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Minnesota man acquitted of killing 3 people, wounding 2 others in case that hinged on alibi defense

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:24:58 GMT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A judge has acquitted a Minnesota man accused of fatally shooting three people and wounding two others in St. Paul last year in a case that hinged on an alibi defense.Ramsey County Judge Kelly Olmstead on Friday found Antonio Dupree Wright not guilty on all charges, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. Wright, 42, of Minneapolis, had waived a jury trial, allowing the judge to decide his fate.“There’s insufficient evidence to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is the person who committed these heinous crimes,” Olmstead said.Prosecutors had charged Wright with second-degree murder and attempted murder, alleging he was the masked man who fired a handgun at the victims at a St. Paul duplex on Sept. 4, 2022. Killed were Angelica Gonzales, 33, Cory Freeman, 42, and Maisha Spaulding, 44.“There is no question that the victims were intentionally targeted for murder,” Olmstead said. “The sole, true issue in this case is the identity of the shooter....

‘Nun 2’ narrowly edges ‘A Haunting in Venice’ over quiet weekend in movie theaters

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:24:58 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — “The Nun 2” and “A Haunting in Venice” virtually tied for the No. 1 spot in U.S. and Canadian theaters over the weekend, with a slight edge carrying the horror sequel over the Hercule Poirot mystery, according to studio estimates Sunday. In its second weekend of release, Warner Bros.’ “The Nun 2,” a spinoff from the studio’s lucrative “Conjuring” franchise, grossed $14.7 million. If numbers hold, that will give “The Nun 2” (up to $56.5 million total and $158.8 million worldwide) the top spot at the box office for the second straight week. Very close behind was “A Haunting in Venice,” Kenneth Branagh’s third Agatha Christie adaptation following 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and 2022’s “Death on the Nile.” It opened with $14.5 million. Final box-office figures will be released Monday. After the successful run of “Murder on the Orient Express” ($352.8 million worldwide against a production budget of $55 million) and the less-s...

Why humans can’t trust AI: You don’t know how it works, what it’s going to do or whether it’ll serve your interests

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:24:58 GMT

(The Conversation) - There are alien minds among us. Not the little green men of science fiction, but the alien minds that power the facial recognition in your smartphone, determine your creditworthiness and write poetry and computer code. These alien minds are artificial intelligence systems, the ghost in the machine that you encounter daily.But AI systems have a significant limitation: Many of their inner workings are impenetrable, making them fundamentally unexplainable and unpredictable. Furthermore, constructing AI systems that behave in ways that people expect is a significant challenge.If you fundamentally don’t understand something as unpredictable as AI, how can you trust it?Why AI is unpredictableTrust is grounded in predictability. It depends on your ability to anticipate the behavior of others. If you trust someone and they don’t do what you expect, then your perception of their trustworthiness diminishes.Many AI systems are built on deep learning&nbs...

What's with all the student driver stickers?

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:24:58 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (WXIN) — Have you noticed an increase in bumper stickers asking you please be patient, student driver? It appears the trend is similar in communities across the country. These commonly yellow stickers seemed to be plastered on all sorts of vehicles, and often times the people behind the wheel don't appear to be fresh-faced drivers still learning the rules of the road. So, what's the deal? A search online will show people in cities throughout the United States asking the same question: Are there really this many student drivers on the road? Or is there some other movement around plastering the yellow sticker on your bumper? "I swear in the last 6-10 months I've seen an insane amount of "'student driver, be patient' stickers," a Portland driver said on Reddit. In a separate Reddit discussion, a Colorado driver sounded off about seeing an increase in student driver stickers and motorists from other parts of the U.S. chimed in with similar observations. "Whenever I see some...

High school secretary in Texas accused of performing sexual acts on student, docs show

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:24:58 GMT

MISSION, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A secretary for the assistant principal was arrested after allegedly performing sexual acts on a student, documents show.Samantha Lee Carranza was arrested on charges of sexual assault of a child and improper relationship between an educator and student, according to Hidalgo County Jail records.According to a probable cause affidavit, on Sept. 1, an officer was informed that a 16-year-old student wanted to file a police report.The officer escorted the student to the main building, with the student saying he did not want to be seen by a "teacher" who was in the assistant principal's office.The student said that on Aug. 31, during lunch period, he went to the assistant principal's office to borrow a cell phone charger. There he asked the assistant principal's secretary, identified as Carranza, to which she said yes.He asked her if he could take the charger and return it later, but Carranza told him to stay and charge it in the conference room, a few fe...

