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Colorado Gov. Polis signs funeral home regulatory crackdowns into law

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Colorado Gov. Polis signs funeral home regulatory crackdowns into law

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed two bills into law Friday that overhaul state oversight of the funeral home industry after a series of gruesome discoveries, including 190 discomposing bodies in a facility, families being sent fake ashes and the unauthorized sale of body parts.

The cases put Colorado’s lax funeral home regulations — some of the weakest in the nation — in the spotlight and rocked hundreds of already grieving families.

Some families had ceremonially spread ashes that turned out to be fake. Others said they had nightmares about what their loved ones might have looked like in a decayed state.

CO LEGISLATURE PASSES FUNERAL HOME CRACKDOWN AFTER FAKE ASHES, HEAPS OF ROTTING BODIES MAKE NATIONAL HEADLINES

“When grieving the loss of a loved one, the last thing a family should worry about is the trustworthiness and professionalism of those entrusted to care for the person who has passed,” Polis said in a statement.

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The new laws bring Colorado in line with most other states.

One requires regulators to routinely inspect funeral homes and give them more enforcement power. Another implements licensing for funeral directors and other workers in the industry. They would need to pass background checks and a national exam while possessing degrees and work experience.

Previously, funeral home directors in Colorado didn’t have to graduate from high school, let alone have a degree.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, front center, signs bills into law to bring more comprehensive guidelines into place for funeral facilities Friday, May 24, 2024, during a ceremony outside the Governor’s mansion in downtown Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

The funeral home industry was generally on board with the changes though some expressed concern that strict requirements for funeral home directors were unnecessary and would make it difficult to find hirable applicants.

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The bill signings follow a rocky year for Colorado funeral homes.

In early October, neighbors noticed a putrid smell coming from a building in the town of Penrose about two hours south of Denver. Authorities soon found 190 decaying bodies there including adults, infants and fetuses.

Some were stacked atop each other. Decomposition fluid covered the floors while flies and maggots swarmed.

Almost two dozen bodies dated to 2019 and some 60 more were from 2020. As the bodies were identified, families who had received ashes learned the cremains weren’t their loved ones.

The mother of a man whose body was found in the Penrose facility said she would keep after Colorado lawmakers to make sure the new laws are implemented stringently.

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“I’m super excited. I think this is a great first step,” said Crystina Page, mother of David Jaxon Page, 20, who was killed by police during a mental health crisis in 2019.

The new laws should lead to regulations requiring crematoriums to independently verify the identity of remains, then certify to the state that those remains were cremated, Page said.

In most states, funeral homes are routinely inspected but no such rules were on the books in Colorado. The owners of the funeral home were arrested in November and collectively face hundreds of charges of abusing corpses and other counts.

Just months later, in February, a woman’s body was found in the back of hearse where a suburban Denver funeral home had left it for over a year. At least 30 sets of cremated remains were found stashed throughout the funeral director’s home.

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Oregon

Oregon Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 4 results for July 3

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The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 3, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 3 drawing

05-09-29-47-57, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 3 drawing

1PM: 8-4-1-9

4PM: 2-5-9-0

7PM: 9-8-8-0

10PM: 1-3-8-7

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
  • Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Utah

Utah Jazz sign defensive wing to roster

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Utah Jazz sign defensive wing to roster


According to Shams Charania, the Utah Jazz signed Josh Okogie to a 2-year $12M deal.

Okogie shot 38.5% from three last season in Houston, as Charania mentions, and fills a need for the Jazz, who are looking for defensive help on the perimeter.

It’s a clear sign that Utah is in the business now of building its roster to compete next season for a playoff spot. After the Walker Kessler trade, the starting lineup will likely be Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jusuf Nurkic. But Utah needs depth and defense. With Okogie on the roster, the team gains a veteran presence and a defense-first player who can also shoot. It’s likely to be a trend for Utah going forward that they bring on players with size who defend but are also capable shooters and scorers on offense. At this point, Utah is not in the business of taking on project players but is looking to fill needs on its roster. Okogie does just that.

At this point, the most likely potential signings, or trade, could be more center depth after the Kessler trade, and possibly another ball-handling guard. It’s not clear if Utah is done with the roster but this signing will add nice depth.

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Washington

Review: ‘Young Washington’ is an imperfect film perfect for kicking off the 4th of July

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Review: ‘Young Washington’ is an imperfect film perfect for kicking off the 4th of July


There are some movies you admire. There are others that surprise you.

“Young Washington” grazes the first category while falling into the second.

