New contract rewards Albany police with salary raises

Published Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:41:56 GMT

New contract rewards Albany police with salary raises ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A new contract for Albany police officers and detectives has been ratified. Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Police Chief Eric Hawkins, and Police Benevolent Association President Michael Delano announced the overwhelming ratification on Wednesday. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "This agreement accomplishes an important goal of keeping our experienced police officers here with the City and helps make the Department more attractive as we recruit new officers, especially with an upcoming Civil Service Exam scheduled for September," said Chief Hawkins. "With the national trend of fewer young people entering law enforcement, it is critical that we maintain our trained and talented members of the Albany Police Department to protect and serve the residents of the City.”The new contract guarantees a 2% across-the-board salary increase through 2026. The contract also provides a 14% compensation increase over four years.

Albany homicide suspect convicted of second-degree murder

Published Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:41:56 GMT

Albany homicide suspect convicted of second-degree murder ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The suspect connected to a fatal shooting in January 2021 was convicted of second-degree murder on Wednesday morning. Nicholas Higgins, 30, was also convicted of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Higgins was accused of intentionally causing the death of Uizaie Brigman on January 11, 2021. Brigman was found inside a vehicle on Hamilton Street with a gunshot wound. He was treated by emergency medical personnel but was pronounced deceased at the scene. Sentencing is scheduled for September 1. Higgins faces 25 years to life in prison.

Hollywood strike questions answered

Published Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:41:56 GMT

Hollywood strike questions answered HOLLYWOOD (AP) — You watch movies. You watch TV. And now you're wondering how the dual Hollywood strikes—a pitched battle with actors and writers on one side, and studios and streaming services on the other—will affect you. We have answers. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Are “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” still coming out? They—and all other summer releases—are still on track! Many flashy premieres have been canceled, however, or dramatically scaled down.Am I crossing the picket line by seeing one of those movies?No, the unions have not asked fans to boycott productions, and are quick to make that explicit. Instead, the guilds have asked supporters who aren't members to post on social media and donate to community funds. Albany home to unscripted productions during SAG-AFTRA & WGA strikes Ezra Knight, fourth from left, SAG-AFTRA union New York local president, uses a bullhorn to address striking writers and actors on a p...

Are the St. Louis Cardinals contenders again?

Published Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:41:56 GMT

Are the St. Louis Cardinals contenders again? ST. LOUIS - In a season that has reached some historic lows, and nearly a week after the front office hinted at change, the St. Louis Cardinals might just be turning a corner. The Cardinals won their fourth consecutive game Tuesday on a thrilling walk-off home run from Nolan Arenado, matching their season-best winning streak and giving them victories in seven of their last nine. St. Louis now holds a 42-53 record and stands 10 games back of the National League Central lead, their closest path to a postseason. That doesn't fully inspire confidence of a turnaround, but it's a step forward from a season-worst 12.5 games back on July 5. History tells, the Cardinals have rallied back from similar deficits deeper in the season (at least twice) to eventually win a World Series. Cardinals rookie Jordan Walker strikes a new passion for bowling The recent momentum puts the Cardinals in an interesting position. President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak recently told FOX 2's Martin Kilc...

Suspended sentence for St. Louis man who fled deadly crash

Published Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:41:56 GMT

Suspended sentence for St. Louis man who fled deadly crash ST. LOUIS - A St. Louis judge ruled a man who fled the scene of a fatal crash in 2021 will not have to serve any prison time.Courtney Curry, 29, admitted speeding in a pick-up truck on Locust Street, running a red light, and colliding with an SUV that was making a left turn from Tucker Boulevard. The crash happened on Sept. 26, 2021.A passenger in the SUV, Antoine Johnson, was ejected from the vehicle and later died. He was 46. The driver of the SUV was also injured in the collision. Police arrested Curry more than a year later.Curry pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of leaving the scene of a crash. Police: Fatal Lemay crash ‘not an apparent speeding situation’ A prosecutor from the Circuit Attorney's Office recommended Curry be sentenced to five years in prison. Members of Johnson's family, who were present in court, asked that Curry get prison time because he did not take responsibility for his actions.Curry's lawyer said his client's decisio...

Which Missouri interstate ranks worst in U.S. for bathroom breaks?