How a 16-year-old owns a family-run bakery in Texas

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:24:58 GMT

SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — If you find yourself driving through the Texas Hill Country in Menard, Texas, you will see a brightly painted building right off the road. Walking inside, you will be greeted with smiling faces, the smell of ground coffee and the aroma of freshly baked goods. This is Texas Scratch Kitchen, a family-owned business looking to bring more than just delicious treats to their community.Joe and Amy Prest have five kids together that make up the Texas Scratch Kitchen family. The three older siblings, 16-year-old Maia, 18-year-old Zea and 14-year-old Laila Prest, were all born in England, where they were accustomed to French and European pastries made by their Nana. The two younger siblings, seven-year-old Sienna and five-year-old Jet Prest, were born in Texas.The Texas Scratch Kitchen is a Southern/European market and bakery, bringing fresh food to Menard and surrounding Texas communities. The owner, who is just old enough to get her driver's lic...

Business People: LaTondresse leaves Hennepin commission to lead housing collaborative

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:24:58 GMT

OF NOTEChris LaTondresseBeacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, a St. Paul-based developer of affordable multifamily housing, announced the appointment of Chris LaTondresse as chief executive officer. LaTondresse stepped down as an elected Hennepin County commissioner to take the new role.ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONSExplore Minnesota, the state’s tourism promotion office, announced that it will retain Adventure Creative as its agency of record for its True North promotional campaign. Adventure Creative has offices in Minneapolis and Seattle.EDUCATIONThe following St. Paul educators attended the BestPrep Technology Integration Workshop over the summer: Joseph Lin, Craig Karlen, Mary Moga and Kathleen Morrissey of Central High School; Kendrick Lewis and Christine Sowden of St. Paul Music Academy; Steve Powers, Lonnie Ghee Jr., Andi Hall, Daniel Badhwa and Martha Meyer of St. Paul City School; Lael Booth and Jenny Helgason of Washington Tech Magnet School; Amy Sheppeck of Humboldt Hig...

Police investigating officer-involved shooting in Johnstown

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:24:58 GMT

JOHNSTOWN, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Police are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting that took place in Johnstown on Sunday morning. The incident occurred in the area of Washington Street and North Market Street. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! On September 17 at 7:57 a.m., State Police responded to assist the Johnstown Police Department for the report of an officer-involved shooting. The preliminary investigation determined that Johnstown Police responded to an emergency call for an assault at a home on Washington Street. According to police, when confronted by an officer, a person at the scene struck the responding officer with a weapon. The Johnstown Police officer then reportedly discharged their firearm, striking the suspect. Brunswick man charged with attempted murder The suspect was then transported to Nathan Littauer Hospital, where they were later declared deceased. The officer and a resident in the home were als...

Hattie’s holds first job fair for new Albany location

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:24:58 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — On Sunday, Hattie’s Restaurant held an executive job fair for its new Albany location at the Black Chamber of Commerce and Social Club.“We just thought this was a great location. It’s close to the restaurant, and we’re really invested in the community here,” Elizabeth Alexander, Director of Hospitality of Business for Good, said. “So we thought, what better place than to use the chamber to host our first job fair.” Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The new restaurant is located at the former Lombardo’s location at 121 Madison Avenue in Albany's South End area. In addition to the location in Albany, customers can also visit the original restaurant on Phila Street in downtown Saratoga Springs, a quick-service spot in Wilton Plaza, and their seasonal location at the Saratoga Racetrack.Organizers say construction is expected to be complete by the second week of October.“We’re definitely starting to get our tea...

Brunswick man charged with attempted murder

Published Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:24:58 GMT

BRUNSWICK, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Brunswick man has been arrested following an assault investigation, according to State Police. Anthony Cresser, 26, is facing multiple charges. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! On September 16 at 7:29 p.m., state police responded to the Sugar Hill Apartment Complex at 400 McChesney Avenue for the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, police located three victims suffering from stab wounds.Police stated that Cresser was still at the location at the time, and was identified by witnesses at the person responsible for the stabbing. He was then taken into custody, and found to be in possession of property belonging to one of the victims. Police investigating officer-involved shooting in Johnstown The three victims were transported to nearby hospitals, and are all in stable condition at this time, according to police. Cresser now faces the following charges:ChargesThree counts of first-degree attempted m...