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Opinion: Californians should not have to pay billions for oil-wells cleanup

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:10 GMT

Central California residents once again found themselves blindsided and alarmed last month when a state task force found more than two dozen idle oil wells leaking methane in Kern County — some close to schools. Compounding shock into outrage, many oil companies admitted they have no intention of repairing the leaking wells, more than a dozen of which are gushing methane at explosive levels.It’s the latest stunning example of oil companies’ impunity when it comes to the costs — and dangers — of more than 35,000 idle wells in California.As the state’s oil industry dies out, operators often leave wells unsealed and unattended. Surveys last year found dozens of these idle or orphan wells leaking methane near Bakersfield. These methane leaks revealed how rarely state regulators actually inspect idle wells near homes, schools and churches. Only a tiny fraction of these wells have been tested, and many have gone unchecked for more than a decade.This negligence is dangero...

SF Giants, Oakland A’s react to fans uniting for anti-John Fisher protest

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:10 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — For the Giants and A’s players, the focus of Tuesday night’s first Bay Bridge series matchup of 2023 was on trying to win.But it was impossible not to notice what the fans of both teams did, with many of the 40,014 coming together for some booming “Sell the team” chants directed at A’s owner John Fisher during the fifth inning of the Giants’ 2-1 win.A’s outfielder Cody Thomas led off the top of the fifth against Giants starter Alex Cobb. While the protest plan was for fans to remain silent throughout Thomas’ at-bat and begin the chants once he was done, the chants picked up after the first pitch of the fifth inning.In fact, much like during last month’s “reverse boycott” in Oakland, Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb couldn’t hear his PitchCom — but unlike A’s pitcher Hogan Harris, who stopped the game to check his, Cobb kept pitching.“I had no idea what was going on. It just got loud,” Cobb said. “I was trying to focus on the PitchCom. I couldn’t hear the...

Man pleads not guilty to attempted murder of Vallejo police officer

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:10 GMT

A suspect accused of attempting to murder a Vallejo police officer who shot him during a burglary last month pleaded not guilty to all counts Tuesday.Judge Jon Rolefson ordered 29-year-old Jamazea Kittell to return to court Sept. 13 for a hearing prior to his preliminary examination, according to court documents. The preliminary examination – the hearing at which the state will attempt to prove that there is probable cause to believe Kittell committed his alleged crimes – is scheduled to begin Sept. 20.Assistant Public Defender Nick Filloy represented Kittell at his 9 a.m. arraignment at the Solano Justice Building in Vallejo. Assistant District Attorney Paul Sequeira represented the prosecution.Kittell remains held without bail in the Justice Center Detention Facility in Fairfield.Kittell was arrested June 27 following reports of a break-in at a Vallejo gas station. Footage of the incident released by the Vallejo Police Department shows Officer Brad Kim scrambling out of his patrol...

Five-bedroom home sells in Danville for $2.7 million

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:10 GMT

748 Glen Road – Google Street ViewA spacious house located in the 700 block of Glen Road in Danville has new owners. The 2,871-square-foot property, built in 1967, was sold on July 10, 2023. The $2,650,000 purchase price works out to $923 per square foot. This single-story home offers a roomy layout with five bedrooms and three bathrooms. In addition, the home includes an attached two-car garage, offering generous space for vehicles and storage requirements. The lot size of the property measures an impressive 0.5-acre and features a pool for added enjoyment.Additional houses have recently changed hands nearby:A 2,164-square-foot home on the 700 block of Calmar Vista Road in Danville sold in November 2022, for $1,899,000, a price per square foot of $878. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In September 2022, a 2,783-square-foot home on Nadine Place in Danville sold for $2,150,000, a price per square foot of $773. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Glen Road, Danville, in ...

Monterey County crop gross value totals $4.6 billion, up 13.1% from last year

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:10 GMT

SALINAS – The value of Monterey County crops increased 13.1% to $4.6 billion in 2022 with strawberries again leading the way with a value of nearly $1 billion.The 2022 Crop and Livestock Report was released Tuesday by Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo at a press briefing with a panel of agricultural leaders. The report lists top crop values and other key agricultural statistics while highlighting the work and programs of the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.“We do not usually see double-digit increases in crop value from year-to-year,” said Hidalgo. “There are many factors that can contribute to double-digit increases. I think one of those things is the continuance to emerge from the pandemic.”The report reflects a production gross value of agricultural commodities grown in Monterey County and pegs it at $4,638,336,000.The 2022 Annual Crop and Livestock Report for the County of Monterey showed a value of more than $4.6B of production gross value for agricultur...

