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This Alton mansion dubbed among 'creepiest places' in US

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:25 GMT

ALTON, Ill. - If you're craving a spooky experience this Halloween, look no further than Alton, Illinois. The Metro East city not only carries a rich history as one of America's most haunted towns, but one of its biggest tourist draws also ranks among the "creepiest places" in the United States. McPike Mansion, a three-story brick building situated on one of the highest point's of Alton, takes the title as the "creepiest place" of Illinois, per HGTV's new report via CNN. Built in the late 19th century, McPike Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1980s. It was once the home of Alton mayor Henry Guest McPike. ‘Got a joke?’ Why St. Louis trick-or-treaters might be asked this on Halloween According to tourism bureau Enjoy Illinois, thousands of visitors and paranormal investigators have visited the mansion throughout the years, attesting to its eerie presence and wandering spirits. HGTV offers the following insight on McPike Mansion: "McPike Mansion is...

Illinois horse stuck in mud saved by first responders

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:25 GMT

MADISON COUNTY, Ill. -- First responders were busy Saturday rescuing a horse that got stuck in the mud. It looked like the saddest scene in the Never Ending Story movie before the horse was pulled to safety.Someone called the Madison County Technical Rescue Team from Troy, Illinois, Saturday afternoon to help save the horse. The animal was freed a short time after the team's arrival. A veterinarian helped to sedate the horse so that it could be safely moved to recover in another location. Surveillance cameras capture dramatic images of Central West End attack Several area fire departments helped with the rescue in addition to MERS Large Animal Rescue. They were able to save the animal's life without it being hurt.

Belt and Road Initiative: A Road of Green Development for the New Era

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:25 GMT

Along Kenya’s Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, animals as tall as giraffes cross the railroad bridges easily through the large passages built for them. At solar farms in Pakistan’s Punjab province, plants and fruits are grown under the solar panels. These scenes not only showcase the tangible outcomes delivered under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but also highlight how the Belt and Road cooperation is turning the inspiring vision of green development into reality with concrete actions.Ancient Chinese wisdom makes new contributionA sound ecosystem is essential for the prosperity of civilization. For thousands of years, the Chinese civilization has set great store by the idea that humanity must seek harmony with Nature. Into the new era, China is committed to the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, and pursuing modernization that features harmony between humanity and Nature. Thanks to persistent efforts, incredible progress has been accom...

Man shot through his apartment's front door: LAPD 

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:25 GMT

A man in Hollywood was shot while answering his apartment's front door, authorities said. Initial reports from the Los Angeles Police Department indicate that the man was sitting in his residence, located in the 5600 block of Franklin Avenue, around 11 p.m. Monday evening when he heard a knock at his door.  Bicyclist killed in hit-and-run; LAPD searching for driver As he went to answer, the suspect fired several shots through the door, striking the victim. A man in Hollywood was shot while sitting in his apartment on Oct. 30, 2023. (OnSceneTV)Responding paramedics transported the man to a nearby hospital, where he is said to be in stable condition. Police could not confirm whether the shooting was gang related.  The suspect remains outstanding, and no description has been released. 

California's Most Haunted: 10 creepy places to visit

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:25 GMT

Professional and amateur ghost hunters alike will find plenty of places in California to connect with the supernatural. And if you don't believe in any of that stuff, many of these spots are still historic and worth visiting. Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los AngelesGuests can check into the glamorous hotel for a chance to see the rich and famous, dead or alive. Marilyn Monroe’s ghost has been rumored to frequent the upscale hotel from time to time. One room attendant claimed to see Monroe’s face while cleaning the suite she stayed in, Amuse reported.Others have reported hearing trumpet music coming from suite 928, where Montgomery Clift, an actor, used to practice his skills before his death in 1966.The Cecil Hotel, Los AngelesThe infamous Hotel Cecil in Los Angeles, California is seen on Feb. 28, 2017 (MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)The Cecil in downtown Los Angeles has gained notoriety in recent years after the body of Elisa Lam, a Canadian college student, was found inside a wa...

