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PG&E reaches Zogg fire settlement after criminal charges are dropped

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:16:12 GMT

OAKLAND — PG&E has reached a settlement of a civil case arising from the lethal Zogg Fire that burned in Shasta County and Tehama County in 2020 after criminal charges were dropped in the case on Wednesday.The Shasta County District Attorney’s Office agreed to drop all remaining criminal charges in the fatal fire, which killed four people and torched 204 buildings, a blaze that also essentially destroyed the communities of Igo and Ono in that area.“We stand behind our thousands of trained and experienced coworkers and contractors working every day to keep Californians safe,” Patricia Poppe, PG&E’s chief executive officer, said in a prepared release. “We feel strongly that those good-faith judgments are not criminal.”State fire investigators determined that the blaze, which erupted in September 2020, was caused by a pine tree falling into PG&E power lines. The inferno eventually consumed about 56,300 acres.Under the deal with pros...

Amanda Seyfried says Elizabeth Holmes’ sentence is ‘fair’

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:16:12 GMT

As Elizabeth Holmes reported to prison on Tuesday, Amanda Seyfried shared her thoughts on the disgraced Theranos founder’s sentence.The actor, who portrayed Holmes in Emmy-winning series “The Dropout,” visited “Good Morning America” Tuesday to discuss her new show “The Crowded Room,” and acknowledged that the timing was “weird” that Holmes was beginning her sentence at the same time.“I feel for those kids,” Seyfried said, referring to Holmes’ two young children. “There’s two kids that are hanging in the balance here.”The “Mamma Mia” star, mother to two children herself, added that it affected her “as a parent, as a mom” as well.“Life’s not fair,” Seyfried added, “but in a lot of ways, it’s fair. For her, in particular.”Holmes was  sentenced in November to 11 years and three months in prison for defrauding investors while running her failed blood testing startup Theranos.Holmes and Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani – her ex-boyfriend and former Theranos COO, also convicted of fraud – are ordere...

Opinion: Homework load forces high schoolers to choose: grades or health?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:16:12 GMT

Editor’s Note: This article was written for Mosaic Vision, an independent journalism training program for high school students who report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.I worry a lot about homework, more than anyone should.As soon as I return home from school, I launch into my math homework. I get stuck on a problem and quickly switch to reading my environmental science textbook for a quiz tomorrow. I go back to my precalculus worksheet, watch a video walkthrough and solve the rest of it — but it is already 7 p.m.Instead of eating dinner with my family, I am hunched over my laptop screen watching Heimler’s History review online videos for my Advanced Placement U.S. History test, which I did not have time to do earlier because I was too focused on completing homework for the same class.When all my homework is done, it is 10 p.m., and I still have to shower, catch up with my parents, clean up my room, finish writing and editing articles, make a p...

Summer theater 2023: Here’s what’s playing at Bay Area outdoor stages

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:16:12 GMT

Even with climate change monkeying with its ever-moderate climate, the Bay Area reliably has a ton of outdoor theater going on in a multitude of styles over the summer months, even creeping into the fall.There is as usual a whole lot of Shakespeare playing hither and yon, including the return of Marin Shakespeare Company’s summer season for the first time since 2019 under new artistic producer Jon Tracy. There are at least two “Much Ado About Nothings,” two “Hamlets,” two “Twelfth Nights” and two “King Lears,” including an all-female and nonbinary one at Silicon Valley Shakespeare.The venerable California Shakespeare Theater isn’t producing any of its own work this year as the company regroups from severe financial shortfalls, instead hosting various music and performance events at its Bruns Amphitheater in Orinda. Cal Shakes plans to return to producing next year for its 50th anniversary season.But there’s a wide variety of other outdoor offerings to be found: agi...

Victims identified after double fatal Tesla crash on Highway 1 near Pescadero

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:16:12 GMT

(KRON) -- Two victims were identified after a deadly head-on collision on Highway 1 near Pescadero caused a Tesla and Subaru SUV to plunge into a beach lagoon. A San Mateo County Coroner identified the Tesla driver as Patricio Cabrera Jr., 29, of San Francisco. Cabrera was pulled out of his submerged 2022 Tesla and pronounced dead Tuesday evening. The Subaru driver, identified as 66-year-old James Allan Willis of Davenport, was also killed. His passenger, Astrid Willis, 62, of Davenport, suffered major injuries and she was airlifted to Stanford Hospital. The double fatal crash happened at 6:39 p.m. Tuesday on Highway 1 near Bean Hollow State Beach. Helicopters landed on a San Mateo County beach to airlift crash victims on May 30, 2023. One woman was airlifted. (Image courtesy CHP Golden Gate Division Air Operations) California Highway Patrol officers found the Tesla "completely submerged underwater and the Subaru was partially submerged," CHP Officer Art Montiel wrote. Investigators...

