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Grandpa Gang needs volunteers for Christmas Wonderland set-up

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:36 GMT

ALTON, Ill. – Christmas might be four months away, but it’s never too early for the Grandpa Gang in Alton, Illinois.“Started out as just a group of men,” said Dick Alford, Grandpa Gang organizer. “Not too many. Maybe three, four, five, six men that decided they wanted to do some decorating. As you pull into the park, you see a waterfall, and they kind of strung lights there. Then, over the years, it’s grown into three million lights.”Alford is one of the head grandpas in this Christmas-loving group of retirees and volunteers.For a quarter-century, they’ve been making the Christmas Wonderland shine at Rock Spring Park in Alton.“We probably have a total of 23 or 24 we call our regular grandpas at any given time,” Alford said. “But grandpas babysit sometimes, or have other things to do, so they’re not there every day. But for the most part, we have 12 or 12 grandpas show up and help us get the work done.” Anheuser-Busch selling 8 beer, beverage brands to cannabis company Alford and a...

Vote tally: St. Louis August 8 area municipal election results

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:36 GMT

 Voters go to the polls Tuesday in several municipal elections.In St. Louis City, voters in the new ‘St. Louis Hills Special Business District’ will be asked to approve a property tax to fund the district through 2029. There are also property tax proposals on the ballot for the Fox C-6 School District and the Meramec Valley R-3 District.In St. Louis County, voters will decide whether to merge the city of Normandy and the village of Glen Echo Park. The polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.Check the results as they update in real-time below.

Aurora officials investigating homicide after Denver police discover body in dumpster

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:36 GMT

Aurora officials are investigating a homicide after Denver police officers discovered a body in a dumpster Monday.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Denver police officer shoots, kills domestic violence suspect Crime and Public Safety | Man shot in Aurora during verbal dispute dies at local hospital Crime and Public Safety | Murder warrant issued in Aurora double homicide cold case from 2007 Crime and Public Safety | Man killed in City Park West shooting identified, police ask for public’s help with tips Crime and Public Safety | Suspect arrested in southwest Denver shooting that killed one According to a Tuesday news release from the Aurora Police Department, Denver officers responded to a report of a body found in the 1400 block of Olive Street Monday morning.Officers determined the victim had been taken to Olive Street in a van, which they located near the scene, and disposed of in a dump...

Colorado’s marijuana enforcement arm failed to inspect 1-in-3 new stores during COVID, audit finds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:36 GMT

More than 1-in-3 new retail marijuana stores, or 40 out of 112, were not inspected within a year of being licensed, an audit of the state’s Marijuana Enforcement Division found.It also did not inspect about a third of the stores targeted for inspections, or 182 out of 567, either because they were new or had not been inspected for two years or more.The audit looked at the division’s activities between fiscal years 2019 and 2022. Statistics cited in the audit show a precipitous drop in targeted inspections and underage compliance in the fiscal year beginning in July 2020 — when the pandemic was upending day-to-day society — and that they haven’t quite recovered to pre-pandemic levels.“I’m glad that (auditors) pointed the finger at the department in that they dropped the ball,” state Sen. Kevin Priola, a Henderson Democrat who asked for the audit, said, adding that the department “didn’t deliver what the voters expected when ...

L.A. city workers' one-day strike comes to an end after impacting services

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:36 GMT

Thousands of city workers in Los Angeles took part in a one-day strike Tuesday to bring attention to what they describe as unfair labor practices and the city's failure to bargain in good faith.More than 11,000 city workers for SEIU Local 721, including sanitation workers, heavy-duty mechanics, engineers, gardeners, custodians, lifeguards and many others, started walking the picket lines early Tuesday morning.The union says the city has failed to address the crisis of recruitment and retention of city workers and claimed vacancy rates in some departments are as high as 40 percent.Workers say they are tired of vacant positions requiring workers to take on large amounts of overtime and they are ready to send a message about what they describe as unfair labor practices. “We’re being very overworked, we’re understaffed, the city has disrespected us and we’re tired of it. If they continue to disrespect us we’re gonna shut it down,” said Dion Cornelious, a bus operator and executive board...

