Latest news with #Kahl
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Center Street Crossing project amended by East Peoria City Council
EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Modifications to a project that plans to bring more entertainment options to East Peoria was approved by council members during Tuesday's meeting. East Peoria City Council approved the third amendment to the Levee District Overlay plan, which includes Center Street Crossing, a mixed-use development that will extend from behind Costco, past CEFCU, ending near City Hall. Certain businesses won't be allowed at Center Street Crossing. This includes smoke shops, cannabis dispensaries, and auto shops. There are also specific rules for landscaping, down to the trees and plants allowed. Mayor John Kahl described it as a matter of 'housekeeping' from the city. 'What we're amending is things that we'd like to see in there and more importantly, businesses that the city doesn't really have a desire to see within the overlay district in itself,' he said. The Levee District Overlay Plan also includes approval of 15-foot sidewalks to accommodate more outdoor dining and even beer gardens at the Levee District. Council members also approved its lead service line replacement program policy. The $50,000 grant program will replace lead pipes in homes around the city, and eligible low-income households could qualify for up to $1,000 in financial help. It's so they are in compliance with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency standards. Grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The city is actively looking for federal and state grants to replenish the pot. Out of about 9,000 homes in the city, Kahl said about 270 have lead service lines. The Illinois Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act mandates the replacement of all lead service lines throughout the state by 2042. East Peoria identified lead service lines through a comprehensive process with resident surveys. In 1986, Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to ban the use of lead pipes in new installations. Lead is a toxic metal that can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in children, leading to developmental delays, learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Terrorism researcher: lone perpetrators with vague motives
Personal motives have played a role alongside ideology in several Islamist terrorist attacks in Germany in the past five years, according to a terrorism expert. Martin Kahl, from the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg, took part in a press conference organized by the Integration Media Service on Thursday. He told journalists that although the perpetrators were integrated into "ideological narratives" that were circulating worldwide, one could get the impression "that in some cases the perpetrators hope to find a way out of their own life crises through their actions". Often, he said, the perpetrators' own circumstances, which they themselves judge to be unsatisfactory and which play an important role in planning the act, are supplemented by an Islamist motive with the aim of "giving the act more significance". The perpetrators often seek to boost their own self-confidence and become famous. In some cases, it is also difficult for the courts to determine whether ideology is really the main motive. "It can be so interwoven that it is almost impossible to separate it," said Kahl. The suspects involved in the last four attacks that were allegedly motivated by religion - in Mannheim, Solingen, Munich and Berlin - were not found to have any severe mental disorders. While in the past, Western military interventions such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan were the main trigger for Islamist terrorists, experts believe that later on, Mohammed caricatures and the burning of the Koran played a greater role. Between 2014 and 2017, attacks were carried out in connection with the terrorist group Islamic State (IS). According to Kahl, IS ideology remains a point of reference. However, the most recent attacks in Germany, which he says were all carried out by "lone operators" with rather vague motives, had little or no connection to terrorist groups. Since 2015, Kahl and his team have documented a total of 15 Islamist terrorist attacks in Germany, as well as four failed attacks, 33 suspected cases and 33 attacks that were prevented by the security authorities in the planning or preparation phase
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German intelligence chief believes Russia might test effectiveness of NATO's Article 5
Bruno Kahl, President of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), suggests that Russia is considering testing NATO's collective security guarantees and that this risk will increase if the fighting in Ukraine stops in the near future. Source: Bruno Kahl in an interview with Deutsche Welle, as European Pravda reported with the reference to dpa, a German news agency Details: Bruno Kahl believes Russia will likely want to test the unity of Western countries and the effectiveness of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which provides that an attack on one of the NATO member states is considered an attack on all of them. Quote from Bruno Kahl: "We very much hope this is not true and that we will not be put in the difficult position of it being tested. However, we must assume that Russia wants to test us, to put the unity of the West to the test." Details: The BND president says