mercurynews--2020-09-24--Up to 20 years in prison for DUI meth fatal crash at Lake Tahoe

ZEPHYR COVE , Nev. — A 41-year-old California man convicted of causing a fatal accident while under the influence of @ @ @ @ @ summer has been sentenced to six to 20 years in prison .
Jarrad Dominguez admitted @ @ @ @ @ influence when he crossed the centerline on U.S. Highway 50 near Zephyr Cove and collided @ @ @ @ @ June 13 , 2019 and killed Hugo Parra Soliz , a Carson City father of @ @ @ @ @ ) Record-Courier reports Dominguez apologized to Soliz ’ widow during Tuesday ’ s sentencing .
@ @ @ @ @ pay a $ 2,000 fine and reimburse authorities for his extradition from California .
• @ @ @ @ @ East Bay freeway was 12-year-old boy • Man killed when driver jumps the curb at @ @ @ @ @ Fuentes Jr. admitted that the fatal collision was not his client ’ s first offense @ @ @ @ @ his offenses were out of California and most involved driving under the influence .

ZEPHYR COVE, Nev. — A 41-year-old California man convicted of causing a fatal accident while under the influence of methamphetamine at Lake Tahoe last summer has been sentenced to six to 20 years in prison.
Jarrad Dominguez admitted he was driving under the influence when he crossed the centerline on U.S. Highway 50 near Zephyr Cove and collided head-on with another vehicle on June 13, 2019 and killed Hugo Parra Soliz, a Carson City father of three.
The (Gardnerville) Record-Courier reports Dominguez apologized to Soliz’ widow during Tuesday’s sentencing. He also was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and reimburse authorities for his extradition from California.
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Dominguez recently lived in Winton and Gold River.


mercurynews--2020-09-24--California man acquitted of gang killing shot, girlfriend killed minutes after being freed

FRESNO — A Fresno man who was acquitted of a deadly shooting was wounded and his girlfriend killed minutes after he walked out of jail , his attorney said Wednesday .
Michael Garcia , 21 , was shot four times and remained hospitalized .
“ They were waiting at the jail for him , ” his attorney , Eric Castellon told the Fresno Bee .
Garcia was attacked about 10 p.m. Tuesday while in a car on State Route 180 in Fresno .
His girlfriend died .
The Fresno County coroner ’ s office identified her Wednesday as Ernestine Thomas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They were planning on leaving so they could get away from all this madness ” Castellon said of the couple .
“ It ’ s a gang hit , that ’ s for sure.
” Garcia ’ s family had received apparent threats on social media , Castellon told the Bee .
• 1 man , 2 women arrested in death of California man who was run over with his own car by thief • California man killed when suspect steals his car , strikes him with it • Vigil held for teenage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was acquitted of charges that that he shot and killed Gregory Garza , 23 , last year in northwest Fresno .
Police had said the shooting stemmed from a dispute over gang ties .
Castellon said his client didn ’ t have any gang ties and wasn ’ t the killer .
“ He wasn ’ t the shooter .
Witness identifications didn ’ t match up .
Ballistics didn ’ t match up , ” Castellon said .

FRESNO — A Fresno man who was acquitted of a deadly shooting was wounded and his girlfriend killed minutes after he walked out of jail, his attorney said Wednesday.
Michael Garcia, 21, was shot four times and remained hospitalized.
“They were waiting at the jail for him,” his attorney, Eric Castellon told the Fresno Bee.
Garcia was attacked about 10 p.m. Tuesday while in a car on State Route 180 in Fresno. His girlfriend died. The Fresno County coroner’s office identified her Wednesday as Ernestine Thomas, 21, of Fresno.
“They were planning on leaving so they could get away from all this madness” Castellon said of the couple. “It’s a gang hit, that’s for sure.”
Garcia’s family had received apparent threats on social media, Castellon told the Bee.
No arrests were immediately made.
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Castellon said his client didn’t have any gang ties and wasn’t the killer.
“He wasn’t the shooter. Witness identifications didn’t match up. Ballistics didn’t match up,” Castellon said.


mercurynews--2020-09-24--3rd man arrested in slaying of California boxer

A third suspect has been arrested in the slaying of Moreno Valley boxer Daniel Gonzalez .
Joseph Lewis Goldsmith , 28 , of Riverside , turned himself in at the Riverside County sheriff ’ s station in Moreno Valley on Monday , Sept. 21 , the Sheriff ’ s Department said in a news release .
Goldsmith was booked on suspicion of murder and attempted murder at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside , where he was being held in lieu of $ 1 million bail , jail records show .
He pleaded not guilty on Wednesday and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lee Albert Mooring , 32 , Andre Dimitri Richee , 27 , both of Moreno Valley , were arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder Sept. 9 and Sept. 10 , respectively .
Mooring pleaded not guilty on Sept. 15 and has a status hearing scheduled for Thursday .
Richee is due to enter pleas on Thursday .
The shooting happened on Sept. 7 in the 22900 block of Allies Place in Moreno Valley .
Investigators say the men drove up and shot Gonzalez and two teenagers .
The two boys were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A motive for the attack has not been disclosed .
Gonzalez , 22 , was a welterweight who fought in boxing legend Floyd Mayweather ’ s stable .
The victim won his professional debut in a four-round unanimous decision on Aug. 27 , 2016 , and won two fights by decision in 2016 and 2017 .

A third suspect has been arrested in the slaying of Moreno Valley boxer Daniel Gonzalez.
Joseph Lewis Goldsmith, 28, of Riverside, turned himself in at the Riverside County sheriff’s station in Moreno Valley on Monday, Sept. 21, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
Goldsmith was booked on suspicion of murder and attempted murder at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, where he was being held in lieu of $1 million bail, jail records show. He pleaded not guilty on Wednesday and has a status hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Lee Albert Mooring, 32, Andre Dimitri Richee, 27, both of Moreno Valley, were arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder Sept. 9 and Sept. 10, respectively. Mooring pleaded not guilty on Sept. 15 and has a status hearing scheduled for Thursday. Richee is due to enter pleas on Thursday.
The shooting happened on Sept. 7 in the 22900 block of Allies Place in Moreno Valley. Investigators say the men drove up and shot Gonzalez and two teenagers. The two boys were expected to recover, investigators said.
A motive for the attack has not been disclosed.
Gonzalez, 22, was a welterweight who fought in boxing legend Floyd Mayweather’s stable. The victim won his professional debut in a four-round unanimous decision on Aug. 27, 2016, and won two fights by decision in 2016 and 2017.


mercurynews--2020-09-24--Bobcat fire containment more than doubles; federal investigators look at utility equipment as cause

Firefighters made progress on the Bobcat fire in the San Gabriel Mountains , gaining 38 % containment of it by early Wednesday , more than twice what it was the day before , while authorities continued to focus on how the blaze may have started .
The cause of the fire , which has blackened 113,307 acres , remains under investigation .
As a part of that investigation , federal officials are looking at Southern California Edison equipment , which experienced a problem the same day the blaze started , according to a report filed by the utility company with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
On Sept. 6 , a section of Edison ’ s circuit experienced a relay operation at 12:16 p.m. , the report said .
The operation happens when the circuit is interrupted by things such as wildlife , debris , fog , smog , or smoke .
David Song , a spokesman for Southern California Edison , noted that a camera installed by Edison on Mount Wilson captured images of smoke as early as 12:10 p.m. , prior to activity on the circuit .
As the fire swelled by tens of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contacted Edison on Sept. 15 , as a part of their investigation into the cause of the blaze and asked for a part of the utility ’ s power lines near Cogswell Dam , the report said .
The Bobcat fire started near the dam .
Prompted by the federal officials ’ request of the utility equipment , Edison submitted an initial Electric Safety Incident Report to the California Public Utilities Commission .
Edison handed over the power line equipment in question on Sept. 16 .
“ The cause of the fire , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will be investigated by the U.S. Forest Service and the company will cooperate fully with that investigation , ” Song said .
A Forest Service spokesman said the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing and declined to comment on whether officials are looking into Edison .
The Angeles National Forest tweeted Wednesday that containment more than doubled to 38 % , “ thanks to days of strenuous fire-line construction by firefighters working in challenging conditions.
” Containment is the percentage of the fire ’ s perimeter that has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obstacle such as a road or a body of water .
“ We are turning a page on this fire , ” said Larry Smith of the U.S. Forest Service , one of the spokespeople assigned to the Bobcat Fire .
He said they are expecting to increase containment Wednesday night .
The Los Angeles County Fire Department says it has stopped the Bobcat fire in the foothills above Duarte , Sierra Madre and Bradbury and to the east .
The Bobcat fire is not contained to the west and toward Antelope Valley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from Wrightwood , Smith said .
“ We ’ re not seeing much growth .
It ’ s not really moving ( which ) gives us the opportunity to build new containment lines , ” he said .
The Bobcat fire is the second-largest fire in Los Angeles County history , second only to the Station fire in 2009 .
That massive blaze rolled through 160,577 acres , also in the Angeles National Forest .
Fire officials do not expect the Bobcat to get that large , anticipating full containment by Sept. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 125,000 acres .
On Tuesday , fire crews worked , again , to protect Mount Wilson .
“ It ’ s looking really good up there , ” Smith said .
Authorities lifted evacuation orders for several areas on Wednesday .
The Bobcat fire broke out the afternoon of Sept. 6 near the West Fork area and Cogswell Dam in the Angeles National Forest .
Four people suffered minor injuries due to the fire .
The Bobcat fire has also destroyed 27 homes and damaged 11 homes , according to Los Angeles County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman for the Bobcat fire .
Temperatures in Wrightwood Wednesday are expected to be between 75 to 80 degrees , said Mike Wofford , a meteorologist with the National Weather Service .
He said the Antelope Valley will be in the mid 90s while the San Gabriel Valley will be a little warmer with temperatures between 90 to 95 degrees .
It will be hotter early next week .
Weather experts are expecting a higher pressure system over the western part of the U.S. Due to the high pressure system , Wofford said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 101 to 102 and Antelope Valley closer to 100 .

