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Nestled against the Rocky Mountains, Boulder, Colorado, has blossomed into a thriving hub for the natural products and wellness industry. The tea company was later acquired by Hain Food Group — now Hain Celestial Group — in 2000 for $390 million. Hain Celestial Group CEO Wendy Davidson (left) and CNBC's Andrea Day (right) trekking along the historic footrails where the founders of Celestial Seasonings gathered wild herbs in 1969. Turning peanut butter into goldThe Boulder County Farmers Market, a vibrant incubator since 1987, exemplifies the region's thriving ecosystem. A sign from the Boulder Farmers Market, operating from April to November, serving as an incubator for numerous small food businesses.

Persons: Wendy Davidson, CNBC's Andrea Day, Davidson, It's, Justin Gold, butters, —, Gold, Daniel Acker, Juan Stewart, Stewart, Kristine Carey, Kristy Lewis, Quinn Snacks Organizations: U.S . News, Rockies, Hain Food, Group, CNBC, Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado, Farmers, Boulder Farmers, Foods, Hormel Foods, Bloomberg, Getty, Boulder County Farmers, Kroger, Companies Locations: U.S, CNBC's, Rocky, Boulder , Colorado, Boulder, University of Colorado Boulder, Tiskilwa , Illinois, Boulder County

☆ Fires Are the Sum of Our Choices
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In early February, the deadliest South American wildfires in a century swept through Valparaiso, Chile, killing more than a hundred people. In the United States, mercifully little land burned — only 2.6 million acres, which was less than half the recent average. But in Canada, fires ate through more than twice as much forest as the country’s previous modern record, the total burn scar large enough that more than half the world’s countries could fit inside. In Greece, one fire forced the country’s largest-ever evacuation, and another became the largest fire in the history of the European Union. And in the United States, especially, you increasingly hear a somewhat contrarian explanation that emphasizes fire suppression rather than warming.

Persons: “, Stephen Pyne, Daniel Swain Organizations: European Union, Sydney Locations: Valparaiso, Chile, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii’s, United States, Canada, Greece, Australia, McMurray , Alberta, Hawaii, Boulder County, Colo

When Daniel Skousen scrubs at the ash and soot covering his Maui home, he worries about the smell. Crews have installed air quality monitors throughout town and are spraying a soil sealant to prevent toxic ash from being washed into the ocean or blowing around. The Hawaii Department of Health's Environmental Health Services Division also told Skousen's attorney it had no records about residential testing of contaminants to release. “If it smells like burned plastic or burned electrical cables, then probably those chemicals are in the air and not healthy,” Hertz-Picciotto said. Whether a home can be made safe enough for residency comes down in part to the resident's risk tolerance, Hayes said.

Persons: Daniel Skousen, ”, Bill Hayes, Hayes, Char, ” Hayes, Crews, Kellen Ashford, Shawn Hamamoto, ‘, ’ ”, Edward Neiger, ” Ashford, Andrew Shoemaker, it's, Shoemaker, Dioxins, Skousen, Irva Hertz, Davis, Picciotto, ” Hertz, He’s Organizations: Hawaii Department of Education, Environmental, Agency, Associated Press, Hawaii Department of Health, Hawaii Department of, Environmental Health, Health Department, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, Lahaina Civic Center, World Health Organization, University of California, Hertz, Cooperative Institute for Research, Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Locations: Lahaina, Boulder County , Colorado, Maui, ” State, Skousen, “, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder

But the recent shift toward e-cigarettes that can’t be refilled has created a new environmental dilemma. U.S. teens and adults are buying roughly 12 million disposable vapes per month. But the quantities used in vaping devices are too small to warrant salvage. Disposable e-cigarettes currently account for about 53% of the multi-billion U.S. vaping market, according to U.S. government figures, more than doubling since 2020. The company has incinerated more than 1.6 million pounds of vaping waste in recent years, mostly unsold inventory or discontinued products.

Persons: ”, Yogi Hale Hendlin, Michael Garland, ” Garland, Brian King, “, New York Sheriff Anthony Miranda, Bob Cappadona, Daniel Ryan, Shelly Fuller, ” Fuller, Joseph Frederick, Matthew Perrone Organizations: WASHINGTON, University of California, Environmental, Agency, EPA, FDA, Regulators, New, Veolia, Centaurus High, ”, Twitter, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: U.S, San Francisco, Monroe County , New York, Arkansas, New York City, New York , California, Monroe County, “, New York, Gum Springs , Arkansas, Boulder County , Colorado, Boulder

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, suspect of the King Soopers grocery store shooting, appears in a Boulder County District courtroom at the Boulder County Justice Center in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. May 25, 2021. Still, the judge asked that Alissa remain in the custody of the state hospital where he has been confined for the past two years. Bakke agreed with prosecutors that Alissa, 24, stands a better chance of avoiding regression if he stays hospitalized than if he were returned to jail to await trial. That testimony marked the first indication of a motive for the shooting offered in the case in open court. Authorities said the murder weapon in the Boulder attack, a Ruger AR-556 pistol that resembles a semi-automatic rifle, was purchased by Alissa six days before the grocery store shooting spree.

