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Ukraine, climate, economy: Takeaways from glitzy Davos event

Breadcrumb Trail Links PMN Business Author of the article: The Associated Press Jamey Keaten And Courtney Bonnell Published Jan 20, 2023  •  5 minute read Join the conversation Article content DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Elites from politics, business, academia and the arts on Friday wrapped up the World Economic Forum ‘s annual conclave in the Swiss town of Davos — where worries about the war in…

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FREDERICK, Colo. | Bodies of missing wife, daughters found in Colorado

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FREDERICK, Colo. | Bodies of missing wife, daughters found in Colorado

FREDERICK, Colo. — After his pregnant wife and two daughters disappeared, Christopher Watts stood on his porch in Colorado and lamented to reporters how much he missed them.

He longed for the simple things, he said, like telling his girls to eat their dinner and gazing at them as they curled up to watch cartoons.

“Last night, I had every light in the house on. I was hoping that I would just get ran over by the kids running in the door, just barrel-rushing me, but it didn’t happen,” he told Denver TV station KMGH.

On Thursday, Watts was in jail after being arrested on suspicion of killing his family, probably before he spoke those words. Authorities did not offer a motive.

The body of 34-year-old Shanann Watts was found on property owned by Anadarko Petroleum, one of the state’s largest oil and gas drillers, where Christopher Watts worked, police said. Investigators found what they believe are the bodies of 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste nearby on Thursday afternoon.

“As horrible as this outcome is, our role now is to do everything we can to determine exactly what occurred,” John Camper, director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, said at a news conference in Frederick, a small town on the grassy plains north of Denver, where fast-growing subdivisions intermingle with drilling rigs and oil wells.

Watts, 33, has not been formally charged. A judge ordered him held without bail and told prosecutors to file charges by Monday afternoon. He set a Tuesday hearing to review the case.

As he was escorted into the courtroom, Watts did not speak. He looked down for much of the hearing but made eye contact as the judge reviewed his rights.

Watts’s attorney, James Merson of the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office, left without commenting to reporters. He did not immediately respond to a voicemail left at his office Thursday by The Associated Press.

A family friend reported Shanann Watts and her daughters missing on Monday, police said.

In his previous interviews with Denver TV outlets, Christopher Watts said his wife of nearly six years returned home about 2 a.m. Monday after a flight for a work trip was delayed.

He said the two had an “emotional conversation” before he left for work a few hours later and that he became concerned after she did not return his calls or texts or those of her friends. He said he came home to an empty house after a friend knocked on the door at noon and got no answer.

Shanann Watts’ Facebook account paints a portrait of a happy married life, with a constant feed of photos and videos of friends, relatives and herself. Her comments were typically upbeat, whether she was running errands, playing with her kids or promoting a health program. The couple got married in North Carolina nearly six years ago and moved to Colorado around the same time.

She posted selfies of her and her husband smiling in restaurants, at the ocean on vacation and at their house. On May 5, she wrote: “I love this man! He’s my ROCK!”

On June 19, she posted a photo of some texts with her husband after sending him a picture of a sonogram. He replied that he loved the baby already. She posted: “I love Chris! He’s the best dad us girls could ask for.”

Her page has photo collages and video slide shows praising Chris Watts, describing how their love was growing stronger and how he gave her the strength to have a third child.

The couple’s 2015 bankruptcy filing captures a picture of a family caught between a promising future and financial strain. The filing estimated that they had the same range of assets as liabilities, according to court records.

At the time, Christopher Watts worked for Anadarko, earning about $61,500 a year as an “operator.” His wife was working at a call center at a children’s hospital, making about $18 per hour. Combined, they earned $90,000 in 2014.

But they also had tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt, along with some student loans and medical bills — for a total of $70,000 in unsecured claims on top of a sizable mortgage.

A spokeswoman for the oil company said Christopher Watts was fired Wednesday, but she declined to provide any details, citing the active investigation.

Shanann Watts was one of the first customers to visit Ashley Bell’s tanning salon in nearby Dacona two years ago. The two women quickly became friends, and before long they were texting or calling each other almost daily. Their daughters also played together during salon visits.

On Thursday, Bell and her family added several items to a memorial of stuffed toys, candles and flowers on the lawn of the Watts family home.

Bell said she never detected that anything was wrong between Shanann and her husband. Bell also got to know Christopher Watts and described him as a loving father.

“I just don’t understand it,” she said, reaching out to accept a flower that her daughter picked from a nearby lawn.

Shanann worked from home as a saleswoman for a freeze-dried food company and took her two girls everywhere, Bell said.

“She was always about her girls,” Bell said. “She would do anything for her girls.”

One day she came into the salon and announced that she couldn’t tan for a while, then grinned and confirmed she was pregnant.

Shanann’s father, Frank Rzucek, said on Facebook that the family did not want to talk to the media.

y KATHLEEN FOODY and JONATHAN DREW , Associated Press

[tripstations]

24 of the world’s most unusual landscapes

(CNN) — While there are plenty of awe-inspiring man-made destinations around the globe, nothing is as creative as nature.

From trees that resemble monsters, to colorful sinkholes, towering rock formations and waterfalls of molten lava, these are some of the most unusual and fascinating landscapes in the world.

