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DeSantis’ Immigration Law May Affect Hurricane Cleanup in Florida

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:27 GMT

When Hurricane Idalia struck last week, Michael Burnett’s bayside home in Crystal River, Florida, was inundated with a noxious cocktail of stormwater and sewage from burst pipes that rose to his chest.“We lost everything we owned,” said Burnett, the manager of a gun shop. “The only saving grace was those guys who came to my house.”The “guys” are four men in the country illegally that he had hired to help sort through the muck, members of an immigrant workforce that in recent years has helped communities in Florida and other states clean up and rebuild after climate disasters, with thousands of such workers rushing in.But as this year’s hurricane season intensifies, they may be in shorter supply in Florida.In May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law to discourage immigrants without legal status from living and working in the state. The law, which he has described as the country’s most aggressive crackdown, rejects out-of-state driver&#...

Shirtless smash-and-grab suspect caught on video identified by police

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:27 GMT

A would-be smash-and-grab suspect, who got more than he bargained for when he attempted to rob a family-owned jewelry store in the San Gabriel Valley last week, has been identified, authorities announced on Thursday.  Surveillance cameras captured the suspect, now identified as 36-year-old Joshua Lee Simmons, as he was walking down Main Street in El Monte on Sept. 2 dressed in all black with a face mask and a cardboard box in hand. As the 36-year-old approaches Meza’s Jewelry store, he’s seen spraying bear repellent in the face of a 70-year-old man, one of the store’s owners, who was sitting just outside the shop.  That didn’t stop the 70-year-old from running inside his family’s jewelry store to fight back, his brother, niece and nephews all coming to his defense, struggling to restrain the intruder as he smashed the display case and attempted to grab whatever precious merchandise he could get his hands on.    Jewelry store owners speak out after wil...

Ventura County man faces up to life in prison for armed robbery

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:27 GMT

A Ventura County man was sentenced to 42 years to life in prison for an armed robbery.Camarillo resident Keith Eric Cook, 35, was convicted by a jury of felony robbery with personal use of a firearm, false imprisonment, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The verdict marked Cook’s third robbery-related conviction, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.On Nov. 27, 2021, Cook and another suspect, Jason Hoyland, 46, entered a smoke shop in Ventura while armed. Cook was carrying a pistol, while Hoyland had a replica firearm, officials said. Southern California man survives days trapped in ravine after crash Once inside, the store owner was bound with zip ties and ordered to sit down. The two suspects took around $1,900 in cash and some merchandise from the store. The men hopped into a getaway vehicle and fled the area.The store owner called the police and provided a description of the getaway car. Ventura police officers located the v...

Did a social media stunt lead to this teen's death?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:27 GMT

The maker of an extremely spicy tortilla chip sold as the One Chip Challenge and popularized as a dare on social media is pulling the product after the family of a Massachusetts teenager blamed the stunt for his death.The cause of Harris Wolobah's death last Friday hasn't been determined and an autopsy was still pending as of Thursday, but the 14-year-old's family blames the challenge. Since his death, the Texas-based manufacturer, Paqui, has asked retailers to stop selling the individually wrapped chips — a step 7-Eleven has already taken.The One Chip Challenge chip sells for about $10 and comes wrapped in a sealed foil pouch that is enclosed in a coffin-shaped cardboard box. The package warns that the chip is made for the “vengeful pleasure of intense heat and pain,” is intended for adults and should be kept out of reach of children.Paqui, a subsidiary of The Hershey Company, said in a statement posted on its website Thursday that it was “deeply saddened by the death” of Wolobah.“...

1 Hurt in 2-Car Accident on Polk Street [San Francisco, CA]

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:27 GMT

One Injured in 2-Vehicle Collision on Turk StreetSAN FRANCISCO, CA (September 7, 2023) – Tuesday night, one victim sustained injuries in a 2-car accident on Polk Street.Authorities responded to the scene around 10:00 p.m., near Turk Street on August 17th.Per reports, a Cruise car was entering the intersection on a green light when it was hit by a fire-truck that was changing lanes.According to the San Francisco Police Department, the firetruck was in “Code 3” emergency mode, which means the emergency lights and siren were active.Paramedics arrived and transported one victim who was inside the Cruise car to a nearby hospital for further treatment. Although, police have not yet released their identity.Emergency crews closed off the surrounding area for a brief time during cleanup and preliminary duties. At this time, San Francisco police continue to investigate the collision and will release updates once available.When operating a vehicle, you must maintain focus on the ro...