Persons: Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, King, Matthew Jonas, Ingrid Bakke, Alissa, Bakke, Kathryn Herold, Loandra Torres, fidgety, Keith Coffman, Steve Gorman, Matthew Lewis, Chris Reese Organizations: Boulder County Justice Center, REUTERS, Colorado Mental Health, The Colorado Department of Human Services, Authorities, Ruger, Thomson Locations: Boulder County, Boulder, Boulder , Colorado, U.S, Colorado, Denver, Atlanta

☆ They fell in love and lost each other in South America. Then a note stuck on a door brought them back together
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

When he met Tracy, Tim was enjoying a six month traveling stint, unsure what came next. If you see this, let me know where you are staying!”As she and Monique closed, then locked, the hotel door, Tracy jammed the piece of paper into the door frame. A note on a hotel doorTracy had the idea to write a note and attach it to the hotel door. Tracy FerrellUnbeknown to Tracy, Tim had arrived in Cuenca a few days before her. Leaning against the hotel door, he wrote a reply underneath Tracy’s message, detailing where he was staying.

Persons: CNN — Tracy Ferrell, ”, Tracy, “, we’ve, Monique, let’s, ” Tracy, Tim, “ I’m, Tracy Ferrell, She’d, Cuenca –, German Shepherd, Tim Zych, Zealander who’d, Tim chatted, Tracy’s, Salar de, Tim didn’t, ’, Tracy Ferrell Unbeknown, he’d, Tim couldn’t, he’s, they’d, Keen, ” Tim, They’re, she’d, Tracy wasn’t, Tim Boulder, “ We’ll, ” Here's Tracy, –, ’ ”, they’re, Tracy Ferrell Tracy, Tracy “ Organizations: CNN, America, University of Colorado, South American Explorers ’, –, CNN Travel, Zealander, they’d, Communication, American Express, Denver International Airport, Boulder Locations: Cuenca, Ecuador, Quito, Peruvian, Ollantaytambo, South America, Ecuador –, German, London, New Zealand, Zealand, Salar, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Tim’s, Blanca, Tracy, Costa Rica, San Jose, Boulder , Colorado, Colorado, She’d, Boulder, Boston, Isla Mujeres, Mexico, Boulder county, Quinto

The suits allege that downed power lines operated by the company contributed to the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. The wildfire risk posed by aboveground power lines is well documented. Lives lost, billions in damagesThe Maui fires have killed at least 115 people with hundreds still missing. But Mitchell said insulating aboveground power lines with a protective covering is also an effective solution that is cheaper and can be rolled out more quickly. There is also technology coming to market that can de-energize power lines automatically when there's a problem, he said.

Persons: Mike Blake, Fitch, Berkshire Hathaway's, Paul Starita, They're, Singleton Schreiber, Alexandra von Meier, von Meier, Marshall, Michael Dougherty, Bob Frenzel, Xcel, Berkshire Hathaway, PacifiCorp, aboveground, Scott Aaronson, Aaronson, Joseph Mitchell, Mitchell Organizations: Reuters Electric, Hawaiian Electric, National Weather Service, Hawaii Electric, . Pacific Gas & Electric, PG, Xcel Energy, U.S . Forest Service, University of California, Moody's, Fitch, Electric, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Xcel, Marshall Fire, Marshall, Boulder, Labor, Fire, American Society of Civil Engineers, ASCE, The Edison Electric Institute, California Public Utilities Commission Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, Maui County, Hurricane, California, Berkshire, Berkshire Hathaway's PacifiCorp, Oregon, Colorado, Berkeley, Minnesota, Boulder County, Paradise, Golden

Emergency sirens on Maui, part of Hawaii's decades-old early warning system, never sounded. But authorities are finding existing emergency alert systems insufficient for these new threats - sometimes with deadly results. NEW CHALLENGESAcross much of the world, warning systems for natural disasters have not evolved in response to climate change, according to Schlegelmilch. While each locality faces a distinctive threat landscape and needs a unique warning system, disaster management experts see some solutions that can be applied everywhere. The county also acquired a warning system that can send alerts to cellphones, fixed phone lines, emails - and even fax machines.

