mercurynews--2020-08-28--Golden Gate Bridge suicide barrier delays add $23 million to cost

The yearslong delay to the Golden Gate Bridge suicide barrier project is expected to increase project costs by $ 23 million .
The board of the Golden Gate Bridge , Highway and Transportation District is set to decide on Friday whether to approve a $ 2 million allocation of reserve funding to cover staffing and administrative costs caused by the delay through the end of the year .
“ The contractor building the suicide deterrent net is behind schedule , so we are incurring additional costs for staff time , ” said Ewa Bauer-Furbush , bridge district chief engineer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incredibly disappointed that the project has been delayed and are doing everything we can to move construction forward.
” Originally set for completion in January , the $ 211 million bridge suicide barrier is now set to be completed on Jan. 12 , 2023 , because of delays announced in late 2019 .
The district estimates that the delays through the end of the project will add $ 23.2 million in administrative and consulting costs .
The suicide barrier also requires the replacement of the bridge ’ s maintenance traveler systems that run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bridge for inspections and repairs .
That portion of the project is expected to be completed in April 2024 , more than three years after the original January 2021 date , according to the district .
The delay to the traveler replacement portion of the project is not expected to affect the maintenance of the bridge , according to the district .
However , inspections will need to be performed through different access points .
The district awarded a $ 142 million construction contract in 2017 to Shimmick Construction in a joint venture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Construction Co. A few months after the contract was awarded , Shimmick Construction was acquired by the multi-national engineering firm AECOM .
Bridge district officials said the AECOM acquisition and other factors led to unexpected delays and misleading assurances of project completion .
The contractors contend the district asked them to do work outside of the project scope and that it has not properly administered the contract .
The contractors say the district directed them to apply standards that are inconsistent with state law that increased costs and delayed the project .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to working with our client to ensure the successful delivery of this important project , ” spokesman John Gallagher wrote in a statement .
“ It was prepared to accelerate the construction of the suicide deterrent and prevention barriers , but the District formally declined to do so .
“ The District has directed the Shimmick-Danny ’ s Joint Venture to perform work outside the requirements of the original contract that has caused delays and increased costs that are currently the subject of a contract dispute.
” Bauer-Furbush told two bridge district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims have “ no merit.
” “ The construction delays were caused through no fault of the district , and we are looking at options for recovering some of the additional cost , ” she said after the meeting .
Paul Muller , president of the suicide prevention nonprofit the Bridge Rail Foundation , said advocates of the barrier including families who have lost loved ones to suicide are disheartened by the delay .
“ Each month of delay costs lives , ” he said .
“ That ’ s the horrible truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marin ’ s suicide prevention and crisis hotline is 415-499-1100 .
Grief counseling is available at 415-499-1195 .

The yearslong delay to the Golden Gate Bridge suicide barrier project is expected to increase project costs by $23 million.
The board of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District is set to decide on Friday whether to approve a $2 million allocation of reserve funding to cover staffing and administrative costs caused by the delay through the end of the year.
“The contractor building the suicide deterrent net is behind schedule, so we are incurring additional costs for staff time,” said Ewa Bauer-Furbush, bridge district chief engineer, on Thursday. “We’re incredibly disappointed that the project has been delayed and are doing everything we can to move construction forward.”
Originally set for completion in January, the $211 million bridge suicide barrier is now set to be completed on Jan. 12, 2023, because of delays announced in late 2019. The district estimates that the delays through the end of the project will add $23.2 million in administrative and consulting costs.
The suicide barrier also requires the replacement of the bridge’s maintenance traveler systems that run along the sides and underside of the bridge for inspections and repairs. That portion of the project is expected to be completed in April 2024, more than three years after the original January 2021 date, according to the district.
The delay to the traveler replacement portion of the project is not expected to affect the maintenance of the bridge, according to the district. However, inspections will need to be performed through different access points.
The district awarded a $142 million construction contract in 2017 to Shimmick Construction in a joint venture with the San Francisco-based Danny’s Construction Co. A few months after the contract was awarded, Shimmick Construction was acquired by the multi-national engineering firm AECOM.
Bridge district officials said the AECOM acquisition and other factors led to unexpected delays and misleading assurances of project completion.
The contractors contend the district asked them to do work outside of the project scope and that it has not properly administered the contract. The contractors say the district directed them to apply standards that are inconsistent with state law that increased costs and delayed the project.
“The Shimmick-Danny’s Joint Venture is committed to working with our client to ensure the successful delivery of this important project,” spokesman John Gallagher wrote in a statement. “It was prepared to accelerate the construction of the suicide deterrent and prevention barriers, but the District formally declined to do so.
“The District has directed the Shimmick-Danny’s Joint Venture to perform work outside the requirements of the original contract that has caused delays and increased costs that are currently the subject of a contract dispute.”
Bauer-Furbush told two bridge district committees on Thursday that the contractors’ claims have “no merit.”
“The construction delays were caused through no fault of the district, and we are looking at options for recovering some of the additional cost,” she said after the meeting.
Paul Muller, president of the suicide prevention nonprofit the Bridge Rail Foundation, said advocates of the barrier including families who have lost loved ones to suicide are disheartened by the delay.
“Each month of delay costs lives,” he said. “That’s the horrible truth of all of this.”
Resources: Marin’s suicide prevention and crisis hotline is 415-499-1100. Grief counseling is available at 415-499-1195.


mercurynews--2020-08-29--Man executed for killing Kansas girl, 10, in 1999

By Michael Tarm and Jim Salter | Associated Press TERRE HAUTE , Ind .
— A Kansas girl ’ s killer Friday became the fifth federal inmate put to death this year , an execution that went forward only after a higher court tossed a ruling that would have required the government to get a prescription for the drug used to kill him .
Questions about whether the drug pentobarbital causes pain prior to death had been a focus of appeals for Keith Nelson , 45 , the second inmate executed this week in the Trump administration ’ s resumption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17-year hiatus .
Nelson , who displayed no outward signs of pain or distress during the execution , was pronounced dead at a federal prison in Terre Haute , Indiana , at 4:32 p.m. EDT — about nine minutes after the execution began .
There was silence from Nelson when a prison official looming over him asked if he had any last words to witnesses behind the execution-chamber glass .
Those observers included the mother of 10-year-old Pamela Butler .
who Nelson raped and strangled with a wire 21 years ago .
Nelson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grunt or shake his head no .
After the official waited for about 15 seconds , his eyes fixed on Nelson waiting in vain for any sign of an answer , he turned away and began the execution procedure .
Nelson didn ’ t appear to deliberately move a muscle or turn his head toward the family witness room , where Pamela ’ s mom wore a T-shirt emblazoned with her daughter ’ s picture .
Angel wings jutted out from behind Pamela ’ s image .
But earlier , before curtains opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Nelson ’ s spiritual adviser , Sister Barbara Battista , was allowed to walk up and stand two feet from the gurney , lean in and hear his last words , she told The Associated Press later .
“ He said he wanted me to tell his lawyers he didn ’ t have to wear an adult diaper during the execution .
He was glad about that , ” she said .
“ He ’ d also told me ( days ) earlier he didn ’ t want to be forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Battista , who stayed in the chamber as Nelson was put to death , standing farther away , said her interpretation of his silence during the public portion was that he was afraid if he said anything , he might then say something inappropriate .
Battista , a longtime anti-death penalty activist , said she made a point of addressing Nelson by his first name in his last minutes alive .
“ He wanted someone there who would call him ‘ Keith ’ rather than ‘ Inmate Nelson , ' ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obscured from witnesses behind a medical mask , remained still even as the lethal dose of pentobarbital was delivered .
None of his limbs twitched or quivered , though his his chest and midsection briefly heaved and shuddered involuntarily .
The relative stillness and quiet was a contrast to the scene on on Oct. 12 , 1999 , as Nelson grabbed Pamela off the street and threw her into his truck .
As Pamela screamed , one of her sisters who saw her abducted began screaming , too .
Pamela had been returning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home on inline skates after buying cookies .
As he drove off with her , he made a rude gesture to her sister as she screamed .
He later raped the fifth-grader and strangled her with a wire .
Pamela ’ s mom , Cherri West , said she didn ’ t expect Nelson to express remorse .
She said , if anything , she thought he might curse at her and her family as he had done during criminal proceedings .
“ I wasn ’ t expecting him to say anything because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ I have no remorse for him.
” Nelson showed no remorse during a sentencing hearing statement and instead “ blistered the district court and the victim ’ s family with a profanity laden tirade , ” the 8th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals noted in one ruling .
After he was declared dead and curtains were again drawn across the windows , Battista was allowed to say a prayer over , touch and anoint Nelson ’ s body , she said .
Nelson ’ s attorneys , Dale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement Friday that they had come to know him as someone other than a killer , that they “ saw his humanity , his compassion , and his sense of humor.
” “ The execution of Keith Nelson did not make the world a safer place , ” they said .
A flurry of filings by Nelson ’ s legal team over several weeks zeroed in on pentobarbital , which depresses the central nervous system and , in high doses , eventually stops the heart .
In one filing in early August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unofficial autopsy on one inmate executed last month , William Purkey , saying it indicated evidence of pulmonary edema in which the lungs fill with fluid and causes a painful sensation akin to drowning .
The federal government has defended the use of pentobarbital , disputing that Purkey ’ s autopsy proved he suffered .
They have also cited Supreme Court ruling precedent that an execution method isn ’ t necessarily cruel and unusual just because it causes some pain .
In her overturned ruling , U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan halted Nelson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws regulating drugs require the prescriptions , even for executions .
Within hours , an appellate panel tossed her ruling .
Nelson ’ s crime was horrific by any measure .
Nelson , who didn ’ t previously know Butler or her family , told a co-worker a month earlier he planned to find a female to kidnap , torture , rape and kill because he expected to go back to prison anyway on other charges , prosecutors said .
After killing Butler , he dumped her body in a wooded area near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday of Lezmond Mitchell — the only Native American on federal death row — the federal government under President Donald Trump registered more executions in 2020 than it had in the previous 56 years combined .
The executions of Nelson and Mitchell were carried out the same week as the Republican National Convention , where many Trump supporters sought to portray him as a law-and-order candidate .
Salter reported from St. Louis .
AP reporters Mike Balsamo and Jessica Gresko also contributed to this report .

