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Colorado River water cuts eased for 2024, despite long-term challenges

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:23:15 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials said Tuesday they will ease water cuts for Western states reliant on the Colorado River in 2024, thanks to a slightly improved outlook, but long-term challenges remain.The river serves seven U.S. states, Native American tribes and two states in Mexico. It also supports a multibillion-dollar farm industry in the West and generates hydropower used across the region. Years of overuse by farms and cities, and the effects of drought worsened by climate change have meant much less water flows today through the Colorado River than in previous decades. Work to begin on underground fire near Marshall Fire ignition point The U.S. government announces water availability for the coming year months in advance so that cities, farmers and others can plan. The first mandatory cuts that magnified the crisis on the river went into effect in 2022, followed by even deeper cuts this year due to drought, poor precipitation and less runoff from the headwaters in the R...

Douglas County sheriff warns of scammers meeting with victims, bilking thousands

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:23:15 GMT

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) -- Douglas County investigators say they are very concerned about a new scam they are seeing that has an added layer of danger.They've received multiple reports from victims over the age of 70 who have lost large amounts of money after meeting with suspects in person.Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly says the scam starts with a pop-up error message on a computer or iPad."This latest version says it's from Microsoft. They are told to contact a phone number," the sheriff said. Is there any rhyme or reason to Denver’s street names? When the victims call the number, he said, they are told elaborate stories about why they need to withdraw large amounts of cash or buy gold."These suspects are more brazen, and they are actually meeting with our victims," Weekly said.$58K in cash stolen, along with $125K in goldAccording to investigators, there are multiple suspects who may wear medical masks and sunglasses.The DCSO released surveillance pictures that show ...

John Fielder's 5 tips for outdoor photographers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:23:15 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A famed, award-winning outdoor photographer from Colorado, John Fielder, died over the weekend after a battle with cancer. Fielder, 73, took hundreds of thousands of photos during his career, documenting quite literally each of Colorado’s 104,984 square miles, according to a press release from History Colorado. Colorado nature photographer John Fielder dies He was a guest on FOX31 and Channel 2 many times in past years, leaving tips for others interested in capturing the beauty of Colorado in a photo.Here are some of Fielder's secrets to landscape photography.The golden hourFielder said outdoor photographers make a living one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset, when shadows are broad, to add depth to an image. "Photographers do not sleep in," Fielder said. "Pushing the saturation slider to the right in Lightroom to edit your photos is not the same as getting up at 5:30 a.m." Watch: More tips for outdoor photography from John Fielder He said the warm l...

Owners seek return of sentimental photo frame stolen from Vinos Wine Bar on Las Olas

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:23:15 GMT

The owners of Vinos Wine Bar on Las Olas are on a quest for answers after a bold act of photo theft was captured on video.The incident unfolded Friday evening at the bar’s Sidecar Speakeasy, just moments before midnight.“Every bartender, restaurant owner in America has this problem of people stealing stuff,” said co-owner Clayton Chelley. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vinos Wine Bar On Las Olas (@vinosfortlauderdale)Seated at a corner table and after sharing a few glasses of wine with her friends, a woman nonchalantly helped herself to a photo on the wall.“It’s like walking into your house and taking a picture off the wall,” said Clayton. “I’m disturbed by this. I mean, I lose sleep over this.”“I feel more disappointed,” said co-owner Valerie Chelley. “You kind of expect the best from people.”The whole scene was caught on camera, detailing her maneuver to secure the frame in her purse. Her friends playe...

Pembroke Park town commissioner speaks out after investigation details pattern of improper behavior

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:23:15 GMT

A commissioner in one South Florida town is firing back after being investigated for bad behavior. Former Pembroke Park town attorney, Melissa Anderson, explained the way, she said, Commissioner Geoffrey Jacobs treated her.“He went after me like I have never had in my 35 year career had anybody, I mean it was shocking,” Anderson said. “I tried to actually smooth things over with him one night and he, this is when he screamed at me from across the parking lot to leave him the expletive alone, and I was like, I thought this just went from weird to weird scary.”Anderson met with the attorney who was hired by the town to look into allegations against the commissioner.“Hostile work environment and potential violations of code of conduct for the Town of Pembroke Park,” said the attorney. Commissioner Jacobs is now responding to the allegations and the report, which he said, is lopsided.“There was not one person interviewed in there that was benef...

