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Lawsuit settled in death of man who asphyxiated while riding chairlift at Colorado ski resort

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:47 GMT

A lawsuit filed by the family of a New Jersey man who died while riding a Vail Ski Resort chairlift has been settled.Jason Varnish died on Feb. 13, 2020, while riding a Blue Sky Basin chairlift. Varnish, who was 46 at the time, is survived by three children, according to a news release from the Burg Simpson Law Firm, which represented the Varnish family.“This was an unnecessary and preventable tragedy,” said attorney Peter Burg. “Jason Varnish was a truly remarkable human being whose death leaves a gaping hole in the hearts of his family and friends.”The seat of the chair Varnish boarded was set upright, against the backrest of the chair, the release said. A rubber bumper attached to the frame, covered when the seat is down, caught Varnish’s jacket, entangling the jacket and lifting Varnish off his feet as the chair rose.Varnish hung from the chair, about 70 feet from the load line and 10 feet in the air, for more than 8 minutes, the release said. Hanging by the jacket “constricted ...

Ask Amy: I doubt he remembers his drunken call, but I’m disturbed by it

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:47 GMT

Dear Amy: I have a good friend from college who I’ve kept in touch with for decades. He lives in another part of the country, and I see him every few years.He’s had a lot of challenges in life. I’ve always been a good friend to him, and really care about him. We share a lot of laughs.Unfortunately, he is an alcoholic.His daughter once told my husband and me not to confront him about his drinking because he will get defensive.The last time we saw him, he kept his drinking in check and we had a great visit.The problem is, he regularly “drinks and dials.”I don’t pick up if he calls in the evening. He sometimes leaves slurring, rambling voicemails for me. I will call him back a few days later during the day when he is sober.He recently left a particularly drunken voicemail, and I haven’t called him back. I doubt he even remembers leaving the message. He’s called a few times since and hasn’t left a message.I’ve never confronted him about his drinking, ...

Point Reyes tule elk herds recover after die-off during drought

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:47 GMT

Tule elk herds in the Point Reyes National Seashore rebounded this winter following a significant die-off during the drought, according to new National Park Service data.The seashore, which is the only park in the country with tule elk, has three herds. The largest, located in a fenced reserve on Tomales Point, increased from 221 elk in 2021 to 262 elk, an increase of nearly 19%.The Limantour herd, which is one of two free-roaming herds, increased from 151 elk to 170 from 2021 to 2022. Park staff said they were unable to conduct a count of the other free-roaming herd, the Drakes Beach herd, this winter because of weather conditions and staffing limitations.“National Park Service wildlife staff are instead tracking elk numbers from the Limantour herd within active ranching areas of the park for comparison to prior years and checking cow groups in the Phillip Burton Wilderness for a qualitative sense of calf production in 2022,” park official Melanie Gunn said.The park’s management of...

Wealthy? Educated? You’re primed to live through COVID-19

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:47 GMT

Remember being thrust into that Salvador Dali painting? Aisle after aisle of empty store shelves melting into bleak oblivion … finger paintings cracking in abandoned classrooms … blue industrial gloves in the supermarket …We knew squat about the new virus sweeping the planet three years ago. Our hopes for normalcy — nay, for survival! — hung on the development of new vaccines to keep the beast at bay. In a stunning triumph, science delivered. But millions, to this day, refuse the needle — a refusal that researchers say has resulted in hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Public Health reveal a disturbing, if predictable, pattern: Vaccination status goes hand-in-hand with education and income, in near lock-step.More modest Southern California is vastly less-vaccinated than wealthier Northern California, with perhaps a slight under-performance by Santa Clara County.This would all be a numbers game except for one...

Harriette Cole: My friend didn’t know her crush is my ex, and things got awkward

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:47 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: A friend of mine recently confessed that she has had a crush on my old boyfriend for years.She didn’t know that we were even acquainted. She learned that when she came to an event that I hosted, and he was there. She was fawning all over him. It was awkward.Even if I shouldn’t have these feelings, I do not want my friend to date my ex. My relationship with him is complicated; though it’s over, there are still a lot of residual feelings, and I don’t think I could handle it if the two of them became a couple. They both are regularly in my orbit.Do I dare say anything? I’m feeling like a silly teenager. It’s not like I could be with him now; I am in a relationship. I just don’t want my friends to be with him. Does that sound nuts?Off LimitsRelated ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: I looked up, and my kids had become adults. How do I get back in their lives? Advice | Harriette Cole: She publicly insulted...

