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EU and US envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue in order to defuse tensions

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:56 GMT

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — The envoys of the European Union and the United States urged Kosovo and Serbia on Saturday to resume their dialogue on normalizing relations before the bitter tensions between the two nations result in more violence.EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak and U.S. Special Representative to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar met with Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Kosovo’s capital, Pristina. The visitors were accompanied by top diplomats from Germany, France and Italy, and planned to travel on to Serbia. It was the first such engagement since about 30 Serb gunmen crossed into northern Kosovo on Sept. 24, killing a police officer and setting up barricades before launching an hours-long gun battle with Kosovo police. Three gunmen were killed. Lajcak said that during their meeting with Kurti, the foreign officials stressed that “the terrorist attack against Kosovo police by armed individuals (that) constitutes a clear and unprecedented escalation.” He added that the attac...

Civilians killed and wounded as Russian forces renew push to take towns in eastern Ukraine

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:56 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — At least three civilians were killed and others wounded in Ukraine on Friday and Saturday, as Russian forces continued to shell areas across the country and pushed forward near an embattled eastern city, local Ukrainian officials reported Saturday. A man died as Russian forces shelled the Ukrainian-held town of Nikopol from their stronghold at Ukraine’s largest nuclear plant, according to Ukrainian local Gov. Serhii Lysak. Lysak said that emergency services in Nikopol were working to assess the damage. Russian troops took over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant early in the war, sparking intermittent fears of a radiation incident as shelling persisted near the site, often targeting Ukrainian-controlled settlements across the Dnieper River. In Kryvyi Rih, the central Ukraine hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, , a 60-year-old man died on Friday evening when a Russian missile slammed into an industrial facility, according to Telegram posts by Mayor ...

How old is too old to go trick-or-treating?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:56 GMT

CLEVELAND (WJW) — Is there a time limit on happiness and getting free candy? Depending on whom you ask, there may be no age limit when it comes to trick-or-treating for Halloween.There are about 73 million people in the United States under the age of 18, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and all of them could potentially trick-or-treat, as most towns do not have age limits — and even those that do (like this city in Virginia) aren't out cracking down on older teens. Man’s body mistaken for Halloween prop; lawn mowed around him "You are never too old!" Aneisha McMillan, of the Halloween Costume Association, told FOX Television Stations. "I live in a quaint little town in Michigan and my kids range from 7 to 24, and all of them will be trick-or-treating."And according to a 2021 poll from YouGov, plenty of folks agree with McMillan. Researchers said more than a quarter of responders thought kids were never too old to trick-or-treat. The second highest age agreed upon was age 12, w...

Triple shooting in downtown St. Louis sparks investigation

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:56 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A triple shooting occurred this morning at the intersection of 3rd Street and Gratiot in downtown St. Louis. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident that happened near downtown, where three victims had gunshot wounds. The shooting happened around 1 p.m. All three victims went to the hospital for medical attention and were found to have injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.  The police are encouraging anyone with information regarding the shooting to come forward while maintaining their anonymity. You can provide information by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS. 

Is CBD The “Cat’s Meow?” — Recent Research On CBD Oil For Cats

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:56 GMT

Read the original article about Recent Research on CBD Oil for Cats here.Let’s be frank: “pet-friendly CBD oils” have a dog bias. And, to be fair to CBD manufacturers, that makes sense from a marketing perspective. Recent data suggests about 38.4 percent of American households have dogs, while about 25.4 percent have cats. So, clearly, there’s more of a demand for hemp dog treats versus cannabidiol catnip.There’s also growing speculation in the scientific community that CBD oil affects dogs and cats differently. Plus, there aren’t as many studies on CBD for cats versus dogs.So, does this mean pet-friendly CBD oils aren’t fit for felines? Should cat owners even consider using CBD for their favorite pets?Is It Safe For Cats To Take CBD Oil?Veterinarians are still researching how CBD affects cats and dogs, but preliminary trials suggest pet-approved CBD is generally safe for healthy cats. However, a new Florida College of Veterinary Medicine trial suggests cats and dogs absorb this can...

