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Serious charges may be refiled against former California women in death of foster child

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

Diane Ramirez and Jeff Miller at the Spectacular Prom in 2018. (Courtesy Jeff Miller) The judge blinked hard, brow furrowed, for what seemed like a very long time. He rubbed his chin, looked at the prosecutor, and said she had dropped a “little hydrogen bomb.”The prosecutor stunned the Riverside County courtroom on Friday, Sept. 1 by asking the judge to dismiss involuntary manslaughter and child cruelty charges against Michelle Morris-Kerin, the former foster mother to the severely disabled.Morris-Kerin faces nearly a dozen felonies, including “willfully, unlawfully, and lewdly” committing lascivious acts upon adult dependents “with the intent of arousing, appealing to, and gratifying … lust, passions, and sexual desires,” according to the indictment.Deputy District Attorney Maureen DuMouchel requested the dismissal of two counts because prosecutors are gathering more evidence against Morris-Kerin and expect to refile charges. The judge asked if they intended to refile charges ...

These hummingbirds are losing their battle to survive. Here’s what we can do to save them

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

By Amy Chillag | CNNThe Rufous Hummingbird is magical. The male’s iridescent throat glows brighter than a shiny copper penny and like most hummingbirds, whizzes through the air curiously hovering right in front of humans who ponder them. The first time Mike Parr, president of the American Bird Conservancy, saw one, it was feeding on blossoms of a lemon tree in California.“It was just one of those other-worldly sites. It was almost like a religious experience,” says Parr with awe and reverence.“When they just turn their head and suddenly their throat catches the light – it lights up with this amazing color. It’s just magical, really. It just lights up like a beacon.”They are one of the smallest hummingbirds at just over 3 inches long- but one of the feistiest.They fly an astonishing 3,900 miles (one-way) from Alaska where they live in the summer to Mexico– one of the longest migratory journeys of any bird in the world compared to its body size, according to the Cornell Lab of O...

‘Hippie-colored’ van reported casing Los Gatos neighborhood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

Aug. 29PETTY THEFT: 3:16 p.m. on Montgomery Street. Numerous items of jewelry were stolen from a residence during a move with a moving company. The resident said other items were damaged and/or lost.Aug. 30AUTO BURGLARY: 4:07 p.m. at Forbes Mill Steakhouse on North Santa Cruz Avenue. Two vehicles in the employee parking lot were broken into via window smash.Aug. 31AUTO BURGLARY: 6:06 a.m. at Best Western Inn on Los Gatos-Saratoga Road. Someone pried open the doors to a work truck and stole several tools.STOLEN VEHICLE: 8:23 a.m. on New York Avenue. A 2022 white Ford Mustang was reported missing from the roadway in front of the owner’s house. The resident had received alert messages advising of a possible collision.VANDALISM: 10:54 a.m. at Safeway on Union Avenue. Someone spray-painted the back loading dock area with “Slaveway.”SUSPICIOUS PERSON: 5:03 p.m. at Balzer Field on Miles Avenue. A man was standing near the entrance to the creek trail. The reporting party thought he was deal...

High school football rankings Week 3, 2023: Bay Area News Group Top 25

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

Two weeks into the new high school football season, this much we know:Serra is No. 1. Period.The Padres cemented their spot atop the Bay Area News Group rankings, winning at home on Saturday over No. 2 De La Salle 28-0.Serra scored 20 points in the final quarter to pull away.So … what happens to De La Salle?Given that the Spartans’ two losses, albeit by multiple scores, were to teams that MaxPreps ranks 20th (Orange Lutheran) and 25th (Serra) nationally, DLS stays at No. 2.But the Concord school is going to have to start scoring — it hasn’t done that since the first quarter of the Orange Lutheran game — and winning starting Friday at No. 12 St. Francis.It will be the Spartans’ first visit to Mountain View since St. Francis beat them there in 2021, ending DLS’s 30-year unbeaten streak against regional opponents.The big leapers this week were Amador Valley and California.Amador Valley went from unranked to No. 17 after winning Friday at then-N...

Suspect arrested for alleged hit-and-run fatality of pedestrian in Santa Rosa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

(KRON) -- A 35-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly killing an 18-year-old pedestrian during a hit-and-run last week in Santa Rosa, according to the California Highway Patrol. CHP was investigating the incident when a report of a vehicle fire came in on Aug. 30 at around 5:17 a.m. The car was fully engulfed in flames on Llano Road near Doyle Drive, CHP said. Tourist desperate to find French bulldog stolen in San Francisco The car was identified as a Buick Enclave which matched witness description and crash damage from the hit-and-run. It was later identified as belonging to Alyssa Whitten of Santa Rosa, the car's registered owner, according to CHP. Whitten was arrested at her residence after being served a warrant. She was booked at the Sonoma County Jail for felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter.