By Michael Tarm and Jim Salter | Associated Press
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — A Kansas girl’s killer Friday became the fifth federal inmate put to death this year, an execution that went forward only after a higher court tossed a ruling that would have required the government to get a prescription for the drug used to kill him.
Questions about whether the drug pentobarbital causes pain prior to death had been a focus of appeals for Keith Nelson, 45, the second inmate executed this week in the Trump administration’s resumption of federal executions this summer after a 17-year hiatus.
Nelson, who displayed no outward signs of pain or distress during the execution, was pronounced dead at a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, at 4:32 p.m. EDT — about nine minutes after the execution began.
There was silence from Nelson when a prison official looming over him asked if he had any last words to witnesses behind the execution-chamber glass. Those observers included the mother of 10-year-old Pamela Butler. who Nelson raped and strangled with a wire 21 years ago.
Nelson didn’t utter a word, grunt or shake his head no. After the official waited for about 15 seconds, his eyes fixed on Nelson waiting in vain for any sign of an answer, he turned away and began the execution procedure.
Nelson didn’t appear to deliberately move a muscle or turn his head toward the family witness room, where Pamela’s mom wore a T-shirt emblazoned with her daughter’s picture. Angel wings jutted out from behind Pamela’s image.
But earlier, before curtains opened enabling witnesses to see inside the chamber, Nelson’s spiritual adviser, Sister Barbara Battista, was allowed to walk up and stand two feet from the gurney, lean in and hear his last words, she told The Associated Press later.
“He said he wanted me to tell his lawyers he didn’t have to wear an adult diaper during the execution. He was glad about that,” she said. “He’d also told me (days) earlier he didn’t want to be forced to do that, that it was undignified.”
Battista, who stayed in the chamber as Nelson was put to death, standing farther away, said her interpretation of his silence during the public portion was that he was afraid if he said anything, he might then say something inappropriate.
Battista, a longtime anti-death penalty activist, said she made a point of addressing Nelson by his first name in his last minutes alive.
“He wanted someone there who would call him ‘Keith’ rather than ‘Inmate Nelson,'” she said.
Nelson, whose face was obscured from witnesses behind a medical mask, remained still even as the lethal dose of pentobarbital was delivered. None of his limbs twitched or quivered, though his his chest and midsection briefly heaved and shuddered involuntarily.
The relative stillness and quiet was a contrast to the scene on on Oct. 12, 1999, as Nelson grabbed Pamela off the street and threw her into his truck. As Pamela screamed, one of her sisters who saw her abducted began screaming, too.
Pamela had been returning to her Kansas City, Kansas, home on inline skates after buying cookies. As he drove off with her, he made a rude gesture to her sister as she screamed. He later raped the fifth-grader and strangled her with a wire.
Pamela’s mom, Cherri West, said she didn’t expect Nelson to express remorse. She said, if anything, she thought he might curse at her and her family as he had done during criminal proceedings.
“I wasn’t expecting him to say anything because he never had no remorse,” she said. “I have no remorse for him.”
Nelson showed no remorse during a sentencing hearing statement and instead “blistered the district court and the victim’s family with a profanity laden tirade,” the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals noted in one ruling.
After he was declared dead and curtains were again drawn across the windows, Battista was allowed to say a prayer over, touch and anoint Nelson’s body, she said.
Nelson’s attorneys, Dale Baich and Jen Moreno, said in a statement Friday that they had come to know him as someone other than a killer, that they “saw his humanity, his compassion, and his sense of humor.”
“The execution of Keith Nelson did not make the world a safer place,” they said.
A flurry of filings by Nelson’s legal team over several weeks zeroed in on pentobarbital, which depresses the central nervous system and, in high doses, eventually stops the heart.
In one filing in early August, Nelson’s attorneys cited an unofficial autopsy on one inmate executed last month, William Purkey, saying it indicated evidence of pulmonary edema in which the lungs fill with fluid and causes a painful sensation akin to drowning.
The federal government has defended the use of pentobarbital, disputing that Purkey’s autopsy proved he suffered. They have also cited Supreme Court ruling precedent that an execution method isn’t necessarily cruel and unusual just because it causes some pain.
In her overturned ruling, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan halted Nelson’s execution early Thursday, saying laws regulating drugs require the prescriptions, even for executions. Within hours, an appellate panel tossed her ruling.
Nelson’s crime was horrific by any measure.
Nelson, who didn’t previously know Butler or her family, told a co-worker a month earlier he planned to find a female to kidnap, torture, rape and kill because he expected to go back to prison anyway on other charges, prosecutors said.
After killing Butler, he dumped her body in a wooded area near a Missouri church.
With the execution Wednesday of Lezmond Mitchell — the only Native American on federal death row — the federal government under President Donald Trump registered more executions in 2020 than it had in the previous 56 years combined.
The executions of Nelson and Mitchell were carried out the same week as the Republican National Convention, where many Trump supporters sought to portray him as a law-and-order candidate.
Salter reported from St. Louis. AP reporters Mike Balsamo and Jessica Gresko also contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-08-29--Here are the 21 Contra Costa County schools applying to reopen classrooms

Twenty-one Contra Costa County private schools have applied for waivers to bring their elementary-aged students back to the classroom , the county told this news organization Friday afternoon .
As of Friday , Contra Costa County is designated as a “ purple ” county under California ’ s new tiered reopening system , meaning that the East Bay county still has widespread COVID-19 transmission .
Purple counties — formerly the counties on the governor ’ s monitoring list — must keep most schools online until they ’ ve spent two weeks in the “ red ” tier , which indicates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elementary schools can still apply for a waiver in order to resume in-person learning .
No waivers have yet been granted in Contra Costa County .
Across the Bay Area , only Morehead School District in San Jose and Sunnyvale Christian School in Santa Clara County have been allowed to reopen .
The state released a list Wednesday of more than 100 schools and districts cleared to reopen across California , mostly in San Diego and Orange counties .
Here are the schools that have applied to reopen in Contra Costa County :

