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As “food is medicine” movement takes hold, Colorado Medicaid looks to pay for produce and better meals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:10 GMT

Colorado’s Medicaid agency, health care providers and nonprofits want more people to get nutritious food as part of their overall health care, but no one is sure how to fund something beyond the current patchwork of programs.The “food is medicine” movement has gained traction in recent years as insurance providers and government agencies determined they could achieve better health outcomes, for less money, by improving people’s diets than by giving them medical treatment after their conditions worsened.The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which oversees the state’s Medicaid program, has made nutrition a priority and plans to ask for federal funding to bring healthy food to more members.As it stands, the state’s Medicaid program can only pay for meals for people with certain disabilities who recently got out of the hospital, left a nursing home, or are at risk of being placed in a facility because they lost their caregiver o...

RTD’s reduced fares and monthly pass prices take effect in the new year. Here is what’s changing.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:10 GMT

Colorado’s Regional Transportation District will give its train and bus riders’ wallets a break in the new year by reducing its base local fare for the first time in its history — and slashing monthly pass costs even more deeply as part of a full revamp of its pricing.The metro Denver transportation agency’s board approved the fare restructuring plan in July, and it takes effect on Monday, Jan. 1. The standard fare on most buses and most trains will be $2.75, down just a quarter from the current $3 local fare.But by simplifying and combining some of its fare tiers, RTD’s changes will save many riders even more than that — including up to 56% if they purchase a full-price monthly pass.An overview of the changes:The new $2.75 standard fare will replace the current local ($3) and regional ($5.25) fares for up to three hours of bus and train rides.Day passes for all rides except for those to Denver International Airport will cost $5.50, down from the ...

5-year-old child found dead with barricade suspect in Long Beach home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:10 GMT

A standoff ended in tragedy when officers discovered the bodies of the suspect and a 5-year-old child inside a Long Beach home.Officers responded to a domestic dispute in the 3400 block of Adriatic Avenue shortly after 2:30 p.m. Thursday, the Long Beach Police Department posted on X, formerly Twitter.Long Beach firefighters were called to the scene when officers noticed smoke and fire coming from the residence. Police respond to a barricade situation in Long Beach on Dec. 28, 2023. (OC Hawk)Once the flames were extinguished, officers established a perimeter and called in a SWAT team believing the suspect, described as an adult male, was still barricaded in the home. Some nearby homes were evacuated and other residents were ordered to shelter in place.Officers eventually obtained a search warrant and located the deceased suspect inside the home with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the department posted in an update at 12:15 a.m. Friday. Police also located a 5-year-old chil...

Metro bus slams into parked motorhome

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:10 GMT

An investigation is underway Friday to determine what caused a Metro bus to crash into a parked motorhome in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The incident was reported around 2 a.m. near the intersection of West 90th Street and Normandie Avenue.A man who was sleeping inside the motorhome said he was awakened by the sounds of the crash. Video from the scene showed major damage to both vehicles. The man said that items inside the motorhome fell on top of him as the vehicle was pushed forward, also striking his SUV. The man did not appear to be seriously hurt. There was no word on the condition of the bus driver. It was also unclear if there were any passengers on the bus at the time of the crash.

Wisconsin university chancellor says he was fired for appearing in porn videos with wife

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:10 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow said Thursday that the school's governing board fired him because members were uncomfortable with him and his wife producing and appearing in pornographic videos.The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents, which oversees UW-Madison, UW-La Crosse and 11 other regional campuses, voted unanimously during a hastily convened closed meeting Wednesday evening to fire Gow.After the vote, Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman and regents President Karen Walsh issued statements saying the regents had learned of specific conduct by Gow that subjected the university to “significant reputational harm.” Rothman called Gow's actions “abhorrent” and Walsh said she was “disgusted.” But neither of them offered any details of the allegations.Gow told The Associated Press in a phone interview Thursday morning that regents had discovered that he and his wife, former UW-La Crosse professor Carmen Wilson, had be...

