Why the return of Anacostia River’s apex predator, the otter, is a good sign

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 17:33:12 GMT

Why the return of Anacostia River’s apex predator, the otter, is a good sign While the water quality of the Anacostia River is not held in high regard by many, some advocates and environmentalists say they have seen a number of exciting changes.First, they say when they’re out in their boats, they can see their propellers in the water. That wasn’t the case only a short time ago.Another positive sign is the increasing number of river otter sightings. Cameras set up at different points of the river are also snapping pictures of them.More DC NewsMore Local NewsRecently river otters have been spotted along the Anacostia’s Northwest Branch near Heurich Park in Hyattsville. They’ve also been spotted along the kayak docks at Bladensburg’s Waterfront Park and near Kingman Island in Northeast D.C.Members of the Anacostia Watershed Society say the otter sightings are a good omen for the river because of their diet of mostly fish and crawfish, which accumulate a lot of the river pollutants in their bodies.“The otter being the apex predator is the one that gets al...

Yoon: Seoul-Tokyo ties key to address N Korea, supply chains

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 17:33:12 GMT

Yoon: Seoul-Tokyo ties key to address N Korea, supply chains SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president wants Japan to join his efforts to improve ties frayed over Tokyo’s past colonial rule, saying there is an increasing need for greater bilateral cooperation because of North Korean nuclear threats and global supply chain challenges. “We cannot afford to waste time while leaving strained Korea-Japan relations unattended,” President Yoon Suk Yeol said in written response to questions posed by several foreign media outlets including The Associated Press. “I believe we must end the vicious cycle of mutual hostility and work together to seek our two countries’ common interests.”Yoon’s comments were provided Wednesday, a day before he travels to Tokyo for a closely watched summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The focus of attention is whether and what corresponding steps Kishida would take in response to Yoon’s recent plans to use South Korean funds to compensate some of the colonial-era Korean forced laborers without requiri...

Canadiens snap seven-game losing streak, beat Penguins 6-4

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 17:33:12 GMT

Canadiens snap seven-game losing streak, beat Penguins 6-4 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Anthony Richard scored the winning goal in the third period and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-4 on Tuesday night.Richard scored at 3:05 of the third period. He took a stretch pass from Justin Barron and beat Casey DeSmith to the glove side. Montreal rebounded from an 8-4 home loss against Colorado on Monday and snapped a seven-game losing streak.Montreal, which won its first game in March, has lost eight of its last 10 games overall.“I feel like we’ve played some really good hockey, as of late, but we just haven’t gotten rewarded for it,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “It wasn’t perfect, but I think the group needed that kind of result.”Josh Anderson scored an empty-net goal while the Penguins pressed for the tie. Mike Hoffman scored his 11th while Denis Gurianov, Jesse Ylonen and Joel Edmundson also scored for the Canadiens.Sam Montembeault made 39 saves.“Montembeault was probably the difference,” St. Louis said. “He played real we...

Kendrick Castillo's parents refuse settlement, push to make STEM shooting records public

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 17:33:12 GMT

Kendrick Castillo's parents refuse settlement, push to make STEM shooting records public DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — On any given day, you can find John and Maria Castillo at the Seven Stones Cemetery in Douglas County. Every day after work, they meet at their son's memorial to speak with him about their day. But Tuesday wasn't just any day. Tuesday would have been Kendrick's 22nd birthday."Me and your mom wish you were here with us today," John said, addressing his son at the memorial site. "Not here, but somewhere else."Castillos refuse settlement, push for public recordsNearly four years after their son was killed inside STEM School Highlands Ranch, they say certain details of what happened are not public.  Retired teacher and daughter lose almost $200,000 in wire fraud A Douglas County judge has ordered STEM to pay the Castillos $387,000 as part of a lawsuit settlement. According to attorney Dan Caplis, STEM is asking the court to prevent the public from seeing certain evidence in that testimony."The Castillos believe that what they have unc...

Driver plows into Wheat Ridge shop with business owner inside

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 17:33:12 GMT

Driver plows into Wheat Ridge shop with business owner inside WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (KDVR) — Drivers in Wheat Ridge watched as a suspected DUI driver swerved into oncoming traffic and crashed into a local business.   The vehicle crashed into Swiss Flower and Gift, located right off Kipling Street and 44th Avenue on Monday evening. Bullet goes through home of Colorado senator Owner Heidi Haas-Sheard said her husband was inside the shop at the time of the crash but was uninjured."My husband calls me and he says, 'Call 911, there’s an emergency. Someone drove into the building,'" she said.Haas-Sheard said she was right next door in their new building helping customers.  “We ran over there and here’s this car inside the old shop," Haas-Sheard said. “It took out the wall, took out the chairs. And thankfully, we usually have a table there where we are disassembling puzzles because we make puzzles next door, and luckily that table wasn’t there where my son is usually taking puzzles apart."Video shows a driver swerve into oncoming traffic and plow int...

