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What to expect in 2023 outdoor living trends

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:08:22 GMT

By Tom Kalinski for At Home ColoradoIf you’re preparing your home for sale in today’s market, it must feel move-in ready. But what areas are worthy of a facelift from a prospective homeowner’s viewpoint? Today’s homeowners are most interested in outdoor living spaces.A connection to the outdoors and outdoor entertaining ranked on the top 10 list of design drivers nationwide in “The Future of Home Design,” a recent survey by the New Home Trends Institute (NHTI) in collaboration with Pro Builder magazine. More than 300 residential architects, designers and design-minded builders across the country responded to the survey about trends in new-home design.Based on survey results, connection to the outdoors — at 58% — and outdoor entertaining — 45% — are predicted to be the most significant driver of design choices over the next three years, second to value and cost considerations. Designers and builders say our love of the outdoors might be partly a holdover from the recent stay-at-home ...

Antioch learns it can’t change how it selects a mayor — for now

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:08:22 GMT

A discussion Tuesday on whether Antioch’s mayor should be elected or rotated among council members turned into a civics lesson on what was even legally possible. And, in Antioch’s case, nothing can change until at least 2032.That was the message from an outside legal expert, Mal Richardson of Best Best & Kreiger, who told the council that once a city has redistricted, a council cannot redraw the election boundaries until the next federal census, which would be in 2032. Exceptions are only allowed if a city annexes land, is sued or is ordered by a court to redraw its districts.“Unless you qualify for one of those three exceptions, as a general law city, there’s no redistricting allowed by the council except for every 10 years,” Richardson said.Had the mayor’s role been switched to a non-elected position — which first would require a voters’ approval — the city would have had to redraw electoral districts. In that scenario, the mayoral position would then r...

Police found an unknown body in a trunk on Halloween 53 years ago. Thanks to DNA testing, the ‘trunk lady’ now has a name

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:08:22 GMT

By Lauren Mascarenhas | CNNAfter police found a body in a black steamer trunk in a wooded area in Florida 53 years ago, the mystery of the “trunk lady” became a cold case that captured the attention of the public for decades. Using DNA evidence, police have now identified the victim as Sylvia June Atherton, a mother of five, from Tucson, Arizona.On Halloween 1969, St. Petersburg police were called to a wooded area behind what was then a restaurant named the Oyster Bar, Assistant Chief Michael Kovacsev said at a news conference Tuesday. He said two children reported seeing two White men in a pickup truck unload the trunk in the field and leave.When the officers opened the trunk, they found a woman’s body, wrapped in a large plastic bag, police said in a statement. She had visible injuries to her head and was partially clothed in a pajama top. She had been strangled with a bolo tie, police said.Investigators were unable to identify the woman, and she was buried as “Jane Doe” in St. Pe...

Quick Cook: A vegetarian Mushroom and Leek Paella

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:08:22 GMT

I remember each and every paella I’ve ever had — where I was, who served it, how hot or breezy the day was, the sound of the waves or of laundry flapping on an airy patio, the bright design made by the lemon and peppers adorning the steaming rice. That’s because a paella is a full sensory experience, the kind that gets etched in you forever.Usually cooked outdoors over a charcoal or wood barbecue or a gas ring, the making of paella is as much a social and sensory experience as the consumption of the dish. The more people standing around commenting on whether the rice is getting too burnt or is not done enough, the better.This vegetarian version is perhaps my favorite of all. The rich umami flavor of leeks and mushrooms has floored many of my guests when they find out it has not a single morsel of seafood or meat. Not having to stop and open a clam or peel a shrimp means more time to just enjoy everyone’s favorite part — the rice.This recipe, which serves eight people, is made ...

Preview: ‘Immortals of Aveum’ is more than just ‘Call of Duty’ with magic instead of bullets

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:08:22 GMT

Some of the best fantasy and sci-fi are created when genres mix. “Star Wars” is heavy on swashbuckling sci-fi, but it melds that with fantasy elements through Force-using space wizards. “Warhammer 40,000” presents a darker and grittier take on the distant future, but it’s one that also includes star-traveling elves and orcs.The fledgling Ascendant Studios has its own take on the fantasy genre. It’s mixing swords and sorcery with a military shooter in “Immortals of Aveum.” Players will be trading guns for the ability to shoot magic from their fingertips, but don’t mistake this for fantasy “Call of Duty,” the title does more with its themes and settings than just replacing bullets for mana.THE STORY OF JAKIn “Immortals of Aveum,” players take on the role of Jak, a street urchin who manifests his abilities late in life as an Unforeseen. Not only is he a later bloomer, but he has the rare ability to wield all ...

