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Colorado snubbed by this year’s James Beard Awards

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:59:59 GMT

Colorado came up empty-handed at the 2023 James Beard  Awards.The “Oscars” of the food industry’s live ceremony took place at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on June 5, and no Colorado restaurant or chef was among the 23 winners that the foundation awarded. That wasn’t unexpected, though since Chef Michael Diaz de Leon of BRUTØ, 1801 Blake St., was the only Colorado nominee this year.De Leon was in the running for the best chef in the Mountain Region, which includes Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. It was awarded to Chef Kris Komori with KIN in Boise, Idaho.Colorado is usually a strong contender for the James Beard Awards.When the foundation announced semifinalists in January, Colorado boasted 13 nominations, some of them in nationally competitive categories such as outstanding restaurateur, outstanding chef and best new restaurant. De Leon was the only one to advance.In 2022, Colorado swept the best chef in the Mountain Region category with five finali...

Collapse of major dam in southern Ukraine triggers emergency as Moscow and Kyiv trade blame

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:59:59 GMT

By VASILISA STEPANENKO and SUSIE BLANN (Associated Press)KHERSON, Ukraine (AP) — A major dam in southern Ukraine collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering crops in the country’s breadbasket and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in the war scrambled to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the destruction.Ukraine accused Russian forces of blowing up the Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power station on the Dnieper River in an area that Moscow has controlled for over a year, while Russian officials blamed Ukrainian bombardment in the contested area. It was not possible to verify the claims.The environmental and social consequences quickly became clear as homes, streets and businesses flooded downstream and emergency crews began evacuations; officials monitored water for cooling systems at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant; and authorities expressed concern about supplies of drinking water to the south in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2...

PGA, Europe tours to merge with Saudi-backed LIV Golf, ending litigation

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:59:59 GMT

The most disruptive year in golf ended Tuesday when the PGA Tour and European tour agreed to a merger with Saudi Arabia's golf interests, creating a commercial operation designed to unify professional golf around the world.As part of the deal, the sides are dropping all lawsuits involving LIV Golf against each other effective immediately.Still to be determined is how players like Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, who defected to Saudi-funded LIV Golf for nine-figure bonuses, can rejoin the PGA Tour after this year.Also unclear was what form the LIV Golf League would take in 2024. Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a memo to players that a thorough evaluation would determine how to integrate team golf into the game. Koepka gets another major win at PGA, LIV gets a major champion The agreement combines the Public Investment Fund's golf-related commercial businesses and rights — including LIV Golf — with those of the PGA and European tours. The new entity has not been named.“They wer...

Pursuit suspect crashes, ends up on lawn of San Gabriel apartment complex

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:59:59 GMT

A reckless driving suspect crashed onto the front lawn of an apartment complex in San Gabriel after a brief pursuit Tuesday morning.The chase began around 4:15 a.m. and lasted less than five minutes, San Gabriel Police Department Sgt. Logan said.The driver crashed into a parked vehicle and ended up on the lawn of an apartment building near the intersection of Live Oak Street and San Marino Avenue. Video showed the parked vehicle with major damage to its front end while the pickup truck involved in the pursuit had damage to the driver's side and a broken windshield. Police found a male driver still inside the vehicle when they arrived. Video showed the unidentified driver was given a sobriety test at the scene and taken into custody.No further details about the crash were immediately available. No one appeared to be injured as a result of the incident.

The Historic Cheese Store Of Beverly Hills Gets Bigger and Better in July

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:59:59 GMT

The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, an LA institution and one of the most historic cheese stores in the country, is officially relocating and expanding to a new, 5,000-square-foot space, just a few blocks away on Santa Monica Boulevard, after 50 years at its original Beverly Drive location.  In addition to more cheeses than the 600 already in stock and specialty products, the new location will, for the first time ever, offer a take-away menu featuring an array of sandwiches, salads and sides, as well as an expanded section that’s exclusively dedicated to Domenico’s Foods, owner Dominick DiBartolomeo’s, imported Italian specialty foods brand, which was launched at the pungent little shop years ago with the debut of homemade, sun-dried tomatoes.  Expect fresh pastas, sauces, spreads, tapenades and other items prepared fresh on-site on display in the mezzanine section of the expansive space designed by noted architect Nicolò Bini.“When I acquired The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills from ...

