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‘Don’t chop me down.’ 100-year-old gingko trees may get axe for Tokyo redevelopment project

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:49 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Miho Nakashima stood in a bathing suit in Tokyo on Sunday next to a 100-year-old gingko tree, her body painted head-to-toe in green leaves and brown branches.Her message was clear, and she repeated it standing at the heart of the Jingu Gaien park area, its sanctity threatened by a disputed real-estate development plan.“I’m a tree,” she said. “Don’t chop me down.”A plan approved earlier this year by Gov. Yuriko Koike would let developers, led by Mitsui Fudosan, build a pair of 200-meter (650-feet) skyscrapers in Jingu Gaien, mow down trees in one of Tokyo’s few green areas and raze and rebuild a historic rugby venue and an adjoining baseball stadium.Takayuki Nakamura, among a few hundred people who gathered on Sunday to protest, pressed his face into the bark of one tree and prayed. The area was set aside 100 years ago to honor Japan’s Meiji Emperor.“I want to appreciate the existence of these trees. Sometime I can feel some sounds inside,” he sai...

Large hailstones cause extensive damage in a small German town as a storm hits Bavaria

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:49 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — A storm with large hailstones damaged four-fifths of the buildings in a small town in the southern German state of Bavaria, local authorities said Sunday.The storm swept across the southern part of Bavaria on Saturday. In Kissing, just outside Augsburg, police said 12 people were injured when a beer tent that they were trying to put up was blown over.Also in Kissing, the wind ripped wooden slats off the roof of a home for the elderly, while hail caused visible damage to the facade of a residential building, German news agency dpa reported.The worst damage appeared to be in Bad Bayersoien, a municipality of about 1,300 people in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen region, near the Austrian border. County authorities said Sunday that it was hit by a hailstones measuring up to 8 centimeters (over 3 inches), which damaged parked cars and smashed roof tiles and attic skylights, while the storm also ripped roofs off some buildings. They said that 80% of the buildings were seriously d...

3 people found shot inside car in Little Village

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:49 GMT

CHICAGO — Three people were found shot inside a car early Sunday morning in Little Village.Chicago Police Department officers were called around 3:10 a.m. to the 2300 block of South Whipple Street on the report of a person shot. Doctor recounts moments after 2 women shot during White Sox game When they arrived, they found two men and a woman who were all shot inside the car, according to CPD.One man, 22, was shot in the leg, the other man, 34, was shot in the shoulder, and the woman, 20, was also shot in the shoulder, according to CPD. They were all taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.Additional details about what led to the shooting are not clear at this time. No one has been arrested yet in connection with the shooting.Area Four detectives are still investigating.

Weekend Break: Great American Dog Show

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:49 GMT

Join Weekend Break with WGN's Christine Flores at the Great American Dog Show.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Sunday Brunch: Shakshuka with Dimo's Pizza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:49 GMT

Sunday Brunch: Shakshuka with Dimos' Pizza.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

Is your dog at risk for T. cruzi infection, which can lead to heart problems and sudden death?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:49 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Right now in some areas the southern U.S, a significant percentage of dogs are infected with a potentially life-threatening disease — and many of their owners are likely not even aware.Canine Chagas disease, which is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (or T. cruzi), is estimated to be present in 2% to 6% of dogs in the southern U.S. But in more rural areas, or among working dogs housed in communal kennels or dogs who spend most of their day outside, the rate of infection is closer to 20%, and could be as high as 30% in some parts of the South, according to an expert who spoke with Nexstar.“Currently, there might be three-quarters of a million, or a million dogs across the U.S., infected,” estimated Rick Tarleton, a regents professor and distinguished research professor at the University of Georgia’s Department of Cellular Biology. Brain-eating amoeba: How do infections occur, and where are they most common? The parasites that cause the disease, Tarleton said, are...

ERCOT asks Texans to conserve energy for 4th day in a row

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas’ electric grid operator said it expects “tight grid conditions” again Sunday and is asking Texans to reduce energy use from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, said operating reserves are expected to be low Sunday afternoon and evening because of low wind generation, potentially low solar generation and high demand. PREVIOUS: ERCOT asks Texans to conserve electricity use for 3rd day This is the fourth consecutive day the electric grid operator has asked Texans to conserve electric use and issued a conservation appeal.ERCOT said current forecasts show a potential to enter emergency operations Sunday evening. RELATED: Virtual power plants to provide power to ERCOT grid for the first time ERCOT said emergency operations were avoided Saturday because of conservation efforts and additional grid reliability tools. These include using reserve power, asking for reductions from large electric customers that have volunteered to lowe...

Traffic alert: I-35 northbound ramp south of Williams Drive to permanently close in Georgetown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:49 GMT

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — An Interstate 35 entrance ramp near Williams Drive will permanently close Sunday night in Georgetown, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The northbound entrance ramp, just south of Williams Drive, will close overnight. Drivers will instead travel through the Williams Drive intersection and enter the main lanes south of Northwest Boulevard, TxDOT said. This is part of a $61.7 million project to build a new bridge over I-35 with a diverging diamond intersection, according to TxDOT. Construction began in 2020 and is scheduled to finish in late 2023.Overnight drivers should also note some lane closures in the area. Alternating northbound and southbound I-35 lanes will also close nightly starting Sunday through Wednesday from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., according to the project website. The Williams Drive bridge will also be closed overnight from 9 p.m. Monday through 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Police investigating body found in Schenectady

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:49 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Schenectady Police Department confirmed that a dead body was discovered at the Summit Towers apartments on August 26. The death is not believed to be suspicious at this time, according to police. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The body was found at 2:13 p.m. on Saturday. The name of the deceased will not be announced until after the next of kin has been contacted. The investigation remains ongoing. Stay with NEWS10 as this story continues to develop.

Cosplayers unite at 2nd Annual Fandom Fest at Proctors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:11:49 GMT

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Fandom Fest was back for its second year to help bring people together to express themselves through cosplay- or even to check out the celebrity guests and artists.But most importantly…the cosplay!Stephen Henel was at the event and said that he likes seeing local and national talent.“You get to see a lot of big Hollywood talent,” Henel said. “And you know, maybe showcase some of your own talents in cosplay as well.” Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Jessica Cameris, the Event Coordinator for Fandom Fest, said a lot of hard work was put into organizing the festivities.“So you can come, you can do all of the fun things that a convention would have, but you can also go to a Silent Disco, do a Paint and Sip, do a scavenger hunt, and have a very good event based time as well,” Cameris said.The fest featured actors from shows like Highlander: the series, voice actors from anime shows like Bleach and One Pie...