Alma Fausto, Ruby Gonzales, Jonah Valdez

Firefighters made progress on the Bobcat fire in the San Gabriel Mountains, gaining 38% containment of it by early Wednesday, more than twice what it was the day before, while authorities continued to focus on how the blaze may have started.
The cause of the fire, which has blackened 113,307 acres, remains under investigation. As a part of that investigation, federal officials are looking at Southern California Edison equipment, which experienced a problem the same day the blaze started, according to a report filed by the utility company with the state’s utility regulators last week.
On Sept. 6, a section of Edison’s circuit experienced a relay operation at 12:16 p.m., the report said. The operation happens when the circuit is interrupted by things such as wildlife, debris, fog, smog, or smoke.
David Song, a spokesman for Southern California Edison, noted that a camera installed by Edison on Mount Wilson captured images of smoke as early as 12:10 p.m., prior to activity on the circuit.
As the fire swelled by tens of thousands of acres, the U.S. Forest Service contacted Edison on Sept. 15, as a part of their investigation into the cause of the blaze and asked for a part of the utility’s power lines near Cogswell Dam, the report said. The Bobcat fire started near the dam.
Prompted by the federal officials’ request of the utility equipment, Edison submitted an initial Electric Safety Incident Report to the California Public Utilities Commission.
Edison handed over the power line equipment in question on Sept. 16.
“The cause of the fire, located in a high fire risk area, will be investigated by the U.S. Forest Service and the company will cooperate fully with that investigation,” Song said.
A Forest Service spokesman said the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing and declined to comment on whether officials are looking into Edison.
The Angeles National Forest tweeted Wednesday that containment more than doubled to 38%, “thanks to days of strenuous fire-line construction by firefighters working in challenging conditions.”
Containment is the percentage of the fire’s perimeter that has been halted by firefighters’ work or an obstacle such as a road or a body of water.
“We are turning a page on this fire,” said Larry Smith of the U.S. Forest Service, one of the spokespeople assigned to the Bobcat Fire. He said they are expecting to increase containment Wednesday night.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department says it has stopped the Bobcat fire in the foothills above Duarte, Sierra Madre and Bradbury and to the east.
The Bobcat fire is not contained to the west and toward Antelope Valley.
It is currently about eight miles away from Wrightwood, Smith said.
“We’re not seeing much growth. It’s not really moving (which) gives us the opportunity to build new containment lines,” he said.
The Bobcat fire is the second-largest fire in Los Angeles County history, second only to the Station fire in 2009. That massive blaze rolled through 160,577 acres, also in the Angeles National Forest.
Fire officials do not expect the Bobcat to get that large, anticipating full containment by Sept. 30 and perhaps capping off at about 125,000 acres.
On Tuesday, fire crews worked, again, to protect Mount Wilson.
“It’s looking really good up there,” Smith said.
#BobcatFire containment more than doubled to 38%, thanks to days of strenuous fireline construction by firefighters working in challenging conditions. Night crews completed critical strategic firing to link containment line from Mt Wilson to HWY 2. https://t.co/APSrKsa0Vn @LACoFD pic.twitter.com/xvusW4zpuX — Angeles_NF (@Angeles_NF) September 23, 2020
Authorities lifted evacuation orders for several areas on Wednesday.
The Bobcat fire broke out the afternoon of Sept. 6 near the West Fork area and Cogswell Dam in the Angeles National Forest.
Four people suffered minor injuries due to the fire. The Bobcat fire has also destroyed 27 homes and damaged 11 homes, according to Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Sky Cornell, also a spokesman for the Bobcat fire.
Temperatures in Wrightwood Wednesday are expected to be between 75 to 80 degrees, said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
He said the Antelope Valley will be in the mid 90s while the San Gabriel Valley will be a little warmer with temperatures between 90 to 95 degrees.
It will be hotter early next week. Weather experts are expecting a higher pressure system over the western part of the U.S.
Due to the high pressure system, Wofford said the San Gabriel Valley will see temperatures of 101 to 102 and Antelope Valley closer to 100.


mercurynews--2020-09-24--Marin coroner IDs East Bay motorcyclist killed in Point Reyes wreck

A man who was killed in a motorcycle crash in West Marin on Tuesday has been identified as Daniel Cameron @ @ @ @ @ Pinole , the coroner ’ s office said .
The crash happened at about 6 @ @ @ @ @ north of Point Reyes Station and about 300 yards south of the Giacomini Ranch , @ @ @ @ @ s Office Coroner ’ s Division said .
Turchie was riding north when he failed @ @ @ @ @ in the road , crossed into the other lane and struck a utility pole , @ @ @ @ @ said .
He was found unconscious 30 feet down an embankment .
Resuscitation efforts failed @ @ @ @ @ California Highway Patrol said .
Authorities closed the road in both directions during the investigation @ @ @ @ @ of death are pending post-mortem examination and toxicology testing that have been scheduled for this @ @

A man who was killed in a motorcycle crash in West Marin on Tuesday has been identified as Daniel Cameron Turchie, 19, of Pinole, the coroner’s office said.
The crash happened at about 6 p.m. Tuesday on Shoreline Highway north of Point Reyes Station and about 300 yards south of the Giacomini Ranch, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Division said.
Turchie was riding north when he failed to take a sweeping turn in the road, crossed into the other lane and struck a utility pole, the coroner’s division said.
He was found unconscious 30 feet down an embankment. Resuscitation efforts failed at the scene, the California Highway Patrol said.
Authorities closed the road in both directions during the investigation.
The cause and manner of death are pending post-mortem examination and toxicology testing that have been scheduled for this week.


mercurynews--2020-09-24--Pleasanton’s Catherine Breed, 27, sets record in swim across Monterey Bay

Pleasanton ’ s Catherine Breed emerged from the chilly Monterey Bay water and her legs temporarily gave out .
She stumbled and fell to her knees , which were immediately bloodied by the coarse sand at San Carlos Beach in Monterey .
Twelve hours and 53 minutes after she first stepped into the ocean and 25 miles away from her starting point at Twin Lakes State Beach in Santa Cruz , the 27-year-old successfully became just the fifth woman to ever complete a solo swim across the Monterey Bay on Tuesday .
She did so in record time , breaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 hours .
Breed turned to her backside and remained seated as she caught her breath , too numb to realize people walking up to congratulate her .
“ I was proud of myself for breaking the record and , honestly , I was just relieved to be out of the water , ” she said Wednesday , noting she still couldn ’ t raise her sore arms above her shoulders .
In addition to Bauernfeind , Breed joined Cindy Cleveland ( 1980 ) , Kim Rutherford ( 2014 ) and Amy Gubser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to complete the swim .
Rutherford and Gubser were on hand to witness the latest crossing .
Bauernfeind tracked the tail-end of Breed ’ s swim online and was cheering from her residence in Dublin .
“ It is a sisterhood , ” Bauernfeind said .
“ The whole community is amazing and supportive .
And records are made to be broken .
Cat is fast , talented and has done other big swims .
It always comes down to conditions .
No two swims are the same , so you kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best .
But I ’ m so happy for her and her swim.
” Breed , a former swimmer at Amador Valley High and Cal , got a scare at a recent training session in Aptos after a Great White swam past her and her training partner , Ricardo Urbina .
She said the fear of a shark attack is omnipresent in open water swimming , but she knows the chance of it happening is incredibly rare .
Jellyfish were her worst enemy on her latest trek .
She elected to attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavy afternoon winds and choppier water .
Breed fueled up for epic journey by downing some oatmeal and over-easy eggs at 7 p.m. Monday .
She arrived at Santa Cruz Yacht Club a half hour later .
There she put on her shark shield and shark repellent band , and liberally applied zinc , which also contained jellyfish repellent .
At 9 p.m. , she put in her ear plugs , pulled down her goggles and stepped into the 59-degree water in pitch black .
“ I couldn ’ t hear anything and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couldn ’ t see anything , ” Breed said .
“ It was a weird place to be with no senses.
” She wasn ’ t alone though .
Urbina was on a paddle board nearby , and in the distance was a 35-foot boat that included her mother , Robin , Gubser and her husband , Greg , Rutherford , and skipper Brian Tom .
Breed had nerves , but she was soothed by the sounds of porpoises a few minutes into her journey .
At that point she knew she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still , she had a long night ahead of her .
“ At the four-hour mark , i settled in and wasn ’ t so nervous , ” said Breed , noting she was taking 10- to 20-second feeding breaks every half hour .
She said the cold water was glowing with bioluminescence , making it a surreal experience , and she drew inspiration from the women who made this swim before her .
Normally thoughts are racing through Breed ’ s head on long open-water swims , but she had one saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Get to 6 a.m. ” Reaching daylight wasn ’ t her only motivation .
Her swim raised roughly $ 2,000 for Diversity in Aquatics , a nonprofit that helps bring aquatic programs to underserved communities in an effort to reduce drowning rates .
When daylight finally arrived , so did the jellyfish and a thick morning fog .
She was stung all over her body , but primarily her faces and arms .
She later counted 55 stings total .
She braved her way through kelp , swam over a large sunfish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompting her mom to comment on camera while documenting the swim .
“ It was gross , brown and murky , but at that point I wasn ’ t stopping for anything , ” she said .
She was rapidly closing in on Monterey .
Greg Gubser replaced Urbina aboard the paddle board and guided Breed to shore .
She had friends waiting to greet her , but it was all a blur .
She was mentally and physically drained .
Because her mother was still aboard the boat , she was unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sandy beach .
She never doubted her daughter once throughout the trek .
“ Even when she ’ s scared , she has such physicality and confidence in herself , ” Robin said .
“ It goes beyond what is norm.
” Previous Monterey Bay crossingsSeptember 1980 : Cindy Cleveland , 15:21:00 ( first trans-bay swim ) from Cowell Beach to Lovers Beach ( 24 Miles ) August 2014 : Patti Bauernfeind , 13:00:00 ( fastest solo crossing ) from SC Harbor to San Carlos Beach ( 25 Miles ) September 2014 : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to North ) from San Carlos Beach to SC Harbor ( 25 Miles ) September 2017 : Amy Gubser , 17:49:05 from SC Harbor to San Carlos Beach ( 25 Miles ) June 2019 : John Zemaitis , 17:32:51 ( first male solo marathon ) from SC Harbor to San Carlos Beach ( 25 Miles )

