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Hotel purchases for shelters highlight success as bridge out of homelessness

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

The Friday announcement of Denver’s new pending hotel-turned-housing project is the latest of several new projects in the works across the city to provide non-congregate shelter options for unhoused people.Abandoned hotels turned into supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness have existed in Denver for a while now, but their use during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as emergency shelters showed many community leaders their worth.Now, the city is in the process of acquiring the Best Western Central Park Hotel at 4595 Quebec St. for $26 million, which will open up the 194-room hotel as a shelter before eventually converting it into supportive housing.But the city isn’t the only one seeing the benefit of these projects.For the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, these hotel shelters have become a way to meet the needs of unhoused people in a stabilizing and uplifting environment, said Cathy Alderman, chief communications and public policy officer at the coalition.“T...

There is hope in the battle against Japanese beetles in Colorado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

We can always use good news when it comes to dealing with problem insects in our landscapes. Anyone who has battled Japanese beetles to prevent plant carnage knows the amount of work and dollars it takes to manage them every summer.Where the Japanese beetle is native, in northern Japan, there are natural insect enemies that keep the populations manageable, and they are not a major problem as they have become along the Front Range and many other states. When the beetles were first detected in New Jersey in 1916, their natural insect enemies weren’t present. Subsequently, Japanese beetle numbers grew and spread unchecked. They had a literal free-for-all buffet table set for them with millions of acres of irrigated lawns and more than 300 favored plant species.Damage to Virginia creeper vines in Denver from severe feeding by Japanese beetles. (Betty Cahill, Special to The Denver Post)Natural insect enemies and specific pathogens are collectively called biocontrols, which can cause inju...

“Unrealistic” expectations: How Colorado’s Behavioral Health Administration has struggled to get off ground

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

With less than six months before Colorado’s new Behavioral Health Administration is supposed to take over regulating the state’s mental health and addiction treatment providers, people working in the industry are concerned that they’re running out of time.The agency, which has only existed since 2022, recently pivoted from lawmakers’ original plan of running all behavioral health programs to more of an organizational role, getting other agencies to work together. It also had to ask lawmakers for extra time to write rules this year, but providers are still worried they won’t have enough time to implement them.And the nascent BHA has seen a spurt of staff resignations earlier this year, followed by Gov. Jared Polis’ replacement of the agency’s first commissioner, Dr. Morgan Medlock, after just 15 months on the job. Since then, Medlock’s successor and the BHA’s advisory board have had a sometimes-contentious relationship.State Sen. ...

RTD’s L and R lines set to resume full service as light rail maintenance projects reach milestones

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

Two Regional Transportation District light-rail lines affected by extended maintenance work are set to fully reopen this week for riders near downtown and in the southeast suburbs.On Monday morning, the L-Line that connects downtown Denver to the Five Points neighborhood will resume service after a three-week closure. Crews since July 10 have repaired a section of track near the northern terminus of RTD’s original section of light rail, which opened nearly three decades ago.And on Tuesday, the R-Line will resume full service south of the Florida Station in Aurora. Trains have not regularly served stations between Florida and the Lincoln Station near Lone Tree, in the south metro suburbs, since April when a major maintenance project began along RTD’s southeast light rail corridor.RTD crews are inspecting and repairing coping panels, which are caps atop the retaining walls, along the north side of the tracks that run next to Interstate 25 between I-25/Broadway and Lincoln....

Violent Topanga crash leaves 2 hospitalized; street racing reported in area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

Three vehicles were involved in a violent crash in an area of Topanga where police received reports of street racing Sunday night.The incident occurred around 11:15 p.m. in the area of Stunt Road and Saddle Peak Road, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials confirmed.Firefighters respond to a high-speed crash in the Topanga area on July 30, 2023. (TNLA)When firefighters arrived they found one vehicle fully engulfed in flames. Video showed three damaged vehicles at the scene. One had fallen nearly 30 feet down an embankment. Security guard beaten to death by mob in Hollywood identified The road winds through the canyon near the Topanga Outlook.Two people were transported to local hospitals in unknown condition. The Malibu sheriff's station said they received calls of vehicles racing in the area but could not confirm if this crash resulted from racing.No one was taken into custody following the crash. The cause remains under investigation.

