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Bumblebee Pac-Man and the Cookie Monster: Virginia man dons costumes to make people smile

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

A woman balanced a toddler on her hip while standing on the porch of the Jump’n Jellybeans daycare on a recent Thursday morning. She stared at what was walking down the sidewalk on the other side of Portsmouth Boulevard.So did the toddler. Then he leaned forward, frantically waving an outstretched arm at the slow-moving creature.It was Bumblebee, the bright yellow, friendly, talking robot from the “Transformers” comic books, TV show and movies.Aaron Jackson, the 24-year-old inside the Bumblebee costume, saw the toddler and knew he’d accomplished what he’d set out to do that morning: Make people smile.Aaron Jackson walks along Portsmouth Boulevard in Portsmouth, dressed as Bumblebee from Transformers on June 23. Jackson began walking around Portsmouth in costume in 2020 as a way to cheer people up during the pandemic. His love for costume was born out of his involvement in Comic-con conventions.  (Billy Schuerman / The Virginian-Pilot)Sometimes two or three times a week, Jackson step...

Summertime heat scorching Saratoga County

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -With temperatures around 90 degrees, Saratoga is no stranger to the heat. When it comes to business, Broadway was booming from one side to the other. For out-of-towners, there's no better time for a day out."It was hotter in Florida. 95, going to 100 degrees. So this is cool!" described Florida Resident, Rosalie Amodio.Local, Jack Wallace, says that these high temperatures happening so early in the summer are out of the ordinary. "Last year was August that was incredibly hot, and now it's July." Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! It may be a perfect day for ice cream, but not everyone thinks these conditions are for the best. "It's alarming, what's happening with the climate. But, when you live, you live day to day," said Local, Al Ormsby.Over in Burnt Hills, that's exactly how their Flag Day parade is being planned. In June, the celebration had to be put on hold due to different conditions. ...

Rockies’ Bill Schmidt: Relievers most likely trade pieces, but club will take offers on position players

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

The Rockies’ season went up in flames almost from the beginning but don’t expect a fire sale between now and the Aug. 1 trade deadline.“We’ll see what happens,” general manager Bill Schmidt said. “Some teams have reached out, mostly on our bullpen guys. I’m not going to name names, but there has been interest there.“We are going to listen on guys. But people have to remember that teams have to want your players, too.”According to industry sources, the reliever who has garnered the most interest is left-hander Brent Suter, with the Rockies getting calls on right-hander Pierce Johnson and lefty Brad Hand as well.There has been middling interest in veteran outfielders Jurickson Profar and Randal Grichuk, as well as first baseman C.J. Cron, Colorado’s lone All-Star last year. All of three are in the final year of their contracts.Catcher Elias Diaz, the first All-Star catcher in franchise history, could also make the phone ring....

Authorities lift Broomfield evacuation order, end road closures prompted by gas leak

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

North Metro Fire Rescue on Thursday evening lifted an evacuation order covering 12 homes in Broomfield that had been in place while authorities responded to reports of a gas leak.An update from the fire department about 6:30 p.m. said that the gas leak had been located and stopped by Xcel Energy, which was still working on a repair of the gas line. Officials reopened roads in the neighborhood as affected residents were allowed to return.Xcel has stopped the leak and continues to work on the repair. The evacuation has been lifted and residents are able to return home. Westlake Drand Grove Way are reopened to residents needing access to their homes, but we advise others to use alternate routes as able.— North Metro Fire (@NMFirePIO) July 7, 2023Originally, officials evacuated four homes in the area near Westlake Drive and Grove Way as a precaution, but by 3:30 p.m., 12 homes in the vicinity of the leak had been evacuated, North Metro public information officer Sara Farris said.R...

Woman burned from Dana Point fireworks mishap that was caught on video

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

A woman was enjoying July 4 fireworks on a boat off the Dana Point coast when an errant sparkler ended up coming a little too close for comfort.The mishap was caught on video, with one spectator saying “I think something went wrong.”Lauren Hassen was in the safe zone on the water when it appears at least one of the fireworks misfired and went in her direction.She hadn’t noticed that she had been hit until she looked down at her jacket, which had a hole.Video shared with KTLA shows an errant firework going off in front of a boat off the Dana Point coast on July 4, 2023. She believes that if she hadn’t had the jacket on, or if she had been hit at a slightly different angle, her injuries would have been worse.“We were just laughing and smiling, then all of a sudden we see a firework ignite on the bottom of the barge and all of us said ‘that’s not right,” and then immediately the firework exploded in our faces,” Hassen said. “We didn’t even really have time to react … it just went up. M...

