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A leaking gas line destroyed their home. Now farmers-turned-activists pushing for stronger safety rules.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:35 GMT

Mark and Julie Nygren didn’t set out to be activists, but they are suggesting changes to the oversight of Colorado’s oil and gas pipelines based on their experience of losing their home and seeing part of their farm contaminated by a leaking gas line.More than four years after discovery of the leak, the Nygrens are still renting a house in Johnstown, just north of their Weld County property, and remain embroiled in a lawsuit against DCP Midstream Operating Co., which owned the pipeline. As the Colorado Public Utilities Commission considers new pipeline-safety rules, the Nygrens want to share their hard-won insights with regulators.“We’re farmers, we don’t want to be activists. But we also want our neighbors and our communities to be safe and we are concerned that not enough attention has been paid to our situation to correct it from happening to someone else,” Julie said in a recent interview.The PUC was set to hear from the public Thursday on proposed rules ...

Here’s where to find Colorado’s best wine bars, according to Wine Spectator

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:35 GMT

Coloradans looking to wine and dine – with an emphasis on the wine – know about proven stalwart restaurants they can hit for a night on the town.That’s according to Wine Spectator magazine, which honored more than 3,500 establishments globally on its annual Restaurant Awards list, including 91 in Colorado. The publication ranks restaurants in three categories based on how robust their wine selections are.The top accolade is the Grand Award, which showcases places that feature more than 1,000 different selections and display “immense depth and breadth of regions, producers, vintages and bottle formats, excellent harmony with the menu, and superior presentation,” according to judging criteria.Three restaurants – Barolo Grill in Denver, Element 47 in Aspen and Flagstaff House in Boulder – made the cut for the Grand Award in 2023. For those who follow these awards, these spots won’t come as a surprise since they earned the accolade in 2021, as well.While the Restaurant Awards often feat...

Xcel Energy’s $145 million bid to build electric vehicle chargers sparks opposition from private sector

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:35 GMT

Supporters of speeding up the move to electric vehicles see investment by utilities as essential, but business groups say it will be hard for them to compete with utilities on providing charging stations for the public.In its second plan on electric vehicles filed with regulators, Xcel Energy proposes spending $145 million to build a public charging network over the next three years in addition to offering rebates and other programs. Charge Ahead Partnership, a national coalition that includes retailers that want to build EV charging stations, opposes proposals by Xcel and other utilities to install and operate chargers.Coalition spokesman Ryan McKinnon said regulated utilities like Xcel Energy would have an unfair advantage in the emerging market because they can use ratepayers’ money to invest in the infrastructure and they get a certain rate of return on their investments.“We’re advocating for policies that will make it more of a level playing field for private busine...

Over 200 years after the famous battle, Napoleon and Wellington lock horns once again

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:35 GMT

Fancy a blast of history and a reminder of what some call Britain’s finest ever military victory?If so, make a beeline this weekend to the Domain de la bataille de Waterloo 1815 for a host of historical events. You will find yourself back in the middle of the 19th century at the time of the Empire Wars.Throughout the weekend, troops of re-enactors will camp out like the armies on both side did back over 200 years ago in 1815.In addition to the traditional bivouac for over 300 soldiers, a large civilian village will be held at the Hougoumont farm. Craftsmen and tradespeople will be on hand, just as they were back in the day. It also includes a theatre, street singers, instrument makers, clog makers, basket makers and weavers.Children can try their hand at period games or join the ranks of the Grande Armée while a surgeon will explain the methods used during the Empire Wars.You can also discover the soldiers' camp life (including the cavalry), as well as the Emperor's tent, with Napol...

Fiery crash leaves 1 dead on 101 Freeway in Studio City; prompts Sig Alert

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:35 GMT

A fiery crash that left one dead on the 101 Freeway prompted a SigAlert for four eastbound lanes through Studio City Thursday morning.The incident was reported around 3 a.m. when a vehicle struck a construction truck and caught fire just west of the 134 Freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol's traffic incident log.The vehicle became fully engulfed in flames with the driver still inside.Authorities respond to a fatal crash on the 101 Freeway in Toluca Lake on June 29, 2023. (KTLA)A coroner's vehicle was sent to the scene to recover a body after the fatal incident, according to the CHP. Two people working in the construction vehicle, which was described as a striper truck, were apparently taken to the hospital.Officials issued a SigAlert that closed all lanes but one on the eastbound 101 Freeway.The SigAlert was expected to remain in place until about 6 a.m.

