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Mining companies betting on autonomous technology to make dangerous jobs safer

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:56 GMT

CALGARY — Forget about the canary in the coal mine — experts say the day is coming when there won’t even be a need for a human.The global mining industry has come a long way since the days when coal-blackened miners would carry a bird underground with them  in hopes its distress would alert them to the presence of toxic gases.Today, companies are employing everything from driverless haul trucks to remote-controlled and robotic drilling machines to remove human labour from some of their most hazardous operations.Saskatoon-based Nutrien Ltd. — which has been working to develop tele-remote technology at its network of six potash mines in Saskatchewan — successfully mined an entire production wing at its underground Lanigan site last fall without a single human setting foot in the area. Using a combination of radar, cameras, advanced sensing systems and cutting-edge technologies powered by artificial intelligence, Nutrien was able to operate one of its massive potash boring machin...

Sunday Forecast: Storms overnight cause damage, quieter Sunday

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:56 GMT

CHICAGO -- Storms overnight caused damage to some locations across northern Illinois, but also brought some much-needed rain. Rockford, Midway, Crystal Lake and Evergreen Park picked up more than an inch of rainfall.Sunday will be fairly quiet in the wake of that storm system.Partly cloudy skies expected this Sunday with a slight chance of some thunderstorm development around the noon hour. Isolated showers are possible in the afternoon and evening.Chicago Weather | Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center's Forecast (wgntv.com) Highs will reach the mid 80s for inland locations and low 80s along the lake. Winds will be breezy out of the SSE with gusts near 35 mph. A cold front will pass the area this evening and drop our temperatures to start the work week. Monday highs will be in the low 70s with isolated showers and a chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

Human remains discovered in California mountain area where actor Julian Sands disappeared in January

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:56 GMT

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) - Human remains have been discovered in a Southern California mountain area where actor Julian Sands disappeared in January, authorities have confirmed. At around 10 a.m., hikers contacted the Fontana Sheriff’s Station after coming across the remains in the Mount Baldy Wilderness Area.Authorities recovered the remains and transported them to the coroner’s office where officials are working to identify the body, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office. The remains are expected to be identified this week, and no further details were released. You don’t want this 4-digit code on your boarding pass, TSA says British actor Julian Sands, 65, was reported missing in mid-January. Despite search and rescue efforts at the time, which were hampered by severe weather and “alpine conditions,” Sands was never located.Two other hikers were found dead in the area before Sands' disappearance. One hiker, 75-year-old Jin Chung, was later found alive. On June 19, a ...

Is unlimited vacation time really unlimited?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:56 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Scrolling through job postings, one eye-catching perk is showing up more and more frequently: unlimited PTO, or unlimited paid time off. Over the past several years, many companies — especially in the tech sector — have switched to offering their employees an uncapped number of vacation days or PTO. A 2022 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found 6% of companies were offering unlimited or open leave. "With unlimited PTO, it gives an employee a little bit more control over that work-life balance," explained Yvette Lee with the Society for Human Resource Management. "Say for example, an employee really needed to go away for two weeks to attend a graduation, or they really wanted to take a two-week leave to go on this phenomenal vacation … unlimited PTO means that they would be able to do that." Commute nightmare: These cities are most infuriating, expensive and dangerous for drivers, study finds There are benefits to the employer, as well, Lee ...

The best and worst car colors for resale value

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:56 GMT

(iSeeCars) -- A vehicle’s color can impact its value by up to $5,000, according to new research by iSeeCars.com. This year’s study compared pricing data for over 1.3 million 3-year-old used cars to determine the impact of color on resale value. SummaryThe average car loses 22.5 percent of its value after 3 years, but yellow cars only lose 13.5 percent, which equates to saving more than $3,000 compared to the average vehicleYellow, beige, orange and green cars all lose less than 20 percent of their valueGold, brown and black cars drop the most in value, losing over $10,000 after 3 years “Yellow cars continue to represent the greatest disparity between how many are produced and how many people want one,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “While not many people want a yellow car, there are clearly more people who want one than exist, which is why yellow performs so well on the secondary market. The same can be said of orange and green, colors you don’t see often bu...