Twenty-one Contra Costa County private schools have applied for waivers to bring their elementary-aged students back to the classroom, the county told this news organization Friday afternoon.
As of Friday, Contra Costa County is designated as a “purple” county under California’s new tiered reopening system, meaning that the East Bay county still has widespread COVID-19 transmission. Purple counties — formerly the counties on the governor’s monitoring list — must keep most schools online until they’ve spent two weeks in the “red” tier, which indicates reduced transmission.
The only exception? Elementary schools can still apply for a waiver in order to resume in-person learning. No waivers have yet been granted in Contra Costa County. Across the Bay Area, only Morehead School District in San Jose and Sunnyvale Christian School in Santa Clara County have been allowed to reopen. The state released a list Wednesday of more than 100 schools and districts cleared to reopen across California, mostly in San Diego and Orange counties.
Here are the schools that have applied to reopen in Contra Costa County:


mercurynews--2020-08-29--US doctors find possible case of COVID-19 reinfection

A 25-year-old Nevada man appears to be the first documented case of Covid-19 reinfection in the United States , researchers say .
Genetic tests indicate the patient was infected with two different varieties of the virus , the team at the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine and the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory reported .
The patient was first diagnosed with coronavirus in April after he had a sore throat , cough , headache , nausea and diarrhea , the researchers wrote in a pre-print study posted Thursday .
He got better around April 27 , and he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He continued to feel well for about a month .
Then on May 31 he sought care for fever , headache , dizziness , cough , nausea and diarrhea .
Five days later , he was hospitalized and required ongoing oxygen support .
He was tested again for Covid-19 and the results were positive .
The Nevada researchers examined genetic material from both coronavirus specimens collected from the man .
Their analysis suggests he had two distinct viral infections .
The pre-print study has not yet been peer-reviewed by a journal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggest humans can catch Covid-19 multiple times .
It ’ s not the first case documented globally .
Earlier this week , Hong Kong researchers said they found the first documented case of coronavirus reinfection in a 33-year-old man .
He tested positive for Covid-19 twice this year .
The pre-print study — which the University of Hong Kong said on Monday has been accepted by the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases — found that the man was reinfected with two different versions of the virus 142 days apart .
“ After one recovers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know how much immunity is built up , how long it may last , or how well antibodies play a role in protection against a reinfection , ” Mark Pandori , the director of the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory , said in a news release Thursday .
“ If reinfection is possible on such a short timeline , there may be implications for the efficacy of vaccines developed to fight the disease .
It may also have implications for herd immunity , ” Pandori said .
“ It is important to note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It does not provide any information to us with regard to the generalizability of this phenomenon.
” In the Hong Kong case , researchers said the man experienced coronavirus symptoms during his first bout of Covid-19 , but that he didn ’ t have any obvious symptoms the second time .

By Jacqueline Howard | CNN
A 25-year-old Nevada man appears to be the first documented case of Covid-19 reinfection in the United States, researchers say.
Genetic tests indicate the patient was infected with two different varieties of the virus, the team at the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine and the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory reported.
The patient was first diagnosed with coronavirus in April after he had a sore throat, cough, headache, nausea and diarrhea, the researchers wrote in a pre-print study posted Thursday. He got better around April 27, and he tested negative for the virus twice afterwards.
He continued to feel well for about a month. Then on May 31 he sought care for fever, headache, dizziness, cough, nausea and diarrhea. Five days later, he was hospitalized and required ongoing oxygen support. He was tested again for Covid-19 and the results were positive.
The Nevada researchers examined genetic material from both coronavirus specimens collected from the man. Their analysis suggests he had two distinct viral infections.
The pre-print study has not yet been peer-reviewed by a journal, but the researchers noted that the findings suggest humans can catch Covid-19 multiple times.
It’s not the first case documented globally.
Earlier this week, Hong Kong researchers said they found the first documented case of coronavirus reinfection in a 33-year-old man. He tested positive for Covid-19 twice this year.
The pre-print study — which the University of Hong Kong said on Monday has been accepted by the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases — found that the man was reinfected with two different versions of the virus 142 days apart.
“After one recovers from COVID-19, we still do not know how much immunity is built up, how long it may last, or how well antibodies play a role in protection against a reinfection,” Mark Pandori, the director of the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory, said in a news release Thursday.
“If reinfection is possible on such a short timeline, there may be implications for the efficacy of vaccines developed to fight the disease. It may also have implications for herd immunity,” Pandori said. “It is important to note that this is a singular finding. It does not provide any information to us with regard to the generalizability of this phenomenon.”
In the Hong Kong case, researchers said the man experienced coronavirus symptoms during his first bout of Covid-19, but that he didn’t have any obvious symptoms the second time.


mercurynews--2020-08-28--Raiders’ Jon Gruden on navigating pandemic, social protests: `Don’t make an emotional statement. Mak

Raiders’ Jon Gruden on navigating pandemic, social protests: `Don’t make an emotional statement. Make an educational one’

Even by the standards of an organization that has so often shrouded itself in secrecy , the Raiders have remained on the down-low more than usual .
Coach Jon Gruden talked to the media via zoom teleconference for just under seven minutes Friday , no players were made available , and it was clear he wanted them thinking about the issues confronting society rather than talking about them .
The Raiders have made no public statements about the shooting of Jacob Blake , nor have they proposed a plan like the Baltimore Ravens did Thursday in a call to action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with Gruden giving his team Saturday and part of Sunday off to think about it following a practice at Allegiant Stadium .
The closest thing to an organizational statement came Friday on the Raiders ’ twitter account with a photo of wide receiver Tyrell Williams wearing a black shirt which said “ STOP KILLING BLACK PEOPLE !
” “ There ’ s a lot of hatred out there and it really concerns me , ” Gruden said .
“ And I pray that everybody can open their heart and get on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always .
I told our team , especially our leadership , after visiting with them , I want them to take ( Saturday ) off .
I ’ m going to give them part of Sunday off , to research what ’ s really going on and educate themselves on where we are.
” The plan , Gruden said is for the Raiders “ to do something to make life better for somebody .
We ’ re going to make an impact .
Not just protesting and tweeting .
We ’ re going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and we ’ re going to prove it .
The big thing is , get away from the game here for a little bit , gather your thoughts , do some research .
Don ’ t make an emotional statement .
Make an educational one.
” The Raiders , who expected to be training in Napa for something approaching a normal camp , have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the social injustice issues in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the shooting of Blake .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything Gruden or any other coach has experienced .
“ I think the one thing right now is looking into every man ’ s well-being , ” Gruden said .
“ They have families , moms and dads and wives and kids .
Friends .
I ’ m worried about this virus .
I know people who have lost their job over this virus , people that are struggling right now.
” WHY INFORMATION IS FLOWING LIKE MUD Gruden has consistently deflected any questions having to do with injuries , depth charts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talked up some players , specifics have been few and far between .
Because he can .
There is no film of exhibition games to scout , and the Sept. 13 opener in Carolina will be against a team with an entirely new coaching staff and systems of offense and defense .
An innocuous question about pleasant surprises at camp brought the following response from Gruden : “ I ’ m not going to say anything , unfortunately .
No one knows unless I tell them .
We don ’ t have access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Why should we go out and tell anybody who ’ s doing well and who isn ’ t ?
One of the things you ’ ve got to be careful about right now is what you say , and we ’ re just going to keep our lips tight and say we ’ ve had a very competitive camp and we ’ re seeing progress.
” A CAMP LIKE NO OTHER Gruden described the challenge of having to “ adapt day after day after day.
” Included in the obstacles were the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Henderson , Nevada , rather than the Napa Valley Marriott .
“ Being in the desert is different , ” Gruden said .
“ We practiced at 7:30 a.m .
I don ’ t know of any team in the history of the NFL that has practiced at 7:30 a.m. to beat the heat.
” Other challenges have included an 80-man roster instead of 90 and the lack of exhibition games which gave built-in days off to players to rest their legs because of travel days and mandatory days off after games .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet were asked to hit the ground in a sprint .
“ The first time I met Cory Littleton was when he walked in with a helmet on the first day , ” Gruden said .
“ We made great progress .
I ’ m really proud of our coaches .
I ’ m really proud of our veteran players , and we have some emerging young guys that I think this franchise will be proud about.
” — Gruden said quarterback Marcus Mariota would miss ( three or four more days ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight NFL teams canceled practice in response to Blake shooting • Inside the Raiders : Projecting the 53-man roster for opener vs. Panthers • Raiders ’ Tyrell Williams has another significant injury , but he ’ ll try to play through it for 2020 season — Although cutdown day isn ’ t until Sept. 5 , Gruden sounded as if he and Mike Mayock were in the process of making some roster decisions .
The Raiders ’ practice at Allegiant Stadium served as a second dress rehearsal with a game day type feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tape for us to get back to the office and study , ” Gruden said .
“ A lot of situations today .
We put some backup players with the starters .
We put some starters in with the second group to see how they ’ d react .
This is a time where everything is winding down , so we ’ re going to have to meet as a staff , make some tough decisions.
” — The Raiders had approximately 200 COVID-19 tested family members of players and coaches at Allegiant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the closest thing they ’ ll get to their annual training camp “ Family Day .
”

