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Crane Watch: Apartment construction booming in Austin even as rental rates fall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:53 GMT

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) -- Multifamily housing development in the Austin area is on fire.Roughly 18,000 multifamily units were built during the first nine months of 2023, according to commercial real estate firm Partners. In the third quarter alone, production nearly doubled compared with the same period in 2022, from 3,996 to 7,508 units built. But that huge increase in supply has led to a decline in occupancy rates, which fell to roughly 89% in the third quarter from 92% in the year-ago period, Partners reported.The increase in supply in the Austin area mirrors national trends, with markets from coast-to-coast becoming less competitive because of a record amount of new apartments and rental units delivered. That trend is expected to continue into 2024 and could mean slower growth in rental rates or even cuts.And as of November, the Austin-Round Rock metro area ranked No. 2 in the nation for percentage declines in rental rates, with a year-over-year decrease of about ...

Dakota County Commissioner Joe Atkins elected board chair

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:53 GMT

Joe Atkins, who represents District 2 on the Dakota County Board of Commissioners, will serve as the board chair for 2024.Dakota County Commissioner Joe Atkins was elected board chair on Jan. 2, 2024. (Courtesy of Dakota County)Elected on Tuesday by his fellow commissioners, Atkins said his hope for the county’s work in the upcoming year is to reflect the Dakota language word Wódakota, which describes the Dakota way of life and symbolizes respect, courtesy, humility and compassion, according to a county news release.Atkins, who succeeded Commissioner Liz Workman, has served on the board since 2017. Commissioner Mike Slavik, who represents District 1, was elected vice chair.Priorities highlighted by Atkins for 2024 include social service improvements, the opening of the Kaposia Library in South St. Paul, transportation safety projects, improvements to the Lake Byllesby Dam and the board’s strategic policy issues of housing, economic development and county finances.The county will cel...

Oscar predictions: They can’t all be nominated for best picture, can they?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:53 GMT

The good news is that it’s been a great year for movies. The bad news is that, now, the battle for best picture will be bloodier than ever.With such a wide field of acclaimed contenders, plenty of worthy films will be dealt a bad hand when the Oscar nominations are announced Jan. 23. Even today’s self-imposed assignment to narrow the list to the 10 likeliest nominees proved a harrowing task; instead, I have hedged with an unlucky 13.Ahead of the Golden Globes on Sunday, and the bellwether industry nominations next week from the producers’ and actors’ guilds, here are the current contenders with the most viable shot at a best-picture nomination, ranked in descending order according to their certainty.‘Oppenheimer’: Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic has the feeling of an old-fashioned sweeper: It’s a highbrow film and a populist hit — exactly the sort of movie Oscar voters and general audiences should be able to agree upon. Still, this race isn’t sewn up. Recent best-picture winn...

1 dies after St. Paul house fire that critically injured 7

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:53 GMT

One of seven people critically injured in a St. Paul house fire has died, the fire department said Thursday.Firefighters pulled an adult and six children from their smoke-filled Payne-Phalen residence early Wednesday. They were all unconscious and first responders immediately gave them CPR, and took them by ambulances to the hospital.It wasn’t immediately known whether the person who died was an adult or child.The fire department determined the fire on Arkwright Street near Maryland Avenue was accidental and the cause is under investigation, said Deputy Fire Chief Roy Mokosso.The homeowner said Wednesday that he was at work when he was notified about the fire. He said his wife and children, ages 1 to 6, had been in the home.The fire department was called about the fire at about 1:30 a.m. A 911 call was believed to have come from inside the residence.There were working smoke detectors in the home, but the occupants were likely unable to escape because of the location of the fir...

When is Missouri & Illinois getting snow? Tracking the storms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:53 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- When should we expect the two rounds of winter weather in the forecast? Meteorologists Angela Hutti and Chris Higgins have an update on the timing of Friday's snowfall and next week's major weather event.Friday & SaturdayHiggins says that a light mix of rain and snow is likely to spread across much of the region on Friday evening. Temperatures will be just above freezing, so like last week, much of what falls will not stick to road surfaces but may stick to grass and elevated surfaces like decks and car tops.At this time, the most likely areas to see some very light, slushy, snow accumulation Friday night. They are roughly along and south of I-44 in Missouri and through much of southern Illinois. This area may see a dusting or up to a half inch of snow. One or two spots may be close to one inch, but that's going to be the exception.Snowfall potential for MissouriThe timing for the Friday night "mini-storm" is centered between 5 p.m. Friday and 3 a.m. Saturday mornin...

