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Murder bounties and drug running in St. Louis lead to decades-long sentence

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Maurice H. Lee II blew kisses to his two young children in court Thursday, right before being sentenced to prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation that ordered hits against rival gang members.The massive case includes 17 defendants, all of whom have pleaded guilty.Federal investigators say the elaborate drug network, at its peak, sold more than 20,000 doses of meth and fentanyl every week. Another hidden chamber found under downtown St. Louis sidewalk That drug dealing, investigators say, resulted in murders in our streets, like a summer 2017 killing in north St. Louis. FOX 2 reported at the time that the violence extended for blocks, starting with a car crash on Arlington and MLK, then the drivers getting out and running through the streets firing weapons until it ended at Belt and Wabada, with a man shot in the head.Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa has been putting together the pieces for prosecution. After the sentencing, he told us, “These homicide...

Blues forward Kasperi Kapanen suspected of drunk driving in Finland

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Kasperi Kapanen, who joined the St. Louis Blues late last season, has been suspected of aggravated drunk driving in Finland.According to a report published Thursday by Finland’s national broadcasting company Yle, a case that linked Kapanen to drunk driving was brought to the attention of the district court of Pohjois-Savo last month. It's expected to be reviewed in February 2024. Additional details pertaining to the situation are limited. However, the St. Louis Blues and Kapanen have confirmed various details around the report, according to reports from The Athletic and St. Louis Post Dispatch. ‘It didn’t seem real’: Friends reflect on loss of teens in fatal crash "I made an unacceptable error in judgement and take full responsibility for my actions. I offer my apologies to my family, the Blues organization, my teammates and fans. I understand the severity of my mistake and am committed to doing everything I can to earn back trust," said Kapenen in a statement sent to...

Gov. Pritzker celebrates new construction at SIUE

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker paid a visit to the Metro East on Thursday to celebrate the new health and sciences building at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.Construction is underway on the building, which is expected to be ready by summer 2025. The project will connect two existing facilities for the school of nursing and the school of pharmacy. ‘It didn’t seem real’: Friends reflect on loss of teens in fatal crash "With today's groundbreaking, we usher in a new era for Southern Illinois and its world-class university with greater access to quality health care education and first-rate healthcare," said Pritzker. "Together, we are building a more prosperous future for the student, faculty and families of this region. Funding is for the project is made possible by the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program.As for SIUE, freshman enrollment at the campus is up nearly five percent, the highest increase in at least six years.

Braves spoil Wainwright's homecoming, win 8-5 over Cardinals to avoid sweep

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. hit two of Atlanta's five home runs, Matt Olson increased his major league-leading total to 47 and the Braves beat slumping Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals 8-5 on Thursday night.Acuña raised his season total to 34 homers with his third multihomer game this season and the 12th of his big league career. Olson homered for his fourth straight game, and Michael Harris II and Travis d'Arnaud also went deep for major league-best Atlanta (91-48), which leads second-place Philadelphia by 14 games in the NL East.Max Fried (7-1) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings, improving to 5-0 in his last seven starts. He is 5-0 in his career against the Cardinals.Wainwright (3-11), pitching in his home state of Georgia for the final time against the team that drafted him in 2000, allowed six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, including four solo home runs. He is stuck at 198 wins, losing seven straight starts and dropping to 0-10 in 11 outings sin...

Al-Qaida-linked insurgents in Mali kill 49 civilians and 15 soldiers in attacks, military says

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Two attacks by al-Qaida linked insurgents in the restive north of Mali on Thursday killed 49 civilians and 15 government soldiers, the country’s military junta said.A passenger boat near the city of Timbuktu on the Niger River and a Malian military position in Bamba further downstream in the Gao region were targeted, according to a statement from the military junta read on state television. It said the attacks have been claimed by JNIM, an umbrella coalition of armed groups aligned with al-Qaida. The Malian government killed about 50 assailants while responding to the attacks, the announcement said. It said also declared three days of national mourning from Friday to honor the civilians and soldiers killed in the attacks.Al-Qaida affiliated and Islamic State-linked groups have almost doubled the territory they control in Mali in less than a year, the United Nations said in a report last month, as they take advantage of a weak government and of armed g...

