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Fatal San Pablo stabbing results in 4-year prison term, prosecutors say they grappled with self-defense claim

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:09 GMT

MARTINEZ — A San Pablo man was sentenced to four years in prison for killing another man during an argument, and prosecutors admit they would have been hard-pressed to overcome a self-defense claim if the case went to trial.Don Lee King, 36, pleaded no contest to manslaughter in the stabbing death of 40-year-old Hubert Taylor III, a Bay Area resident who left behind four children, according to a GoFundMe set up after his killing. King was formally sentenced April 25, the same day he entered the plea, and on May 10 was transferred to North Kern State Prison, where he’ll be assessed and re-classified to another corrections facility.King was originally charged with murder, but that count was dropped as part of the plea deal.Taylor was fatally stabbed in December 2021. His body was found in a vacant lot near Fillmore Street and Rumrill Boulevard in San Pablo. Police said at the time that King and Taylor knew each other and the homicide stemmed from an argument over “pe...

‘Jeopardy!’ hit with backlash after contestants mispronounce answer

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:09 GMT

“Jeopardy!” had a pronunciation problem on Monday’s episode.All three contestants lost out when they mispronounced the response to a $1,600 clue in the Double Jeopardy category “The Quotable Alex” that asked the source of a quote about socialism.The answer was Russian writer and dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. All three gave that answer but none pronounced it to the satisfaction of host Mayim Bialik.Juveria Zaheer went with “solitchnitchin.”Sami Casanova tried “soliznitsin.”Hannah Wilson said “soltsaneetchin.”“We’re looking for ‘solzhanitsin,'” Bialik said.Some viewers of the show weren’t happy with the ruling, with one commenting on social media, “If you’re not going to accept anyone’s attempt to pronounce Solzhenitsyn, don’t write a clue about him.”Another wrote, “Solzhenitsyn. I get it’s hard to say, but one of them was fairly close. Of all t...

Lyft will discontinue pooled rides

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:09 GMT

By Jackie Davalos | BloombergLyft Inc. is officially discontinuing shared rides, the latest change the ride-hailing company’s new chief executive officer is making in a bid to revamp the platform to compete with Uber Technologies Inc.“The problem with shared trips is that they take people out of their way,” David Risher said in an interview Thursday. “At some point you have to pay attention to what your customers want.”It’s one of a slate of product changes Risher is making since taking over as CEO in April and marks the end of a feature that came to define the ride-hailing industry. San Francisco-based Lyft was the first to launch shared rides in 2014 and Uber later followed with Uber Pool.Related ArticlesBusiness | Hundreds more tech layoffs jolt Bay Area workers Business | Lyft plans ‘significant’ staff reductions under new CEO The companies halted pooled rides during the pandemic and had gradually been re-introducing the service in sel...

Inmate who died at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin identified

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:09 GMT

DUBLIN — Authorities have identified a 26-year-old Santa Rita Jail inmate who died hours after being found sick in his cell and drinking a large amount of water.Eric Magana, 26, died April 27 in the jail’s medical outpatient housing unit about 4:05 p.m. Forty minutes earlier, an Alameda County Sheriff’s Office deputy found him unresponsive in his bed in the Outpatient Housing Unit.Medical personnel took Magana to the housing unit after they saw him drinking a large amount of water and vomiting in his cell about 10:35 a.m.Magana’s relatives were in Mexico, authorities said, delaying their ability to release his identity.Official autopsy results from the Alameda County Coroner’s Office are still pending.Magana wound up in jail on March 28 about 3:10 p.m. Authorities have not said why he was arrested. He told authorities he took a controlled substance on March 27, but authorities said he passed all health evaluations.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety...

Jack Nicholson’s Warriors appearance marks a rare return to public life

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:09 GMT

Jack Nicholson’s limitless charisma and mischievous smile have been sorely missed in movies over the past 13 years, as well as in the front row at the Academy Awards and courtside at games for his beloved Los Angeles Lakers.So, Nicholson’s fans were absolutely delighted to see the 86-year-old back at two recent Lakers games, including Monday night’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Nicholson occupied his usual courtside spot as the Lakers pulled off a 104-101 win over the Warriors, taking a 3-1 lead over the defending champs in the Western Conference semifinal playoffs.LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 08: Jack Nicholson and Ray Nicholson attend a playoff basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on May 08, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) Nicholson’s appearances at Lakers games on Monday and on April 28 come afte...