I wasn’t expecting to be swept away by a relatively modest historical drama about George Washington before he became the father of a nation. And for a while, I wasn’t.

The film takes its time introducing the future president, and that deliberate pace occasionally borders on sluggish. The first half struggles to find its rhythm, and there are moments when the story feels more interested in checking historical boxes than pulling us into the drama.

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But somewhere along the way, something changed.

I stopped watching a history lesson and started watching a young man trying to figure out who he wanted to become.

By the end, I found myself surprisingly invested. Not because “Young Washington” is a perfect movie. Because it reminded me why stories about imperfect people often make for the best history.

A surprisingly ambitious production

One of the first things that stood out was just how good this movie looks.

This isn’t a blockbuster with the budget of films like “The Patriot” or “The Last of the Mohicans.” In fact, when you consider what those productions cost – and adjust for inflation – the difference is enormous.

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That’s what makes this film’s production value so impressive.

The costumes, locations, and battle sequences all feel authentic enough to transport you back to colonial America. There are moments where it’s clear the filmmakers had to be creative with their resources, but more often than not they make those limitations disappear.

It’s a reminder that good filmmaking isn’t always about having the biggest budget.

Sometimes it’s about knowing exactly where to spend the money you do have.

An uneven cast, but strong performances where it matters

The acting is a bit of a mixed bag.

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There are performances that occasionally feel stiff and a few scenes where the dialogue doesn’t land with the emotional weight it’s reaching for.

Fortunately, those moments never completely pulled me out of the movie.

Ben Kingsley brings a welcome sense of gravitas whenever he appears, and Andy Serkis continues his remarkable ability to disappear into whatever role he’s given. Their performances help ground the film and elevate several key moments.

More importantly, the actor portraying the young Washington succeeds where it matters most.

He made me curious.

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Rather than presenting Washington as the flawless hero we’ve seen in countless paintings and history books, the film allows him to be uncertain, ambitious and, at times, deeply conflicted.

That humanity gives the story life.

The best history asks bigger questions

What I appreciated most wasn’t simply learning facts about George Washington’s early life. It was watching the experiences that slowly shaped the leader he would become.

The movie explores questions that feel surprisingly relevant today.

Why do we chase success? Is ambition about building our own legacy? Seeking recognition? Or is it about leaving the world a little better than we found it?

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Washington makes mistakes, he learns hard lessons and his failures become just as important as his victories.

Whether every conversation happened exactly as portrayed is almost beside the point. The film captures something emotionally true about leadership – wisdom is usually earned, not inherited.

That’s where “Young Washington” found its strongest footing.

A finale worth waiting for

For much of its runtime, I’d describe “Young Washington” as good. Not great.

The pacing continues to wobble, and I occasionally found myself wishing the story would move with a little more urgency.

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Then came the final act.

Without spoiling anything, the emotional payoff finally arrives.

The themes the movie has been quietly building suddenly click into place, and what felt like a slow burn becomes something genuinely moving.

I left the theater feeling more invested than I expected, and that ending elevated the entire experience.

Sometimes a great conclusion doesn’t erase a movie’s flaws. It simply reminds you why the journey mattered.

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What parents should know

“Young Washington” is PG-13, and that seems appropriate. There is no vulgar language, no sexual content, but it is a war movie, and it can get violent. It’s not gruesome or graphic, but there are battle scenes, deaths, and some blood. Young viewers may find it unsettling, and some older viewers may cover their eyes a time or two.

The violence is not romanticized but rather shown to depict the horrors of war.

Conclusion

“Young Washington” isn’t the definitive Revolutionary War epic.

It has pacing issues, some performances are uneven, and the script occasionally struggles to maintain momentum.

But I also found myself thinking about it long after the credits rolled.

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In an era when so many historical films try to overwhelm audiences with spectacle, “Young Washington” focuses on something much simpler: the formation of character.

It asks how ordinary choices become extraordinary leadership. How failure shapes conviction. How service ultimately matters more than personal glory.

Watching it on the eve of the Fourth of July felt especially fitting.

As America celebrates 250 years, this movie serves as a reminder that the nation’s founding wasn’t accomplished by mythical figures who always knew the right answer. It was shaped by real people who stumbled, learned, and ultimately chose something bigger than themselves.

That’s a story worth telling.

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And despite its imperfections, “Young Washington” tells it well enough that I walked away feeling just a little more grateful, and a little more excited, to celebrate this great country I have the opportunity to call home.



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