Even by the standards of an organization that has so often shrouded itself in secrecy, the Raiders have remained on the down-low more than usual.
Coach Jon Gruden talked to the media via zoom teleconference for just under seven minutes Friday, no players were made available, and it was clear he wanted them thinking about the issues confronting society rather than talking about them.
The Raiders have made no public statements about the shooting of Jacob Blake, nor have they proposed a plan like the Baltimore Ravens did Thursday in a call to action against racism. That could change soon, with Gruden giving his team Saturday and part of Sunday off to think about it following a practice at Allegiant Stadium.
The closest thing to an organizational statement came Friday on the Raiders’ twitter account with a photo of wide receiver Tyrell Williams wearing a black shirt which said “STOP KILLING BLACK PEOPLE!”
“There’s a lot of hatred out there and it really concerns me,” Gruden said. “And I pray that everybody can open their heart and get on the same team. Politically, socially and always. I told our team, especially our leadership, after visiting with them, I want them to take (Saturday) off. I’m going to give them part of Sunday off, to research what’s really going on and educate themselves on where we are.”
The plan, Gruden said is for the Raiders “to do something to make life better for somebody. We’re going to make an impact. Not just protesting and tweeting. We’re going to do something as a football team, and we’re going to prove it. The big thing is, get away from the game here for a little bit, gather your thoughts, do some research. Don’t make an emotional statement. Make an educational one.”
The Raiders, who expected to be training in Napa for something approaching a normal camp, have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the social injustice issues in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the shooting of Blake.
Navigating the two issues has been unlike anything Gruden or any other coach has experienced.
“I think the one thing right now is looking into every man’s well-being,” Gruden said. “They have families, moms and dads and wives and kids. Friends. I’m worried about this virus. I know people who have lost their job over this virus, people that are struggling right now.”
WHY INFORMATION IS FLOWING LIKE MUD
Gruden has consistently deflected any questions having to do with injuries, depth charts and starters, and while he’s talked up some players, specifics have been few and far between.
Why?
Because he can. There is no film of exhibition games to scout, and the Sept. 13 opener in Carolina will be against a team with an entirely new coaching staff and systems of offense and defense.
An innocuous question about pleasant surprises at camp brought the following response from Gruden:
“I’m not going to say anything, unfortunately. No one knows unless I tell them. We don’t have access to study anybody else’s players. Why should we go out and tell anybody who’s doing well and who isn’t? One of the things you’ve got to be careful about right now is what you say, and we’re just going to keep our lips tight and say we’ve had a very competitive camp and we’re seeing progress.”
A CAMP LIKE NO OTHER
Gruden described the challenge of having to “adapt day after day after day.”
Included in the obstacles were the camp relocation to the practice facility in Henderson, Nevada, rather than the Napa Valley Marriott.
“Being in the desert is different,” Gruden said. “We practiced at 7:30 a.m. I don’t know of any team in the history of the NFL that has practiced at 7:30 a.m. to beat the heat.”
Other challenges have included an 80-man roster instead of 90 and the lack of exhibition games which gave built-in days off to players to rest their legs because of travel days and mandatory days off after games.
Players that coaches hadn’t met yet were asked to hit the ground in a sprint.
“The first time I met Cory Littleton was when he walked in with a helmet on the first day,” Gruden said. “We made great progress. I’m really proud of our coaches. I’m really proud of our veteran players, and we have some emerging young guys that I think this franchise will be proud about.”
ETCETERA
— Gruden said quarterback Marcus Mariota would miss (three or four more days) with an undisclosed injury.
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The Raiders’ practice at Allegiant Stadium served as a second dress rehearsal with a game day type feel.
“This will be a big tape for us to get back to the office and study,” Gruden said. “A lot of situations today. We put some backup players with the starters. We put some starters in with the second group to see how they’d react. This is a time where everything is winding down, so we’re going to have to meet as a staff, make some tough decisions.”
— The Raiders had approximately 200 COVID-19 tested family members of players and coaches at Allegiant Stadium according to the Associated Press, the closest thing they’ll get to their annual training camp “Family Day.”


mercurynews--2020-08-28--Bay Area fires: Hard-hit communities face a long process to rebuild

