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Grand jury report cites nepotism and lack of spending oversight among Alameda County’s ethics failures

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:31 GMT

Nearly 10 years after a grand jury report noted serious ethical concerns in Alameda County, it is still one of the only counties in the wider Bay Area that does not have an ethics policy, a whistleblower procedure, or both.A new Alameda County civil grand jury report outlines a series of ethical issues that have persisted over the past half decade, including nepotism and a lack of oversight regarding discretionary spending of public money. The report did not name names or refer to specific incidents.“Despite repeated findings from prior grand juries on ethical violations, and a specific recommendation to establish an ethics policy and reporting mechanism in 2015, the Board of Supervisors has not acted for nearly a decade,” stated the latest civil grand jury report, released on Friday. “Alameda County’s lack of an Ethics Policy and Code of Conduct specific to the county indicates that ethical government is not a priority.”Civil grand juries are composed of county residents who serve ...

Sharks GM hints at draft strategy, including what he’s open to doing with No. 4 overall pick

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:31 GMT

San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier said he’s open to moving down in the first round of the NHL Draft on Wednesday but obviously doesn’t want to drop so far that the team misses out on selecting a player they feel can make a significant impact.The Sharks own the No. 4 overall selection, their highest in 25 years, and will likely have the option of choosing between Matvei Michkov and Will Smith, two elite forwards who would almost certainly be considered the team’s top prospect if taken.The Sharks could also choose to slide down a spot or two and still pick up a player they like, perhaps along the lines of forward Ryan Leonard or defenseman David Reinbacher, and acquire another draft pick for this year. Leonard has drawn comparisons to Matthew and Brady Tkachuk with his competitive, tenacious style and Reinbacher is widely considered the top defenseman available.“For the most part, we’ll have kind of our cut-offs of where we don’t want to move — down past our...

SF high-rise suffers interior glass break, all roads back open

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:31 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- An interior window broke in a San Francisco high-rise on Monday afternoon, the San Francisco Fire Department confirmed. The building is located at 301 Howard Street in the city's SOMA neighborhood. Following earlier street closures in the area, all roads are now back open. Moments leading up to deadly Oakland Koreatown shooting caught on video The incident was not weather related, the fire department said. Members of the SFFD and San Francisco Police Department were called in to secure the area while repairs were made.No injuries or other damages have been reported as a result of the incident. Streets in the area around Howard and Beale were closed while repairs are made. The window has been boarded up.Initial reports from an SFMTA representative had suggested that glass had fallen from the building. Officials later clarified that this was not the case.Earlier this year, there were several weather-related instances that saw glass windows blown out in the up...

42 guns becoming garden tools following Oakland gun buyback

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:31 GMT

(BCN) -- Forty-two guns are becoming or already are garden tools following a gun buyback in Oakland earlier this month, according to police. Police collected the weapons in exchange for Oakland A's tickets, gift cards and garden tools forged from last years' buyback. The guns collected June 10 will be forged into garden tools by blacksmith John Rogers. A total of $4,350 in gift cards were exchanged for the weapons. SF high-rise suffers interior glass break, all roads back open Participating in the second annual "Gun to Gardens" event shows the police department's "support in removing guns from circulation to reduce the likelihood of homicides, suicides and accidental gun deaths," police said in a news release. Most of the guns collected this year were rifles, said Cara Meredith, spokesperson for Guns to Gardens Oakland. Unfortunately, this year's event was less successful than last year when 131 guns were collected. But the collaborative buyback put on by Oakland police a...

3rd tourist from California dies on vacation in Hawaii

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:31 GMT

(KRON) -- Three Californians have died in separate ocean-related incidents while on vacation in Hawaii this June. The most recent death happened on June 19 at Po‘ipū Beach Park on the tropical island of Kauai. Judith Bailey, 77, was snorkeling in the picturesque beach's lagoon when something went wrong. The Kauai Police Department wrote, "Kauai Ocean Safety Bureau personnel spotted a snorkeler in distress and pulled her from waters. When firefighters from the Kōloa fire station arrived on scene, (Bailey) was conscious and alert."Paramedics transported Bailey to Wilcox Medical Center, where she later died. Autopsy results are still pending.Police Captain Kennison Nagahisa said, "We are saddened to report this death of another visitor. We remind the public to be aware of your surroundings and your abilities in the water."A second Californian died on June 10 at Makua Beach, also known as "Tunnels," on Kauai's North Shore, according to police. Lucas Ivor, 37, of Sonoma, went swimming a...