Pleasanton’s Catherine Breed emerged from the chilly Monterey Bay water and her legs temporarily gave out. She stumbled and fell to her knees, which were immediately bloodied by the coarse sand at San Carlos Beach in Monterey.
Twelve hours and 53 minutes after she first stepped into the ocean and 25 miles away from her starting point at Twin Lakes State Beach in Santa Cruz, the 27-year-old successfully became just the fifth woman to ever complete a solo swim across the Monterey Bay on Tuesday. She did so in record time, breaking Patti Bauernfeind’s 2014 mark of 13 hours.
Breed turned to her backside and remained seated as she caught her breath, too numb to realize people walking up to congratulate her.
“I was proud of myself for breaking the record and, honestly, I was just relieved to be out of the water,” she said Wednesday, noting she still couldn’t raise her sore arms above her shoulders.
In addition to Bauernfeind, Breed joined Cindy Cleveland (1980), Kim Rutherford (2014) and Amy Gubser (2017) as the only women to complete the swim.
Rutherford and Gubser were on hand to witness the latest crossing. Bauernfeind tracked the tail-end of Breed’s swim online and was cheering from her residence in Dublin.
“It is a sisterhood,” Bauernfeind said. “The whole community is amazing and supportive. And records are made to be broken. Cat is fast, talented and has done other big swims. It always comes down to conditions. No two swims are the same, so you kind of train for the worst and hope for the best. But I’m so happy for her and her swim.”
Breed, a former swimmer at Amador Valley High and Cal, got a scare at a recent training session in Aptos after a Great White swam past her and her training partner, Ricardo Urbina.
She said the fear of a shark attack is omnipresent in open water swimming, but she knows the chance of it happening is incredibly rare. Jellyfish were her worst enemy on her latest trek.
She elected to attempt her bay crossing at night to avoid heavy afternoon winds and choppier water.
Breed fueled up for epic journey by downing some oatmeal and over-easy eggs at 7 p.m. Monday. She arrived at Santa Cruz Yacht Club a half hour later.
There she put on her shark shield and shark repellent band, and liberally applied zinc, which also contained jellyfish repellent. At 9 p.m., she put in her ear plugs, pulled down her goggles and stepped into the 59-degree water in pitch black.
“I couldn’t hear anything and it was so black, so I couldn’t see anything,” Breed said. “It was a weird place to be with no senses.”
She wasn’t alone though. Urbina was on a paddle board nearby, and in the distance was a 35-foot boat that included her mother, Robin, Gubser and her husband, Greg, Rutherford, and skipper Brian Tom.
Breed had nerves, but she was soothed by the sounds of porpoises a few minutes into her journey. At that point she knew she was going to have a good swim. Still, she had a long night ahead of her.
“At the four-hour mark, i settled in and wasn’t so nervous,” said Breed, noting she was taking 10- to 20-second feeding breaks every half hour.
She said the cold water was glowing with bioluminescence, making it a surreal experience, and she drew inspiration from the women who made this swim before her. Normally thoughts are racing through Breed’s head on long open-water swims, but she had one saying that she continually repeated to herself, “Get to 6 a.m.”
Reaching daylight wasn’t her only motivation. Her swim raised roughly $2,000 for Diversity in Aquatics, a nonprofit that helps bring aquatic programs to underserved communities in an effort to reduce drowning rates.
When daylight finally arrived, so did the jellyfish and a thick morning fog. She was stung all over her body, but primarily her faces and arms. She later counted 55 stings total.
She braved her way through kelp, swam over a large sunfish, and even through whale poop, prompting her mom to comment on camera while documenting the swim.
“It was gross, brown and murky, but at that point I wasn’t stopping for anything,” she said.
She was rapidly closing in on Monterey. Greg Gubser replaced Urbina aboard the paddle board and guided Breed to shore.
She had friends waiting to greet her, but it was all a blur. She was mentally and physically drained.
Because her mother was still aboard the boat, she was unable to see her daughter fall to the sandy beach. She never doubted her daughter once throughout the trek.
“Even when she’s scared, she has such physicality and confidence in herself,” Robin said. “It goes beyond what is norm.”
Solo Marathon Swims
Previous Monterey Bay crossingsSeptember 1980: Cindy Cleveland, 15:21:00 (first trans-bay swim) from Cowell Beach to Lovers Beach (24 Miles)August 2014: Patti Bauernfeind, 13:00:00 (fastest solo crossing) from SC Harbor to San Carlos Beach (25 Miles)September 2014: Kim Rutherford, 22:06:00 (first South to North) from San Carlos Beach to SC Harbor (25 Miles)September 2017: Amy Gubser, 17:49:05 from SC Harbor to San Carlos Beach (25 Miles)June 2019: John Zemaitis, 17:32:51 (first male solo marathon) from SC Harbor to San Carlos Beach (25 Miles)


mercurynews--2020-09-24--Santa Cruz CZU fire fully contained, work remains

SCOTTS VALLEY — Using an interconnected ring of roads , natural barriers and stripped-down pieces of land with nothing left to burn , Cal Fire has gotten its “ arms ” around the CZU August Lighting Complex fire after 37 consecutive days .
The state fire agency , aided by fire agencies from across Santa Cruz County and the state , plus out-of-state and national responders , announced full containment of the blaze Tuesday night , with 86,509 acres affected , 1,490 destroyed structures — including 925 residences — and one Last Chance Road resident killed .
During the fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cruz and San Mateo counties were evacuated .
The fire complex , sparked by lightning on the night of Aug. 16 , however , has not yet been fully controlled .
“ We ’ ve got a very solid line around the entire fire and they feel like there ’ s really no chance at this point for the fire to jump over the fire line , ” Cal Fire CZU information officer Cecile Juliette said Wednesday .
Juliette added that the fire agency , while happy to have reached full containment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet .
“ It ’ s definitely a milestone , it ’ s something we ’ ve been working for now , what , five weeks , so getting a line is always a milestone in a big fire like this , ” Juliette said .
“ But again , if there were smoke that were to get some wind on it that weren ’ t put out , it could create a whole new problem .
So , this is not a time to become complacent or relaxed for our department .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be vigilant until the last smoke is out.
” In an informational video posted to Youtube and explaining the term “ containment , ” Cal Fire Assistant Deputy Director Daniel Berlant explains why “ containment ” does not mean firefighters ’ work is over — particularly in steep and rugged terrain where small fires continue burning within the vegetation .
“ Now , when we have 100 % containment , that doesn ’ t necessarily mean that the fire is completely extinguished , ” Berlant said .
“ There could still be hot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over , throughout the fire , there are still places where firefighters will need to go in and ‘ mop up.
’ We call it mop-up when we go in and internally , inside the perimeter , go in and extinguish those hot spots.
” Juliette estimated area firefighters had months of work ahead before the CZU fires are considered under control .
Residents are urged to keep an eye out for remaining smoldering areas giving off telltale smoke that could pop up anywhere .
• 100 firefighters from Mexico arrive to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California firefighter who died in blaze started by gender-reveal party was on elite Hotshot crew • Smoke from California fires may have killed more than 1,000 people • Where Bobcat fire fits among LA County ’ s largest wildfires of past century “ If residents see smoke , they can call and report that and we will send a crew out there to put that out , ” Juliette said .
“ There ’ s not going to be any danger , but this is definitely an area where residents can play a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( being our ) eyes.
” While less-restrictive evacuation warnings remain in several of the most heavily-impacted parts of the county , evacuation orders remain in place only around the areas of Chalk Mountain , Waddell Creek , Swanton and Molina Creek .
Continuing road closures include Lower Highway 236 at Little Basin Road , China Grade at mile marker 1.71 , Upper Highway 236 at Waterman Gap Loop , Swanton Road at Last Chance Road .
The northern section of Swanton Road is open from Highway 1 to Last Chance Road .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ closures related to the fires are available online at smco.community.zonehaven.com .
The CZU fire caused an estimated $ 340 million in private property and infrastructure damage , according to a preliminary assessment from Santa Cruz County officials .