Westford’s Molly Smith earns medalist honors at Massachusetts Women’s Amateur

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:23:15 GMT

Westford’s Molly Smith earned medalist honors at the 120th Massachusetts Women’s Amateur Championship.The 18-year-old, a recent graduate of Westford Academy, fired a sizzling 2-under par 68 to finish the two days of stroke play with a 143 (3-over), which was five shots better than Mekhala Costello of Blue Hill CC (73-75-148) at Dedham Country & Polo Club.Smith, 18, is trying to duplicate the formula used by her oldest sister, Morgan, 19, who also won stroke play by five shots last summer en route to winning the championship.The Smiths were well represented atop the leaderboard heading into Wednesday and the first day of match play. Maddie Smith, 15, was in third (+9) after rounds of 76-73-149. Morgan Smith (78-73-151) was tied for fourth with Shannon Johnson of Thorny Lea, Isabel Brozena of Indian Ridge and Allison Paik of The Cape Club of Sharon.All three Smiths are representing Vesper CC of Tyngsboro.This year’s champion will be crowned Friday.

Patriots CB Jack Jones, facing airport gun charges, has a rescheduled court date after Week 1

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:23:15 GMT

Anyone excited for more details in the airport firearms case of Patriots cornerback Jack Jones will have to wait a little longer.A hearing scheduled for Friday in municipal court in East Boston was rescheduled Tuesday for Sept. 15, a few days after the Pats’ season opener.Massachusetts State Police troopers arrested Jones, 25, at Boston Logan International Airport on June 16 after they say TSA agents found two pistols in the New England Patriot player’s carry-on bag as he was going through a security checkpoint.The alleged guns were both loaded Glock 9mm pistols, a Glock 43X and Glock 19, according to prosecutors.Seized alongside them were three loaded magazines: a 30-round, a 15-round and 10-round, as well as a total of 54 rounds of 9mm ammunition. The guns were allegedly inside an unlocked black Glock handgun box that was itself inside a black duffel bag labeled with the words “UFC” and “Jones, Jack.”Jones was charged with two counts each of possession of a concealed weapon ...

Lahaina fire insured losses estimated at $3.2B 

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:23:15 GMT

The Lahaina fire caused about $3.2 billion in insured property losses, calculated Karen Clark & Company, a prominent disaster and risk modeling company. That doesn’t count damage to property not insured.The risk firm said more than 2,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed by fire with a total of more than 3,000 buildings damaged by fire or smoke or both. Because so many of the buildings were wood frame and older, the damage rates were higher than other fires, the firm said.Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday he wants Congress to help Hawaii by approving a supplemental spending package that includes $13 billion to replenish federal disaster funds “as quickly as possible” once lawmakers return after Labor Day.Schumer, D-N.Y., said his heart goes out to all those impacted by the devastating fires in Maui, adding that the Senate would “do everything we could to help Hawaii.”Last week the Biden administration requested $13 billion in overall disaster funds a...

Allston businesses to begin making deliveries via e-cargo bikes, ditching cars and trucks

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:23:15 GMT

More than a handful of businesses in Allston will soon be delivering packages via electric cargo bikes instead of cars or trucks, an initiative the Wu administration says will reduce pollution and improve street safety.Eight companies that make deliveries to and from the neighborhood are participating in the Boston Delivers pilot program, which will start in mid-September and run for at least a year.The involved businesses will receive subsidies from the city to cover delivery costs, making their services more affordable to operate, the Wu administration announced Tuesday. The city is allocating $345,000 as well as using state funds.Officials say the program will bring relief to not just businesses but also pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicle drivers. The city has seen a rise in delivery services following the pandemic, triggering “more congestion outside local businesses and double parking in bus, bike and vehicle travel lanes,” they say.“The way our small businesses and reside...

Georgia clerk says ‘mishap’ caused erroneous release of list of Trump charges

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:23:15 GMT

The clerk of the Fulton County, Georgia, court system acknowledged Tuesday accidently releasing what appeared to be a list of criminal charges against Donald Trump before he was actually indicted, and sought to deflect blame amid mounting criticism from Republicans who have seized on the blunder to characterize the case as rigged. After refusing to explain what happened for more than a day after Reuters posted the document the media outlet said was published on the court’s website, clerk Che Alexander’s office said she was doing a “trial run” of the court’s filing system on Monday “in anticipation of issues that arise with entering a potentially large indictment.” Alexander’s office said that led to the docketing of “what appeared to be an indictment, but which was, in fact, only a fictitious docket sheet.” Reuters found the docket and reported on it Monday afternoon, hours before the grand jury returned the indictment charging Trump and 18 allies over effort...