Malaria cases in Texas and Florida are the first US spread since 2003, CDC says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:31 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The United States has seen five cases of malaria spread by mosquitos in the last two months — the first time there’s been local spread in in 20 years.There were four cases detected in Florida and one in Texas, according to a health alert issued Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Malaria is caused by a parasite that spreads through mosquito bites. Infected people can suffer fever, chills and flu-like illness. If it goes untreated, infected people can develop severe complications and die. The largest death toll in recent years has been seen in children in sub-Saharan Africa.Health officials are warning doctors, especially those in southern states where the weather is more friendly to the tropical mosquito that spreads malaria, to be aware of the possibility of infection. They also should think about how to access IV artesunate, which is the first-line treatment for severe malaria in the United States, the CDC said.The agency also said that t...

Catorce opositores se medirán en las primarias de Venezuela para enfrentar al madurismo con un candidato único

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:31 GMT

(CNN Español) — Catorce precandidatos conforman la oferta electoral de la oposición venezolana en las elecciones primarias previstas para el próximo 22 de octubre. Se espera que de esa cita electoral surja un nombre que permita dejar atrás las marcadas divisiones internas de la oposición y que pueda enfrentar al candidato del madurismo y derrotarlo después de más de 24 años en el poder.Cuatro mujeres y 10 hombres conforman la oferta de aspirantes presidenciales de la oposición, luego de que se venciera el plazo para formalizar las postulaciones este 24 de junio, incluidas las 24 horas de prórroga anunciadas por la Comisión Nacional Electoral de Primarias.La oposición venezolana “autogestionará” sus primarias tras la remoción de autoridades del Consejo Nacional ElectoralEstas 14 voces opositoras, que marcan estilos y visiones diferentes, se comprometieron a convertirse en una sola, después de los comicios primarios una vez se conozca el nombre del ganador.¿Quiénes son los oposi...

Canada coach John Herdman says governing body must quickly address its financial troubles

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:31 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Men’s national team coach John Herdman says the Canadian Soccer Association must quicky address its financial troubles.Interim general secretary Jason deVos was quoted Monday by TSN as saying the federation might need to explore a bankruptcy filing.“We have to find solutions and find them quick,” Herdman said Monday, a day before his team’s CONCACAF Gold Cup opener against Guadeloupe. “It’s not about pointing fingers. I think the whole group has to come together. The whole game has to come together to find a genuine solution to make sure our country can perform. The players have earned that right. The staff have earned that right. We shouldn’t be going backwards after a World Cup.”Canada’s men reached the World Cup last year for the first time since 1986.“I think everyone expected coming off the World Cup that it was going to be all sunshine and rainbows,” Herdman said.After a loss to the United States in this month’s CONCACAF Nations League fi...

From hot to hotter

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:31 GMT

We always heat-up this time of the year in south Florida, but a growing surge of hot air is about to take hold. During the middle part of the week (specifically Wednesday and Thursday) some locations will probably reach records as highs soar into the middle 90ºs. What’s the reason for the added heat? It’ll be attributed to “less rain and more sun” initially. The more significant reason, though, is a pattern change that revolves around a big, expanding heat dome. This dome is beginning to extend from the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida. Once it arrives, so will the drier air and hotter temperatures. Tuesday is expected to be our transition day. It won’t be as rainy as previous days, and not as hot compared to what’s coming. Look for a mix of sun with random storms and highs just above 90-degrees. Then, beginning Wednesday, the upper level winds (high in the sky) start their switch, allowing drier and hotter air to filter into Florida. The...

Act of Vandal once again, defacing of tombstone, memorial at Miami gravesite of 2 killed in 2021 New Year’s crash

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:31 GMT

Grave concern once again for a South Florida family, a video captured an act of vandalism that took place at the Miami cemetery, New Year’s accident concerning the gravesite of two of four people who were killed in West Miami-Dade back in 2021.Last month, a similar cellphone video showed someone defacing a gravestone with a white spray instead of the black spray that was used in the previous act of vandalism.Moments later, the vandal is seen spray-painting the flowers, hammering the grave, and a memorial honoring the victims. The subject kicked everything that was placed over the grave repeatedly at the Caballero Rivero Woodlawn North Cemetery. A surveillance video captured a man in a hoodie, carrying the spray paint bottle in his hand.He had a blurred face because officials have yet not identified the subject and confirmed with 7 News, they have the image and they are still investigating. A heartbroken family member Ingrid Diaz, one of the victim’s sister spoke with 7 N...