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LIST: Endangered species that can be found in Central Texas

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:41:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — There are more than 50 endangered species that can be found in the state of Texas, and 11 are located in Central Texas.KXAN compiled a list of endangered species in Central Texas counties, which includes Travis, Bell, Williamson, Hays, Coryell, Milam, Burnet, Bastrop, McLennan, Lampasas, Blanco and Llano. Texas ranks 4th in US for most number of endangered animals Austin Blind SalamanderWithin Central Texas, the Austin Blind Salamander can only be found in Travis County, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPWD).The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) said the Austin Blind Salamander is entirely dependent on the Barton Springs Segment of the Edwards Aquifer.“The primary threats or reasons for listing the Austin blind salamander were the degradation of quality and quantity of water makes up its aquatic habitat as a result of urban expansion over the watershed,” FWS said.Federally, this species of salamander was listed as endangered in August 2013, according ...

Sainted & Tainted: ‘It’s hard to say enough good things about all the people with whom I have interacted’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:41:00 GMT

SaintedI recently lost my 101+ year-old mom, Irene. She, and I, were blessed with her relatively quick, peaceful, pain-free death. Over the past several years we received assistance with her care through the many services provided by Ramsey County’s Medical Assistance program. Wow! It is hard to say enough good things about all the people with whom I have interacted during those years.Everyone I have dealt with truly cared about her. They are competent professionals and were always attentive and compassionate. In this day and age of so much social discord and global horror, they are a beacon of what is right about humanity. I am particularly proud of this organization as a born-and-raised Saint Paulite. These people make a meaningful, apolitical, difference. Thank you.Jim Bracke, Eden PrairieSaintedSainted – the couple who lives across the street from Geranium Park in Maplewood. They have planted lots of flowers – along the curb, in their yard and in the space between their an...

Shooting at street takeover in South L.A. leaves 1 man hospitalized

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:41:00 GMT

A man was sent to the hospital after being shot during a street takeover in South Los Angeles. The street takeover occurred at the intersection of San Pedro Street and Manchester Avenue, and officers responded to the area on reports of shots being fired around 1:50 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. LAPD confirmed that both the suspect and the victim were both spectators in the street takeover, and that the suspect got out of a vehicle and fired multiple rounds at the victim, who was in a different vehicle.  Elderly woman brutally beaten as East L.A. rape suspect remains at large After shooting at the victim, the suspect got back in his vehicle and fled, police said. The suspect has been described as an adult Hispanic man. The victim has only been identified as a 20-year-old Hispanic man. The victim transported himself to a local hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.Alexis Lewis contributed to this report. 

The Best Hemp Flower For Fatigue? — A Review Of The Lifter CBD Strain

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:41:00 GMT

Most people in the cannabis market know that some strains have an “energizing” influence on users. Colloquially called “wake & bake” hybrids, these flowers typically have strong sativa genetics that give people a sense of euphoria. However, since marijuana strains have elevated traces of delta-9 THC, these sativas could also induce severe paranoia.Thankfully, a few CBD-rich hemp flowers offer subtler sativa effects without the risk of a THC-induced reaction. Case and point: Lifter has become a celebrated CBD sativa in the current hemp market. People interested in smoking or vaping hemp strains that have “uplifting” properties should take a closer look at what Lifter has to offer.What Are The Basics Of The Lifter Hemp Strain?There’s a lot of speculation surrounding why cultivators chose the name “Lifter,” but few people doubt where this strain originated. According to reputable reports, the famed Oregon CBD farm developed Lifter by crossing the legendary Early Resin Berry with th...

Willow Glen High’s Class of 1953 holds 70th—and last—reunion

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:41:00 GMT

More than 30 members of Willow Glen High School’s class of 1953 will be celebrating their 70th and last formal reunion on July 28 with a lunch at Three Flames restaurant on Meridian Avenue.“We were a special class,” said Winifred Cooper, a 1953 Willow Glen High School graduate and current resident of Willow Glen. “We were very close. People just got along. It was a great time to grow up and be a part of things.”Willow Glen High School was established in 1950 by San Jose Unified School District. The class of 1953 attended what is now Willow Glen Elementary School for kindergarten through eighth grade, and then attended Herbert Hoover Middle School for the first half of ninth grade while Edwin Markham Junior High (now Willow Glen Middle School) was being built.“We were the first class to open up Markham and then the first class to open up Willow Glen and go all the way through,” said longtime Willow Glen resident and 1953 graduate Carol Kaczmarek.San Jose High School, which opened in ...

