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Can I be arrested for not showing up for jury duty in Illinois?

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:17:28 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The United States Constitution guarantees all criminal defendants a right to trial by a "jury of their peers." In Illinois, a jury is selected at random from individuals who are eligible for jury duty.To become a juror in Illinois, a prospective juror must be:Citizens of the United States, at least 18 years of age, inhabitants of the county in which summoned, free from all legal exception, of fair character, of approved integrity, of sound judgment, well informed, and able to understand the English language, whether in spoken or written form or interpreted into sign language.When someone is summoned to be part of the jury pool, that doesn't necessarily mean they will serve on a jury.If there is no available case for trial, or if a juror is excused from a court proceeding, they may be sent home.But — can you be arrested if you don't show up to jury duty in the first place?The answer is: yes. Failing to appear for jury duty in Illinois is against the law.A juro...

Asteroid expected to pass close to Earth this Saturday

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:17:28 GMT

WASHINGTON D.C. (KXAN) -- Scientists looking to observe asteroids will get a rare chance this weekend. NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office is reporting that a newly discovered Near-Earth Object will pass within just 100-thousand miles this weekend.According to the office, the asteroid, named 2023 DZ2, measures between 140 feet and 310 feet in diameter. A fly-by of this size happens once every ten years.The asteroid will pass between the Earth and the Moon's orbit. It will be closest to Earth at 2:51 p.m. CST on March 25th. The asteroid was first observed on January 14th, 2023. The best time to observe the asteroid will be early evening on March 24th by looking southeast.The asteroid is considered an Apollo-class asteroid. This means its diameter is less than 10km in size. These asteroid's orbits pass through Earth's orbit but take longer to complete an orbit of the sun. Because of the proximity this asteroid can get to Earth, NASA classifies it as a Potentially Hazardous ...

1st Texas case of avian influenza in mammal confirmed in skunk

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:17:28 GMT

CARSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A skunk recovered from Carson County is Texas' first confirmed case of avian influenza in a mammal. The National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed this week the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a striped skunk recovered from the north Texas county. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, HPAI is a highly contagious virus that transmits easily among wild and domestic birds and is detected in all U.S. states except Hawaii. The virus can spread directly between animals and indirectly through environmental contamination.For mammals, current data shows transmission occurs primarily through the consumption of infected animal carcasses, though mammal-to-mammal transmission does not appear sustainable, TPWD said in a news release. TPWD said other mammal species susceptible to HPAI include foxes, raccoons, bobcats, opossums, mountain lions and black bears. Symptoms can include incoordination and stumbling, tre...

Three St. Paul labor unions avert authorized strike with tentative agreement

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:17:28 GMT

In down-to-the-wire negotiations, three labor unions that had threatened to strike have come to a tentative agreement with the city of St. Paul over wages and other contract matters.Jonathan Young, a spokesman for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49 — representing construction workers, mechanics and heavy equipment operators in St. Paul Public Works — said the Tri-Council negotiating on behalf of the three labor units reached a tentative agreement with the city Monday night, and “no strike is being called at this time.”Members of the Tri-Council will vote on the agreement Thursday. The contract proposal, which has yet to be made public by the Tri-Council, is not final until accepted by members.The Tri-Council also is composed of Teamsters Local 120 and Laborers International Union Local 363, which together with IUOE 49 represent workers in St. Paul Public Works, St. Paul Parks and Recreation and St. Paul Regional Water Services.Roughly 100...

Easter restaurant specials in the Capital Region

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:17:28 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Easter Sunday is quickly approaching on April 9. If you’re thinking about going out for brunch or dinner to celebrate, you may want to plan ahead because many restaurants require reservations, and seats are filling up fast. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Here’s where you can find restaurant specials for Easter in the Capital Region.Dinosaur BBQOffering a take-home Easter meal featuring ham brined pork shoulder, three sides and a pie. Serves four to six people.Address: 377 River Street in TroyLast day to order is March 24 by noon. You can order your meal by calling (518) 308-0401Pick-up is available April 8 or 9The NestOffering Easter brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Address: 512 State Street in SchenectadyYou can view the menu on The Nest Facebook pageYou can make a reservation by calling (518) 672-3018 The Moose Kaboose Tavern opening in Hoosick Falls Cornell's in Little ItalyOffering the regular me...

