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Rockies Journal: Making the playoffs in 2025? Here’s what it would take

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:25 GMT

The Rockies don’t like the term “rebuilding.”“I hate that word,” owner Dick Monfort told me in January. “I guess the connotation on rebuilding is you just get rid of everybody. You try to draft low, which we’re not (going to do). We’re not trying to get the first pick. We’re not going to tank. We never have, never will.”OK, so if the Rockies aren’t rebuilding or tanking, what are they doing? Perhaps they’re in the midst of an HGTV-style extreme makeover. Whatever you call it, the renovation is going to take some time. Obviously, the postseason is beyond the Rockies’ reach this year. The playoffs in 2024 look like a pipedream, too.So 2025 looks like their next, best chance of making the playoffs. It would take a best-case scenario for it to happen. Meaning:• Someone, perhaps outfielder Zac Veen, must emerge as a genuine star. Veen, however, is having a tough season at Double-A  Hartford, slashing .230/.331/.345 with just one...

Suspect arrested in deadly shooting in Aurora; police cite road rage

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:25 GMT

A suspect has been arrested in connection to a fatal shooting in Aurora.Arturo Moreno Torres, 28, of Denver, was arrested Friday night on investigation of first-degree murder, according to an Aurora Police Department news release.The shooting happened May 1 in the 13100 block of East 13th Place, the Hoffman Heights area, according to police. The shooting stemmed from a road rage incident, and the suspect and the 28-year-old victim did not know each other prior to the shooting.Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at at 720-913-7867 (STOP). 

State Farm to stop offering property insurance in California

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:25 GMT

State Farm General Insurance Company is no longer accepting applications for property insurance including all business and personal lines property in California, and casualty insurance, the company announced on Friday. The company says this decision, effective May 27, comes in response to “historic increases in construction costs outpacing inflation, rapidly growing catastrophe exposure, and a challenging reinsurance market.” “We take seriously our responsibility to manage risk,”  a company spokesperson said. “We recognize the Governor’s administration, legislators, and the California Department of Insurance for their wildfire loss mitigation efforts. We pledge to work constructively with the CDI and policymakers to help build market capacity in California.”  California has seen more than 600 landslides since the start of the year In 2021, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced new insurance protections, in effect for the summer wildlife season, that in...

Driver killed by falling cement bags on San Diego interstate

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:25 GMT

A woman is dead after bags of cement fell from a truck that overturned on an interstate offramp in San Diego on Friday afternoon, according to California Highway Patrol.The incident occurred around 1 p.m. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said a Chevrolet pick-up truck with a one-ton stake bed was traveling from the southbound side of the freeway at about 60 miles per hour, toward the offramp. As the truck continued onto the ramp, CHP said the driver felt his load — which included bags of cement and other construction materials — shift in the bed of the truck. The driver then lost control of the truck, causing it to overturn. The cement bags spilled onto the roadway, and several fell from the ramp onto the Route 52 lanes below the offramp. One, or possibly two bags of concrete fell directly from the road onto the windshield of a black Mercedes traveling on Route 52, CHP said.The driver of a truck carrying cement bags and other construction materials lost control on Friday afternoo...

San Jose: Man in custody smashes out window, falls to death at O’Connor Hospital

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:25 GMT

SAN JOSE — Investigators are probing the death of a man who fell out of a window he shattered with a metal oxygen tank while in custody at O’Connor Hospital this week, authorities said.The man was taken into custody after he allegedly violated a court order, but was admitted to the hospital for a pre-existing medical condition, San Jose police said in a news release Friday. Around 2 a.m. Thursday, police said, he assaulted the officer who was guarding him, threatening to strike that officer and a nurse with a metal oxygen tank.After the officer and hospital staff retreated to call for additional resources, the man — then alone in the room — allegedly used the oxygen tank to smash the window and jump onto a ledge. He fell roughly 20 feet from the ledge, despite efforts from two security guards and the officer on site to intervene, and sustained life-threatening injuries, police said.The man received immediate medical care and was transported to a different trauma hospital, wher...