'Senseless violence': 7 men indcited in string of fatal shootings in L.A. County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:36 GMT

Seven men have been charged in connection with a string of fatal shootings that occurred in Los Angeles, Compton and Inglewood in late 2021 and early 2022, officials announced Tuesday. The charges stemmed from a 37-count grand jury indictment that was unsealed on Monday and involved four separate incidents in which seven victims lost their lives to "senseless violence," according to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office. Authorities called the investigations into the shootings “complex,” and the men were described as gang members. Seven men charged in a string of shootings in Los Angeles County are seen in images released by the DA's Office on Aug. 8, 2023. (KTLA) The first in the series of shootings occurred at an RV park in South Los Angeles on Dec. 6, 2021.Two victims, Jose Palma and Hector Cervantes, were killed when shots were fired into an RV.Six of the seven defendants were charged in the case: Kendale Taylor, Cory Ervin, Kalil Santos, Kevin Salter, Terrance Adams and Ma...

Romance scam artist steals nearly $1 million, gets 6 years in prison

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:36 GMT

A 32-year-old man from Brooklyn, New York, has been sentenced to nearly 6 years in federal prison for laundering almost $1 million stolen from victims of romance scams and email scams, including a Pasadena resident, the United States Department of Justice announced Tuesday.  Referred to as the “kingpin" of the group of swindlers and the “personification of evil” by U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson at Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Okechukwu Nwofor pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering on Feb. 21.  “Nwofor admitted to leading a money laundering conspiracy from at least July 2018 to August 2019. Nwofor used a network of individuals who received fraudulent proceeds obtained from the victims of romance and business email compromise scams. Once the illicitly obtained funds were received, Nwofor and his co-conspirators quickly withdrew or transferred into accounts they controlled,” a news release from the USAO’s Central District of California stated. &nb...

Dog named 'Taylor Swift' gives birth to pups named after singer's hits — now she's looking for a home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:36 GMT

As Taylor Swift's six-night stint at SoFi Stadium comes to a close and the popstar moves onto the next city, a local animal shelter is hoping that her fans will welcome their own Taylor Swift into their homes permanently.Best Friends Animal Society is trying to find a home for "Taylor Swift," a 5-year-old American Staffordshire terrier mix that recently gave birth to a litter of puppies.This dog named after popstar Taylor Swift is ready for her forever home. (Los Angeles Best Friends Animal Society)Dog Taylor Swift gave birth to nine pups, each one named after a hit song from human Taylor Swift.Her pups were named Bejeweled, Enchanted, Paper Rings, Style, Wildest Dreams, Fearless, Cardigan, Gorgeous, and Tim McGraw.All of her puppies have been adopted, but now the animal welfare organization is hoping to find the perfect fit for Taylor Swift.A litter of puppies named after Taylor Swift songs were adopted from Los Angeles Best Friends Animal Society."She’s hoping to find a home with ...

Fire ban issued for Joshua Tree National Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:36 GMT

Fire restrictions have been enacted for Joshua Tree National Park due to hot, dry weather conditions and increased fire danger, park officials announced Tuesday.Wood burning and charcoal fires are prohibited, along with smoking within ten feet of vegetation. Generators can only be used if they have approved spark arrestors and are at least three feet from any vegetation, officials said.The York Fire, which erupted on July 28, scored over 90,000 acres of land within the park, including countless iconic Joshua trees.The park is also seeing invasive grass growth that is “three times greater than average,” the National Park Service said, which only adds to the fire risk.Joshua Trees burn in the York Fire, Sunday, July 30, 2023, in the Mojave National Preserve, Calif. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)“The fire restrictions will reduce the risk of fire, to promote public health and safety, and to protect resources during this time,” NPS said in a statement.The restrictions will remain in effe...

No more penis pills: Robert H Cohen, M.D. reveals new ‘BoCox’ treatment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:59:36 GMT

Let’s face it we’ve all heard of Botox– that miracle worker that smoothes out wrinkles and keeps Hollywood stars looking “forever young.”But did you know this powerful little neurotoxin has a new claim to fame? It’s now being used in the world of sexual health, revolutionizing penile treatments and enhancing the effects of procedures like the P-shot.You might be wondering if you read that right. Botox for the penis? B, in the P? Yep, that’s right! Time to put the pills down.Buckle up because we’re diving into an unexpected bone-anza, that has men all across the globe getting-it-up, after dropping their pants and getting a prick.Botox Isn’t Just for Wrinkles AnymoreRemember when we used to associate Botox only with frozen faces and the endless mockery of late-night talk show hosts? Those days are long gone. Botox is now being used in surprising ways, and its latest application might just make you raise an eyebrow (if you haven’t had Bot...