Kingley Vale, Sussex, United Kingdom

Gnarled and twisted over centuries, the yew trees of Kingley Vale could have been lifted straight from a Gothic fairy tale. Some are believed to be the oldest living things in Britain, dating back 2,000 years.

Yew tree groves were decimated in the 15th century, their wood used for longbows, making this stand of trees truly unique.

Fairy Chimneys, Turkey

These unusual fairy chimney rock formations can be found in the Cappadocia region of Goreme, Turkey.

Courtney Bonnell/AP

The Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia in central Turkey are a geological marvel.

The hard basalt columns are the result of the surrounding, softer rock eroding over thousands of years, creating towers that appear otherworldly.

What makes them truly special, however, is the cave systems and cities dug out beneath them by persecuted early Christians and used whenever invaders passed along nearby trading routes.

Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland

The Giant’s Causeway became Northern Ireland’s first World Heritage Site in 1986.

Paul Faith/PA Wire/AP

On the wild north Atlantic Coast of Northern Ireland, Giant’s Causeway is the stuff of actual legend.

The story goest that it was created by the giant Finn McCool to face off against his Scottish rival Benandonner, and destroyed by the latter as he retreated home.

While the reality is a touch less fantastical, it’s no no less amazing. The pillars are the result of lava cooling and contracting over millions of years.

Sister formations can be found at Fingal’s Cave in Staffa, Scotland, all part of the same lava flow.

Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand

The Moeraki Boulders lie scattered along Koekohe Beach in New Zealand’s South Island.

Kai Schworer/dpa/AP

The large, spherical Moeraki Boulders could easily be mistaken for man-made creations that have washed up on Koekohe Beach on the North Otago coast.

Local Maori legend claims they are the remnants of fishing baskets and fruits that came ashore when their Araiteuru Canoe was wrecked bringing their ancestors to New Zealand’s South Island.

In truth, these two-meter-high stones were created by mudstone hardening over five million years, before appearing as surrounding rocks were eroded.

Great Blue Hole, Belize

This huge underwater sinkhole is positioned off the coast of Belize.

The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images

At 300 meters wide and around 125 meters deep, the Great Blue Hole is the biggest sinkhole in the world.

Part of the Belize Barrier Reef System, the hole was formed as sea levels rose thousands of years ago, flooding its deep caves.

Made famous by renowned marine explorer Jacques Cousteau, recent submarine trips have created new 3D sonar maps, showing never-before-seen mineral formations close to the hole’s bottom.

Cano Cristales, Colombia

Cano Cristales is often referred to as the “River of Five Colors.”

Kike Calvo/AP

In the brief period between Colombia’s wet and dry seasons, the waters of Cano Cristales become a riot of red, yellow and green.

This vibrant occurrence is due to Macarenia clavigera, a plant found on the riverbed.

It only turns red between September and November, which is after the fast-flowing water of the wet season abates, but before the dry season evaporates too much water for it to keep its colorful look.

Swimmers are allowed in certain sections, but can’t wear sunscreen in order to protect the fragile ecosystem.

Dead Vlei, Namibia

Dead Vlei — one of the most intriguing places in Namibia.

Matthias Toedt/dpa/AP

Dead Vlei, literally dead marsh, sits among the tallest sand dunes in the world, with some as high as 400 meters.

Once abundant, the now almost barren area is home to a vast stand of dead Camel Thorn trees, dried out because of an intense change in climate 900 years ago.

The dry weather means they cannot decompose, creating a truly eerie landscape.

Chocolate Hills, Philippines

The Chocolate Hills — a fascinating natural wonder.

Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

The rolling Chocolate Hills of Bohol in the Philippines could easily be mistaken for a child’s landscape drawing.

But these 1,268 hills are very much a natural phenomenon: conical limestone peaks formed through the actions of water and erosion over thousands of years.

Their name derives from their grass covering, which turns brown during the dry season, with December to March the best time to visit. Legend has it the hills are the dried tears of a heartbroken giant. While the truth is more prosaic, the views are still spectacular.

Kilauea, Hawaii

Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

U.S. Geological Survey/AP

The most active volcano on the island of Hawaii, Kilauea is in a state of near constant eruption, molten lava oozing down roads and destroying homes and holiday resorts.

Its 2018 eruption saw vents explode, rivers of lava flowing into the Pacific Ocean and sending toxic fumes into the air.

Believed to be between 210,000 and 280,000 years old , it surfaced above sea level on the southern eastern shore of the island around 100,000 years ago.

Lake Hillier, Australia

Australia’s “pink lake” is 600 meters long and 250 meters wide.

Shutterstock

Just a few meters from the sand and surf on the coast of Middle Island, in Australia’s Recherche Archipelago, Lake Hillier’s brash pink water is in stark contrast to the bright blue of the nearby ocean.

Its color is thought to be derived from algae called Dunaliella salina, which produces a pigment that turns the salty water a seemingly unnatural hue.

Halophilic bacteria in the salt crusts that surround its banks are also considered to be behind the phenomenon.

Devils Tower, Wyoming

Devils Tower — the first U.S. national monument.

Mladen Antono/AFP/Getty Images

Protruding high from the prairie into the Wyoming sky, Devils Tower (the apostrophe omitted ever since it was given the name in the 19th century) is sacred to several Native American tribes.