The Taylor Swift Transit Effect: VTA adds more service for ‘Eras Tour’ as other cities see public transit boom

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:41:00 GMT

As Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” moves across the country, the pop singer is leaving her mark not only on the music industry but on public transit, too  — with concertgoers dressed in sparkles, tassels and cowboy hats packing into trains and buses to get to the record-breaking shows.The phenomenon — dubbed the “Taylor Swift transit effect” by some transportation experts — is expected to arrive in the Bay Area when Swift comes to Santa Clara for her two-night engagement at Levi’s Stadium this week.While Santa Clara Valley Transportation officials don’t have an estimate of how many riders the concert could bring in on July 28 and 29, spokesperson Stacey Hendler Ross said other transit agencies have experienced up to triple the ridership for Swift’s concerts compared to other large-scale events. VTA’s light rail, which runs right past the stadium, typically transports about 8,000 passengers both to and from football games, Hendle...

For Bay Area’s transgender community, housing remains a great challenge

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:41:00 GMT

Even in San Francisco, the “LGBTQ capital of the world,” Carolina Osoria was persistently turned down during her apartment search. Her identity as a transgender woman was nitpicked as a potential issue, she said.When she was coming out in 2020, there was a lot on Osoria’s mind. Will I be able to get a job? Will I be able to afford a house? Will I feel safe in my house? Will I feel safe on the streets?Finding affordable housing in the Bay Area can be tricky for anyone. But for transgender folks, the process can be more daunting, increasing the risk of homelessness. A study conducted by San Francisco-based Horizons Foundation in 2018 found 11% of transgender women, 6% of transgender men and 4% of non-binary respondents in the Bay Area stayed in a car or on the street at least once in the span of a year. In California, one in five transgender people reported having faced housing discrimination, such as being evicted or denied a home because of their gender identity, while nearly a thir...

Live updates | Rahm on a roll at British Open after four straight birdies

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:41:00 GMT

RAHM ON A ROLLHOYLAKE, England (AP) — Jon Rahm has finally gotten on a roll at the British Open.The world No. 3 has made four straight birdies from No. 9 and moved into a tie for fourth place on 3-under par, still seven shots off leader Brian Harman. Rahm is 5 under for his third round.Harman arrived at Royal Liverpool 2 1/2 hours before the scheduled start time of his round at 3.30 p.m. local time.His overnight lead of five strokes is still intact.Rory McIlroy is about to set off on the first hole. He is 1-under par for the tournament.WHAT TO KNOW— Harman builds a 5-shot lead at British Open.— Tommy Fleetwood keeps alive English hopes of an Open champion.— Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith rally to make British Open cut; Morikawa not so lucky.— Justin Thomas goes from England to Minnesota to save his season.— R&A changes rake pattern in pot bunkers. ___UP-AND-DOWN 3RD ROUND FOR SCHEFFLERNo. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler’s run of consecutive top-12 finishes is in jeopardy after a...

England edges Haiti 1-0 in a tough opener for Euro champions at Women’s World Cup

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:41:00 GMT

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — England edged Haiti 1-0 on a retaken penalty from Georgia Stanway in a difficult Women’s World Cup opener Saturday for the European champions against a team on debut at the tournament. England dominated possession in the first half but had to wait until the 29th minute for Stanway to convert from the spot. She was awarded a second shot on a VAR review, for encroachment, after her first attempt was well saved by Kerly Theus diving full stretch to her right. The Group D game between the No. 4 and the 53rd-ranked teams was tense from start to finish with Haiti forward Melchie Dumornay regularly troubling the England defense.“I can say if we do that against England we can do anything against anyone,” Dumornay said.The athletic Theus made a succession of saves to thwart England’s chances of increasing its margin and then Haiti went within inches of a stunning late equalizer. England goalkeeper Mary Earps made a crucial reflex save in the 81st in a close-r...

Historic Danville house of worship morphing into Airbnb

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:41:00 GMT

DANIVILLE, Va. (AP) — When Jeremy DiMaio took a look at the late 19th-century Gothic Revival church along Jefferson Avenue about three years ago, he asked his then 12-year-old daughter if he should buy it.“She said, ‘no, but I know you will,’” DiMaio recalled during an interview inside the former First Presbyterian Church building. “So I did.”Since closing on the purchase of the nearly 150-year-old structure at 200 Jefferson Ave. in April 2021, he has been working diligently to restore it and turn it into an Airbnb christened “Church of the Perpetual Boogie.”Though months away from completion, the building inside delivers a funky, humorous theme with irreverent touches and rich history.In the spacious fellowship hall area converted into a living room, a life-size figure of Barack Obama sits cross-legged on a red leather sofa, sporting a smile and an “I voted” sticker.A 36-pound, 30-foot wide reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” on a thin, flimsy particle board adorn...