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Opinion: Can all that empty office space be converted to condos and appartments?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:44 GMT

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, more companies have offered remote work options for their employees, or have even switched to working entirely remotely – leaving empty office buildings a new fixture in many cities. In July 2023, Boston’s Planning and Development Agency announced a pilot program to offer incentives to building developers who convert office buildings to residential housing.As engineers who study buildings, we wanted to know if these empty spaces could be converted to residential buildings, and what hurdles developers would face.While converting office buildings to multi-family residential involves many considerations – including zoning codes, real estate values, and structural issues – certain buildings may be good candidates for this type of conversion. Here’s what it would take to remodel these spaces.Redefining spaceFirst off, the building owners wouldn’t need to make any major structural changes to convert an office building to a residential building. Most offi...

High winds in Lafayette force hot air balloon down, 2 injured in landing

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:44 GMT

Two hot air balloon passengers were injured after the pilot forced a hard landing in Lafayette Friday morning.At 7:18 a.m. Friday, the Lafayette Police Department responded to reports of a hot air balloon down on the ground, said Deputy Chief Brian Rosipajla.The balloon was seen launching from the Erie Hot Air Balloon Festival early Friday morning.According to Rosipajla, the pilot attempted to make a quick landing near 700 Avalon Avenue due to high winds.Related ArticlesColorado News | Denver’s fatal fentanyl overdoses rose 16% in first half of 2023 Colorado News | Woman shot, killed in Westminster home in apparent drive-by shooting Colorado News | Man shot dead by Adams County sheriff deputy at Lakeside Inn on Federal Boulevard Colorado News | Gov. Jared Polis elected vice chair of the National Governors Association Colorado News | Eastbound 6th Avenue cleared after three-vehicle crash forced closure a...

Heat advisory issued in Los Angeles due to triple-digit temperatures

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:44 GMT

The heat is here, and the city of Los Angeles is warning Southern Californians to stay cool and safe.The city issued a heat advisory that began at 10 a.m. Friday and will remain in place until 11 p.m. Sunday.In a press release, the city called this weekend's weather "the first significant heat event of the season.""Temperatures could reach 106 degrees in the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys," officials said.City officials encouraged the public to stay hydrated and cool by remaining in shade or inside air-conditioned buildings."If you do not live in an air-conditioned building, you may take refuge from the heat at a public library, recreation facility, senior center or other public air-conditioned building near you," the release said.A list of cooling centers can be found on the city's website."Drink plenty of fluids, stay indoors or in the shade, stay in a cool area, and check up on relatives and neighbors, especially if they have pre-existing health conditions," officials sugge...

Two Killed in Single-Vehicle Crash near North MacArthur Drive [Tracy, CA]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:44 GMT

Solo-Vehicle Accident near Grant Line Road Left Two FatalitiesTRACY, CA (July 14, 2023) – Friday night, two people died in a solo-car crash near North MacArthur Drive, police said.According to the Tracy police, the incident happened on July 7th at around 9:45 p.m. involving only one vehicle.Investigation showed that the vehicle occupied by two people was headed northbound when they veered off the road and crashed into a parking lot.Furthermore, the two men were pronounced deceased at the scene by responding authorities.At this time, it was not yet determined whether impairment or speed played a role in the incident.Meanwhile, the authorities blocked North MacArthur Drive from East Grant Line Road to East 11th Street. It has since been reopened.The identities of both men were not yet released by the officials and further investigation is still ongoing.Sweet James sends out their heartfelt sympathies to the friends and family of the victims who are grieving over the loss of thei...

4 Injured in Two-Vehicle Collision on North Owensmouth Avenue [Los Angeles, CA]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:44 GMT

Two-Vehicle High-Speed Collision near Canoga Avenue Left Four HurtLOS ANGELES, CA (July 14, 2023) – Late Friday night, four people sustained injuries in a collision on North Owensmouth Avenue.On July 7th, just before 10:40 p.m., police responded to the area between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Canoga Avenue involving a two-vehicle crash.According to LAFD, the two vehicles each had two occupants inside. The crash caused the occupants to become trapped inside the vehicles.First responders arrived at the site of the collision shortly after. Crews then extricated all four occupants and authorities transported them to a hospital for treatment.Meanwhile, footage showed that a fire hydrant was struck and an SUV was overturned and the sedan was totaled on the sidewalk.At this time, the crash is under investigation.Simply by driving defensively and following the conditions of the road, you can prevent a reckless driving accident. Do not engage in any non-driving activity which creates ...

