Category: Front Page

THORNTON, Colo.–Dec. 27, 2022–All Anythink libraries and administrative offices will close at 3 pm on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, and will be closed through Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in observance of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Anythink locations will return to regularly scheduled hours of operation on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. 

 

About Anythink^™ 

Anythink is a new style of library – a place of unlimited imagination, where play inspires creativity and lifelong learning. Anythink serves the residents of Adams County, Colo., with seven libraries and a bookmobile. With a focus on innovation, Anythink’s award-winning approach to library service is recognized by industry leaders and organizations across the globe. For more information, visit anythinklibraries.org.  

The Arapahoe County Judicial Services office at Lima Plaza is closed until further notice due to water damage caused by a broken water pipe. The Judicial Services satellite office at Altura Plaza in Aurora is open with normal business hours.

The Arapahoe County Judicial Services office at Lima Plaza is closed until further notice due to water damage caused by a broken water pipe. The Judicial Services satellite office at Altura Plaza in Aurora is open with normal business hours.

By Colorado National Guard Public Affairs

CENTENNIAL, Colo. – By order of Gov. Jared Polis, the Colorado National Guard is assisting the state emergency operations center (EOC)  with extreme cold weather support in Denver starting Dec. 21, 2022 through Dec. 23, 2022.

Approximately 50 servicemembers will support local authorities at a warming center at the Denver Colosseum, Denver YMCA, East Boulder Community Center, and other locations in Metropolitan Denver to help Colorado people need assistance during the extreme cold front. Additional service members will support warming centers in the Denver metro area.

 

“During the holiday season the members of the Colorado Army and Air National Guard are here to help the people of Colorado in times of need, such as the extreme weather event we are about to experience,” 140th Wing Commander U.S. Air Force Col. Christopher Southard said.  “As citizen airmen and soldiers, we are always ready to support our community members in times of need and it’s an honor to serve our community when called upon.” During COVID-19 relief efforts in 2020, over 130 servicemembers assisted Coloradans at local shelters as part of Task Force Shelter Support.

People are our priority which includes supporting our local,  state, and federal partners, while continuing to maintain our wartime readiness. We are postured to provide additional support if officially requested through the Colorado state EOC.

Lakewood, CO- As the winter storm makes its way through Colorado this week, it’s vital to be aware of heating sources in your home that could start a fire. From a space heater and candles to your oven and even your Christmas tree, those are all things that could start a fire if you’re not careful.

The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) urges those that live, work, and play in Colorado to keep safety at the forefront of their minds. “With a lot of people staying in their homes because of the extreme conditions, being fire cautious is essential,” said DFPC Director Mike Morgan. “Following a few simple tips will ensure a happy and fire-safe holiday season.”

Winter Fire Safety Tips:

• Working smoke alarms are especially important during a loss of power when people may use alternate forms of heating equipment, portable generators and candles.
• Never use candles for emergency lighting. Many things in your home can catch fire if they are too close to a candle’s flame.
• Use flashlights for emergency lighting and stock up on batteries.
• Have a qualified repair company or licensed electrician inspect water-damaged appliances and home wiring after a flood.
• Portable generators are useful during storms, but if not used safely, they can cause injury and death. Keep portable generators outside, away from windows, and as far away as possible from your home.
• Install and test carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month.
• Do not use the following devices indoors as supplemental heat sources, due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning: propane grills, propane heaters, charcoal grills, or similar types of devices.

Which US state is home to America’s biggest bluffers?

• Through the creation of an index, Gambling.com reveals the most dishonest states in the US.
• The people of Wyoming came out as America’s biggest bluffers, with an index score of 80.5 out of 100.
• California ranked 50^th and was named America’s most honest state, with a score of 21.2 out of 100.

Let’s face it, we all know someone who’s a bit of a bluffer – whether it’s a work colleague, a best friend or a family member. Whoever it is, they might simply sugar-coat the truth, or maybe they actively tell serious untruths?

Well, Gambling.com wanted to find out if people’s location factors into telling more white lies. By researching the most dishonest states in America using Google search data on ‘tips on lying’, ‘how to bluff’, ‘Ashley Madison’, as well as divorce rates and Integrity Scores, Gambling.com created an index ranking the most dishonest states in America, finding some interesting stats and correlations.

So, which are the most dishonest states?