A butte rising some 385 meters above the Belle Fourche River, it was formed by surrounding sedimentary rocks eroding, leaving the igneous rocks to stand sentinel over the area.

The Lakota believe Devils Tower rose to protect two girls from a chasing bear, the marks surrounding the tower left by its claws.

Sci-fi aficionados will recognize it as the alien rendezvous point from Steven Spielberg’s 1977 movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

Dallol, Ethiopia

The Dallol region is the hottest place on the planet.

Carl Court/Getty Images

With temperatures averaging a blistering 94 degrees Fahrenheit, Dallol is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth.

Close to the border with Eritrea, its ethereal, Martian landscape sits within the Danakil Depression.

Besides its ungodly heat, Dallol is best known for its colorful hydrothermal fields, with aquamarine green pools and yellow rocks appearing like a surrealist painting against the florid red rock formations.

The bright colors are due to inorganic iron oxidation.

The Eye of the Sahara, Mauritania

The Richat Structure can be seen from space.

George Steinmetz/Corbis Documentary/Getty Images

Known also as the Richat Structure, the Eye of the Sahara looks pretty much like any other part of this continent-straddling desert from the ground. But from up in space, this 40-kilometer wide geological marvel is something else.

Believed to be an eroded dome, rather than an impact crater, it resembles a fossilized ammonite when seen from Earth’s orbit.

Snow Monsters, Mount Zao, Japan

Mount Zao is home to Japan’s spectacular snow monsters.

Kyodo/AP

High in Japan’s northern Tohoku region, Mount Zao is home to this vast swathe of icy sculptures. As winter comes on hard and harsh, Siberian winds blow across the Zao range and snow falls and freezes on the mountain’s trees.

The trees then freeze into interesting forms, resembling creatures straight out of a manga comic.

Regular light shows help add to their allure after dark, although a cable car across their peaks in daylight is just as fascinating.

Valley of the Moon, Argentina

This remote valley is based in a protected area of the South American country.

Insights/UIG/Getty Images

The clue’s in the name of this vast area in northern Argentina: lunar landscapes of wind blasted rock, where the night skies are illuminated by billions of stars and the moon glows.

Also known as the Ischigualasto Provincial Park, its most famous sights include The Sphinx, which resembles its Ancient Egyptian namesake.

There’s also The Mushroom, a tower that blooms out into a wide formation at its summit and the Bowling Field, where spherical rocks dot the landscape.

Vermilion Cliffs, Arizona

The Vermillion Cliffs span the Utah-Arizona border.

Prisma by Dukas/UIG/Getty Images

Just south of the Utah state line, Vermilion Cliffs is one of the most visually arresting places in the United States.

The area’s swirling sandstone canyons and arches are ripe for exploration, with few visitors likely to be encountered.

The vast cliffs themselves, which run for 48 kilometers and range between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, can be seen in all their glory from Highway 89A.

Haukadalur geothermal field, Iceland

The oldest account of these geothermal fields date back to 1294.

Mikel Bilbao/VW PICS/UIG/Getty Images

Iceland’s geothermic wonders make it a paradise for seekers of weird and wonderful landscapes.

Most famous for its Geysir and Strokkur erupting hot springs, this vast area, 60 kilometers east of Reykjavik, is worth taking time to explore, especially as there’s a handy campsite close by.

Mentions of the bubbling, geothermal fields here date back to 1294, when they were activated by an earthquake.

Trollkirka Caves, Norway

The Trollkirka — one of Norway’s longest limestone caves.

Shutterstock

Norway’s Trollkirka Caves, literally Troll Church Caves, aren’t places of worship in the traditional sense. Instead, they���re marble and limestone marvels that intrepid visitors can enter after a strenuous hike.

The key attraction here is the 70-meter main cave, which boasts a waterfall. Smaller grottoes play home to sparkling pools, the water bright and clear against the white rock, which appears to have folded in on itself over million years.

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park’s rocks look red, orange and white against the sky.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Far less popular than nearby Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon is arguably every bit as extraordinary.

It appears red, white and yellow against the bright blue sky thanks to the “hoodoos” that stand to attention for miles in every direction.

These columns, made of soft rock at the bottom and harder rock at the top, are the result of millennia of weathering and erosion. They sit within a series of huge natural amphitheaters that look spectacular at sunset.

Dead Sea, Israel

The Dead Sea is positioned between Israel and Jordan.

Ahmad Abdo/AFP/Getty Images

The lowest point on Earth, the Dead Sea is more than nine times saltier than the sea.

Thought to be part of a rift zone that extends north into Turkey, it’s believed to have once been part of a lagoon connected to the Mediterranean.

Salt deposits on its bottom ensure that bathers remain buoyant, while the water’s rejuvenating properties have made it a go to for health tourists for centuries.

Spotted Lake, Canada

Canada’s Spotted Lake — a remarkable sight.

Shutterstock

In the heart of British Columbia, Spotted Lake looks like your average body of freshwater during winter. But as temperatures rise and the water evaporates, it becomes something wholly different.

Huge blue, yellow and green spots appear, the result of deposits of magnesium sulphates, sodium sulphates and calcium.

The Okanagan First Nations people believed the spots to have different curative properties, they have owned the surrounding land since 2001.

Blood Falls, Antarctica

This incredible natural phenomenon was discovered by Australian geologist Griffith Taylor in 1911.

Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images

Flowing from Alaska’s Taylor Glacier, Blood Falls’ ghoulish color is rooted in deep time.

In 2017, scientists discovered the scarlet hue is due to oxidized iron in brine saltwater, which has taken one and a half million years to get to the falls, rather than discoloration by algae as previously thought.

When the water makes contact with oxygen, it oxidizes and turns red.

A brine lake underneath the glacier, exposed to iron rich rocks, is believed to be the water’s source.

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park, China

The “Rainbow Mountains” cover an area of 322 square kilometers.

Han jiajun/Imaginechina/AP

The “Rainbow Mountains” of the Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park are striking examples of what millions of years geological activity can do to a landscape.

Made up of layers of sandstone, mudstone and multicolored sedimentary rocks laid down over millions of years, their sharp tilt is due to the movement of the tectonic plates which also formed the Himalaya.

River erosion helped form the deep gorges and high peaks, with purple, green, yellow and red strata creating a brash and bright vista.

Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan

The Darvaza Gas Crater sits in the middle of the Karakum Desert.

Giles Clarke/Getty Images

Known by locals as the Door to Hell, the Darvaza Gas Crater is a natural phenomenon brought about by man less than half a century ago.

While searching for oil, Soviet engineers discovered a natural gas pocket that soon collapsed, consuming their equipment.

Panicked by the release of methane potentially killing wildlife in the surrounding Karakum Desert, scientists set the gas crater alight in the hope it would soon burn out.

Today, it still burns brightly, to a depth of 30 meters, and has become a major draw for tourists heading to this little-visited country in Central Asia.

The post 24 of the world’s most unusual landscapes appeared first on Tripstations.

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[biofunmy]

Paella for one: Barcelona dazzles when you’re traveling solo

A solo trip to Barcelona won’t disappoint, even when you’re watching friends, honeymooners and families sharing platters of seafood paella and taking in Anton Gaudí’s mind-bending architectural jewels

By

COURTNEY BONNELL Associated Press

November 12, 2019, 3:17 PM

1 min read

They were on girls’ trips, guys’ trips, family vacations and honeymoons.

They were on the train, sharing massive platters of seafood paella and packed into Anton Gaudí’s mind-bending architectural jewels.

And then there was me. The solo female traveler in Barcelona.

If you’re taking a solo trip for the first time, a European city like Barcelona is a good place to start. The city is dynamic, the streets and cafes are always packed, it’s safe to walk around at night and people mostly speak English.

Sahred From Source link Travel

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[kacydeneen]

Girl, 14, Dies in 700-Foot Fall at Arizona's Horseshoe Bend

A 14-year-old girl from the San Jose area was found dead below a popular overlook near the Grand Canyon, believed to be the victim of a roughly 70-story fall, according to authorities in Arizona.

On Monday, Coconino County sheriff’s deputies responded to Horseshoe Bend Overlook on a report of a missing 14-year-old girl. Her family, who was visiting from the greater San Jose area, had last seen her around 2 p.m. at the overlook and reported her missing around 4 p.m., the sheriff's office said.

After Criticism, Trump Pushes Out Mattis Sooner Than Planned

Search-and-rescue crews searched the area via helicopters and located the missing girl's body about 700 feet below the overlook, sheriff's officials said. Due to darkness, rescuers had to wait until the next morning to recover the body.

The girl's body was transported to the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office in Flagstaff. The girl's name was not released.

Tsunami Hits Without Warning in Indonesia, Killing Over 280

The initial investigation indicates an accidental fall, but the death is still under investigation, sheriff's officials said.

Horseshoe Bend is a distinctive U-shaped landmass north of the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. Tourism has increased in recent years and the site, in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, draws thousands of visitors every day, according to a recent National Park Service news release.

Legal Marijuana Industry Had Banner Year in 2018

Last year, the park service said it was installing rim safety railing, though visitors would still be able to walk along the canyon rim beyond the railing to look down at the canyon.

CORRECTION (Dec. 27, 2018, 6:10 a.m. PT): An earlier version of this story misidentified the location of Horseshoe Bend.

Photo Credit: Courtney Bonnell/AP, File Girl, 14, Dies in 700-Foot Fall at Arizona's Horseshoe Bend published first on Miami News

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Colo. Dems sweep major state races, take Senate

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Democrats have flipped control of the state Senate, giving the party a trifecta of Statehouse control with the historic victory of U.S. Rep. Jared Polis as the nation's first openly gay governor and a sweep of top statewide offices.

With key wins by five women in toughly contested state Senate races in Denver's suburbs, Tuesday's election will produce a renewed Democratic push to strengthen former President Barack Obama's health care law, adopt gun control legislation, increase funding for public education and stress environmental protections.

MORE: Election 2018 full coverage

"It's straightforward where I intend to start: Equal pay for equal work. Paid family leave. Closing the wage gap between men and women. It's about equality and an economy that works for everyone," said Rep. Jesse Danielson, who won one of the key Senate races in suburban Jefferson County.

Results were still trickling in, but Democrats were poised to take a two-seat majority in the state Senate, erasing a one-vote GOP edge. In the state House, Democrats looked to increase their comfortable majority. Democrats also captured the GOP-held positions of secretary of state, attorney general and state treasurer.

