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On Día de los Muertos, Denverites’ sacred altars help reunite the living and the dead

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:37:42 GMT

Each fall, Maruca Salazar prepares her home for visitors from another realm.The 71-year-old scatters the walkway to her house on Denver’s Northside with the rich, orange petals of the cempasúchil — marigold — flowers. The blossoms, grown by Salazar, are synonymous with the traditional Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos as they are thought to be fragrant enough to attract the spirits of deceased loved ones to their family’s homes and altars.On Thursday, Day of the Dead, Salazar’s family will pack the matriarch’s home and gather around a sacred altar overflowing with photos of the dead and ofrendas — offerings — made up of the departed’s favorite earthly delights. The day serves as a reunion between the living and the dead when the veil between realms is considered thinnest.“It is really peaceful,” Salazar said. “I am happy to know that when you’re gone, there is a beyond, and that beyond is powerful. It ...

After universal preschool’s launch, how will Colorado resolve problems facing parents and schools?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:37:42 GMT

When Colorado’s universal preschool program was set to launch, Carly Sargent-Knudson looked forward to full days in the classroom for 4-year-old Rune, paid for entirely by the state.She qualifies for a specialized education plan to help with speech development, checking a box the state said would make Sargent-Knudson’s daughter eligible for 30 hours per week of free class time, double what’s guaranteed to all children. But facing a flood of demand, the state made a late-summer change that added household income limits at a middle-class level for the extra time, regardless of other qualifying factors.For Sargent-Knudson’s family, “free” ended up costing close to $800 a month to get the full 30 hours — an unforeseen expense that has resulted in the Boulder County family cutting back on groceries, changing cell phone carriers and otherwise scrimping. That’s what they say it’s taking to afford “the best educational foundation” ...

Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody’s “Year 3 Leap” can take Warriors to new heights

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:37:42 GMT

HOUSTON —  It may seem like the Warriors are leaning into their old age.The core that distinguishes them are all in their mid-30s, and where they lack in speed or athleticism they make up for by outsmarting their opponents. Teammates call 35-year-old Steph Curry a cheat code and 38-year-old Chris Paul a cheat sheet.The superstars may carry the load and set the standard, but it’s internally understood that the Warriors can reach new heights as title contenders if Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody take the “Year 3 Leap.” That not only means the third-year players making the “Non-Steph” parts of the game competitive, but challenging the regulars for crunch time minutes.That “Year 3 Leap” is the idea that players in their third NBA season can solidify themselves as rotation mainstays if they’ve pocketed enough game experience to pair with their youth and athleticism. The Warriors can right their bench woes from last year if Moody and Kuminga make that leap flanking the ...

How to report broken or hidden highway signs, maintenance issues across Bay Area: Roadshow

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:37:42 GMT

Q: Who do we call or inform when we see broken, torn down, or obscured highway signs?Diana T., San JoseA: If the problem is on a California highway, report it to Caltrans. Look on the Caltrans website for “Submit a Customer Service Request,” https://csr.dot.ca.gov/index.php/Msrsubmit.For a San Jose problem, go to “San Jose 311” on the city’s website, https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/customer-service/san-jos-311 or use their mobile app.For San Francisco, submit service requests on the 311 online services page of their website at https://sf.gov/topics/311-online-services, or on their mobile app, SF311.For Oakland, report an infrastructure emergency to OAK311 by calling (510) 615-5566. For non-emergencies, report the problem online at Oakland 311, https://www.oaklandca.gov/services/oak311.For Santa Clara County, fill out a service request on the County of Santa Clara Roads and Airports Department website page, https://countyroa...

Prep football roundup: Sobrato edges Leigh, keeps league title hopes alive

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:37:42 GMT

Noah Taylor has done it all for Sobrato this season as the Morgan Hill school kept pace near the top of the Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa-Valley Division standings.Saturday was no different.In a must-win game for his team against Leigh, the senior was his usual productive self on the ground, rushing for 250 yards and two touchdowns.But it was his defense as a middle linebacker that lifted the Bulldogs to a 13-6 victory on Sobrato’s senior day at Live Oak, which played host to the game because of field issues at Sobrato.Taylor finished with some 20 tackles as the Bulldogs held Leigh to 21 points below its scoring average in three previous league games.Sobrato took a 7-0 lead two minutes into the second quarter on Taylor’s 8-yard run.Leigh (6-3, 3-1) closed to within 7-6 at halftime when Shayan Shariat charged across the goal line from 1 yard out. The extra point was no good.Taylor’s 52-yard run with four minutes to go in the third quarter stretched the advantage to 13-6...