The CZU Lightning Complex Fire was fully contained Tuesday night, authorities said.
The blaze broke out the morning of Aug. 16 and burned 86,509 acres in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention.
One person was killed and another was injured in the fire.
Cal Fire said the blaze also destroyed 1,490 structures, including 925 single-family homes.
Thousands of residents in the Santa Cruz Mountains were forced to flee as crews struggled to fight the fire in rugged terrain. About 1,000 people were still evacuated as of Tuesday.
“Repopulation efforts continue to be complicated in portions of the fire area by closed roads, damaged utilities and compromised trees,” Cal Fire said in an incident update.
Crews, meanwhile, are keeping a watchful eye on the fire.
“Remember, contained is not controlled,” the Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit said in a tweet announcing the news. “We will continue to monitor this fire for smoldering areas.”


mercurynews--2020-09-25--‘No easy answer’: Many ask what next in Breonna Taylor case

LOUISVILLE , Ky. ( AP ) — In the wake of the decision not to prosecute Kentucky police officers for killing Breonna Taylor , authorities and activists alike wrestled Thursday with the question of what comes next amid continued demands for justice in the Black woman ’ s death .
“ The question obviously is : What do we do with this pain ?
” Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said during a news conference .
“ There is no one answer , no easy answer to that question.
” Fischer pleaded for calm a day after peaceful protests in Louisville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wounded two police officers .
Activists , who were back out chanting Taylor ’ s name and marching for a second night as police in riot gear blocked roads , vowed to press on after a grand jury Wednesday didn ’ t bring homicide charges against the officers who burst into her apartment during a drug investigation in March .
Taylor , an emergency medical worker , was shot multiple times by white officers after Taylor ’ s boyfriend fired at them , authorities said .
He said he didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire in self-defense .
Police entered on a warrant connected to a suspect who did not live there , and no drugs were found inside .
State Attorney General Daniel Cameron said the investigation showed officers acted in self-defense ; one was wounded .
A single officer was charged with wanton endangerment for firing into neighboring apartments .
The only possibility for criminal charges against the officers for the killing itself seems to rest with the U.S. Justice Department .
The FBI is still investigating whether Taylor ’ s civil rights were violated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such cases is very high , with prosecutors having to prove officers knew they were acting illegally and made a willful decision to cause someone ’ s death .
Returning Thursday to the park in downtown Louisville that has been the hub for protesters , Reginique Jones said she ’ ll keep pressing for increased police accountability and for a statewide ban on “ no knock ” warrants — the kind issued in the Taylor case , though Cameron said the investigation showed police did announce themselves before entering .
“ I believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , ” Jones said .
“ We can still get some justice.
” Taylor ’ s family planned to weigh in at a news conference scheduled for Friday morning in the park that ’ s become known as Injustice Square .
Demonstrators kept gathering there Thursday , while others marched through downtown , where streets were barricaded by police cars and crowds blocked roads as they violated a nighttime curfew .
Kenyatta Hicks said he ’ s encouraged by increasingly diverse crowds that have turned out to protest .
Activists , celebrities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against police since Taylor ’ s death .
Along with George Floyd , a Black man killed by police in Minneapolis , Taylor ’ s name became a rallying cry during nationwide protests this summer that called out entrenched racism and demanded police reform .
The grand jury ’ s decision set off a new wave of protests nationwide , with people marching in cities like Philadelphia and Rochester , New York , on Thursday , a night after violence married some demonstrations in cities like Seattle and Portland , Oregon .
Louisville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the weekend , and Gov .
Andy Beshear called up the National Guard for “ limited missions.
” Protesters streamed through the streets , where stopped cars honked and one man leaned out a sunroof , his fist in the air and shouted , “ Black lives matter.
” Police in riot gear turned out in force as the nighttime curfew passed , but they kept their distance from the crowd .
Earlier , it got heated between some protesters and a group of 12 to 15 armed white people wearing military-style @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn physical .
Peaceful protests a night earlier gave way to fires set in garbage cans , damage to several vehicles and thefts at stores .
Then , two officers were shot .
Larynzo D. Johnson , 26 , was charged , and an arrest citation said police had video of him opening fire .
Court records did not list a lawyer for Johnson , who was scheduled to be in court Friday .
The two officers were “ doing well and will survive their injuries , ” interim Police Chief Robert Schroeder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the hip and has been released from the hospital .
Officer Robinson Desroches was shot in the abdomen and underwent surgery .
Taylor ’ s case has exposed the wide gulf between public opinion on justice for those who kill Black Americans and the laws under which those officers are charged , which regularly favor police .
Since Taylor ’ s killing , Louisville has taken some steps to address protesters ’ concerns .
The officer who was eventually charged has been fired , and three others were put on desk duty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hired its first Black woman as the new permanent police chief .
Last week , the city agreed to more police reforms as part of a settlement that included a $ 12 million payment to Taylor ’ s family .
But many have expressed frustration that more has not been done .
A grand jury returned three charges of wanton endangerment against Officer Brett Hankison that each carries a sentence of up to five years .
The other officers involved weren ’ t charged .
Hankison ’ s attorney , David Leightty , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He previously said Hankison ’ s firing in June was a “ cowardly political act.
” Trump told reporters Thursday that the case was a “ sad thing.
” “ I give my regards to the family of Breonna .
I also think it ’ s so sad what ’ s happening with everything about that case , including law enforcement , ” he said .
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate , Kamala Harris , called for policing reform .
In the Louisville square where protesters have repeatedly gathered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the flowers , signs and letters placed at a memorial there for Taylor and hopes officials won ’ t try to remove them .
“ We ’ re going to stay out here and hold this place , ” Henderson said .
Associated Press writers Claire Galofaro , Bruce Schreiner and John Minchillo in Louisville , Kentucky , Kevin Freking and Michael Balsamo in Washington , Aaron Morrison in New York , and Haleluya Hadero in Lancaster , Pennsylvania , contributed .
Hudsbeth Blackburn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues .

By CLAIRE GALOFARO, DYLAN LOVAN and ANGIE WANG
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — In the wake of the decision not to prosecute Kentucky police officers for killing Breonna Taylor, authorities and activists alike wrestled Thursday with the question of what comes next amid continued demands for justice in the Black woman’s death.
“The question obviously is: What do we do with this pain?” Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said during a news conference. “There is no one answer, no easy answer to that question.”
Fischer pleaded for calm a day after peaceful protests in Louisville turned violent, and a gunman shot and wounded two police officers. Activists, who were back out chanting Taylor’s name and marching for a second night as police in riot gear blocked roads, vowed to press on after a grand jury Wednesday didn’t bring homicide charges against the officers who burst into her apartment during a drug investigation in March.
Taylor, an emergency medical worker, was shot multiple times by white officers after Taylor’s boyfriend fired at them, authorities said. He said he didn’t know who was coming in and opened fire in self-defense. Police entered on a warrant connected to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside.
State Attorney General Daniel Cameron said the investigation showed officers acted in self-defense; one was wounded. A single officer was charged with wanton endangerment for firing into neighboring apartments.
The FBI is still investigating whether Taylor’s civil rights were violated. But the burden of proof for such cases is very high, with prosecutors having to prove officers knew they were acting illegally and made a willful decision to cause someone’s death.
Returning Thursday to the park in downtown Louisville that has been the hub for protesters, Reginique Jones said she’ll keep pressing for increased police accountability and for a statewide ban on “no knock” warrants — the kind issued in the Taylor case, though Cameron said the investigation showed police did announce themselves before entering.
“I believe that we are going to get past this,” Jones said. “We can still get some justice.”
Taylor’s family planned to weigh in at a news conference scheduled for Friday in the park that’s become known as Injustice Square.
Demonstrators kept gathering there Thursday, while others marched through downtown, where police in riot gear turned out in force as the nighttime curfew passed and crowds blocked some roads.
Officers blocked the exits of a church where protesters gathered to avoid arrest for violating the curfew. Several people were detained, including state Rep. Attica Scott, a Louisville Democrat. Police eventually pulled back and the demonstrators left.
Kenyatta Hicks said he’s encouraged by increasingly diverse crowds that have turned out to protest.
“Nobody should give up,” Hicks said.
Activists, celebrities and everyday Americans have called for charges against police since Taylor’s death. Along with George Floyd, a Black man killed by police in Minneapolis, Taylor’s name became a rallying cry during nationwide protests this summer that called out entrenched racism and demanded police reform.
The grand jury’s decision set off a new wave of protests nationwide, with people marching in cities like Philadelphia and Rochester, New York, on Thursday, a night after violence marred some demonstrations in cities like Seattle and Portland, Oregon.
Louisville’s mayor has instituted a curfew through the weekend, and Gov. Andy Beshear called up the National Guard for “limited missions.” Protesters streamed through the streets, where stopped cars honked and one man leaned out a sunroof, his fist in the air and shouted, “Black lives matter.”
Earlier, it got heated between some protesters and a group of 12 to 15 armed white people wearing military-style uniforms, but it didn’t turn physical.
Peaceful protests a night earlier gave way to fires set in garbage cans, damage to several vehicles and thefts at stores. Then, two officers were shot.
Larynzo D. Johnson, 26, was charged, and an arrest citation said police had video of him opening fire. Court records did not list a lawyer for Johnson, who was scheduled to be in court Friday.
The two officers were “doing well and will survive their injuries,” interim Police Chief Robert Schroeder said.
Maj. Aubrey Gregory was shot in the hip and has been released from the hospital. Officer Robinson Desroches was shot in the abdomen and underwent surgery.
Taylor’s case has exposed the wide gulf between public opinion on justice for those who kill Black Americans and the laws under which those officers are charged, which regularly favor police.
Since Taylor’s killing, Louisville has taken some steps to address protesters’ concerns. The officer who was eventually charged has been fired, and three others were put on desk duty. Officials have banned no-knock warrants and hired its first Black woman as the new permanent police chief.
Last week, the city agreed to more police reforms as part of a settlement that included a $12 million payment to Taylor’s family. But many have expressed frustration that more has not been done.
A grand jury returned three charges of wanton endangerment against Officer Brett Hankison that each carries a sentence of up to five years. The other officers involved weren’t charged.
Hankison’s attorney, David Leightty, did not return calls requesting comment. He previously said Hankison’s firing in June was a “cowardly political act.”
Trump told reporters Thursday that the case was a “sad thing.”
“I give my regards to the family of Breonna. I also think it’s so sad what’s happening with everything about that case, including law enforcement,” he said.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, called for policing reform.
In the Louisville square where protesters have repeatedly gathered, Rose Henderson has been looking after the flowers, signs and letters placed at a memorial there for Taylor and hopes officials won’t try to remove them.
“We’re going to stay out here and hold this place,” Henderson said.
___
Associated Press writers Rebecca Reynolds Yonker, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, Bruce Schreiner and John Minchillo in Louisville, Kentucky; Kevin Freking and Michael Balsamo in Washington; Aaron Morrison in New York; and Haleluya Hadero in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, contributed.
___
Hudsbeth Blackburn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.