National LGBTQ advocates hailed Polis becoming the first openly gay man elected governor in the United States. But issues of sexual preference or gender never became a prominent topic in Polis' campaign against Republican state Treasurer Walker Stapleton — despite Colorado's dark past and continuing struggles on the issue.

Colorado was dubbed a "hate state" when voters in 1992 approved a ban on laws that protected gays from discrimination. The U.S. Supreme Court later struck it down as unconstitutional. After years of struggle, civil unions were legalized in 2013, and gay marriage in 2014.

This year, the U.S. Supreme Court partially upheld the arguments of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple on religious grounds. Jack Phillips, owner of the Masterpiece Cakeshop, has sued the state again for opposing his refusal to bake a cake celebrating a gender transition.

On social media, some Colorado residents discussed voting for Polis without knowing he is gay with a partner and two children.

"We went from a state where our elected officials struggled to provide even basic rights to same-sex couples to a state where a gay man ran for governor and his sexual orientation wasn't discussed as a political liability," The Denver Post wrote in an editorial late Tuesday.

Kayla DeShon, an independent voter from the south Denver suburb of Highlands Ranch, joyfully agreed. The 29-year-old said she voted for Polis because of his commitment to universal health care and defense of insurance coverage of pre-existing conditions. She has an autistic child.

"I did not know he is gay. I found out afterward — it was an added bonus," DeShon said. "Health care and education are important to me as a mom. And so is climate change. So I made an educated decision.

"And I do think that it doesn't matter," she said. "We're moving toward a state of equality where people and politicians don't have to state their sexual preference or their gender."

More than 2.4 million Colorado residents voted in an election whose top themes included health care policy and President Donald Trump. One in four residents are covered by Medicaid, but those in vast areas of rural Colorado pay some of the nation's highest health insurance premiums and have only one provider.

Democratic lawmakers pledged to work closely with Polis on the issue. Also on the 2019 agenda: Preschool, kindergarten and public education funding; transportation; restrictions on guns; and adoption of a workplace harassment policy for a Statehouse roiled this year by sexual and workplace misconduct allegations.

Senate Republicans this year rejected "red flag" legislation, introduced after the Parkland, Florida, school shooting and designed to remove guns from those who pose a threat to themselves or others.

It's a priority next year for Democrat Tom Sullivan, who was elected to the state House. Sullivan's son, Alex, was killed by a gunman as he celebrated his 27th birthday in an Aurora movie theater in 2012. Twelve people in all were killed and 70 wounded.

"A protection order is the first thing," Sullivan said Wednesday of his legislative priorities. "We have to address mental health issues. The work really begins for us now."

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Associated Press writer Courtney Bonnell in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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For AP's complete coverage of the U.S. midterm elections: http://apne.ws/APPolitics

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Colorado girls' bodies were submerged in crude oil 4 days

http://dalaznews.com/news/us/colorado-girls-bodies-were-submerged-in-crude-oil-4-days/

The bodies of two younger ladies had been submerged in crude oil for four days prior to authorities identified them on Thursday, according to court docket paperwork submitted Friday by an lawyer defending the girls' father against accusations that he killed his modest young children and wife.

The motion filed Friday by Christopher Watts' lawyer, James Merson, also requested that DNA swabs be taken from the girls' necks. The ask for estimates an certified who thinks the oil would not remove DNA and stated samples can be attained "following strangulation."

Authorities separately announced that the Weld County Coroner's Workplace had executed autopsies on Friday and verified the bodies as 34-year-outdated Shanann, four-year-outdated Bella and three-yr-old Celeste Watts.

Law enforcement did not release any data and details about how the mother and daughters died. A lot far more testing is ready to help figure out the outcome in of their deaths.

Richard Eikelenboom, the professional cited by Watts' lawyer, also recommended acquiring DNA samples from the girls' palms and the arms and nails of their mom. Eikelenboom has testified in really a handful of considerable-profile felony trials, typically on so-identified as "touch DNA" when modest samples of genetic content material are remaining on a surface.

Following his wife and daughters have been noted lacking on Monday and prior to his arrest, Watts explained to reporters he skipped them, and longed for the quite easy elements like telling his females to take in their meal and gazing at them as they curled up to observe cartoons.

Authorities are envisioned to file formal fees Monday versus Watts, an oil and gasoline employee who authorities stated dumped his spouse and daughters' bodies on his employer's residence.

Law enforcement explained the mom, Shanann, was found lifeless on property owned by Anadarko Petroleum, 1 certain of the state's greatest oil and gas drillers, exactly where by 33-calendar year-old Christopher Watts worked as an operator. Investigators uncovered the bodies of Bella and Celeste nearby.

Watts was fired on Wednesday, the very same day he was arrested, the business claimed. He did not reply to reporters' inquiries when he was escorted into the courtroom Thursday.

Merson, Watts' legal skilled by way of the Colorado Situation Basic public Defender's Workplace atmosphere, nevertheless left Thursday's court docket hearing with out commenting to reporters. He did not respond to several messages searching for comment by The Connected Push.

Law enforcement have not launched any specifics about a motive or how the a handful of ended up killed.

The family's two-tale residence is just outdoors Frederick, a small city on the grassy plains north of Denver, exactly where fast-escalating subdivisions intermingle with drilling rigs and oil wells.

