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Oklahoma City Council sets vote on $900M arena to keep NBA’s Thunder through 2050

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:12 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Oklahoma City Council voted Tuesday to set a Dec. 12 citywide vote on a proposed 1% sales tax for six years that would fund a new $900 million downtown arena and keep the NBA’s Thunder in the city through at least 2050.The council also voted 7-2 to approve a letter of intent with the Thunder’s ownership group that would require the group to contribute $50 million toward the arena’s cost. The deal also calls for $70 million in city funds from an existing sales tax approved by voters in 2019 for upgrades to the current Paycom Center.“I commend the Council for authorizing me to sign this historic letter of intent, I thank the Thunder for their partnership and I congratulate all of OKC for getting to this point,” Mayor David Holt said in a statement. Under the plan, the six-year, 1% sales tax would begin April 1, 2028, when the current MAPS 4 sales tax ends so the city’s sales tax rate would remain unchanged. The exact location of the new arena...

Reward in double homicide at Denver restaurant increases to $32,600

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:12 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The reward for information on the shooting deaths of two restaurant employees in April has now increased to $32,600, according to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.On April 24, Emerall Vaughn-Dahler and Ignacio "Nacho" Gutierrez Morales were found dead inside American Elm, which is a restaurant located in the 4100 block of West 38th Avenue.The two had been shot and killed, according to police. In the four months since the crime, the reward for information has steadily risen, first being increased from $2,000 to $5,000, before the amount jumped to $25,000 in June. A fundraiser was held in August in an effort to increase the reward to the $32,600 it is now. Loved ones still searching for answers in restaurant double homicide Metro Denver Crime Stoppers said it hopes the reward will encourage people with information to come forward with crucial leads.FOX31 spoke with Emerall's husband, Andrew Dahler, in June when the reward was increased to $25,000. “All you have is hope,"...

6 local artists to compete in Secret Walls illustration battle

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:12 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A competitive live art event that has hosted over 2,000 battles around the world is coming to Denver on Thursday. Six local artists will paint in the Secret Walls x Denver Walls illustration battle at sunset at Yardbird Table and Bar, located at 2743 Blake St. in Denver. Colorado artist unveils sculpture destined for Washington D.C. For just 90 minutes, artists will only use black paint and markers, and the stretch of their imaginations, to create a mesmerizing art display on a blank canvas.The battle in Denver will feature local artists Chris Haven, Mike Graves, George Baker III, Keya Tama, Kimchi Juice and Casey Kawaguchi.Artists will be divided into two teams of three. Each will be equipped with markers, paintbrushes, spray paint and paint rollers, and nothing is revealed to artists before the competition, according to a press release from Secret Walls.The winner is determined by a selected team of judges and a decibel meter that measures the audience's cheers....

New ski area to open on the Front Range

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:12 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A new ski hill is opening up on the Front Range in Windsor. Hoedown Hill is the highest point in Windsor and will be open to the public for sledding, tubing and skiing in the winter.The ski area is managed by RainDance National Golf Course. The course is located at 1775 RainDance Nat'l Dr.Once the snow settles in and the golf season ends, RainDance hopes to attract outdoor enthusiasts with a different kind of activity. In the winter, guests will be able to sled and ski down a portion of the hill that is nearly 1,100 feet long. $2 million for pickleball included in proposed Denver budget There is also a 120-foot elevation difference between the top and bottom of the hill.RainDance is hoping Hoedown Hill will be fully operational by Christmas 2023, but until then they are asking guests to refrain from accessing the hill.Aside from the winter season, the hill will be open in the summer where guests can mountain bike, hike and zipline. Hoedown Hill will also have conc...

Elizabeth High School adds shop class to curriculum

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:12 GMT

ELIZABETH, Colo. (KDVR) — Over the years, shop classes in high schools have slowly but surely been eliminated from the curriculum. Elizabeth High School, however, recently started up a shop class program.They say they created it for all the right reasons.It used to be called industrial arts, then shop class, then nothing at all."I think it went away in the early '90s, when the tech boom technology came in. It was the new thing. There was huge earnings, and the pendulum of education kind of swung that way," said Derek Spohn, Elizabeth High School shop instructor.And as much fun as a four-year degree in art appreciation may be, post-graduation employment will be a challenge, Spohn said. That is why he is tickled pink that Elizabeth High School is now offering shop classes to its student body."They are actively working with their hands, so they are going to learn a skill that is going to feed them potentially for the rest of their life," Spohn said. Aurora police warn of card-tapping...

