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Ontario minimum wage to increase to $16.55 per hour on Oct. 1

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:58 GMT

Ontario’s minimum wage is set to rise to $16.55 an hour on Oct. 1.It marks a 6.8 per cent boost from the current rate of $15.50 an hour, an increase tied to inflation.The government says the increase means someone making minimum wage and working 40 hours per week would see their pay increase by nearly $2,200 per year.Labour advocates and opposition critics have said Ontario should introduce a $20 minimum wage.The Ontario Living Wage Network says a living wage in many parts of the province would be $19, but in the Greater Toronto Area it is over $23.Labour Minister Monte McNaughton says the increase on Oct. 1 will go a long way toward helping people with the cost of living.

Death scene in burned ferry moves Filipino rescuers to tears

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:58 GMT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine coast guard commander said Friday that the tragic scenes of death his team saw aboard a gutted ferry, including bodies of adults clutching children, had moved them to tears and sparked fears other passengers could be found dead in the still-smoldering ship.At least 29 of more than 250 people onboard the M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 were killed in the blaze that raged through the ferry Wednesday while it was on an overnight trip from the southern Zamboanga city to Jolo town in Sulu province. At least seven passengers, including two army soldiers, remained missing in the country’s deadliest sea disaster this year, the coast guard said.Basilan Governor Jim Hataman initially reported 31 deaths Thursday but later reduced the toll to 29 after search and rescue groups crossed-checked their figures.All 35 crew members survived, including the captain, who issued an abandon-ship order when the fire hit close to midnight and then ran the ferry aground on an...

Thornton's gas station robbed on Southwest Side

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:58 GMT

CHICAGO — A Thornton's gas station was robbed in the Brighton Park neighborhood early Friday morning. According to police reports, two armed men entered the gas station at the 3400 block of South California Avenue around 2:59 a.m. and approached the clerk, demanding to open the register. 2 year-old escapes Kansas daycare, nearly hit by car, mom says Police say the clerk complied and both men fled the scene in a dark colored SUV. There were no reported injuries and police are investigating the incident.

Trump’s historic indictment: Five takeaways

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:58 GMT

Former President Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury Thursday, making history as the first executive — sitting or former — to face criminal charges.The indictment comes after District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) initiated a probe investigating Trump’s involvement in organizing hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign.The charges, explosive in any context, are made even more so because Trump is running again for the White House in 2024, and leads the field by a huge margin in the nascent race for the GOP nomination. Here are five takeaways from Thursday’s extraordinary development.Charges filed, but specifics unclearBragg has been investigating a $130,000 hush money payment that Michael Cohen made to Stormy Daniels in 2018. (Getty Images)The indictment — which contains the specific charges — will remain under seal until Trump appears in court for his arraignment on Tuesday, unless Bragg successfully asks a judge to ...

Is human composting legal in Texas?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Marj Sippel and her husband of over 40 years, Harry, always planned to cremate their bodies once they died. That was until they saw an article about an emerging method that allows someone to turn their body into organic material after they pass away. "It felt like the most reasonable and healthy way to return our bodies to the soil," Sippel said. "It was a more natural process than anything I have been exposed to before. We both made the decision that this was what we wanted to do."Harry died last year. Marj said the post-mortem arrangements were peaceful and helped her to heal from the loss of her husband. "I cared for him as he died. And this was the final piece of it, helping to care for his body as he transitions back to soil," she said. This process is called human composting – or natural organic reduction. It's a form of post-mortem body disposition growing in popularity in recent years. Washington became the first state to permit the method, followed soon aft...

