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The cold front is moving through Central Texas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:14 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The much talked about cold front arrived in San Saba and Lampasas Counties before sunrise. It quickly lowered temperatures and dew points, leaving strong north winds behind.The front will glide to the southeast during the morning into early afternoon. Based on present trends it should be out of the viewing area by 3 to 4 p.m.Colder air settles in this afternoonWind chills come into play for the first time thanks to a biting north winds as high as 15 to 20 mph and gusts as high as 40 to 45 mph.By 9 p.m. wind chills will be in the low to mid 30s across the northern and western Hill Country communities. They will fall further to rush hour readings ranging from the mid 20s to low 30s. Monday afternoon wind chills will be in the 30s areawide. Very cold air in place for the start of the work weekSo, in other words, plan for a very cold start to the work week.Streamer showers were very prevalent this morning. More rain and thunderstorms are in the day's outlook. Off and on...

What is 'natural wine,' and is it as sustainable as some suggest?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:14 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- It's out with the new and in with the old for some wine enthusiasts, as "natural wine" production is seeing a resurgence in popularity, according to October reporting from the Associated Press.Alcohol delivery service Drizly's 2023 BevAlc trend report revealed more wine drinkers are seeking prioritization of organic and natural options when it comes to wine selections, alongside increased transparency in ingredients used and lower calorie options. In comes "natural wine," a process that taps into the ancient history of winemaking that goes back thousands of years."There is no clear definition or legal definition for that matter of natural wine," said Dr. Andreea Botezatu, an associate professor and enology extension specialist with the Texas A&M University's Texas AgriLife Extension Service. "Broadly speaking, natural wine is wine made with minimal intervention."Botezatu said many natural wine producers lean into the use of organic grapes, or those grown without...

Chilly showers and falling temperatures: rainy day ahead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:14 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- We have some scattered light rain out there this morning. Temperatures are in the low to mid-40s for most places and this is where temperatures will stay for most of the day.While we should see some breaks in the rain later in the morning and early afternoon, widespread rain will build back in the late afternoon and through the evening. Temperatures this evening will also steadily fall as the rain tapers off tonight. The winds will be a bit gusty, making it feel even colder. By Monday morning, temperatures will be in the upper 20s to low 30s. Another front comes through Monday into Tuesday, bringing even colder air into the region. It'll be quite chilly for trick-or-treating. Temperatures gradually warm for the second half of the week. 

Denver Kids takes holistic approach to helping students thrive, plan future

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:14 GMT

Norman Mestas and Dat Bui have gotten to know each other over the past couple of years. They talk about what’s going on in school, life in general and, of course, sports. Specifically baseball, Norman’s favorite.The two were brought together through the program Denver Kids, a partnership between Denver Public Schools and the Rotary Club of Denver that works to keep students on track to graduation and possibly a post-secondary education.Norman, 14, is a freshman at Rocky Mountain Prep SMART and in his second year with Denver Kids. Bui is an educational and social, emotional and learning counselor who has regular meetings with Norman and is available at other times. They sometimes play catch at lunch time and in the summer.The Denver Post Season To Share is the annual holiday fundraising campaign for The Denver Post and The Denver Post Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Grants are awarded to local nonprofit agencies that provide life-changing program...

Can Mayor Mike Johnston keep his homelessness promise?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:14 GMT

Mayor Mike Johnston has just two months to find housing for 830 people if he is to keep his promise to move 1,000 of Denver’s homeless off the streets by the end of the year.“We feel a real sense of momentum and we do believe that it’s possible,” he said. “We think the pieces are in place to be able to help get 1,000 Denverites off the streets and we know a lot of these units will come on in November and December.”But roadblocks and a raft of questions remain with some homeless advocates and City Council members suggesting a slower approach might be more productive, allowing the city to focus on providing fewer people with better support to get into long-term housing.“The mayor may indeed reach his goal for “Housing” 1,000 but that’s within his defined parameters, which most advocates and providers, including myself, don’t agree with,” said Jess Wiederholt, a member of the homeless support and advocacy group Mut...

