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Opinion: Denver’s board of education broke the law and violated our trust

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

Denver’s Board of Education met privately to discuss, develop and vote on a crucial school safety policy in clear violation of Colorado law. Video just released by the district following a judge’s orders also showed the board and school officials using the meeting to openly express contempt for the public they serve, stew about their public image, and, in the case of one board member, make shockingly insensitive and racially charged comments.Colorado’s media has served the public well in making sure that this meeting was made public. It took a lawsuit, a judge’s orders, and then a surprisingly brave vote from the board members to bring this recorded meeting to light.And the Denver Public School board members, Superintendent Alex Marrero and legal counsel Aaron Thompson, certainly were not shown in their best lights. The meeting makes everyone involved look conniving and political. During a crisis – especially a school shooting that left two employees seriously injured and resu...

George Lucas sues to secure San Anselmo parcel ownership

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

“Star Wars” director George Lucas has a net worth in the billions of dollars, but a recent court filing demonstrates that the movie mogul still keeps a close watch over even his smallest real estate holdings.Lucas has filed a complaint in Marin County Superior Court to ensure that ownership of a strip of land that he has been using as a driveway to one of his many San Anselmo properties isn’t claimed by the heirs of several of his deceased neighbors.“The Strip is principally occupied by a paved driveway leading from Essex Avenue to the Parcel,” the complaint filed in May states. The filing says the parcel is on Coogan Avenue.“Until recently, plaintiff believed the Strip was part of the Parcel,” the suit says. “Plaintiff has learned that the Strip is actually not within the Parcel’s mete and bounds.”Lucas believes that four deceased neighbors might have been granted an easement over a portion of the strip and that two other deceased neighbors “may have had an interest in the Strip,” ...

Busting the many myths and misconceptions about birds

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

There are many things that people don’t know about birds. More than this, circumstances often conspire to result in not simply ignorance of bird-related topics, but in the spread of myths and misconceptions.Start with birds and seasons, the topic of misconception No. 1: Birds are most abundant in spring. While there are many species that migrate north to California in the spring, there are substantially more that migrate south (or, less frequently, out from the cold interior or down from higher elevations) to our moderate coastal climate. Marin’s winters are nice! And so as we move into fall, we will see increasing numbers of shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors and numerous songbird species.Misconception No. 2 is also related to the seasons: Bird feeders will prevent birds from migrating on time. For most birds, the primary trigger of migration is day length. Abundance of food is not a deterrent to migration — birds want to be well-nourished when they take off on their long journeys, not...

Driver found deceased in Santa Cruz County rollover crash

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

BOULDER CREEK — During rescue efforts for a deceased driver discovered Friday morning off Bear Creek Road, firefighters were beset by a nest of stinging ground insects.The Boulder Creek Fire Department, along with the California Highway Patrol and American Medical Response, was called around 11:15 a.m. to private property between Starr Creek and Hawk Ridge roads. A caller reported finding an overturned vehicle that had gone off the road and ended up wedged between two trees.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | 3 dead after plane crashes into hangar at Southern California airport Crashes and Disasters | One dead after fatal collision in East Palo Alto on Friday Crashes and Disasters | 85-year-old pedestrian killed by a vehicle in Santa Clara Crashes and Disasters | Highway 13 in Oakland temporarily closed after fatal crash involving pedestrian Crashes and Disasters | Head-on collision kills suspected DUI dr...

California uses gift cards to help fight meth addiction

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

Among the most difficult addictions to witness at San Francisco general hospital’s drug clinic is methamphetamine, which leaves users tearing at their skin and unable to eat, sleep or sign up for help.The worst part: The clinic workers largely are powerless because unlike with opioid addiction, for which doctors prescribe medications such as methadone, there is no medicine for stimulant use disorder.“We live day in and day out watching people suffer in a way that’s hard to imagine,” said Dr. Brad Shapiro, medical director of the Opiate Treatment Outpatient Program at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. “They’re just dying in front of us.”Faced with that immense suffering, California will try a new approach to stimulant addiction: Paying people with gift cards to reward them for staying sober.This model, known as “contingency management,” rewards people with financial incentives each time their drug tests are negative for stimulants. It’s been shown to have success in clinical...