As thousands of evacuees return to the places where their homes once stood , fire-torn communities are bracing for the next nightmare : Rebuilding .
With huge fires still smoldering across more than 800,000 acres of Northern California , officials don ’ t yet have a final tally of how many homes have been lost or a timeline for taking the first steps toward rebuilding — starting with the complicated process of clearing toxic debris , ash and waste from burned-out lots .
But judging by the Tubbs and Camp fires that tore through Northern California in 2017 and 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s likely to take years .
“ Once we can get in and get a full idea of the scope of the damage , we ’ ll have a better idea of what the debris looks like , ” Brian Ferguson , a spokesperson for the California Governor ’ s Office of Emergency Services , told this news organization .
“ It ’ s too early to say who exactly would be responsible and what the scope would be.
” Since the record-breaking LNU , CZU and SCU fire complexes broke out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed across eight Bay Area counties .
The North and East Bay ’ s massive LNU Complex has been the most devastating , burning more than 1,300 buildings , while the CZU Complex in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties has torched another 799 , including 554 single-family homes as of Friday , according to Cal Fire .
As firefighters continue to stem the spread of the flames and give the OK for some of the roughly 136,000 evacuees to start heading home , federal and state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next for the damaged and destroyed lots .
President Donald Trump already has declared the California wildfires a federal disaster , allowing the state , local governments and individuals to access relief funds , along with a host of other services such as housing and unemployment help .
So far , more than 3,000 Californians have signed up for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance , said regional spokesperson Ken Higginbotham .
But that figure is expected to skyrocket as more regions reopen and report precisely how much damage has been done .
Starting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the eight Bay Area counties to set up registration centers .
“ This is gon na be a marathon .
It ’ s not gon na be a sprint .
It ’ s a lot to deal with , ” Higginbotham said .
For residents already reeling from losing a home , the uncertainty feels overwhelming .
Carol and Bruce Schafer , whose 20-acre Vacaville property burned in the LNU inferno , have been puzzling over their options in their hotel room , from finding a nearby rental while they rebuild to moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , we ’ re really frustrated , ” Carol Schafer said .
“ We ’ re honestly thinking right now about just cashing out and leaving the state.
” When a home burns down , the land around it is littered with the charred remnants of building materials and all the items left behind , creating a toxic smorgasbord of melted plastic , carpeting , asbestos and propane .
In the past , lugging away that waste has created a host of headaches for homeowners and the government .
After the devastating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5,000 homes — about 3,000 of which were located in Santa Rosa alone — the federal U.S. Army Corps stepped in to clear the debris .
That effort ultimately cost about $ 1.3 billion and led to a litany of criticism , including complaints that contractors dug too deep into the ground and left unnecessarily large holes .
The following year , after the Camp Fire burned more than 14,000 homes , the state chose to oversee the cleanup process .
That painful history is “ an important point ” of consideration for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ options are on the table , including a patchwork solution in which local jurisdictions handle smaller debris missions and state or federal partners oversee larger ones .
Even after lots are ready for new construction to begin , actually standing up new homes could take years .
California ’ s planning and building process remains infamously slow , and for years , the state has failed to keep up with its housing goals .
After the 2017 fires obliterated a full 5 % of Santa Rosa ’ s housing stock and destroyed almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city relaxed its development rules and fees to lure housing developers and builders to the region .
Even so , by February 2020 , Santa Rosa had just completed building its 1,000th home — making up about one-third the total number lost in the Tubbs Fire .
In the broader Bay Area , local politicians are already looking to kick start rebuilding by expediting the permitting process .
In Santa Cruz County , where rural communities such as Bonny Doon have been hard-hit by the CZU Complex of fires , Supervisor Ryan Coonerty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get advice .
Based partially off that feedback , Coonerty is proposing a one-stop shop that includes public works , planning , fire and other relevant departments so residents can submit permitting documents just once .
To process applications faster , the county will also consider bringing back retired employees .
“ As long as people are building back on the same footprint , we ’ re going to make it as simple and easy as possible , ” Coonerty promised .
• Video : Residents ride out the Hennesey fire aboard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of the Bay Area , the smoke is really bad again • Watch : California Gov .
Gavin Newsom gives updates on coronavirus and wildfires , Aug. 28 • Bay Area wildfire updates : Firefighter focus shift to repopulation as crews extend containment lines for CZU and LNU complexes For now , local officials in Santa Cruz and across California remain laser-focused on the basics : Unblocking roads , clearing fallen trees and checking water and power lines .
In Sonoma County , “ the end is in sight ” for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sheriff Mark Essick said during a Friday briefing .
“ Some of you are discovering that you ’ ve lost your homes , and this is a really emotional time for many people , ” Essick said .
“ We are incredibly sorry for your loss .
”

CLICK HERE if you’re having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device.
As thousands of evacuees return to the places where their homes once stood, fire-torn communities are bracing for the next nightmare: Rebuilding.
With huge fires still smoldering across more than 800,000 acres of Northern California, officials don’t yet have a final tally of how many homes have been lost or a timeline for taking the first steps toward rebuilding — starting with the complicated process of clearing toxic debris, ash and waste from burned-out lots.
But judging by the Tubbs and Camp fires that tore through Northern California in 2017 and 2019, replacing homes is a process that’s likely to take years.
“Once we can get in and get a full idea of the scope of the damage, we’ll have a better idea of what the debris looks like,” Brian Ferguson, a spokesperson for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, told this news organization. “It’s too early to say who exactly would be responsible and what the scope would be.”
Since the record-breaking LNU, CZU and SCU fire complexes broke out about 10 days ago, more than 2,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed across eight Bay Area counties. The North and East Bay’s massive LNU Complex has been the most devastating, burning more than 1,300 buildings, while the CZU Complex in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties has torched another 799, including 554 single-family homes as of Friday, according to Cal Fire.
But the weary crews are beginning to get the upper hand. As of Friday evening, the SCU fire, in the South Bay and further east, was considered 40% contained; the LNU fire was at 35 percent, and the CZU fire was 27 percent contained.
As firefighters continue to stem the spread of the flames and give the OK for some of the roughly 136,000 evacuees to start heading home, federal and state agencies are racing to decide what comes next for the damaged and destroyed lots. President Donald Trump already has declared the California wildfires a federal disaster, allowing the state, local governments and individuals to access relief funds, along with a host of other services such as housing and unemployment help.
So far, more than 3,000 Californians have signed up for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance, said regional spokesperson Ken Higginbotham. But that figure is expected to skyrocket as more regions reopen and report precisely how much damage has been done. Starting Friday, FEMA teams headed out to the eight Bay Area counties to set up registration centers.
“This is gonna be a marathon. It’s not gonna be a sprint. It’s a lot to deal with,” Higginbotham said.
For residents already reeling from losing a home, the uncertainty feels overwhelming. Carol and Bruce Schafer, whose 20-acre Vacaville property burned in the LNU inferno, have been puzzling over their options in their hotel room, from finding a nearby rental while they rebuild to moving away.
“To be honest with you, we’re really frustrated,” Carol Schafer said. “We’re honestly thinking right now about just cashing out and leaving the state.”
When a home burns down, the land around it is littered with the charred remnants of building materials and all the items left behind, creating a toxic smorgasbord of melted plastic, carpeting, asbestos and propane.
In the past, lugging away that waste has created a host of headaches for homeowners and the government. After the devastating 2017 North Bay fires razed more than 5,000 homes — about 3,000 of which were located in Santa Rosa alone — the federal U.S. Army Corps stepped in to clear the debris. That effort ultimately cost about $1.3 billion and led to a litany of criticism, including complaints that contractors dug too deep into the ground and left unnecessarily large holes. The following year, after the Camp Fire burned more than 14,000 homes, the state chose to oversee the cleanup process.
That painful history is “an important point” of consideration for the state, Ferguson said. All options are on the table, including a patchwork solution in which local jurisdictions handle smaller debris missions and state or federal partners oversee larger ones.
Even after lots are ready for new construction to begin, actually standing up new homes could take years. California’s planning and building process remains infamously slow, and for years, the state has failed to keep up with its housing goals.
After the 2017 fires obliterated a full 5% of Santa Rosa’s housing stock and destroyed almost the entire Coffey Park neighborhood, the city relaxed its development rules and fees to lure housing developers and builders to the region. Even so, by February 2020, Santa Rosa had just completed building its 1,000th home — making up about one-third the total number lost in the Tubbs Fire.
In the broader Bay Area, local politicians are already looking to kick start rebuilding by expediting the permitting process. In Santa Cruz County, where rural communities such as Bonny Doon have been hard-hit by the CZU Complex of fires, Supervisor Ryan Coonerty texted his Sonoma County counterparts all week to get advice.
Based partially off that feedback, Coonerty is proposing a one-stop shop that includes public works, planning, fire and other relevant departments so residents can submit permitting documents just once. To process applications faster, the county will also consider bringing back retired employees.
“As long as people are building back on the same footprint, we’re going to make it as simple and easy as possible,” Coonerty promised.
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Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds Crashes and Disasters | Cadaver dogs are in Maui to help find the dead. Here’s how it works and why it’s difficult For now, local officials in Santa Cruz and across California remain laser-focused on the basics: Unblocking roads, clearing fallen trees and checking water and power lines. In Sonoma County, “the end is in sight” for the last batch of evacuees to return, Sheriff Mark Essick said during a Friday briefing.
“Some of you are discovering that you’ve lost your homes, and this is a really emotional time for many people,” Essick said. “We are incredibly sorry for your loss.”
Leonardo Castañeda contributed to this report.


mercurynews--2020-08-28--Toll from Laura rises to 14 dead; recovery could take weeks

