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4 Colorado cities among best for first-time homebuyers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- For all the state's housing expensiveness, some Colorado cities are among the best in the country for first-time homebuyers, according to a new report. Colorado has shot to the top of the nation's expense in recent years, and its housing market's tightness is likely cramping first-time homebuyers in a country where they are already being squeezed. Nationally, 26% of home purchases made in 2022 were made by first-time buyers, down from 34% the previous year. Castle Rock teen accused of terrorist ties To shed light on where the best deals are, financial adviser site WalletHub compared 300 cities of varying sizes across 22 key indicators of market attractiveness, affordability and quality of life. These include housing affordability relative to area income, the health of the local real estate market, the area's education, transportation, economy and crime.Several Colorado cities rank highly on the list, including Thornton, Greeley, Arvada and Longmont. Ma...

Neguse introduces agriculture bill to improve sustainable farming 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Representatives Joe Neguse (D-Colorado) and Mike Flood (R-Nebraska) proposed the Sustainable Agriculture Research Act which aims to improve sustainable agriculture through advanced farming practices.  “This investment will fund publicly available research to increase sustainable and efficient use of water, soil, and other resources in food production,” Rocky Mountain Farmers Union President, Chad Franke said in a release about the bill. Rep. Neguse discusses inflation, economy The bill federally supports the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority program, which focuses on eco-friendly farming and soil research.  With the approval of the bill, the program plans to reduce carbon emissions through carbon sequestration, a natural process that stores carbon. Neguse already met with locals in the agriculture industry during his farm bill listening sessions. “I’ve heard from Colorado’s farmers of the innovative approaches they ar...

Castle Rock 18-year-old charged for alleged terrorist ties

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- An 18-year-old man was arrested at Denver International Airport on Friday for his alleged connection to a known foreign terrorist group, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado said Monday.Davin Daniel Meyer was charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. He made his first court appearance on Monday, according to the release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado. Aurora to vote on ending agreement with Denver Police "According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Meyer pledged an oath of allegiance to the leader of ISIS and intended to travel to serve as a fighter for ISIS in Iraq," the release said. The FBI Denver field office, along with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, is investigating the case. Arrest warrant: Meyer started following radical ideas in 2021Someone who knew Meyer contacted the DougCo Sheriff's Office in June 2022 to alert them of ...

In-N-Out bans mask-wearing for employees in some states

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

New York (CNN) — In-N-Out employees in five US states will no longer be allowed to wear masks as part of new company guidelines that “emphasize the importance of customer service,” notably showing their smiles, according to a new policy issued by the fast food chain.Beginning August 14, employees that want to wear masks amid Covid-19 must have a “valid medical note exempting him or her from this requirement,” an email to workers said. The policy is in effect for workers at its restaurants in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas and Utah, which amount to about 100 locations.A policy for its California and Oregon restaurants, where it can’t ban employees from wearing masks, said that they have to wear a company-provided N95 mask. A majority of In-N-Out locations are in California, totaling about 300 out of 391.“We are introducing new mask guidelines that emphasizes the importance of customer service and the ability to show our associates’ smiles and other facial features while considering...

Snorkeler bitten by 7-foot alligator while swimming in Central Florida spring

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

ALTOONA, Florida (WESH) — The swimming area of a Central Florida spring has been closed down after an alligator attack.According to National Forests in Florida, a snorkeler was attacked Monday at the Alexander Springs Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest.The man was snorkeling when a 7-foot alligator bit him, he said.He suffered puncture wounds and lacerations. He was hospitalized.The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) removed the aggressive alligator shortly after being notified and is investigating the incident.The USFS will reopen the Alexander Springs swim area once FWC completes its investigation.