19-year-old hailed as hero for helping Upland couple out of burning home 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

A 19-year-old man sprang into action Tuesday when he spotted flames tearing through the garage of a stranger’s home in Upland.  While there’s very little left of the homeowners’ garage, Caleb Delasantos is being hailed as a hero for helping the residents get out of harm’s way on the night of July 4.  “I lost all of my childhood things,” Marianne Hiebsch said of the fire at her Upland house. “My husband lost all of his childhood things. We can only assume because it was Fourth of July that it was a firework because we were in bed.”  It was about 11 p.m. when suddenly, Hiebsch’s dog, Ruby, started barking.  “I just got out of bed and the house was dark and I just saw this orange glow,” she explained.   Hiebsch said it was utter chaos trying to salvage what they could. In the midst of that confusion, Delasantos was driving back home after watching fireworks with his girlfriend when he spotted the plumes of smoke coming from the garage.  "The garage and the whole tree and...

PetSmart to pay $1.46M for overcharging California customers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

Pet supply retailer PetSmart has been ordered to pay $1.46 million to settle a lawsuit that alleges it overcharged customers for items listed in its advertisements.The lawsuit was filed in Santa Cruz County on behalf of district attorney's offices across the state, including Los Angeles, Ventura, San Diego and Marin counties. As part of the settlement, PetSmart admitted no wrongdoing, but will still be ordered to pay $1.25 million in penalties, $100,000 in restitution and $110,000 to reimburse the costs of investigating the allegations. The restitution will be directed to support "future enforcement of consumer protection laws," officials said.Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said companies who charge customers prices that are higher than what was advertised is "misleading and unfair."“Customers have the right to expect that the prices they see advertised will be honored. It’s important for companies to adhere to advertising regulations and ensure transparency in t...

1 Injured in Head-On Collision on Highway 58 [Bakersfield, CA]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

Car Accident along Highway 58 near Highway 223 Left at least 1 HospitalizedBAKERSFIELD, CA (July 6, 2023) – Tuesday morning, at least one person sustained injuries after a head-on collision on Highway 58.The incident occurred at around 10:10 a.m. on July 4th near Highway 223.According to California Highway Patrol, they reported a head-on vehicle collision, although the events leading to the crash remain unknown.Paramedics found one person with major injuries and airlifted the victim to a local hospital for further treatment.Authorities currently have no further information on the name or the current condition of the victim.At this time, authorities have not yet released a description of the vehicles or the number of drivers involved. However, an active investigation into the collision on Highway 58 remains ongoing.One small driving mistake can lead to a car accident. This is why it is important to drive defensively and always abide by all driving laws. Keep your attention on t...

Intersection near SJSU closed after man brandishes knife

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

SAN JOSE – Police on Thursday were attempting to negotiate with a man who reportedly brandished a knife near San Jose State University.The incident was reported around 1 p.m. at East San Fernando and South Third streets, according to the San Jose Police Department.Police closed the intersection and were working to convince the man to surrender peacefully. He had not done so as of 5 p.m.Additional details about the incident were not immediately available.Check back for updates.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Longtime San Jose activist arrested on suspicion of illegal firework distribution Crime and Public Safety | San Jose man who helped security firm launder millions in payroll pleads no contest Crime and Public Safety | Levi’s Stadium soccer match stabbing suspect arrested on suspicion of attempted murder Crime and Public Safety | Los Banos house destroyed by neighbors’ fireworks, police say Crime...

Trump valet Nauta pleads not guilty in documents case

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:32 GMT

By Adriana Gomez Licon and Eric Tucker | Associated PressMIAMI — Donald Trump’s valet, Walt Nauta, pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he helped the former president hide classified documents from federal authorities, appearing with a new Florida-based lawyer to represent him as the case moves forward.Nauta was charged alongside Trump in June in a 38-count indictment alleging the mishandling of classified documents. His arraignment was to have happened twice before, but he had struggled to retain a lawyer licensed in Florida and one appearance was postponed because of his travel troubles.Ahead of his arraignment, Nauta hired Sasha Dadan, a criminal defense attorney and former public defender whose main law office is in Fort Pierce, where the judge who would be handling the trial is based. She appeared in court with Nauta, alongside his Washington lawyer, Stanley Woodward, who entered the not guilty plea on his behalf.Related ArticlesNational Politics | Judge...