six homers.All-Star left-hander Justin Steele (10-3) struck out a season-high nine in 6 1/3 innings for Chicago, bouncing back from a lackluster performance against Boston. He allowed two runs and six hits.Miles Mastrobouni lined his first big league homer for the Cubs, and Mike Tauchman added an RBI double.Flaherty (7-6) was charged with four runs and eight hits and six innings. The right-hander went 4-0 with a 3.24 ERA in his previous four starts.St. Louis t...

JB Blast returns to Jefferson Barracks Park after holiday weather delays

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:41 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - The JB Blast, one of the biggest Independence Day celebrations in south St. Louis County, returns Friday after severe storms ahead of the holiday caused it to be postponed. Anne Radford with St. Louis County Parks and Recreation says postponing the event was the right call. Organizers tried to delay the event an hour on June 30, but with many severe storms and heavy winds in the forecast, it was best to cancel for the safety of everyone.   Protests over Francis Howell plan to allow anti-racism resolution to expire With the beautiful weather expected Friday evening, organizers are anticipating thousands to visit Jefferson Barracks Park. The JB Blast experience includes a food truck row and live entertainment starting at 7 p.m., followed by the fireworks a little after 9 p.m.And after the three-week delay, Radford is glad the celebration is finally here. “We are super excited. A lot of hard work and dedication went into this, and we're finally excited to see ...

Another Western state says it won’t send wolves to Colorado, citing “enormous price” of managing the species

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:41 GMT

Another Western state decided it will not provide wolves for Colorado’s reintroduction efforts, citing federal regulation and disagreements about how wolves should be managed.Idaho Department of Fish and Game Director Jim Fredericks declined Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s request for wolves in a June 6 letter, which was first reported by 9News. Fredericks cited frustrations with federal restrictions on managing Idaho’s wolves, “unacceptable impacts” of wolves on elk and deer populations and mistrust between conservation groups, ranchers and others because of disagreements of how to handle the species.“Unfortunately, Idaho’s experience leads us to conclude that negative impacts of wolves sent to Colorado will not stay in Colorado,” Fredericks wrote.Colorado voters in 2020 decided to reintroduce gray wolves and mandated that state wildlife officials do so by Dec. 31, 2023, but Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have not yet secured an ...

Beaver Tail Mesa fire, burning above I-70 on Colorado’s Western Slope, is 50% contained

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:41 GMT

The Beaver Tail Mesa fire, burning high on a cliff along Interstate 70 on the Western Slope, is “in check,” according to the Bureau of Land Management.The fire, sparked by lightning, has burned 52 acres and is 50% contained, said Eric Coulter, a BLM spokesman with the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Grand County’s Devil’s Thumb fire now 76% contained, smoke expected through fall Crime and Public Safety | New fire blazes in Mesa County following lightning strike near state park Crime and Public Safety | Summit County officials respond to wildfire near Frisco Crime and Public Safety | Colorado wildfires: Firefighters race to snuff flames before hot, dry weather hits Crime and Public Safety | Firefighters gain ground on Devil’s Thumb fire, while Spring Creek fire grows On Thursday, the fire billowed a plume of dark...