Miami International Airport’s multi-million dollar contract paves the way for major upgrades

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

Miami International Airport is set to undergo a transformative upgrade as the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners approved a multi-million dollar contract to modernize and enhance its conveyance units.According to officials with MIA, the contract is worth approximately $12 million per year and will help upgrade 372 old elevators, escalators, and moving walkways at the airport. 145 of those units are going to get a complete modern makeover. Over the next five to 10 years, officials are planning to upgrade or replace at least 30 units every year. “This is a game-changer that will future-proof the conveyance units at Miami International Airport for decades to come and provide an improved travel experience for all of our visitors,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in a press release. “As our airport continues to grow at unprecedented levels, important investments like these will ensure the gateway to our community is more efficient and cust...

Dracut police investigating after reports of BB pellets shot at cars, apartments

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

An investigation got underway in Dracut over the weekend after police said they received several reports of BB pellets being fired at passing cars and apartments. Police said they first responded on Saturday night around 9:45 p.m. to a site on Nashua Road for a report of a vehicle that had been hit by pellets. The driver, according to police, told officers their vehicle was hit twice on two separate occasions traveling toward Tyngsboro and, later, while traveling back into Dracut. Police said they then received three additional reports of vehicles that were hit by BB pellets while driving through the same area of Nashua Road around the same time that the first vehicle was hit. In total, police said one driver was hit in the hand by a pellet but declined medical attention. Hours later, around 2 a.m. Sunday morning, police said area residents reported their apartments were hit by BB pellets.Police said one apartment had damage to a glass door, a storm door and a wi...

More AI: Meta launches ChatGPT rival Llama

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

MENLO PARK, Calif.  — Facebook parent company Meta Platforms has built an artificial intelligence system that rivals the likes of ChatGPT and Google’s Bard but it’s taking a different approach: releasing it for free.Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday that the company is partnering with Microsoft to introduce the next generation of its AI large language model and making the technology, known as Llama 2, free for research and commercial use.Much like tech peers Google and Microsoft, the social media company has long had a big research team of computer scientists devoted to advancing AI technology. But it’s been overshadowed as the release of ChatGPT sparked a rush to profit off of “generative AI” tools that can create new prose, images and other media.Meta has also tried to distinguish itself by being more open than some of its Big Tech rivals about offering a peek at the data and code it uses to build AI systems. It has argued that such openness makes...

Rescued Australian man who was adrift 3 months in Pacific with dog ‘grateful’ to be alive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

By MARÍA VERZA (Associated Press)MANZANILLO, Mexico (AP) — An Australian sailor who was rescued by a Mexican tuna boat after being adrift at sea with his dog for three months said Tuesday that he is “grateful” to be alive after setting foot on dry land for the first time since their ordeal began.After a visit from a doctor on board the Maria Delia Tuna, Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, and his dog, Bella, disembarked in the Mexican city of Manzanillo from the fishing boat that rescued them.“I’m feeling alright. I’m feeling a lot better than I was, I tell ya,” Shaddock, smiling, bearded and thin, told reporters on the dock in the port city, which is about 210 miles (337 kilometers) west of Mexico City..“To the captain and fishing company that saved my life, I’m just so grateful. I’m alive and I didn’t really think I’d make it,” Shaddock said, adding that he and his “amazing” dog are both doing...

Wildfires in Greece close highways and threaten an oil refinery, as the EU sends firefighting planes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:54:10 GMT

By THANASSIS STAVRAKIS and DEREK GATOPOULOS (Associated Press)MANDRA, Greece (AP) — Fast-moving wildfires swept across hills in the searing heat outside the Greek capital on Tuesday, forcing authorities to close highways to help protect an oil refinery. Water-dropping airplanes and helicopters flew low though a blanket of smoke tinted orange by the sunset to try and contain two wildfires to the west of Athens before nightfall. The European Union pledged additional assistance, while forecasts indicated more extreme heat was on the way.Italy and France were each sending two firefighting planes to help Greece cope. The planes and their teams are part of an EU civil protection mechanism, and they will join some 30 Romanian firefighters already stationed in Greece as part of a seasonal EU fire program, European officials said Tuesday.Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Varthakoyiannis said that the main fire near Athens rapidly became a major crisis. “The Fire Service had to inte...