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Disneyland officials aim to complete Downtown Disney transformation by late 2024

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:27 GMT

Construction has finally begun on an empty dirt lot that sat dormant for more than a year in Downtown Disney as theme park officials aim to complete construction in the outdoor shopping area by late 2024.The now-active construction site was once home to the former AMC theater building that was in the shopping district until 2022. The theatre closed in 2018 to make way for a 700-room luxury Disney hotel project that was ultimately canceled, the Orange County Register reported. Disneyland brings back ticket deal for California residents The lot will soon be home to the new Din Tai Fung restaurant, a new Earl of Sandwich location, other shops, a stage for musical guests and a grassy area for special events. WDW News Today captured photos of the construction taking place at the resort.The entire outdoor shopping district is undergoing renovations as officials continue revamping the location. Initial news of the project was announced at Destination D23, a Disney fan convention, in 2021...

Mendocino Cannabis Farmers Celebrate Reforms

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:27 GMT

After years of struggle, Mendocino cannabis farmers finally have something to celebrate. And while advocates have searched for solutions for years, it would all end up coming down to a few short months leading to the progress that started with a desperate plea from farmers to Sacramento via a letter in February highlighting the perils of being a farmer in Mendo. For anyone that loves cannabis, hearing these tales from legacy cultivators who did their best to transition to the legal market that never protected them like it was intended to is heartbreaking. While there is plenty of healthy debate on whether poor regulations or mega farms destroyed the economy of The Emerald Triangle, nobody would argue against the idea they were both factors. Sacramento heard the call. A month later on March 14, the Senate Business and Professions Committee would hold a daylong seminar. The next day the state sent a letter to Mendo saying it was prepared to offer support. These conversations lasted th...

Northern California couple were sent to check on neighbor who called 911. Her killer was still in the house.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:27 GMT

Twelve years after a sheriff’s deputy allegedly sent them walking unprepared into a murder scene near their mountain home, a Northern California couple will get a $7 million settlement from Trinity County.Jim and Norma Gund were severely injured on March 13, 2011, by the man who had just killed their neighbors in the small community of Kettenpom. They say they went to the house at the request of a deputy who wanted them to check on the residents after a 911 call was received.The Gunds said in their civil suit that they were never warned that a crime might be in progress, and that the deputy had said the 911 call was probably related to an approaching storm.The settlement was announced last week by the Gunds’ lawyer, Ben Mainzer of Eureka. The federal lawsuit named as defendants the county and the deputy, Cpl. Ron Whitman.The settlement does not include any admission of wrongdoing, Mainzer told the Sacramento Bee. An attorney for Trinity County declined to comment to the ...

Musician George Winston dies at 73; New Age pianist sold millions of albums

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:27 GMT

Associated PressNEW YORK — George Winston, the Grammy-winning pianist who blended jazz, classical, folk and other stylings on such million-selling albums as “Autumn,” “Winter Into Spring” and “December,” has died at age 73.According to an announcement on his website www.georgewinston.com, confirmed by a spokesman, Winston died Sunday after a 10-year battle with cancer.“Throughout his cancer treatments, George continued to write and record new music, and he stayed true to his greatest passion: performing for live audiences while raising funds for Feeding America to help fight the national hunger crisis along with donating proceeds from each of his concerts to local food banks,” a statement on his website reads.His most recent album, “Night,” came out last year.Winston was a native of Hart, Michigan, who grew up in Montana, Florida and Mississippi and drew upon influences ranging from Fats Waller to the Doors. He released mor...

San Jose: Woman killed in Interstate 880 car wreck

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:27 GMT

SAN JOSE — A car crash on Interstate 880 early Thursday morning left a female passenger dead near the border of Milpitas and San Jose, according to the California Highway Patrol.At about 12:50 a.m. Thursday morning, an 18-year-old man driving a Dodge Caliber was traveling between 65 and 75 mph on northbound I-880 just north of Montague Expressway when he lost control of the car following an “unsafe turning movement to the left,” the CHP said.The car struck the median barrier, then veered right, crossing all lanes of the roadway before crashing into a raised concrete median, overturning and slamming into a concrete wall, authorities said.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Wrongful death lawsuit filed in connection with Redwood City street-racing crash that killed parents of twin girls Crashes and Disasters | Public’s help sought in identifying woman killed in San Jose crash Crashes and Disasters | Person dies at East Bay BAR...

