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Family of five was poisoned by arsenic found in Boulder monastery’s well, lawsuit alleges

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:39 GMT

One day in 2021, a married couple looking to buy a 27,000-square-foot former Buddhist monastery in Boulder asked the sellers about a disturbing rumor they had heard.A neighbor had grown irate, the story went, and poisoned the monastery’s water well. But it was only a tall tale — “a false threat from environmental activists” — the couple was told.Fifteen minutes northwest of downtown Boulder, at 500 Arroyo Chico Road, is one odd mansion. Built by an eccentric inventor and entrepreneur to be an off-the-grid monastery, it includes a 30-car garage, 7,000-square-foot deck, solar panels, cistern and greenhouse.That appealed to Nicholas and Tatiana Becker, a health-conscious couple with two young children in search of rural living. Especially important to them was clean water — specifically, water free of chlorine. They had reason to believe the monastery would be ideal.For one, the founder of a water purification company built the monastery. Howard Selby III, who goes by Binx,...

Is it antisocial to wear headphones at work?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:39 GMT

As a growing number of employers are demanding that workers be in the office for most of the week, a growing number of employees are bringing headphones with them.It's not a new trend -- workers have been sporting headphones and earbuds in the office for years.But with feelings still a bit raw over postpandemic return-to-work orders, some see headphone use as a way of tuning out the workplace at a time when businesses are actively promoting camaraderie and being a team player."I feel like they’re ignoring me when I’m trying to talk to them," an administrative assistant named Anna Metcalf told the Wall Street Journal.She cited the example of an intern at her office who spent much of his days wearing headphones and laughing at videos on his phone. After Metcalf complained to a manager, she said, the intern turned surly.Many workers, myself included, find headphones a helpful way of alleviating stress and avoiding distractions at work.But there's definitely an antisocial aspect to thei...

Disney shares new concept art for planned neighborhood in Coachella Valley

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:39 GMT

Disney has shared new concept art for Cotino, a planned community the company hopes to build in Rancho Mirage, about 11 miles southeast of Palm Springs. The new concept art shows what community-exclusive areas like Longtable Park and Laughing Place Ranch could look like once construction is complete. Disney did note that concept art images are subject to change at any time.Residents of Longtable Park, a community made for adults 55 or older, will have access to Longtable Park. In the park, residents can be “surrounded by beautiful palo verde and olive trees along with shaded seating and barbecue grills - the perfect place to spend time with friends and family,” the Disney Parks Blog said. (Disney) The concept art also showed a rendering of Laughing Place Ranch, an area all residents in the community can visit with their dogs. (Disney) Residents of Longtable Park, a community made for adults 55 or older, will have access to Longtable Park. In the park, residents can be “surrounded by...

Man's body recovered after tubing accident in Lake Perris

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:39 GMT

The body of one of two men who disappeared into the water after a tubing accident in Lake Perris Wednesday afternoon has been recovered. Authorities have not released any details about the victim, but his body was pulled from the water around 2:30 p.m. Thursday.California State Parks dispatchers received a distress call around 4 p.m. Wednesday reporting an accident in the boating zone just north of Alessandro Island. The person who called in the report told responders a man was tubing behind their boat when he fell into the water and could not swim back to the tube. Another man, who was a passenger on the boat, then jumped into the water to attempt to rescue the tuber and also began to struggle. Both men went under the water in distress and did not surface, a State Parks official confirmed. The unidentified men were about 45 years old, according to the official. Gas cloud prompts dozens of homes to be evacuated in West Whittier The men were not wearing life jackets and "are presu...

Susana Longoria, Kiara Barker, Chase Mapes, and Jasmine Jones Killed in Multi-Vehicle Collision on Interstate 35W [Fort Worth, TX]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:39 GMT

4 Pronounced Dead after Multi-Car Accident near Berry StreetFORT WORTH, TX (September 14, 2023) – Monday, Susana Longoria, Kiara Barker, Chase Mapes and Jasmine Jones died in a crash on Interstate 35W.Around 9:09 p.m., officers responded to the scene near Berry Street.Police first received reports of a minor collision involving two vehicles on the northbound lanes. A truck driver then pulled over to help, while his vehicle was partially blocking the roadway.Shortly after, the driver of an 18-wheeler struck both vehicles, pushing them into the victims.Medics arrived and pronounced 31-year-old Longoria, 25-year-old Mapes, and 23-year-old Barker dead at the scene. Meanwhile, paramedics transported 21-year-old Jones to a nearby hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.In addition, crews took two others to a nearby hospital for further treatment. Once available, further details will be provided.The family of Barker started a GoFundMe page to help with costs during this de...