Below is a list of all of the US states, in order of index score:

Rank	State	Tips on Lying*	How to Bluff*	Ashley Madison*	Divorce Rates	Integrity Scores	Index Score
1	Wyoming	74	300	224	12.2%	51	80.5
2	Vermont	76	281	247	12.5%	60	75.3
3	Maine	51	202	263	13.9%	59	64.0
4	North Dakota	65	251	200	9.4%	50	60.2
5	Delaware	66	250	159	11.2%	56	60.0
6	Nevada	55	150	207	13.8%	57	58.2
7	New Hampshire	54	205	259	12.0%	61	56.6
8	Montana	53	199	263	12.5%	64	55.7
9	South Dakota	55	219	178	10.8%	56	52.0
10	Oregon	44	138	280	12.7%	59	51.4
11	New Mexico	46	147	207	13.3%	61	48.9
12	Colorado	44	128	375	11.9%	67	48.4
13	Oklahoma	43	146	202	13.1%	59	47.7
14	Alaska	77	248	119	11.4%	76	47.2
15	Rhode Island	62	215	172	11.1%	68	46.3
16	Arizona	44	122	304	12.2%	64	45.9
17	Michigan	38	131	219	11.6%	51	45.6
18	West Virginia	45	191	163	13.2%	66	45.2
19	Missouri	37	136	292	12.2%	62	45.1
20	Nebraska	49	164	332	10.2%	67	44.2
21	Idaho	46	162	190	12.0%	62	43.5
22	Kansas	43	148	223	11.2%	59	42.3
23	Virginia	45	123	378	10.1%	66	42.2
24	Florida	39	105	224	13.0%	61	41.9
25	Connecticut	54	127	335	10.5%	71	41.5
26	Washington	47	126	281	11.5%	67	41.2
27	Arkansas	42	147	145	12.9%	61	40.9
28	Georgia	47	120	248	11.2%	63	40.3
29	Indiana	34	140	216	12.3%	62	39.0
30	Maryland	53	137	236	9.9%	64	38.0
31	Pennsylvania	38	112	310	9.7%	58	37.9
32	Utah	44	144	293	9.0%	62	37.0
33	Hawaii	71	163	163	9.1%	69	36.1
34	Ohio	35	120	279	12.0%	68	36.0
35	Minnesota	41	129	256	10.2%	62	35.8
36	Texas	41	97	247	10.5%	60	35.1
37	Massachusetts	49	111	312	9.4%	67	34.9
38	Louisiana	41	120	141	11.6%	59	34.3
39	Wisconsin	36	122	249	10.9%	63	34.2
40	Kentucky	33	137	178	13.0%	67	34.1
41	Tennessee	35	126	211	12.2%	66	34.0
42	North Carolina	39	116	255	10.7%	65	33.6
43	South Carolina	39	122	190	10.7%	60	33.1
44	Illinois	41	116	316	9.7%	67	33.0
45	Alabama	36	125	195	12.2%	67	32.8
46	New York	44	96	297	8.8%	61	32.6
47	Mississippi	40	136	98	11.5%	61	30.6
48	Iowa	36	137	205	10.8%	67	29.2
49	New Jersey	44	103	289	8.6%	65	28.7
50	California	49	86	226	9.2%	73	21.2

*(Average monthly search volume per 100,000 of the population)

Wyoming is officially the most dishonest US state, taking the top spot on Gambling.com’s index. This state had the highest number of searches for ‘How to bluff’ (300 searches per 100,000 residents) and the highest index score, at a whopping 80.5 out of 100! So, maybe think twice about who you believe in this spot…

• Vermont ranks second (75.3)
• New England ranks third (64).

The most honest state is California

It seems sunny California is the place to find the most honest US residents, having the second-highest integrity score (73) as well as the fifth-lowest divorce rate (9.2%) in America!

To find out more about this research, head over to https://www.gambling.com/us/news/where-can-you-find-america-s-biggest-bluffers-3702500.

 

Aquatic Biologist Jon E. holds a male kokanee salmon during spawning operations at Wolford Reservoir.

Kremmling, Colo. – Colorado Parks and Wildlife is celebrating its third most successful year of kokanee salmon spawning at Wolford Reservoir, near Kremmling.

On Oct. 17, Northwest Region aquatic biologists, Glenwood Springs Hatchery staff, and volunteers headed out on a floating spawn barge kicking off the kokanee salmon spawn at Wolford Reservoir. The first of many trips the team would take over the next five weeks, braving freezing temperatures for several hours to spawn kokanee salmon. Eagerly anticipating what was waiting for them in the trap set up in one of the coves with every launch.

