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Regulator yanks thousands of wells from troubled oil company, transfers for cleanup

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:34 GMT

Alberta’s energy regulator has transferred control of thousands of oil and gas wells and other facilities held by a troubled Calgary company to the group that’s responsible for cleaning up poorly maintained or abandoned sites. In an order issued Wednesday, the regulator told the Orphan Well Association that it would be responsible for the care and operation of more than 3,000 oil and gas wells, 2,700 pipeline segments and 350 facilities owned by AlphaBow Energy.“AlphaBow and any contractors of AlphaBow are not permitted to take any actions at the licences and the sites without first obtaining the approval from the (Orphan Well Association),” said the letter to association president Lars DePauw.The Alberta Energy Regulator’s documents state AlphaBow’s entire environmental liability is $154 million. The regulator has told the association to suspend AlphaBow’s wells, meaning surface structures must be safely locked and the drill hole plugged wi...

Ottawa school bus routes cancelled for thousands of students due to driver shortage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:34 GMT

OTTAWA — Thousands of Ottawa parents are still scrambling to find a way to get their kids to school after their buses were suddenly cancelled because of a driver shortage.About 7,500 students were affected after the bus service for both the Ottawa public and catholic school boards cancelled 300 routes just before schools opened this week.School started for both boards Sept. 5, and many parents were only informed their kids’ bus was cancelled the week before. Some didn’t even find out until the first day.The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority said the city’s rural west end is among the hardest hit areas after a bus company that was to operate 36 routes pulled out.OSTA’s general manager Vicky Kyriaco said the city’s school bus agency won’t be able to start looking for solutions for another week.“It’s definitely a difficult situation,” said Kyriaco.“The important thing for us right now is making sure that our regular syst...

Parenting advice YouTuber Ruby Franke and business partner to remain jailed on child abuse charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:34 GMT

A Utah mother of six who gave parenting advice via a once-popular YouTube channel called “8 Passengers” made her initial court appearance Friday on charges that she and the owner of a relationship counseling business abused and starved her two young children. The proceedings were delayed by about 45 minutes due to technical difficulties after more than 1,300 people sought to log in to watch the virtual hearing, said Tania Mashburn, spokesperson for the Utah State Courts.Ruby Franke, 41, and Jodi Hildebrandt, 54, were charged with six felony counts of aggravated child abuse after their arrests on Aug. 30 at Hildebrandt’s house in the southern Utah city of Ivins. Both appeared before Judge Eric Gentry via video from jail wearing orange striped uniforms and spoke little. Their attorneys waived reading of the charges and the women did not enter pleas.Gentry ordered them to remain jailed without bail and scheduled their next hearings for Sept. 21. Their attorneys — Lamar Winward fo...

‘One Chip Challenge’ product pulled from Canadian shelves after U.S. teen’s death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:34 GMT

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is conducting a food safety investigation into the One Chip Challenge. The investigation comes as the manufacturer of the extremely spicy tortilla chip pulls the product from Canadian and U.S. shelves after a teen’s death in Massachusetts.     An autopsy is pending, but the 14-year-old’s parents are blaming the challenge.A spokesperson for Texas-based Paqui says the One Chip Challenge is sold “in very limited distribution in Canada.”Participants in the social media challenge eat the chip containing Carolina Reaper and Naga Viper peppers and then see how long they can go without drinking water or eating other food afterward.Paqui says the product is labelled to warn it is for adults only and not intended for people who have medical conditions, are pregnant, are sensitive to spicy foods or are allergic to the ingredients. The Paqui spokesperson says the company is “deeply saddened” and expresses its condolences to...

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders proposes carve-out of Arkansas public records law during tax cut session

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:34 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Friday proposed shielding a broad range of records about her administration, travel and security from public release as she called for a special legislative session next week focusing on additional tax cuts.The Republican governor proposed the new exemptions to the state’s Freedom of Information Act as the Arkansas State Police is being sued by an attorney and blogger who’s accused the agency of illegally withholding records about Sanders’ travel and security. FOIA experts said the changes would severely weaken the 1967 law — signed by the state’s first Republican governor since Reconstruction — that protects the public’s access to government meetings and records.Sanders, who took office in January, portrayed the changes as a way to modernize the law and make government more efficient. “Arkansas has some of the most transparent FOIA laws in the country, and these reforms will do nothing to...