‘Omar,’ a unique opera drawn from a slave’s memoirs, comes to SF

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:25 GMT

Jamez McCorkle talks about singing the title role of “Omar” with a mix of awe and admiration.The American tenor has been center stage in the award-winning opera since its inception. Composed by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, “Omar” premiered at the 2022 Spoleto Festival in South Carolina with McCorkle in the title role; he’s returned to it for multiple performances in Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Now he’s heading a large cast as the opera, directed by Kaneza Schaal and conducted by John Kennedy, makes its much-anticipated Bay Area premiere at San Francisco Opera.Awarded this year’s Pulitzer Prize for music, “Omar” is based on the 1831 autobiography of Omar ibn Said, a Muslim scholar born in 1770 in what is now Senegal. Enslaved and transported to the U.S. in 1807, Said spent five decades as a slave on a North Carolina plantation, where he wrote his autobiography — the only known slave narrative written in Arabic.“What really connected me to him was his resiliency,” M...

Deadly attack in Sierra foothills: 12 years ago to the day, suspect was arrested for another stabbing there

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:25 GMT

A deadly stabbing Monday in the Gold Country town of Ione has been blamed on a man familiar to police there: Twelve years ago to the day, that suspect was arrested for stabbing a man in the same neighborhood.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | “Extremely lucky”: Disaster averted at Colorado amusement park after body, guns and bombs discovered Crime and Public Safety | Customer shot coming out of East Oakland liquor store Crime and Public Safety | Man dead in East Oakland shooting; police probe 107th homicide in 2023 Crime and Public Safety | CU Buffs football players have jewelry stolen during game against UCLA in the Rose Bowl Crime and Public Safety | Federal judge blocks California law banning gun shows at county fairs Both attacks occurred shortly after Joseph Stephens Jenkins had been released from prison, police said.Three people were stabbed in Monday’s attacks, the first of which was ...

Bay Area: Who knew there were chestnut orchards right here?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:25 GMT

We’ve all heard the Christmas Song, the one that starts, “Chestnuuuuuts roasting on an open fiiiiire.”But how many of us have actually eaten them?The stewards behind two Bay Area chestnut orchards are on a mission to help more people learn about — and enjoy — these round, prickly-packaged treats. While Weylin and Rose Eng, an 80-year-old Orinda couple, find joy in distributing their farm-grown chestnuts from Winters, Hans Johsens offers visitors willing to trek into the Santa Cruz Mountains a chance to harvest their own from trees that date back to the Gold Rush.In general, Californians are not as familiar with chestnuts — outside holiday song lyrics anyway — as East Coasters, Europeans and people from areas of Asia where chestnut trees are native, Weylin says. Chestnut trees were once so abundant on the East Coast, legend had it that a squirrel could travel from New England to Georgia by scampering through the branches of the trees, never once touching the g...

San Jose man indicted after allegedly failing to disclose foreign bank accounts

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:25 GMT

SAN JOSE — A San Jose man was indicted by a grand jury last week on allegations that he falsified tax returns and failed to disclose his Chinese bank accounts, prosecutors said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Juveniles on e-bikes not following rules of the road in Los Gatos Crime and Public Safety | Man threatens to burn down Campbell fire station Crime and Public Safety | Exclusive: Los Gatos ‘party mom’ indicted by grand jury, clearing way for trial Crime and Public Safety | 15-year-old boy arrested in connection to San Jose hit-and-run that killed pregnant preschool teacher, baby Crime and Public Safety | Stanford says it is investigating after hacker group threatens to release confidential information The indictment, which was handed down on Nov. 1, 2022 but unsealed last week, accuses 67-year-old Chunsheng “Jay” Huang of working for Chinese-based companies for six years while a...

Disneyland’s ‘World of Color’ platform sinks and tilts from power of 1,200 fountains

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:11:25 GMT

A new season of a Disney TV show that takes viewers behind the scenes of Disneyland nighttime spectaculars reveals the challenges and limitations Disney Live Entertainment faced while developing the “World of Color” water show at Disney California Adventure.“You start to learn things very quickly,” Disney Live Entertainment Parades and Spectaculars Executive Steven Davison said. “Like if you turn on all the fountains, you’re going to sink the platform.”The second season of “Behind the Attraction” debuts Wednesday, Nov. 1 on the Disney+ streaming service with episodes dedicated to Disney nighttime spectaculars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones Adventure and Disneyland food.SEE ALSO: Disney reveals secrets behind Indiana Jones Adventure boulder scene“World of Color” projects high-definition digital imagery onto mist screens and synchronizes a musical soundtrack to 1,200 dancing fountains and fire effects in Paradise Bay at Disney California Advent...