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Palmer Ridge QB Derek Hester evolved from super soph to sensational senior

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

FORT COLLINS — Derek Hester was a super sophomore: 2,345 yards passing with a 67.1 completion percentage and 25 touchdowns.But to hear the Palmer Ridge quarterback tell it, he was lost.“I didn’t know blocking schemes and I didn’t know coverages my sophomore year,” Hester said Tuesday. “I was just out there. I was a robot, pretty much. I just did what I was told. I mean, I didn’t have the freedom to make play calls or change things at the line. Even if I knew the play was going to get blown up — with a guy blitzing or whatever — I didn’t know how to change it.“And my arm strength wasn’t there and I couldn’t throw nearly as far. I’ve grown a lot as a quarterback and a person since then. It’s night and day.”Saturday, the senior has one final chance to illustrate how much he’s grown when the undefeated and top-ranked Bears (13-0) take on No. 2 Erie (12-1) in the Class 4A state championship game at ...

Woman accused of drowning her nonverbal wheelchair-bound daughter in bathtub

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

A woman from Fountain Valley has been charged with murder in the death of her 9-year-old daughter who was nonverbal and confined to a wheelchair, drowning her in a bathtub and leaving her body to decompose for several days, officials said.Khadiyjah Aliyyah Pendergraph, 32, was arrested last Friday at a grocery store in Aliso Viejo, the same day the girl's body was discovered.The girl's father, who is divorced from Pendergraph, called police earlier that day to request a welfare check on the girl after receiving "concerning messages" from her mother. When he attempted to pick the girl up for Thanksgiving, the apartment where his ex-wife lived was locked and no one responded to answer the door.On Tuesday, the Orange County District Attorney's Office released horrifying details about the girl's death, alleging that she was drowned in her own bathtub and then left there for days while her body decomposed.In a press release issued Tuesday, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer des...

Malibu bracing for El Niño

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

Residents of Malibu are being urged to prepare for the potential impacts of El Niño this winter.El Niño is the temporary warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator, which experts say is occurring now and is likely to produce above-average rainfall in Southern California.  When the ocean water rises 1.5 degrees Celsius above normal, that’s considered a strong El Niño. El Ninos are far costlier than once thought, in the trillions, study says — and one’s brewing now “It does appear as though this 2023 is going to come pretty close to that if not exceed that,” Ben Reppert, a meteorology professor at Penn State University, recently told KTLA.In the past, these conditions have produced periods of heavy rainfall that trigger mudslides, flooding and debris flow, both along the coast and inland.Ocean water temperatures show El Niño conditions developing along the Pacific Ocean near the equator. November 2023. (NOAA)There is a 95% chance that El Niño conditions will continue...

LAPD arrests arson suspect who may be responsible for more fires

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

A man was arrested on suspicion of setting multiple fires in downtown Los Angeles Monday morning, and investigators believe he may be responsible for igniting more.Miguel Abad Muñoz, 40, was arrested around 10 a.m. after a private security company reported seeing him set multiple fires in the area of Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard.He was arrested near Hope Street and Washington Boulevard and a small black butane lighter was recovered and booked into evidence. Muñoz was taken into custody by Los Angeles Police Department officers and booked into jail for arson. His bail has been set at $50,000. Man, woman seriously hurt as fire torches entire city block in South L.A. LAPD investigators identified eight separate sites where debris, trash and other items were set on fire, allegedly intentionally, by Muñoz.The Los Angeles Fire Department extinguished each fire and its arson investigators are assisting the LAPD.Police believe Muñoz may be responsible for additional fires in the ...

The top-rated restaurants in California, according to OpenTable

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

More than a dozen California restaurants have made OpenTable's 2023 list of the Top 100 restaurants in America.The online reservation service looked at more than 12 million verified diner reviews and star ratings to compile the list. Restaurants were not ranked in any particular order.In metro Los Angeles:Bavel – This Middle Eastern restaurant in downtown L.A.’s Arts District has a 4.8-star rating.Beachcomber Cafe Crystal Cove (Newport Coast) – The beachfront seafood joint received 4.7 stars.Bestia – The multi-regional Italian restaurant and companion to Bavel in the Arts District earned 4.8 stars.Musso & Frank Grill – This classic, historic Hollywood Boulevard steakhouse has a near-perfect rating of 4.9 stars.Pizzeria Bianco – This relatively new pizzeria in downtown L.A. has already earned a 4.8-star rating.Providence – The only perfect 5-star rating on California’s list goes to this Hollywood seafood restaurant.Saffy’s – This East Hollywood Middl...