By Melinda Deslatte and Stacey Plaisance | Associated Press LAKE CHARLES , La .
— The Louisiana coastline devastated by Hurricane Laura began a long and gloomy recovery Friday as hundreds of thousands of people still without water and power confronted the possibility that basic services may not return for weeks or even longer .
The number of dead climbed to at least 14 .
A day after the Category 4 storm hit , more bodies emerged in the aftermath in Louisiana and neighboring Texas .
The deaths included five people killed by fallen trees and one person who drowned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from carbon monoxide poisoning due to unsafe operation of generators , including three inside a Texas pool hall , where authorities say the owner had let seven Vietnamese shrimp boat laborers and homeless men take shelter .
The other four were in critical condition .
The lack of essential resources was grim for the many evacuated residents eager to return .
Chad Peterson planned to board up a window and head to Florida .
“ There ’ s no power .
There ’ s no water .
There ’ s no utilities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who heeded dire warnings and fled the Gulf Coast returned to homes without roofs , roads littered with debris and the likelihood of a harsh recovery that could take months .
Lawrence “ Lee ” Faulk came back to a home with no roof in hard-hit Cameron Parish , which was littered with downed power lines .
His metal storage building , 24 feet square , was thrown into a neighbor ’ s oak trees .
“ We need help , ” Faulk said .
“ We need ice , water , blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the storm , we need it .
Like two hours ago.
” The White House said President Donald Trump would visit the region Saturday and survey the damage .
Simply driving in Lake Charles , a city of 80,000 residents that sustained some of the worst damage , was a feat .
Power lines and trees blocked paths or created one-lane roads that drivers had to navigate with oncoming traffic .
Street signs were snapped off their perches or dangled , and no stoplights worked , making it a trust exercise with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter cautioned that there was no timetable for restoring electricity and that water-treatment plants “ took a beating , ” resulting in barely a trickle of water coming out of most faucets .
“ If you come back to Lake Charles to stay , make sure you understand the above reality and are prepared to live in it for many days , probably weeks , ” Hunter wrote on Facebook .
Caravans of utility trucks were met Friday by thunderstorms in the sizzling heat , complicating recovery efforts .
Forty nursing homes were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were underway to determine if more than 860 residents in 11 facilities that had been evacuated could return .
Water outages remained a major problem in evacuated facilities , the Louisiana Department of Health said .
Meanwhile , the hurricane ’ s remnants threatened to bring flooding and tornadoes to Tennessee as the storm , now a tropical depression , drifted north .
Forecasters warned that the system could strengthen into a tropical storm again upon returning to the Atlantic Ocean this weekend .
In the storm ’ s wake , more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Louisiana , Texas and Arkansas , according to poweroutage.us , which tracks utility reports .
The Louisiana Department of Health estimated that more than 220,000 people were without water .
Restoration of those services could take weeks or months , and full rebuilding could take years .
Ira Lyles returned to find that his downtown Lake Charles salon called The Parlor House survived with little damage , but his home was destroyed .
“ It tore the front off , tore the front of the roof off , picked up my camper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the side wall buckled and cracked inside , ” he said .
“ I think it ’ s going to be a wash. ” Edwards called Laura , which packed a top wind speed of 150 mph , the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana , meaning it surpassed even Katrina , which was a Category 3 storm when it hit in 2005 .
He said Friday that officials now believe the surge was as high as 15 feet .
More than 580,000 coastal residents were put under evacuation as the hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Laura was the seventh named storm to strike the U.S. this year , setting a new record for U.S. landfalls by the end of August .
Laura hit the U.S. after killing nearly two dozen people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic .
• US doctors find possible case of COVID-19 reinfection • Operator of Trump hotel in Vancouver files for bankruptcy • Zuckerberg admits it was ‘ mistake ’ to leave Kenosha militia page up In Lake Charles , chainsaws buzzed and heavy machinery hauled tree limbs in the front lawn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rode out the storm on a bathroom floor .
A tree punctured the roof just a few feet from where the couple was taking cover .
“ There ’ s people without homes , ” Stanley Hazelton said .
“ So it was dumb .
We ’ ll never do it again .
We ’ ll never stay through another hurricane again.
” Associated Press contributors include Jamie Stengle in Dallas ; Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans ; John L. Mone in Holly Beach , Louisiana ; Paul J. Weber in Austin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maryland ; and Adrian Sainz in Memphis , Tennessee .

By Melinda Deslatte and Stacey Plaisance | Associated Press
LAKE CHARLES, La. — The Louisiana coastline devastated by Hurricane Laura began a long and gloomy recovery Friday as hundreds of thousands of people still without water and power confronted the possibility that basic services may not return for weeks or even longer. The number of dead climbed to at least 14.
A day after the Category 4 storm hit, more bodies emerged in the aftermath in Louisiana and neighboring Texas. The deaths included five people killed by fallen trees and one person who drowned in a boat. Eight people died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to unsafe operation of generators, including three inside a Texas pool hall, where authorities say the owner had let seven Vietnamese shrimp boat laborers and homeless men take shelter. The other four were in critical condition.
The lack of essential resources was grim for the many evacuated residents eager to return.
Chad Peterson planned to board up a window and head to Florida. “There’s no power. There’s no water. There’s no utilities,” he said.
Thousands of people who heeded dire warnings and fled the Gulf Coast returned to homes without roofs, roads littered with debris and the likelihood of a harsh recovery that could take months.
Lawrence “Lee” Faulk came back to a home with no roof in hard-hit Cameron Parish, which was littered with downed power lines. His metal storage building, 24 feet square, was thrown into a neighbor’s oak trees.
“We need help,” Faulk said. “We need ice, water, blue tarps — everything that you would associate with the storm, we need it. Like two hours ago.”
The White House said President Donald Trump would visit the region Saturday and survey the damage.
Simply driving in Lake Charles, a city of 80,000 residents that sustained some of the worst damage, was a feat. Power lines and trees blocked paths or created one-lane roads that drivers had to navigate with oncoming traffic. Street signs were snapped off their perches or dangled, and no stoplights worked, making it a trust exercise with those sharing the roads.
Mayor Nic Hunter cautioned that there was no timetable for restoring electricity and that water-treatment plants “took a beating,” resulting in barely a trickle of water coming out of most faucets. “If you come back to Lake Charles to stay, make sure you understand the above reality and are prepared to live in it for many days, probably weeks,” Hunter wrote on Facebook.
Caravans of utility trucks were met Friday by thunderstorms in the sizzling heat, complicating recovery efforts.
Forty nursing homes were also relying on generators, and assessments were underway to determine if more than 860 residents in 11 facilities that had been evacuated could return. Water outages remained a major problem in evacuated facilities, the Louisiana Department of Health said.
Meanwhile, the hurricane’s remnants threatened to bring flooding and tornadoes to Tennessee as the storm, now a tropical depression, drifted north. Forecasters warned that the system could strengthen into a tropical storm again upon returning to the Atlantic Ocean this weekend.
In the storm’s wake, more than 600,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.
The Louisiana Department of Health estimated that more than 220,000 people were without water. Restoration of those services could take weeks or months, and full rebuilding could take years.
Ira Lyles returned to find that his downtown Lake Charles salon called The Parlor House survived with little damage, but his home was destroyed.
“It tore the front off, tore the front of the roof off, picked up my camper trailer and hit the side wall, and the side wall buckled and cracked inside,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a wash.”
Edwards called Laura, which packed a top wind speed of 150 mph, the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana, meaning it surpassed even Katrina, which was a Category 3 storm when it hit in 2005. He said Friday that officials now believe the surge was as high as 15 feet.
More than 580,000 coastal residents were put under evacuation as the hurricane gained strength in the Gulf of Mexico. Laura was the seventh named storm to strike the U.S. this year, setting a new record for U.S. landfalls by the end of August. Laura hit the U.S. after killing nearly two dozen people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
In Lake Charles, chainsaws buzzed and heavy machinery hauled tree limbs in the front lawn of Stanley and Dominique Hazelton, who rode out the storm on a bathroom floor. A tree punctured the roof just a few feet from where the couple was taking cover.
They regretted staying.
“There’s people without homes,” Stanley Hazelton said. “So it was dumb. We’ll never do it again. We’ll never stay through another hurricane again.”
Associated Press contributors include Jamie Stengle in Dallas; Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans; John L. Mone in Holly Beach, Louisiana; Paul J. Weber in Austin, Texas; Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland; and Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tennessee.


mercurynews--2020-08-28--Sharks reach agreement with depth centerman on two-year deal

