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Fire crews put out 5-acre blaze near Highway 4 in Martinez

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:47 GMT

MARTINEZ — A wildfire that broke out near Highway 4 on Thursday morning offered a reminder to fire crews — both good and bad — of what may lay ahead as a result of an extraordinary winter of rain and snow.The good: Vegetation that’s still lush and green at the top of East Bay hills slowed the fire, which started about 10 a.m. adjacent to the highway between the Alhambra Avenue and McEwen Road exits. Contra Costa Fire Protection District crews contained the fire in 20 minutes and were mopping up by noon, spokesman Fire Prevention Capt. Joe Ottolini said.The bad: “The vegetation is really high,” Ottolini said. “The fuels haven’t completely dried out, but when they do …”The fire burned on the hills adjacent to the westbound part of the highway, a mostly desolate area of medium-sized hills. No structures were threatened, Ottolini said.“The (vegetation) fuels were facing the south right there on the grade,” he said. “So what hap...

New Cured: Fish Bar to bring raw local seafood and sake to Livermore

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:47 GMT

Frances Catano and Joe Tomaszak have long been fans of raw bars, with their bountiful array of oysters, clams, mussels and sushi. “We live out here in Sunol and have worked in San Francisco for 10 years or so,” says Catano, “and sad to say, we don’t have anywhere here in this area that we can pop in before dinner or on a sunny day for raw-bar bites.”This fall, they hope to plug that hole in Tri-Valley seafood coverage with a restaurant in Livermore where people can slurp down oysters, munch tasty bread and butter and savor a nice glass of wine – or, in this case, also sake. Cured: Fish Bar at 136 Maple St. is the next step in the duo’s food-industry journey after working in buzzy Japanese restaurants like San Francisco’s Robin, Rintaro, the dear departed ICHI Sushi and Los Angeles’ Ototo. They hope to show off both Tomaszak’s chops as a sushi chef and Catano’s wide experience in the beverage realm.“While technically conside...

Single family residence sells in Alameda for $1.6 million

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:47 GMT

1449 Sixth Street – Google Street ViewA historic house located in the 1400 block of Sixth Street in Alameda has a new owner. The 1,458-square-foot property, built in 1910, was sold on April 3, 2023, for $1,550,000, or $1,063 per square foot. The property features three bedrooms, one bathroom, and a garage sits on a 4,770-square-foot lot. 

Oakland man takes plea deal in 2020 homicide over missing $5,000

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:47 GMT

OAKLAND — A 43-year-old Oakland resident has taken a plea deal on charges that he killed a man who’d allegedly taken $5,000 from his relative, court records show.Willie Pope pleaded no contest to manslaughter with a gun enhancement, and in exchange prosecutors dropped a murder charge against him. On June 6, he is scheduled to be formally sentenced to 19 years in state prison, court records show.Pope was charged with murder in the death of 25-year-old Sean Phillip Collins, who was shot and killed around 12:45 p.m. on March 15, 2020 outside a store on the the 9700 block of Edes Avenue. Pope was identified as a suspect in part by the relative who complained that Collins owed her $5,000, according to court records.During Pope’s 2021 preliminary hearing, Pope’s family member testified that she’d dated Collins — who went by the nickname “Gunna” — and that he took $5,000 from her. She testified he’d offered her marijuana for the missing money...

Review: In ‘Chinglish’ at SF Playhouse, mistranslation spells hilarity

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:47 GMT

You’ve probably seen photos of bafflingly mistranslated English signs in China, some of which couldn’t be quoted in a family newspaper. “Chinglish,” David Henry Hwang’s comedy now onstage at San Francisco Playhouse, uses those risible flubs as a jumping-off point for a masterful series of reversals about language, different cultural expectations, American complacency and the social complexities of doing business in China.In fact, the play begins with a seminar exactly about doing business in China from a white American man with a salesman’s veneer of easy amiability and warmth. This is Daniel Cavanaugh, played by Michael Barrett Austin with an endearing air of bewilderment and the persistence to carry on anyway.We quickly dive deep into Daniel’s own experience trying to pitch his sign-making family firm to city officials in a mid-level Chinese city. He quickly finds that his practiced sales pitch is of limited usefulness when everything’s filtered and warped by translation and subte...