3 hospitalized after boat crashes near Black Point Marina; cause unknown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:12 GMT

A boat carrying three individuals crashed several miles off Black Point Marina on Tuesday afternoon, prompting a response from officials and good Samaritans.The incident occurred just after 2 p.m., approximately 2 1/2 miles northeast of the marina.Details regarding the cause of the crash remain unknown at this time.According to photojournalist Ralph Rayburn, quick-thinking good Samaritans successfully rescued all three occupants from the water.The victims’ identities and conditions have yet to be disclosed, and the total number of injuries remains uncertain.A friend of a witness told 7News off camera that he was on the water, saw a splash, went towards the boat and saw it spinning. According to him, he helped the three people that were on board the boat and pulled one person out of the water. 7Skyforce provided aerial coverage of the scene as emergency response teams from various agencies, including the Marine Patrol, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, and Miami-Dade Police Department, a...

Seniors audition for Miami Heat’s Golden Oldies dance team

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:12 GMT

There is a golden opportunity to be in the spotlight during some Miami Heat games. Now, dozens are stepping up for that chance.Seniors who love to dance want to do it for the Miami Heat.Don’t call them old, call them dancers.“I love to dance, I love basketball and this is just my kind of my thing,” said Sandra Marcus, a contestant. The Miami Heat’s Golden Oldies auditions are being held where every single person is trying out for the dance team to perform during home games.“To be young again, to be beautiful again, and to dance, we all love to dance,” said Amali Bauza, a contestant. The first part of the audition is the freestyle portion, which are when the first cuts are made. Then comes the choreographed routines.Those who pass that will make the team,Everyone auditioning must be at least 60 years old to try out.“I can’t wait to dance, I love to dance,” said Amy Tinozo Friedman, a contestant. Now going on its 18th season, the M...

Developer submits plans to move loading zone away from Surfside building collapse memorial site

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:12 GMT

There could be a possible change of plans when it comes to new construction at the site of the Surfside building collapse.A developer submitted new plans to move the loading zone for its proposed condo building off of 88th Street, which would keep the dock away from the memorial site commemorating the victims of the Champlain Towers South tragedy.Relatives of the victims spoke out against the original plans and said the garbage would spill onto the site.There is a meeting to discuss the future of the site on Wednesday.

State lawmakers introduce new tax relief plan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:12 GMT

Top state lawmakers on Tuesday revealed a long-awaited plan to provide tax relief to families across Massachusetts, detailing a number of changes aimed at making life in Massachusetts more affordable and competitive. The plan would provide roughly $561 million in relief in the current fiscal year, with more than $1 billion in relief expected by the 2027 fiscal year, as reported by the State House News Service. “We wanted to provide something that was a little more balanced, a little more equitable across the board,” said Aaron Michlewitz, the chairperson of the state House Committee on Ways and Means. Relief measures in the plan include an envisioned increase to the state’s child and dependent tax credit from $180 to $310 for this year. The credit would increase again in 2024, making Massachusetts’s child and dependent credit the most generous in the country, according to lawmakers.Relief measures would also increase Massachusetts’ earned income tax credit from 30% to 40% ...

Trump’s latest debate dodge the last chance for a few candidates to stand out

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:12 GMT

Six presidential hopefuls will take a stage in California on Wednesday to attempt a debate in the absence of the person they’re all trying to beat.The second of three scheduled Republican Primary debates will kick off at 9 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute in Simi Valley, California, where half-a-dozen conservative candidates will appear and debate despite the fact front-running former President Donald Trump will be elsewhere.“Unlike most presidential debates, on the one hand they are fighting for the nomination, on the other hand, the almost insurmountable lead that Donald Trump has has them walking the line between acting as if they could be a potential vice presidential candidate whilst trying to distance themselves,” Frank Irizarry, a public relations professor and debate coach at Suffolk University, told the Herald.According to Irizarry, in three decades of watching debates, he’s never seen anything quite like what has developed in the Republican...