Join an evening with historians for A Tale of Two Sagamores

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:17:28 GMT

BOLTON LANDING, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- On April 7, historians Bill Gates and Robert Engel will present an evening lecture about the history of the Great Camp Sagamore and The Sagamore Resort. The event will be held at the Sagamore Resort Conference Center and run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The evening kicks off with a cocktail hour from 6 to 7 p.m. Guests can enjoy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar while looking through historic artifacts and photographs from the Great Camp Sagamore and the Bolton Historical Museum.From 7 to 8 p.m., presentations will be made by Great Camp Sagamore Historian Robert Engel and Bolton Landing local Historian and Author Bill Gates on the histories of Great Camp Sagamore and the Sagamore Resort. Questions will follow the lecture at 8:30 p.m. Albany International Airport and TSA preparing for spring break surge Admission is free! Visit sagamore.org/a-tale-of-two-sagamores or emai...

Albany woman to compete on 'Jeopardy!'

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:17:28 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- An Albany woman will compete on Jeopardy! on Tuesday night. Charlotte Diffendale, a letter carrier, will look to be named a Jeopardy! champion. Check your local listings to watch Diffendale compete. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Jeopardy! has been on since March 30, 1964, and was originally hosted by Art Fleming. Beloved host Alex Trebek debuted as host in 1984 and remained host until his death in 2020. The show is currently announced by Johnny Gilbert, who has been announcing since 1984 as well. Former beloved contestant Ken Jennings, who had a 74-game winning streak on the show, became host in July 2022. Also, actress Mayim Bialik hosts the show as well and joined along in Jennings in July 2022 after guest hosting in season 37.

After two escapes, bear from Saint Louis Zoo moving to Texas

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:17:28 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A young Andean bear who escaped his habitat twice at the Saint Louis Zoo last month will soon have a new home. Ben, an Andean bear, escaped from his enclosure on Feb. 7 and Feb. 23, prompting two brief lockdowns at the zoo. In the near future, Ben will have a new home at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. Trending: St. Louis rage -- Chicago’s thin-crust pizza featured in the New York Times The Saint Louis Zoo says even though it met all standards to shelter Andean Bears, staff members "focused on Ben’s specific and unique personality to help determine the best home for the young bear" after two escapes. The Gladys Porter Zoo is an AZA-accredited zoo with a long history of working with Andean bears. Their Andean bear habitat includes a moat rather than steel mesh outdoor habitat, which could be a more ideal environment for Ben to roam around. “While we love Ben, and wish he could stay with us, our goal is to do what is best for him,” said Regina Mossotti, Vic...

Trump indictment: Grand jury vote expected Wednesday

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:17:28 GMT

NEW YORK (NewsNation) — The Manhattan grand jury will not vote Tuesday on whether to indict former President Donald Trump over hush-money payments made on his behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign, sources told NewsNation.The jury expects to vote Wednesday, sources said.Over the weekend, Trump claimed, without any evidence, on his Truth Social platform that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday, and exhorted followers to protest. His representatives later said he was citing media reports and leaks. Previously, there was no indication that prediction would come true, though the grand jury appeared to take an important step forward by hearing Monday from a witness favorable to Trump, presumably so prosecutors could ensure the panel had a chance to consider any testimony that could be remotely seen as exculpatory.The next steps in a grand jury process shrouded in secrecy remained unclear, and it was uncertain if additional witnesses might be summoned.The testimony...

St. Louis has the worst traffic in Missouri, study says

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:17:28 GMT

ST. LOUIS - If you’ve ever waited in bumper-to-bumper traffic in St. Louis, you’re not alone. A new study, released earlier this month by 24/7 Wall St., claims that St. Louis has the worst traffic in Missouri. Using data from INRIX, a traffic data and analytics company, 24/7 Wall St. identified the city with the worst traffic system in all 50 states. A research team evaluated cities and ranked them on criteria like driver’s average speed, congestion levels, and travel during peak hours. Top story: Family makes public plea after missing woman’s car found abandoned The study revealed the following insight on St. Louis traffic:St. Louis drivers spent an average of 17 hours of their life stuck in traffic in 2022. The average commute time in the City of St. Louis is around 23 minutes.There was a 68% increase in change from traffic delays compared to 2021. St. Louis ranked 91st among 280 U.S. cities considered for traffic. On the INRIX scale, which rates U.S. and international ci...