“We weren’t sure what this year’s egg take would look like at Wolford,” said CPW aquatic biologist Jon Ewert. “By day eight we had only collected around 250,000 eggs. However, things changed overnight and by day 10 we saw a 67% increase in the number of ripe females in the trap, almost doubling the number of eggs collected.”

This upward trend in the number of ripe females would continue. On Oct. 31, the spawning team would see their biggest day yet, collecting over 302,500 eggs. Just two days later, the team would celebrate one million eggs collected at Wolford. Unfortunately, that celebration would be cut short. For the first time in eleven years, the team would shut down that day’s spawn early due to strong gusty winds creating dangerous conditions.

“This is rare — actually the first time I can recall having to shut down early due to dangerous water conditions,” said Ewart.

When the team resumed spawning the following Monday, Jon’s feeling that they still had not seen the peak was confirmed, and the hope of collecting 2 million eggs looked more like a reality. Four days later, that hope turned into reality, with the announcement the team had collected 2 million eggs less than a month into the spawning operation. This is the same number of kokanee salmon eggs collected in 2020 at Wolford.

Two days later, they would celebrate another milestone by collecting 2.5 million eggs. Something CPW aquatic biologists didn’t think would happen this year at Wolford.

“After the team completed spawning on Nov. 9, I was sure we’d start to see the spawn number decrease,” said Ewert. “When spawning was complete on the 11th, I realized I might be wrong. With a late season run of males, which does happen, we were able to hit 2.5 million eggs the following week.”

When all was said and done on Nov. 21, approximately 2.7 million eggs were collected from 4,195 ripe females.

“This effort would not be possible without our dedicated staff and volunteers,” said Ewert. “From setting up nets to spending long hours in freezing temps to spawn, plus all the other tasks that they help with, we couldn’t do this without them. They’re the reason CPW continues to have successful spawns leading to the continuation of  this species in Colorado.”

Once spawned the eggs are carefully rinsed and any debris or damaged egg in the batch are removed. They are then taken back to Glenwood Springs State Fish Hatchery where they are incubated, hatched, and raised to 1-2 inches. Once fish reach a survivable size, on average about six months later, the young fish are stocked in 26 lakes around the state, including Wolford.

In addition to egg collection, the spawned kokanee are given away to ensure the meat is not wasted. This year CPW gave away 6,229 kokanee salmon collected from Wolford Reservoir to individuals and local foodbanks.

“The process in which they collect the eggs is pretty impressive,” said Northwest Region PIO Rachael Gonzales. “From how they collect kokanee in the trap for spawning to volunteers carefully sifting through thousands of eggs with a plastic spoon, the process runs smoothly. What makes it even more impressive is it’s all being done right there on the lake that’s not always calm, in bitterly cold temperatures, on a barge they’ve turned into a floating  spawn barge.”

2022 marked the eleventh year CPW has run the spawn operation at Wolford and the third-best egg collection they’ve had at the reservoir. The number one year was back in 2019, with 4.6 million eggs collected. The total number of eggs taken from Wolford over those eleven years is just over 22 million, for an average of 2.0 million per year.

“That’s all from stocking just 120,000 fish annually, an excellent return rate,” said Ewert.

Kokanee spawning in the Northwest Region also occurs in the section of the Colorado River between Lake Granby and Shadow Mountain Lake, near Granby. Due to a decline in the kokanee population in  Lake Granby only 13o,ooo eggs were collected this year.

Statewide, CPW collected an estimated 8.5 million kokanee salmon eggs from five locations this season. Wolford Reservoir led the state with the most eggs collected from a single body of water with 2.7 million eggs. Lake Nighthorse in the Southwest came in second with 2.3 million eggs collected.

Kokanee is the landlocked version of the sockeye salmon. Kokanee salmon were first introduced into Colorado waters in 1951 and are currently stocked in 26 lakes and reservoirs, including Wolford. Similar to the sockeye salmon, mature fish will swim upstream where they will naturally die after spawning.  To learn more about kokanee salmon visit our website.

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Gladys Knight recalls Christmas as more than a family affair when she was growing up in Atlanta.

“Because Mom and Dad were the way they were, they would just embrace all the kids in the neighborhood,” said the legendary singer. Many of the children were in the same church choir and ”we were just so excited about the music.”

She counts “O Holy Night” as a favorite Christmas song. The best childhood gift she received? A bicycle, blue and silver, “and it was sharp.”