Published Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:41:56 GMT

Which Missouri interstate ranks worst in U.S. for bathroom breaks? KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Summer is all about road trips, but travelers will need to have a plan before hitting one Missouri highway.A new analysis from QS Supplies found Interstate 49, which runs south from Kansas City, Missouri, is the worst road in the country when it comes to convenient bathroom breaks.QS Supplies, an online retailer for bathroom accessories, determined the 528 miles that is I-49 from Lafayette, Louisiana to Kansas City has just two dedicated rest stops. That means the stops are an average of 264 miles apart! Missouri man makes speed bumps to slow traffic Upon closer inspection, both of the highway rest stops on I-49 are in Louisiana. There are no rest stops along I-49 in either Arkansas or Missouri, according to the analysis.Interstate 72 from Hannibal, Missouri to Champaign, Illinois isn't much better, according to QS Supplies. Travelers will find rest stops an average of every 179 miles.The same analysis also determined the longest stretch of highway in the US wit...

“Am I crossing picket lines if I see a movie?” and other Hollywood strike fan questions answered

Published Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:41:56 GMT

“Am I crossing picket lines if I see a movie?” and other Hollywood strike fan questions answered You watch movies. You watch TV. And now you’re wondering how the dual Hollywood strikes — a pitched battle with actors and writers on one side, and studios and streaming services on the other — will affect you. We have answers.Do the strikes mean “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” aren’t coming out?They — and all other summer releases — are still on track! Many flashy premieres have been canceled, however, or dramatically scaled down.Related ArticlesEntertainment | Hollywood strike halts Colorado TV shows and movies; may lead to more reality TV Am I crossing the picket line by seeing one of those movies?No, the unions have not asked fans to boycott productions, and are quick to make that explicit. Instead, the guilds have asked supporters who aren’t members to post on social media and donate to community funds.Should I cancel Netflix, MAX or the 16 other streaming services I subscribe to if I want to show support?Nope, there...

Hollywood strike halts Colorado TV shows and movies; may lead to more reality TV

Published Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:41:56 GMT

Hollywood strike halts Colorado TV shows and movies; may lead to more reality TV As Hollywood-based writers and actors continue to picket studios, related TV and film production in Colorado has ground to a standstill. And unless you’re a movie star living in Aspen, you likely have zero leverage to change it, according to Colorado’s top film leader.But it’s not all bad news. The strike could lead to an uptick in the state’s already robust reality-TV scene, which includes fixer-upper shows such as HGTV’s “Rock the Block” and “Rico the Rescue,” and the Netflix dating series “Love is Blind.” Those are supported by Colorado’s production rebates, and without actors (represented by the SAG-AFTRA union) or writers (repped by the WGA), there are no picket lines to cross, said Donald Zuckerman, Colorado film commissioner.“We’ve been telling anybody who wants to make something here that has actors to wait and see what happens,” said Zuckerman, also a veteran film producer. “We t...

Prosecutor: Kevin Spacey left accusers feeling 'small, diminished and worthless'

Published Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:41:56 GMT

Prosecutor: Kevin Spacey left accusers feeling 'small, diminished and worthless' It was no coincidence that three of Kevin Spacey's four accusers described similar crotch-grabbing incidents, a prosecutor said Wednesday in her closing argument at his sexual assault trial.Prosecutor Christine Agnew said the interactions with the Hollywood star that left the men feeling “small, diminished and worthless” were similar not because the men had conspired — they didn't know each other — but because it was, as she said earlier in the case, Spacey's trademark move.“There comes a stage when so many people are saying the same thing,” Agnew told a London jury. “It just becomes, I’d suggest, overwhelming.”Spacey seized brief moments for an "opportunity grab” and was able to get away with the assaults for years, because he was a celebrity who took advantage of his power, Agnew said.Actor Kevin Spacey, right, walks outside Southwark Crown Court, London, Monday, July 17, 2023. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)The two-time Oscar winner long had benefited from a “trinity of protection:”...

Los Angeles County Superior Court changes cash bail protocols

Published Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:41:56 GMT

Los Angeles County Superior Court changes cash bail protocols The Los Angeles County Superior Court has approved changes to its cash bail protocols, officials announced this week.The new pre-arraignment release protocol, which take effect on Oct. 1, will determine release based on an arrestee’s risk to public or victim safety and their likelihood of returning to court. This will reduce reliance on cash bail as a condition of release for people arrested on suspicion of non-violent, non-serious felonies and misdemeanors, according to Presiding Judge Samantha R. Jessner.“A person’s ability to pay a large sum of money should not be the determining factor in deciding whether that person, who is presumed innocent, stays in jail before trial or is released,” Jessner explained in a news release announcing the changes Tuesday. “A low-risk arrestee should not be held in jail simply because they cannot post the necessary funds to be released pending arraignment.”The new bail schedules will replace uniform ones for felonies and misdemeanors before arraign...