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Santa Cruz judge takes herself off domestic violence case after ‘personal attacks’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

SANTA CRUZ — A superior court judge has recused herself from a criminal case after a victim’s supporters criticized her handling of the matter.Syda Cogliati Doug Cole, a supporter of the victim, was among those who stood before Santa Cruz County Superior Court Syda Cogliati on Oct. 26 to spell out a litany of concerns related to how he felt she, and several judges prior, had handled a 2018 assault case involving defendant Ryan Schell. Schell had previously pleaded guilty to several charges that he attacked and detained his former girlfriend at her Scotts Valley home before shooting himself in the head as police arrived. Cogliati indicated at that earlier hearing that if Schell were to take responsibility for his crimes with a plea, her plan was to suspend a prison term and sentence him to five years of probation on Oct. 26.After the victim and several supporters spoke, however, Cogliati changed course and said she would not hand down the planned sentence. She gave Schell and hi...

NOAA reports over 1 million pieces of trash collected along Monterey Bay shoreline over 4 years

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

Food wrappers. Plastic bottle caps. Cigarette butts – 231,735 cigarette butts, to be precise. These are just a few of the more than 1 million items collected by over 37,000 volunteers along the shores of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary between 2017 and 2021, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association report released in October.The report from NOAA’s Marine Debris Program combined five citizen science datasets to analyze the trash collected in cleanups throughout the marine sanctuary over four years. Organizations that run local cleanups, such as Save Our Shores, the Surfrider Foundation and Downtown Streets Team, supplied the data.Marine debris washes up on beaches from the ocean, is left by beachgoers or migrates downstream when it rains. Some debris makes its way to Monterey Bay from distant locations through tides and ocean upwelling.All marine debris can potentially harm ocean life, causing intestinal blockages, malnutrition and even poisonings when c...

Why no hate crime charge in death of Jewish man from SoCal Israel-Hamas war protest? DA explains

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

Hate crime charges have not been filed against a 50-year-old Moorpark man accused of causing injuries that led to the death of a Jewish man during dueling protests in Thousand Oaks because prosecutors lack evidence to justify the charge, the Ventura County District Attorney announced on Friday, Nov. 17.“We have not ruled out a hate crime; the investigation into an alleged hate crime is ongoing,” District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said at a Friday morning press conference. “There are still search warrants outstanding, but at this moment in time, we do not have the elements of a hate crime satisfied.”The DA’s office and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department have reviewed 600 pieces of evidence and interviews with 60 witnesses, Nasarenko said. Using videos and digital photos, they pieced together the sequence of events leading up to a confrontation that led to Jonathan Kessler’s death.It was not known whether the video showed the exact moment Kessler fell to the ground.Loay Abdel Fatta...

Enrollment efforts expand as Medi-Cal starts covering adults who are undocumented

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

Local agencies that get California residents enrolled for Medi-Cal coverage are reaching out to people ages 26 through 49 who are soon going to be eligible regardless of their immigration status.Earlier this year, in a budget deal struck between Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature, coverage was expanded to all adults who are undocumented, which is expected to add more than 700,000 residents to those receiving state-subsidized coverage.People who are undocumented make up 40% of the state’s approximately 1 million residents who are uninsured, according to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office. That could change beginning Jan. 1, with the new law in California that will allow adults who are undocumented to qualify for full-scope Medi-Cal and gain access to affordable primary care services such as annual check-ups and lab tests.Previously California had opened eligibility to youth and elderly people who are undocumented. The expansion is expected to cost about $2.6 billion...

California rape victim terrified at early parole for man with 140 years left on prison sentence

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

In a move condemned by a terrified rape victim and the Riverside County district attorney, the state has recommended parole for a sex offender with more than 140 years remaining on his prison sentence because of a program allowing the early release of older inmates.Cody Woodson Klemp, 67, of Moreno Valley was granted parole earlier this month by the state parole board under California’s Elderly Parole Program, which makes prisoners 50 or older eligible for parole hearings if they have served 20 continuous years of their sentence. The parole board determines whether an inmate is suitable for release based on age, time served, and whether diminished physical condition has reduced their risk of violence.Prior to 2021, the Elderly Parole Program, enacted in 2018, allowed for a parole review for inmates 60 years or older who had served a minimum of 25 years of continuous incarceration.Klemp’s victim and Riverside County prosecutors were alarmed that Klemp was granted parole, and said the...