Motorcyclist killed in Westminster crash

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

A motorcyclist died after crashing into the back of an SUV on 120th Avenue near Federal Boulevard on Thursday afternoon, according to the Westminster Police Department.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Reward offered for info on woman who abandoned cat next to Capitol Hill dumpster with no food, water Crime and Public Safety | Westbound lanes of I-70 reopen; eastbound lanes, U.S. 6 remain closed near Eagle Crime and Public Safety | Colorado family of five injured in horrific wrong-way crash in Seattle Crime and Public Safety | Woman found dead in rural Arapahoe County ID’d as homicide victim Crime and Public Safety | Rail crossing gates fixed after being stuck in down position on Alameda in Aurora Officers responded to the scene at about 3:30 p.m. to reports of a motorcycle striking the back end of a white SUV. The motorcyclist, an adult male, was transported to a local hospital and pronoun...

How Warriors rookies Podziemski, Jackson-Davis got acquainted with their new team

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski had to duck their heads through the underground hallways of the old Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. These buildings weren’t built for NBA-sized players, though both recognized the abandoned structures from the “Call of Duty” video game.But exploring the insides of one of San Francisco’s most famous landmarks was all part of the Warriors rookies’ day getting well acquainted with their new city. A few weeks earlier a few miles south, the pair had already gotten better acquainted with their new teammates.Through the team group chat, Steph Curry organized a players-only mini camp in Los Angeles at the end of August. Most of the team — except Dario Saric, who is playing for Team Croatia in the FIBA World Cup — attended for the near week-long gathering. As a group, they practiced and had team dinners.“Just a great thing by our vets to set that up and team bonding off the court ...

Tommy Pham homers twice, Diamondbacks beat Cubs 6-2 to move into 3rd NL wild-card spot

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Tommy Pham hit two first-pitch home runs, Ryne Nelson was efficient on the mound in his return from the minors and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Chicago Cubs 6-2 on Thursday night.Ketel Marte added his 22nd homer to help the Diamondbacks win their second straight and move a half-game ahead of Miami for the last of the three NL wild-card spots. Chicago holds the No. 2 wild card, three games ahead of Arizona.Nelson (7-7), recalled from Triple-A Reno a night earlier, gave up two hits while striking out three and walking two in the first 5 2/3 innings. Paul Sewald, the last of five Arizona relievers, finished for his 31st save.Seiya Suzuki tripled and scored the first run for Chicago, which saw a four-game streak end and missed a chance to trim idle Milwaukee’s NL Central lead to one game. Dansby Swanson added a ninth-inning RBI single off reliever Joe Mantiply.Pham had a solo shot off Javier Assad (3-3) in the first and Marte added a two-run homer in the fourth to gi...

Dodgers credited with a run when Marlins ball boy picks up a ball that was in play

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers got an assist — and perhaps a run — due to a faux pas by a Miami Marlins ball boy. The Dodgers led 3-0 in the sixth inning and had Mookie Betts on first when Freddie Freeman hit a hump-back liner that landed just beyond the infield and inside the right field foul line. The ball bounced twice and ended up in foul territory, where the ball boy grabbed it with his glove and tossed the ball deep into the stands as Marlins right fielder Jesus Sanchez moved in to make the play.The umpires gathered at home plate and determined Betts had rounded third and allowed him to score. Freeman was credited with a double on the play.Rookie Ryan Pepiot pitched a perfect game for 6 2/3 innings as Julio Urías’ replacement in the Los Angeles rotation, and the Dodgers routed the Marlins 10-0 for just their second win seven games. ___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBSource

Ryan Pepiot throws 6 2/3 perfect innings as Julio Urías’ replacement, and Dodgers rout 10-0

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:00:44 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — Rookie Ryan Pepiot pitched a perfect game for 6 2/3 innings as Julio Urías’ replacement in the Dodgers’ rotation, and Los Angeles routed the Miami Marlins 10-0 on Thursday night for just their second win seven games.Josh Bell grounded a single up the middle with two outs in the seventh for the only hit off Pepiot. Caleb Ferguson allowed Garrett Hampson’s leadoff single in the eighth and Evan Phillips finished the two-hitter with a perfect ninth.Pepiot (3-0) was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City before the game to take the place of Urías, who was put on the restricted list following his arrest Sunday in Los Angeles on suspicion of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant. A 26-year-old right-hander starting his third stint with the Dodgers this season, Pepiot struck out three and induced nine groundouts, throwing 60 of 84 pitches for strikes.Chris Taylor had five RBIs that included his 15th home run, a double and a single. Miguel Rojas and Will Smit...