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Bagpipes, Guinness & Shepard's Pie, oh my: Chicago celebrates St. Patrick's Day

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:26:25 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago area celebrated St. Patrick's Day at several pubs and restaurants on Friday.As hundreds celebrated Irish culture with good food, drinks, bagpipes and dancing, the holiday was meaningful for Tara Walsh, who moved from Ireland to Chicago nine years ago. She said St. Patrick’s Day festivities at the Irish American Heritage Center made her feel at home. "This is my first time here and I didn’t realize it was going to be so full of Irish culture," Walsh told WGN News. "We even have soda bread right over there."VIDEO: WGN Morning News' St. Patrick's Day Extravaganza kicks off at Bourbon Street!The wall-to-wall crowd was decked in green as they enjoyed other Irish favorites like the talented Shannon Rovers Pipe Band and the world-famous Trinity Irish Dancers. "I love dancing so much. I feel so good when I dance. It makes me happy," said Trinity Irish Dancer Kaitlin Schimmel.But the St. Paddy's Day fun wasn't exclusive to the Irish American Heritage Center.Chief O’Neil...

Lincoln Park Zoo reveals names of new baby lions

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:26:25 GMT

CHICAGO — The Lincoln Park Zoo has revealed the names of their newest trio of baby lions.Three male lion cubs playing at the Lincoln Park Zoo have recently been named. (Photo: Lincoln Park Zoo)The three male lion cubs, named in partnership with Maasai community members in Tanzania, will be called Pesho, Sidai, and Lomelok. SEE ALSO | 3 new lion cubs at Lincoln Park Zoo get first wellness visitPesho means "an unexpected gift," Sidai means "good," and Lomelok means "sweet." The cubs recently met their dad, Jabari, about two months after mom, Zari, gave birth. The cubs also have an older brother named Pilipili, the zoo's first-born lion cub in two decades, who recently celebrated his first birthday. The circle of life: Lincoln Park Zoo welcomes birth of new lion cub Officials say the cubs will remain behind the scenes for a few more weeks at the zoo before being introduced to the rest of the pride.The trio of cubs arrived just a little over a year after the opening of the brand new P...

'I’M BACK!': Trump returns to Facebook after reinstatement

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:26:25 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has returned to Facebook after a more than two-year ban.“I’M BACK!” Trump posted on the site weeks after his personal account was reactivated. Trump, who is running his third campaign for the White House, also shared an old video clip in which he said: “Sorry to keep you waiting. Complicated business.”He posted the same clip on YouTube, which announced Friday that it, too, was welcoming him back.Facebook parent Meta had said in January that it would be restoring Trump ’s personal account in the coming weeks, ending the suspension it imposed in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection, when Trump's supporters violently stormed the U.S. Capitol in a bid to halt the peaceful transition of power.His access was restored to Facebook and Instagram on Feb. 9, the company confirmed.“The public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying — the good, the bad and the ugly — so that they can make informed choices at the ballot box,” Nick Cleg...

What happens to your body when you drink beer daily

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:26:25 GMT

(KSNF/KODE) — If your idea of relaxing at the end of the day involves cracking open a beer, you're not the only one. According to Statista, in 2021, the U.S. beer industry had around $109 billion in revenue, and, on average, consumers drank about 68 liters (18 gallons) within the year. Compared to other alcoholic beverages, beer is easy to come by in stores due to its low alcohol by volume (ABV) — many beers are under 5% ABV, making them sellable in grocery stores in states with strict liquor laws. While those low ABV numbers may make drinking beer seem like a better option than other alcoholic beverages, it's important to note how drinking a beer every day can take a toll on your overall health — both immediate and long term.Nutrition information for beerAccording to the USDA, one 12-ounce can (355 mL) of regular beer contains:Calories: 153Protein: 2 gTotal fat: 0 gCarbohydrates: 13 gFiber: 0 gSugars: 0 gAlc...

Top Notch Hamburgers location to open in Hutto next week

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:26:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In an announcement Friday, the City of Hutto said the much-anticipated opening of Top Notch Hamburgers in the city was set for March 22.“This will mark only the second location of Top Notch since its iconic original location opened on Burnet Road in Austin in 1971,” the City of Hutto said in a release.The drive-in burger joint rose in popularity when it was featured in the 1993 film Dazed and Confused starring Matthew McConaughey, where he first coined the iconic phrase “Alright, Alright, Alright!”Image of Top Notch exterior (City of Hutto photo)Image of Top Notch interior (City of Hutto photo)The city said the new location would be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 121 Co-Op Blvd., serving up its charcoal-grilled burgers, hand-dipped onion rings, fried chicken and more.Hutto said lines should be expected due to the excitement about the Austin brand choosing Hutto and the newness of the crew.The location’s owner, Kelly Chappell, said training has gone well this mo...