Why did California doctor drive family over cliff in Tesla at Devil's Slide?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:47 GMT

(KRON) -- Newly unsealed court records reveal more about why a Pasadena doctor and father of two drove his family off a cliff at Devil's Slide in January. Dharmesh Patel, 41, his wife, and their children aged 4 and 7 were heading south on the Highway 1 when their car plunged over the side of a cliff and fell more than 200 feet to the water's edge. Miraculously the entire family survived, though they each suffered injuries. Dodgers un-invite SF drag group from pride event, appearing to bow to conservative pressure The Patel family had to be extricated from the vehicle by emergency services, and authorities said Patel's wife was screaming that he had driven them over the cliff on purpose, court records show. Court documents say that while aboard a rescue helicopter, Patel's wife told officers, “He drove off. He’s depressed. He’s a doctor. He said he was going to drive off the cliff. He purposely drove off.”San Mateo County District Attorney Steven Wagstaffe tells KRO...

Ex-49er appears to threaten Rep. Swalwell on Twitter

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:47 GMT

(KRON) -- U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) shared a screenshot Wednesday of what appeared to be a threatening direct message from an account belonging to ex-San Francisco 49er Bruce Miller."Almost time !!! Would you rather Guantanamo or just execution f--kin traitor," read the message, which was sent from an account with the handle @BruceMillerIII."Who is this guy threatening to execute me? And how does he have so many followers?" Swalwell tweeted. Bob Lee’s accused killer pleads not guilty, judge denies bail Although the account that sent the screenshot is unverified and the profile photo is blacked out, it's followed by several prominent local sports and media figures, including ex-Niner Colin Kaepernick and SF Chronicle sports columnist, Ann Killion.On Thursday, the Bruce Miller account responded to Swalwell making the tweet public in a tweet thread in which the account owner doubled down on what they'd said in the DM."Eric Swalwell I was content with trolling corrupt politicians...

Petaluma man armed with kitchen knife arrested for domestic violence, burglary, stalking

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:47 GMT

(KRON) -- A Petaluma man who broke into a Stinson Beach residence and assaulted the residents before arming himself with a kitchen knife was arrested on Tuesday, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office. Deputies received a report of a burglary and violent assault just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.The reporting party told the Marin County Sheriff's Communication Center that Jack Ehlermann had broken in and was being physically assaultive. Ex-49er appears to threaten Rep. Swalwell on Twitter According to police, Ehlermann, 21, turned off the power, forced his way into the home and forced his way into at least one interior room. The victims were eventually able to stop Ehlermann, who ultimately left the residence, after arming himself with a kitchen knife.Deputies who arrived on the scene found Ehlermann in the driveway, still armed with the kitchen knife. Over a period of about 10 minutes, deputies were able to deescalate the situation and persuade Ehlermann to surrender without ...

Abortion Rights Activists Face Attack From DeSantis and Conspiracy Lawsuit — for Spray Painting

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:47 GMT

Abortion rights activists hold signs at a protest in support of abortion access on July 13, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.Photo: John Parra/Getty ImagesThis Past winter, the Biden administration appeased the far right by leveling severe charges against abortion rights defenders. Now, the activists targeted in the federal crackdown are also facing legal attacks from an anti-abortion group and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.In addition to the federal criminal charges — which carry a sentence of 12 years in prison — Florida’s attorney general sued two of the activists for damages. Heartbeat of Miami, a “crisis pregnancy center,” is also absurdly alleging that all four activists were engaged in a conspiracy.The purported crime, the conspiracy, the federal charges? Spray painting.“The underpinning of these prosecutions is absolutely political, and Florida political specifically,” Lauren Regan, executive director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center and attorney for defendant Amber...

Mental Health Action Day: Why a DC nonprofit asked students to pause learning and start dancing

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:47 GMT

Our Minds Matter, a D.C. nonprofit, is reminding students about the importance of taking time to move in honor of Mental Health Action Day.The student-led nonprofit received funding from MTV Entertainment Studios and TaskForce for its  “Move with Music for Mental Health Action Day,” on Thursday.At participating schools, classroom instruction was paused Thursday and Our Minds Matter invited students to get up and dance, or just move in general, to the music.The third annual event is all about encouraging conversations with peers, movement through dance and time with loved ones and friends.Laura Beth Levitt, who serves as program director for the student-led group made up of thousands of kids across the country, said the goal is to create more access to educational resources for students.“The idea was, ‘Can we start to shift the culture from awareness into action?'” Levitt said. “School doesn’t have to be super rigid and academic.”Organizers a...