Scout Gillett Digs Van Etten

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:10 GMT

Scout Gillett Digs Van Etten: Scout Gillett told us about her Sharon Van Etten experience.Scout Gillett: One of my favorite shows I’ve seen was Sharon Van Etten in April of 2022 at Union Pool for her Album release for We’ve Been Going About this all Wrong.My roommate Jesse Mosher in Brooklyn, NY was doing live sound for her tour and I met Sharon before moving to NY 6 years ago. It was such an intimate way of seeing her and her band sounded amazing.I thought it was really cool that the group had been used to playing much larger rooms on this tour and they adapted seamlessly to the Union Pool capacity of 150 and made it feel just as massive in a different kind of way.I listened to the record before the show on repeat and the songs were so hooky and catchy – I was already singing along to some at the show. I really respect Sharon as a person and as a phenomenal songwriter and performer. I left the show feeling fuzzy and so inspired and those are the kinds of shows tha...

Wish Book: HealthRIGHT 360’s Asian American Recovery Services helps tackle stigma over mental health, substance use

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:10 GMT

Perla Equihua, a 19-year-old Chicana woman, brims with pride as she recounts the last six years — a journey from frequent blackouts as a young teen caused by a drug cocktail of pills and alcohol to learning how to stop and take a breath and cope without substances.Her longtime care coordinator, Cristina Aldama, sits next to her in one of HealthRIGHT 360‘s East San Jose offices, intently listening. The pair have grown close over the years, evidenced by quick glances of reassurance and warm smiles that turn into big grins. Equihua said her mother doesn’t know much of what she’s been through in the last half decade, but Aldama does.Perla Equihua’s longtime care coordinator Cristina Aldama, left, smiles as Equihua talks during an interview at one of  HealthRIGHT 360’s East San Jose offices on Oct. 24, 2023. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) “My confidence? It’s crazy now,” Equihua said, flashing her 1,000-watt smile once again.Since age 13, Equihu...

Prep roundup: Jimenez comes through in the clutch again as Salesian stays unbeaten

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:10 GMT

Boys basketballNo. 2 Salesian 59, Centennial-Corona 57Since traveling to the Classic at Damien tournament, Zander Jimenez must have a body temperature far below the typical 97 degrees fahrenheit. In each of Salesian’s two games at the prestigious tournament, the senior guard has had ice water running through his veins in crunch time. On Thursday night, trailing Centennial by one point with under a minute left, Jimenez canned a corner three-pointer to give Salesian the lead. Jimenez knocked down four straight free throws with under 10 seconds left to close out a win against Windward the day before. Salesian (12-0) will play St. John Bosco on Friday night in the semifinal. Aside from Jimenez’s heroics, Salesian got its usual stellar performances from its consistent standouts. Aaron Hunkin-Claytor scored 17 points, De’Undrae Perteete dropped in 12 and Alvin Loving IV scored 10 points. Damien 52, No. 1 De La Salle 42The Bay Area News Group’s top team lost its first game of the season, a...

San Jose cop behind racist texts had large cache of weapons seized because of message about shooting Black attorney

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:10 GMT

A San Jose police officer who resigned in November when his racist text messages surfaced — including one threatening to shoot a Black attorney — also had a large stockpile of weapons seized by authorities due to a gun violence restraining order against him, the Mercury News has learned.Mark McNamara, who joined the SJPD in 2017, cannot access his 18 firearms until May 2024, according to court documents filed in November. The confiscation of his weapons was initiated amid an ongoing civil lawsuit against the city over a controversial shooting where McNamara wounded a man at a downtown San Jose taqueria in 2022.The text that sparked the restraining order was directed at Adanté Pointer — the lawyer representing shooting victim K’aun Green in the lawsuit — and was sent to a former SJPD officer and another who is on administrative leave because of the messages. The names of the recipients of McNamara’s messages haven’t been released.“The other day thi...

Elderly resident critically injured in San Leandro house fire Thursday evening

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:10 GMT

The Alameda County Fire Department responded to a house fire on Thrush Ave. in San Leandro shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday evening, according to a post on X, formerly called Twitter.ACFD is on the scene of a house fire on Thrush Ave in San Leandro. Please avoid the area. #ALCOFIRE #sanleandro pic.twitter.com/9D6MKeSkez— Alameda County Fire (@AlamedaCoFire) December 29, 2023Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Former Oakland fire chief resigns from top San Rafael job Crashes and Disasters | ‘One of the pillars’: 95-year-old Oakland artist known for vivid depictions of Black life killed in house fire Crashes and Disasters | Vacant harbor master’s office at San Leandro Marina destroyed by fire Crashes and Disasters | Car catches fire in eastbound Caldecott Tunnel Crashes and Disasters | Christmas morning fire in San Leandro apartment building displaces three people According to a re...