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'It's freedom': Migrant finds housing after 9 months in Denver shelter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:13 GMT

FEDERAL HEIGHTS, Colo. (KDVR) — One of the first migrants who sought refuge in a Denver shelter now has a place of her own to call home in the metro area.Milsen Castro met with FOX31 Thursday at her new home of a month in Federal Heights. A translator relayed the feeling she expressed, of having a place to call her own in Denver.“It’s freedom,” Castro said. “Free to that liberty of being able to purchase your own things, of being able to pay your rent.”Castro didn’t know if she would survive to experience freedom after the more than a monthlong journey to get here as a migrant escaping her community in Venezuela.  Denver migrant surge highest since January “It was very difficult to get here,” Castro said. “It was so difficult. I faced death and I recall the words from my father telling me that I was a warrior daughter and recalling that and remembering that I was fleeing Venezuela for the reason not to be killed, not to become someone bad, and I was not going to let death tak...

Child sexual exploitation investigation leads to arrests in Boulder Count

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:13 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Two men were arrested following an investigation into the possession of child sexual abuse material, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said. Electronic forensic evidence showed hundreds of files belonging to Lucas Cole Young, 51, were found in violation of sexual exploitation of a child, the sheriff's office said in a release Thursday. Young had previously been convicted for the same offense. 16 indicted on 116 felonies in one of biggest drug busts in West Metro Two handguns were also discovered during the execution of the search warrant at a residence in the 400 block of Morgan Road in Longmont, BCSO said. Those guns, the sheriff's office said, belonged to Allen Lane Kruzik, 70, who is a convicted felon.The investigation began after the Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received information about someone possessing child sexual abuse material. The search warrant was issued and executed on May 30, the sheriff's office said. Young is facing 10...

Yankees Notebook: Anthony Rizzo’s home run drought has him searching for power stroke

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:13 GMT

The Yankees were more than happy to re-sign Anthony Rizzo over the offseason after the first baseman tied a career-high with 32 home runs in 2022, his first full season of calling Yankee Stadium home.But pop has alluded the lefty swinger lately. Entering Thursday’s series finale against the Orioles, Rizzo had not hit a home run since May 20. That span includes 34 games and 141 plate appearances.“I mean, does it get in your head? Obviously, you want to do damage in the box,” Rizzo said after going 0-for-4 in Wednesday’s loss. “When you’re off mechanically, it sucks. You fight for it and it comes back. That feeling comes back in a swing and it’s just keeping it and repeating it.”“It’s frustrating, but this is part of it and you got to just keep working.”For a second, it looked as if Rizzo had ended his drought on Wednesday, as he lofted a ball to right field during the eighth inning. But the fly fell short, and he remai...

Russian jets harass US drone aircraft over Syria for the 2nd time in 24 hours

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:13 GMT

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and TARA COPP (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — Russian fighter jets flew dangerously close to several U.S. drone aircraft over Syria again Thursday, setting off flares and forcing the MQ-9 Reapers to take evasive maneuvers, the Air Force said.It was the second time in 24 hours that Russia has harassed U.S. drones there. “We urge Russian forces in Syria to cease this reckless behavior and adhere to the standards of behavior expected of a professional air force so we can resume our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS,” Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, head of U.S. Air Forces Central Command, said in a statement. Col. Michael Andrews, Air Forces Central Command spokesman, said “the Russian harassment, including close fly-bys, by one SU-34 and one SU-35 and deploying flares directly into the MQ-9, lasted almost an hour. So it wasn’t a quick fly-by, but much more of a sustained and unprofessional interaction.”U.S. Air Forces Central re...

Ticker: Twitter threatens legal action against Meta over Threads; US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits China

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:13 GMT

Twitter has threatened legal action against Meta over its new, text-based app called Threads, according to a letter obtained by Semafor.In a Wednesday letter addressed to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Alex Spiro, an attorney representing Twitter, accused Meta of unlawfully using Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property by hiring former Twitter employees to create a “copycat” app.Since launching Threads Wednesday night, Meta’s new app has collected tens of millions of sign ups. The app, which was created by the company’s Instagram team, arrives at a time when many are looking for Twitter alternatives to escape Elon Musk’s raucous oversight of the platform since acquiring it last year for $44 billion.Meta spokesperson Andy Stone responded to the report of Spiro’s letter on Threads Thursday afternoon, writing, “no one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee — that’s just not a thing.”US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits China...

