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Missouri jury awards $745 million in death of woman struck by driver who used inhalants

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:26 GMT

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri jury has awarded $745 million to the parents of a young woman killed on a sidewalk outside an urgent care center by a driver who huffed nitrous oxide canisters right before the accident.The verdict was reached Friday in the lawsuit brought by the parents of Marissa Politte, 25, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Politte was leaving her workplace at the Ballwin Total Access Urgent Care in St. Louis County on Oct. 18, 2020, when she was struck by an SUV.The two-week trial focused on whether the company that distributes nitrous oxide under the name Whip-It! conspired with a smoke shop to sell the product to customers they knew intended to illegally inhale the gas to get high.Police discovered that the 20-year-old driver, Trenton Geiger, had passed out behind the wheel after abusing Whip-It! nitrous oxide. Police found Whip-It! containers they say Geiger threw into the woods. Geiger purchased the canisters at a smoke shop before he struck and killed Pol...

BNSF train hits ATV in fiery crash near Mendon, Missouri

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:26 GMT

MENDON, Mo. -- A BNSF Railway train hit an ATV that was stuck on the tracks Monday near Mendon, Missouri, officials say. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the train crash happened at about 8:40 a.m. Monday near Mike Road, north of Mendon in Chariton County. Evergy rate hike could cost KC-area schools millions of dollars No one was injured, according to MSHP. The cargo on the train was also not damaged; however, there was significant damage to the ATV and some damage to the train engine. MSHP said roadways in the area are not affected, but the railroad will be delayed until crews can remove the train and ATV debris. Amtrak's Southwest Chief route from Kansas City to Chicago also uses that same BNSF railroad line near Mendon, Missouri, so Amtrak travelers could see delays Monday. A BNSF Railway train hit an ATV that was stuck on the tracks Monday near Mendon, Missouri, officials say. (Photo via MSHP)A BNSF Railway train hit an ATV that was stuck on the tracks Mo...

The 6 best bites from the Denver Food & Wine Festival

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:26 GMT

With wine glasses in one hand and small bites balanced in the other, hundreds of people gathered under shaded tents for the Denver Food & Wine Festival Grand Tasting on Saturday.And as the Michelin Guide prepares to present its first-ever awards in Colorado on Tuesday, it was clear that the 50 restaurants in attendance had truly stepped up their game, something that is true also of Colorado’s food scene as a whole. I glided through each tent in awe, like I was stepping into the gates of food heaven. I’d like to say I made it to every table, but my stomach could only handle so much.Proceeds from the annual multi-day festival go toward the nonprofit Colorado Restaurant Foundation, which hosted the festival and which supports local restaurant workers.Here are six of my favorite bites (plus a couple of honorable mentions):Bruto’s chochoyotes, masa dumplings that the restaurant was topped with caviar, are seen at the Denver Food and Wine Festival on the Auraria Campus in ...

Kiszla vs. Gabriel: Who’s on the hotter seat at Broncos HQ, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph or kicker Wil Lutz?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:26 GMT

Kiz: Have the bungling Broncos become to autumn what the wretched Rockies are to summer around here? The difference: Nobody goes to Coors Field to see the home team win, but the collective mood of our dusty old cow town is tied to whether the Broncos win or lose. After that bummer of a loss to the hated Raiders in the coaching debut of Sean Payton, who has more to prove to Broncos Country going forward: defensive coordinator Vance Joseph or placekicker Wil Lutz?Gabriel: I’m saying Lutz, the fourth kicker on the roster since Payton got hired. Lutz might have arrived via trade — Denver swapped a draft pick for him last month — with Payton’s trust owing to their days together in New Orleans, but he had a rough 2022 while Payton worked at Fox. The good news for him is that his performance, largely, is in his own hands. If he gets it together quickly, it’ll all be fine. But if he doesn’t and Payton sticks with him after jettisoning a trio of others, it’ll look like he’s playing favorites...

Opinion: To protect Colorado’s ski seasons, adopt aggressive clean car rules

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:26 GMT

Hitting the road before dawn, quietly waiting in the cold to nab one of the first chairs up the mountain, all in the hope of capturing that exhilarating sensation that only skiers and snowboarders know — when the stars and snowpack align to deliver a feeling you can’t find anywhere else.More and more we’re seeing our parking lots include a new type of car, one that will help ensure that this legacy belongs not just to the skiers and snowboarders of today, but also to the next generation.Skiers and riders are driving from Denver in a number of different types of clean cars and charging up at A-Basin and Aspen. We see everything from higher-end Teslas and Rivian trucks, to plug-in hybrids like Rav 4’s, KIAs and Subarus, and of course, the small (and quite affordable) full-electric models like Chevy Bolts in our parking lots. This shift to electric vehicles is critical for the future as is the Colorado Clean Cars rule currently in front of Colorado’s Air Quality Control Com...

