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Belleville police acvtively monitoring consumer firework use during holiday

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

BELLEVILLE, Ill. - The city of Belleville is reminding locals that consumer fireworks are illegal within the state of Illinois. Ameren customers still without power in Missouri and Illinois after weekend storms Belleville has its own ordinances against fireworks. Police there shared they will be actively monitoring and enforcing fireworks violations, which means a citation for anyone who is caught.

MetroLink experiencing delays Monday morning

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Some MetroLink riders may run into delays Monday morning.MetroLink is not operating between the Delmar Loop and Central West End stations becuase of a mechanical issue. Shuttle buses are transporting passengers between the Delmar Loop, Forest Park-DeBaliviere and Central West End stations. Ameren customers still without power in Missouri and Illinois after weekend storms People traveling through the area may experience delays of up to an hour.

Colorado-raised competitive eater will try to beat her record at Nathan’s hot dog-eating contest on July 4

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

On our nation’s birthday this year, Mary Bowers plans to raise awareness about her own unusual American story — and those of other children — in a very American way: with hot dogs.Bowers, who is ranked No. 49 among competitive eaters, and No. 11 among women, was born in South Korea and adopted as a five-month-old in 1982 by Billy and Cindy Bowers of Greeley.She got into the sport in 2011 after attending a hot dog-eating competition in Orange County, Calif., where she’d only planned to be a spectator. But when someone asked her if she wanted to take the final spot in the contest, she said, “Why not? … I figured I haven’t had dinner yet, so I thought, ‘What the hell? I’ll get a free dinner out of this.”Bowers managed to chow down seven and a half hot dogs in 12 minutes, and since the event happened to be a qualifier for the final round of Nathan’s International Hot Dog Eating Contest, she got a call from Major League Eating, the professional l...

Mysteries of the month: “The Overnights,” “Red Queen” and more

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

“The Overnights,” by Ian K. Smith (Amistad)“The Overnights,” by Ian K. Smith (Amistad)Chicago TV anchor Morgan Shaw hires PI Ashe Cayne when she believes somebody is threatening to kill her. Cayne and his crew end up not only providing protection but are also drawn into the shooting of an unarmed black man, by a cop.  With her show placing No. 1 in the ratings for years, Shaw is stressed over sweeps week, and the probability that she’s slipped to second place. Breaking the story would put her back on top in the ratings. She needs Cayne to help her find the truth about the killing. As he investigates, Cayne uncovers details of the killing — and about Morgan, as well.“The Last Remains,” by Elly Griffiths (Mariner Books)When the remains of a young woman are found hidden behind a wall, who do you call? Well, if you’re an Elly Griffiths fan and the body is found in England’s King’s Lynn, you ring up Dr. Ruth Galloway. After all, she’s solved myst...

New soul food spot owned by former NBA star set to open in Five Points next year

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Kevin Johnson hadn’t planned to open his Denver restaurant, Fixins Soul Kitchen, until 2026.The former Phoenix Suns point guard and onetime mayor of Sacramento, California, joked that it wasn’t until he made a wager with Mayor Michael Hancock on the Denver Nuggets winning the NBA championship that he changed his mind. (And if they didn’t win, Hancock would have to dress up as the Suns’ team mascot, Go the Gorilla.)“I thought to myself, ‘First of all, you’re not going to beat Phoenix, let alone win the championship,’” joked Johnson, a three-time NBA all-star.In late June, Johnson, along with Hancock and former Mayor Wellington Webb, visited the Five Points community and announced Fixins Soul Kitchen’s upcoming opening at 2600 Welton St. on the ground floor of The Hooper apartment complex.Johnson, who was Sacramento’s mayor from 2008 to 2016, said he wanted to announce the opening of his soul food restaurant before Hancock finishes his mayoral term on July 17. The tw...

