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Powerful Hurricane Hilary heads for Mexico's Baja. Rare tropical storm watch issued for California

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:25 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Hilary churned off Mexico's Pacific coast Friday as a powerful Category 4 storm threatening to unleash torrential rains on the mudslide-prone border city of Tijuana before heading into Southern California as the first tropical storm there in 84 years. Forecasters warned the storm could cause extreme flooding, mudslides and even tornadoes across the region.Hillary grew rapidly in strength early Friday before losing some steam in the afternoon, with sustained winds falling from 145 mph (230 kph) to 130 mph (215 kph). Nevertheless, it was forecast to still be a hurricane when approaching Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Saturday night and a tropical storm when approaching Southern California on Sunday.No tropical storm has made landfall in Southern California since Sept. 25, 1939, according to the National Weather Service. The watch was posted for a wide swath of Southern California from the coast to interior mountains and deserts. The U.S. National Hu...

Five Antioch and Pittsburg cops charged with accepting bribes, including tequila, to make traffic tickets go away

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:25 GMT

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office has charged five Antioch and Pittsburg police officers in an alleged conspiracy to drop traffic tickets in exchange for apparent bribes of food and liquor, court records filed Friday show.The documents show former Antioch police Officer Timothy Manly Williams will be charged with felony counts of conspiracy to commit an act injurious to public and accepting a bribe in a 2020 case where he allegedly accepted Teremana tequila – the brand founded by actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – from a person in exchange for help making a traffic ticket go away.The tequila made its way to Antioch patrol Officer Andrea Rodriguez, who court documents allege received the tequila for failing to appear in court Nov. 2, 2020, in a traffic case despite being subpoenaed. Other officers implicated in the court documents include Antioch patrol Officer Calvin Prieto; former Pittsburg Officer Ernesto Mejia-Orozco and Antioch Officer Ben Padilla.The state charges by t...

People’s Park: Demolished trees, vegetation spark $4.5 million lawsuit against UC Berkeley

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:25 GMT

BERKELEY — Neighborhood groups tied to People’s Park have filed a $4.5 million lawsuit against the University of California Regents, claiming officials “willfully and maliciously” destroyed the community’s plants and property — hindering access and enjoyment of the park in the process.Three 50-year-old nonprofits — the People’s Park Council, People’s Park Project and Native Plant Forum — filed a civil complaint this week in Alameda County Superior Court, finding fault in how the Regents, the UC system’s governing board, ordered demolition crews last August to start felling trees and fencing in the property a few blocks south of UC Berkeley’s campus.UC Berkeley has been eyeing the site for development since it seized the land by eminent domain and bulldozed the property in 1968 — leaving behind a vacant, muddy lot that hundreds of residents eventually transformed into a park with sod, flowers and trees in 1969. Amid UC’s continued push to dev...

Martinez police shoot and kill unarmed person in cannabis dispensary incident

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:25 GMT

MARTINEZ, Calif. (KRON) -- An unarmed person was shot by Martinez Police Department officers outside a cannabis dispensary Friday morning, KRON4 has confirmed. Four officers discharged their firearms, according to Martinez PD.One of the civilians who was involved in the incident was transported to the hospital and was pronounced deceased, police confirmed. The four officers who discharged their weapons have been placed on administrative leave.The California Department of Justice is leading an investigation into the incident.Early Friday morning, Martinez PD received a report of a video alarm at Velvet, a cannabis dispensary, at around 3:27 a.m.Police were advised that there were multiple suspects and two vehicles at the business.According to the owners of the cannabis shop, they received a call from the Martinez Police Department notifying them of an attempted burglary. The suspect(s) was not able to break into the business. Officers arrived about five minutes later, and one of the ...

Teen arrested after reported car burglary in Petaluma

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:25 GMT

(KRON) -- A suspect was arrested in connection to a vehicle burglary early Thursday morning, the Petaluma Police Department said in a Nixle alert. Around 5:34 a.m., the victim reported the suspect was burglarizing their vehicle outside their home on Lindberg Lane.The victim's family member saw the teen suspect enter the vehicle and remove items from the glove box and center console, according to police. Once the suspect saw the victim's family member, he got out of the car and began to run away. The victim's family member believed the teen had a gun on him. Starbucks no longer offering disposable cups at these North Bay locations However, officers arrived in the area and detained the suspect without incident. Police did not find a firearm on him or nearby -- despite a K9 search of the residential neighborhood. The suspect was discovered to be a 17-year-old from the Lakeport area. He was booked into the Sonoma County Juvenile Detention Facility for "vehicle tampering," Petaluma po...

