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At $2.2 million, the 2023 Denver school board election is second-most expensive in recent history

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:32 GMT

Candidates and outside groups spent $2.2 million in November’s Denver school board election, according to final campaign finance reports.Related ArticlesEducation | Opinion: Six steps to avoid squandering public optimism for the new Denver school board Education | Carrie Olson elected to second stint as president of Denver school board Education | DPS parent lawsuit demands right to ask teachers to display “straight pride” flags in Denver schools Education | Denver schools swell with more than 2,000 new migrant students as district scrambles to meet kids’ needs Education | Denver school board votes to raise incoming members’ pay to as much as $33,000 a year That total surpasses spending in the last board election in 2021 and nearly ties the all-time record of $2.3 million spent in 2019.The cost of Denver school board races has increased over the years as outside groups have poured...

Comedian Kenny DeForest dies in e-bike accident

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:32 GMT

Comedian Kenny DeForest, who appeared on the KTLA's Summer of Funny comedy competition, has died at 37 years old. "Kenny DeForest is and was a truly positive influence on all the lives he touched," wrote friend Ryan Beck on a GoFundMe page set up for the comedian. DeForest was involved in an e-bike accident on Dec. 8. He then had to undergo "neurological surgery to remove a piece of his skull and relieve pressure from a brain bleed" while staying at the hospital. He passed away on Dec. 13 surrounded by his parents, family and friends. "Kenny's final moments included some of his favorite songs, stories of his childhood, and memories of his extensive positivity and joy for life," Beck said.Family and friends of DeForest told Deadline they believe he crashed his e-bike at the RogersAvenue and Sterling Place intersection near Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.They initially believed the accident involved a vehicle before obtaining the EMS report and speaking to a nearby crossing guard to determi...

Pair of storms headed to SoCal; how much rain will they bring?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:32 GMT

A pair of storms are headed to Southern California next week and are expected to bring some rain with them.How much is still in question but one thing is clear, the second storm will be stronger than the first. A low-pressure system currently off the San Francisco coast will move toward the Southland over the weekend, eventually bringing rain to the region early next week.There is still uncertainty regarding timing but this first storm is expected to drop most of its rain in the northern part of the region beginning Monday afternoon. Free parking erased from downtown L.A.’s Arts District “It’s not blanket rain … but we get these little bits and pieces,” KTLA meteorologist Henry DiCarlo said. The National Weather Service tweeted a forecast showing less than a tenth of an inch for most Southern California locations with this first storm. Oxnard and Ojai could see about a quarter of an inch.Forecast models suggest the second storm, which arrives Tuesday night and continues through T...

Feds seize $18 million in illegal e-cigarettes at LAX

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:32 GMT

Federal agents have seized more than $18 million worth of unauthorized e-cigarettes from a cargo examination site at Los Angeles International Airport, two agencies announced on Thursday.The seizures took place over three days and involved roughly 1.4 million units of e-cigarette products, many of them flavored products that are popular among youth, the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a joint statement.As part of the joint operation, agents examined incoming shipment invoices for several months at LAX. A total of 41 shipments were seized over the three-day crackdown. You can’t trash or recycle them. So how do you safely get rid of disposable e-cigarettes? “In an attempt to evade duties and detection, many of these unauthorized e-cigarettes were intentionally mis-declared as various items such as toys or shoes and listed with incorrect values,” officials said.The seized brands included Elf Bar, Lost Mary, Funky Republic, RELX Pod and IPLA...

Chargers blown out by Raiders 63-21 on Thursday Night Football

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:32 GMT

Los Angeles Chargers defensive leader Khalil Mack said he didn’t have his unit ready after Thursday’s historic 63-21 loss to their AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders.In an even bigger statement, he made it clear the team still believes in coach Brandon Staley.“Of course we believe in him,” Mack said. “And he believes in us. This can’t be a disconnect, when you love this (expletive) the way that I do.”Now it’s a matter of whether or not team owner Dean Spanos believes in the guy who is well on his way to his worst record since taking over in 2021 after the Chargers allowed more than 57 points for the first time in franchise history.“I don’t know,” Staley answered when asked if he expected to still be coach of the Chargers on Friday.“Yes,” he added, when asked if he thought he should be. “I know that what I’ve done here for three years and I know what I put into this. ... I believe in myself. But again, this isn’t about me This is about a group that’s hurting in there.”On the contrary, ...