Kentucky couple awarded $100K over marriage license denial

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:39 GMT

By Jennifer Henderson | CNNA same-sex couple in Kentucky who were denied marriage licenses by former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis was awarded $100,000 in damages by a federal jury, according to court documents.David Ermold and David Moore – who each received $50,000 on Wednesday – sued Davis after being denied marriage licenses multiple times by Davis or her office, CNN previously reported.Joe Buckles, one of the attorneys for the couple, told CNN affiliate WKYT: “This is just complete vindication. They felt the weight of the world on them this week and for the last eight years.”Davis in 2015 refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples following the US Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage. She held that issuing the licenses would violate her Christian convictions against same-sex marriage.Liberty Counsel founder and chairman Mat Staver, one of Davis’ attorneys, said, “We look forward to appealing this decision and taking this case...

Three-bedroom home sells in Pleasanton for $1.5 million

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:39 GMT

7687 Glenbrook Court – Google Street ViewA 1,357-square-foot house built in 1971 has changed hands. The property located in the 7600 block of Glenbrook Court in Pleasanton was sold on July 21, 2023, for $1,525,000, or $1,124 per square foot. This single-story house has three bedrooms and two baths. Additionally, the house includes a garage.These nearby houses have also recently changed hands:A 1,749-square-foot home on the 7700 block of Knollbrook Drive in Pleasanton sold in June 2023, for $1,562,500, a price per square foot of $893. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In August 2022, a 2,792-square-foot home on Mount Tam Circle in Pleasanton sold for $2,150,000, a price per square foot of $770. The home has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.On Chestnut Way, Pleasanton, in June 2023, a 1,586-square-foot home was sold for $1,650,000, a price per square foot of $1,040. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. 

At Home: Artificial Intelligence — AI — can do home decor?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:39 GMT

Think Geek Squad meets The Property Brothers. At a National Association of Realtors summit last month in Miami, innovators, investors and real estate professionals got together to chat like chatbots about PropTech. That’s the hip insider term for “property technology.”Just as technology has changed the way we shop, get to places and communicate, it is also upending how we buy and sell houses. NAR’s director of emerging technology, Dan Weisman, agreed to tell me about the meeting’s biggest takeaways minus the geek speak:Q: Will technology make the process of buying or selling a house less painful? A: The role of technology in real estate is to streamline the process and reduce stress points. Most of us are familiar with DocuSign or similar technologies that offer the ability to e-sign legal documents. That has simplified what used to be a cumbersome process. Remember when submitting an offer or signing loans docs required wet-signing paper forms and sending them overnight? Now we can...

Second-string France struggles to beat feisty Uruguay at Rugby World Cup

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:39 GMT

LILLE, France (AP) — After a clinical display against New Zealand, France was way less convincing against Uruguay.The French won 27-12 on Thursday against a spirited Los Teros who were not intimidated at all by the host’s pedigree.The 49,000 spectators at Stade Pierre Mauroy, more accustomed to soccer than rugby in this northern part of France, did not like France’s performance, and there were whistles and boos at the final whistle.Coach Fabien Galthie made 12 changes to the starting XV that dispatched New Zealand a week ago, and the replacements did not rise to the occasion.France managed three tries, the last by wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who became the youngest Frenchman to play at a World Cup. Antoine Hastoy and Peato Mauvaka also touched down for the hosts, and Melvyn Jaminet kicked 12 points.Uruguay had two tries from Nicolas Freitas and Baltazar Amaya. Los Teros had another try disallowed while France had two tries rubbed out.After conceding a sixth-minute try, th...

Off-duty Pentagon police officer pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder in 2021 double shooting

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:39 GMT

(new Image()).src = "https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384&cid=c2ffed0c-3624-46c0-b10f-97c976d290a3";cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384",mediaId: "f11042fb-2ad5-4df9-b426-c0d01976e1fb"}).render("ec9743efc93345038b5fca1461888235"); });An off-duty Pentagon police officer who fatally shot two men in the parking lot of his Takoma Park condo building in 2021 has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges.David Hall Dixon, 42, opened fire on a car in the parking lot of the Takoma Park Overlook Condominiums in the predawn hours of April 7, 2021, firing five shots and fatally striking 38-year-old James Johnson and 32-year-old Dominique Williams.Dixon told police he believed the men were trying to break into a parked van. A third man, who was behind the wheel of the car Dixon shot at, was not hurt.In addition to the second-degree murder charges, Dixon pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree ass...