SF Chinatown stabbing suspect was on parole for attempted murder

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:16:12 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The suspect in a stabbing at a bakery in San Francisco's Chinatown that left a woman with life-threatening injuries Monday was on parole for attempted murder, according to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office. Fook Poy Lai, a 61-year-old San Francisco resident, was arrested shortly after the incident took place. This Bay Area city is the best place in the country to raise a family: study Lai has been charged with numerous felonies in connection to the stabbing including:Attempted murderAssault with a deadly weaponBattery causing serious bodily injuryFalse imprisonmentSecond-degree burglary"The alleged attack in Chinatown left a woman seriously injured and a neighborhood shocked,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “I offer my unwavering commitment to pursuing justice and ensuring that the suspect is held accountable for this senseless crime.”The victim in the stabbing, described as a 58-year-old woman, suffered life-threatening injuries and is c...

$50K reward offered in robbery of US Postal Service letter carrier

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:16:12 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The United States Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information related to a suspect, or suspects, who robbed a United States Postal Service letter carrier. The robbery occurred on Lyon Street in San Francisco last Thursday, May 24, at around 11:20 a.m., according to the Postal Inspection Service. This Bay Area city is the best place in the country to raise a family: study Photos accompanying the announcement of the reward showed the suspect wearing an orange, hooded jacket with what appears to be a Golden State Warriors logo on the back, and a mask that covered their entire face. The suspect is seen riding on a powered scooter in the photos."Take no action to apprehend these persons yourself," the release warns. Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the suspect is asked to contact the USPIS.

2 men in Virginia defrauded millions in COVID relief

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:16:12 GMT

Two Northern Virginia businessmen will likely spend the next several years in prison after pleading guilty in a joint scheme to defraud banks and the Small Business Administration of around $7.6 million in COVID relief funds.Bennie Earl Magee, 54, of Manassas, Virginia, and Michael Gilcher, 45, of Bealeton, Virginia pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton on Friday.In April 2020, the two began falsifying payroll records and tax returns to inflate employee numbers, and apply for PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.Magee would often list the names of real people, including friends and family without their consent, as employees of the businesses.One such business was Infinity Communications Solutions, a firm run and solely operated by Gilcher. The two listed falsely that there were dozens of employees and took two “draws” of PPP loans totaling over $1.4 million.Magee continued similar operations for other businesses he owned, including “Bounce Mania,” “Onyx S...

Scup? License-free fishing in Maryland this Saturday is no fluke

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:16:12 GMT

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering license-free fishing days for state residents and visitors this Saturday, then again on Saturday, June 10 and Tuesday, July 4. (Courtesy Getty/Andy Bowlin) The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering license-free fishing days for state residents and visitors this Saturday, then again on Saturday, June 10 and Tuesday, July 4. (Courtesy Getty/Andy Bowlin) With the unofficial start of summer in the rearview mirror, many of us will be looking for fun, outdoor activities this weekend — and it just so happens Saturday, June 3, is a license-free fishing day in Maryland.The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering license-free fishing ...

Dream 2nd year standout Rhyne Howard aims to be WNBA’s next ‘generational talent’

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 16:16:12 GMT

Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard (10) shoots during a WNBA basketball game against the Chicago Sky, Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in College Park, Ga. The Atlanta Dream's hopes for moving up in the WNBA rest heavily on second-year player Rhyne Howard, the 2022 No. 1 overall pick who did not disappoint as an All-Star and Rookie of the Year.(AP Photo/John Bazemore) Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard (10) shoots during a WNBA basketball game against the Chicago Sky, Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in College Park, Ga. The Atlanta Dream's hopes for moving up in the WNBA rest heavily on second-year player Rhyne Howard, the 2022 No. 1 overall pick who did not disappoint as an All-Star and Rookie of the Year.(AP Photo/John Bazemore) COL...