Bay Area lawmaker’s bill to outlaw discrimination based on caste clears California Senate

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:09 GMT

By DEEPA BHARATH | Associated PressThe California Senate voted 34-1 Thursday in favor of legislation outlawing caste discrimination in the state. If it passes in the state Assembly and is enacted, California could become the first state in the nation to make caste bias illegal by adding it as a protected category in the state’s anti-discrimination laws.State Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, the first Muslim and Afghan American elected to the legislature, introduced the bill in March. Caste is a division of people related to birth or descent and those at the lowest strata of the caste system known as Dalits, have been pushing for legal protections in California and beyond. They say it is necessary to protect them from bias in housing, education and in the tech sector — where they hold key roles.Thursday’s vote was swift, with only Sen. Brian Jones voting against the legislation, which has been controversial. On April 25, hundreds on both sides of the issue came to voice their opinions du...

Enough explosive material to 'level entire building' found in San Jose facility

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:09 GMT

(KRON) -- One man is in custody after a destructive device making facility was discovered during a burglary investigation Monday, according to the San Jose Police Department. Officers responded at around 4:17 a.m. to a report of a commercial burglary in the 1200 block of Old Bayshore Highway. Law enforcement officials said the explosives found were far more powerful than fireworks and there were enough on-hand to level an entire building. Police, FBI investigating 1996 missing woman cold case in Redwood City park During a security sweep of the building, police said they located what appeared to be a destructive device manufacturing operation inside the business. The San Jose PD Bomb Squad responded along with Assaults Unit Detectives to assist with the investigation.San Jose resident Adam Mirassou was identified as the primary suspect in the course of the investigation. Search warrants were obtained for Mirassou's business and residence, police said. He was located and arrested at...

OUSD claims union's demands cost $1 billion, Oakland strike enters Day 6

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:09 GMT

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- The Oakland teachers union strike entered Day 6 on Thursday as thousands of teachers continue to push for a long list of demands and a new contract with higher pay.The district has agreed to raise teachers' salaries, but there's no still end in sight to the standoff between Oakland Unified School District and Oakland Education Association teachers union.On Wednesday night, district officials released a shocking estimated price tag for the union's list of demands -- $1 billion. "Fully implementing OEA’s initial common good proposal would cost the district more than $1 billion," OUSD officials wrote.There’s only 10 school days left in the 2022-2023 academic year, and most of the district's 34,000 students have chosen to stay home rather than cross picket lines. A major sticking point between the two sides centers on "common good" proposals, such as housing homeless students, investing in Black Thriving Community Schools (schools with 40 percent or more Black ...

Hayward K9 officer helps locate missing special needs child

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:09 GMT

(KRON) -- A missing 6-year-old special needs child was safely reunited with his loved ones thanks to the efforts of a Hayward Police Department K9 officer. The incident in question concerned a 6-year-old boy with special needs who walked away from his babysitter near a local park in Hayward last month, according to Hayward PD. Walnut Creek police warn residents of trending ATM scam throughout area Hayward PD officers responded and began a search of the surrounding area with assistance from HARD Rangers, East Bay Regional Parks, a Hayward PD drone, and a Hayward K9 officer named "Blaze."Blaze had just completed tracking school a few weeks earlier, according to police. Within minutes, K9 Blaze was able to locate the child and lead search teams right to him. They boy was thankfully found uninjured in a heavily wooded area along the Hayward Plunge Trail, police said. He was safely reunited with his loved ones. Corgi accurately predicts Warriors win over Lakers in Game 6 "Our Police ...

Berkeley homeowners could qualify for up to $13K in earthquake retrofit grants

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:50:09 GMT

(KRON) -- If you own property in Berkeley, parts of it could be eligible for up to $13,000 in retrofit grants for living spaces above a garage. This feature used to be an easy way to add square footage to a home, but living spaces built above a garage—or soft stories—before the year 2000 are especially prone to collapsing during an earthquake. Retrofitting eligible spaces can help with that.In order to qualify for retrofit grants, the property must be:Owner-occupiedBuilt prior to 2000Have one floor of living space above a garageLocated in certain zip codesRetrofitting a soft story includes strengthening the walls of the garage near the door or any other large opening, bracing the perimeter walls and bolting the house to its foundation.The grants can cover up to 75 percent of the cost of the retrofit. Grant money comes from the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program.Apply for a retrofit grant by May 31 online to enter the lottery.For more information on how a retrofit grant works,...