Recently restored Black Lives Matter mural damaged in Santa Cruz

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

SANTA CRUZ — Just over a month after the community gathered to restore a street art project with the help of the vandals convicted of damaging it, the downtown Black Lives Matter mural was defaced once again.Blue paint tire marks now cover the BLM mural on Center Street. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel) Santa Cruz city officials were alerted to new damage to the block-long painting in front of City Hall on Center Street around 6 p.m. Saturday. According to a city media release, blue paint was found covering the letters “A” and “C.” On Sunday morning, the paint appeared as long blue tire tread marks across the artwork.The Santa Cruz Police Department has opened an investigation into the new damage, according to the city release, and officials are asking anyone with information related to the incident to contact police at 831-420-5995.“We will not tolerate any actions aimed at undermining the fabric of our diverse community,” Santa Cruz Police Chief Bernie Escalante was quot...

Gang robbed cars along scenic California highway at least twice before murders, police say

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

A street gang robbed multiple drivers parked along the Angeles Crest Highway in the days before the group allegedly killed a 32-year-old man who had stopped off with his passenger to enjoy a scenic overlook, according to authorities.Detectives from the Pasadena Police Department are now confident they can tie that same gang to “murders and other violent crimes that have occurred in Los Angeles County over the last week.” The department announced the arrest of six members of the gang on Wednesday, July 26, but ended up only bringing robbery charges against three of them. The others were released Friday.The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office alleges Luis Ventura, 23, of Los Angeles used a firearm to rob Jessie Munoz, the man killed in the Angeles National Forest, and a female passenger, who was uninjured during the attack.Two other suspects — Wendy Cerritos, 20, and Rossel Josue Hernandez, 21, both of Los Angeles — were charged with four and two counts of robbery, respectiv...

Katie Ledecky breaks Michael Phelps’ record for most individual world golds

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

FUKUOKA, Japan — Here’s why Katie Ledecky is one of the greatest freestyle swimmers in the history of the sport. She’s never quite satisfied.The 26-year-old American won the 800-freestyle on Saturday at the World Aquatics Championships to become the first swimmer to win six golds in the same event at the worlds. It was also her 16th individual world title, breaking a tie with legendary Michael Phelps for the most golds at the worlds.She’s also a seven-time Olympic gold medalist and the record holder in both the 800 and 1,500.But that winning time — 8 minutes, 08.87 seconds, which is the seventh quickest she’d even swum — wasn’t quite good enough in her favorite event.“I’m just always trying to think of new ways to improve. I mean I’ve already got everything turning in my head right now. I kind of wanted to be better than I was tonight,” she said, twirling her right hand beside her right ear, trying to stir up ideas.“I’m pretty tough on myself,” she said. “But I think I have found th...

Man arrested after California sheriff’s department receives 7,000 spam calls

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

A Rialto man has been arrested after the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department received around 7,000 non-emergency spam calls from an unknown number, authorities announced Friday.Between April and July 2023, SBSD personnel were prevented from attending to legitimate emergency calls due to the harassing spam calls, the agency said.An investigation into the identity of the caller led to the caller being identified as Luke Edwards Dumas, a 48-year-old man from Rialto, deputies said.On July 22, Dumas was taken into custody on suspicion of Annoying and Harassing Calls to Emergency Lines and Interfering with Emergency Services. Dumas was booked at West Valley Detention Center, SBSD said.Authorities believe Dumas may be connected to additional harassing calls to emergency services throughout the Inland Empire.Anyone with information about the investigation can contact Detective A. Hylin at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Headquarters, at 909-387-3727.Related ArticlesCri...

Worker shot inside California PF Chang’s; man in custody

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:48 GMT

A man was arrested in Chino Hills on Saturday, July 29 after shooting an employee in a PF Chang’s restaurant, authorities said.Deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Chino Hills station responded to 3445 Grand Avenue, at The Shoppes at Chino Hills,  at around 3 p.m. on Saturday after a report of a shooting.They found that 32-year-old Norwalk resident Lauro Rangel had entered the kitchen of the PF Chang’s and shot an employee. Another employee intervened and restrained Rangel until deputies arrived and arrested him, the Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.The motive for the shooting was not clear Saturday. On social media around 4:43 p.m., the Sheriff’s Department reported a suspect was apprehended and said “This is not an active shooter incident.”The victim, a 40-year-old man, was transported to a hospital.Rangel was booked on suspicion of attempted murder.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Two women shot while driving in East Oakland ...