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Utility bill clinic taking place in Freeburg, Illinois today

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

FREEBURG, Ill. - Residents of Freeburg, Illinois, can get help evaluating their utility bills.State Representative Kevin Schmitt and the Citizens Utility Board will host a free clinic Thursday at the Freeburg area library district. Experts will provide insight into how to save money on your utility bill and answer any questions you may have about utility services. Prisoner escapes Mercy South Hospital, police investigating The clinic is from 10:00 a.m. to noon.

Missouri Prairie Foundation hosting native plant sale at STLCC Meramec campus today

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The Missouri Prairie Foundation is hosting a native plant sale at the St. Louis Community College Meramec campus Thursday.You can learn about and order all sorts of plants native to St. Louis, including wildflowers, shrubs, trees, and vines. 5% of sales go to MPF's conservation work. City leaders want to reclaim Famous Barr building after owners stop paying for security The native plant sale is from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra starting 144th season today

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra begins its 144th season with a free concert Thursday night on Art Hill in Forest Park. You'll get to enjoy everything from classical music to songs from your favorite films. The performance concludes with a fireworks display. Prisoner escapes Mercy South Hospital, police investigating There will also be a family fun zone and food trucks at the top of Art Hill. The concert is free and begins at 7:00 p.m.The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's 144th season continues through May 3. You may purchase tickets at SLSO.org.

Sometimes A Fantasy: A Tribute To Billy Joel taking place today

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

ST. LOUIS - You can hear the 'piano man' live once again. Several musicians are paying tribute to the musical legend Billy Joel. The live rock and roll show will be at the Carpenter Library on South Grand Thursday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. City leaders want to reclaim Famous Barr building after owners stop paying for security You can bring a lawn chair and picnic blanket or enjoy them in your car. Adult drinks are permitted, but not glass bottles.The show is free.

Aurora house fire kills 2 children, injures 7 others; 4 kids remain in critical condition

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

Two children are dead and four other children remained hospitalized in critical condition Thursday morning after an overnight house fire in Aurora, authorities said.Nine people were inside a house in the 2800 block of South Oakland Circle that went up in flames at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, said Dawn Small with Aurora Fire Rescue.All nine were taken to area hospitals, and two of the children, a 1-year-old and 9-year-old, died at the hospital, Small said.One other child and two adults were treated at a hospital and released.The four children who were in critical condition as of Thursday morning were still in the hospital.Multiple fire rescue trucks responded to the fire due to the large number of people who were inside.Small said the agency is still still investigating the cause of the fire.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Aurora firefighters save person from basement fire

Former head of Colorado Behavioral Health Administration alleges she was fired due to racial discrimination

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

The former head of Colorado’s new Behavioral Health Administration has filed a federal complaint alleging she was fired due to racial discrimination, though some state lawmakers say she performed poorly in the job.Dr. Morgan Medlock was hired from the Washington, D.C., Department of Behavioral Health in January 2022 to head the Behavioral Health Administration, which was created to better coordinate Colorado’s mental health and addiction programs.But the agency has had a rocky start, with the legislature pushing back some deadlines this year to allow for more public comment and time to write the agency’s rules.Medlock was fired in April and replaced on an interim basis by Michelle Barnes, executive director of the Colorado Department of Human Services. At the time, Mental Health Colorado, Vail Behavioral Health and two members of the state’s behavioral health task force wrote letters to Gov. Jared Polis’ office supporting the decision to appoint Barnes,...

Denver’s toughest tickets: Good luck getting into these shows, restaurants or games

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

As Denver’s population has exploded, so have its entertainment options. One might think that growth makes it easier to get into the best restaurants, concerts, and sporting events, given that there are more of them than ever.One would be wrong.Related ArticlesEntertainment | What to do this week in Denver: Festival of Horror, Latin Fashion Week, Chuck D on stage Entertainment | Paddleboarders dressed as witches will haunt Colorado lakes; here’s how to join them Entertainment | Southwestern Colorado’s best little beer festival takes IPA lovers straight to the source | Opinion Entertainment | Six can’t-miss Oktoberfest parties, from Denver to Longmont to Vail Entertainment | Denver Food & Wine Fest, “Dog Man” Musical, and more things to do in Denver this weekend The metro area and Front Range’s hottest events and venues are slathered in hype, but it’s jus...

“That can’t happen again”: Southwest Airlines CEO prepares for winter in Denver to avoid last year’s meltdown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan says he is taking precautions months before winter storms blow through Denver International Airport to avoid repeating last year’s holiday meltdown.“That can’t happen again,” he said in a Wednesday interview. “But it’s made us a better company.”Jordan aims to learn from the carrier’s multi-day disruption in December, which resulted in thousands of canceled flights and stranded travelers. Looking forward, he’s preparing his Denver team with an increase in deicing pads from six to 10, a 60% boost in deicing trucks and more deicing staff, with thousands currently in training.That means “more of everything: more people, more trucks, more deicing pads,” Jordan said.Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan is pictured in 2017. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Southwest is experimenting with closed-bucket deicing trucks and trucks that will blow forced air to keep the ground clean, as “...

Xcel Energy plans to spend $15 billion to boost renewable energy by 2030. How much will it cost customers?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

Xcel Energy plans to spend $15 billion on renewable energy to provide electricity to its Colorado customers in the coming years, although its new proposal comes with a potential rate increase and criticism from environmentalists who want the utility to complete end its reliance on fossil fuels.The company filed a new clean energy plan Tuesday with the state Public Utilities Commission, which has until the end of this year to accept or reject it, said Katie O’Donnell, a PUC spokeswoman.Xcel said the plan would make 80% of its system in Colorado run on wind, solar and biomass energy by 2030 and would add 6,500 megawatts of renewable energy to the grid as it closes its last coal-fired power plant.“This is a very significant investment for our customers and our communities,” said Robert Kenney, president of Xcel Energy Colorado. “It’s not just benefiting our environmental goals, but it will put us on our path to reduce carbon emissions.”The utility company ...

Want public records from the Weld County Sheriff’s Office? Better find a notary.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:55:25 GMT

The Weld County Sheriff’s Office recently mandated that anybody seeking public records from the agency must get a form notarized in order to obtain documents — a move a free speech expert called an unprecedented and unlawful burden.The Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act and Colorado Open Records Act allow public agencies to ask members of the public to sign a statement affirming that the records “shall not be used for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain.”Nowhere in the statute does it say a public entity may require this form to be notarized.Law enforcement agencies are allowed to ask a requestor to show some form of identification when they seek public documents. The Colorado legislature this year passed a bill outlawing the ID requirement for other public bodies that do not fall under the criminal justice records law.Jeff Roberts, executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, said he hasn’t seen another age...