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State Fair’s Space Tower breaks down, will remain out of commission for the duration of event

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

The Space Tower, a landmark on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, has broken down and will remain offline for the duration of the 12-day event, according to State Fair officials.The Fair opened Aug. 24 and closes on Labor Day, Sept. 4.The Space Tower, a Minnesota State Fair landmark, broke down on Aug. 30, 2023, and was to remain offline for the duration of the 12-day event, according to event officials. (Runner1928 via Wikimedia Commons)A staple of the State Fair since 1965, the tower and its slowly rising and spinning cylindrical rider platform have offered generations of fairgoers a 360-degree view of the Twin Cities and the attractions of the Falcon Heights fairgrounds, and its blinking lights provide a warm goodbye to departing visitors at nightfall.On Wednesday evening, Fair officials released a limited statement about the breakdown by email: “The Space Tower will not reopen during the 2023 State Fair. The ride requires specialized electronic equipment that will not arrive...

Peoria Police: 6 people shot in South Peoria late Wednesday night

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) - Peoria police have confirmed that five to six people were shot in South Peoria late Wednesday night. Officers were called to the 2200 block of West Marquette Street just before 9 p.m. That's in between South Westmoreland Avenue and Madison Park Terrace. A slew of rescue vehicles filled the street. Crime tape was draped across several parts of the intersection and the street. Multiple ambulances raced away from the scene after patients were loaded inside. On scene are the Peoria Police Department, Peoria County Sheriff's Office and Illinois State Police. Terry Burnside of the House of Hope said that he believed six people were shot. He believed that all six were teenagers. Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said his office has not yet been called. Several on social media were reporting the incident. Videos of people gathered on Marquette were posted in many spots. Gun violence has ravaged Peoria in the past month. And in August, shootings have become an almost ...

Missouri Task Force 1 dispatched to Florida for Idalia relief

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

COLUMBIA, Mo. – On Wednesday night, 46 members of Missouri Task Force 1 sat stationed in Panama City, Florida, as the storm Idalia made its way through the Sunshine State and up to the nation’s southeast coastline. Missouri’s Task Force 1 is now ready to respond to whatever may arise. When they’ll return is anybody's guess.The Boone County Fire Protection District has helped equip first responders for disaster relief efforts.Members of the task force must be ready to deploy in just a few hours notice."It's a well-orchestrated machine to put 100,000 pounds of equipment on a tractor-trailer and getting moving down the road in four hours,” said Gale Blomenkamp, support services bureau director for the Boone County Fires Protective District.

A special supermoon in the skies over St. Louis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

ST. LOUIS - On Wednesday, the third and largest supermoon of the year rose in the night sky."People always like to know when it's the biggest, and supermoon is a good name,” Jim Small, president of the St. Louis Astronomical Society, said.It's the second full moon of the month, hence the blue moon moniker. At 222,043 miles away from Earth, it's about 100 miles closer than any other supermoon this year."Visually, it’s really not that spectacular,” Small said. “You’re not going to look at the full moon tonight and say, ‘Wow, that's so different from other full moons.’" In half a century, this St. Louis suburb grew from 500 to 50,000+ people Because it's only about 100 miles closer, Small explained that the difference between Wednesday night’s supermoon and any other is about the difference between a 15- and 16-inch pizza from 100 feet away. The fact that it's a blue moon—which happens once every two and a half years—aligning with a supermoon still makes it a sight to behold."Having ...

Sloppy Rockies swept by Braves, lose 20 games in August for first time

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

The dog days of summer are taking a big bite out of the raw, young Rockies. It isn’t pretty to watch.The Braves beat the Rockies 7-3 Wednesday night at Coors Field to complete a three-game sweep and send the Rockies to their 11th loss in their last 14 games. Colorado has lost nine in a row and 13 of its last 14 games vs. Atlanta.The loss also dropped the Rockies to 7-20 this month, marking the first 20-loss August in franchise history. Colorado also went 7-20 in April, which was the first 20-loss April in club history.Manager Bud Black has talked often about “growing pains” and “baptism by fire” for his rookies this summer. Wednesday night, there was a lot of pain and a lot of baptisms:• In the Braves’ two-run fourth inning, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who’s been so good this season, made a costly throwing error. Marcell Ozuna hit a tailormade double-play grounder to Tovar but he threw the ball into right field and his error kept Atlanta’...