Baby Phoenix died of a fentanyl overdose in a pink flowered onesie. Neighbors insist they tried to raise the alarm

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:37:42 GMT

Baby Phoenix Castro wasn’t breathing when a San Jose Fire dispatcher’s voice crackled over their radio system at 10:11 a.m. on May 13.The message was brisk: “CPR is in progress. The three-month-old female is unconscious….”By the time neighbor Nancy Wetherington saw what was happening, the baby was lying on a white ambulance stretcher. Her tiny hands and feet were already gray.“You could tell from the color – you could tell that the baby was gone,” Wetherington said this past week, her voice cracking.Outside the collection of triplexes off Blossom Hill Road in south San Jose, the baby’s father was sitting on the ground, neighbors said, crying so hard his eyes were puffy and nearly shut.The mother was pacing and repeating, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”In the weeks that followed, the father told neighbors that his child died from sudden infant death syndrome. But for neighbors who had witnessed repeated interventions from police and visits from child protective service workers who...

By the numbers: Breaking down the touchdown streak of 49ers star Christian McCaffrey

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:37:42 GMT

Running back Christian McCaffrey is working on a  streak of 16 games scoring a touchdown for the 49ers, with a chance Sunday against the Bengals to break the NFL record set in 1963-65 by Lenny Moore of the Baltimore Colts.Here is a historical look at McCaffrey’s streak:Oct. 23, 2023 at Minnesota: 35-yard pass from Brock Purdy; 3-yard runOct. 15, 2023 at Cleveland: 13-yard pass from PurdyOct 8, 2023 vs. Dallas: 1-yard runOct. 1, 2023 vs. Arizona: 2-yard run; 6 pass from Purdy; 18-yard run; 1-yard runSept. 21, 2023: vs. N.Y. Giants: 4-yardSept. 17 at L.A. Rams: 14-yard runSept. 10 at Pittsburgh: 65-yard runJan. 29, 2023 at Philadelphia: 23-yard run (NFC Championship)Jan. 22, 2023 vs. Dallas: 2-yard run (NFC Divisional)Jan. 14, 2023 vs. Seattle: 3-yard pass from Purdy (NFC Wild Card)Jan. 8, 2023 vs. Arizona: 21-yard pass from PurdyJan. 1, 2023 at Las Vegas: 14-yard runDec. 24, 2022 vs. Washington: 1-yard runDec. 15, 2022 at Seattle: 1-yard runDec. 11, 2022 vs. Tampa Bay: 27-yard ...

Playoff volleyball roundup: Archbishop Mitty, St. Francis, Foothill advance to semifinals

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:37:42 GMT

CCS PlayoffsArchbishop Mitty 3, Palo Alto 0 Archbishop Mitty, the No. 1 seed in the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs, cruised to a 25-18, 25-14, 25-23 first-round victory over a Palo Alto program that had won 17 of its last 18 matches. “We made the right reads and were aggressive with our movements,” Mitty coach Jon Wallace wrote in an email. “Our girls were very disciplined and explosive to the ball.”Makenna Crosson and Amiya Kuchibhotla combined for 16 Monarch kills, and setter Maya Baker led the team with four blocks. Izzy Romero and Katelyn Cool also played well. “She controlled serve receive extremely well, giving her team the ability to play in-system most of the match,” Wallace said about Cool’s play. Kylie Yen had a good all-around game for Palo Alto (27-5), and juniors Naama Green, Sophie Mies and Mackenzie Zhao also played well in the match. Mitty (28-4) will play host to Sacred Heart Heart Prep at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Palo Alto’s season is not over, since t...

Celine Boutier wins LPGA Malaysia after epic nine-hole playoff

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:37:42 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — In fading light and with another thunderstorm approaching, Celine Boutier made a birdie on the ninth playoff hole to defeat Atthaya Thitikul and win the Maybank Championship on the LPGA Tour on Sunday. In a marathon playoff, both players made near identical shots on several holes and saw potential winning putts lip out as they stayed tied through eight tense holes, which included sitting out a 90-minute storm delay at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club course.At the ninth playoff hole on the par-3 15th, the Thai player narrowly missed her birdie putt, opening the door for Boutier, who showed no nerves in landing her 6-foot putt to clinch her fourth title of the season, including wins at the Women’s Scottish Open and the Evian Championship for her first major title.Both Boutier and Thitikul finished on 21-under 267 after 72 regulation holes. Boutier shot an 8-under 64 with eight birdies, which would have been nine had her birdie putt on the 18th not ...

Health care workers more likely to report burnout, worse mental health than before the COVID pandemic

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:37:42 GMT

Health care workers are facing increased mental health struggles that can lead to burnout or workers thinking of finding another job, according to survey results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC urged health care employers to take care of their worker’s mental health and foster a healthy work environment.A report called “Vital Signs: Health Worker–Perceived Working Conditions and Symptoms of Poor Mental Health” released this week shows that health care workers are now more likely to report that they struggle with anxiety, depression, harassment in the work place, and workplace pressures that compound on these issues, compared to surveys from before the COVID-19 pandemic.“We don’t just want to treat workers who are suffering. We want to prevent that harm to all workers in the first place,” said L. Casey Chosewood, director of the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Office.The report pulls its findings from surveys conducted in 201...