Knight will be celebrating the holiday on-screen in the TV movie “I’m Glad It’s Christmas,” airing 8 p.m. EST Saturday on the Great American Family channel. Knight plays matchmaker Cora, who wants to bring together a salesclerk dreaming of Broadway fame (Jessica Lowndes) and a songwriter (Paul Greene) for a small town’s Christmas concert.

Knight said she and husband William McDowell expect their Asheville, North Carolina, home to be packed as usual this Christmas, given their large brood of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“Everybody’s invited to come in a good mood and share the joy,” said Knight, a seven-time Grammy winner known for hits including “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and “Midnight Train to Georgia.”

By MARK KENNEDY
AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) _ Cartoonists across the nation are celebrating the 100th birthday of “Peanuts” creator Charles M. Schulz as only they can _ with cartoons.

More than 75 syndicated cartoonists have tucked tributes, Easter eggs and references to “Peanuts” in Saturday’s funny papers to honor the creator of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and company.

“It’s a tribute to probably the world’s greatest cartoonist,” said cartoonist Patrick McDonnell, who creates the daily strip “Mutts” for 700 newspapers. “After ‘Peanuts,’ the cartoon world changed. I think most working cartoonists today would say he was the inspiration for them to become cartoonists.”

The list of participating strips ranges from “B.C,” “Dennis the Menace” and “Rhymes With Orange” to “Zippy the Pinhead” and “Zits.” Each artist was encouraged to come up with their own way to honor Schulz, who was known as “Sparky.”

John Kovaleski, who draws “Daddy Daze,” has drawn the strip’s father, Paul, and infant, Angus, discussing “Peanuts” on an opened newspaper. “Ba ba?” asks the baby. To which dad replies: “That’s ‘Peanuts’ by Charles M. Schulz. He revolutionized the comics page by adding depth and character and emotion.”

John Hambrock, creator of “The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee,” drew a visit from World War I pilot Snoopy in his strip and Edison asking his dad for “extra aviation fuel.” The cartoonist has also decorated the family home with framed images of Charlie Brown and Lucy.

“We left it all up to them. Cartoonists are creative people. When you have a daily deadline, you need to have ideas come to you,” said McDonnell. “I think people enjoyed the challenge of coming up with something to express their love and admiration for that guy.”

McDonnell, who is a member of the board of directors of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, dreamed up the tribute and he and “JumpStart” cartoonist Robb Armstrong contacted the various cartoon syndicates with their plan.

“I’m pretty confident that when you open the newspaper that morning, the whole comic page is going to be a tribute to Sparky,” said McDonnell. “I’m personally looking forward to the surprise that Saturday to see what people did.”

For his tribute, McDonnell repaid a kindness Schulz gave him. In a “Peanuts” strip from 1999, Schulz drew his cartoon boys and girls visiting a museum and Rerun off on the side looking up with respect at a painting of the dog Earl from “Mutts.”

A framed copy of that strip hangs proudly over McDonnell’s drawing table: “I look at it every day and think of what a wonderful gesture that was and what a wonderful man and what a wonderful comic strip.”

So, in return, this Saturday, readers of “Mutts” will see Earl at a museum looking up fondly _ his little tail wagging _ at a framed image of Snoopy. “Mines pretty personal,” McDonnell said.

“Peanuts” made its debut Oct. 2, 1950. The travails of the “little round-headed kid” Charlie Brown and his pals eventually ran in more than 2,600 newspapers, reaching millions of readers in 75 countries.

The strip offered enduring images of kites in trees, Charlie Brown trying to kick a football, tart-tongued Lucy handing out advice for a nickel at what looked like a lemonade stand and Snoopy taking the occasional flight of fancy to the skies. Phrases such as “security blanket” and “good grief” are a part of the global vernacular. Schulz died in 2000.

“‘Peanuts’ was everything. I read ‘Peanuts’ books every night, and I wanted to be a cartoonist because of that since I was 4. To actually have my own little cartoon character in ‘Peanuts’ _ it still boggles,” said McDonnell. “Every morning I look at it and I still can’t believe it happened.”

___

Online: https://schulzmuseum.org/tribute

The coast-to-coast storm will unleash a wide array of hazards in the region ranging from disruptive rain and thunderstorms to heavy snowfall — and the impacts will be felt into the extended holiday weekend.

AccuWeather Global Weather Center – November 23, 2022 – The south-central and southeastern portions of the United States are expected to bear the brunt of impacts from a giant cross-country storm beginning on Thanksgiving Day and persisting into the holiday weekend. AccuWeather meteorologists say that the storm will cause numerous delays for holiday travelers and Black Friday shoppers as dangers like localized flooding develop over the extended holiday weekend.

