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California welder moved to Maui for new job 2 days before disaster struck

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:17:39 GMT

Matt Mattera had just moved from San Pedro to Maui on Sunday, Aug. 6, where a new job at a chassis repair shop awaited the 29-year-old welder.He had lined up four roommates — all strangers — who would be sharing a house in Maui that had been arranged through a family real estate friend.All seemed fine shortly after he’d arrived.“He’d gone to Costco to get a mattress and a TV set,” his mother, San Pedro resident Susan Mattera, said. “That was the last communication I had with him a few days ago.”Then, the unthinkable happened.On Tuesday, Aug. 8, a wind-whipped fire swept through the beloved coastal tourist spot, destroying nearly everything in its path.Susan Mattera called her son. His cell phone went straight to voicemail.“Every time I turned the TV on, it looked like a war zone,” Susan Mattera said. “I would just start crying, ‘Where’s my kid?’”AT&T told her they did spot activity on his phone, which provided a glimmer of hope.Finally, he sent a text message that got thro...

High school football 2023 preview: EBAL Valley Division

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:17:39 GMT

East Bay Athletic League Valley Division(Predicted order of finish)No. 1: AMADOR VALLEYCoach: Danny Jones 2022 record: 5-6What to expect: Dons’ coach Danny Jones is coming into this season fired up. “The next two years will be my best two teams I’ve had in (my) 8-year tenure,” he wrote in a Bay Area News Group survey asking coaches about their teams. The Dons are returning to the Valley Division after two years in the Mountain. It means no more De La Salle, Clayton Valley and San Ramon Valley during the regular season. Junior QB Tristan Tia “will be one of the best in Northern California over the next 2 years,” Jones wrote. The 6-2, 190-pounder will miss the first five games – all non-league – after transferring from Granada. The schedule is brutal with the first four opponents being El Cerrito, Campolindo, Acalanes and Monte Vista , but Tia will be eligible when league play begins. Seniors Jake Goldsworthy (RB/LB) and Nate Jetter (WR/DB) will take up some of the slack while Tia sit...

30+ festivals, fairs and things to do in the Bay Area this fall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:17:39 GMT

With fall fast approaching, there’s no shortage of Bay Area happenings to add to your calendar.Farm-to-Fork Festival 2023: Sept. 7-23, various venues in downtown Sacramento. This beloved annual festival features a wide array of local food, wine and beer vendors, live entertainment, cooking demonstrations, interactive exhibits and special events. Prices vary. farmtofork.com/Russell City Blues Live: 7 p.m. Sept. 8, Morrisson Theater, 22311 N. Third St., Hayward. Uncover the history of Russell City, a lost Bay Area community, through on-stage interviews and storytelling. A live band will take you back in time, honoring the musical legacy of the town where the blues thrived until the bulldozers rolled in. $18. kqed.org/event/3394Flower Piano 2023: Sept. 8-12, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Flower Piano will again transform the San Francisco Botanical Garden into the city’s own alfresco concert hall where everyone is invited to play and listen. Explore global living plant collect...

Summer rolls keep it light — and fresh — on a warm-weather dinner table

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:17:39 GMT

By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)If the past few weeks have taught us anything, it’s that the best meals in the dog days of summer come together quickly, without heating up the kitchen.Summer rolls are a terrific option for warm-weather cooking and dining, as they’re made from rice paper wrappers rolled around cold proteins — shrimp, pork or tofu — plus fresh herbs and a colorful array of crunchy vegetables. Add some chewy rice, cellophane noodles, soft lettuce leaves or baby spinach for extra heft, and don’t be afraid to get creative with the dipping sauces.The basics: Preparation is essential. You’ll want to have everything gathered, prepped and ready to go, before you start rolling. Cut your vegetables into thin slices, matchsticks or a fine dice. If the recipe includes rice noodles, make sure they’ve been properly soaked and drained. Separate herbs and lettuce into individual leaves or small, bite-sized pieces.Ready to rol...