Three Hurt in Two-Vehicle Collision on Railroad Avenue [Santa Maria, CA]

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:27 GMT

Traffic Crash near Taylor Street Left 3 People HospitalizedSANTA MARIA, CA (September 7, 2023) – Late Wednesday evening, a two-vehicle collision on Railroad Avenue left three people injured.The collision was reported shortly before 11:30 p.m. at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Taylor Street.Upon officers’ arrival, they located two passengers inside each vehicle and one other ejected due to the impact of the collision.Eventually, the Santa Maria Fire Department and American Medical units responded and rushed all three patients to local hospitals.At this time, the identities of those involved in the crash remained undisclosed to the public. The Santa Maria Police Department Traffic Unit and CSI are leading the investigation.Anyone with additional information regarding the Railroad Avenue two-vehicle collision is encouraged to contact local authorities immediately.One small driving mistake can lead to a traffic collision. That is why it is important to always keep your at...

Human remains found on Alameda shoreline ID'd, murder suspect arrested

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:27 GMT

ALAMEDA, Calif. (KRON) -- "In my 25 years as a police officer, I have never seen anything as disturbing as this," Alameda Police Chief Nishant Joshi said.Two months after a woman's remains were found along the shoreline of Bay Farm Island in Alameda, police said they made a major break in the case. A coroner identified the woman as Rachel Buckner, 27, of Pleasanton, investigators told KRON4 Thursday.Her remains were found by a citizen who was walking along the shoreline near the Bay Farm Island bridge on July 20. Investigators discovered that the victim's body had been dismembered and dumped on Bay Farm Island. Hayward police shoot, kill man allegedly armed with BB gun Alameda Police Sgt. Spencer Mountain said, "This one is pretty brutal. I have never had a dismemberment case.""Our investigators notified the FBI, U.S. Marshalls, the District Attorney's Office and Pleasanton PD to track down the suspect," Chief Joshi said. Buckner was never reported as missing in Alameda County. Po...

Stanford studies show differences between races in rates of birth complications

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:27 GMT

Two new studies from the Stanford University School of Medicine revealed significant differences between races in rates of birth complications caused by high blood pressure and anemia during pregnancy. The studies, published Thursday in the peer-reviewed medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, looked at the prevalence of birth complications caused by chronic hypertension, or high blood pressure, in pregnant women and the rates of complications from iron-deficiency anemia, excluding patients with anemia caused by genetic factors. The studies found that pregnant Black women had more than double the rate of both medical issues compared to pregnant white women. That led to higher rates of pre-eclampsia, hemorrhage and other complications during pregnancy that can be fatal. Bill that decriminalizes psychedelic mushrooms headed to governor’s desk The studies' authors partially attributed the discrepancy to previous medical guidelines that suggested that a higher rate of hyp...

Why Oakland's beloved cannabis dispensary, Rose Mary Jane, closed

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:27 GMT

(BCN)--It was a Tuesday afternoon in early August and there was seemingly never a free moment at the counter of Rose Mary Jane, a cannabis dispensary and lounge in Oakland. Budtenders shuffled behind the counter, grabbing products off sparsely populated shelves, fielding questions from customers (no, they do not have any purple left, yes, Sweet Cherry Pie is good for keeping your mind clear), and stopping occasionally to fawn over a customer's dog. Everything in the store was up to 75% off. It was their last day in business. On Aug. 9, after around a year and a half in business, Rose Mary Jane officially closed its doors to the public, leveling a palpable blow to Oakland's cannabis community. The store on their Instagram cited an unaffordable lease and burglaries. "The three burglaries in the last six months, the increased violence, loss and damage from the burglaries, and the unwillingness of our property manager, Erik Murray, with Oak Investment Funds, to negotiate a...

Defying RICO Indictment, Faith Leaders Chain Themselves to Bulldozer to Stop Cop City

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:27 GMT

Revs. Jeff Jones and Dave Dunn at the construction site of Cop City during a direct action in protest of the planned police training compound on Sept. 7, 2023. Photo: Courtesy of The People’s Stop Work OrderFive participants of the Defend the Atlanta Forest movement broke into the construction site of the planned police training compound known as “Cop City” on Thursday morning and chained themselves to a bulldozer. This is by no means the first direct action Stop Cop City protesters have taken to halt construction of the vast facility, but it carries renewed significance just two days after Georgia prosecutors announced extreme and overreaching racketeering charges against 61 other movement activists.The charges, filed Tuesday under Georgia’s expansive Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, are an effort to chill the movement and paint one of the most resilient anti-racist, environmentalist efforts in history as a criminal enterprise. In response, ...