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A new Denver nightclub wants to change downtown’s nightlife stigma

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:55:40 GMT

Johnny Christmas and Andy Mora want to change the stigma surrounding nightclubs.Denver has had a rough go with its nightclub scene over the past few years. Beta Nightclub at 1909 Blake St. was shut down in January 2022 after violating multiple laws by hiring unlicensed security guards, allowing people to drink after hours and creating an atmosphere where fighting was common. NATIV Hotel, which had its own nightclub in the basement, filed for bankruptcy last year and sold in a foreclosure auction. And criminal activity and shootings have scared off new business owners looking to take on the nightlife crowd in LoDo.Villa Denver owners Johnny Christmas, left, and Andy Mora, right. (Photo by Juliana Moskow Photography for Villa Denver)But Christmas and Mora, who met while working at NATIV Hotel and have 20 years of experience combined — along with Wynkoop Financial’s Brandon Jundt — want to be the change they wish to see from within the industry.“We knew Market Street would ...

Hard Rock Cafe officially closing in Denver after 25 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:55:40 GMT

Hard Rock Cafe is dimming the lights on July 29.As The Denver Post reported in May, the Florida-based rock-n-roll-themed cafe’s lease is up in July, and the company officially confirmed the 16th Street Mall mainstay’s closure this week.“Since the opening of the Hard Rock Cafe Denver in 1998, Hard Rock International has enjoyed serving the Denver community and playing a role in the city’s celebrated dining culture,” a spokesperson told The Denver Post in a statement. “In July 2023, the lease for Hard Rock Cafe Denver, located on 16th Street will expire. The location will permanently close as a result. We are currently expanding operations in 50 locations within the next five years and are open to having another location within the Denver market, if the right space can be identified.”Hard Rock Cafe made its debut with its 20-foot neon guitar sign at 500 16th St. Mall in downtown Denver when the Denver Pavilions first opened in 1998. The company is laying off 54...

Fire tears through apartment carport, leaving vehicles burned in Hemet

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:55:40 GMT

Hemet firefighters responded to an apartment complex and carport fire Monday night.The fire was reported around 10 p.m. at the Greentree Park Apartments in the 1100 block of West Devonshire Avenue. Crews arrived to find a section of the apartment complex and a carport fully involved with multiple cars burning. Video shows firefighters aggressively attacking the flames, which were knocked down in about 15 minutes. It was unclear exactly how many vehicles were damaged in the fire.The cause of the blaze was unknown and no injuries were immediately reported.

Coroner Says Cousin Of BLM Cofounder Died Of Enlarged Heart While In LAPD Custody

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:55:40 GMT

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner— Coroner determined Keenan Anderson, who died in LAPD custody January 3, may have been caused by cardiomyopathy, or an enlarged heart, and cocaine use.Anderson, 31, was a cousin of Black Lives Matter (BLM) co-founder Patrisse Cullors and was arrested for what LAPD said was a possible DUI incident.Arresting officers deployed a taser on Anderson for more than 42 seconds before he was transported to Santa Monica Medical Center and pronounced dead that same day.LAPD Chief Michel Moore expedited the police bodycam footage of the incident as public concern increased days after Anderson’s death.Protests and vigils led by BLM ensued on the corner of Venice Boulevard and Lincoln Boulevard where Anderson was arrested and taken into custody.BLM often pointed to the deaths of Anderson, Takar Smith and Oscar Leon, all of whom died in police custody in January, as a rallying cry against LAPD. The organization also said the footage of the Anderson inci...

Will California voters get to vote on stricter punishments for fentanyl dealers?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:55:40 GMT

Frustrated by setbacks in the Democrat-dominated legislature, a group of Republican lawmakers and a coalition of parents want to take their effort to crack down on fentanyl dealers to a new authority: California voters.On Tuesday, Republicans in Sacramento are announcing a pitch to amend the state constitution to put convicted black-market opioid dealers on notice that they could be charged with homicide if they sell opioids that kill one of their customers. The proposal, dubbed “Alexandra’s Law,” was shot down twice this year in the legislature.Turning to the ballot box is a similar tactic to how Democrats asked voters to enshrine abortion as a right in the state constitution last year. But political experts say that the Republican proposal is all but doomed in the heavily Democratic Assembly, given that it would need to win support from two-thirds of lawmakers to get on the ballot.“Look, most bills don’t get to two-thirds (support) … never mind ...