Nederland adjusting to life without a police department

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 17:33:12 GMT

Nederland adjusting to life without a police department NEDERLAND, Colo. (KDVR) — Residents in one Boulder County town are slowly adjusting to life without a police department. Over time, the town of Nederland has lost its entire police force. A tax increase was supposed to help fund and pay for new officers. The process to find those replacements fell short. “We don’t pay them enough," said John Thompson, who owns the nearby Mountain Man Outdoor Store. "It’s a tough, thankless job." Aiming lasers at aircraft poised to be a felony in Colorado Since last fall, Boulder County Sheriff's deputies have been filling in the gap. A spokesperson for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, said, in part: “We are in discussion with the town of Nederland to provide their public safety services." Nederland is about an hour northwest of Denver.

Treat yourself to a taste of Italy with Pasta Fagioli con Prosciutto

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 17:33:12 GMT

Treat yourself to a taste of Italy with Pasta Fagioli con Prosciutto My Italian friend invited me over for what she said was a new look at one of Italy’s most famous soups, Pasta Fagioli, or pasta and bean soup. She decided to add some ham to her recipe to make it a more filling supper. It was a great success. Here’s a quick version.I use acini di pepe, a very small round pasta, for the soup. In Italy they use the last bits of pasta left from opened boxes — a great way to use leftover pasta.You can use canned Great Northern beans instead of cannellini beans.You can use four crushed garlic cloves instead of minced garlic.Prosciutto is the Italian name for ham. The recipe calls for smoked deli ham. Ask the deli to make 1/2-inch slices so you can cut them into cubes.TAG GOES HEREPasta Fagioli Con Proscuitto (Pasta and Bean Soup with Ham)INGREDIENTS1/2 pound deli smoked ham1 cup rinsed and drained reduced-sodium cannellini beans2 cups canned, reduced-sodium diced tomatoes, including their juice1 cup sliced celery2 teaspoons minced garlic2 cups reduced-so...

Brett Goldstein still scoring goals as ‘Ted Lasso’ returns to AppleTV+

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 17:33:12 GMT

Brett Goldstein still scoring goals as ‘Ted Lasso’ returns to AppleTV+ Brett Goldstein is riding a virtual tsunami of international applause co-starring opposite Jason Sudeikis in AppleTV+’s surprising, Emmy-winning sensation, the sports comedy “Ted Lasso” whose third and final season launches Wednesday.Yet he’s not sure why.Goldstein, 42, plays Roy Kent, who when “Ted” began was a fading soccer play with an attitude — and an aptitude for virtually nonstop swearing.  This season he’s a coach as the team ascends into the Premier league.A two-time Emmy winner in the first two seasons, Goldstein, who began in standup and fringe theater, doubles as a writer – an executive writer on “Ted” and now also on “Shrinking,” another hit AppleTV+ series that stars Jason Segel and, in his very first TV series, Harrison Ford.And let us not forget Hercules. As in Goldstein’s fully costumed Marvel end-credits surprise appearance as the Roman god in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” which in true Marvel fashion he can’t comment on.Reasons for the phenomenal succe...

Double-baked sweet potatoes great marathon fuel

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 17:33:12 GMT

Double-baked sweet potatoes great marathon fuel Like a lot of runners, I ate a lot of sweet potatoes back when I was training for distance events that required a diet full of healthy carbs and muscle-loving antioxidants. Even now that I don’t run so long or so far, I still love the orange-fleshed tubers because they’re so easy to prepare, play well with other ingredients and are a relatively inexpensive source of stuff that’s good for the body such as beta carotene and vitamin C.Usually, it’s enough to simple-slice them into fat wedges and then roast in a hot oven with a little salt and paprika. When I’m in the mood for something a little more filling but still vegetarian, I mash the insides after baking and slicing the potatoes in half, add some spices and other ingredients, and then spoon the mashed filling back inside the shells for a second bake.Maybe you’re training for the Boston Marathon event on April 17 or simply like the idea of eating vegetarian on occasion. This double-baked sweet p...

Classic sandwich gets vegan twist

Published Tue, 03 Dec 2024 17:33:12 GMT

Classic sandwich gets vegan twist The bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, commonly known as the BLT, is a classic. People who avoid meat for health or other reasons can enjoy the essence of a BLT in a wholesome sandwich full of tasty ingredients all their own. A Tempeh, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich (TLT)  is a worthy stand-in for the traditional BLT.Toasted bread and tempeh add bite to the sandwich and tangy mustard gives it an extra kick. Try this recipe, courtesy of “The Contented Vegan” (Head of Zeus) by Peggy Brusseau. Tempeh,TAG GOES HERETempeh, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich (TLT)INGREDIENTS1 tablespoon untoasted sesame oil3 1/2 ounces tempeh, cut into slices no more than 1/2 inch thick2 slices favorite bread1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil1 teaspoon favorite mustard2 lettuce leaves1 tomato, slicedDash of tamari and/or hot sauceDIRECTIONSHeat the oil in a frying pan (skillet) set over medium heat. Add the tempeh slices to the pan and cook for about 7 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown, ...