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Ghosts on the Glacier: Mystery still surrounds 1973 death of Denver climber Janet Johnson on Aconcagua

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:15 GMT

By John Branch, The New York TimesHigh on Mount Aconcagua, the Western Hemisphere’s highest mountain, the shrinking Polish Glacier spits out what it once devoured — in this case, a 50-year-old Nikomat 35 mm camera.Two porters, preparing for an upcoming expedition, had been securing ropes in the thin and arid air of a clear February day. It was midsummer in South America. The camera glistened in the sun, daring to be noticed.The lens was shattered. A dial on top showed that 24 photographs had been taken.The bottom half of the camera was saddled into a worn leather holster with a thick strap. On the holster, in blue embossing tape, was an American name and a Colorado address.In the snow-and-ice seasonal cycles of the mountains, abandoned and lost equipment is discovered each summer — tattered tents, dropped ice axes, lost mittens. Occasionally, a body.This was not just another camera, though the porters did not know that yet. One of them carried it down to camp. There, a v...

Denver brewery closes after 5 years in north Denver

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:15 GMT

Oasis Brewing, a small taproom located inside a former church in Denver’s Highland Square, said Wednesday on Facebook that it will close for good on Dec. 23.Related ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | “Newgrass” bar taking over for Sancho’s Broken Arrow on Colfax Restaurants, Food and Drink | Colorado barley farmers aim to brew a sustainable future with novel grains Restaurants, Food and Drink | Denver’s best New Year’s Eve parties to ring in 2024 Restaurants, Food and Drink | Highlands Ranch brewery to close and make way for another longtime beer maker to move in Restaurants, Food and Drink | Westbound & Down Brewing buys two other Colorado beer makers “It is with a heavy heart that we are closing Oasis after a final day of serving amazing beer on December 23rd. Words cannot express how grateful we are for the community around us and the support we have ha...

Colorado Convention Center unveils rooftop expansion that’s expected to deliver economic boost

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:15 GMT

Denver city officials and business leaders converged atop the Colorado Convention Center Thursday to celebrate the completion of an 80,000-square-foot rooftop ballroom — part of a project that’s a decade and $233 million in the making.The project hit several hurdles, including a bid-ridding scandal, but the focus at the ribbon-cutting ceremony was on the boost in downtown spending and tax revenue the expansion is expected to deliver.The new flexible space, dubbed the Bluebird Ballroom, comes with an outdoor terrace. It’s part of an estimated 250,000-square-foot expansion at the convention center that is all but completed, according to an online dashboard tracking its progress.The ballroom’s coming availability already has allowed Visit Denver and its partners to book an additional $200 million worth of events at the convention center in the coming years, Richard Scharf, the organization’s president and CEO, told attendees.Normally, they would have been ...

Colorado’s respiratory virus season is most normal since pandemic started — for now

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:15 GMT

Colorado is so far experiencing its most typical respiratory virus season since the start of the pandemic, but no one knows whether the bugs have any tricks to pull over the winter months.In the winters of 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 raged while influenza and respiratory syncytial virus — or RSV — essentially took some time off.Last year, with most precautions gone, the other viruses made their seasonal appearance earlier than they usually do, and RSV overflowed pediatric hospital beds as young children went through their first bout with it. While most people only develop a cold when they get RSV, it can be severe for babies, toddlers and older adults.As of mid-December, flu and RSV are causing relatively normal levels of illnesses and hospitalizations, though both virus’ spread is still increasing, state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said.COVID-19 hospitalizations have plateaued for the moment, but since the virus hasn’t settled into a typical seasonal patte...

LASD event offers gift cards for guns, 'no questions asked'

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:15 GMT

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced it will be offering gift cards in exchange for unwanted guns "just in time for the holidays!" The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Pico Rivera City Hall located at 6615 Passons Boulevard, the Sheriff's Department posted on Instagram.Firearms must be unloaded and transported in the trunk of a vehicle. The Sheriff's Department will be giving $50 gift cards for non-working firearms or parts, $100 gift cards for working pistols, rifles and shotguns, $200 gift cards for ghost guns (guns with no serial numbers) and $300 gift cards for assault rifles (AR15, AK47, etc.)The Sheriff's Department says that 3D and homemade guns will be evaluated for value on the day of the event.