The Sharks have taken care of one of their restricted free agents , reaching an agreement with center Joel Kellman on a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $ 750,000 .
A source confirmed the first year of the contract is two-way and worth $ 700,000 at the NHL level and $ 300,000 in the AHL .
The second year of the pact is one way and worth $ 800,000 .
The Athletic first reported the deal .
An official announcement is expected next week .
Kellman , 26 , had seven points in 31 games as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019-2020 season .
He averaged 11 minutes and 35 seconds of ice time per game , becoming a reliable depth centerman for the Sharks after he was recalled from the Barracuda on Dec. 19 .
Kellman ’ s new pact answers at least one of the questions the Sharks have at center entering next season .
Although Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl , San Jose ’ s top two centers , are locked into long term deals , Joe Thornton , who was largely the Sharks ’ third line center this past season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is free to sign elsewhere .
Other centers the Sharks have under contract for next season include Dylan Gambrell , Fredrik Handemark , Alex True .
Sasha Chmelevski and Zach Gallant .
Antti Suomela and Maxim Letunov have also spent time at center in the Sharks organization and are restricted free agents .
Kellman was signed by the Sharks in April 2019 out of the Swedish Hockey League , where he played 196 games and had 114 points over four-plus seasons .

The Sharks have taken care of one of their restricted free agents, officially announcing Monday the signing of center Joel Kellman to a two-year contract extension.
A source confirmed the first year of the contract is two-way and worth $700,000 at the NHL level and $300,000 in the AHL. The second year of the pact is one way and worth $800,000. News of the agreement broke last week.
“Joel has proven himself at the NHL level with his intelligence and responsibility on both ends of the ice,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a statement. “He took a big step last year in his development and growth as a player inside our organization and made an immediate impact after his promotion from the San Jose Barracuda.”
Kellman, 26, had seven points in 31 games as a rookie for the Sharks during the 2019-2020 season. He averaged 11 minutes and 35 seconds of ice time per game, becoming a reliable depth centerman for the Sharks after he was recalled from the Barracuda on Dec. 19.
Kellman’s new pact answers at least one of the questions the Sharks have at center entering next season. Although Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, San Jose’s top two centers, are locked into long term deals, Joe Thornton, who was largely the Sharks’ third line center this past season, is an unrestricted free agent and is free to sign elsewhere.
Other centers the Sharks have under contract for next season include Dylan Gambrell, Fredrik Handemark, Alex True. Sasha Chmelevski and Zach Gallant. Antti Suomela and Maxim Letunov have also spent time at center in the Sharks organization and are restricted free agents.
Kellman was signed by the Sharks in April 2019 out of the Swedish Hockey League, where he played 196 games and had 114 points over four-plus seasons.


mercurynews--2020-08-28--East Bay man pleads to 13 years in human trafficking case while victim was testifying

MARTINEZ — An alleged human trafficking and domestic violence victim ’ s testimony at a pretrial court hearing was abruptly halted last month when the defendant accepted a prosecution deal offering him 13 years in prison for admitting to a felony .
Lantrail Hill , 21 , accepted the prison term and conviction of human trafficking and admitted to an attack on the victim , who is known in court records as Jane Doe .
Hill made the decision during a morning recess at a pretrial hearing in his case , when the victim — known in court records only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand .
The deal requires Hill to register as a sex offender for life , and includes a 10-year restraining order .
Hill was charged after an arrest last June , at a hotel in Pittsburg , according to deputy district attorney Nichelle Holmes , who prosecuted the case .
Police were called to the hotel because Doe was trying to get out of prostituting for Hill and he threatened her with a knife , Holmes said .
“ She might have agreed to ( prostitution ) initially , ” Holmes said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t wan na do it , he started to get physical.
” The two dated prior to Hill trafficking her , and were living out of hotels at the time of the arrest , authorities said .
Hill ’ s attorney , Anthony Ashe , said prosecutors hadn ’ t made a plea deal offer to Hill prior to the day of Doe ’ s testimony .
“ The case appeared to be one where both Lantrail and Jane Doe were equally involved in the solicitation of prostitution , but the DA chose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the weight of the criminality fell on Mr. Hill , ” Ashe said in an email to this news organization .
Holmes said Doe has a “ really supportive family ” that helped bring the situation to light .
“ Her family was trying to help her get out of it , ” Holmes said , later adding , “ I think ( human trafficking ) is more prevalent than we realize .
”

MARTINEZ — An alleged human trafficking and domestic violence victim’s testimony at a pretrial court hearing was abruptly halted last month when the defendant accepted a prosecution deal offering him 13 years in prison for admitting to a felony.
Lantrail Hill, 21, accepted the prison term and conviction of human trafficking and admitted to an attack on the victim, who is known in court records as Jane Doe. Hill made the decision during a morning recess at a pretrial hearing in his case, when the victim — known in court records only as Jane Doe — was on the stand.
The deal requires Hill to register as a sex offender for life, and includes a 10-year restraining order.
Hill was charged after an arrest last June, at a hotel in Pittsburg, according to deputy district attorney Nichelle Holmes, who prosecuted the case. Police were called to the hotel because Doe was trying to get out of prostituting for Hill and he threatened her with a knife, Holmes said.
“She might have agreed to (prostitution) initially,” Holmes said, but, “when she didn’t wanna do it, he started to get physical.”
The two dated prior to Hill trafficking her, and were living out of hotels at the time of the arrest, authorities said.
Hill’s attorney, Anthony Ashe, said prosecutors hadn’t made a plea deal offer to Hill prior to the day of Doe’s testimony.
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Holmes said Doe has a “really supportive family” that helped bring the situation to light.
“Her family was trying to help her get out of it,” Holmes said, later adding, “I think (human trafficking) is more prevalent than we realize.”


mercurynews--2020-08-28--Video: Residents ride out the Hennesey fire aboard pontoon boat on Lake Berryessa

CLICK HERE if you ’ re having a problem viewing the photos or video on a mobile device .
Marcia Ritz is lucky .
Or at least half lucky .
Her general store , Spanish Flat Country Store & Deli in Napa , was left standing after the Hennessey Fire swept through her community on the western shore of Lake Berryessa .
But almost everything else in the neighborhood — including the mobile home park where Ritz lived — was destroyed .
Also badly damaged were the Berryessa Highlands neighborhood and the small hillside communities off of Berryessa Knoxville Road @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I lost all of my artwork , I lost all of my friend ’ s original art that I had , and everything I owned , ” Ritz said .
Now , Ritz thinks she ’ ll have to close her business .
“ There is no customer base .
There are maybe two houses remaining on the hill , ” she said , waving her hand to gesture down Berryessa Knoxville Road .
Still , Ritz is glad to have her life , and the lives of her friends , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had her fleeing — in a group of about 10 people — in a pontoon boat to the middle of the lake the evening of Aug. 18 .
As the fire surrounded them , they got into the boat and set off , watching the hills around them burn .
They stayed on the water — staring in awe and terror — for four or five hours .
“ We drove out and you could see the devastation , ” she said .
“ Trees were smoldering .
”

CLICK HERE if you’re having a problem viewing the photos or video on a mobile device.
Marcia Ritz is lucky. Or at least half lucky.
Her general store, Spanish Flat Country Store & Deli in Napa, was left standing after the Hennessey Fire swept through her community on the western shore of Lake Berryessa. But almost everything else in the neighborhood — including the mobile home park where Ritz lived — was destroyed. Also badly damaged were the Berryessa Highlands neighborhood and the small hillside communities off of Berryessa Knoxville Road.
“I’m an artist, I lost all of my artwork, I lost all of my friend’s original art that I had, and everything I owned,” Ritz said.
Now, Ritz thinks she’ll have to close her business.
“There is no customer base. There are maybe two houses remaining on the hill,” she said, waving her hand to gesture down Berryessa Knoxville Road.
Still, Ritz is glad to have her life, and the lives of her friends, after a close call with the fire that had her fleeing — in a group of about 10 people — in a pontoon boat to the middle of the lake the evening of Aug. 18. As the fire surrounded them, they got into the boat and set off, watching the hills around them burn. They stayed on the water — staring in awe and terror — for four or five hours.
“We drove out and you could see the devastation,” she said. “Trees were smoldering.”


