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House explosion in St. Charles injures 3 adults, 2 children

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - Five people are being treated at an area hospital after a home explosion in St. Charles late Monday morning. According to Deputy Chief Steve Brown, St. Charles Fire Department, the explosion occurred shortly before 11:40 a.m. in the 500 block of Transit Street.Neighbors said they heard the explosion, and that the home had recently been renovated on the interior.“I was sitting on the couch and heard this massive boom, like a firework,” Kara Schemkes said. “I looked outside, and the house is just kind of like, it went out on the bottom, and I immediately called 911.”  Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW Schemkes grabbed water bottles and offered them to the family as they sat on her front lawn, watching the h...

Vandalism, short-staffing keeping Denver’s public restrooms, drinking fountains closed despite summer heat

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

As temperatures near triple-digits on Monday, Denverites may have to bring their own water before they go to the park.Many of the city’s parks have broken water fountains, the result of vandalism and a short-staffed Parks and Recreation department, city officials said.“We’re trying to open as many of the fountains as we can,” said Cyndi Karvaski, a Parks and Recreation spokesperson. “But we don’t have a clear timeline.”It’s not as simple as turning on the water after the winter, Karvaski said. Some of the fountains have sustained significant damage and the department has been short on plumbers.Meanwhile, 13 of the 30 permanent bathrooms at city parks are closed “due to ongoing vandalism,” Karvaski said. Parks with inoperable restrooms have an ADA-compliant portable bathroom on site.At Ruby Hill Park, for example, someone stole all the copper tubing from the bathroom, Karvaski said. In Washington Park, individuals have place...

Rep. Lauren Boebert outpaced in second quarter fundraising by a wide margin

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

For the second quarter in a row, Democratic challenger Adam Frisch raised appreciably more money than did Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican firebrand who delights in provoking political enemies, in Colorado’s closely watched 3rd Congressional District contest.Frisch, a former Aspen city councilman, brought in over $2.6 million in the period April 1 to June 30 versus Boebert’s $818,000 take during the same three months. He also outpaced the incumbent by nearly $1 million in fundraising during the first three months of the year.“Boebert continues to vote against the interests of her constituents while devoting her time to ‘angertainment’ antics that do nothing to help (the district),” Frisch said in a statement after the numbers were posted. “We can do better than Boebert, and thanks to our generous supporters, we will defeat her in 2024.”Boebert’s campaign manager, Drew Sexton, told The Denver Post the race “will be won on the strength of the congr...

I-70 closed at Eisenhower, Johnson tunnels due to vehicle fire

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

Interstate 70 is closed in both directions at the Eisenhower and Johnson tunnels due to a vehicle fire on the westbound side.There’s no ETA for when the highway will open, Colorado State Patrol said on Twitter.Full closure of I-70 at the Eisenhower & Johnson Tunnels for vehicle fire on westbound bore. No ETA.S1 pic.twitter.com/FgiK3To1fC— CSP Golden (@csp_golden) July 17, 2023

Lack of funding forces UN to slash food program in Haiti amid a surge in malnutrition

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.N.’s World Food Program announced Monday that it is facing a shortage of funds and won’t be able to help 100,000 people in Haiti this month who urgently need assistance.The 25% cut comes as a record 4.9 million people in the country of nearly 11 million need help with finding food, the agency said.“These cuts could not come at a worse time, as Haitians face a multi-layered humanitarian crisis, their lives and livelihoods upended by violence, insecurity, economic turmoil and climate shocks,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, the agency’s director for Haiti.The agency warned that its Haiti response plan is only 16% funded, and that it won’t be able to provide food to a total of 750,000 Haitians if it doesn’t secure $121 million through the end of the year.“Unless we receive immediate funding, further devastating cuts cannot be ruled out,” Bauer said.So far this year, the World Food Program has provide...