McDonald’s to phase out self-serve soft drink fountains by 2032

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:26 GMT

Self-serve fountain drink stations at McDonald’s locations nationwide will soon be a thing of the past.The fast-food chain is phasing out soda machines in dining rooms across the U.S., the company told KTLA in a statement. The news, first reported by The State Journal-Register, comes as fewer customers visit the dining room, opting instead for take-out or digital orders.“McDonald’s will be transitioning away from self-serve beverage stations in dining rooms across the U.S. by 2032. This change is intended to create a consistent experience for both customers and crew across all ordering points, whether that’s McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant,” McDonald’s said in a statement to KTLA. Wendy’s to debut first ever pumpkin spice flavored Frosty, new cold brew At some McDonald’s locations, self-serve soda fountains have already been removed, while others are planning to follow, according to The State Journal-Register.In Orange County, one McDonald’s location alread...

Women pimped out their massage parlor employees, prosecutors say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:26 GMT

Two owners of massage parlors in Ventura and Los Angeles counties are facing felony charges that they pimped out their employees.Shuzhi Fan, 47, and Qiuju Jia, 43, face felony charges of pimping and pandering, as well as a special allegation that the crime was done in a sophisticated manner, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said Monday. The women have pleaded not guilty.Fan, a Thousand Oaks woman who owns Xinyi Massage in that city, was first investigated in May for "profiting from" what prosecutors described in a news release as "commercial sex activity.""Further investigation revealed two additional massage parlor businesses, VIP Massage in Arcadia (also owned by Fan) and H Massage in Calabasas (owned by Jia) were also engaging in prostitution activity," prosecutors said.Fan and Jia, a Temple City resident, were working together, prosecutors said. Fan was arrested Tuesday and Jia on Wednesday.Both are being held at the Todd Road Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail and are du...

Carlos Phillip Cortez Arrested After DUI Collision on Henderson Avenue [Porterville, CA]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:26 GMT

Driver Arrested After Multi-Vehicle Accident on Prospect StreetPORTERVILLE, CA (September 11, 2023) – Early Saturday morning, Carlo Phillip Cortez was arrested following a DUI crash on Henderson Avenue.The incident happened on August 26th at around 7:30 a.m. when a driver yielded into a checkpoint, he then struck into a pole and another vehicle on Henderson Avenue and Prospect Street.Furthermore, the driver was only identified as Carlos Phillip Cortez. Paramedics transported the victim to the hospital and were later booked for DUI charges, criminal damage, and endangerment charges.Meanwhile, Henderson Avenue and Prospect Street were shut down before the crash for several hours. No other injuries were reported, and an active investigation is underway.Porterville Officials will post additional updates as they become available to the public. Anyone with more information about the collision is asked to contact Porterville authorities.Alcohol and other controlled substances in the body c...

Karen Murillo Co-Authors “Leamoslo Otra Vez: ” A Resource for Spanish-Speaking Early Childhood Programs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:26 GMT

Translator and chief creator of Leamoslo Otra Vez, Graciela Borja of HighScope Mexico, spoke about HighScope trainer Karen Murillo in an interview, saying that her invaluable input was “very helpful, and I am glad that we were co-partners in the adaptation of these first five storybooks.” High praise from a coworker is undoubtedly warranted for Murillo. However, it does little to present the scope of her accomplishments and the path she has traveled to become the person she is today: a former teacher and well-respected educator, researcher, and neuropsychologist.Murillo was propelled along her inspiring journey while earning her master’s degree in neuropsychology and education. Pursuing this degree opened her up to fully understanding the development of young minds and how the adults and educators around children shape them. Murillo saw an avenue to help children who struggle to thrive in a conventional learning setting by adapting to their needs instead of expecti...

Drew Barrymore defends resuming her show amid union strikes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:26 GMT

By Lisa Respers France | CNNDrew Barrymore is drawing the ire of the Writers Guild of America over her decision to resume production on her talk show as more than 11,000 television and film writers remain on strike.In a statement shared on Instagram over the weekend, Barrymore explained her position on bringing her show back and referenced why she had previously “made a choice to walk away from the MTV, film and television awards because I was the host and it had a direct conflict with what the strike was dealing with which was studios, streamers, film, and television.”“To be clear, our talk show actually wrapped on April 20th so we never had to shut down the show,” she wrote in her statement. “However, I am also making the choice to come back for the first time in this strike for our show, that may have my name on it but this is bigger than just me.”Production on most film and television projects have come to a halt as members of the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA remain at an impasse...