Gun bills likely to face legal challenges if passed

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:12:54 GMT

Gun bills likely to face legal challenges if passed DENVER (KDVR) — Not one, not two but three gun measures were in committee on Wednesday. Although the bills are moving through the Capitol, several are already facing questions about their legality. Families of gun violence victims came out in handfuls Wednesday to testify on bills in committee, calling on lawmakers to do something. Some experts on constitutional rights say the bills may face a tough time outside the Capitol.Gun proposals face question of constitutionalityColorado families with connections to shooting tragedies like Columbine, King Soopers and Club Q showed up to testify on three bills aimed to prevent gun violence. One would expand the red flag law to allow teachers, mental health experts, doctors and district attorneys to petition to have someone's firearm removed."This is not going to solve all the crime by firearm for sure, but it gives us another tool. The police department in Denver uses this tool already successfully, and we would enjoy having that ability our...

St. Vrain Valley students push for district to bring back traditional snow days

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:12:54 GMT

St. Vrain Valley students push for district to bring back traditional snow days LONGMONT, Colo. (KDVR) — Hours after Denver Public Schools called a snow day on Jan. 18, students rushed to Ruby Hill Park, screaming with excitement as they sled down the hill.But 30 miles north, William Mills was stuck behind his Longmont computer, taking part in an online learning day. Wild crash, allegedly caused by I-70 pothole, caught on camera "It’s kind of annoying, because I really want to have a free day,” Mills said. While some districts have returned to snow days, St. Vrain Valley Schools continues to move forward with online learning days, where students have an abbreviated schedule.St. Vrain parents can excuse students on snow daysSpokesperson Kerri McDermid said parents have the choice to excuse their student from online learning, but said they've seen over 90% participation during past inclement weather online learning days.The district said students only attend class virtually for 1.5-2 hours, with additional time built in for one-on-one interaction with teachers ...

Cherry Creek School District offers free gun locks

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:12:54 GMT

Cherry Creek School District offers free gun locks ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — As legislative discussions surrounding firearms happen nationwide, safety is top of mind across the U.S. and in Colorado. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office is teaming up with the Cherry Creek School District to provide free gun locks at area schools.The district's superintendent, Christopher Smith, said that ''responsible and safe gun storage in the home can save lives." That is something both Arapahoe Sheriff Tyler Brown and the superintendent are hoping to do. Proposed new gun laws advance in Colorado Senate committee The sheriff's office donated roughly 300 gun locks to the district."So it's a padlock that has a cable on it," Brown said. "And then it locks with a key. If people are going to bear arms, they need to do it responsibly."Just 1 gun incident can lead to 'tragedy'Brown said he was approached by Smith with the idea and wanted to be a part of the community effort."All it takes is one incident and one accidental lapse of judgment and we...

Arvada plans to refresh Olde Town and the city wants your ideas

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:12:54 GMT

Arvada plans to refresh Olde Town and the city wants your ideas ARVADA, Colo. (KDVR) — Arvada is getting ready to make long-term improvements to Olde Town and city officials want input from people who live, work and visit.Wednesday evening, Arvada hosted an open house to share a draft plan of its Olde Town strategic reinvestment plan with the community. Why you still have to mess with daylight saving time in Colorado "Arvada is a destination, and what we are in charge of as stewards of Olde Town is making it an environment that people want to come," Ryan Stachelski, director of community and economic development for the City of Arvada, said. Pedestrian zones could stay in Olde Town ArvadaOne of the main ideas being put forth is to keep the pedestrian zones that were implemented during the pandemic."Olde Town changed a lot as a result of the pandemic. We closed some streets and we wanted to make sure that we could accommodate social distancing and help businesses. Well, the community loved it so much that we really wanted to see how can we...

GOP leader McConnell hospitalized after fall, spokesman says

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:12:54 GMT

GOP leader McConnell hospitalized after fall, spokesman says WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell tripped and fell Wednesday at a hotel and was hospitalized, a spokesman for the senator said.McConnell, 81, was attending a private dinner at a local hotel when he tripped. He was admitted to a hospital for treatment, spokesman Doug Andres said.In 2019, the GOP leader, a survivor of childhood polio, tripped and fell at his home in Kentucky, suffering a shoulder fracture. At the time, he underwent surgery to repair the fracture in his shoulder. The Senate had just started a summer recess and he worked from home for some weeks as he recovered.First elected in 1984, McConnell in January became the longest-serving Senate leader when the new Congress convened, breaking the previous record of 16 years.The Senate, where the average age is 65, has been without several members recently due to illness.The office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., 90, said she was hospitalized last week to be treated for shingles.Sen. John Fetterman, ...

