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Marshall fire investigation still a month or two away from completion, sheriff says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson recently told a crowd of Marshall fire victims that it may take another month or two to finish the investigation into what caused the deadly December 2021 wildfire.“Every time we think we’re done. something else comes up to investigate,” Johnson said.Johnson, who was elected sheriff in November, commented on the investigation on March 17 during a Superior town hall meeting organized by CBS Colorado. Johnson was asked about the investigation by a man in the audience, who said residents were anxious to learn the cause.“Me as well,” Johnson said. “My house burned down in the fire, so I want to know as well.”Elisabeth Scanlon, a spokeswoman for the Boulder District Attorney’s Office, said the DA’s office is working with the sheriff’s office to review all of the findings by investigators, “whether it is criminal or not.” The investigative team brought in outside experts and peopl...

2 sought in Westminster home invasion

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Two men are being sought in connection with a home invasion in Westminster late Sunday, police said.The incident was reported around 10:30 p.m. at a home near the intersection of Rockview Circle and Monroe Street.Westminster police are not releasing any information about what was taken during the burglary, but no injuries were reported.Video from the scene showed a glass sliding door was smashed during the break in. Police were at the scene looking the suspects and scouring the area for evidence with the help of K9s, police showed. The case remains under investigation.

DOJ investigates deputies accused of shoving guns in mouths of 2 Black men in Mississippi

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Several deputies from a Mississippi sheriff’s department being investigated by the Justice Department for possible civil rights violations have been involved in at least four violent encounters with Black men since 2019 that left two dead and another with lasting injuries, an Associated Press investigation found.Two of the men allege that Rankin County sheriff's deputies shoved guns into their mouths during separate encounters. In one case, the deputy pulled the trigger, leaving the man with wounds that required parts of his tongue to be sewn back together. In one of the two fatal confrontations, the man's mother said a deputy kneeled on her son's neck while he told them he couldn't breathe.Police and court records obtained by the AP show that several deputies who were accepted to the sheriff's office's Special Response Team — a tactical unit whose members receive advanced training — were involved in each of the four encounters. In three of them, the heavily redacted documents don't...

Pico Rivera teen missing since Wednesday located; man in custody

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

A 13-year-old girl who was reported missing earlier this week in Pico Rivera has been found, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.The teen had been missing since late Wednesday night after she left home without her cell phone following an argument with her mother, authorities said. At around 2 p.m. Sunday, officers with the Montebello Police Department responded to the 500 block of North 4th Street. There, deputies spotted the teen as she exited a detached converted garage, an LASD news release stated. The teen was taken to the Pico Rivera Sheriff's Station. "A male Hispanic adult was taken into custody at the location without incident," the release noted. "There were no other people inside the location. The suspect was arrested and booked on unrelated charges." The teen's family spoke at a news conference with sheriff's deputies on Saturday, pleading for her safe return. She had been missing for three days without any mode of communication or way to support hers...

New bill seeks to limit housing sprawl in fire- and flood-prone areas of California

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Over the past half-century, new housing has spread into ever more far-flung parts of California – from luxury estates perched on remote hillsides to tightly packed subdivisions stretched over rural flatlands.The sprawl has allowed people to live closer to nature and buy homes in more affordable parts of the state where it’s cheaper and easier to build. But it’s also left millions vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires and flooding.And as destructive natural disasters have become more frequent in recent years, state and local officials have felt increasing pressure: How does California find ways to ease a dire housing shortage without ignoring the harsh reality of climate change?Now, an unlikely coalition of environmentalists and housing advocates is backing a bill that seeks to slow growth in many parts of the state at high risk of fires and floods while encouraging more multifamily housing in existing population centers.The proposal wouldn’t outright ban new housing...

Analysis: What’s ‘digital blackface?’ And why is it wrong when White people use it?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Analysis by John Blake | CNNMaybe you shared that viral video of Kimberly “Sweet Brown” Wilkins telling a reporter after narrowly escaping an apartment fire, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”Perhaps you posted that meme of supermodel Tyra Banks exploding in anger on “America’s Next Top Model” (“I was rooting for you! We were all rooting for you!”). Or maybe you’ve simply posted popular GIFs, such as the one of NBA great Michael Jordan crying, or of drag queen RuPaul declaring, “Guuuurl…”If you’re Black and you’ve shared such images online, you get a pass. But if you’re White, you may have inadvertently perpetuated one of the most insidious forms of contemporary racism.You may be wearing “digital blackface.”What is digital blackface?Digital blackface is a practice where White people co-opt online expressions of Black imagery, slang, catchphrases or culture to convey comic...

SJSU vision may revamp downtown San Jose campus, add housing towers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

SAN JOSE — Housing towers, new dining spots and hundreds of residences for San Jose State University students are in the works as part of a wide-ranging plan to dramatically revamp the college’s downtown campus.University officials are eyeing new development projects both on the campus and about a block from the college, according to plans on file with the school.“San Jose State University is undertaking a renewed campus master plan to guide the physical development of the Main Campus, South Campus and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories,” said Michelle Smith-McDonald, senior media relations director with the university.The campus master plan’s primary focus is to create plenty more places for students to live, according to university officials.Reimagined areas at San Jose State University along San Fernando Street near South Fourth Street, concept. (San Jose State University)“The university is prioritizing the creation of housing for students, ...

Twitter hunts Github user who posted company’s source code online

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO | Associated PressNEW YORK — Some parts of Twitter’s source code — the fundamental computer code on which the social network runs — were leaked online, the social media company said in a legal filing that was first reported by The New York Times.According to the legal document, first filed with the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California on Friday, Twitter had asked GitHub, an internet hosting service for software development, to take down the code where it was posted. The platform complied and said the content had been disabled, according to the filing.Twitter, based in San Francisco, noted in the filing that the postings infringe on copyrights held by Twitter.The company also asked the court to identify the alleged individual or group that posted the information without Twitter’s authorization. It’s seeking names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, social media profile data and IP addresses associated with the user account “FreeSpeec...

Travel Troubleshooter: Budget charges $250 for calibrating a camera. Is that legit?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: I rented a car from Budget last summer in Jacksonville, Florida. I noticed several dents and scratches, which I planned to point out during the walk-around inspection. But the attendant told me that they “don’t do inspections” because they keep records of any damage that happens to their vehicles. That didn’t seem right, so I took photos of the damage.Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter When I returned the vehicle, there was also no inspection. The next month, I received a letter from Budget telling me it would charge my credit card $250 for damages. They claim that the damage involved a windshield camera — not any of the dents or scratches I had photos of.I assured Budget that nothing had happened to the vehicle while I had possession of it, and I asked for paperwork on the damage. Budget never produced any evidence of the damage.My credit card company told me that the time for a dispute had expired and there...

Mother Nature can ‘fool’ DC region with April 1 weather

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Just as we flip the calendar to April early this weekend, we are reminded just how much Mother Nature can “fool” D.C. residents with the weather.Transition seasons such as fall and spring provide D.C. with an array of weather with temperatures bouncing around, rain, thunderstorms and even snowflakes in the mix. April 1 presents its own challenges for meteorologists.Listen to WTOP online and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM.Weather forecastWhile the past six years have been consistent with highs in the 50s and 60s, you don’t have to look too far back to see highs in the upper 40s in 2004. It can get as hot as 88 degrees like it did in 1978 and as frigid as 15 degrees in 1923.However, a frosty morning in D.C. is more of the exception than the rule. The last time April Fools’ Day dropped below freezing was 1987.April Fools’ Day weather statistics and latest spring freeze data for Washington, D.C. (Courtesy of NOAA)As a matter of fact, Monday is the average d...