Police search for child after reported parental abduction

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:34 GMT

ELGIN, Ill. — A search is underway for a toddler as authorities investigate a report of a parental child abduction that happened in Elgin on Friday, police say.According to the Elgin Police Department, officers responded to a report of a parental child abduction in the 1300 block of Amanda Circle just before 2 p.m. Kroger and Albertsons sell hundreds of stores in a bid to clear merger of the 2 largest US groceries Police say Kash Hayes, a boy who is around two years of age, was allegedly abducted by 34-year-old Kenny Hayes.According to police, Kash was last seen with short braided hair, wearing camouflage-style pants and green shoes.Police say Kenny Hayes, who has a heavy build and stands 5 foot 8 inches, was last seen driving a dark grey Infinity sedan with an Illinois license plate, with tag number "EA52844." He was last seen traveling southbound on Naperville Road from Route 20. Taste of Chicago begins, Eli’s Cheesecake returns for 43rd year Elgin Police say the alleged abduc...

Are men still afraid of wearing pink?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:34 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Even though many of today's biggest male stars, like Timothée Chalamet and Harry Styles, have become fashion icons by embracing feminine or androgynous styles, new data shows many men aren't quite ready for skirts and backless jumpsuits.Moreover, some men are just working up to feeling OK wearing pink. How big will Facebook settlement checks be? Lawyers reveal estimated payment per person That's according to a new survey on masculinity from YouGov, which surveyed 4,095 adult men and women in the United Kingdom. The survey gathered men's levels of comfort engaging with certain behaviors versus that of women — including situations like sharing a bed with a friend of the same gender or receiving flowers as a "thank you" gift.Timothée Chalamet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 2, 2022 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Jacopo Raule/FilmMagic)Although it doesn't rank as the top activity men said they'd feel uncomfortable doing, 31% of men said they'd feel unc...

The 39 people the Georgia special grand jury recommended charges against

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:34 GMT

(The Hill) – A Fulton County, Ga., special grand jury recommended charges against 39 people for their involvement in former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia, according to its final report.Only 19 people were ultimately charged last month in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s (D) years-long investigation.Some of the most notable names in the report released Friday who weren’t among those ultimately charged were Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), former Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, both Georgia Republicans, and former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn. Here’s the fill list of the 39 people the special grand jury recommended charges against: Former President TrumpThis booking photo provided by Fulton County Sheriff's Office, shows former President Donald Trump on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, after he surrendered and was booked at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. ...

No Favre or Rodgers: A rare Bears' match-up vs. Packers the last three decades

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:34 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — If this match-up between the Bears and the Packers seems a little different, you'd be right. That's because it's rare the team hasn't faced their rivals from Green Bay without a quarterback with the last name of Favre or Rodgers over the past three decades. With Aaron Rodgers off to the Jets, Jordan Love takes over and will be under center for the Week 1 contest against the Bears at Soldier Field Sunday at 3:25 p.m. So how rare is it to not have either Rodgers or Favre as the quarterback for the Packers if you're a fan of the Bears? (AP Photo/Fred Jewell)Love's start on Sunday will mark just the second time since the start of the 1992 season that one of those quarterbacks wasn't under center against the Bears. Taking over as the starting signal caller for Green Bay that year, Favre would start two games a year against the Bears through 2007.Against the Bears with the Packers, Favre was 22-10. (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)Rodgers would take over in 2008 and he would st...

Life-saving Naloxone now available over the counter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:34 GMT

WASHINGTON (Nexstar) -- This week the opioid reversal medication Naloxone became available over the counter nationwide. Federal health officials hope that will make a big difference when it comes to saving lives."One of the things that I've heard was 'let that junkie die. Let that crackhead die,'" says Rosalind Picardo, founder of Operation Save Our City, who claims she has reversed more than 2,000 opioid overdoses with Naloxone, a nasal spray."The number one cause of death for people 18 to 49 is drug overdoses," states Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of National Drug Policy. Dr. Gupta has also observed that people harbor stigmas about both the use of drugs and the use of overdose reversal medications, because they think it won't impact them.But Gupta emphasizes, "People from all communities, all socio-economic status, demographic and geographic status are being affected."Officials want Naloxone to be widely and easily accessible. For that reason they say they've stocked the Health and Hu...