Trump to visit Texas for first 2024 campaign rally

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:26:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Former President Donald Trump is expected to hold his first full-fledged rally of the 2024 campaign on March 25 at 5 p.m. in Waco, Texas, a campaign spokesman confirmed.The rally will be held at the Waco Regional Airport, located at 7909 Karl May Drive. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Former Pres. Donald Trump bringing ‘American Freedom Tour’ to downtown Austin Timeline of events:8 a.m. – parking and line opens12 p.m. – doors open2 p.m. – Special guest speakers deliver remarks5 p.m. – 45th President of the United States Donald J. Trump delivers remarksGeneral Admission tickets for the rally are available, according to Trump’s campaign spokesman.Trump last visited Austin in May 2022 as part of his "American Freedom Tour."

APD arrest 2 wanted in South Congress game room robbery

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:26:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN)-- The Austin Police Department arrested two men in connection with an armed robbery in south Austin March 9, according to an APD news release.At approximately 11:30 a.m., a detective with the APD Robbery Unit was canvassing the block of South Congress Avenue for a separate incident when an employee of a game room flagged him down, the release said. The employee told the detective two men recently robbed the business.Surveillance video from the business showed two suspects walk up to the locked front door of the game room, and the employees opened the door, the release said. Once the suspect entered, he pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and placed it on the employee's head, police said.Images provided by the Austin Police DepartmentThen, the second suspect entered and locked the door behind him, the release said. Both suspects then demanded the employee open the game room machines to get cash. Furthermore, police said another employee inside the business was pistol-whi...

Bracket data: Will Texas reach the Final Four?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:26:25 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — March Madness is off and running with 68 men's and women's college basketball teams battling their way through the bracket to decide this year's national champion.It's the best time of year for hardcore and even casual college basketball fans. Millions of brackets have been submitted for pools with family, friends, co-workers and (sometimes) random strangers. The winner of these pools will undoubtedly claim themselves a college basketball expert amongst their inner circle. How many perfect brackets remain in the NCAA Men’s tournament? Over 20 million brackets were submitted through ESPN's bracket challenge. ESPN also offered stats on which teams America picked to make it to each round.While Houston and Alabama are the two favorites to cut down the nets, the Texas Longhorns aren't too far behind, according to ESPN brackets. 6.2% of ESPN brackets picked Texas to win the national title. Over a quarter of brackets have Texas in the Final Four.Texas LonghornsThe Univers...

Third suspect charged in fatal shooting of St. Paul man arriving home from work

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:26:25 GMT

A third suspect has been arrested and charged in the December killing of Alex Becker, a 22-year-old repeatedly shot in his St. Paul alley after walking home from a late-night work shift.Shaun Lamar Travis  (Courtesy of Ramsey County sheriff’s office)Shaun Lamar Travis, 25, of Brooklyn Park, faces aiding and abetting second-degree murder in the fatal shooting in the city’s North End just before midnight Dec. 27. An autopsy showed Becker had been shot six times.Travis was charged Feb. 21, but charges were sealed until Friday, when he was arrested in Northeast Minneapolis in an industrial area near Highway 280 and Broadway Street.Prosecutors charged Arteze Owen Kinerd, 20, of Minneapolis, nine days after the murder, and Detwan Cortell Allen, 19, of St. Paul, on Feb. 10, two days after his arrest.Becker was a 2019 graduate of Como Park Senior High School. He was returning home from work at Goodin Co. on Como Avenue when he was “robbed and shot outside his home only a f...

Class 1A girls basketball semifinals: Top-ranked Mountain Iron-Buhl rallies past Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:26:25 GMT

Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa had top-ranked Mountain Iron-Buhl on the ropes in their Class A state semifinal at Williams Arena, up by 11 with 10 minutes to play. But the Rangers finished on an epic run.Sage Ganyo had a game-high 23 points and four assists, and Jordan Zubich added 17 points and four assists as Mountain Iron-Buhl rallied to beat BBE, 61-57, at Williams Arena.With her team trailing 48-37 with 10 minutes remaining, Zubich, a senior guard headed for North Carolina, made a 3-pointer to start an 18-2 run that put the Rangers ahead 55-50 with 2:42 left on the clock.Harley Roering hit a 3-pointer, her fourth of the game, to pull BBE within 57-53 with 59 seconds left, but the Rangers (29-3) closed the game by making 6-of-8 free throws to seal a championship matchup against BOLD on Saturday at Williams Arena. Tip is set for noon.Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (25-5) closed to within 51-50 on a layup by senior guard Abby Berge, but the Rangers responded with seven straight points. Berge ha...