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Disneyland-sized theme park planned for central U.S.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:58 GMT

A new theme park, which will be comparable to the size of Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, is coming to northeast Oklahoma. The over $2 billion project will be a 1,000-acre development with a 125-acre theme park. “We are thrilled to make Oklahoma the home of American Heartland Theme Park and Resort,” American Heartland CEO Larry Wilhite said. “At the crossroads of the heartland, Oklahoma is an attractive location for a family entertainment destination. The state’s business-friendly approach and innovative partnership efforts have helped make this possible. We look forward to bringing unforgettable generational experiences to Oklahoma.” ‘San Fransokyo Square’ at Disneyland Resort to open in August In addition to the park and resort scheduled to open in 2026, there will also be a large-scale RV park with cabins scheduled to open in the spring of 2025. Image courtesy American Heartland Theme Park and Resort.The development will also include a 300-room hotel and a modern indoor water par...

Angela Fierro Pronounced Dead Following Traffic Crash on Lone Tree Way [Antioch, CA]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:58 GMT

Vehicle Accident on Clayburn Road Claims Life of One WomanANTIOCH, CA (July 19, 2023) – On Thursday afternoon, a traffic crash on Lone Tree Way killed 20-year-old Angela Fierro.The accident happened around 4:49 p.m., in Lone Tree Way at Clayburn Road.The incident involved a collision between two vehicles at the intersection of Lone Tree Way and Clayburn Road.According to reports, one of the drivers was speeding, and the contact caused the black Grand Cherokee to spin many times.The preliminary investigation determined that speed was a contributing factor in the crash.Moreover, both directions of the roadway were temporarily shut down to allow for cleanup and preliminary duties.The investigation is ongoing, once available, further details will be provided.The Sweet James team sends their warm and sincerest sympathies to the friends and family of the victim. May the memories of your loved one give you strength in the days ahead.Losing someone in a car accident is always a trauma...

Hollywood strike Q’s: ‘Am I crossing a picket line to see a movie?’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:58 GMT

Associated PressYou watch movies. You watch TV. And now you’re wondering how the dual Hollywood strikes — a pitched battle with actors and writers on one side, and studios and streaming services on the other — will affect you. We have answers.Do the strikes mean “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” aren’t coming out?They — and all other summer releases — are still on track! Many flashy premieres have been canceled, however, or dramatically scaled down.Am I crossing the picket line by seeing one of those movies?No, the unions have not asked fans to boycott productions, and are quick to make that explicit. Instead, the guilds have asked supporters who aren’t members to post on social media and donate to community funds.Should I cancel Netflix, MAX or the 16 other streaming services I subscribe to if I want to show support?Nope, there’s been no consumer boycott of any kind called yet. Some guild members have said watching their programs on streamin...

Stanford president resigns

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:58 GMT

Stanford University president Marc Tessier-Lavigne announced Wednesday morning that he will step down as leader of the university, following a review of allegations of misconduct related to the authenticity of images published in scientific papers he co-authored.While a months-long investigation by a committee of the University’s Board of Trustees concluded that he did not engage in any fraud or falsification of scientific data, it found that Tessier-Lavigne should have been more diligent when seeking corrections and identified instances of manipulation of research data byothers in Tessier-Lavigne’s lab.“For the good of the University, I have made the decision to step down as President,” he said in a statement.  He will resign on August 31.The Board has named Richard Saller as interim president of the University beginning September 1. Professor of European Studies, Saller was previously dean of the university’s School of Humanities and Sciences as well as a p...

Russian attack damages critical Ukraine port infrastructure

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:58 GMT

By Hanna Arhirova | Associated PressKYIV, Ukraine — Russia unleashed intense drone and missile attacks overnight Wednesday, damaging critical port infrastructure in southern Ukraine, including grain and oil terminals, and wounding at least 12 people, officials said.The bombardment crippled significant parts of export facilities in Odesa and nearby Chornomorsk and destroyed 60,000 tons of grain, according to Ukraine’s Agriculture Ministry.It came days after President Vladimir Putin pulled Russia out of its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a wartime deal that enabled Ukraine’s exports to reach many countries facing the threat of hunger.It also followed a vow by Putin to retaliate against Kyiv for an attack Monday on the crucial Kerch Bridge linking Russia with the Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin illegally annexed in 2014.The Agriculture Ministry, citing experts, estimated it would take a year to restore the damaged facilities. The destroyed grain was s...