Eastbound I-80 closed this weekend for maintenance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:25 GMT

(KRON) -- Eastbound Interstate 80 in Hercules will be closed this weekend for maintenance, according to Caltrans. Closures will begin after 9 p.m. Friday and last through 5 a.m. on Monday.This weekend's closures are part of an ongoing series of four different weekend closures this summer to perform major pavement repair on the eastbound and westbound I-80 in Contra Costa County. Caltrans will work on one traffic direction at a time.This weekend will see eastbound I-80 closed and traffic detoured beginning at the eastbound I-80/SR-4 interchange in Hercules.Eastbound I-80 Closure detour directions:From EB I-80 to SR-4 in Hercules, exit onto eastbound SB-4Continue on eastbound SR-4 to northbound I-680Then continue on northbound I-680 past BeniciaThen re-enter eastbound I-80 in FairfieldAdditional eastbound I-80 detour options:I-780 remains openCummings Skyway remains openAll work is weather and conditions dependent.

This Bay Area city has the highest car theft rate in the nation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:25 GMT

(KRON) -- Is Oakland a safe city to drive in compared to other cities across the United States and California? A recent study by Market Watch set out to answer that question. Information compiled in the study revealed that while Oakland is one of the most unsafe cities for drivers in one aspect, it grades out as above average in others. Car TheftsAccording to Market Watch, Oakland has the highest rate of car thefts of any city in the United States. There were 5,041 car thefts in Oakland in 2019, according to the FBI's crime report. The town's rate of 1,161.4 thefts per 100,000 people tops any other city nationwide. For comparison, Round Rock, Texas had the lowest car theft rate in the country at 39.9 thefts per 100,000 people -- more than 29 times less than Oakland. The city with the second-highest car theft rate is Detroit. Per 100,000 people, Detroit's rate is 1,037.8 thefts per 100,000 people.DUI and crashesConversely, Market Watch's study grades Oakland out well in two categorie...

California appeals court revives lawsuits of two men who allege Michael Jackson sexually abused them as children

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:25 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California appeals court revives lawsuits of two men who allege Michael Jackson sexually abused them as children.Source

MLB reschedules 3 Sunday games in California because of the forecast for Hurricane Hilary

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:25 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has rescheduled three Sunday games in California because of the forecast for Hurricane Hilary.The changes were announced by MLB as Hurricane Hilary churned off Mexico’s Pacific coast Friday as a powerful Category 4 storm.Each of the games — Arizona at San Diego, Tampa Bay at the Los Angeles Angels and Miami at the Los Angeles Dodgers — will now be played Saturday as part of split-doubleheaders.The first game in San Diego begins at 3:10 p.m. ET, and the second is scheduled for 8:40 p.m. ET. The opener at Angel Stadium starts at 4:07 p.m. ET, and the nightcap is scheduled for 9:07 p.m. ET. The games at Dodger Stadium are scheduled for 3 p.m. ET and 9:10 p.m. ET.Hillary grew in strength early Friday before losing some steam in the afternoon, with sustained winds falling from 145 mph (230 kph) to 130 mph (215 kph). It was forecast to still be a hurricane when approaching Mexico’s Baja California peninsula on Saturday night, and a tropical storm when...

Suncor settles with EPA for raining ash on the community

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:25 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Suncor rained an ash-like substance on the community around its Commerce City refinery, and now the company will pay after it reached a settlement with regulators.A catalyst released from the refinery back in December 2019 caused a white, clay-like material to fall on the neighborhood nearby. While the company said the substance was not hazardous, elementary and middle schools were forced to shelter indoors as the material piled up on vehicles and buildings around them. Big rig hangs off I-25 bridge for hours after deadly crash Suncor offered free car washes for a week after the incident.On Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement worth more than $300,000 over the incident.Suncor to pay fine, fund fire equipmentSuncor will pay $60,000 in civil penalties. It also will spend at least $240,030 on emergency response equipment for the South Adams County Fire Department, with the aim of improving its ability to respond to chemical accidents, acc...