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Water disposal company to pay $500,000 in state settlement over emissions violations in Weld County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:34 GMT

Saltwater disposal company Expedition Water Solutions will pay $507,325 in penalties as part of a settlement with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment over emissions violations in Weld County, the agency announced this week.Colorado’s Air Pollution Control Division first discovered elevated benzene emissions at the company’s disposal well sites in Platteville and Kersey in May 2022, and a toxicology analysis determined the levels of benzene to be above health guideline values, according to a news release from the health department Wednesday.The well sites, used to dispose of wastewater from oil and gas operations, can generate emissions when water is improperly transferred from a truck to the basin.“We took action to protect Coloradans in a major way with this settlement,” Michael Ogletree, director of the Air Pollution Control Division, said in a statement. “The changes we’re requiring the company to make will have a transformative impact in protecti...

Rocky Mountain National Park closes portion of park as search for missing Fort Collins man continues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:34 GMT

A portion of Rocky Mountain National Park will close Thursday night as federal, state and local search and rescue crews continue looking for Chad Pallansch, 49, of Fort Collins, who was reported missing in the park Sept. 28.Pallansch was last heard from around noon on Sept. 27 when he was near the summit of Mount Alice, according to park officials. Park rangers found his car still parked at the North Inlet Trailhead near Grand Lake, where he started his planned 28-mile trek.Snow, ice and wind at high elevations have hindered ground search efforts, but teams continued to investigate and review aerial photographs, according to park officials. Crews were also conducting helicopter flights on Thursday to find landing sites for ground searchers and dog teams.Related ArticlesColorado News | How close is too close when it comes to elk-watching in Estes Park? Colorado News | Gov. Jared Polis orders plan to keep Colorado’s national parks open in a federal shu...

Women’s basketball: CU Buffs hit ground running in early days of preseason practice

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:34 GMT

BOULDER,CO SEPTEMBER 29: CU head coach, JR Payne, during CU Boulder Women’s basketball practice on September 29, 2023.(Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)More than a half hour before the start of practice earlier this week, Colorado women’s basketball senior Quay Miller was on the court, working with several of the freshmen, even before coaches arrived.That extra work – and the leadership displayed by Miller – is necessary for a CU team that has lofty goals this season.Typically, head coach JR Payne and her staff will spend the early days of preseason practice going back to some of the basics of the scheme and the game.There’s more urgency this year, though. Coming off a Sweet 16 appearance last season, the Buffs return four starters and eight rotational players and could be a preseason top-25 team. There are goals of getting back to the Sweet 16, and beyond. Add in the fact that the season begins on Nov. 6 in Las Vegas against the defending national champion LSU Tigers and th...

Colorado football notes: Buffs, ASU meet in battle of rebuilding programs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:34 GMT

BOULDER,CO SEPTEMBER 30:Colorado head coach, Deion Sanders, is interviewed before the Colorado USC Pac-12 football game on September 30, 2023.(Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)The spotlight hasn’t shined as bright on Arizona State as it has on Colorado, and the results to this point haven’t been the same.Yet, in many ways, CU and ASU are in similar positions as they prepare to meet in Tempe, Ariz., on Saturday (4:30 p.m. MT, Pac-12 Network).Both programs hired new head coaches last offseason and both went through major roster overhauls.CU’s Deion Sanders brought in 87 newcomers, including 68 new scholarship players, 40 of which were transfers. CU led the country in all three of those categories. Second was ASU, with 78 newcomers and 40 new transfers under first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham.So far, Sanders and CU (3-2, 0-2 Pac-12) have had more success than the Sun Devils (1-4, 0-2), but both come in looking to get on track. And both head coaches expressed respect for each othe...

NFL legend Dick Butkus dies at 80

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:34 GMT

Dick Butkus, a former NFL player who is considered to be one the greatest linebackers of all time, has died, TMZ reported. He was 80 years old.Sources told TMZ Sports that paramedics responded to a call for a medical emergency at Butkus' residence in Malibu around 12:50 p.m. Thursday. Butkus was pronounced dead at the scene.Butkus family confirmed the news in a statement on X, formally known as Twitter. Butkus was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1965 and spent his entire professional career with his hometown team. During his time in the NFL, he earned many accolades, including two awards for Defensive Player of the Year and playing in eight consecutive Pro Bowls, multiple media outets reported. Butkus was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.The Chicago Bears organization also released a statement on Butkus' passing. "Dick was the ultimate Bear and one of the greatest players in NFL history," the statement, posted on X, said. "He was Chicago's son. He exuded what our ...