30+ Best Bitcoin Gambling Sites in 2023 Ranked by Crypto Gambling Options, Promos, and More

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:55:40 GMT

Sponsored ContentWith crypto becoming more and more popular by the day, BTC gambling sites are popping up left and right. Having so many options makes finding the best crypto gambling sites seemingly impossible.Heck, there’s tons of great competition out there (and a few landmines to dodge) so we’re doing a deep dive on the best Bitcoin casinos for game variety, bonuses, fairness, and much more.The result? Bitstarz is our best Bitcoin gambling site thanks to their sterling reputation, selection of top-quality casino games, and mind-blowing 5 BTC potential match bonus.That said, we’ve got legit Bitcoin casino sites for all your unique online gambling needs.Let’s take a deeper look.Best Bitcoin Gambling SitesBitStarz – Best crypto casino overallBovada – Best crypto sportsbookIgnition – Best for poker and card games7Bit Casino – Best selection of progressive jackpot slotsRed Dog – Best Bitcoin reload bonusesmBit Casino – Best mobile slots experienceJ...

Camilo Doval is SF Giants’ most obvious All-Star candidate, but who should join him?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:55:40 GMT

Still six weeks out from the MLB All-Star Game, it’s about time to begin considering potential candidates. Fan voting went online last week, and the Giants are hopeful they will have more representation in Seattle than they did in Los Angeles last year.While there can only be so many All-Stars on a team that entered Monday a game below .500, in third place in its own division and entirely out of the playoff picture, it’s not hard to make a case for a number of players: Camilo Doval has been arguably the best closer in the game, a trio of position players are enjoying surprise seasons, and Logan Webb and Alex Cobb have made up one of the top one-two punches in the majors.Remember the rules: Every team gets at least one representative, which can take up spots that could other go to a second or third player from the same team. Fans only have a say in the starters; the reserves and pitchers are determined by player vote and the managers.The voting takes places in two phases,...

Editorial: Federal law shouldn’t shield AI chatbots from liability

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:55:40 GMT

The erupting world of artificial intelligence poses a threat to jobs, political stability, world peace and health and even, as leading AI figures warned last week, the existence of mankind.“Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” 350 AI scientists and other notable figures cautioned in an open letter from the Center for AI Safety, a nonprofit organization.This Pandora’s Box cannot be closed. The challenge now is how to reap the benefits of AI while harnessing its threats and misuse. One tentacle of the creature we have let loose is the potential disinformation that could damage reputations, provide deadly medical advice or be used to alter political outcomes.The concept of digital disinformation is not new. We’ve seen it proliferate for decades now on the internet and, more recently, on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. And we’ve seen the owners of th...

Police: Man kidnapped in Vacaville, ‘shot at’; two suspects arrested after pursuit

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:55:40 GMT

Rio Vista police officers arrested two men suspected of a late-May kidnapping of a man in Vacaville and then shooting at him in rural Solano County, but the Rio Vista police chief, citing most of the information as “confidential and sensitive” to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, released only basic details of the alleged crimes.In a social media post late Friday, Police Chief Jon Mazer said the Solano County Sheriff’s Office on May 31 received a report that a man was kidnapped at gunpoint in Vacaville, forced to drive to a remote site in unincorporated Solano County, assaulted, and “shot at.”Deputies arrived and verified an assault and shooting had occurred, and the victim, whom Mazer did not identify, was transported to an area hospital, but Mazer did not indicate if the victim was actually wounded during the shooting and treated for injuries.His department’s officers, in contact with Sheriff patrol deputies at the time, had instant information about the call.A R...

Opinion: Gilroy’s future: climate resilience or foolhardy sprawl?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:55:40 GMT

It’s 2023, but Gilroy just can’t get its head out of 1960s sprawl development. This week, Gilroy will ask a Santa Clara County agency responsible for stopping sprawl to look the other way and approve its plan to destroy a large swath of the city’s surrounding farmland for low-density housing. If this happens, it will hurt both Gilroy’s climate resilience and taxpayers’ wallets.When it comes to housing, location matters. If we build sprawl development — pushing new residential growth out to the open space on the edges of our cities — we not only destroy our open space and farmland, but we also put people and homes at greater risk of wildfire, flooding and other climate-change impacts. And we make the climate crisis worse by forcing residents into their cars for long, traffic-filled commutes to work, school and daily errands. The right place for new housing is in urban infill areas, near public transit hubs and job centers, creating neighborhoods that are walkable, vibrant...