that the timing and probability of such a "test" are directly related to how events in the Russo-Ukrainian war will continue to develop. Kahl noted that if the war ends before 2029-2030, Russia will be able to become a threat to Europe more quickly. "It is also possible that a concrete threat or blackmail attempt from Russia against Europeans could occur earlier than previously calculated. An early end to the war in Ukraine would enable the Russians to direct their energy where they actually want it, namely against Europe," said Bruno Kahl. The head of intelligence says Russia hopes that the future world order will be similar to that of the 1990s, that the Russian "sphere of influence" will expand further west, and that, in the most desirable scenario, the United States will withdraw its troops from Europe. Background: On 4 March, the German parties CDU/CSU and SPD, which are negotiating the formation of a government led by Friedrich Merz, agreed on a multi-billion dollar package of defence and infrastructure financing on credit. All defence expenditures exceeding 1% of GDP will be exempt from debt restrictions. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced a "historic day" for the Bundeswehr and Germany. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
German intelligence chief says Russia wants to test West
Berlin (dpa) - Russia intends to test Western unity, especially with regard to NATO's collective defence clause, according to Bruno Kahl, the head of Germany's BND intelligence service. In an interview with Deutsche Welle broadcaster, he said Russia was considering testing the reliability of NATO's Article 5, which states that an attack on one ally must be treated as an attack on all. "We very much hope this is not true and that we will not be put in the difficult position of it being tested. However, we must assume that Russia wants to test us, to put the unity of the West to the test," Kahl said. The timing of a Russian test of NATO's collective defence clause depends on the course of the war in Ukraine, according to Kahl. If the war ends earlier than 2029 or 2030, this would enable Russia to use its technical, material and personnel resources to build up a threat against Europe sooner, he noted. "It is also possible that a concrete threat or blackmail attempt from Russia against Europeans could occur earlier than previously calculated," Kahl said. "An early end to the war in Ukraine would enable the Russians to direct their energy where they actually want it, namely against Europe." Kahl said Russia envisions a future world order resembling the situation in Europe in the late 1990s, with NATO's protective presence pushed back and Russia's sphere of influence expanding westward — ideally without an American presence in Europe.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
East Peoria plans to create a new 'entertainment district' in the city
A new major development district is in the works for East Peoria. East Peoria Mayor John Kahl announced during his State of the City Address on Friday that the city is moving forward with plans to create an entertainment district on Center Street, between Costco and CEFCU, called "Center Street Crossing." Kahl said the city has already been in talks with developers who "have made clear they're ready to go" in getting the development moving. The district will include both residential and commercial spaces along both sides of Center Street, Kahl said. Another parking garage will also be built. "More importantly, it's more of an entertainment district, multifunctional where we can close down that stretch of roadway and host community events, whether it's live music venues," Kahl said. Two developers have shown "strong interest" in moving ahead with development, including Indianapolis firm Flaherty and Collins, which is building the Bluetowne luxury apartment complex in East Peoria. "They had always talked to the city dating back six years that once the Bluetowne project got up and running, they'd be interested if the parcels were still available to do a second phase and that's what we had planned for Center Street," Kahl said. Kahl said he got the impression that the developers would like to break ground sometime this year if the city and the developers can reach a final plan agreement. Kahl did not have an estimate for what the financial impact of the district would be on the city, but he did liken it to the Levee District, which has been a financial boon for the city. "Look how East Peoria's benefitted from the Levee District," Kahl said. "What a lot of people don't understand — and I go back to the council at the time, those were very difficult decisions — that stuff didn't come free, there was a major investment and East Peoria invested over $130 million in revamping its downtown and it's paid for itself." The boundaries of the Centre Street Crossing district fall within the city's West Camp TIF District, which would mean developers could benefit from extra incentives. "When you look at stuff like that, you have to know going into it, you have to be responsible with taxpayer money so when you sit down and have those discussions, you're up front and transparent about 'hey, this is what the city is willing to do' so you're either in agreement with those terms and willing to make the investment — but it's always been what we've done here is a good public/private collaboration," Kahl said. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: East Peoria plans to create a new 'entertainment district' development