Meet the pitmaster balancing fire and smoke at this San Diego-area craft BBQ joint

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:13 GMT

OCEANSIDE, Calif. -- A craft barbecue restaurant is now open in Oceanside with a pitmaster who's finding the right balance between fire and smoke. Heritage Barbecue & Beer Co., a sister brand to critically-lauded and Michelin-recognized Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano, is serving smoked meat specialties made with love.That's according to their newly appointed pitmaster and barbecue connoisseur Ari Valenzuela. Since joining the team in February, the 32-year old from San Marcos has been working to master the art of fire and smoke. Don’t you dare ask for the manager at Karen’s Diner in San Diego "Believe it or not people can taste the love and passion behind something," said Valenzuela while explaining what kind of impact she hopes to have on the barbecue-loving community in San Diego County. Valenzuela, who's worked in kitchens since 2015, was hired by pitmaster and Heritage Barbecue & Beer Co. owner Daniel Castillo, who says the first thing that struck him about Va...

Iowa teen gets life with possibility of parole after 35 years for Spanish teacher’s beating death

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:13 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The first of two Iowa teenagers who pleaded guilty to beating their high school Spanish teacher to death with a baseball bat was sentenced Thursday to life with a possibility of parole after 35 years in prison.A judge sentenced Willard Miller after a sentencing hearing that lasted more than seven hours.Miller and another teen, Jeremy Goodale, had pleaded guilty in April to the 2021 attack on Nohema Graber. The 66-year-old teacher was fatally beaten while taking her regular afternoon walk in a park in Fairfield.In sentencing Miller, District Court Judge Shawn Showers acknowledged Miller’s young age but also noted he had “cut Nohema Graber’s precious life short,” devastating her family and the community.“I find that your intent and actions were sinister and evil. Those acts resulted in the intentional loss of human life in a brutal fashion,” Showers said. “There is no excuse.”As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors had recommended Miller receive ...

Cameraman injured at Yankee Stadium by wild throw has an orbital fracture

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:13 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Baltimore shortstop Gunnar Henderson and New York manager Aaron Boone spoke Thursday with Pete Stendel, the YES Network cameraman who sustained an orbital fracture when he was hit by Henderson’s errant throw Wednesday night.“I got a chance to reach out to his wife and then also made contact with Pete,” Henderson said before the finale of a four-game series between the Orioles and Yankees. “He was in good spirits, just swollen up pretty bad right now. Everything was fine.”Positioned right next to the New York Yankees’ dugout on the first-base side, Stendel was struck by a hurried throw by Henderson, who fired high to first as he tried to complete a double play in the fifth inning.“Every time that a ball goes over the first baseman or even a foul ball from the hitter, you don’t want to see it going towards a fan. It just happened to be in the wrong spot, and I hope he’s doing all right,” Henderson said Wednesday night following his team’s 6-3 victory. “My prayers go o...

Grand Canyon gets $27.5 million federal grant for greener shuttle buses

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:13 GMT

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — Grand Canyon National Park is getting $27.5 million in federal highway money to upgrade its aging fleet of shuttle buses, which help the more than 4 million annual visitors get around the huge park.The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced the grant at an event Thursday on the canyon’s south rim.The replacement project includes 30 new buses — 20 that run on compressed natural gas and 10 electric buses. Charging stations will be installed for the electric buses. The new buses are expected to reduce pollution and ease the overcrowding of vehicles at the park.The park has over 270 miles of paved and unpaved roads.The Grand Canyon project is one of seven to receive grants totaling $130.5 million under a Federal Highway Administration program that recognizes transportation projects of national significance that serve federal and tribal lands.Officials from the Department of Transportation, Interior Department...

Mi’kmaq lawyers from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland appointed to Senate seats

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:29:13 GMT

OTTAWA — Two Mi’kmaq lawyers from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have been appointed to the Senate.Paul Prosper, the former chief of Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation and a former Assembly of First Nations regional chief, will represent Nova Scotia.Judy White, who was the assistant deputy minister of Indigenous affairs and reconciliation in Newfoundland and Labrador, will represent that province.Their appointments were formally made by Gov. Gen. Mary Simon today on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Senate appointment recommendations are made to the prime minister by an independent advisory board that reviews submissions.Dan Christmas, who retired earlier this year, became Canada’s first Mi’kmaw senator when he was appointed to the upper chamber in 2016.This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2023.The Canadian Press