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Copper wire theft on the rise, Austin Energy says

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than 20 major thefts of copper wire from Austin Energy customer-owned equipment have been reported this year alone.Thieves will pry open transformers and other equipment serving as the main power source to a building and cut wires to steal copper conduit.Austin Energy supervisor Jose "Joey" Hernandez believes these thieves are skilled at operating electrical equipment. ‘Playing catch-up’: New tree trimming crews expected to help with Austin Energy efforts “We're finding transformers that basically have been de-energized by the thieves and the copper has been pulled totally completely out,” he said.Austin Energy supervisor Jose "Joey" Hernandez believes the copper wire thieves are skilled at operating electrical equipment.Hernandez says his staff has found fuses removed and cables cut at various locations.In multiple instances, some of these lines are left still energized, causing considerable danger to the public.Most of these crimes are committed outside larg...

Campaign Context: DeSantis says record numbers of Chinese nationals crossing border

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

As campaign season nears, politicians are turning up the volume on campaign rhetoric. To cut through the noise we're launching Campaign Context, a weekly series providing clarity on the messages you're hearing from candidates on the campaign trail. We're digging past the politics and into the facts to provide you with the transparent, spin-free information you need to make informed decisions this election season.AUSTIN (KXAN) — In this Campaign Context video, we're examining comments made by Florida Governor and GOP presidential candidate Ron Desantis while he was campaigning at the Texas border in June.Desantis was discussing migrants crossing our southern border from countries you might not expect when he said, "I think they've identified 10,000 Chinese nationals coming across the southern border."We traced that figure back to Republican Congressman Mark Green of Tennessee, who is also chair of the House Homeland Security Committee. We reached out to Green's office and learned tha...

Report: Texas beaches could be unsafe for swimming

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

AUSTIN, TX (KXAN) – An environmental group warned this month some Texas beaches could be unsafe for swimming.According to the July 5 Environment America report, Safe for Swimming, 61 Texas beaches were tested for fecal bacteria in 2022. The group said it examined whether fecal indicator bacteria levels exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) most protective “Beach Action Value,” which is associated with an estimated illness rate of 32 out of every 1,000 swimmers.The report found 55 Texas beaches had potentially unsafe levels of fecal indicator bacteria on at least one testing day. 8 Texas beaches had potentially unsafe levels on more than 25% of the days tested. Beach NameCountyPercentage of potentially unsafe test daysCole ParkNueces54%Ropes ParkNueces41%Poenish ParkNueces38%Corpus Christi MarinaNueces36%Padre Bali ParkNueces29%Texas City DikeGalveston28%University BeachNueces27%25th StreetGalveston26%Beaches where fecal indicator bacteria levels exceeded EPA "Be...

Whistling Kettle opens tea bar in Albany

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Whistling Kettle has opened a tea bar in Albany's warehouse district. The tea room is located at 1205 Broadway. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The Albany location is a full-service tea bar with a limited drink menu. The spot is to-go only and does not have food service.The menu includes hot tea, tea quenchers, tea lattes, French press coffee, cold drinks, and scones, if available. Bulk tea and merchandise are also available. You can view the full menu on the Whistling Kettle Facebook page. Jimmy John’s opens next to Albany Medical Center The Whistling Kettle has three other, full-service food and drink locations in Troy, Schenectady, and Ballston Spa. The Albany tea bar is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hiking to the largest dinosaur trackway in North America

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

Eleven-plus miles is a long hike, but seeing the largest dinosaur trackway in North America in the Comanche National Grassland in remote southeastern Colorado had been a goal for a while.So when Trinidad’s Fishers Peak Outfitters organized a group trek to the Picket Wire Canyonlands in April, I was all in. Carlos and Leigh López opened their outdoor store two years ago and offer two outings a month in southern Colorado. Another dinosaur track trek is set for Oct. 14.We carpooled for the 1.5-hour drive from Trinidad, half on dirt roads, to the Withers Canyon Trailhead the night before, where 30 mph-plus winds made setting up tents challenging.For Leigh, the drive through the sparse grasslands belies what later unfolds.Related ArticlesTravel | 5 serene Colorado lakes to explore with your paddleboard Travel | This brewery tap room also serves as a trailhead for runners, hikers and mountain bikers | Opinion Travel | Owner of Crystal Mill closes...