Reservations for Yosemite National Park are coming for 2024

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:15 GMT

YOSEMITE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) -– Reservations to enter Yosemite National Park during anticipated busy times are going to return in 2024, park officials announced Wednesday.According to Yosemite National Park, the “Peak Hours Plus” 2024 vehicle reservation pilot system for park entry will be on weekends starting April 13 to June 30 - and then every day from July 1 to Aug. 15 - and on weekends again from Aug. 16 to Oct. 27.Park officials say reservations will be required for vehicle entry to the park between 5:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. during the reservation periods. Reservations are not required to enter the park after 4:00 p.m. Visitors will pick from two types of reservations: reservations valid for a full day or reservations valid for entry any time after noon.   Feds say Starbucks illegally closed 6 L.A. area stores "This summer's pilot system is built from extensive public feedback, data from three years of pilot reservation systems here in Yosemite, and lessons learned f...

Wish Book: Bay Area homelessness organization provides the necessities to ‘reduce stress and anxiety’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:15 GMT

These days, Fred Pena strains to remember the years he lived out of his car in the Bay Area.Feelings are easier to access.“There’s a sense of dread,” Pena said in a recent interview, sitting on his bed in a studio apartment on the fifth floor of an affordable housing complex in Santa Clara. “It’s cold, or it’s too hot. And the police hassle you.”Pena had been living in his gold Honda Accord in Mountain View, where he said he stayed in a church parking lot.Now, Pena, 63, has his own apartment at Calabazas Community Apartments, which features more than 140 rental studio units designated for unhoused and low-income people. He’s been living there since the fall of 2021.An exterior view of Calabazas Community Apartments on Oct. 19, 2023, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) His move there was facilitated by Abode, a Bay Area nonprofit that helps homeless and low-income people gain stable housing. The building was developed through the...

Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate these Bay Area universities’ code of conduct?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:15 GMT

At a congressional hearing last week on antisemitism at college campuses, the presidents of three leading universities were asked a question: Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate their institutions’ code of conduct?Their answers — which centered on the words “it depends on the context” — sparked outrage nationwide. One of those leaders, the University of Pennsylvania’s Liz Magill, stepped down. Another, Harvard University’s Claudine Gay, apologized. The third, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sally Kornbluth, was backed up by MIT’s board, which came to her defense. One thing is clear: Universities have been left to find their footing amid the Israel-Hamas war — and to balance free speech within the bounds of the First Amendment.The Bay Area News Group posed the same question to six of the region’s universities and two community colleges: San Francisco State, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Cal State East Bay, Santa Clara University, San Jose Stat...

‘I don’t want a ticket. When does northbound 85 carpool lane become an express lane?’ reader asks: Roadshow

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:15 GMT

Q: Diamond lane signs along northbound Highway 85 are extremely confusing. I enter at Interstate 280. The signs on 85 say the lane is for 2+ passengers. Then it goes to 3+ passengers and references a toll lane. Then there is a sign that says 2+ passengers and the next one is 3+.When does it really change to a 3+ toll lane? Toll signs don’t appear until after the overpass to the merge with Highway 101 north. Logically, it seems like it is 2+ until you go onto 101, but I don’t want to get a ticket.Can you help sort this out for me?— Peggy GrahamA: I checked with John-the-MTC-spokesman on your question. For those traveling northbound on 85, the express lane begins at the Moffett Boulevard exit in Mountainn View. Until a driver on northbound 85 gets to that exit, the occupancy requirement for use of the carpool lane is two or more people and no FasTrak tag is required.Once drivers cross that point, they must have a FasTrak tag to use the express lane. To qualify for fr...

Bay Area News Group boys athlete of the week: AJ Minyard, Los Gatos football

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:15 GMT

Editor’s note: Thank you for voting in this week’s poll. The Athlete of the Week poll will return after the Holiday season on Jan. 8.Los Gatos football player AJ Minyard is the Bay Area News Group’s boys athlete of the week for Dec. 4-9 after he received 43.70% of the vote by the deadline Wednesday.Serra soccer player Nate Coughlin finished second.Congratulations to all the candidates for this week’s recognition.Related ArticlesHigh School Sports | Bay Area News Group girls athlete of the week: Terren Davis, Berkeley soccer High School Sports | Poll closed: Bay Area News Group boys athlete of the week High School Sports | Poll closed: Bay Area News Group girls athlete of the week High School Sports | Bay Area News Group girls athlete of the week: Nat Javier, Christopher basketball High School Sports | Bay Area News Group boys athlete of the week: Matthew Tahir, Foothill soccer Minyard, a seni...