Russia's influence in Africa

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

Russia is trying to use its co-operation with Africa to show the world and Russians that it continues to be an influential player on the international stage. For this purpose, it will hold a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg on 27-28 July. Also, Moscow is paying attention to African states, and in this way, Putin hopes to show the Russian people before the 2024 elections that Russia is not isolated, but has many international partners. This approach can be called a step of desperation. Russia's bet on support from "friendly" countries such as the UAE, Turkey, China, and a number of post-Soviet countries has completely failed. These states are gradually coming out in favour of sanctions against Russia. African countries should follow the same path, Dispatches, IFBG.Russia has become a pariah on the international stage due to its aggression against Ukraine, receiving unprecedented sanctions and a trade blockade. In connection with the arrest warrant issued by the Internationa...

More restaurants are tacking sneaky fees onto bills

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

You've probably heard about "tipflation" -- restaurants prodding customers to leave higher tips for servers and staff.Now there's another trend to watch for: Restaurants adding sneaky fees to bills.These surcharges, which typically range from 3% to 5%, are often intended to cover higher inflation, employee healthcare costs or credit-card processing charges.And to be sure, all businesses are entitled to recover their operating costs.But this isn't how you do it.These fees are intended solely to mislead customers by keeping menu prices lower, even though the total cost of a meal will be more expensive.Moreover, customers may not be aware of the added fees until the end of the meal, when the bill arrives.That is, to put it mildly, a deceptive business practice.Worse, at least tips go to underpaid servers. These surcharges almost always go to the establishment (yes, the same establishment that had the chutzpah to run a bait-and-switch on pricing).The National Restaurant Assn. says about...

New data shows California has the most people with Alzheimer’s in the U.S. 

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

New data released at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam on Monday indicates that California has more Alzheimer’s patients than any other state. The numbers were found through the first-ever estimates of Alzheimer’s dementia prevalence at the county level, with data being collected from all 3,142 United States counties. According to the AAIC, one of the highest prevalence rates in the country lies in Imperial County, with a rate of 15 percent. New data released at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam on Monday indicates that California has more Alzheimer’s patients than any other state. (Alzheimer's Association) More restaurants are tacking sneaky fees onto bills Los Angeles and Orange counties had prevalence rates as high as 13.2 percent and 11.6 percent respectively. Overall, the study found that the east and the southeastern parts of the country had the highest prevalence of Alzheimer’s. For more informat...

Pasadena grapples with how to handle coyote conflicts

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

Some Pasadena residents are looking for a more humane alternative to curbing the coyote population in the area, opposing a plan to begin trapping and killing the animals to keep them out of neighborhoods. The only other city in Los Angeles County that uses coyote snare traps is Torrance, and according to PETA officials, sightings there have gone up since they were put into use. “In Pasadena, sightings of coyotes this year have gone down 22 percent,” said Lisa Lange, PETA Vice President. “In Torrance, once they started trapping, they went up 14 percent. It doesn’t work.” PETA described trapping coyotes as “painful” and “barbaric” and noted that several parts of Pasadena, like the Arroyo neighborhood, are long known for their wildlife.  Timelapse video shows Riverside County wildfire explode Following concerns from residents regarding the coyotes encroaching on to their properties, the health department in Pasadena conducted a field study and came up with five op...

Underground group helps nab suspected child predator

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:15:16 GMT

An underground group that targets online child predators helped Fullerton Police arrest a man accused of trying to lure a 14-year-old boy into having sex, authorities said.The minor turned out to be a decoy.John Wheeler, 39, was arrested last Wednesday on two felony charges and was being held on $100,000 bail.Video obtained by KTLA shows members of the Creep Catchers Unit, or CC Unit, confronting Wheeler outside a Walmart where he was working on July 9.Members of the CC Unit confront John Wheeler, who is accused of soliciting a minor, in Fullerton, California. July 9, 2023 (CC Unit)“Ghost,” the founder of the group who conceals his identity, shows Wheeler paper copies of an online conversation that included lewd photos and graphic descriptions of sexual activity that Wheeler allegedly intended to engage in with the minor.Wheeler claims he never intended to follow through with the sex acts and also claimed he “has mental issues,” the confrontational video shows.When officers arrived ...