Splash Mountain closure date at Disneyland still to be determined

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:47 GMT

The impending closure of Splash Mountain will take place soon, but an exact date has yet to be announced when the Critter Country attraction will begin a yearlong transformation to a new Princess Tiana theme.It appeared from Disneyland’s website early Sunday morning that the classic log flume ride would go dark in early May, but that information was not correct.After its closure, Splash Mountain will reopen at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in 2024 with a “Princess and the Frog” theme based on the 2009 Disney animated film.The Splash Mountain attraction at Walt Disney World closed in January. Disneyland’s Splash Mountain underwent a seasonal winter refurbishment in January that was unrelated to the planned “Princess and the Frog” makeover.The reimagining of the Splash Mountain rides will remove thematic elements related to “Song of the South” — the controversial 1940s animated film criticized for perpetuating racist stereotypes that has been disowned by Disney.Tiana’s Bayou Advent...

Anti-Palestinian Hate on Social Media Is Growing, Says a Facebook Partner

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:47 GMT

Violent and racist anti-Palestinian rhetoric grew more prevalent across social media platforms last year, according to a new report published by 7amleh, an organization that partners with Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook.Hateful anti-Palestinian remarks grew by 10 percent in 2022, compared to the prior year, according to the new report, based on an aggregated analysis of mentions of “Arabs,” “Palestinians,” and related keywords by Israeli social media users. 7amleh attributes the increase to a spate of real-world violence, including the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and Israeli military raids at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. As The Intercept previously reported, 2022 was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the end of the Second Intifada, with 2023 already on track to surpass that toll.“The 10 percent increase in violent speech against Arabs and Palestinians is alarming and should be taken on serious matter from t...

Cristiano Ronaldo happy again with Portugal’s national team

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:47 GMT

Cristiano Ronaldo is feeling at home again.It took only two games for him to make his peace with Portugal’s national team and show he is not done impressing at the international level just yet.In his return after a disappointing World Cup and a controversial move to Saudi soccer, the 38-year-old Ronaldo scored four goals in Portugal’s first two games in 2024 European Championship qualifying, showing he remains the leader that fans got used to seeing wearing the national team’s red and green uniform.Ronaldo netted twice in the 6-0 rout of Luxembourg on Sunday, three days after scoring another brace in the 4-0 win over Liechtenstein, when he became the men’s player with the most international appearances with 197.“Two games, two victories,” the Portugal captain said on his social media accounts after the win at Luxembourg. “Happy to have contributed to a very positive start by our national team. Let’s go.”The goals came against European minnows but seemed to be enough to restore Ronal...

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approve 30% pay raise

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:47 GMT

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.After hours of public comment and testimony, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 8-2 this week to approve 30 percent salary increases for future members.The increase would see board members’ annual salaries go from 90,000 to $123,283, while the chairman’s salary would increase from the current $100,000 to $138,283, according to a newsletter from Chairman Jeffrey Mckay. In accordance with Virginia law, the pay raises would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, when a new board takes office.Supervisor John Foust, who plans to retire after this year, introduced the motion at an earlier board meeting this month. His proposal called for board members’ salaries to increase as high as $130,000 and to a range of $140,000 to $145,000 for the chairman. The board last received a pay raise eight years ago, in 2015.The pr...

Trinity Rodman’s goal leads Spirit over Reign in home opener

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:56:47 GMT

Reigning National Women’s Soccer League MVP Sophia Smith scored in the 22nd minute and the defending champion Portland Thorns opened the season with a 4-0 victory at home over the Orlando Pride on Sunday.It was the 100th victory for the Thorns, the first NWSL team to reach that milestone. Portland, which has won three league titles, unfurled its 2022 championship banner at Providence Park before the game.Morgan Weaver scored an early goal for the Thorns before Smith’s goal off a pass from Christine Sinclair made it 2-0. Hina Sugita added a third goal for the Thorns in the 49th.Michele Vasconcelos added a final goal for the Thorns in the 76th. It was her first goal for the Thorns and first NWSL goal since she was with the Chicago Red Stars in 2019.Smith has scored in the season opener for three straight years.NJ/NY GOTHAM FC 2, ANGEL CITY 1Lynn Williams scored in the 64th minute to cap a come-from-behind 2-1 win for NJ/NY Gotham FC over Angel City FC on Sunday evening.The road victor...