mercurynews--2020-09-25--United to offer $250 coronavirus tests on flights to Hawaii

United Airlines Holdings will offer on-the-spot coronavirus testing to customers flying to Hawaii who are willing to pay $ 250 to avoid a two-week quarantine on arrival .
The carrier hopes the testing regimen can be expanded to help pave the way toward reigniting international travel , which collapsed during the pandemic because of customers ’ fears of catching the virus , and restrictions required by many countries for arriving visitors .
United is seizing on Hawaii ’ s decision to allow travelers to the state to sidestep a 14-day quarantine if they can show a negative test result within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the revised state rule on Oct. 15 , United has partnered with a clinic to provide on-site testing for Hawaii customers at its San Francisco hub airport .
The carrier hopes to expand the practice to other destinations .
“ We will learn from this , ” said Janet Lamkin , United ’ s president for California .
“ The goal is to grow this out of more places.
” She said United is seeing signs of “ pent-up demand ” for Hawaii trips , particularly among Californians .
United officials see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a potential template for creating new “ air travel corridors ” that will provide enough assurance to governments and fliers to restart international travel .
Other carriers with Hawaii-tourism business , including American Airlines , Alaska Air and Hawaiian , will probably need to provide on-site airport testing to stay competitive as Hawaii rebuilds its battered tourism industry , Lamkin said .
United will direct customers flying to Hawaii from San Francisco to GoHealth Urgent Care for a rapid on-site test at the airport , a service that will cost $ 250 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 15 minutes .
For those preferring to pay less , United will also refer flyers to Burlingame-based Color for an $ 80 self-collected test .
Color recommends travelers request its test — which must be ordered by a doctor — at least 10 days before the trip .
Customers return samples taken at home 72 hours before their flight via overnight mail or a dropbox at San Francisco airport .
Results are provided 24 to 48 hours later .
Travelers can also find their own provider for the virus screening , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tests sanctioned by the Hawaiian government .
Without a negative test , visitors to Hawaii must still quarantine upon arrival .
Violating the order can lead to a fine up to $ 5,000 and a year in jail .
Hawaii also has deployed 133 cameras at airports to detect people with a temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit ( 38 Celsius ) .
United uses the GoHealth testing site at the San Francisco airport for its international crews working flights to nations with specific Covid-19 entry requirements .
The carrier declined to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Pandemic : UN urges help for thousands of stranded mariners • House Democrats will take another swing at virus relief bill • Coronavirus : Uptick in cases among young people could spread to more vulnerable , CDC says Among U.S. carriers , United has traditionally flown the most capacity to Hawaii .
It ’ s betting that the new testing option will provide people weary of the pandemic restrictions a chance for a holiday trip to the tropics .
Next year , Chicago-based United is adding new nonstop flights from Chicago to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The airline plans to resume flights Oct. 15 to Lihue from San Francisco and provide more service to Maui and Kona .

By Justin Bachman | Bloomberg
United Airlines Holdings will offer on-the-spot coronavirus testing to customers flying to Hawaii who are willing to pay $250 to avoid a two-week quarantine on arrival.
The carrier hopes the testing regimen can be expanded to help pave the way toward reigniting international travel, which collapsed during the pandemic because of customers’ fears of catching the virus, and restrictions required by many countries for arriving visitors.
United is seizing on Hawaii’s decision to allow travelers to the state to sidestep a 14-day quarantine if they can show a negative test result within 72 hours. Coinciding with the start of the revised state rule on Oct. 15, United has partnered with a clinic to provide on-site testing for Hawaii customers at its San Francisco hub airport. The carrier hopes to expand the practice to other destinations.
“We will learn from this,” said Janet Lamkin, United’s president for California. “The goal is to grow this out of more places.” She said United is seeing signs of “pent-up demand” for Hawaii trips, particularly among Californians.
United officials see the virus screening service for Hawaii as a potential template for creating new “air travel corridors” that will provide enough assurance to governments and fliers to restart international travel.
Following suit
Other carriers with Hawaii-tourism business, including American Airlines, Alaska Air and Hawaiian, will probably need to provide on-site airport testing to stay competitive as Hawaii rebuilds its battered tourism industry, Lamkin said.
United will direct customers flying to Hawaii from San Francisco to GoHealth Urgent Care for a rapid on-site test at the airport, a service that will cost $250 or more and will provide a result within about 15 minutes.
For those preferring to pay less, United will also refer flyers to Burlingame-based Color for an $80 self-collected test. Color recommends travelers request its test — which must be ordered by a doctor — at least 10 days before the trip. Customers return samples taken at home 72 hours before their flight via overnight mail or a dropbox at San Francisco airport. Results are provided 24 to 48 hours later.
Travelers can also find their own provider for the virus screening, as long as it’s one of the tests sanctioned by the Hawaiian government.
Without a negative test, visitors to Hawaii must still quarantine upon arrival. Violating the order can lead to a fine up to $5,000 and a year in jail. Hawaii also has deployed 133 cameras at airports to detect people with a temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius).
United uses the GoHealth testing site at the San Francisco airport for its international crews working flights to nations with specific Covid-19 entry requirements. The carrier declined to say what it pays for employee tests.


mercurynews--2020-09-25--After months of delay, trial over rapper Lil G’s killing set to resume; contentious hearing sets thi

After months of delay, trial over rapper Lil G’s killing set to resume; contentious hearing sets things off

MARTINEZ — It has been six months since jurors heard testimony in the trial against three Bay Area men accused of setting up a popular Richmond-area rapper to be murdered , but a resumption is finally on the horizon .
On Tuesday , jurors are set to re-enter the AF Bray Courthouse to hear evidence concerning the guilt or innocence of Marcos Figueroa , 32 ; Jonathan “ Black ” Barrera , 31 ; and Gabriel Schroeder , 24 , who are charged with playing different roles in the killing of Rene Garcia , 25 , who rapped under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schroeder and Barrera are charged with personally gunning down Garcia in February 2012 , along with a third suspect , who was killed in Vallejo a year later .
Figueroa is charged with setting up Garcia , his longtime friend , to be robbed and shot .
The shooting occurred at Shields-Reid Park in North Richmond , an area claimed by the Sureño subset gang Varrio Frontera Locos , or VFL , which Schroeder and Barrera allegedly belong to .
Even before the coronavirus pandemic , the trial was setting up to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s history .
Pretrial motions and jury selection started in early 2019 , and witness testimony spanned several months .
There should still be at least two weeks of hearings before the jury is sent out to deliberate , attorneys in the case estimated .
The trial was paused back in February because of the pandemic-related court shutdown .
It was set to resume in June , but a series of issues — including Barrera ’ s attorney needing more time to arrange for two imprisoned defense witnesses to attend — halted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrera ’ s attorney , David Cohen , has clashed frequently with the prosecutor , deputy district attorney Chad Mahalich .
So it was altogether fitting that Thursday ’ s hearing pitted the two of them against each other for much of the time .
Cohen filed a motion to recuse Mahalich , calling him a “ rogue officer of the court ” and dealing in “ falsehoods , ” pointing to an unrelated merit board hearing where Mahalich is appealing a reprimand letter he received for refusing to take a plea deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mahalich said Cohen was engaging in an animosity-driven “ smear campaign ” and substituting emotional arguments for facts .
The dispute continued from there .
“ Are we going to ask ( the jury ) if they ’ re concerned of an earthquake in the near future ?
” Mahalich asked , sarcastically , after Cohen asked to question the jury about their sensitivity to smoke inhalation in anticipation of more wildfires .
Mahalich said Cohen was leading the court “ down a rabbit hole of nonsense ” in order to further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Richmond rapper Tay Way gunned down minutes after posting Instagram video that revealed his location • New Orleans pot trafficker known as ‘ Hitler ’ accused of ordering $ 5,000 hit to cover his tracks in Oakland murder • Two convicted of first degree murder in 2017 East Bay shooting • Bay Area man and woman charged with possible capital murder in I-80 shooting Judge Theresa Canepa sided with Mahalich , remarking that the court has “ been ready , willing , and able to proceed since May 26.
” But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point : Canepa will ask the jurors if the defendants wearing masks will influence them one way or another , and she will allow attorneys to make new opening statements , to refresh the jury ’ s recollection .
In another twist , no one but the family members of the victims or defendants will be allowed to attend court because COVID-19 precautions have drastically limited seating .
The proceedings will be livestreamed thoughout , Canepa said .