According to a June 2015 private bankruptcy filing, Christopher Watts had gotten a activity six months previously as an operator for Anadarko, and paystubs show his annual revenue was about $61,500. Shanann Watts was operating in a telephone centre at a children's hospital at the time, earning about $18 an hour — a lot far more for evenings, weekends or further shifts she in some instances worked.

But the loved ones remained caught in between a promising future and monetary stress from private debt and other obligations.

The couple knowledgeable a place with each other income of $90,000 in 2014. But they also had tens of thousands of pounds in credit score card debt, with each other with some college student loans and healthcare expenditures — for a all round of $70,000 in unsecured statements on prime of a sizable property loan.

They reported in the filing that their just about $three,000 house finance loan and $600 in each month auto or truck payments shaped the bulk of their $four,900 in standard expenditures.

Information about what led police to arrest Watts late Wednesday evening time on suspicion of 3 counts of murder and tampering with proof probable had been to be found following 7 days.

Prosecutors will ask a courtroom to unseal the affidavit for Watts' arrest following filing formal prices, which are owing by mid- afternoon on Monday, explained Krista Henery, a spokeswoman for district lawyer Michael Rourke.

Loved ones and close buddies of Shanann Watts are left looking for options, searching for to reconcile Watts' cheery Facebook posts about her daughters, her becoming pregnant and her appreciate for her husband with the pending fees.

Ashley Bell accomplished Shanann Watts about two decades in the previous, when the mom of two came into Bell's new tanning salon in close by Dacono. The two females rapidly became buddies, and just prior to comprehensive they had been becoming texting or calling every and each other virtually every day. Their daughters played jointly by means of salon visits.

"I just you need to not have an understanding of it," stated Bell, who described Christopher Watts as a loving father.

Shanann Watts was from North Carolina, and her parents' subsequent-door neighbor, Joe Seaside, explained he observed her not lengthy ago when she frequented the neighborhood of modest homes in Aberdeen.

"We had been becoming speaking about normal issues, about how her two females have been executing and how everyday life was out in Colorado. She failed to give me an indication that there was almost something totally incorrect. She seemed really pleased," he claimed.

Shanann Watts knowledgeable just lately shared with family members members and close buddies that she was pregnant with their 3rd small 1.

The circumstance has targeted awareness on Colorado's lack of a regulation permitting murder prices in the violent deaths of fetuses, which is the scenario in 12 states. Proposals to permit homicide costs in the violent deaths of fetuses in Colorado have been stymied by debate about how to keep clear of infringing on abortion rights.

Republican lawmakers quite final attempted to transform the legislation just following a 2015 circumstance in Boulder County. A female named Dynel Lane was charged with attempted murder and unlawful termination of a pregnancy for lowering open a pregnant woman's belly and taking away her unborn newborn female. Prosecutors stated they could not expense Lane with murder due to the reality a coroner observed no proof the toddler lived outdoors the property the womb.

Point out law does let a murder demand if a fetus was alive outdoors the mother's physique and then killed. Point out lawmakers in 2013 also authorized prosecutors to incorporate added felony prices versus any person who commits a crime that will lead to the demise of a fetus.

___

Drew noted from Raleigh, North Carolina. Related Press writers James Anderson, Colleen Slevin and Thomas Peipert in Denver, Courtney Bonnell and Michelle A. Monroe in Phoenix and researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to provide the right spelling of the town of Dacono.

Bradford Betz is an editor for Fox Info. Observe him on Twitter @bradford_betz.

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FREDERICK, Colo. | Man who lamented family's disappearance arrested in deaths

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FREDERICK, Colo. | Man who lamented family's disappearance arrested in deaths

FREDERICK, Colo.  — After his pregnant wife and two daughters disappeared, Christopher Watts stood on his porch in Colorado and lamented to reporters how much he missed them.

He longed for the simple things, he said, like telling his girls to eat their dinner and gazing at them as they curled up to watch cartoons. “Last night, I had every light in the house on. I was hoping that I would just get ran over by the kids running in the door, just barrel-rushing me, but it didn’t happen,” he told Denver TV station KMGH.

On Thursday, Watts was in jail after being arrested on suspicion of killing his family, probably before he spoke those words. Authorities did not offer a motive.

The body of 34-year-old Shanann Watts was found on property owned by Anadarko Petroleum, one of the state’s largest oil and gas drillers, where Christopher Watts used to work, police said.

Investigators believed they knew where to find 4-year-old Bella and 3-year-old Celeste and were working to recover their bodies.

“As horrible as this outcome is, our role now is to do everything we can to determine exactly what occurred,” John Camper, director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, said at a news conference in Frederick, a small town on the grassy plains north of Denver, where fast-growing subdivisions intermingle with drilling rigs and oil wells.

Watts, 33, has not been formally charged. A judge ordered him held without bail and told prosecutors to file charges by Monday afternoon. He set a Tuesday hearing to review the case.

As he was escorted into the courtroom, Watts did not speak. He looked down for much of the hearing but made eye contact as the judge reviewed his rights.

The judge approved a request by Watts’ attorney that police preserve all written notes and notify the defense team before performing any autopsies.

A family friend reported Shanann Watts and her daughters missing on Monday, police said.

In his previous interviews with Denver TV outlets, Christopher Watts said his wife of nearly six years returned home about 2 a.m. Monday after a flight for a work trip was delayed.