Persons: Mike Blake, Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, Chris Gregg, Adam Weintraub, Bill Parker, Parker, Mike Chard, Chard, Laura Brewington, Julia Harte, Brad Brooks, Paul Thomasch, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Climate, East Tennessee State University, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, U.S . National Weather Service, Boulder Office, Disaster, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, Canada, Vermont, United States, Columbia, Jackson , Mississippi, Colorado's, Boulder, Boulder . Boulder, Chard, Boulder County, Pacific

☆ Suspect in 2021 Colorado supermarket shooting determined competent
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, suspect of the King Soopers grocery store shooting, appears in a Boulder County District courtroom at the Boulder County Justice Center in Boulder, Colorado, U.S. May 25, 2021. Matthew Jonas/Boulder Daily Camera/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDENVER, Aug 23 (Reuters) - A man accused of killing 10 people in a 2021 supermarket shooting in Colorado has been determined competent to stand trial, the prosecutor's office said Wednesday. A judge had ordered Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa in December 2021 to undergo treatment at the state's mental hospital after ruling he was incompetent to stand trial following two court-ordered psychological evaluations. On Wednesday, Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty's office said the Colorado Department of Human Services had recently provided a re-evaluation report that concluded Alissa had been "restored to competency." Alissa is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder stemming from the March 22, 2021 shooting at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, about 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Denver.

Persons: Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, King, Matthew Jonas, Michael Dougherty's, Alissa, Keith Coffman, Donna Bryson, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Boulder County Justice Center, REUTERS, Rights DENVER, Boulder District, Colorado Department of Human Services, Ruger, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Boulder County, Boulder, Boulder , Colorado, U.S, Colorado, Alissa, Denver

☆ Opinion | Maui and the Age of the Urban Firestorm
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

It wasn’t even really a wildfire. In general, we’ve long believed the built environment offered formidable firebreaks, and worried over what might be lost when fires passed near homes as a form of tragic collateral damage. As of Tuesday, the official death toll in Maui was 99, but almost 1 percent of all residents remained unaccounted for, and many locals were suggesting the death toll could increase significantly in the days ahead. A climate lawsuit launched by the island against Big Oil in 2020 specifically cited additional wildfire risk. But still, when the fire broke out, almost no one seemed adequately prepared.

Persons: Daniel Swain, Tubbs, Marshall, Chuck, Swain Organizations: Costco, New York, Big Oil Locations: Lahaina, Hawaii, Santa Rosa, Calif, Paradise, Boulder County, Colo, New, Maui

☆ Controlled burn and downed power line sparked Colorado's costliest wildfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Keith Coffman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A statue stands amidst the remains of homes destroyed by the Marshall Fire in Louisville, Colorado, U.S. December 31, 2021. REUTERS/Alyson McClaran/File PhotoDENVER, June 8 (Reuters) - Colorado's costliest wildfire on record started from fierce winds that damaged power lines and unearthed smoldering embers from a controlled burn days earlier, sparking two blazes that merged into a deadly conflagration, authorities said on Thursday. The sheriff's report was released as a group of two dozen homeowners and community members filed a lawsuit against Xcel Energy, the utility whose wind-damaged power lines the sheriff's office cited as having contributed to the deadly fire. Both the sheriff's office and local prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence of criminal conduct in connection with the blaze and determined that charges would be filed, the sheriff's statement said. Reporting by Keith Coffman in Denver; Editing by Steve Gorman and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alyson McClaran, Investigators, Marshall, Biden, Keith Coffman, Steve Gorman, Michael Perry Organizations: Marshall Fire, REUTERS, DENVER, Sheriff's, Xcel Energy, Energy, Thomson Locations: Louisville , Colorado, U.S, Boulder, Boulder County, Denver, Colorado

"Joe Biden and his political allies are indoctrinating your children," the flier, which NBC News reviewed, says in bold red letters translated from Spanish. "The primary motive behind that is to suppress Latino voters," he said. The Latino vote could be a factor in the outcome. Citizens for Sanity, a group associated with America First Legal, has also recently broadcast anti-immigration ads in California and Arizona. "Putting this out there could prevent a kid from receiving help that could prevent them from going down a darker path."

☆ Fire-razed lots in Colorado are going for up to $1.5 million as buyers bet on recovery from a wildfire that destroyed 1,000 homes. The prices signal that the appeal of the mountains still trumps clima
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In late 2021, a wildfire tore through the Boulder suburbs and destroyed nearly 1,100 homes. Roughly 10 months after that blaze, known as the Marshall Fire, the vast majority of the burned lots remain vacant. "Open space with the ability to build what you want — that really doesn't exist in Boulder County," Jennifer Eiss, a Boulder real-estate agent with Compass, said. The median sale price for Marshall Fire lots that sold in the third quarter was $416,000, according to MLS data. Newer, more-sustainable building methods, combined with an emphasis on protective borders around homes, could help mitigate fire risks, Pechet said.

Cole was arrested on a domestic violence charge and transferred to the Boulder County Jail. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office had said that Cole was intoxicated and had been “physically combative” with the arresting officers that night. According to the lawsuit, Mecca taunted Cole as the other deputies restrained him in the chair. Neither the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office nor Mecca immediately responded to a request for comment. Gotthelf filed an excessive force lawsuit that was settled with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office for $400,000 that same week as the incident involving Cole took place.

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