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless answers call to work toward solving homelessness in Denver

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:14 GMT

For nearly 40 years, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless employees have worked to prevent and solve homelessness by providing housing, health care and support services to tens of thousands of people every year.So the increased focus and fervor for homelessness and housing issues by city and state officials is appreciated, if a little delayed.“What I will say is, 25 or 30 years ago, this issue was very urgent to us,” said Cathy Alderman, chief communications and public policy officer for Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “It’s our mission to provide lasting solutions for homelessness, and what we haven’t seen is the city, state and federal government really recognize the crisis that we were living with every single day.”The Denver Post Season To Share is the annual holiday fundraising campaign for The Denver Post and The Denver Post Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Grants are awarded to local nonprofit agencies that provide life-changing programs to help l...

Food Bank of the Rockies makes effort to serve immigrant and refugee communities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:14 GMT

When Kenyan native Fato visits New Freedom Park at 13th Avenue and Xenia Street in Denver, she’s surrounded by reminders of others who have traveled thousands of miles to make Colorado their home — and not just because the two-acre space was designed by immigrants and refugees.The park is also the site of weekly food distribution tables set up by Kaizen Food Share, which offers brightly colored, “culturally responsive” produce that reflects the backgrounds of people who gather to receive it.“This helps a lot, especially if SNAP has run out for the month or you haven’t gotten your paycheck,” said Fato, whose last name has been withheld in the Food Bank of the Rockies campaign in which she’s featured. “Especially if you have kids — they always want to eat!”Kaizen is a Hunger Relief partner of Food Bank of the Rockies, one of the nonprofit recipients of financial support from The Denver Post Foundation’s Season to ...

Child Health Clinic in Aurora provides care for 13,000 low-income kids

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:14 GMT

Children’s Hospital Colorado, which began in 1897 as a summer tent camp in Denver’s City Park for sick babies, is refocusing on primary care at its Child Health Clinic in Aurora to help low-income kids and their families.This clinic, with 32 rooms, allowed doctors and nurses to provide primary care for more than 13,000 kids last year — 85% of them uninsured or from families unable to afford health care, relying on Medicaid, and often wrestling with hardships. Run by the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, the clinic is listed among the essential institutions for this year’s Season to Share charitable giving campaign.For many of the patients, just getting to the clinic is a challenge, said Dr. Daniel Nicklas, the medical director, pointing to broader labor and economic policy problems. “If the parents take time off work, they could lose their jobs.”The Denver Post Season To Share is the annual holiday fundraising campaign for The Denver Post and The Denve...

On Día de los Muertos, Denverites’ sacred altars help reunite the living and the dead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:14 GMT

Each fall, Maruca Salazar prepares her home for visitors from another realm.The 71-year-old scatters the walkway to her house on Denver’s Northside with the rich, orange petals of the cempasúchil — marigold — flowers. The blossoms, grown by Salazar, are synonymous with the traditional Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos as they are thought to be fragrant enough to attract the spirits of deceased loved ones to their family’s homes and altars.On Thursday, Day of the Dead, Salazar’s family will pack the matriarch’s home and gather around a sacred altar overflowing with photos of the dead and ofrendas — offerings — made up of the departed’s favorite earthly delights. The day serves as a reunion between the living and the dead when the veil between realms is considered thinnest.“It is really peaceful,” Salazar said. “I am happy to know that when you’re gone, there is a beyond, and that beyond is powerful. It ...

After universal preschool’s launch, how will Colorado resolve problems facing parents and schools?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:14 GMT

When Colorado’s universal preschool program was set to launch, Carly Sargent-Knudson looked forward to full days in the classroom for 4-year-old Rune, paid for entirely by the state.She qualifies for a specialized education plan to help with speech development, checking a box the state said would make Sargent-Knudson’s daughter eligible for 30 hours per week of free class time, double what’s guaranteed to all children. But facing a flood of demand, the state made a late-summer change that added household income limits at a middle-class level for the extra time, regardless of other qualifying factors.For Sargent-Knudson’s family, “free” ended up costing close to $800 a month to get the full 30 hours — an unforeseen expense that has resulted in the Boulder County family cutting back on groceries, changing cell phone carriers and otherwise scrimping. That’s what they say it’s taking to afford “the best educational foundation” ...