Florida Senate passes ‘Live Local’ affordable housing bill unanimously

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:12:54 GMT

Florida Senate passes ‘Live Local’ affordable housing bill unanimously The current Florida legislative session promises to be a battle of the bills, but one measure that aims to address one of the state’s biggest crises appears to have widespread support from both parties. The crisis, as lawmakers in the Florida State and House repeatedly pointed out on Wednesday, is housing.“We are in a housing crisis,” said Florida State Sen. Alexis Calatayud.It’s not something lawmakers need to tell most residents of the Sunshine State.Akilya Drake, an assistant public defender who lives in Broward County, said she understands what’s at stake all too well.“It was more than half my paycheck, the raise in rent for the same apartment,” she said. “I’m not living on South Beach; I’m living in Tamarac.”Wednesday evening, the Florida Senate passed what’s called the “Live Local” bill The measure would funnel millions of dollars to state housing programs, provide tax incentives for developers...

Emerson College graduates among Oscar nominees

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:12:54 GMT

Emerson College graduates among Oscar nominees Two of this year’s Oscar-nominated directors have ties to Boston as graduates from Emerson College. As the Oscars approach, one of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s former professors said he remembers the pair well.Kwan and Scheinert, known as “the Daniels,” directed “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”The pair met while studying film at Emerson. They thanked Professor John Craig Freeman while on stage this weekend for an awards ceremony.“We would not be here without the advocates, the cheerleaders, the people who really believed us and snuck us into the back door, starting with our teachers,” Kwan said.Kwan said Freeman “taught us how to teach ourselves.” “Thank you,” Kwan said. 7NEWS spoke with Freeman, the duo’s visual and media arts professor, who said the recent shoutout was the ultimate compliment coming from students he remembers well. “They were self actualizing artists, and they very much knew what they wanted to do, and they tr...

Lucas: Newbie Healey should hold her fire on DeSantis

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:12:54 GMT

Lucas: Newbie Healey should hold her fire on DeSantis Memo to Gov. Maura Healey:Don’t tug on Superman’s cape.You are too new to the job to take on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is probably the most successful  governor in the country. And we are talking about 50 governors here, including you.Wait a while. We know you, as a new governor, need a headline or two, especially to divert attention from those who think you are in over your head — particularly in dealing with the MBTA nightmare. But you have time.And we know it must be irksome to watch fellow newcomer State Auditor Diana DiZoglio steal the show by launching a performance audit of the ailing transit agency right under your nose.But be patient. Grin and bear it. DiZoglio graciously did offer to share the results of her audit with you and the new MBTA general manager you will appoint, if you can find anyone crazy enough to take the job.You should stick to going after Donald Trump, which you were  good at, suing him a hundred times or so when you were Massachusetts attorney genera...

Recapping the Chicago Bulls: A 117-96 upset of the Denver Nuggets breathes life into postseason hopes

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:12:54 GMT

Recapping the Chicago Bulls: A 117-96 upset of the Denver Nuggets breathes life into postseason hopes The Chicago Bulls didn’t have any advantage on their side when they arrived in Denver — not the odds, not the altitude, not their recent momentum.The Bulls entered with a two-game losing streak after giving up a potential play-in tiebreaker to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, and they risked a drop to 12th in the Eastern Conference with another loss.Their offensive rating had plummeted since January as they dropped repeated clutch games and struggled to string together wins. And after a strong start to the season against the top teams, the Bulls hadn’t beaten a team above .500 since Jan. 6.But they didn’t need Wednesday’s 117-96 win over the Western Conference-leading Nuggets to make sense. They just needed it to spark something — life, enthusiasm, belief — back into a season plagued by inconsistency.When Zach LaVine vaulted in the air with his arm ratcheted backward for a ferocious hammer dunk in the third quarter, he seemed to crush the ball ...

‘Scream VI’ takes another stab at extending slasher franchise

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:12:54 GMT

‘Scream VI’ takes another stab at extending slasher franchise MOVIE REVIEW“Scream VI”Rated R. At the AMC Boston Common, AMC South Bay and suburban theatersGrade: BIt’s hard to believe we are at our sixth “Scream” film with those Edvard Munch-like “ghostface” masks. But enough people have enjoyed the films (and worn the masks) to keep them coming, including a TV series. The most recent film based on the series created by Kevin Williamson arrived only last year, and two actors from that film, Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera, return in “Scream VI” under somewhat different circumstances. Barrera, a breakout actor in the 20021 release “In the Heights,” deserves better than two “Scream” films as her reward for her fine work in the musical. For her part, Ortega plays the title role in the Netflix smash “Wednesday” and has become a household name.In “Scream VI,” a meta-movie that juggles the terms “sequel,” “prequel” and “requel,” we hear a lot about the fictional film series “Stab” based on the (fictional) book “The Woodsboro Murders” by (fict...