He said the two had an “emotional conversation” before he left for work a few hours later and that he became concerned after she did not return his calls or texts or those of her friends. He said he came home to an empty house after a friend knocked on the door at noon and got no answer.

Shanann Watts’ Facebook account paints a portrait of a happy married life, with a constant feed of photos and videos of friends, relatives and herself. Her comments were typically upbeat, whether she was running errands, playing with her kids or promoting a health program.

She posted selfies of her and her husband smiling in restaurants, at the ocean on vacation and at their house. On May 5, she wrote: “I love this man! He’s my ROCK!”

On June 19, she posted a photo of some texts with her husband after sending him a picture of a sonogram. He replied that he loved the baby already. She posted: “I love Chris! He’s the best dad us girls could ask for.”

Her page has photo collages and video slide shows praising Chris Watts, describing how their love was growing stronger and how he gave her the strength to have a third child.

The couple’s 2015 bankruptcy filing captures a picture of a family caught between a promising future and financial strain. The filing estimated that they had the same range of assets as liabilities, according to court records.

At the time, Christopher Watts worked for Anadarko, earning about $61,500 a year as an “operator.” His wife was working at a call center at a children’s hospital, earning about $18 per hour. Combined, they earned $90,000 in 2014.

But they also had tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt, along with some student loans and medical bills — for a total of $70,000 in unsecured claims on top of a sizable mortgage.

The oil company said Thursday that Christopher Watts no longer works there but did not say when he left.

Shanann Watts was one of the first customers to visit Ashley Bell’s tanning salon in nearby Dacona two years ago. The two women quickly became friends, and before long they were texting or calling each other almost daily. Their daughters also played together during salon visits.

On Thursday, Bell and her family added several items to a memorial of stuffed toys, candles and flowers on the lawn of the Watts family home.

Bell said she never detected that anything was wrong between Shanann and her husband. Bell also got to know Christopher Watts and described him as a loving father.

“I just don’t understand it,” she said, reaching out to accept a flower that her daughter picked from a nearby lawn.

Shanann worked from home as a saleswoman for a freeze-dried food company and took her two girls everywhere, Bell said. “She was always about her girls,” Bell said. “She would do anything for her girls.”

One day she came into the salon and announced that she couldn’t tan for a while, then grinned and confirmed she was pregnant. Shanann’s father, Frank Rzucek, said on Facebook that the family did not want to talk to the media. ___ Drew reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press writers Colleen Slevin in Denver and Courtney Bonnell in Phoenix and researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to show Shanann Watts’ first name was misspelled in some references.

By KATHLEEN FOODY and JONATHAN DREW ,Associated Press

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Egyptian archaeologists discover 4400-year-old tomb near Cairo - Fox News

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Egyptian archaeologists discover 4400-year-old tomb near Cairo Fox News Camels rest between rides with their owners against the backdrop of the pyramids in Giza, Egypt, in 2015. (AP Photo/Courtney Bonnell). Egyptian archaeologists are hailing the discovery of a 4,400-year-old tomb near the pyramids outside Cairo ... Egypt says 4400-year-old tomb discovered outside CairoNew York Daily News Tomb of 5th Dynasty top official Hetpet discovered near Pyramid of Khafre on Giza PlateauAhram Online all 9 news articles »

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Paella for one: Barcelona dazzles when you’re traveling solo

A solo trip to Barcelona won’t disappoint, even when you’re watching friends, honeymooners and families sharing platters of seafood paella and taking in Anton Gaudí’s mind-bending architectural jewels

By

COURTNEY BONNELL Associated Press

November 12, 2019, 3:17 PM

1 min read

They were on girls’ trips, guys’ trips, family vacations and honeymoons.

They were on the train, sharing massive platters of seafood paella and packed into Anton Gaudí’s mind-bending architectural jewels.

And then there was me. The solo female traveler in Barcelona.

If you’re taking a solo trip for the first time, a European city like Barcelona is a good place to start. The city is dynamic, the streets and cafes are always packed, it’s safe to walk around at night and people mostly speak English.

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Egyptian archaeologists discover 4400-year-old tomb near Cairo Fox News Camels rest between rides with their owners against the backdrop of the pyramids in Giza, Egypt, in 2015. (AP Photo/Courtney Bonnell). Egyptian archaeologists are hailing the discovery of a 4,400-year-old tomb near the pyramids outside Cairo ... Egypt says 4400-year-old tomb discovered outside CairoNew York Daily News Tomb of 5th Dynasty top official Hetpet discovered near Pyramid of Khafre on Giza PlateauAhram Online all 9 news articles »