California economy falls to 5th best in US on this scorecard

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:59:59 GMT

”Survey says” looks at various rankings and scorecards judging geographic locations while noting these grades are best seen as a mix of artful interpretation and data.Buzz: California has the nation’s fifth-best economy on one scorecard, but that lofty grade dropped by two spots in a year.Source: My trusty spreadsheet reviewed WalletHub’s annual look at state-by-state economic achievement. The financial advice website assembled 28 economic and demographic metrics into three equally weighted slices of business performance: economic activity (stats on output and business formation), economic health (a mesh of jobs, income and affordability), and innovation potential (technology-related trends).ToplineFinishing ahead of California on this 2023 scorecard was No. 1 Washington, then Utah, Massachusetts and Colorado. The worst economy was in West Virginia, then Louisiana, Alaska, Mississippi and Hawaii.And California’s big rivals? Texas was No. 9 and Florida was 13th.Deta...

Man fatally shot in East Oakland

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:59:59 GMT

OAKLAND — A 56-year-old man was fatally shot in East Oakland on Monday night, authorities said.His name was not immediately released by police.The man was shot about 8:30 p.m. Monday outside in the 1700 block of 13th Avenue, an area with a mixture of commercial and residential buildings. He was pronounced dead at the scene.A motive for the killing has not been determined. No arrests have been made and investigators have not released any suspect information.The killing is the 46th homicide investigated by Oakland police this year. Last year at this time police had investigated 48 homicides in the city.Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $10,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the killer. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3821 or 510-238-7950 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.

Public funding bill for Oakland A’s ballpark plan in Las Vegas stalls without a vote

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:59:59 GMT

The Oakland A’s decades-long pursuit of a stadium deal took another turn late Monday night when the Nevada Legislature adjourned without considering a bill proposing public financing of up to $380 million to help pay for the construction of a new baseball stadium along the Las Vegas Strip.The future of the contentious bill is now uncertain after the Democratic-controlled Legislature did not advance it before the midnight deadline as Monday turned to Tuesday. The proposal could potentially be considered in a special legislative session at a date to be determined later, where lawmakers would later vote on it.Lawmakers also failed to pass one of the five major budget bills that included over $1 billion to fund capital improvement projects that fund state public works and construction, which would also likely be considered for a special session. The measure faltered in the Senate as they ran out of time for a second vote after party disagreements lasted until the midnight deadline...

Milpitas Family Campout is a sold out event

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:59:59 GMT

Families pitched their tents under the stars June 3 at the second annual Family Campout at Jose Higuera Adobe Park in Milpitas.The event, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act and sponsored in part by the Boy Scouts of America, was sold out, and the number of attendees was almost triple that of the inaugural year.Along with a rainbow assortment of tents, games and crafts areas started to form while some families enjoyed a story time circle presented by the Milpitas Library. Presentations were made by the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department, environmental volunteers, Milpitas Sanitation and Milpitas Historical Society throughout the event.The Milpitas Police Department sponsored a barbecue dinner with hamburgers, hotdogs and veggie dogs. The Boy Scouts’ flag folding ceremony kicked off the evening. When darkness fell, the park’s firepits were used to roast marshmallows for S’mores.The Solid Gold Stranger band played harmony-rich bluegrass music, old-time fiddle tunes ...

California psychic targeted in lawsuits claims rival clairvoyants tried to drive her out of business

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:59:59 GMT

Sophia Adams, a clairvoyant to the stars for more than 40 years, didn’t need a crystal ball to see that her Palos Verdes Estates business had been dealt the proverbial Five of Pentacles, a tarot card that foreshadows impending financial doom.That much seemed clear when a Los Angeles attorney phoned her husband, George Adams, on Sept. 19, 2021, to relay a threat from a rival who purportedly wanted to push her out of the area so he could expand his psychic reading clientele throughout the South Bay.“He wants you to get out of the town … or he is going to do something,” the attorney said during the call, a recording of which was obtained by the Southern California News Group.George Adams, who declined to publicly identify the attorney or the business rival because he fears retaliation, was shaken by the demand to immediately shutter Psychic Love Specialist By Sophia, which has operated in Palos Verdes Estates since 2020 and has counted Joan Rivers, Cher, and actress Delta Burke among i...