Free parking erased from downtown L.A.'s Arts District

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:32 GMT

Friday morning brought a big change to the parking situation in downtown Los Angeles' Arts District.Flyers were placed on cars a few days ago announcing the change, which "is being implemented to increase the availability of parking spaces," the Los Angeles Department of Transportation said.More than 250 spots between 1st Street and 4th Street from Alameda Street to Santa Fe Avenue are now paid spaces, LADOT said on Facebook.To pay for parking, drivers can "enjoy flexible, contactless payment options," LADOT said."Choose from pay by text or QR code, and explore the convenience of the Park Smarter or ParkMobile app," officials added. "Drivers will also have the option to pay with cash or credit card at the nearest pay station."Five kiosks have been added to the area to accept payment, LAist reports.

Oakland entrepreneur’s app empowers people to save the environment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:32 GMT

Catastrophic climate change is looming. The Earth just endured its 12 hottest months in 125,000 years, and scientists say humans can only avert ecological disaster, if we cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 70% by 2050.That may sound daunting, but Oakland entrepreneur Sanchali Pal said it is within people’s power to make meaningful choices in their own lives. Her free new app, Commons, helps people track and reduce their carbon footprint — the total amount of carbon dioxide and other emissions they generate — by tracking how they spend money on food, utilities, clothes, furniture or travel.“Basically, I wanted to make it easier for people to make sustainable choices,” Pal said. “I knew, as a consumer myself, how hard it was, how much work it took to get the information required to actually make progress and measurably lower emissions.”The Boston-reared Pal was first inspired to track her own carbon footprint during college at Princeton. She subs...

Shohei Ohtani reveals dog’s name at Dodgers’ introduction

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:32 GMT

By BETH HARRIS | AP Sports WriterLOS ANGELES — Nearly all the mystery around Shohei Ohtani’s unprecedented free agency was revealed over the last week, yet baseball fans kept sniffing around on a most fuzzy question.Just who was the pup sitting on Ohtani’s lap when he was voted AL MVP for the second time last month?Fans speculated the dog’s name could have been a hint at his intentions — What if the pooch was named Dodger? Or Giant? Or Blue Jay?All a Decoy, turns out.Introduced by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday after agreeing to a $700 million, 10-year deal, Ohtani revealed that the brown and white dog who joined him on television last month is named Dekopin or Decopin in Japanese, depending on the transliteration — but he suggests Americans call him Decoy.Related ArticlesSports | SF Giants officially announce six-year, $113 million deal with Jung-Hoo Lee Sports | New-look SF Giants Fan Fest includes stop in San Jose Sports | Why SF Gi...

Suspect charged with hate crime at Saratoga Bottle Shop

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:32 GMT

Dec. 4Residential burglary: At 8:21 a.m., someone entered a residence in the 12000 block of Country Squire Lane by breaking a rear glass door and stole cameras, checkbooks and jewelry of an unknown value.Petty theft: At 2:12 p.m., two suspects stole three surveillance cameras from the exterior of a residence in the 14000 block of Saratoga Avenue for a total loss estimated at $750.Loitering, assault, hate crime, resisting a peace officer: At 5:27 p.m., deputies responded to a disturbance at the Saratoga Bottle Shop on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road. An investigation revealed the suspect was loitering, was asked to leave by the business owner and then became confrontational, made derogatory comments and chased the owner around the store. The suspect fled the scene but was located a short time later. The suspect resisted detention, spitting at deputies and attempting to headbutt them, but was ultimately arrested.Grand theft: At 7:06 p.m., deputies responded to a theft call at a residence in t...

SF Giants sign Jung Hoo Lee: How have past Korean stars fared with MLB leap?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:32 GMT

There are 5,611 miles separating Seoul, South Korea from San Francisco, and possibly an even bigger gulf in competition between Major League Baseball and the Korean Baseball Organization for Jung Hoo Lee to navigate.Lee, 25, is the Giants’ new center fielder after officially signing Thursday. The Giants have signed the former KBO Most Valuable Player to a six-year, $113 million deal — with an opt-out after four seasons — making him the franchise’s biggest free agent signing since Barry Zito in 2006.The Giants made the massive financial commitment, which dwarfed industry projections, knowing there could be a learning curve for Lee. Their bet is that Lee’s athleticism at a premium position and bat-to-ball skills, which allowed him to strike out at a minuscule rate, will translate stateside.While the KBO is one of the most competitive baseball leagues in the world, there’s little precedent of Korean players thriving in MLB. Just 28 Koreans have played in MLB, the majority of whom are p...