Fireworks thrown in Hermosa Beach crowd may be a hate crime

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:35 GMT

Police are searching for a man who threw an exploding firework into a large crowd at an LGBTQ+ Pride event in Hermosa Beach.On June 17, the suspect was near a silent disco event at a bar/restaurant called Vista around 9:45 p.m. when he pulled out a firework, lit it and threw it into the crowd. The incident was captured on a video shared by police.Fragments of fireworks struck multiple people at the crowded restaurant, located at 11 Pier Ave., police said. Despite the "significant explosion," victims' injuries were not life-threatening.Video released by the Hermosa Beach Police Department shows a man throwing a lit firework into a crowd on June 17, 2023. (Hermosa Beach Police)Jeremy McDermott, the manager of Vista, said hundreds of people were attending the event celebrating LGBTQ+ culture and Pride month when the explosion went off."We had 400 people already here,” McDermott said. “It was pretty rough and a rude awakening for everyone enjoying a silent disco here. It was an unfortun...

San Jose’s mayor wants to rid the city of open-air drug markets. It won’t be easy.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:35 GMT

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is the Bay Area’s latest elected official to take a harder line against open-air drug use and dealing, urging city police to ramp up arrests and more seriously tackle a vexing problem that has exasperated residents and businesses.Following calls for more enforcement around blight, homeless encampments and RV dwellers, Mahan held a recent impromptu press conference to stress San Jose’s “zero tolerance policy” for public drug crimes, saying “some people will need to be arrested and some people need treatment.”“We will respond appropriately and we will respond immediately to prevent any congregation of drug use and sales,” Mahan said in front of a 7-Eleven in downtown. “We’re going to send a message that if you’re coming to San Jose to deal drugs, you will be arrested. If you are using drugs on the street, we will do everything in our power to get you into treatment.”The mayor’s law-...

Eating this food may be a reason why some people live to 100

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:35 GMT

By Sandee LaMotte | CNNBeans, beans, the magical … longevity food?True, these tiny, unassuming morsels are filling and nutritious, and as a basis of a plant-based diet, good for the planet as well. But how could the family of legumes — which includes beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas — help us live longer?“In every blue zone I have visited, beans and other legumes were — and still are — a major component of the daily diet,” said author and entrepreneur Dan Buettner, who has spent decades reporting on “blue zones,” unique communities around the globe where people live long and heathy lives, up to and past 100 years.Residents of these areas share a common environment and lifestyle — including a plant-based diet — that scientists believe contribute to their longevity. Blue zones have been discovered in Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, California; and the Italian island of Sardinia, just off the coast of Italy.In Sardinia, where one of the first groups of...

2023 NBA free agency: Evaluating the Warriors’ contract situations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:35 GMT

The NBA draft is now in the rearview mirror and the real games of the offseason are about to begin.Free agency officially kicks off 3 p.m. Friday, but the rumor mill is already churning. Draymond Green will be the Warriors top priority in free agency, but there are other decisions general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. will have to make to round out the roster in the coming weeks.Golden State has eight players under contract for next season and are expected to sign its two 2023 draftees, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, at some point soon. That will leave them with five open slots, though it’s more realistically four since Dunleavy said he doesn’t plan to fill the 15th roster spot for financial reasons.With that in mind, here’s a look at the current state of the Warriors’ roster and each player’s contract situation heading into free agency:Players under contractStephen Curry, 35 years old: Largely believed to be the only untouchable player on th...

Can’t afford a single-family home? Bay Area house hunters opt for condos as homeownership costs soar

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:12:35 GMT

Can’t afford to buy your Bay Area dream home? Have you considered a condo?That’s the question real estate agents across the region now are asking house hunters squeezed by soaring mortgage rates and sky-high listing prices.Since the pandemic upended the local housing market three years ago, more buyers have opted for condominiums and townhomes instead of pricier single-family homes. For some, it’s their best chance to build equity in a starter property. Others have grown tired of the headaches of renting and sought to flee cramped apartments as they’ve spent more time working from home.“They want to have control over their future,” said Mary Pope-Handy, a real estate agent in Los Gatos.In May, the median sales price for existing condos in the Bay Area was $788,500, according to the California Association of Realtors. Compare that to an eye-popping $1.3 million for the typical single-family home.On a monthly basis, prices for condos and single-fami...