San Francisco launches new $6 million ad campaign to attract tourists

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:08:22 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – The San Francisco Travel Association is spending more than $6 million to attract tourists back to the city by launching a new ad campaign.“Always San Francisco” is the largest global marketing campaign the city has done by far. The campaign targets leisure travelers and meeting planners in major domestic and international markets by showcasing the city’s lively and unique neighborhoods as well as iconic landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Lombard Street. SF Chinatown stabbing suspect arrested, identified The new ad campaign comes as some residents and businesses are leaving the city due to several reasons including crime. According to the San Francisco Police Department, when comparing crime rates from last year, motor vehicle thefts are up by almost six percent, robbery is up by 17% and homicides are up by 25%. KRON On is streaming news live now.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-widt...

Climate Change and Conflict Are Wreaking Havoc in Somalia

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:08:22 GMT

Al-Hidaya Camp for Displaced Persons, MOGADISHU, Somalia — Nurta Hassan Ebow held her hand over her daughter’s face, shielding her from the sun. As the temperature neared 90 degrees, the tiny child, who has never known a permanent home, lay motionless. Two months ago, Ebow gave birth to her on the road, after fleeing her village in the Lower Shabelle region of southwest Somalia. They had only made it to this camp on the outer fringe of Somalia’s capital the night before we spoke earlier this month.“We had to leave because of the drought and the conflict,” said Ebow, 25, referring to the current offensive by the Somali government against the terrorist group al-Shabab. “We had no food. Our livestock is dead.” Their first night at the camp, Ebow and three of her children slept in a makeshift shelter. When we spoke on May 10, they were waiting for their own small wood-and-plastic-tarp bivouac there.The Horn of Africa is experiencing a historic drought, one of the worst in six decades. A...

Credit cards, car loans and mortgages: Should financial literacy be required for students?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:08:22 GMT

Does your high school student understand interest rates, car loans and mortgages? That type of knowledge on financial literacy could become mandatory to get a diploma in the Montgomery County, Maryland, school system.“We as a system do believe that financial literacy is important. And it’s certainly important for our students so that they can become those citizens who have this information to better prepare them for their futures,” Superintendent Monifa McKnight told the Montgomery County Board of Education last week.The board is now weighing whether to make a half-credit financial literacy course a requirement to graduate from high school.The options for classes to complete this requirement would include a personal finance class, financial mathematics and online courses where students would meet with a teacher once a week.“This is critical information for our students to have as they leave us,” said Board of Education President Karla Silvestre during a meeting on May 25. “We ...

Thinking about selling? Average time on market in DC is 15 days

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:08:22 GMT

D.C.-area house hunters took a break in their searches heading into the Memorial Day holiday weekend, but what did sell continued to move briskly.Listing service Bright MLS says the median time on the market for those homes that went under contract last week was 15 days. That’s nine days longer than what the median sale took a year ago, but still considered a brisk pace.Bright MLS now reports on weekly housing market trends in the D.C. metro, in addition to monthly data. Last week was a slow week.In-person showings of houses and condos on the market by real estate agents dropped almost 24% last week, and showings were down 10.3% from a year earlier.The median price of what went under contract in the D.C. metro last week was $590,000. That’s up 1.7% from the same week a year ago. However, the number of contracts signed was down 20.7%, and the number of new listings was down 33.1%.“The three-day weekend may not be as appealing for sellers to list their homes. Similar...

Autoridades alertan sobre el metapneumovirus humano: qué es y cómo prevenirlo

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:08:22 GMT

Las autoridades sanitarias emitieron una alerta sobre un virus que, aunque no es nuevo, su contagio se ha hecho más frecuente en las pasadas semanas. Según datos de los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades, el metapneumovirus humano (HMPV) “puede causar enfermedades de las vías respiratorias superiores e inferiores en personas de todas las edades, especialmente en niños pequeños, adultos mayores y personas con sistemas inmunitarios debilitados”. La agencia anunció en su página web que se realizan al menos dos tipos de pruebas para detectarlo: de antígenos y molecular. ¿CUÁLES SON LOS SÍNTOMAS? TosFiebreCongestión nasalDificultad para respirarDe acuerdo con la cirujana general, Nuria L...