Michael Connors, Arba Rene Smith Dead after Motorcycle Crash at Chestnut Avenue [Fresno, CA]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:44 GMT

Two Killed in Vehicle-Motorcycle Collision near Clinton AvenuesFRESNO, CA (July 14, 2023) – Tuesday evening, a motorcycle crash on Chestnut Avenue claimed the lives of Michael Connors and Arba Rene Smith.The accident happened around 10:30 p.m., July 4th, along Clinton Avenue and Chestnut Avenue.According to the reports, the driver of a vehicle, for unknown reasons, had hit a motorcycle carrying a Connors and Smith. The impact of the crash caused the motorcycle to become trapped underneath the car.First responders arrived at the scene and determined that the man had succumbed to his injuries. Meanwhile, paramedics transported the woman to a local hospital where she later passed away.Police later identified the victims as 55-year-old Michael Connors of Fresno and 50-year-old Arba Rene Smith of Clovis.Following the crash, the involved driver remained at the scene and cooperated with the police.Authorities are continuing their investigation and are working to determine if impairme...

Econometer: Will restarting student loan payments hurt the economy?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:44 GMT

Philip Molnar | The San Diego Union-TribuneStudent loan interest rates and payments are set to restart in the fall, and the Supreme Court decided recently to scrap President Biden’s debt relief plan.Some economists have predicted a fiscal contraction as 40 million Americans are faced with payments again.The thinking is the spending power of a large part of the population is about to decrease, hurting the economy.However, critics of student loan debt relief often argue it is high-paid people who didn’t lose work during the pandemic who benefited most from a pause, making a restart on payments less of an economic hit. Centrist think tank Brookings Institute said about 71 percent of households with outstanding debt have incomes that place them in the middle 60 percent of income distribution.Q: Could restarting student loan payments hurt the economy?Gary London, London Moeder AdvisorsNO: The net effect to the economy is zero. Funds spent on student loan repayments would have...

House GOP pushes through defense bill that fights ‘woke’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:44 GMT

By Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking | Associated PressWASHINGTON — The House passed a sweeping defense bill Friday that provides an expected 5.2% pay raise for service members but strays from traditional military policy with Republicans add-ons blocking abortion coverage, diversity initiatives at the Pentagon and transgender care that deeply divided the chamber.Democrats voted against the package, which had sailed out of the House Armed Services Committee on an almost unanimous vote weeks ago before being loaded with the GOP priorities during a heated late-night floor debate this week.The final vote was 219-210, with four Democrats siding with the GOP and four Republicans opposed. The bill, as written, is expected to go nowhere in the Democratic-majority Senate.Efforts to halt U.S. funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia were turned back, but Republicans added provisions to stem the Defense Department’s diversity initiatives and to restrict access to abortions. The abortio...

LGBTQ+ Russians fleeing Kremlin’s anti-gay propaganda seek safe haven in California

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:44 GMT

Last year, Maksim was a soldier in the Russian army. A picture from that time depicts a young man in a uniform, his short haircut covered by a military beret, as he clutches a rifle. Despite his fearless posture in the photo, Maksim’s time in the Russian Army was marked with anxiety and panic attacks. As a gay man in a country that made anti-gay ideology a foundation of its anti-Ukraine propaganda, he feared for his life every day.Today, Maksim has a different life. He recently moved into a house in Southern California with his boyfriend Dmitrii. On a recent day, his blonde hair was covered by a black baseball cap, and he fixed his blue eyes on Dmitrii, who was sitting on a couch in a high-ceilinged house the couple shares with other roommates in the Los Angeles area.“I still can’t believe I can kiss him and hold his hand in public,” Maksim, 22, said in Russian. “I’m excited about our relationship, but I’m still afraid of (physical) attacks.”Maksim and Dmitrii, who declined to give ...

A 19-foot Burmese python is the longest ever to be wrangled in Florida

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:44 GMT

Jake Waleri couldn’t come to the phone Thursday night. Just days after he caught the longest Burmese python ever recorded in Florida, measuring 19-feet long, he was out for another late night of hunting.Waleri, 22, of Naples, and a group of fellow python hunters captured the 125-pound invasive behemoth, a female, in the Big Cypress National Preserve early Monday morning and brought it to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples to be measured, the nonprofit said in a news release.Before Monday, the previous record-holding snake, captured in October 2020, measured 18-feet, 9-inches. Another female, it was captured not far west of Miami in Everglades National Park.The python was slithering on the grassy side of a road in the nature preserve when Waleri went behind it and pulled its body toward him, a video he posted on his Instagram shows, the snake’s head facing him. The snake lunged toward Waleri, and within a split second, he grabbed its neck with his right hand.With both han...