UC system allocates $7 million to combat campus extremism amid Israel-Hamas war

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

Amid heightened tensions at universities across the country arising from the Israel-Hamas war, the University of California system will allocate $7 million to combat “alarming acts of bigotry, intolerance and intimidation,” including antisemitism and Islamophobia, on its campuses, officials announced this week.“As university leaders, we cannot solve the deep and long-lasting issues that resulted in the horrific violence we saw in Israel six weeks ago and the devastation we are seeing in Gaza,” said UC President Michael V. Drake, who announced the funding during a Board of Regents meeting Wednesday. “But we have an important role to play as an educational institution.”The UC allocation will include:$3 million to provide emergency mental health resources for students, faculty and staff who may be struggling with recent events or the climate on their campus. $2 million for educational programs at each UC campus to better understand antisemitism and Islamophobia, how to recognize and co...

City of Fairfield names new fire chief

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

(BCN) -- The city of Fairfield has a new fire chief, City Manager David Gassaway announced last week. John Sturdee has moved from interim fire chief to permanent fire chief. Thieves break in Hayward auto dealership, $100K worth of cars stolen "John has done a stellar job in his time as interim chief and despite incredible competition in the recruitment process, demonstrated what it takes to be a great chief," said Gassaway in a community newsletter. Sturdee became interim chief in August after former Fire Chief Matt Luckenbach retired. His career with Fairfield Fire began back in 1989 when he worked as a volunteer firefighter. By 1996 he had become a firefighter and paramedic with the department, a fire engineer in 2002, fire captain in 2005, battalion chief in 2013 and then deputy chief in 2020. According to Gassaway, Sturdee has been named Fire Officer of the Year and has twice been named Firefighter of the Year. He has also been given two city manager commendations and two awa...

State route 13 now open following fatal collision involving pedestrian

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

(KRON) -- All southbound lanes of State route 13 just south of Lincoln Avenue in Oakland are now open as of 1 a.m. Monday following an hour-long road closure in the wake of a fatal collision there late Sunday night. Thieves break in Hayward auto dealership, $100K worth of cars stolen The collision involving a pedestrian led authorities to shut down southbound State route 13 near Lincoln Avenue, a spokesperson for California Highway Patrol said just before midnight Sunday.CHP was notified of the collision at 10:46 p.m. on Sunday. The cause and circumstances of the collision have not yet been determined, but authorities will provide more information as it becomes available.

How a Montgomery Co. nonprofit is helping low-income residents preserve their homes

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

Help may be just around the corner if you are a low-income Montgomery County, Maryland, homeowner with a repair list as long as a nine-year-old’s Christmas gift list.Rebuilding Together Montgomery County provides critical home repairs and accessibility modifications to the county’s most vulnerable homeowners.Rebuilding Together Montgomery County provides critical home repairs and accessibility modifications to the county’s most vulnerable homeowners. (Courtesy Rebuilding Together Montgomery County)“Our goal is to preserve the affordable housing in Montgomery County and keep people in their homes,” Maury Peterson, executive director of Rebuilding Together Montgomery County, told WTOP.She said the organization focuses on senior citizens, veterans, people with disabilities and members of marginalized communities.“Their home is their biggest asset and we don’t want them to have to move and then they can’t afford to go anyplace else,”...

Spike your Thanksgiving sweet potatoes with Korean flavors

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:59 GMT

Each November in South Korea, the streets fill with toasty aromas of roasted sweet potato as they are cooked outside over barrel drums full of glowing coals. Meanwhile, home cooks take advantage of the season to feature the tubers in a variety of satisfying dishes.One such dish, goguma-bap, would make for an interesting Thanksgiving side with very little effort. It marries the sweet potatoes with short grain rice and a sweet-spicy soy-based dressing for a hearty vegetarian offering. After the potatoes are peeled and cubed, they are steamed with the rice and seasoned at the table with soy sauce and chives. The result is a dish with pure sweet-potato flavor accented by fresh notes of allium and nutty sesame seeds.It’s also a perfect weeknight dinner. In the version from our book “Cook What You Have,” which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy meals, we opt to season the sweet potatoes with just a little of this sauce before cooking to make them especially flavorful. And though we ...