Twitter fights eviction from Boulder office, claims landlord owes it $5.8M

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

The company formerly known as Twitter is suing its Boulder landlord for alleged wrongful eviction and breach of an agreement under which the social media company said it is owed $5.8 million for improvements to the office space.X Corp., the successor to Twitter, filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Boulder County District Court against Lot 2 SBO, the owner of the office space and a limited liability company related to Chicago’s The John Buck Company.  The property owner sued the social media company in May, claiming the company had not paid rent and didn’t respond to a default notice.A judge gave the OK for law enforcement to evict the tech giant from its suites at 3401 Bluff St. in Boulder. The lawsuit by X Corp. said the landlord intended to go through with the eviction Friday even though the company told Lot 2 SBO that it wasn’t in default and would “pursue all legal recourse.”Attorneys for X Corp. didn’t respond to questions Friday about whether the company...

Religious freedom arguments underpin wave of challenges to abortion bans

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

By Pam Belluck, The New York Times CompanyFor years, conservative Christians have used the principle of religious freedom to prevail in legal battles on issues like contraceptive insurance mandates and pandemic restrictions. Now abortion rights supporters are employing that argument to challenge one of the right’s most prized accomplishments: state bans on abortion.In the year since Roe v. Wade was overturned, clergy and members of various religions, including Christian and Jewish denominations, have filed about 15 lawsuits in eight states, saying abortion bans and restrictions infringe on their faiths.Many of those suing say that according to their religious beliefs, abortion should be allowed in at least some circumstances that the bans prohibit and that the bans violate religious liberty guarantees and the separation of church and state. The suits — some seeking exemptions and others seeking to overturn the bans — often invoke state religious freedom restoration acts enacte...

Here’s where you can go mountain biking at Colorado ski resorts

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

With Colorado ski areas shifting into summer operations, resorts are opening trails to mountain biking — or will do so any day.Many utilize their chairlifts for “bike hauls,” requiring the purchase of trail passes for access. Copper Mountain allows free mountain biking but charges for bike hauls. Trail access is free at Arapahoe Basin, where there is no lift-assisted biking. Most of the resorts with mountain biking operations also offer rentals, lessons and clinics.Purgatory will host a major competitive and spectator event this weekend when the Big Mountain Enduro national race series visits July 8-9. Purgatory is the only Colorado resort hosting that tour this year.Here’s a rundown of Colorado ski resort mountain-biking operations this summer:Arapahoe Basin: Officials say they hope to open The Legend for mountain biking next weekend. A-Basin will offer riding from the base area at 10,780 feet to the summit at 12,456 feet, utilizing five trails. There are no...

Denver Book Club: “Old Babes,” “Go As a River” and more short reviews

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Go As A River (‎Spiegel & Grau)Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club mean a lot, and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile onto our bedside tables. Sure, you could read advertising blurbs on Amazon, but wouldn’t you be more likely to believe a neighbor with no skin in the game over a corporation being fed words by publishers? So in this new series, we are sharing these mini-reviews with you. Have any to offer? Email [email protected].“Old Babes in the Woods: Stories by Margaret Atwood,” (Doubleday)I admit it, I would read a telephone book if it were written by Margaret Atwood.  She’s just that good, that smart, that witty.  The characters in these stories deal with aging, family relationships, enduring love and loss.  There were some laugh-out-loud passages, and some poignant, recognizable situations.  I was sorry to see it come to an end. — 4 stars (out of 4); Kathleen Lance, Denver“...

Slackline hero who rescued skier hanging from Arapahoe Basin chairlift honored with Carnegie Medal

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 08:00:00 GMT

When Mickey Wilson, the slackline hero who rescued an Arapahoe Basin skier more than two stories above the ground in 2017, answered the phone one day late last month, he was shocked into silence when he learned he’d be receiving the Carnegie Medal.Andrew Carnegie established the Carnegie Hero Fund in 1904 to recognize outstanding acts of selfless heroism performed in the United States and Canada. Today, the commission awards the Carnegie Medal to those who risk death or serious physical injury while attempting to save the lives of others.“When the incident first occurred, I told people not to use the ‘H’ word,” Wilson said. “I’m not a hero, I’m just a slackliner. I guess I don’t get to say that anymore.”On Jan. 4, 2017, Wilson climbed a lift tower, slid 30 feet across the lift’s cable and cut free a skier whose backpack got caught on an Arapahoe Basin chairlift, leaving him dangling.Wilson, of Golden, said the man was...