Video captures thieves stealing from San Bernardino lingerie store

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

Security video captured two suspects walking into a store, assaulting employees and stealing merchandise from a San Bernardino lingerie store.The suspects, a man and a woman, are seen calmly walking into the store and browsing around before grabbing handfuls of items.As they attempt to leave without paying, a store employee blocks the couple at the front door. The woman eventually exits through the door while the man dashes outside. The employee, the suspect and another woman continue struggling outside of the shop.The couple eventually escaped with about $500 worth of merchandise, according to the San Bernardino Police Department.Security video captured two suspects walking into a store, assaulting employees and stealing merchandise in San Bernardino. (San Bernardino Police Department)Security video captured two suspects walking into a store, assaulting employees and stealing merchandise in San Bernardino. (San Bernardino Police Department)Security video captured two suspects walki...

Rare blue supermoon, with Saturn in tow, to put on show tonight: How to watch

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

Stargazers are in for twice the show tonight: a rare blue supermoon with Saturn peeking from behind.The cosmic curtain rises Wednesday night with the second full moon of the month, the reason it’s considered blue. It’s dubbed a supermoon because it’s closer to Earth than usual, appearing especially big and bright.This will be the closest full moon of the year, just 222,043 miles or so away. That’s more than 100 miles closer than the August 1 supermoon.As a bonus, Saturn will be visible as a bright point 5 degrees to the upper right of the moon at sunset in the east-southeastern sky, according to NASA. The ringed planet will appear to circle clockwise around the moon as the night wears on.If you missed the month’s first spectacle, better catch this one. There won’t be another blue supermoon until 2037, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project.Clouds spoiled Masi's attempt to livestream the supermoon rising earlier this month. H...

Crews quickly knock down fire at home in Napa: officials

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

(KRON) -- A fire broke out at a single-story home in Napa Wednesday evening, Cal Fire LNU said. Officials said the fire at North and Third Avenues was quickly knocked down by firefighters.Crews will remain on the scene for several hours as they continue to investigate the cause of the fire. No injuries were reported. Cal Fire did not say if there were any people displaced.Photos of the scene outside of the home were posted by Cal Fire (see below). More wolf packs appearing in Northern California (Cal Fire LNU)(Cal Fire LNU)North and Third Avenues is approximately four miles east of downtown Napa. Cal Fire tweeted about the blaze at 8:14 p.m.

Andre Jackson gets first big league win as Pirates sweep Royals with 4-1 victory

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Andre Jackson pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning in his first major league win, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Kansas City Royals 4-1 on Wednesday night for a three-game sweep.Jackson (1-1) struck out a career-high seven and walked two in 5 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander, who made his big league debut in 2021 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowed one run in his 20th major league appearance.“We saw in the fourth and fifth his velo started to tick down,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. ”But the changeup still played. He was able to execute some pitches.”Jackson became the first Pirate to strike out the first five batters in a game since Bruce Kison in 1979. But the last part of his outing was more difficult.“I felt like I started out strong and then kind of lost a little steam,” he said. “I tried to get ahead of guys. I battled.”Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski homered for the Pirates (61-73), and Vinny Capra hit an...

Vines’ strong outing in big league debut leads Braves past Rockies 7-3

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:30:11 GMT

DENVER (AP) — Darius Vines pitched six strong innings to win in his major league debut and Marcell Ozuna homered for the second time in as many games as the Atlanta Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 7-3 on Wednesday night to complete a season sweep.Kevin Pillar and Orlando Arcia also homered for the Braves, who finished 7-0 against the Rockies for their third season sweep of Colorado. Atlanta outscored Colorado 64-20 over the season sweep.The Braves went 6-0 against Colorado in 2003 and 13-0 in 1993, the first year of the Rockies’ existence. Atlanta has won its last eight game at Coors Field against the Rockies, who lost for the ninth time in 10 games. The Braves are a major league-best 87-45, and have won 17 of their last 22.Alan Trejo homered for Colorado off reliever Michael Tonkin in the bottom of the seventh. Nolan Jones doubled twice, the first dropping in right-center in the bottom of the fourth when Ronald Acuña Jr. appeared to lose the ball in the lights. An inning later wit...