Billy Joel and Sting coming to Busch Stadium for September concert

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:53 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Rock icons Billy Joel and Sting are bound for St. Louis this fall. Billy Joel and Sting will join forces for a concert on Sept. 27, 2024, at Busch Stadium. The St. Louis Cardinals and Live Nation announced the concert during a news conference Thursday morning. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. on Jan. 12 at LiveNation.com. Billy Joel is a six-time Grammy winner and well-known for hits such as "Piano Man," "Uptown Girl" and "We Didn't Start the Fire." Sting is the former frontman for The Police and a 17-time Grammy winner, known well for hits such as "Roxanne" and "Every Breath You Take." PLAN AHEAD: Concerts coming to St. Louis in 2024 This will be the second concert planned at Busch Stadium this year. Def Leppard and Journey are scheduled to perform on July 6. Cardinals chairman Bill Dewitt III, sports commentator Joe Buck and Live Nation Market President Dave Gerardi were among those to attend Thursday's announcement.Citi cardmembers will have ...

Missouri, Illinois state capitols received bomb threats Wednesday; FBI calls them a hoax

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:53 GMT

(AP/KTVI) - A bomb threat emailed to officials in several states early Wednesday briefly disrupted government affairs and prompted some state capitol evacuations. Federal officials quickly dismissed the threats as a hoax, reporting that no explosives were found among the state capitols.Missouri and Illinois were among several states whose Capitol buildings received bomb threat Wednesday morning. Police search for man missing from closed nursing home The Missouri Department of Public Safety tells Nexstar's Missouri Capitol Bureau reporter Emily Manley that the Missouri state capitol in Jefferson City did not go into lockdown, despite the threat. "Missouri did receive a threat this morning. It was assessed following standard operating procedures and determined to not be credible," said a Missouri DPS spokesperson. In Illinois, the secretary of state acknowledged a bomb threat to the state capitol in Springfield and sent the following statement to Nexstar affiliate WCIA: "The Departm...

St. Louis lotto player plans to use $200,000 winnings to purchase a new car and furniture

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:53 GMT

ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis lottery player recently won $200,000 on a seasonal scratcher ticket named “Season’s Greetings.” She intends to use the winnings to buy a new car and redecorate her home.The winner uncovered a candy cane symbol, signifying an automatic win of the top prize. It was at that moment that she realized the significant amount of money associated with the symbol.“As soon as I scratched off that candy cane and saw the $200,000 prize, I thought, ‘Oh, this can’t be real.’”Chances of Winning:There is one more unclaimed prize for the $200,000 top prize in the seasonal scratcher game. Typically, your chances of winning any prize, even a small one, are higher than your chances of hitting the jackpot. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News SIGN UP NOW ...

Missouri opting into 'Summer EBT' benefits program

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:53 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The state of Missouri plans to join in on making it easier for low-income families and school-aged children to eat while school is out.'Summer EBT' is set to be implemented this year, and Missouri is one of 39 states, territories, and tribal nations to have chosen to participate. The remaining states do have the option of deciding whether they'd like to get involved. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will fund the states through federal grants and provide eligible students with reduced and free lunches, with $40 per month in benefits during the summer. Police search for man missing from closed nursing home The plan cannot become final until a 'management and administration' objective is submitted to the Food and Nutrition Service' by February 15.Among the barriers to finalizing the plan is "the lack of final guidance" from the USDA, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary, Missouri Department of Social Services, and Missouri Department of Secondar...

Opinion: RTD’s lower fares, Front Range rail and hope in 2024 for fewer cars

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:21:53 GMT

I don’t own a car. I wish I could coast on that truth as my credentials for discussing my commitment to a car-free lifestyle, but the truth is I do often drive — borrowing a car from a small network of friends and family and neighbors who are immensely generous — because I often need to drive. Even that isn’t the complete truth. Sometimes it isn’t need. Sometimes it is, quite frankly, laziness — when there’s too much snow to bike, or it’s too cold or too hot to walk comfortably. The point is, I drive more than I want to. But I wish I didn’t have to drive at all. I wish it was so easy to walk or bike or bus that driving was the inconvenient choice — like it was when I had the privilege of living abroad in public transit-rich and walkable cities in Spain and China. But, if you live here, in Colorado, in the West, in America, odds are your daily life is shaped around the convenience of driving.This reality, though, is proving ruinous. Not only are cars — even electric cars — ruinous fo...