MARTINEZ — It has been six months since jurors heard testimony in the trial against three Bay Area men accused of setting up a popular Richmond-area rapper to be murdered, but a resumption is finally on the horizon.
On Tuesday, jurors are set to re-enter the AF Bray Courthouse to hear evidence concerning the guilt or innocence of Marcos Figueroa, 32; Jonathan “Black” Barrera, 31; and Gabriel Schroeder, 24, who are charged with playing different roles in the killing of Rene Garcia, 25, who rapped under the stage name Lil G the Great.
Schroeder and Barrera are charged with personally gunning down Garcia in February 2012, along with a third suspect, who was killed in Vallejo a year later. Figueroa is charged with setting up Garcia, his longtime friend, to be robbed and shot. The shooting occurred at Shields-Reid Park in North Richmond, an area claimed by the Sureño subset gang Varrio Frontera Locos, or VFL, which Schroeder and Barrera allegedly belong to.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the trial was setting up to be one of the longest in Contra Costa’s history. Pretrial motions and jury selection started in early 2019, and witness testimony spanned several months. There should still be at least two weeks of hearings before the jury is sent out to deliberate, attorneys in the case estimated.
The trial was paused back in March because of the pandemic-related court shutdown. It was set to resume in June, but a series of issues — including Barrera’s attorney needing more time to arrange for two imprisoned defense witnesses to attend — halted things even further.
Throughout trial, Barrera’s attorney, David Cohen, has clashed frequently with the prosecutor, deputy district attorney Chad Mahalich. So it was altogether fitting that Thursday’s hearing pitted the two of them against each other for much of the time.
Cohen filed a motion to recuse Mahalich, calling him a “rogue officer of the court” who deals in “falsehoods,” pointing to an unrelated merit board hearing where Mahalich is appealing a reprimand letter he received for refusing to take a plea deal in a juvenile murder case last year. Mahalich responded that Cohen was engaging in an animosity-driven “smear campaign” and substituting emotional arguments for facts.
The dispute continued from there.
“Are we going to ask (the jury) if they’re concerned of an earthquake in the near future?” Mahalich asked, sarcastically, after Cohen asked to question the jury about their sensitivity to smoke inhalation in anticipation of more wildfires. Mahalich said Cohen was leading the court “down a rabbit hole of nonsense” in order to further delay the case or force a mistrial.
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California woman sentenced to 26 years for fatal pruning shears attack on 2 neighbors Crime and Public Safety | During murder trial, California man claims that he accidentally strangled his girlfriend in 2018 Judge Theresa Canepa sided with Mahalich, remarking that the court has “been ready, willing, and able to proceed since May 26.” But she agreed with the defense on one point: Canepa will ask the jurors if the defendants wearing masks will influence them one way or another, and she will allow attorneys to make new opening statements, to refresh the jury’s recollection.
In another twist, no one but the family members of the victims or defendants will be allowed to attend court because COVID-19 precautions have drastically limited seating. The proceedings will be livestreamed thoughout, Canepa said.


mercurynews--2020-09-25--Trump, RNC robocalls make false claims about vote-by-mail

Robocalls sent by Trump surrogates Kimberly Guilfoyle and the President ’ s daughter-in-law Lara Trump are encouraging Republican voters to use absentee ballots to vote in November , calling them one of the “ best ways ” to support President Trump in November .
Both calls attempt to draw a false distinction between absentee voting and other forms of mail-in voting .
Guilfoyle ’ s call goes so far as to claim the “ radical left ” wants to “ confuse you ” on mail-in voting and that “ Democrats want to scare you away from voting absentee.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar but could not be more different , ” says Guilfoyle .
“ Absentee voting is safe , secure and supported by President Trump .
The radical left wants universal vote-by-mail , which is proven to be filled with fraud , abuse and mistakes.
” None of those assertions about vote-by-mail are true .
Trump ’ s daughter-in-law uses a similar script in her robocall , encouraging listeners to use the absentee ballot sent to voters from the Trump campaign , before accusing “ radical Democrats ” of playing politics during the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an anti-robocall protection app , the Lara Trump robocall , delivered via dozens of different phone numbers , was made 53.8 million times across the US in September alone .
The data shows that calls were focused on key battleground election states , including Ohio , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Florida .
A large number of calls were also made into Texas and Virginia .
Data for the Guilfoyle robocall was not immediately available .
Facts First : Both robocalls are littered with misinformation .
Experts say there is little difference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no evidence that voting by mail leads to widespread fraud and abuse .
It is also false to suggest that Democrats prefer universal voting-by-mail to absentee ballots .
Historically , only a handful of states have used a universal mail-in ballot system to vote .
But this year , nine states , plus the District of Columbia , are automatically sending mail-in ballots to every registered voter because of the coronavirus pandemic .
An additional 36 states will allow any voter to request a ballot to vote by mail without providing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must still provide an acceptable excuse other than the pandemic , in order to vote by mail .
A spokesperson for the Republican National Committee defended the robocalls and falsely said that Democrats wanted to implement widespread mail voting with no safeguards .
“ The point of this call — which was reiterated throughout — is to encourage voters to vote through the proper absentee process ‘ safely and securely ’ , while continuing to warn against Democrats ’ attempt to overhaul our elections systems and implement widespread vote by mail with no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary Mandi Merritt .
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment .
While rare instances of voter fraud from mail-in ballots have been documented , it is nowhere near a widespread problem .
Oregon , one of a handful of states to adopt universal vote-by-mail before the pandemic and a pioneer for mail-in voting , has sent out more than 100 million mail-in ballots in the past 20 years .
The state has only a dozen documented cases of fraud .
Democratic officials are encouraging voters to use absentee or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Guilfoyle ’ s claim that Democrats want to scare voters away from absentee ballots “ because it is one of the best ways you can help President Trump win in November ” is false .
There is no evidence that voting by mail has an advantage for either Democrats or Republicans .

By Em Steck and Andrew Kaczynski | CNN
Robocalls sent by Trump surrogates Kimberly Guilfoyle and the President’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump are encouraging Republican voters to use absentee ballots to vote in November, calling them one of the “best ways” to support President Trump in November.
Both calls attempt to draw a false distinction between absentee voting and other forms of mail-in voting. Guilfoyle’s call goes so far as to claim the “radical left” wants to “confuse you” on mail-in voting and that “Democrats want to scare you away from voting absentee.”
“Absentee voting and universal vote-by-mail may sound similar but could not be more different,” says Guilfoyle. “Absentee voting is safe, secure and supported by President Trump. The radical left wants universal vote-by-mail, which is proven to be filled with fraud, abuse and mistakes.”
None of those assertions about vote-by-mail are true.
Trump’s daughter-in-law uses a similar script in her robocall, encouraging listeners to use the absentee ballot sent to voters from the Trump campaign, before accusing “radical Democrats” of playing politics during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to data from NoMoRobo, an anti-robocall protection app, the Lara Trump robocall, delivered via dozens of different phone numbers, was made 53.8 million times across the US in September alone.
The data shows that calls were focused on key battleground election states, including Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Florida. A large number of calls were also made into Texas and Virginia.
Data for the Guilfoyle robocall was not immediately available.
Facts First: Both robocalls are littered with misinformation. Experts say there is little difference between absentee ballots and voting-by-mail. There is no evidence that voting by mail leads to widespread fraud and abuse. It is also false to suggest that Democrats prefer universal voting-by-mail to absentee ballots.
Historically, only a handful of states have used a universal mail-in ballot system to vote. But this year, nine states, plus the District of Columbia, are automatically sending mail-in ballots to every registered voter because of the coronavirus pandemic. An additional 36 states will allow any voter to request a ballot to vote by mail without providing an excuse. In five states, voters must still provide an acceptable excuse other than the pandemic, in order to vote by mail.
A spokesperson for the Republican National Committee defended the robocalls and falsely said that Democrats wanted to implement widespread mail voting with no safeguards.
“The point of this call — which was reiterated throughout — is to encourage voters to vote through the proper absentee process ‘safely and securely’, while continuing to warn against Democrats’ attempt to overhaul our elections systems and implement widespread vote by mail with no safeguards,” said RNC National Press Secretary Mandi Merritt.
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
Rare instances of voter fraud
While rare instances of voter fraud from mail-in ballots have been documented, it is nowhere near a widespread problem.
Oregon, one of a handful of states to adopt universal vote-by-mail before the pandemic and a pioneer for mail-in voting, has sent out more than 100 million mail-in ballots in the past 20 years. The state has only a dozen documented cases of fraud.
Absentee vs universal mail-in
Democratic officials are encouraging voters to use absentee or mail-in ballots (as are Republican officials).
Guilfoyle’s claim that Democrats want to scare voters away from absentee ballots “because it is one of the best ways you can help President Trump win in November” is false. There is no evidence that voting by mail has an advantage for either Democrats or Republicans.