Silicon Valley Creates’ Connie Martinez ‘bullish’ about downtown San Jose’s future

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:56 GMT

After more than two decades since becoming an “accidental arts leader,” as she puts it, Silicon Valley Creates CEO Connie Martinez said even though she’s retiring from her position this year, she’s very optimistic about the future of downtown San Jose.“Yes, we’ve had setbacks, but if you look at the trajectory over the last 30 years … we’re moving in the right direction. I’m bullish on downtown,” said Martinez, who received the Cornerstone of the Arts award from San Jose’s Office of Cultural Affairs and Arts Commission on Thursday night at the Hammer Theatre Center. “Arts and culture mean more today in my view — post the pandemic — than they ever did.”In a wide-ranging conversation with San Jose Director of Cultural Affairs Kerry Adams Hapner, Martinez reflected on her career — including leadership positions at the city of Mountain View, UC Santa Cruz, the Children’s Discovery Museu...

Fremont baker and mother of 5 stars on the Food Network’s Halloween Cookie Challenge

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:56 GMT

Christina Ledesma, aka “The Retro Cookie Lady” from Fremont, was sure she bombed her phone interview for the Food Network’s Halloween Cookie Challenge.“The associate producer asked me why I loved Halloween. My response was because of all the memories with my mom growing up,” Ledesma recalls. “I immediately started crying. My mom was a single parent and seeing all the effort she put into the holidays made me appreciate her so much.”It turned out the producer liked that answer. This Monday at 7 p.m., Ledesma will be competing for a $10,000 prize on the Halloween Cookie Challenge’s fifth episode of Season 2, “Halloween Stained Glass and Halloween Funhouse.” She’ll be making spooky cookie creations, like a 15-inch long haunted house and a translucent glasslike cookie. Tuning in will be her mother, her husband, her four daughters and her son.“My mom is very excited, to say the least,” she says. “And my ni...

Statue worth $500k stolen from Saratoga residence

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:56 GMT

Oct. 9Vandalism: Between 7:19 p.m. on Oct. 3 and 7:51 p.m. on Oct. 9, someone defaced professional offices in the 19000 block of Cox Avenue with graffiti. The total amount of damage was estimated at $2,000.Vehicle burglary: Between 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 8 and 10:50 a.m. on Oct. 9, someone entered a vehicle parked at the Vineyards of Saratoga residential complex on Saratoga Avenue and stole tools for a loss estimated at $500.Oct. 10Theft by false pretenses: At 1:36 p.m., someone telephoned a Saratoga resident acting as an employee of the fraud unit at the victim’s bank, claimed the victim’s account was comprised and ultimately convinced the victim to wire transfer money to an unknown account for a loss of about $12,000.Oct. 12Grand theft: Between 3 p.m. on Oct. 6 and 12:56 p.m. on Oct. 12, someone stole a statue from a residential property in the 15000 block of Norton Road for a loss estimated at $500,000.Vehicle tampering, grand theft: At 4:30 a.m., two suspects tampered with a vehicle...

Public nuisance vs public access: Fence blocking popular Mount Diablo path renews years-long clash

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:56 GMT

DIABLO — For decades, cyclists by the thousands have cut through the bucolic, wealthy enclave of Diablo on their upwards trek to the sweeping trails and woodland vistas of Mt. Diablo State Park.Now, a 6-foot black iron fence with a “No Trespassing” sign and trail cam is blocking a popular exit of that path — posing an “imminent and grave” threat for those who are now forced take a “far more dangerous route,” according to a complaint filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court earlier this month.Construction of the fence in late September renewed a yearslong, convoluted legal battle pitting private property rights against public access to that land.Cyclists have long said the quiet, private roads near the Diablo Country Club provide a safer route than the narrow, winding Diablo Road in Danville, which lacks any shoulders, sidewalks or bike paths and is filled with fast-moving motorists.A bicyclist rides along Diablo Road on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, in Danville, Calif. (Aric Crab...

Spoontonic Lounge to close at midnight after failed appeal to Walnut Creek City Council

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:56 GMT

Patrons at Spoontonic Lounge will keep being cut off at midnight, after Walnut Creek city officials unanimously denied the bar owners’ appeal of shortened hours that were handed down two months ago amid drunken, rowdy behavior and other problems around the property.Now, Spoontonic’s management, staff members and longtime patrons claim the change has slashed revenues so dramatically that the bar’s survival is on the line.Advocates of the watering hole at 2580 N. Main St. gathered at Tuesday’s Walnut Creek City Council meeting, pleading with elected officials to reverse — or even just delay — the decision to end alcohol sales two hours earlier than before, which the city’s Planning Commission first approved in August.But the elected officials declined to re-modify the Conditional Use Permit for the establishment, after the city’s legal team and local authorities argued that the previous change was necessary to help mitigate ongoing calls for police service, including issue...