Avoid school traffic and let your kids walk the last block, advises reader: Roadshow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:17:39 GMT

Q: My mother was driving by a very slow car on the freeway recently and said, “They must not read Mr. Roadshow about being a road boulder.” She actually quotes you very often.Some recent columns addressed safety around schools. A great reminder for students and parents is that everything moves slower as the school year starts, so leave 10 minutes early to give yourself plenty of time. Parents, please don’t block the drop-off lane or intersection to watch your darling walk all the way into the classroom. Children are capable of walking, so you don’t all have to stop exactly in front of the school. Often, it is faster to let kids walk the last block to school. Many of us walked many blocks as children and were healthier for it. Instead of doing an illegal U-turn, drop your kid off a block early and drive legally.Thanks for making the roads safer!Julie Ludwig, SunnyvaleA: Thanks for these reminders.Q: I read your columns on safety around schools with considerable interest because I liv...

NAACP says rise in crime due to firing of Oakland police chief

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:17:39 GMT

(KRON) -- The local NAACP says crime is surging in Oakland because Mayor Sheng Thao fired former Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong back in February.In a letter released over the weekend, the organization points out that the mayor wants to get to the root causes of crime in the city, but they say the mayor needs to look in the mirror to do that. Community to protest outside ICE office in San Francisco Data from the Oakland Police Department shows crime is up 28 percent overall this year compared to the same period last year. Violent crime is up 17 percent while slayings are down 8 percent. Mayor Thao had no comment on Tuesday following the letter from the NAACP.

Community to protest outside ICE office in San Francisco

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:17:39 GMT

(KRON) -- Community organizers are planning to protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office Thursday morning in San Francisco.The agency is currently under investigation for alleged retaliation and abuse on inmates. According to community organizers, it has been over a year since people detained at Mesa Verde and Golden State Detention Centers began an ongoing labor strike to protest low pay for involuntary work. San Francisco high school faces teacher shortage as new school year starts Six months have passed since they launched a hunger strike to protest the involuntary work and abuse, organizers said. Protestors want the two detention centers in California closed permanently.

San Francisco high school faces teacher shortage as new school year starts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:17:39 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Students in the San Francisco Unified School District are returning back to school on Wednesday, but not all of their teachers will be coming back.SFUSD like so many school districts across the country are dealing with a massive teacher shortage. From 2019 to 2021, 233,000 teachers left the profession citing things like lack of support, behavioral issues in the classrooms and strict hours. 4-year-old girl killed, parents injured in crash near Oracle Park Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco sent out letters notifying parents that a teacher shortage will impact classes like math, English, Spanish, physics and biology.Administrators and substitute teachers will try to fill the gap as they look to fill those teaching positions.

Expanding basic income program for formerly incarcerated moves forward with vote

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:17:39 GMT

(BCN) -- A pilot program to provide guaranteed basic income to 100 Santa Clara County residents who have been incarcerated or were otherwise under supervision by the justice system took another step forward Tuesday as the county Board of Supervisors was updated on a potential budget and planning process. The program will provide $1,200 a month for two years, if approved. It is one of four guaranteed basic income initiatives being tested by Santa Clara County, most of which are in the planning phase. Supervisors also approved a separate pilot program to train formerly incarcerated or otherwise justice-involved people to work in food service by setting up a cafeteria at the Civic Center. Ky Le, a deputy county executive who gave the presentation Tuesday, told the board that the guaranteed basic income program would cost $4 million. Supervisors allocated $2 million from the county's American Rescue Plan Act funds, which will be supplemented by $1 million each from the state...

Target Q2 sales fall on inflation, Pride month shopper backlash and it cuts profit outlook for 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:17:39 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Target reported a second-quarter sales drop, dragged down by shoppers’ inflation worries and a negative reaction by some customers, widely publicized on social media, to its Pride merchandise.The Minneapolis retailer expects high interest rates, which makes credit cards more expensive to use, and higher prices on food to continue to put a strain on customers and on Wednesday, the chain cut its profit outlook for the year. It also expects sales will decline for the remainder of the year. In lowering its forecast, Target also cited the end of the student loan moratorium, which had provided one-time college students a little more financial breathing room. Profit came in above expectations, however, as Target brought inventories closer in line with cautionary spending on discretionary items by customers. Shares rose nearly 6% in early morning trading Wednesday despite trimming profit expectations for the year. Target is among the first major U.S. retailers to repor...