Opinion: If Trump loses the GOP primary, will backers shun the nominee?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:10 GMT

On Capitol Hill and in other Democratic circles, there are many Democrats who believe that Donald Trump would be easier to defeat in the general election than Ron DeSantis.Trump certainly has his weaknesses. Most of the country does not like him, for reasons that are too obvious and numerous to list here. He has also been indicted twice and likely faces further criminal charges between now and the election, although so far that hasn’t seemed to hurt him much.In addition, Trump is seen as the candidate who will most mobilize the Democratic base — and also Democratic funders. And some see DeSantis as more of a threat because he is 44 years old, and Biden’s age has become a concern among a significant share of voters.But Trump is unique in some ways that give him special powers. Ironically, one of these powers is something that stems from a personality trait that almost no politicians, demagogues or even dictators would want to display in public. But Trump seems to flaunt it: his appar...

Marin police arrest 2 East Bay man in connection with armed robbery

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:10 GMT

Investigators have identified two East Bay men as the suspects in an armed robbery in Greenbrae three months ago, according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.The crime happened at about 8:30 a.m. April 20 at the intersection of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and La Cuesta Drive. A masked robber used a gun to smash a rear window of a vehicle stopped at a red light, then started taking items from inside, the sheriff’s department said.The driver put the vehicle in reverse, injuring the robber. The robber fled in another vehicle with an accomplice.The Marin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with the Berkeley Police Department, the San Pablo Police Department and the Contra Costa County Probation Department. Investigators identified the suspects as Joseph Cardenas, 27, and David Antonio Cardenas, 22, both residents of San Pablo.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Naked motorist arrested following reports of shooting near Bay Bridge toll plaza Crime and P...

10 ‘Haunted Mansion’ movie Easter Eggs from the Disneyland ride

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:10 GMT

Disneyland fans watching the new “Haunted Mansion” movie will be treated to a few extra laughs from the supernatural horror comedy when they spot Easter Egg tributes to the classic dark ride hidden in plain sight throughout the film.Movie trailers and preview screenings offer a host of hints about the visual nods and character references the “Haunted Mansion” film will make to the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland when the new Walt Disney Studios release hits theaters on Friday, July 28.SEE ALSO: This Haunted Mansion Airbnb is just like sleeping inside the Disneyland ride — If you dareThe new movie stars Rosario Dawson as a single mom who moves into a haunted mansion with her son and engages a psychic (Tiffany Haddish), priest (Owen Wilson), paranormal specialist (LaKeith Stanfield), New Orleans tour guide (Winona Ryder) and historian (Danny DeVito) to rid the house of 999 ghosts. Along the way they encounter Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis), the Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto) and Consta...

How many dead trees there are in California might surprise you

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:10 GMT

If long droughts and massive wildfires weren’t enough harm to California’s trees, there is massive damage being done by pests and fungi. This could contribute to more acres of record-setting wildfires.Remember the song “It’s not easy being green?” Well, it isn’t for forests up and down California. Many trees are turning brown and dying losing the fight at fending off harmful beetles, borers, moths, weevils and fungi.The California Forest Pest Council released a report earlier this year that shows elevated levels of tree mortality were recorded on more than 2.6 million acres, totaling an estimated 36.3 million dead trees. The majority of trees killed were fir, followed by ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. Mortality was particularly severe and widespread in the central Sierra Nevada range.Most of the tree mortality can be attributed in part to drought or bark and engraver beetle attacks that have resulted in more than 200 million trees killed since 2010.You can find the California Pest ...

Opinion: Medicaid expansion is hurting the mental health of the needy

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:10 GMT

The signs of America’s mental health crisis are everywhere. In response, policymakers have continued to focus on a popular strategy: expanding health coverage through safety net programs, especially Medicaid. Increasing the number of insured Americans, we are told, will ensure access to care, yet it is becoming increasingly clear that record Medicaid enrollment has not prevented the brunt of the mental health crisis from falling on society’s most vulnerable. In fact, our new research indicates this is not coincidence and that instead, spreading coverage out among more people may be part of the problem.Other recent studies bear out the ways in which vulnerable populations are struggling to receive mental health treatment. Among children of low-income parents — a group Medicaid was originally created to help and for whom research finds the most positive impacts — only half of emergency room visits for mental health crises get adequate follow-up care, and nearly two-thirds of victims o...