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Colorado-grown mushroom farming ready for a comeback in San Luis Valley

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

Colorado shoppers would see heaps more fresh mushrooms in grocery stores under a $5 million deal floated in federal bankruptcy court to revive a collapsed mega-farm in the San Luis Valley.Colorado Mushroom Farm owner Baljit Nanda declared in U.S. Bankruptcy Court that he secured sufficient financing and will make a comeback.But the workers who for three decades propelled his farm — women and men who fled war in Guatemala decades ago and speak the indigenous language Q’anjob’al — haven’t been paid for nine months. They’ve been scrambling to sustain themselves and their families since Nanda declared bankruptcy in December. Some now are creating an alternative, worker-run Sand Dunes Mushroom Cooperative.Colorado Department of Labor and Employment investigators looked into what happened following news reports earlier this year. State enforcers have ordered back pay and are imposing penalties of $463,076 against the Colorado Mushroom Farm for illegally exploitin...

Newsom signs off on bills to increase California housing production, bolster tenant protections

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

Starting next year in California, homeowners can sell the granny unit in their backyard. Religious institutions can build housing on their land. And developers can add more homes along the coast in places that were once off-limits.The sweeping initiatives were among more than 50 housing bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom intended to expedite the state’s housing supply and protect tenants from evictions in the face of a statewide housing crisis.The flurry of housing bills this year passed with the support of labor interests who came together with housing advocates to break through opposition from local governments that stand to lose control over approving housing.“It’s simple math — California needs to build more housing and ensure the housing we have is affordable,” Newsom said in a statement. “These 56 bills build on that work, supporting tenants and ensuring cities are held accountable to plan for and permit their fair share of housing.”Despite years of legislation, Cal...

Drivers exploit unfinished restriping job, create traffic headache: Roadshow

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

Q: There’s a problem stemming from a new building that has recently become occupied at the corner of Leigh and Moorpark Avenues in San Jose. It seems the city failed to complete restriping work on northbound Leigh Avenue to restore the right turn pocket that was closed off during construction of the building. There is no red curb or signage indicating that parking is prohibited at any time within the pocket. As a result, a solid line of vehicles is parked in the pocket 24×7, causing right-turning traffic to back up into the adjacent through lane.I called the city and was advised it could take six to eight weeks just for someone to take a look at the situation. I’m hoping you can get them moving on this ASAP, since someone in the streets department dropped the ball and should correct the problem post haste.D.J. Martin, San JoseA: There will be “No Stopping Anytime” signs installed at this location. The work order is in and they should be installed soon.Q:...

Truck hit by train in Montgomery County

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

A flatbed truck was hit by a train in Montgomery County, Maryland, after breaking down on railroad tracks.It happened shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday night at the Linden Lane railroad crossing in Forest Glen, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue.No one was hurt when the CSX train carrying gravel slammed into the truck, according to fire officials.The train stayed on the tracks.Some road around the tracks were closed following the collision.ICYMI (10/14 ~11p) Train vs Tow truck, no injuries https://t.co/I8y755Kewu pic.twitter.com/pMmnPzZ2Dk— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) October 15, 2023WTOP has reached out to CSX for comment. A map of the area is below. Source

Messi’s Inter Miami team strikes 2-game deal to play in China in November

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi is evidently going back to China, after Inter Miami took advantage of not making the Major League Soccer playoffs by signing a deal to play two exhibitions there next month.The team said it would play a pair of friendlies against Chinese Super League teams, first in Qingdao, China against Qingdao Hainiu on Nov. 5 and then against Chengdu Rongcheng in Chengdu, China on Nov. 8. Those two stadiums can both hold between 50,000 and 60,000 fans.Those dates coincide with the first round of the MLS playoffs. Inter Miami was eliminated from playoff contention earlier this month.Inter Miami’s announcement of the deal did not specifically mention Messi or any other player, though it would be surprising if Chinese officials agreed to the games without some sort of guarantee that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and the team’s other best-known standouts — Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba among them — would be making the trip if physicall...

Iowa-DePaul women’s outdoor basketball game at Kinnick could draw over 50,000 fans, world record

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — High-scoring Iowa star Caitlin Clark doesn’t expect to have much of a shooting touch Sunday when the Hawkeyes host DePaul in an outdoor exhibition at Kinnick Stadium before an expected crowd of over 50,000 that could set a world record for attendance at a women’s basketball game.Far from it, in fact.“I tell people I will airball twice. Just prepare yourself,” she said. “The wind, the depth perception of seeing the hoop in a big stadium … That’s just how it’s going to be. I’m sure there’ll be no super stellar shooting performances by anybody. It’ll be attack the basket and get to the rim.”More than 50,000 tickets have been sold for the “Crossover at Kinnick” at the 69,000-seat stadium. Net proceeds benefit the university’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital, whose young patients can watch games from window seats. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network at 3 p.m. EDT. If all goes as planned, Iow...

OPP investigating fatal collision on QEW that left 2 dead

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

The OPP Mississauga is investigating a four-vehicle collision that occurred on the QEW on Sunday morning. Just after midnight, in the area of the eastbound QEW at Mississauga Road, a four-vehicle collision occurred.One adult male, in his late 20’s, was transported to trauma centre with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Two parties from another vehicle were left deceased. The QEW was closed at Erin Mills eastbound to Hurontario Street until 6am.Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPP.

What Google’s antitrust trial means for your search habits

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

If government regulators prevail against Google in the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in a quarter century, it’s likely to unleash drastic changes that will undermine the dominance of a search engine that defines the internet for billions of people.As the 10-week trial probing Google’s business practices nears its midway point, it’s still too early to tell if U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta will side with the Justice Department and try to handcuff one of the world’s most dominant tech companies.If Mehta rules that Google has been running an illegal monopoly in search, the punishment could open up new online avenues for consumers and businesses to explore in pursuit of information, entertainment and commerce.“The judge can compel Google to open the floodgates so more startups and third-party competitors can put greater competitive pressure on Google, which will create higher quality online services,” said Luther Lowe, senior vice president of public policy at Yel...

Azerbaijan raises flag over the Karabakh capital to reaffirm control of the disputed region

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has raised his nation’s flag over the capital of Karabakh in a ceremony reaffirming Baku’s control of the disputed region.The Azerbaijani leader delivered a speech and raised the flag over the city, which is known as Khankendi by Azerbaijan and Stepanakert by Armenians, the presidential office said Sunday.The Karabakh region, which was previously called Nagorno-Karabakh and is known to Armenians as Artsakh, is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, but became a breakaway state under the control of ethnic Armenian forces in 1994 following a six-year conflict.A subsequent war in 2020 returned control of much of the area to Azerbaijan, until a lightning offensive last month forced separatists to relinquish the rest of the region.In a 24-hour campaign that began on Sept. 19, the Azerbaijani army routed the area’s undermanned and outgunned Armenian forces, forcing them to capitulate.The majority of the area’s ethnic Armenian population lat...

Sunday Forecast: Mostly cloudy, breezy and low 50s

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:16:52 GMT

Sunday: A few lake effect showers to start the day then partly to mostly cloudy skies throughout the rest of the day. Expect a bit more sunshine across inland locations. Winds will remain breezy out of the north 10-15 mph. Highs today will stay below average just into the mid 50s. Monday: Lakeside showers move back in overnight lingering into early Monday morning with dry conditions expected across suburban areas. Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com)Some sunshine and temperatures recover back into the 60s midweek before showers return to the forecast towards the weekend.