FBI, EPA investigating release at Martinez Refining Company

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:25 GMT

(KRON) -- A release of toxic dust by the Martinez Refining Company is under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Environmental Protection Agency, the FBI confirmed to KRON. Alameda County employee charged with performing sex acts on a minor The release happened six months ago, when a plant upset at the refinery spewed tons of toxic dust containing heavy metals into the city of Martinez area. Residents in the area report that the FBI and EPA are working with the Department of Justice in a door-to-door investigation. "The FBI, working with our federal partners at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are speaking with members of the community in Martinez, who could have been affected by the release of potentially hazardous materials at the Martinez Refining Company which occurred in November, 2022. As this investigation is ongoing, we will not be making further comment at this time." -- Federal Bureau of Investigation, San FranciscoKRON On is streaming now....

Both freshmen, Georgia’s Quinn and UCLA’s Tian win singles titles in NCAA tennis

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:25 GMT

Freshmen Ethan Quinn of Georgia and Fangran Tian of UCLA won singles titles in the NCAA tennis tournament on Saturday.Quinn, a redshirt, rallied to defeat Michigan’s Ondrej Styler 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 6-2 in Lake Nona, Florida, to become the third Bulldog and fourth-ever freshman to win the singles crown.Tian became the second Bruin to capture the title, with a 6-4, 6-2 win in Orlando, Florida, over Layne Sleeth, the first Oklahoma player to play in the final match.Quinn, the first Georgia player to reach the championship since John Isner in 2007, joined two-time Georgia winners Mikael Perfors (1984, 1985) and Matias Boeker (2001, 2002). Quinn, from Fresno, California, faced four match points in the second set before taking control in the third.Quinn closed the season with 17 straight wins and a 34-10 record.Tian, from Beijing, China, didn’t drop a set in six matches in Orlando, Florida, to finish the season with a 30-7 record. Keri Phebus won the 1995 title.In men’s ...

Luton gains promotion to Premier League after beating Coventry in penalty shootout

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:25 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Luton will play in the Premier League for the first time next season after beating Coventry following a penalty shootout in the Championship playoff final at Wembley on Saturday. Coventry’s Fankaty Dabo sent his spot kick high and wide to give Luton a 6-5 win in the shootout following a 1-1 draw after extra time in what is usually dubbed the most lucrative match in world soccer. The winner is expected to get in excess of $200 million in future earnings for gaining promotion to the Premier League, the richest league in world soccer. It marks Luton’s first return to England’s top division since 1991-92 — the year before it was rebranded as the Premier League. Coventry was trying to return for the first time since being relegated in 2001 following a 34-year stint in the first division. Luton had a scary start to the game as captain Tom Lockyer fell to the ground untouched and then remained down for several minutes while he received medical attention. Loc...

Byron starts on pole for Coca-Cola 600 after qualifying canceled; Xfinity Series race postponed

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:25 GMT

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Cup Series points leader William Byron will start on the pole for Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 after qualifying was rained out at Charlotte Motor Speedway.NASCAR also announced the Xfinity Series race scheduled for Saturday has been moved to Monday at noon ET.The Coca-Cola 600 is still scheduled to run, although a forecast that calls for rain threatens to postpone NASCAR’s longest race until Monday, too. Qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 had been scheduled for Saturday night but, with no windows of rain-free weather, NASCAR decided to cancel the event. “We will take it any way we can get it,” Byron said of starting at the front of the field.___AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Zach McKinstry’s 3 hits lead Detroit Tigers past Chicago White Sox, 7-3

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:01:25 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Zach McKinstry homered in a three-run seventh as the Detroit Tigers rallied to beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 on Saturday.McKinstry went 3 for 4 with a sacrifice fly and has reached base 19 times in the last seven games.The Tigers trailed 3-2 going into the bottom of the seventh, but McKinstry tied the game with a one-out homer off Joe Kelly (1-3), and back-to-back doubles by Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson gave Detroit a 4-3 lead.Torkelson took third on a wild pitch and Eric Haase punched a single over the drawn-in infield to make it 5-3.Zack Short hit a two-run homer to make it 7-3 in the eighth.Tigers starter Michael Lorenzen retired the first 17 batters before Romy Gonzalez lined a clean single up the middle with two out in the sixth.Chicago, though, went ahead in the seventh.Lorenzen left with a 2-0 lead and two on and two out in the seventh. Jake Burger reached first on an error, loading the bases, and Gavin Sheets followed with a three-run double off Jason F...