Category: Local News

In-N-Out Expands to Tennessee

Southern California’s famous restaurant chain In-N-Out Burger announced Jan. 10 it will open stores in Tennessee. Plans for a corporate office in City of Franklin—just south of Nashville—are also underway. In-N-Out will open up its first restaurants in the eastern state in 2026, according to the company. “We are very excited to provide Tennesseans with…


Bowser Unveils DC’s 5-Year Economic Plan to Create Jobs, Attract Remote Workers

The District of Columbia’s five-year, six-part economic development plan includes harnessing remote workers and young people in the education-to-work pipelines around Washington. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development unveiled “DC’s Comeback Plan,” a strategy outlining the district’s economic development goals for the next five years. The…


Oklahoma Executes Man Who Killed Elderly Couple in 2003

McALESTER, Okla.—Oklahoma executed a man Thursday who was convicted of killing an elderly couple and committing other crimes 20 years ago before authorities caught up to him in Texas after a manhunt. Scott James Eizember, 62, received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester and was pronounced dead at 10:15 a.m., authorities…


New York City Nurses End Strike as Deals Struck With Hospitals

Thousands of striking New York City nurses have reached tentative deals with hospitals and will return to work after a three-day walkout over demands to increase nurse-to-patient ratios they said had led to overstretched staff and undercut patient safety. Negotiations ran into the late hours of the night Wednesday before tentative deals were struck with…


Illinois Sheriffs Say They Won’t Enforce Ban on ‘Assault Weapons’

Sheriffs from numerous Illinois counties on Wednesday said they won’t enforce a new ban on so-called “assault weapons” and magazines that hold more than 12 rounds, signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday. Iroquois County Sheriff Clinton J. Perzee was among a number of Illinois law enforcement officials who took to social media following…


Police: Man Assaulted Iowa Hospital Patients Before He Died

OTTUMWA, Iowa—A male nurse practitioner who died of a drug overdose at a private hospital in Iowa sexually assaulted at least nine female patients while they were sedated or unconscious, hospital and police officials said. The assaults at the Ottumwa Regional Health Center were discovered during investigations into the death of 27-year-old Devin Michael Caraccio,…


New Texas Bill Would Raise Penalty of Illegal Voting to Felony, Joins Similar Pre-Filed Bills

On the first day of Texas’s 88th regular legislative session, a Republican state representative filed a bill that would increase the criminal penalty for the offense of illegal voting from a Class A misdemeanor to a felony. It’s the latest in a string of similar bills that had been pre-filed by Republican lawmakers ahead of the state’s…


Missouri Boarding School Under Investigation Will Shut Down

A Christian boarding school in Missouri that’s been under intense scrutiny over abuse allegations announced Wednesday that it will close later this month due to financial hardship. Agape Boarding School in Stockton has been the subject of state and location investigations and several lawsuits from former students. It will stop providing service effective Jan. 20,…


Investigation Continues into Massive Chemical Plant Fire in Illinois

A massive fire that erupted Wednesday morning at a chemical plant in La Salle, Ill., has been contained, and no injuries have been reported. Firefighters responded to reports of a fire at approximately 9 a.m. at the Carus Chemical plant, La Salle Fire Chief Jerry Janick said during a press conference at about 2:30 p.m….


Irvine City Council Favors Expansion, Districting

The Irvine City Council voted 4–1 on Jan. 10 to consider expanding the council from four to six members and dividing representation into districts. Currently, councilors are elected at large—by all eligible city voters—and represents the whole city. Switching to districts would mean candidates would be elected by and represent fewer voters—only those who live…