mercurynews--2020-09-25--Feds execute Black man for 1999 slayings in Texas

TERRE HAUTE , Ind .
— A man who killed a religious couple visiting Texas from Iowa was executed Thursday , the first Black inmate put to death as part of the Trump administration ’ s resumption of federal executions .
Christopher Vialva , 40 , was pronounced dead shortly before 7 p.m. EDT after receiving a lethal injection at the federal prison in Terre Haute , Indiana .
In a last statement , Vialva asked God to comfort the families of the couple he had killed , saying , “ Father … heal their hearts with grace and love.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m ready , Father.
” There was some confusion within the Bureau of Prisons about the official time of death .
Inside the chamber , the time of death was announced as 6:42 p.m. , but the agency later said the official time of death was actually 6:46 p.m .
He was 19 years old in 1999 when he shot Todd and Stacie Bagley and burned them in the trunk of their car .
Vialva ’ s lawyer , Susan Otto , has said race played a role in landing her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White couple .
Vialva was the seventh federal execution since July and the second this week .
Five of the first six were White , a move critics argue was a political calculation to avoid uproar .
The sixth was Navajo .
“ I believe when someone deliberately takes the life of another , they suffer the consequences for their actions , ” Todd Bagley ’ s mother , Georgia , wrote in a statement released after the execution .
In the video statement released his lawyers released Thursday , Vialva expressed regret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he was a changed man .
“ I committed a grave wrong when I was a lost kid and took two precious lives from this world , ” he said .
“ Every day , I wish I could right this wrong.
” Vialva ’ s mother , Lisa Brown , spoke at an anti-death penalty rally Thursday morning across from the prison where her son was later put to death .
“ This is the first venue I ’ ve had in which I could say to Todd and Stacie ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for your loss , ” said Brown , who was expected to witness her son ’ s execution .
“ Christopher ’ s mother had the opportunity to visit him for the past 21 years , ” she wrote .
“ We have had to wait for 21 years for justice and closure .
We can not be with our children for visits or to see them on holidays .
We were denied that privilige , ” Bagley ’ s mother wrote .
Federal authorities executed just three prisoners in the previous 56 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump of restarting them to help stake a claim as the law-and-order candidate .
Otto said one Black juror and 11 White jurors recommended the death sentence in 2000 after prosecutors told them Vialva led a Black gang faction in Killeen , Texas , and killed to boost his gang status .
That claim , Otto said , was false and only served to conjure up menacing stereotypes .
“ It played right into the narrative that he was a dangerous Black thug who killed these lovely White people .
And they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent phone interview .
According to court filings , the Bagleys were on their way home from a Sunday worship service during a visit to Texas when Vialva and his teenage accomplices asked them for a lift after they stopped at a convenience store — planning all along to rob the couple .
After the Bagleys agreed and began driving away , Vialva pulled out a gun and told the couple : “ Plans have changed.
” After stealing their money , jewelry and ATM card , the teens locked the Bagleys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they drove around for hours trying to withdraw money from ATMs and seeking to pawn Stacie Bagley ’ s wedding ring .
The Bagleys pleaded for their lives from the trunk .
The teens eventually pulled to the side of the road and poured lighter fluid inside the car .
As they did , the Bagleys sang “ Jesus loves us ” in the trunk .
Vialva , the oldest of the group , donned a ski mask , opened the trunk and shot the Bagleys in the head .
Stacie Bagley , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alive as flames engulfed the car .
Questions about racial bias in the criminal justice system have been front and center since protests erupted across the country following the death of George Floyd after a White Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on the handcuffed Black man ’ s neck for several minutes .
A report this month by the Washington , D.C.-based Death Penalty Information Center said Black people remain overrepresented on death rows and that Black people who kill White people are far more likely to be sentenced to death than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • What happens next in the Scott Peterson case after his death sentence was overturned ?
Of the 56 inmates currently on federal death row , 26 — or nearly 50 % — are Black , according to center data updated Wednesday ; 22 , or nearly 40 % , are White and seven , around 12 % were Latino .
There is one Asian on federal death row .
Black people make up only about 13 % of the population .
Otto said Vialva ’ s lawyers during the trial , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t appear to raise objections about the racial composition of the jury or the characterization of Vialva as a Black gang leader .
That effectively barred subsequent lawyers from raising the issue of racial bias in higher court appeals .
His current legal team instead stressed Vialva ’ s level of mental development at the time of the killings .
Otto said that Vialva was , developmentally , three or four years younger than his 19 years at the time of the killings and so for practical purposes was a juvenile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law doesn ’ t allow for judges to deem someone facing a possible death sentence to be technically a juvenile and therefore ineligible for the death penalty , something she says should change .

By Michael Tarm | Associated Press
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — A man who killed a religious couple visiting Texas from Iowa was executed Thursday, the first Black inmate put to death as part of the Trump administration’s resumption of federal executions.
Christopher Vialva, 40, was pronounced dead shortly before 7 p.m. EDT after receiving a lethal injection at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.
In a last statement, Vialva asked God to comfort the families of the couple he had killed, saying, “Father … heal their hearts with grace and love.” His final words were: “I’m ready, Father.”
There was some confusion within the Bureau of Prisons about the official time of death. Inside the chamber, the time of death was announced as 6:42 p.m., but the agency later said the official time of death was actually 6:46 p.m.
He was 19 years old in 1999 when he shot Todd and Stacie Bagley and burned them in the trunk of their car. Vialva’s lawyer, Susan Otto, has said race played a role in landing her client on death row for slaying the White couple.
Vialva was the seventh federal execution since July and the second this week. Five of the first six were White, a move critics argue was a political calculation to avoid uproar. The sixth was Navajo.
“I believe when someone deliberately takes the life of another, they suffer the consequences for their actions,” Todd Bagley’s mother, Georgia, wrote in a statement released after the execution.
In the video statement released his lawyers released Thursday, Vialva expressed regret for what he’d done and said he was a changed man.
“I committed a grave wrong when I was a lost kid and took two precious lives from this world,” he said. “Every day, I wish I could right this wrong.”
Vialva’s mother, Lisa Brown, spoke at an anti-death penalty rally Thursday morning across from the prison where her son was later put to death.
“This is the first venue I’ve had in which I could say to Todd and Stacie’s family, I am so sorry for your loss,” said Brown, who was expected to witness her son’s execution.
“Christopher’s mother had the opportunity to visit him for the past 21 years,” she wrote. “We have had to wait for 21 years for justice and closure. We cannot be with our children for visits or to see them on holidays. We were denied that privilige,” Bagley’s mother wrote.
Federal authorities executed just three prisoners in the previous 56 years. Death penalty foes accuse President Donald Trump of restarting them to help stake a claim as the law-and-order candidate.
Otto said one Black juror and 11 White jurors recommended the death sentence in 2000 after prosecutors told them Vialva led a Black gang faction in Killeen, Texas, and killed to boost his gang status. That claim, Otto said, was false and only served to conjure up menacing stereotypes.
“It played right into the narrative that he was a dangerous Black thug who killed these lovely White people. And they were lovely,” Otto said in a recent phone interview.
According to court filings, the Bagleys were on their way home from a Sunday worship service during a visit to Texas when Vialva and his teenage accomplices asked them for a lift after they stopped at a convenience store — planning all along to rob the couple. After the Bagleys agreed and began driving away, Vialva pulled out a gun and told the couple: “Plans have changed.”
After stealing their money, jewelry and ATM card, the teens locked the Bagleys in the trunk of their car as they drove around for hours trying to withdraw money from ATMs and seeking to pawn Stacie Bagley’s wedding ring. The Bagleys pleaded for their lives from the trunk.
The teens eventually pulled to the side of the road and poured lighter fluid inside the car. As they did, the Bagleys sang “Jesus loves us” in the trunk. Vialva, the oldest of the group, donned a ski mask, opened the trunk and shot the Bagleys in the head. Stacie Bagley, prosecutors said at trial, was still alive as flames engulfed the car.
Questions about racial bias in the criminal justice system have been front and center since protests erupted across the country following the death of George Floyd after a White Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on the handcuffed Black man’s neck for several minutes.
A report this month by the Washington, D.C.-based Death Penalty Information Center said Black people remain overrepresented on death rows and that Black people who kill White people are far more likely to be sentenced to death than White people who kill Black people.
Of the 56 inmates currently on federal death row, 26 — or nearly 50% — are Black, according to center data updated Wednesday; 22, or nearly 40%, are White and seven, around 12% were Latino. There is one Asian on federal death row. Black people make up only about 13% of the population.
Otto said Vialva’s lawyers during the trial, the sentencing phase and in an initial appeal didn’t appear to raise objections about the racial composition of the jury or the characterization of Vialva as a Black gang leader. That effectively barred subsequent lawyers from raising the issue of racial bias in higher court appeals.
His current legal team instead stressed Vialva’s level of mental development at the time of the killings. Otto said that Vialva was, developmentally, three or four years younger than his 19 years at the time of the killings and so for practical purposes was a juvenile at the time.
Otto says U.S. law doesn’t allow for judges to deem someone facing a possible death sentence to be technically a juvenile and therefore ineligible for the death penalty, something she says should change.


mercurynews--2020-09-24--Giants blow early lead, lose extra-inning game to Rockies as wild card chaos continues

SAN FRANCISCO — For all the entertainment and excitement the San Francisco Giants have provided cardboard cut-outs and television viewers this season , the 2020 club has suffered no shortage of gut-wrenching and heartbreaking losses .
The Giants watched reliever Trevor Gott blow three consecutive save opportunities in August , saw their former center fielder , Kevin Pillar , crush their hopes with a go-ahead triple in Colorado at the beginning of September and squandered a chance at a comeback victory over Arizona the same week when rookie center fielder Mauricio Dubón committed a terrible baserunning mistake .
The Giants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discouraging losses put them in control of their own playoff destiny with four days left in the regular season , which is precisely why a 5-4 , 11-inning defeat against the Colorado Rockies is so crushing .
“ We had some opportunities early in that game to blow it open , to deliver a knockout punch and we weren ’ t able to do it , ” manager Gabe Kapler said .
“ I think that ’ s the most important story from the game to me personally.
” Armed with a chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Diego Padres with a lead in the National League wild-card standings , the Giants squandered an early 3-0 lead in a loss that will jeopardize the team ’ s playoff hopes .
First baseman Brandon Belt rescued the team from a 4-3 deficit with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth , but the Giants ’ lineup failed to take advantage of a bases loaded , one-out situation in the 10th and another opportunity to tie the game in the 11th .
With Mauricio Dubón standing on third and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 11th inning , designated hitter Austin Slater bounced into a game-ending 5-4-3 double play that dropped the Giants back to .500 with four games to go .
“ That ’ s definitely a tough loss right there , ” Belt said .
“ Especially thinking we had that one in the bag .
We let up a little bit too early .
We needed to keep pushing , and we ended up paying for it.
” The Giants had an opportunity to put the Rockies away in the 10th inning after Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ walks and employed a five-man infield , but third baseman Evan Longoria hit a 104.0-mile per hour one-hopper right into the glove of a diving shortstop Trevor Story , who fired a strike to home plate for a forceout while sitting on the cut of the infield dirt .
Colorado didn ’ t need a base hit to score a runner from second in the 11th as a sacrifice fly and groundout did the job against reliever Trevor Cahill , but the Giants couldn ’ t match the Rockies with right-hander Jairo Díaz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took an early 3-0 lead , the Rockies rallied for two runs in the fourth against Giants starter Kevin Gausman and two more in the seventh against reliever Sam Coonrod to stun San Francisco en route to a painful series split .
“ I think the way we ’ ve been playing here , we were hoping to come in and continue that and to get an even series .
It ’ s a little bit disappointing because we feel like we ’ re the better team , ” Belt said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can do about it now.
” At 28-28 , the Giants will end the day either in sole possession of the second wild-card spot or tied with the Milwaukee Brewers , but Kapler ’ s club now faces a tougher road to the postseason as it must pad its win total against a Padres club that has already locked up the fourth seed in the playoffs .
It doesn ’ t bode well for the club that the Giants are 1-5 against the Padres this season , 0-4 in doubleheader games , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innings on Friday a day after playing 11 against the Rockies .
Gausman struck out nine over six innings , recording his second consecutive quality start and holding an opponent to two runs or fewer in his fourth straight outing .
The veteran right-hander lowered his ERA to 3.68 and isn ’ t scheduled to start again during the regular season , but it ’ s possible the Giants would make him available out of the bullpen on Saturday or Sunday if the team is still trying to lock up a playoff berth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend , he has clearly established himself as the Giants ’ top option to start a playoff series and would be in line to pitch in Game 1 of a first-round matchup next Wednesday if the club makes it that far .
“ Every game right now is important .
We want to win every game , and that was a tough loss , ” Gausman said .
“ We don ’ t really have the luxury of sitting around and feeling bad for ourselves .
We ’ ve got a doubleheader tomorrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can win both of those games , that would be huge .
We ’ ll just try to forget about it.
” The Giants will try to outlast several other wild-card contenders including the Brewers , Phillies and Reds , but the road was made more difficult by the lineup ’ s struggles to break the game wide open against Rockies starter Chi Chi González on Thursday .
Six of the first 10 Giants batters recorded hits , but the team only scored three runs in the first two innings as second baseman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plate trying to score on a fielder ’ s choice in the first before he struck out with runners at second and third and just one out in the second .
After three early runs , Belt ’ s home run was the only run the Giants run over the final nine innings .
“ We needed to deliver that blow , ” Kapler reiterated .
“ That said , and this is also important to me , I thought our guys did a great job of fighting through that game .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve been seeing .
A resilient nature to that group .
”