One Pronounced Dead after Wrong-Way Accident on Interstate 10 [Tucson, AZ]

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:34 GMT

Head-On Collision Between Two Vehicles Resulted in One Death on I-10TUCSON, AZ (October 5, 2023) – On Sunday evening, one person died in a deadly wrong-way accident on Interstate 10.The incident occurred around 9:10 p.m., September 24th, in the westbound lanes of the interstate near Vail.According to the Arizona DPS, a vehicle was traveling east in the westbound lanes and collided head-on with a vehicle in the westbound lanes.Furthermore, the responding authorities pronounced the wrong-way driver dead at the scene and the involved driver suffered life-threatening injuries, and a passenger obtained injuries.Consequently, the paramedics airlifted the involved driver to the nearest Tucson hospital, and the passenger was transported via ground ambulance.Following the incident, the authorities have not yet added any information regarding the collision. An active investigation is still ongoing.Sweet James sends out their heartfelt sympathies to the friends and family of the victim w...

An Immersive Chat with the Twisted Minds Behind Saw X

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:34 GMT

Beyond the blood and guts (a glut of guts!) seen in SAW X, the latest installment of the SAW franchise offers a chance to get to know John Kramer aka Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) on a more intimate level, returning to the period between the original film and its sequel, when Kramer discovers he has terminal brain cancer.In a group therapy session, the protagonist comes to grips with his mortality (a theme that runs through all SAW movies) even as he looks for medical treatments that might reverse his condition. Later, he happens upon a man from the group who seems to have found a cure via an experimental treatment in Mexico. This sets up a journey of hope that’s surprisingly touching for a SAW movie, especially for anyone who’s seen the previous ones and knows how merciless Kramer can be.His reasons for taking the lives of others was always based on something beyond violence and vengeance: accountability, appreciation for life, and the consequences of choice. This newly expanded ...

Kaiser health care strike: Driven and likely to boost a labor-action surge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:34 GMT

A massive strike by Kaiser Permanente workers, including 23,000 in the Bay Area, is part of a surge in union activity this year from Detroit to Hollywood, and will likely bring greater bargaining power to workers in health care and other industries, experts say.Kaiser’s strike followed the Sept. 30 expiration of the union contract for tens of thousands of workers. Other high-profile strikes, including a successful labor action by Hollywood writers and an ongoing strike among auto workers — and even a threatened strike by UPS employees that was a key tactic in negotiating a favorable contract — likely gave confidence to Kaiser workers, said John Logan, chair of the Labor and Employment Studies department at San Francisco State University.“When they see things like that, they think, ‘Yes, now is the time to do this. We can do it, too,'” Logan said.The job action over wages, understaffing and other issues that took 75,000 Kaiser workers across the U....

80% of Italians say they’re Catholic, few attend church regularly

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:34 GMT

By Giovanna Dell’Orto | Associated PressISOLA DEL GRAN SASSO, Italy — Two children scribbled petitions to St. Gabriele dell’Addolorata in the vast sanctuary where the young saint is venerated in this central Italian mountain village. Andrea, 6, asked for blessings for his family and pets. Sofia, 9, gave thanks for winning a dance competition.Their parents bring them here often, as their father’s own family did, and consider themselves better Catholics than many. The mother, Carmela Forino, even says a prayer for forgiveness when she hears someone utter a common blasphemy on the sanctuary esplanade.But they rarely go to Mass and don’t receive Communion because they are not married, thus shunning two sacraments the Catholic Church considers foundational.“I practice where I want. Every morning I pray on my own,” Forino said in the sanctuary room filled with votive offerings, from baby bibs to sports jerseys, left by 2 million annual visitors to San G...

George Kittle combats scoring drought by noting that ‘Niners are winning’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:34:34 GMT

SANTA CLARA — A grin washed over Brock Purdy’s face Thursday when asked if he feels any guilt about not getting George Kittle the ball more, or if that’s a moot point when the 49ers keep scoring 30 points and keep winning.“Everyone has their big games. It’s just sort of how the play calls go,” Purdy responded. “If it were up to me, I’d love to have all my guys, including George, go for 150 every game and four touchdowns. But it’s just the nature of the game, and every game is different.”Sunday night’s game is against the Cowboys, who’ll be looking to avenge playoff losses to the 49ers each of the past two seasons. Last January, with the score tied 9-9, Purdy and Kittle improvised for a 30-yard completion to midfield, sparking a go-ahead touchdown drive in the 49ers’ 19-12 divisional-playoff win.“That was nice, right?” Kittle said of that catch. “… When the ball’s thrown your way, you have to make the...