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St. Louis Circuit Attorney's deal with Missouri to step down

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:39 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Kim Gardner sent her resignation letter to Governor Mike Parson Thursday afternoon. In the message, Gardner says that she will fight to protect the rights of people in St. Louis against "people outside the city."Part of her resignation letter says, "Stepping back is the most powerful thing I can do to stop these outsiders from taking your views and your rights. I wanted to help the people of St. Louis when I took this job, and that's still my north star. So, with a heavy heart but a firm decision, I'm retiring as your circuit attorney on June 1." Trending Stories: Cinco de Mayo: Local restaurants hope for return of pre-pandemic crowds We are finding out more about what went on behind the scenes before Gardner quit. Gardner has been talking to the Republican president of the Missouri Senate, Caleb Rowden of Columbia, and the Democrat leader of the minority in the Senate, John Rizzo of Independence, since the beginning of this week. We've heard that Gardner made a deal...

Denver weather: Balmy blue skies, breezy through weekend with possible afternoon rain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:39 GMT

Metro Denver residents face a breezy warm morning Friday day under blue skies, with scattered rain showers in the afternoon, possibly shifting to thunderstorms, according to the National Weather Service.Mostly dry weather is expected in Denver Saturday and Sunday, forecasters said. There’s a chance of rain Sunday afternoon. Light wind is expected at speeds around 10 miles per hour, increasing in the afternoon to 18 mph with gusts at up to 28 mph.The weather service issued a red flag fire warning covering southern Front Range cities and south-central plains through Saturday evening due to wind and dry air. Weather service officials advised residents to avoid outdoor burning and activities that could generate sparks.Scattered showers and storms will form this afternoon mainly over far northern Colorado. A few strong to severe storms will be possible in areas north and east of Sterling. Large hail and wind gusts up to 60 mph are the main threats. #COwx pic.twitter.com/FYpsSdkbDF&...

Hungry for pickleball? Chicken N’ Pickle opening two Colorado locations next year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:39 GMT

Pickleball is America’s fastest growing sport, and Chicken N’ Pickle wants to keep up. The Kansas City-based restaurant and pickleball venue plans to open its first two Colorado locations in Parker and Thornton next year.“We love Denver, and we’re pretty proud to be a Midwest company with Midwest core values, plus the active lifestyle in Denver is a natural fit for us,” said Chicken N’ Pickle president Kelli AlldredgeChicken N’ Pickle, founded by Dave Johnson in 2016, has purchased 1.5 acres of land within the 14.5-acre Gatherings at Parker development at the intersection of North Jordan Road and E-470. The company also purchased three acres in Thornton’s The Grove business and shopping center at the intersection of I-25 and 144th Avenue.A rendering of Chicken N’ Pickle’s Parker location. (Provided by Yaeger Architecture)The company plans to break ground on both multi-level complexes, featuring six indoor courts and two covered outdoor courts, this year...

Letters: Demand lawmakers address these ballistic property taxes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:39 GMT

Possibility of large property tax bills create concern, spark ideasRe: “Big property tax hikes in ’24,” April 27 news story“Unprecedented Gains” in home valuations will result in unprecedented property tax increases, reports The Post. That’s messed up. We homeowners have zero control over housing prices. We bought our houses because we needed a place to live. Why should we pay far higher taxes simply because the housing market has gone ballistic?The Post notes there will be “intense pressure on the legislature to provide relief” following these massive property tax increases. That sounds absurd: raising taxes on the one hand, which will necessitate providing “relief” on the other. How about gradually stepping up our home assessments over several years instead of all at once? That would allow us fixed-income seniors more time to adjust our budgets.I know that politicians have an insatiable appetite for tax dollars. The housi...

Opinion: Decision to preserve City Park West home represents everything that’s broken about Denver’s approach to housing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:39 GMT

The fight over the big beautiful old house at 1741 N. Gaylord Street represents everything that’s broken about the City of Denver’s zoning and planning process for buildings big and small.The home is on an oversized lot in an area that has been zoned for density and is already experiencing robust vertical development of apartments and condos. Of course, it should be torn down to fulfill the city’s desired goal of urban infill development in City Park West and the adjacent Uptown neighborhood.That goal is already coming to fruition with multiple-story apartments and condos being developed all along 18th Avenue bringing needed density to an area between the downtown core and its largest park. Most of the remaining homes in the area are used by small businesses like non-profits and law firms.And yet, the Denver City Council voted unanimously to ensure the house will stand forever on a piece of land near transit, major employers, and downtown that is more than a quarter acre large...