SAN FRANCISCO — For all the entertainment and excitement the San Francisco Giants have provided cardboard cut-outs and television viewers this season, the 2020 club has suffered no shortage of gut-wrenching and heartbreaking losses.
The Giants watched reliever Trevor Gott blow three consecutive save opportunities in August, saw their former center fielder, Kevin Pillar, crush their hopes with a go-ahead triple in Colorado at the beginning of September and squandered a chance at a comeback victory over Arizona the same week when rookie center fielder Mauricio Dubón committed a terrible baserunning mistake.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: San Francisco Giants' Alex Dickerson (12) collides with Colorado Rockies' Tony Wolters (14) after being tagged out in the tenth inning of their baseball game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. The Rockies went on to win the game 5-4. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: San Francisco Giants' Brandon Crawford (35) gets the force out on Colorado Rockies' Tony Wolters (14) as Crawford tries to turn a double play in the third inning of their baseball game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. The Rockies went on to win the game 5-4. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: San Francisco Giants' Brandon Belt (9) is congratulated by San Francisco Giants Third Base Coach Ron Wotus (23) after Belt hit a solo home run tying the game in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: San Francisco Giants pitcher Trevor Cahill (53) delivers a pitch in the tenth inning of their baseball game against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: San Francisco Giants' Austin Slater (13) walks off the field as the Colorado Rockies celebrate their eleventh inning 5-4 win at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: San Francisco Giants' Wilmer Flores (41) hits a single scoring Austin Slater in the first inning of their baseball game against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: San Francisco Giants' Wilmer Flores (41) is tagged out by Colorado Rockies catcher Tony Wolters (14) in the first inning of their baseball game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: San Francisco Giants pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) delivers a pitch in the first inning of their baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: Colorado Rockies' Trevor Story (27) makes the late tag as San Francisco Giants' Alex Dickerson (12) slides into second base safe on a double in the first inning of their baseball game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
The Giants’ ability to bounce back from such discouraging losses put them in control of their own playoff destiny with four days left in the regular season, which is precisely why a 5-4, 11-inning defeat against the Colorado Rockies is so crushing.
“We had some opportunities early in that game to blow it open, to deliver a knockout punch and we weren’t able to do it,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “I think that’s the most important story from the game to me personally.”
Armed with a chance to enter a four-game series against the San Diego Padres with a lead in the National League wild-card standings, the Giants squandered an early 3-0 lead in a loss that will jeopardize the team’s playoff hopes. First baseman Brandon Belt rescued the team from a 4-3 deficit with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth, but the Giants’ lineup failed to take advantage of a bases loaded, one-out situation in the 10th and another opportunity to tie the game in the 11th.
With Mauricio Dubón standing on third and Darin Ruf at first in bottom of the 11th inning, designated hitter Austin Slater bounced into a game-ending 5-4-3 double play that dropped the Giants back to .500 with four games to go.
“That’s definitely a tough loss right there,” Belt said. “Especially thinking we had that one in the bag. We let up a little bit too early. We needed to keep pushing, and we ended up paying for it.”
The Giants had an opportunity to put the Rockies away in the 10th inning after Colorado manager Bud Black called for back-to-back intentional walks and employed a five-man infield, but third baseman Evan Longoria hit a 104.0-mile per hour one-hopper right into the glove of a diving shortstop Trevor Story, who fired a strike to home plate for a forceout while sitting on the cut of the infield dirt.
Colorado didn’t need a base hit to score a runner from second in the 11th as a sacrifice fly and groundout did the job against reliever Trevor Cahill, but the Giants couldn’t match the Rockies with right-hander Jairo Díaz on the mound.
After the Giants took an early 3-0 lead, the Rockies rallied for two runs in the fourth against Giants starter Kevin Gausman and two more in the seventh against reliever Sam Coonrod to stun San Francisco en route to a painful series split.
“I think the way we’ve been playing here, we were hoping to come in and continue that and to get an even series. It’s a little bit disappointing because we feel like we’re the better team,” Belt said. “But there’s not much we can do about it now.”
At 28-28, the Giants will end the day either in sole possession of the second wild-card spot or tied with the Milwaukee Brewers, but Kapler’s club now faces a tougher road to the postseason as it must pad its win total against a Padres club that has already locked up the fourth seed in the playoffs.
It doesn’t bode well for the club that the Giants are 1-5 against the Padres this season, 0-4 in doubleheader games, and will need to cover at least 14 innings on Friday a day after playing 11 against the Rockies.
Gausman struck out nine over six innings, recording his second consecutive quality start and holding an opponent to two runs or fewer in his fourth straight outing. The veteran right-hander lowered his ERA to 3.68 and isn’t scheduled to start again during the regular season, but it’s possible the Giants would make him available out of the bullpen on Saturday or Sunday if the team is still trying to lock up a playoff berth.
Regardless of whether Gausman pitches this weekend, he has clearly established himself as the Giants’ top option to start a playoff series and would be in line to pitch in Game 1 of a first-round matchup next Wednesday if the club makes it that far.
“Every game right now is important. We want to win every game, and that was a tough loss,” Gausman said. “We don’t really have the luxury of sitting around and feeling bad for ourselves. We’ve got a doubleheader tomorrow against the Padres, and if we can win both of those games, that would be huge. We’ll just try to forget about it.”
The Giants will try to outlast several other wild-card contenders including the Brewers, Phillies and Reds, but the road was made more difficult by the lineup’s struggles to break the game wide open against Rockies starter Chi Chi González on Thursday.
Six of the first 10 Giants batters recorded hits, but the team only scored three runs in the first two innings as second baseman Wilmer Flores was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a fielder’s choice in the first before he struck out with runners at second and third and just one out in the second. After three early runs, Belt’s home run was the only run the Giants run over the final nine innings.
“We needed to deliver that blow,” Kapler reiterated. “That said, and this is also important to me, I thought our guys did a great job of fighting through that game. There was a lot of continual tenacity that we’ve been seeing. A resilient nature to that group.”


mercurynews--2020-09-24--Oakland A’s senior adviser Sandy Alderson expected to be named New York Mets team president

Oakland A ’ s senior adviser Sandy Alderson will return to the New York Mets as team president if Steve Cohen ’ s purchase of the club is approved by Major League Baseball owners .
The 72-year-old Alderson joined the A ’ s organization in 1981 and was general manager from 1983 to 1997 .
He was the Mets ’ general manager from 2010-18 and stepped down after being diagnosed with cancer .
“ If I am fortunate enough to be approved by Major League Baseball as the next owner of this iconic franchise , Sandy Alderson will become president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oversee all Mets baseball and business operations , ” Cohen said Thursday in a statement reported by the New York Post .
“ Sandy is an accomplished and respected baseball executive who shares my philosophy of building an organization and a team the right way .
I am excited to have Sandy in a key leadership role with the Mets if my purchase of the team is approved , ” Cohen said .
Former player agent Brodie Van Wagenen replaced Alderson as general manager and has overseen two losing seasons .
Van Wagenen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is uncertain .
“ I ’ ve always had great respect for Sandy , and as I ’ ve said in the past , look forward to having more conversations with the incoming ownership group as the process unfolds , ” Van Wagenen said in a statement .

Oakland A’s senior adviser Sandy Alderson will return to the New York Mets as team president if Steve Cohen’s purchase of the club is approved by Major League Baseball owners.
The 72-year-old Alderson joined the A’s organization in 1981 and was general manager from 1983 to 1997. He was the Mets’ general manager from 2010-18 and stepped down after being diagnosed with cancer.
“If I am fortunate enough to be approved by Major League Baseball as the next owner of this iconic franchise, Sandy Alderson will become president of the New York Mets and will oversee all Mets baseball and business operations,” Cohen said Thursday in a statement reported by the New York Post.
“Sandy is an accomplished and respected baseball executive who shares my philosophy of building an organization and a team the right way. I am excited to have Sandy in a key leadership role with the Mets if my purchase of the team is approved,” Cohen said.
Former player agent Brodie Van Wagenen replaced Alderson as general manager and has overseen two losing seasons. Van Wagenen’s future with Cohen in charge is uncertain.
“I’ve always had great respect for Sandy, and as I’ve said in the past, look forward to having more conversations with the incoming ownership group as the process unfolds,” Van Wagenen said in a statement.