Shooting on 10 Freeway closes EB lanes through East Los Angeles

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

The Eastbound 10 Freeway is at a standstill through the East Los Angeles area after a vehicle was struck by gunfire Monday morning. The shooting was reported shortly before 4 a.m. near the Campus Road offramp, California Highway Patrol officials confirmed.Officers investigate a shooting on the 10 Freeway on July 31, 2023. (KTLA)One vehicle was struck by the gunfire but there was no word on whether anyone was injured.Video showed an SUV was still on the freeway in the area where the investigation was taking place. Security guard beaten to death by mob in Hollywood identified A SigAlert was issued for the closure of all eastbound lanes.

California among 5 worst states to retire in, study finds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – When it comes to retirement, where you live can greatly affect just how golden your post-career years actually are.A new study from Bankrate ranks all 50 U.S. states when it comes to affordability, overall well-being, healthcare quality/cost, weather and crime. With soaring inflation and a volatile stock market, affordability was given the most statistical weight, with the others decreasing respectively.Highrise buildings in downtown Los Angeles, California are seen on on a hazy morning on September 21, 2018. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)Iowa is the best state in which to retire, the study found, thanks to its affordability (3), quality/cost of health care (11) and crime (12).“Choosing where to retire is deeply personal, but Iowa’s affordable cost of living, inexpensive but high-quality health care and low crime make it a compelling option for retirees looking to stretch their retirement income in this economy,” said Bankrate analyst Alex Gailey. “In our over...

Maia Sharp Digs Still Crazy (After All These Years)

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

Paul SimonStill Crazy After All These Years (Columbia)Maia Sharp Digs Still Crazy (After All These Years): Singer and songwriter Maia Sharp told us about her love for a Paul Simon classic.(Columbia)Maia Sharp: When you’ve been listening to music since the moment your tiny new ears came online, the task of choosing a “favorite album” is a challenging one.  My not-so-new ears and I have spent the morning trying to imagine the criteria that only a Favorite Album (capital F and A) would satisfy.  I’m going with the decathlon.  Do all of the following 10 beautiful things apply?  1. Makes me feel better 2. Lets me not feel better if I’m not ready 3. Helps me feel understood 4. Makes me mad at it for songs I wish I’d written 5. Inspires me to play or sing along to it 6. I’ve proudly put it on with a gathering of friends 7. I’ve selfishly put it on when I’m alone 8. I learned something from it 9. I’ve purchased it on vinyl, CD and download (sometimes more than once) and 10. It plays like a ...

CBD In Yosemite — Can You Bring CBD Hemp Into National Parks?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

Nature lovers have no shortage of National Parks to visit in the USA. From Yosemite in the West to the Acadia in the East, there are plenty of pristine areas to enjoy.What does this have to do with hemp and CBD? In a word: legality. Since National Parks are federal territory, hemp fans have expressed concerns about bringing their favorite products into these areas. Is it better to leave CBD oils and delta-8 vape carts at home, or will park rangers be OK with visitors using these products?Do US National Parks Recognize Hemp CBD Products?Since National Parks are federal territory, they must abide by DC’s national guidelines. Therefore, bringing hemp-extracted CBD oils into these territories shouldn’t be an issue.As you may recall, the 2018 US Farm Bill legalized hemp-derived CBD products in the USA. If your CBD extract has ≤ 0.3 percent delta-9 THC, it’s legal at the federal level.There is, however, a slight issue with full-spectrum CBD oil. Although CBD oil is legal...

Harvard is getting scrutinized for legacy admissions. What does this mean for Stanford and other California colleges?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

There’s a new front for America’s heated battle over race in college admissions: Is it legal for schools to give preference to the children of alumni and wealthy donors?The question took on urgency this past week for many of the country’s elite private universities, including Stanford and USC, after the U.S. Department of Education launched a civil rights investigation into Harvard’s legacy admissions policies following a complaint that the practice favors White and wealthy applicants.While the investigation is focused on the Ivy League campus, the results are likely to impact other private universities that employ legacy policies, including Stanford and Santa Clara University. The twist comes a month after the Supreme Court jolted universities across the country by outlawing the use of affirmative action in choosing students in a ruling that critics say harmed Black and Latino applicants who for generations have been disadvantaged in the college admissions g...