Theater reviews: One play has no shortage of antics, another no paucity of ambition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:39 GMT

This past weekend offered two shows that are expertly performed, skillfully designed and directed with a terrific sense of what their ensembles are capable of. They also offered something of a “three bears” dilemma, without (for this theatergoer) a “just right” solution.Downtown, the Denver Center Theatre Company was making them laugh with the antics of Patrick Barlow’s parody play “The 39 Steps,” based on a 1915 novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 spy thriller. In Lakewood, Benchmark Theatre was challenging its audience with “A Great Wilderness.” The drama is the work of Samuel D. Hunter, author of “The Whale” (and its big-screen adaptation), which won Brendan Fraser a Best Actor Oscar in March.Quick-change pleasuresMarco Alberto Robinson, Amelia Pedlow, Henry Walter Greenberg and Nate Miller are quick-change artists. For the demands of “The 39 Steps” — directed by Meredith McDonough — they must be. All told, the four play more than 50 characters in this espionage c...

Growing but slowing: Colorado records one of nation’s lowest growth rates in hiring

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:39 GMT

Growing but slowing is how a new report describes Colorado’s economy. The state’s 1.2% growth in employment in March was the country’s second-lowest, just behind West Virginia, and the state’s slowest since late 2021.Although revised numbers are expected to nudge the growth rate up, possibly to about 2%, Colorado will likely rise to only the 40th spot nationally in terms of new jobs, said Brian Lewandowski, executive director of research at the University of Colorado-Boulder’s Leeds School of Business.However, the quarterly report on economic indicators released Thursday by the Colorado secretary of state’s office also showed a record number of new business filings. And Lewandowski said Colorado was one of only nine states to report an increase in job openings.“Even though we have a slowing employment growth rate, we still have a very high number of job openings in the state,” Lewandowski said.Colorado’s high rate of participatio...

Miss hiking during mud season? These Colorado desert destinations are perfect for spring

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:39 GMT

Spring in Colorado is colloquially known as shoulder season (or mud season), as folks come off the slopes and wait for the snow to melt and alpine wildflowers to bloom. When it comes to hiking, however, we’re making the case that this time of year should be rebranded as desert season.For some, it likely already is. Tourists flock to enjoy the stunning desert scapes in Moab, Utah, this time of year before temperatures rise to nearly 100 degrees in the summer months. But if you can’t make it that far, Colorado also offers locations where you can hit the trails, enjoy the rock formations and (mostly) avoid trekking through mud.When it comes to desert hiking, prepare for prolonged exposure to the sun with sunscreen, hats, sunglasses and lots of water since the terrain doesn’t typically offer much shade. Some canyons have flowing water, though others don’t, so if you’re bringing a dog make sure to pack enough for everyone to stay hydrated.Here are four desert destinations to check out th...

Man who saved baby in runaway stroller had been homeless, now has new job

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:39 GMT

A Good Samaritan who saved a baby from rolling into speeding traffic in Hesperia, California just says he happened to be in the right place, at the right time.Video of the heart-stopping ordeal has since gone viral on social media.Security video shows the stroller suddenly rolling backward outside of the A1 Hand Car Wash on Monday around 3:30 p.m. as the baby’s great aunt was rummaging through her car.When the woman notices, she runs toward the stroller, but trips and falls down. She gets up again, only to fall down once more.Just as the stroller is seconds away from hitting traffic, a man suddenly dashes over and grabs the handle just in time.The quick-thinking hero, Ronald Nessman, recalls the moment he spotted the runaway stroller."I start hearing the lady screaming and she had already fallen down,” recalls Nessman. “I see a baby stroller being blown by the wind and before I knew it, I took off after it and the wind was blowing it so fast."The stroller was gaining speed by the se...

Benefit held for 5 teen ballet dancers injured in Seal Beach hit-and-run

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:39 GMT

A special benefit performance was held Thursday night in Long Beach for five ballet dancers severely injured in a violent hit-and-run crash in February that was captured on surveillance cameras.  Footage released by the Seal Beach Police Department showed the moment a man in a gold 1987 Mercedes Benz 300 blew through a red light on Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street on Feb. 11, striking the sedan carrying five teenage girls.  All five of the girls, members of Premier Dance Arts of Los Alamitos, had been dancing together earlier in the day and were on the way to a dinner reservation when they were hit. After the crash, they were all rushed to the hospital. Four of the girls had been knocked unconscious by the sheer force of the impact. Thursday night’s benefit performance in the auditorium at Millikan High School was hosted by Los Alamitos Ballet Theater and titled “Ballet in Bloom.” The funds raised at the event will help to offset medical and recovery ex...