Got milk in school? Farmers fight health advocates over the creamy ‘whole’ variety

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:58 GMT

By Phil Galewitz, KFF Health NewsAmanda Condo works at her family’s Pennsylvania dairy farm, but her son often won’t drink milk at school. He doesn’t like the flavor.That’s because the cafeteria at his elementary school serves only skim milk and 1%, which he contends tastes too watered-down, she said. “It’s a bad experience for kids who are our future milk drinkers, and it’s leaving a bad taste in their mouths.”Blame Congress for the absence of full-bodied, creamy whole milk from school cafeterias. In 2010, lawmakers revamped the National School Lunch Program, which led to a whole-milk ban for participating schools two years later. The goal was to reduce childhood obesity.Now, lobbyists for the milk industry are pushing to bring it back. And their campaign is supported by a bipartisan House effort and a growing number of studies that call into question long-held beliefs about the negative health effects of whole milk.The dairy industry is also trying to stave off a Department of Agr...

Bicyclist killed in Oakland hit-and-run is identified

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:58 GMT

OAKLAND — A bicyclist killed July 12 when he was hit by a stolen car in the Fruitvale district was identified by police Wednesday as Ricky Bryant, 62, of Oakland.The driver of the stolen car fled the scene and is still being sought, police said.The fatal collision happened about 9:30 a.m. July 12 at the intersection of 29th Avenue and International Boulevard.Police said a Hyundai Elantra, which was stolen earlier in Fremont, was going eastbound on International Boulevard  when it collided with a van  going in the same direction. The van driver was not hurt.The impact caused the Hyundai to spin out and strike Bryant at the intersection of 29th Avenue and International Boulevard, police said.Bryant, who had a West Oakland address and who was riding westbound on International, was ejected from his bicycle onto the pavement. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Fatal Tesla crash in Lake Tahoe draws federal investigato...

Kevin Costner’s estranged wife could ‘be financially wiped out’ — even with $129,000 in child support

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:58 GMT

To many people, it sounds like Kevin Costner’s estranged wife Christine Baumgartner will be sitting pretty the rest of her life, now that a judge has agreed that the actor should temporarily pay her $129,000 a month in child support as they await a final settlement in their divorce.But not so fast, according to family law experts. Believe it or not, Baumgartner “could be financially wiped out” in the future, given a number of factors, one expert said.These factors include the way child-custody and California divorce laws work, the strange reality of the Costner family’s extravagant life-style, the vast power differential between the estranged spouses, and Baumgartner’s aggressive, “extravagant” demands for money from her rich and powerful husband.“It’s a very dangerous game she’s playing,” said Christopher Melcher, a Los Angeles-based family law attorney who has worked with a number or high-profile clients. “She has a...

Review: Acclaimed rock act is at the height of its powers at sold-out Bay Area show

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:58 GMT

Margo Timmins looked over at the lovely bouquet of fresh-cut flowers that sat next to her onstage on Tuesday night (July 18) and thanked the fans who sent it to her.“I wish I had a happy song to sing for you,” said the vocalist, who then added with her traditional self-effacing deadpan humor: “But there really is nothing.”And that was perfectly OK with the listeners who filled the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley for the first of two sold-out shows by the Cowboy Junkies. They didn’t buy tickets to hear radio-friendly joyous ditties, but rather to be run — once again — through the emotional ringer in ways that are both devastating and transformative.They came for a dose of “Such Ferocious Beauty” — which is the title of the Junkies’ most recent album, but also as accurate a description as one will find of the band’s music.Related ArticlesMusic | Yes, people of Toronto, this amazing Canadian band is stil...

Warriors: Poole’s dad, Draymond trade Twitter barbs over punch

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:58 GMT

The tension that remained following Draymond Green’s preseason punch of Jordan Poole last year was, at least, part of the reason for Poole’s trade to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul. Green appeared to rekindle some of those tensions in a social media back-and-forth with Poole’s father on Wednesday morning.In a clip posted from an appearance on NBA player Patrick Beverley’s podcast, Green alluded to some of the backstory behind him punching Poole in a preseason practice last October.“I don’t just hit people,” he said. “Dialogue happens over time. You ain’t just triggered by something that fast to that degree. This is a team, ain’t nobody on my team triggering me in an instant. We know stuff that you don’t say amongst men. We know things you have to stand on.”Anthony Poole, Jordan’s father, replied to the clip on Twitter rebutting Green’s statement, calling it “BS”.“(Jordan) was...