Is the 'California exodus' still prevalent? Here is what new U.S. Census data say

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

Newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that California was one of the states with the nation’s lowest immigration rate in 2022. The organization defines immigration rates as “the number of people moving into a state as a share of that state’s total number of movers.”In other words, fewer people from other states moved to the Golden State.California’s immigration rate was 11.1%, meaning that only 11.1% of movers were new California residents. The District of Columbia had the highest immigration rates, with 44.3% of movers new to the area, the data showed. Millennials are moving to these cities the most, study says On average, about 19.9% of movers moved from state to state, the data showed. California was one of 11 states that had lower immigration rates compared to the national average.Researchers found that the Golden State’s low immigration rate was most likely due to the large amount of people who moved from different locations in the state.Of those who did move t...

‘Inside Safe’ Homeless Operation Launched In Canoga Park

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

The latest installment of Los Angeles’ Inside Safe program was launched in Canoga Park between Canoga Avenue and Vanowen Street.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and city councilmember Bob Blumenfield launched the operation that aims to remove homeless encampments and house those within them.“Our Inside Safe program continues to address encampments across the city and we are expanding to ensure that we can bring people inside from encampments of all sizes,” Mayor Bass said. “Today’s operation further proves that people want to move inside and receive supportive services to start a new chapter of their lives. Thank you to Councilmember Blumenfield and the County and our service providers for helping us continue to provide much-needed housing to Angelenos across the city.”The program launches as the colder winter months approach with the opportunity for those unhoused Angelenos to stay in a motel room provided by the city.The objectives for Inside Safe include access to mental health...

Christian Dupont Killed in Motorcycle Collision on Bell Road [Phoenix, AZ]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

28-Year-Old Rider Pronounced Dead after Motorcycle Accident near 25th StreetPHOENIX, AZ (November 28, 2023) – Sunday afternoon, Christian Dupont lost his life in a fatal motorcycle crash on Bell Road. The incident unfolded at approximately 2:50 p.m. near the intersection of Bell Road and 25th Street, just east of Cave Creek Road on November 19th.According to initial reports, Dupont was traveling east on Bell Road when a vehicle made a left turn onto 25th Street, resulting in a collision between the two vehicles. Emergency responders, including paramedics, arrived at the scene and transported 28-year-old Dupont to a nearby hospital.Despite their efforts, Dupont succumbed to his injuries. An ongoing investigation is actively underway to gather additional information about the circumstances surrounding the collision. Once the investigation yields more details, they will be made available to the public.In this sorrowful time, the Sweet James team would like to extend their heartfe...

Man Arrested For Streaking On Disneyland Ride

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

A man was arrested Sunday after being spotted naked inside a Disneyland ride.The incident occurred within the “It’s a Small World” ride and was caught on camera by riders, as the man could be seen navigating through the ride’s facades in his underwear. The video then shows the man grabbing the animatronics, with the ride’s music eventually turning off and an employee yelling at him.“Stop. You are going to get hurt. We need you to stop, please,” the employee can be heard saying. “Just sit down and we’ll get you down.” @brucewaynemax Discovering a Whole New Meaning to 'It's a Small World' at Disney! Streaking Shenanigans Unveiled! #smallworld #Disney #what #when #how ♬ original sound – Waynemax Additional footage that circulated from parkgoers outside of the ride showed the man completely naked as he appeared to jump in the water and make his way inside the tunnel leading into the attraction. The man was a...

Stray cats will be removed from historic Puerto Rico fortress

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

By Danica Coto | Associated PressSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hundreds of stray cats that roam a historic seaside tourist area of Puerto Rico’s capital where they are considered both a delight and a nuisance will be removed over the coming year, under a plan unveiled Tuesday by the U.S. National Park Service.The agency said it will contract an animal welfare organization to remove the 200 cats estimated to live on 75 acres surrounding a fortress at the San Juan National Historic Site that the federal agency operates in Old San Juan. If the organization fails to remove the cats within six months, the park service said it would hire a removal agency.Cat lovers responded to the plan with dismay, but the agency noted that the felines can transmit illnesses to humans. “All visitors will benefit from the removal of a potential disease vector from the park,” the park service plan stated.The six-month timetable to remove the cats is unrealistic, said Ana María Salicrup, secreta...