What to do this weekend in Denver: New comic book store, brewery block parties, lavender festival

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

Major incidentFriday-Sunday. Taylor Swift may be all the talk this weekend, but Colorado favorites, The String Cheese Incident, will also light up the stage for the band’s annual stand at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, running July 14-16. Rock legend John Fogerty will join STI on Friday, followed by openers Kitchen Dwellers on Saturday, and Thievery Corporation on Sunday.Saturday’s show also marks the 50th time that the jam band has played at Red Rocks — a monumental occasion. Doors to the all-ages shows open at 6 p.m. each night and the music starts at 7 p.m. Tickets, $65, are available at axs.com.Clifton Thompson, owner of the new graphic novel retailer Danny the Comic Shop, is immersed in comics. (Provided by Clifton Thompson)Going graphic on West ColfaxSaturday. Opening a new store focused on comics and graphic novels is nearly unheard of these days, given the low margins on such excellent but modestly priced items. That hasn’t dissuaded Clifton Thompson, who...

United Energy charging ahead on battery capacity in transition to renewables

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

Brighton-based United Power, the state’s largest electric cooperative, and Ameresco, a leading cleantech firm, are teaming up to install Colorado’s largest battery storage project to date.Under a 20-year agreement, Ameresco will install 78.3 megawatts (MW) of battery capacity at eight substations on United Power’s distribution system to store power so the cooperative can better balance its system during periods of high demand as it takes on more generation from variable wind and solar sources.“The use of batteries on our distribution network is essential to a resilient and responsive power system, and we are excited to be moving ahead with one of the most aggressive plans for such a system,” Mark Gabriel, president and CEO of United Power, said in a release. “These battery arrays will allow us to balance our power needs throughout the day and incorporate local renewables more efficiently.”Under the agreement, Ameresco will construct four 11.75 MW and four 7.84 MW b...

Nearly 250 Marshall fire victims file joint lawsuit against Xcel Energy over deadly wildfire’s ignition

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

Nearly 250 residents, property owners and businesses harmed by the Marshall fire sued Xcel Energy this week seeking “just compensation and compensatory damages” after the public utility was blamed by investigators for helping start the disastrous wildfire.The lawsuit, filed in Boulder County District Court on Monday, follows several other lawsuits already brought against Xcel over the Marshall fire, including one filed by more than 150 insurance companies in an attempt to reclaim money paid in settlements to the wildfire’s victims.Monday’s complaint and the insurance companies’ lawsuit come after the Boulder County sheriff and district attorney named the utility as one of two entities responsible for the deadly Dec. 30, 2021, wildfire, which killed two people and caused more than $2 billion in property damage.The 246 plaintiffs named in the new lawsuit suffered a variety of losses, according to the filing, including property and personal damages, as well as l...

5 serene Colorado lakes to explore with your paddleboard

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

When it comes to watersports, nothing matches the serenity – or scenery – of gliding across a mountain lake on a stand-up paddleboard.On some Colorado lakes and reservoirs, stand-up paddleboarding is confined to a specific, relatively small area. However, there are several liquid oases where you can capture the full panorama of the surrounding peaks, forests and shores, and explore to your heart’s content.Here are some of our favorites.Grand LakeThe largest and deepest natural water source in Colorado, Grand Lake measures 515 surface acres and is 265 feet at its deepest point. The shoreline measures 4.5 miles and because it’s connected to the neighboring and even more expansive Shadow Mountain Reservoir (accessed through a narrow passage that’s ideal for SUPs), the opportunities for exploration are bountiful. Considering its proximity to the west entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park, the lake is also surprisingly uncrowded.With the dark green presence of Shadow Mountain looming ...

National group promoting women of color in politics want reboot in Emerge Colorado

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

The national affiliate of a Colorado group that’s trained several prominent Colorado Democratic women has moved to effectively dissolve its Colorado chapter amid dueling accusations of mismanagement and power grabs.In June, officials from Emerge America told their Denver-based affiliate, Emerge Colorado, that they were dissolving the affiliation agreement effective Aug. 19, signaling the end of the group as it exists now. In a Wednesday letter sent to alumni, Emerge America’s president wrote that the national group had made the decision after launching an investigation into “multiple complaints about the management of Emerge Colorado.”The investigation, Emerge America president A’shanti Gholar wrote, “identified several areas that not only were inconsistent with our values and creating a supportive environment for all, but unquestionably violated our affiliate agreements and principles.” The letter does not describe what those allegations or findi...