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Keeler: This Denver woman prayed for a Christmas miracle. Broncos star Justin Simmons gave her one

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:21:39 GMT

PARKER — The metaphor had four good wheels but forced her to walk anyway. Taylor Swift couldn’t write a song as sad as Samantha Ramirez’s 2023. Or sing it half as well.Ramirez, 38, and her main squeeze, David Dunn, were working at the Waffle House in Cocoa Beach, Fla., when life’s compass pointed them north last September. Let’s get the heck out of the South, move to the mountains, buy a food truck, see the snow, start over.“Sometimes, to get rid of bad juju,” Ramirez explained, “you’ve gotta make a move.”Only the juju followed, ants chasing a picnic lunch. At the start of the year, her biological father died of cancer. Then her mother contracted pancreatic cancer. A few months after that, the engine in her Subaru Legacy conked out, which forced her and David to Uber to work.“For $600 a month,” Ramirez sighed.“When you’re on the path to do things, some rocks get thrown in your path. So I kept on push...

Reggie Jackson’s Colorado: A Palmer High legend shaped by snow ice cream, unforgettable highlights and lasting friendships

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:21:39 GMT

Nobody has had a rooting interest in Colorado’s climate for reasons more unusual than Reggie Jackson’s.He thinks it was fall of his sophomore year in high school. By then, he had lived in Colorado Springs since sixth grade and found close friends in Palmer High School teammates Zach Hawkins and Jonathan Burnley.Whenever it was, he and Burnley were at Hawkins’ house — where they spent most of their free time — when Hawkins’ stepmom mentioned she was waiting for the first snow of the season to collect a sample for an ice cream recipe. Jackson had never heard of such a concept.“And one day I think we were actually staying the night at his house, and luckily we got snowed in,” Jackson said. “She made the first batch, and I fell in love. I couldn’t wait for the first snowfall every winter after that.”Jackson, 33, has been back in Colorado since February, when he signed with the Nuggets after Charlotte bought out his contract. Ten months later, he has won his first NBA champio...

The Denver Post’s 2023 All-Colorado football team

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:21:39 GMT

The 2023 All-Colorado football team, as selected by The Denver Post staff based on statistical analysis, relative value to team success, postseason production and the old-fashioned eye test.Logan MaddenRalston Valley quarterback Logan Madden. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)QB | Ralston Valley | Sr. | 6-foot-2 | 195 poundsThe centerpiece of Ralston Valley’s rise to power over the past two years, Madden led the Mustangs to consecutive Class 5A semifinal trips. He threw for 2,794 yards, third in the classification, and showed premier pocket presence while being able to consistently elude the pass-rush to throw for 22 TDs. He’s currently uncommitted.Austyn ModrzewskiMountain Vista quareterback Austyn Modrzewski. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)QB | Mountain Vista | Jr. | 6-foot-5 | 198 poundsThe lanky gunslinger led all classifications with 3,675 yards passing this year for the Golden Eagles. That included a 128 QBR and 41 touchdowns as Mountain Vista made it to t...

Me & My Car: 1969 Datsun in Lafayette restored to flawlessness

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:21:39 GMT

Most car people know that Nissan is the owner of the Datsun, brand but what came first?The beginning of Datsun goes back to 1911, when Kwaishinsha Motor Car Works was established. Three of the men who invested in the company, Kenjiro Den, Rokuro Aoyama and Aketaro Takeuchi built the company’s first car in 1914 and called it “DAT,” a name using the last initials of the three investors.Related ArticlesLocal News | Me & My Car: 1931 Ford Model A in East Bay a masterpiece hot rod Local News | Me & My Car: East Bay owner’s ’63 Volvo with him through thick and thin Local News | Me & My Car: Oakland man’s ’92 Allanté one of Cadillac’s unique models There were some larger vehicles produced under the DAT name, but in 1931 a more compact car was produced which was called a “DATSON,” as it was sort of the son of DAT. Clever, but in Japanese the meaning of “son” is “loss” so ...

Joe Andruzzi Foundation, Bob’s Discount Furniture deliver mattresses to cancer patients

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:21:39 GMT

Former Patriot and Super Bowl Champion Joe Andruzzi is giving back this holiday season, delivering mattresses to cancer patients across New England.The longtime Pats offensive lineman even let some of the people he delivered to wear his four Super Bowl rings.Teaming up with Bob’s Discount Furniture, Andruzzi’s Foundation delivered the mattresses and bedding to area residents battling cancer.“I’ve been there, I’ve been a cancer patient,” Andruzzi said. “I fought for my life from a hospital bed in 2007 and my doctor was a big believer in you get better at home.” The first delivery was to Leisa Clarke in Dorchester, who has gone through four rounds of chemotherapy and received a heart and kidney transplant.Speaking to 7NEWS, her son said, “Two years ago my Mom was going through her heart transplant and we didn’t know if she was going to make it, so for her to be here to see this, it’s wonderful. God is good and she dese...