'Kinky, Curly, Coily' natural hair festival happening in Austin this weekend

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:56 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — In all its kinky, curly, coily glory, one of the only black natural hair festivals is back—this time, with a new reason to celebrate. Since Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Crown Act into law, banning hair discrimination in the state, the fourth annual festival hopes this year's event will continue an important conversation about hair acceptance. From 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Cha'Keeta B Music will teach people how to style their natural black hair. The event will be held at Dottiewood Studios with tickets ranging from $25-$35.It will include demos on how to care for black hair, different hair products and salon vendors answering questions."We just had to pass a law telling people not to discriminate against our hair, so obviously representation in educating other people that don't have hair like ours is very important," event organizer Lauren Riggins said. "If anybody else wanted to come and learn about our hair, because maybe they have mixed children or...a frien...

Armed suspect injured in police shooting at Little Tokyo hotel 

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:56 GMT

An armed suspect was shot by police after allegedly threatening hotel staff with a knife early Sunday morning. Authorities confirmed that the suspect walked into the lobby of the Miyako Hotel on 1st Street in Little Tokyo around 3:30 a.m. armed with a knife. "He was inside the lobby with a knife, and he refused commands given by the officers, at which time an officer-involved shooting occurred,” said LAPD Captain Elaine Morales.  An armed suspect was shot by police after allegedly threatening hotel staff with a knife early Sunday morning. (KeyNewsTV)An armed suspect was shot by police after allegedly threatening hotel staff with a knife early Sunday morning. (KeyNewsTV)An armed suspect was shot by police after allegedly threatening hotel staff with a knife early Sunday morning. (KeyNewsTV)The LAPD’s Force Investigation Division is handling the investigation. (KTLA) Man shot in face at Dockweiler Beach, suspect gets car stuck in sand and flees on foot The suspect was...

Authorities: South Bay man arrested for having guns in defiance of court ban

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:56 GMT

A South Bay man was jailed this weekend on allegations that he kept an array of guns in the face of a court-ordered weapons prohibition from an ongoing family violence case, a discovery made in light of recent “erratic” behavior that included a threat to shoot police, authorities said.Russell Charling, a 41-year-old San Martin resident, was arrested Friday afternoon after Santa Clara County Sheriff’s investigators learned that he “was in possession of illegal assault rifles,” according to the agency.That would be in violation of a restraining order issued against him in connection with a family violence charge that court records show was filed in January. He also has a conviction from a November 2021 family violence charge that was still being adjudicated as recently as May.According to the sheriff’s office, Charling was familiar to deputies after they confiscated what they thought were all his guns after the Superior Court issued the criminal res...

Cupertino Rabbit Project leaps into action with unveiling of 12 sculptures

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:56 GMT

Cupertino Rotarians and city officials hopped over to the Chamber of Commerce on June 20 to check out 12 rabbit sculptures set for installation around the city.In total, 38 fiberglass sculptures are due to be installed as part of the Cupertino Rabbits Project, spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Cupertino and the Foothill-De Anza Foundation. The public art project is intended to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit in 2023.It’s also a fundraiser for the Ukraine Project, helping build residences in Kharkiv, Ukraine to replace those destroyed in the war. To date, about $11,000 has been raised toward the effort.Bidders can purchase the rabbits at a public auction at the close of the exhibition on Sept. 9. Proceeds will fund Rotary-supported initiatives such as Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley, SunWork solar panel installations and Winterfest at Via Services.“We’ve wanted a project to bring our community together in playful and positive ways, and the Year of the Rabbit exhibition is just th...

Playful People Productions host summer dance classes in San Jose

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:56 GMT

Neighborhood NotesROSE GARDEN>>Registration is open for Playful People Productions’ summer dance classes at San Jose’s Historic Hoover Theater, 1635 Park Ave.A Masterclass in Musical Theater Dance exploring topics such as rhythm and musicality, energy, floor barre, standing barre, dance and acting integration, dance and singing integration, dance audition technique and rehearsal technique is set for July 10-21. Classes are held Monday-Friday, 7-9 p.m., for the two weeks of the program. Dancers should come prepared with water, a towel, jazz or character shoes, a notebook and pencil. Yoga mats are also recommended. Registration is $250.The class will be taught by The T (also known as T Saffold), a teaching who was recently seen as Donkey in Playful People Productions’ “Shrek the Musical.” He will also be directing a fall master class production with Playful People.For those looking for something a little more basic, Playful People staff member Emily Pennington will be teaching b...