The Daily Slice, your Black Hills news podcast in under 10 minutes. Delivered every morning Monday-Friday at homesliceaudio.com/dailyslice
Rapid City Police Arrest 18-Year-Old in Connection to January 11th Shooting Incident
RAPID CITY, S.D. –Rapid City police arrested an 18-year-old man Tuesday they say is responsible for a shooting that happened on Jan. 11. The police had a warrant to search the North Lacrosse Street apartment of the suspect identified as Terell Weston. Officers say they found a handgun they later determined to be stolen. The original incident occurred in the early hours of January 11th when police responded to an apartment at 251 Curtis Street after it was reported a male subject fired a handgun through a window from inside the residence before fleeing the scene. Weston faces multiple charges, including reckless discharge of a firearm, receiving stolen property and a probation violation.
Chief Justice Steven Jensen Highlights Importance of Public Trust in State Courts During Annual Address
PIERRE, S.D. — Public trust in state courts is important and must be maintained, according to South Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven Jensen. That was the theme of his annual State of the Judiciary address to a joint session of the Legislature on Wednesday. Chief Justice Jensen spoke about improving access to the courts, establishing a statewide indigent-defense system that will handle appeals of major criminal cases, helping people without lawyers participate in the legal process, improving rehabilitation outcomes for people on probation or parole, the importance of treatment courts, and increasing courthouse and judicial security.
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As flames linger, talk turns to rebuilding Los Angeles neighborhoods leveled by wildfires
LOS ANGELES — Heartbroken families, burned-out business owners and beleaguered Los Angeles leaders are beginning to ponder a monumental task: rebuilding what was lost in the Southern California wildfires. Even with the flames of two large fires still leaping, government officials are talking of the vast job of clearing toxic debris. Then it will be rebuilding homes, restaurants, schools, boutiques and houses of worship in devastated communities. All the while, finding financing for it all. LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger says homeowners are saying that rebuilding is a question of when, not if. Much remains unknown: What should the neighborhoods look like? And will fire-resistant materials and designs be used?
Netanyahu says ‘last-minute crisis’ with Hamas holding up approval of Gaza truce and hostage deal
TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that a last-minute dispute with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Netanyahu signaled complications with the deal shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar announced it was complete. It was not yet clear if Netanyahu’s statements merely reflected jockeying to keep his fractious coalition together or whether the deal was at risk. The Israeli Cabinet is expected to vote on the deal Thursday. But Netanyahu’s office said they won’t meet until Hamas backs down, accusing it of reneging on parts of the agreement, without elaborating. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory.
Winter Storm Causes Major Flight Disruptions Across the U.S.
A severe winter storm has wreaked havoc on air travel across the United States this week, stranding thousands of travelers. Southwest Airlines led the list of disruptions for the second day in a row on Monday, canceling over 700 flights—approximately 18% of its schedule. Unlike the airline’s holiday meltdown in 2022, Southwest clarified that the cancellations were not due to technical issues and anticipated significant improvements today. Other carriers also struggled with the weather, as United Airlines canceled more than 430 flights, and American Airlines temporarily halted operations in Dallas on Monday due to icy conditions.
NASA’s stuck astronaut steps out on a spacewalk after 7 months in orbit
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — One of NASA’s two stuck astronauts is getting a change of scenery. Suni Williams stepped out on a spacewalk Thursday, her first since arriving at the International Space Station seven months ago. She’s tackling outdoor repair work alongside NASA’s Nick Hague. Plans call for Williams to float back out next week with Butch Wilmore. The duo launched aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule last June on what should have been a weeklong test flight. But Starliner malfunctions dragged out their return, and NASA ordered the capsule back empty. Then SpaceX delayed the launch of their replacements, meaning the two won’t be home until spring.
Apple Watch Ban Sparks Changes as iPhone Sales Face Challenges
Apple has received approval to modify its smartwatches to bypass a U.S. court-imposed ban. The fix involves removing the pulse oximeter function, a medical scanner that measures blood oxygen levels. This decision follows the International Trade Commission’s ruling that Apple violated a medical company’s pulse oximeter patent. Apple, which temporarily halted sales of certain watch models, stated it “strongly disagrees” with the ban but is committed to restoring U.S. availability soon. Meanwhile, iPhone sales have slowed, partly due to reported efforts by the Chinese government to restrict purchases—claims Beijing denies.