Dreaming of a white Christmas? Alaska may be your best bet, as U.S. ski resorts see rain, not snow

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:21:39 GMT

GILFORD, N.H. (AP) — For most Americans dreaming of a white Christmas, this year’s prospects aren’t good.Although parts of the Rockies and Midwest already have snow or could get a fresh dusting by Monday, other parts of the country that are normally coated in white this time of year are still sporting their drab late-fall look.“Some people will get their dream, their wish, and get a white Christmas right at the last minute,” said Judah Cohen, the director of seasonal forecasting at Verisk Atmospheric and Environmental Research. “But most of the country will have a brown Christmas.”Among the areas more accustomed to snowy Decembers is the Northeast, where a powerful storm blew in this week and dumped heavy rain on the region’s ski areas, wreaking havoc on the snowpack.“It didn’t wash out our trails. But it was crazy rain,” said Tom Day, the general manager of Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford, New Hampshire.He hiked the ski area Monday, when it was...

Holiday travel forecast

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:21:39 GMT

Good morning! We’re tracking the conditions for your holiday travel. This morning spotty showers could create some slick patches on the roads. A Winter Weather Advisory is in place through 9 am for Southern New Hampshire. Freezing rain and freezing drizzle could create an icy glaze on the roads. Once we get through mid morning, temperatures should start to climb a bit and the chance for slick patches fades.We’ll see a lot of clouds today. Highs will be in a range of the 40s. There won’t be a lot of wind. It stays mainly dry, except for a few sprinkles possible later.Layers of clouds will hold temperatures near 40 tonight. Fog develops tonight and lingers overnight. Heads up if you’re traveling late or early, that could cause some visibility issues.A lot of clouds to start tomorrow. It’ll be a mostly cloudy but mild Christmas Day! Enjoy!

Chicago Bears vs. Arizona Cardinals: Everything you need to know about the Week 16 game before kickoff

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:21:39 GMT

The 5-9 Chicago Bears will play the 3-11 Arizona Cardinals at Soldier Field in a Week 16 matchup. Here’s what you need to know before kickoff (3:25 p.m., Fox-Ch. 32).5 things to watch in the Bears-Cardinals game — plus our Week 16 predictionsRanking QB Justin Fields’ Bears startsHere we are again, Chicago, in the home stretch of another losing Bears season with quarterback uncertainty swirling. Justin Fields has three games remaining in his third season and, quite possibly, in his time with the organization.Here is our ranking of every NFL start Fields has made — 1 to 35.True or false: Bears QB Justin Fields’ inability to close will accelerate his exit from Chicago5 things we learned from the Bears, including Justin Fields and Jaylon Johnson addressing their uncertain futuresJaylon Johnson bet on himself — and it paid offCredit Jaylon Johnson for acknowledging the elephant in the room — and finding a way to use it as motivation from the begi...

As conflicts rage abroad, a fractured Congress tries to rally support for historic global challenges

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:21:39 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Senate wrapped up its work for the year, Sen. Michael Bennet took to the floor of the nearly empty chamber and made a late-night plea for Congress to redouble support for Ukraine: “Understand the stakes at this moment.”It was the third time in recent months the Colorado Democrat has kept the Senate working late by holding up unrelated legislation in a bid to cajole lawmakers to approve tens of billions of dollars in weaponry and economic aid for Ukraine. During a nearly hour-long, emotional speech, he called on senators to see the nearly 2-year-old conflict as a defining clash of authoritarianism against democracy and implored them to consider what it means “to be fighting on that freezing front line and not know whether we’re going to come through with the ammunition.”Yet Congress broke for the holidays and is not expected to return for two weeks while continued aid for Ukraine has nearly been exhausted. The Biden administration is plannin...

More Canadians to feel pinch of high rates in 2024, making way for lower inflation

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:21:39 GMT

OTTAWA — As another inflation-fighting year wraps up, the Bank of Canada’s quest to restore price stability is expected to begin drawing to a close in 2024.The central bank’s hefty rate hikes are finally bearing fruit, allowing it to hold its key interest rate steady at five per cent over the last few months. Higher borrowing costs have caused a pullback in business investment and consumer spending, making way for lower inflation. The economic slowdown is expected to lay the groundwork for interest rate cuts as early as mid-2024, which would signal a turning point in the fight against inflation.Desjardins’ chief economist says although the central bank’s rate hikes have helped get a handle on inflation, a lot of the slowdown in price growth has also come from global price pressures easing.“We’re looking at inflation 3.1 per cent, now much less stressful than it was a year ago,” said Jimmy Jean, chief economist at Desjardins. &...