An upper-level storm, the first ingredient of the large Thanksgiving storm, will sweep across the western U.S. through midweek. As it encounters moisture surging northward from the Gulf of Mexico, a major storm will take shape over the southern Plains and Mississippi Delta region on Thanksgiving Day.

“As the storm evolves from Thursday to Friday, rounds of rain will fill up some rain gauges in the lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast, perhaps on the order of 2 to 4 inches, especially from eastern Texas to northern Georgia, upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Deger said.

Local rainfall of up to 6 inches is most likely from northeastern Texas to northern Louisiana and northwestern Mississippi.

“Because of drought conditions in the area, and with low water levels on most rivers, lakes and reservoirs, the rain is not necessarily unwelcome, but the timing will be inconvenient, as it will arrive just in time for the holiday and impact some outdoor plans and travel,” Deger said.

Motorists could encounter poor visibility and excess water on the roads in the Interstate 10, 20 and 40 corridors. Given the volume of vehicles on major highways and secondary roads, the weather conditions and traffic could be a dangerous combination. AccuWeather forecasters advise that people allow extra time to get to their destination and remain vigilant of poor conditions and the potential for ponding of water on roadways when driving.

The bulk of the rain will fall around Dallas and Houston from Wednesday night to Friday. In the zone from New Orleans to Shreveport, Louisiana, the worst travel conditions will be from Thursday to Friday night.

Farther to the east, a more distinctive double batch of rain is likely to occur as one storm system moves away and another forms and gains momentum.

For example, around Atlanta, the first primary dose of soaking rain is in the forecast for Thursday night.

“But, a big round of precipitation will follow from Saturday to Saturday night in Atlanta and much of the busy I-85 corridor, and that is likely to lead to travel delays,” AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.

AccuWeather forecasters say people headed out for shopping on Small Business Saturday should be aware of another hazard. Thunder and lightning can accompany the rain in the Southeast Saturday. There may be some locally heavy and gusty storms that erupt as well. AccuWeather meteorologists will continue to monitor the situation for any severe weather threats.

For those spending their extended Thanksgiving weekend at the theme parks in central Florida, both Friday and Saturday will feature highs in the 80s. Thunderstorms are expected Friday across Florida, while Saturday will have occasional showers.

Multiple rainstorms in recent weeks from near the Gulf Coast to the Ohio Valley have allowed water levels to rise along the Mississippi River periodically. Even though the bulk of the rain from the upcoming storm will focus on the Delta region, it should provide another brief boost in water levels on the waterway and may allow barge traffic to progress for a time.

A wedge of cool air should be enough to keep a lid on widespread severe thunderstorms with this system through Friday.

“Still, some robust thunderstorms can get going along the northwestern Gulf coast on Thanksgiving Day and over the north-central Gulf coast on Friday,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said. “Some of these storms can be rather heavy and gusty.” There is a chance that storms could turn severe right along the I-10 corridor.

At this time AccuWeather forecasters are emphasizing the torrential downpour risk in the area but remained concerned about more intense storms near the Gulf.

However, the storm may strengthen enough Saturday to bring some last-minute severe weather in portions of the Carolinas and Georgia.

The storm will have a cold side to it, and that could bring the risk of some winter weather impacts for some.

As the storm strengthens, just enough cold air will be drawn in on its northwestern flank to produce a patch of heavy, accumulating snow in the Texas Panhandle and eastern New Mexico from later Thanksgiving Day to Friday night and perhaps early Saturday.

A general 6-12 inches of snow with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 15 inches will blanket northwestern Texas and eastern New Mexico. It is possible that the heaviest snow may end up falling west of Amarillo, Texas. Motorists planning on traveling along I-40 in this area should expect delays and slippery conditions.

Despite the snow for the southern High Plains, a massive sweep of cold air is not expected to follow the storm across the South Central and Southeastern states, unlike last week.

Instead, the jet stream will extend from west to east across the nation later this weekend to the start of next week. This configuration generally allows average to slightly above-average temperatures. Highs Sunday and Monday will generally range from the 60s in the I-20 corridor to the 70s along the upper Gulf coast.

As rain shifts across the Midwest and Northeast, travel conditions will significantly improve Saturday over the South Central region and Sunday in the Southeast. Any rain and fog, which could cause brief travel delays, to start the day Sunday from Florida to the coastal Carolinas should depart by the midday hours.

Giant Thanksgiving storm to bring brunt of impacts to southern US Full Story) >>