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Check out work from 43 jewelry artists coming to the 2017 Columbus Arts Festival, June 9-11, on the downtown riverfront:  Margaret Aden, Vail, AZ; Chip Arnold, Webster, NY; Susan Baile, Boulder, CO; William & Lisa Bailey, Dripping Springs, TX; Martha Banting, Micanopy, FL; Scott Berry, Ann Arbor, MI; Chelsea Bird, Pawtucket, RI; Claudia Carreon, Dublin, OH; Heidi Clous, Blacklick, OH; Jessica Daman, Florence, KY; Don & Serena David, Cleveland, OH; Mary DeMarco & William Wolfe, Baltimore, MD; Dianna Dinka, Tamarac, FL; Wendy & Joe Edwards & Kay Bonnell, Foley, AL; Renate Favour, Williamsburg, MI; Dolores Fawkes, Ruther Glen, VA; Ann Finley, Decatur, GA; David Giulietti, Berkeley, CA; Jeff & Judy Goodwin, Huntsville, AR; Chelsea Hall, Bowling Green, OH; Hanan Ingel & Erez Epshtein, Berkeley, CA; Devin Johnson, Northfield, MN; Sharon Johnston, Dallas, TX; Wiwat Kamolpornwijit, Alexandria, VA; Leslie Kaplan, Pittsburgh, PA; Serena Kojimoto, Los Angeles, CA; Laurie Leonard, Jeannette, PA; Ronald Linton, Madrid, NM; Jera Lodge, Philadelphia, PA; Hannah Long, Boynton Beach, FL; Courtney Loving, Pleasant View, TN; Carol Martin, Durango, CO; Jay Nielsen, Minneapolis, MN; Jim Norton, Athens, GA; David Nugent, Hinsdale, NH; Jennifer Nunnelee & Joel Ward Nunnelee, New Market, NM; Kristin Perkins, Ypsilanti, MI; Sally Phillips, Indianapolis, IN; Harry Roa, Sarasota, FL; Aline Sar, San Francisco, CA; Robert Trisko & Ian Lieberman, Waite Park, MN; Zhicheng Mary Yang, Lewis Center, OH; Marc & Wendy Zoschke, Springfield, IL. Learn more about the 2017 Columbus Arts Festival at http://www.columbusartsfestival.org/

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Slain Colorado mom painted happy picture of married life

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FREDERICK, Colo. –  Shanann Watts' Facebook internet web page painted a portrait of a delighted married existence — of a lady focused to her spouse and their two younger young children. She recognized as her husband "my ROCK!" and reported he was "the finest father us females could verify with for."

That idyllic graphic was shattered Wednesday when her husband, 33-year-aged Christopher Watts, was arrested on suspicion of killing his loved ones members in Colorado.

Police stated the mother, who was pregnant, was observed useless on residence owned by Anadarko Petroleum, 1 of the state's biggest oil and gas drillers, in which Christopher Watts worked. Investigators uncovered what they think that are the bodies of four-yr-outdated Bella and three-year-aged Celeste close by on Thursday afternoon.

They have not introduced any data and details about a motive or how the three have been killed.

"As terrible as this finish outcome is, our job now is to do each small factor we can to figure out precisely what transpired," John Camper, director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, explained at a news convention in Frederick, a smaller sized town on the grassy plains north of Denver, precisely exactly where speedy-expanding subdivisions intermingle with drilling rigs and oil wells.

The deaths also remaining loved ones and mates searching for answers.

Shanann Watts, 34, was a single specific of the 1st prospects to take a appear at Ashley Bell's tanning salon in nearby Dacona two a number of years ago. The two ladies quickly grew to turn into mates, and ahead of extended they had been texting or contacting every and each other virtually every day. Their daughters also performed collectively in the course of salon visits.

Bell stated she in no way detected that practically something was amiss with the Watts loved ones.

"I just you need to not recognize it," claimed Bell, who explained Christopher Watts as a loving father.

Shanann Watts was from North Carolina, and her parents' future-doorway neighbor, Joe Seaside, described he observed her not too long ago when she frequented the neighborhood of modest homes in Aberdeen.

"We have been conversing about typical factors, about how her two girls have been performing and how life was out in Colorado. She did not give me an indicator that there was something at all improper. She seemed rather content material."

But a June 2015 private bankruptcy filing captures a image of a loved ones caught amongst a promising lengthy run and monetary stress.

Christopher Watts skilled gotten a activity six months previously as an operator for Anadarko, and paystubs point out his annual salary was about $61,500. Shanann Watts was performing the job in a get in touch with centre at a kid's clinic at the time, earning about $18 an hour — considerably much more for evenings, weekends or excess shifts she from time to time worked.

The couple of skilled a merged funds of $90,000 in 2014. But they also skilled tens of 1000's of bucks in credit card credit card debt, alongside with some college student monetary loans and healthcare expenses — for a general of $70,000 in unsecured promises on major of a sizable mortgage.

They explained in the submitting that their virtually $three,000 house finance loan and $600 in each month auto or truck payments fashioned the bulk of their $four,900 in standard expenses.

Christopher Watts, who is becoming held with no bail, is anticipated to be formally charged by Monday with 3 counts of murder and a couple of counts of tampering with proof.

Just following his wife and daughters have been documented lacking and prior to he was arrested, he stood on his porch and lamented to reporters how a wonderful deal he missed them, saying he longed for the basic factors like telling his ladies to take in their supper and gazing at them as they curled up to take pleasure in cartoons.

He did not reply to reporters' issues when he was escorted into the courtroom Thursday.

His lawyer, James Merson with the Colorado Situation Public Defender's Enterprise, left the listening to with out commenting to reporters and did not respond to a voicemail nevertheless left at his workplace Thursday by The Connected Push.

___

Drew reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Affiliated Push writers Colleen Slevin and Thomas Peipert in Denver, Courtney Bonnell and Michelle A. Monroe in Phoenix and researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.