Struggling to follow the Pac-12’s various legal affairs? Here’s a handy guide to six important issues

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:27 GMT

The legal challenges came at the Pac-12 in triple-whammy fashion from the middle of May through the first day of June.First, the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against the conference, USC and the NCAA. Next, the Holiday Bowl filed a lawsuit against UCLA and the conference. Finally, a bill that could rock the California schools passed the state assembly.And those are just a few of the issues facing the campuses, the conference and college sports writ large.Some are of the Pac-12’s own doing, the results of wayward strategic decisions during a previous era.Some are the result of geography — of being located in a state known for its political activism.One issue was rooted in COVID.Another stems from the Pac-12’s stature as a Power Five league.Given the spate of developments lately, the Hotline crafted the following summary of the most prominent legal matters staring back at the Pac-12.And don’t forget: In addition to the six situations listed b...

Back home, SF Giants’ Rogers twins share special moment in win over Rockies

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:27 GMT

DENVER — On their drive to Coors Field on Tuesday, Tyler and Taylor Rogers looked at each other and took a moment to recognize their reality. Twin brothers and best friends, on their way to play in the ballpark they grew up attending, sharing a vehicle, just as they did on their way to games at nearby Littleton High School.“We were like, nothing gets cooler than this,” Taylor said. “And then, turns out it does.”The twins shared another, even more special moment in the seventh inning of Wednesday’s game. As the Giants rallied for their first runs of the game, setting up a come-from-behind 5-4 win, the bullpen phone rang. Tyler was told to get warm. So was Taylor.“Warming with my brother in our hometown in the big leagues, I don’t even know how to describe it,” Tyler said. “If I say it’s cool, it just doesn’t do it justice.”It was pretty cool, though. And a rarer occurrence than you might think. Despite Taylor signing a free-agent ...

San Francisco resident who allegedly killed man gets three years for gun possession

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:27 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO — A Bay Area man who allegedly shot and killed an Oakland resident in downtown San Francisco has been sentenced to three years in federal prison, court records show.Najee Ard, 33, was sentenced May 15 by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. San Francisco prosecutors declined to charge Ard in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Kenny Reed, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged him with illegally possessing the gun used to kill Reed, court records show.Reed was gunned down on April 29, near Turk and Mason streets, according to authorities. Ard’s attorney wrote in court papers that Reed had just shot Ard’s cousin in the leg and that Ard — who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder — reacted by pulling his own pistol and killing Reed. Another person was struck by Ard’s gunfire but survived, authorities say.“If not for his PTSD driving his reaction to the de...

Here's San Franciso's latest plan for tackling city's out of control fentanyl crisis

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:27 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- In the latest effort by the City and County of San Francisco to crack down on SF's out of control fentanyl crisis, San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto announced plans to deploy the SF Sheriff's Emergency Services Unit (ESU). The six-month deployment would be aimed at tackling open-air drug dealing, specifically in areas where "open-air drug dealing and drug use runs rampant," according to the sheriff. Bay Area real estate value is fastest dropping in the nation, report says "Fighting the fentanyl crisis and tackling flagrant drug use on our streets requires a head-on, tough love approach," said Sheriff Paul Miyamoto. "The sad truth of drug addiction is that individuals rarely want to get help they need until they hit rock bottom, which for many involved in this crisis, is incarceration. Those suffering from drug addiction are slowly dying on our streets because they have not reason to get clean and drug dealers are profiting off their pain."Deputies assigne...

Full closure of I-680 planned this weekend for construction work

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:27 GMT

(BCN) -- Caltrans is scheduled to close all southbound lanes of Interstate Highway 680 in Pleasanton this weekend. The I-680 freeway will be closed in the southbound direction between Sunol Boulevard and Koopman Road from 10 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Monday. The closure is to replace a portion of the existing deteriorated roadway with new pavement. The work will fix existing roads and make them safer for drivers, while minimizing the need for nightly closures, according to the Caltrans traffic advisory. Bay Area real estate value is fastest dropping in the nation, report says Caltrans will place portable signs before the closure to inform motorists and they will stay in place throughout the weekend. California Highway Patrol officers will also be available to guide drivers. Northbound I-680 will remain open and will not be affected by the closure. In the case of rain or unanticipated developments, the closures will be rescheduled and the public will be notified. ...