Narcan available to buy without a prescription

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The drug Narcan is now available to purchase without a prescription after being approved for over-the-counter earlier this year by the Food and Drug Administration.Having the first opioid overdose treatment being sold without a prescription and having it available on store shelves is a huge step for places like San Francisco. The city continues to battle overdoses and deaths caused by fentanyl and other opioids.Preliminary reports from the health department show there were 349 overdose deaths in San Francisco during the first five months of 2023. Narcan has a price point of less than $50 with Walgreens selling it for $44.99. Some argue the price is too high and could be out of reach for those who may need it most. Despite the cost, the brand used the most to reverse overdoses is Narcan. However, the FDA has green lit a competing drug which is expected to hit store shelves in 2024 for around $20 less, with two doses for around $36. There is a state bill by Hay...

Former H Street biergarten becomes an oyster fest for a day

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

The former Biergarten Haus space, where oyster-fest will be hosted, is located at 1355 H Street in Northeast D.C. (Courtesy Brine Oyster and Seafood House)Brine Oyster and Seafood House is taking over the former Biergarten Haus space at 1355 H Street in D.C. for a one-day, all-you-can-eat Brine Oyster Fest on Saturday.Brine’s restaurant is at 1359 H Street, NE.Tickets are $150. In addition to all-you-can-eat oysters, the price also includes all-you-can-drink beverages.Biergarten Haus closed earlier this year after 13 years in business. It was also operated by Brine’s co-owners.Brine’s Oyster Fest runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., along with live music with Caribbean band Lennard Jack and Fusion.The “all-you-can” menu includes oysters on the half shell, broiled oysters, fried outer sliders, peel-and-eat shrimp and Old Bay chicken wings. Beverages include select draft beers and wines, and Brien’s Rum Punch.Oysters all come from the Chesapeake Bay region.C...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Sept. 10-16

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Sept. 10-16:Sept. 10: Actor Greg Mullavey (“Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”) is 90. Jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers is 83. Actor Tom Ligon (“Oz,” ″Another World”) is 83. Singer Danny Hutton of Three Dog Night is 81. Singer Jose Feliciano is 78. Actor Judy Geeson (“Mad About You”) is 75. Guitarist Joe Perry of Aerosmith is 73. Actor Amy Irving is 70. Actor Clark Johnson (“Homicide: Life on the Street”) is 69. Actor Kate Burton (“Scandal”) is 66. Director Chris Columbus is 65. Singer Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama is 65. Actor Colin Firth is 63. Singer-guitarist David Lowery of Cracker is 63. Actor Sean O’Bryan (“The Princess Diaries” films) is 60. Actor Raymond Cruz (“Breaking Bad,” “The Closer”) is 59. Drummer Robin Goodridge of Bush is 58. Guitarist Stevie D. of Buckcherry is 57. Singer-guitarist Miles Zuniga of Fastball is 57. Rapper Big Daddy Kane is 55. Director Guy Ritchie is 55. Actor Johnathon Schaech (“To Appomattox,” ″That Thing You Do!”) is 54. Con...

A three-judge panel has blocked Alabama’s congressional districts, ordering new lines drawn

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Federal judges said Tuesday that they will draft new congressional lines for Alabama after lawmakers refused to create a second district where Black voters at least came close to comprising a majority, as suggested by the court.The three-judge panel blocked use of the state’s newly drawn congressional map in next year’s elections. A special master will be tapped to draw new districts for the state, the judges said. Alabama is expected to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.The Republican-controlled Alabama Legislature hastily drew new lines this summer after the U.S. Supreme Court in June upheld the panel’s finding that the map — that had one majority-Black district out of seven in a state where 27% of residents are Black — likely violated the U.S. Voting Rights Act.The three-judge panel, in striking down Alabama’s map in 2022, said the state should have two districts where Black voters have an opportunity to elect their pref...

Book Review: Comedian Maria Bamford details her mental health issues with compassion and humor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — “Sure I’ll Join Your Cult,” by Maria Bamford (Simon & Schuster)Comedian Maria Bamford has been a comic and actor for more than two decades, her high voice and quirky persona gracing countless stand-up stages and the occasional TV show such as “Arrested Development” and her own “Lady Dynamite.”Her long journey with mental health serves as the backbone of her comedy and now her memoir, “Sure I’ll join Your Cult.” While Bamford hasn’t joined any bona fide cults, she describes the different groups she’s joined throughout her life — everything from her family to the Suzuki violin method, as well as Overeaters Anonymous, Debtors Anonymous, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous and how they’ve helped — or not helped — her along the way.“I love groups,” she writes. “I love social orders that I can push against while still being held by snug boundaries of membership.”Bamford’s first experience with mental illness came when she was a child in t...