Traffic alert: Parts of I-35 to close for bridge demolition beginning Friday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Transportation said Wednesday it would close parts of Interstate 35 at Williams Drive in Williamson County for a demolition project beginning Friday evening.TxDOT said the closure would impact the northbound and southbound I-35 mainlanes on alternating nights to demolish and remove the existing U-turn bridge at Williams Drive.According to officials, the closure for the northbound lanes between SH 29 and Lakeway Drive would begin Friday at 9 p.m. and last until 9 a.m. Saturday, and the closure for the southbound lanes would be Saturday from 9 p.m. until 10 a.m. Sunday.TxDOT said Friday's traffic would detour to the frontage road at the Williams Drive exit (262) and re-enter the mainlanes north of Northwest Boulevard, and the southbound I-35 mainlanes would be reduced to two lanes. For Saturday, traffic would use the Williams Drive exit (262) and re-enter the mainlanes at the SH 29 entrance ramp, and the northbound I-35 mainlanes would be reduce...

Record heat to finish March, start of April follows suit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A late day cold front brings the chance of a few isolated storms this evening, but the bigger story for most looks to be the record warmth.Mainly cloudy skies this morning will thin some this afternoon. Sunshine, combined with warm southerly winds and compressional heating ahead of a cold front, will allow temperatures to soar well into the 80s and low 90s. Austin's forecast high of 91° will likely break the current record of 90° last set in 1974.Austin's Friday forecastThis front has the potential to trigger isolated storms and showers along, but mainly east of I-35 during the evening hours. One or two storms may have just enough strength to turn severe in in Milam and Lee counties (northeast of Austin), but the risk and coverage is low. Wind damage is our primary concern.Low severe storm risk in northeast counties late FridaySaturday is the annual ABC Kite Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Zilker Park. The forecast is for dry weather under a partly cloudy sky w...

Austin food policy manager worried about future of city's urban agriculture

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin's food policy manager is worried about the future of urban agriculture as the city and surrounding area continue to grow, and local food production continues to decrease.The Office of Sustainability at the City of Austin and Travis county have partnered together to create the area's first-ever food plan. A website for the effort describes a food plan as a plan that "sets clear goals and strategies to move toward a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient food system and provides a coordinating structure for all food-related initiatives." The food plan project is still in the "kick-off" phase. Edwin Marty, the city's food policy manager, who is tasked with creating a food plan, said the city has officially formed a 25-member community advisory committee. The group will next discuss the main priorities that the city will need to focus on as they create the plan and work toward a more reliable food system. The city is also asking anyone in the community to prov...

TEXSAR launches missing persons unit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A Texas group that assisted in the search for a missing Texas State student in 2021 has launched a missing persons unit. More than 50% of Texas Search and Rescue, or TEXSAR's, deployments since 2013 have been missing persons cases, according to a Wednesday press release from the agency. TEXSAR said the missing persons unit, or MPU, will be led by Todd Snyder.According to the Department of Public Safety, Snyder retired as Central Texas Regional Director in 2022 after serving DPS for 26 years. During part of that time, he was the Assistant Chief of the Texas Rangers from 2015 to 2019. According to TEXSAR, the MPU will work with local law enforcement on their missing persons caseloads. TEXSAR said it only works at the request of law enforcement and emergency responders and will manage the MPU in a similar fashion, working directly with law enforcement agencies.As KXAN reported in 2021, members of TEXSAR helped in the search after Jason Landry disappeared in December ...

5 things to know this Friday, March 31

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:44:58 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — According to Meteorologist Jill Szwed, a two-day system will bring waves of unsettled weather both tonight and tomorrow. On the bright side, the storm will mark the beginning of April—which American essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, adored. "The April winds are magical and thrill our tuneful frames," wrote Emerson. "The garden walks are passional, to bachelors and dames." Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Today's five things to know are topped by the fake active shooter calls that impacted several local schools Thursday. In lighter news, Jumpin' Jacks in Scotia opened for its 2023 season, and we reviewed the NCAA tournament's economic impact on Albany. 1. Local schools receive unfounded active shooter reportsA number of schools in the Capital Region are reacting to unfounded swatting reports. Most reports are about an active shooter. Schools and Police are keeping the public updated and informed ...