mercurynews--2020-08-28--Sheriff and undersheriff plead the Fifth, supervisor blames bad memory in Santa Clara County gun-per

Sheriff and undersheriff plead the Fifth, supervisor blames bad memory in Santa Clara County gun-permit probe

During a Santa Clara County criminal grand jury probe into alleged pay-to-play corruption in the issuing of concealed gun permits earlier this month , Sheriff Laurie Smith and Undersheriff Rick Sung both invoked their right against self-incrimination , and Supervisor Mike Wasserman repeatedly claimed that his bad memory prevented him from remembering whether he knew he was getting an illegal favor with a permit renewal , sources have confirmed .
The revelations are contained in grand jury transcripts , excerpts of which were first published in San Jose Inside and the Morgan Hill Times and subsequently corroborated to this news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceedings that took place in late July and the first week of August .
The transcripts become officially public Monday , the day that the five defendants charged in the corruption case , including a sheriff ’ s captain , are scheduled to be arraigned .
Neither Smith , Sung nor Wasserman has been charged with a crime in the case , which the District Attorney ’ s Office said remains active .
During an Aug. 3 appearance before the grand jury , both Smith and Sung pleaded the Fifth Amendment when questioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of the DA ’ s Public Integrity Unit , and Deputy District Attorney Matt Braker .
Smith , while being addressed by Chase , stated , “ I assert my privilege against self-incrimination .
Therefore , I ’ m declining to answer your questions ” and repeated that she was asserting the same privilege when Chase asked additional questions related to the case .
Sung , when being addressed by Braker , invoked his Fifth Amendment rights at the outset of questioning , for a question about how long he has served @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After formally reciting his Constitutional rights , he said , “ I respectfully decline to answer ” to Braker and affirmed that would be his answer to any subsequent questions .
The sheriff is the sole person in her agency with the official authority to grant the concealed gun permits .
Her attorney , Allen Ruby , emphasized that Smith has not been charged with any wrongdoing and said the opaque nature of the grand jury process should invite skepticism .
“ If there was a so-called investigation for a year or more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yielded that was more appropriate for a public forum ?
” Ruby said .
“ The sheriff has not been even accused of anything .
I think there is a particular need to be cautious of drawing conclusions from a proceeding that is conducted in secret.
” “ He asserted his rights based upon my advice , based upon my understanding of the case .
It was the wisest course for him to take , ” Chuck Smith said Friday .
He also defended Sung against being implicated by association with the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witness .
Not as a suspect , not as a target of the grand jury , ” Chuck Smith said .
“ Based upon that , I don ’ t believe he ’ s culpable of any wrongdoing.
” To date , conspiracy and bribery-related indictments were leveled against sheriff ’ s Capt .
James Jensen ; Christopher Schumb , a South Bay litigator and assistant treasurer of the Santa Clara County Public Safety Alliance that backed Laurie Smith ’ s re-election in 2018 ; attorney Harpaul Nahal ; and Milpitas gun maker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week against Christian West , former CEO of executive security firm AS Solution .
Prosecutors allege that Schumb , Nahal , Nichols , West and uncharged co-conspirator Martin Nielsen schemed to get $ 90,000 in third-party donations to the Public Safety Alliance and another group supporting Smith ’ s re-election two years ago so that AS Solution , which was run by West and had Nielsen managing executive protection for Facebook , could acquire up to a dozen concealed-carry weapons permits from the sheriff ’ s office .
Jensen is accused of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the PSA and working with uncharged AS Solution manager Jack Stromgren to falsify applications for its security agents with in-county addresses to fulfill , on paper , residency requirements for the coveted permits .
Nielsen , who is heavily mentioned as an operator of the scheme in the grand jury indictment , has not been charged even though he was the one who wrote the $ 45,000 check that touched off the investigation after Laurie Smith was elected for a sixth term in November 2018 .
Sources have told this news organization that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incriminating evidence against the known defendants .
Jensen was also indicted on the charge of falsifying firearms proficiency forms for seven permit recipients , including Nielsen and Wasserman , the county supervisor .
In grand jury testimony that spanned July 27 and 28 , Wasserman repeatedly claimed his faulty memory prevented him from recalling whether he actually fulfilled required gun proficiency tests to renew his CCW permits for two Glock pistols registered with the county .
“ What probably everybody here doesn ’ t understand is I don ’ t recall the birth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t recall high school , college .
I don ’ t recall my marriage — excuse me , my getting married .
My mom calls me the absent-minded professor .
People I don ’ t see often I don ’ t recall , ” Wasserman testified .
Wasserman went on several tangents in response to Chase ’ s questioning , which centered on whether he remembered going to the sheriff ’ s gun range in South Santa Clara County — a region he represents — and who conducted his range exam .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remember Jensen .
“ I don ’ t remember either way , him taking me or not taking me .
Nobody took me to the range , ” Wasserman said .
Later on , Wasserman repeated his claims of having a bad memory saying , “ If you asked my chief of staff , if you ask my staff people what my Achilles heel was , they would say memory .
If you ask my chiefs what part of the responsibility was , when we were out in the public events , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the person coming .
I can recognize faces that I have seen before , but I can ’ t always place them.
” At another point during his testimony , Wasserman recognized his handwriting on a liability form but said he could not explain why it was not signed .
In other instances , he was evasive , often not directly answering questions from either Chase or a juror .
Wasserman ’ s appearance before the grand jury , and particularly his heavy emphasis on being forgetful , belies his conduct at Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no apparent memory problems when weighing in on county issues .
He has worked as a financial planner and tax preparer and currently manages rental properties .
In his testimony , he re-affirmed a commonly known fact that he once operated a baseball-card shop ; he has also been known to demonstrate a passion for baseball that includes robust recall of baseball players and statistics .
Inquiries to Wasserman ’ s office seeking comment were not returned Friday , as has been the case with previous messages by this news organization asking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation .

During a Santa Clara County criminal grand jury probe into alleged pay-to-play corruption in the issuing of concealed gun permits earlier this month, Sheriff Laurie Smith and Undersheriff Rick Sung both invoked their right against self-incrimination, and Supervisor Mike Wasserman repeatedly claimed that his bad memory prevented him from remembering whether he knew he was getting an illegal favor with a permit renewal, sources have confirmed.
The revelations are contained in grand jury transcripts, excerpts of which were first published in San Jose Inside and the Morgan Hill Times and subsequently corroborated to this news organization by multiple law-enforcement sources, regarding proceedings that took place in late July and the first week of August. The transcripts become officially public Monday, the day that the five defendants charged in the corruption case, including a sheriff’s captain, are scheduled to be arraigned.
Neither Smith, Sung nor Wasserman has been charged with a crime in the case, which the District Attorney’s Office said remains active.
During an Aug. 3 appearance before the grand jury, both Smith and Sung pleaded the Fifth Amendment when questioned by Deputy District Attorney John Chase, head of the DA’s Public Integrity Unit, and Deputy District Attorney Matt Braker.
Smith, while being addressed by Chase, stated, “I assert my privilege against self-incrimination. Therefore, I’m declining to answer your questions” and repeated that she was asserting the same privilege when Chase asked additional questions related to the case.
Sung, when being addressed by Braker, invoked his Fifth Amendment rights at the outset of questioning, for a question about how long he has served in the sheriff’s office.
After formally reciting his Constitutional rights, he said, “I respectfully decline to answer” to Braker and affirmed that would be his answer to any subsequent questions.
The sheriff is the sole person in her agency with the official authority to grant the concealed gun permits. Her attorney, Allen Ruby, emphasized that Smith has not been charged with any wrongdoing and said the opaque nature of the grand jury process should invite skepticism.
“If there was a so-called investigation for a year or more, why wasn’t there something yielded that was more appropriate for a public forum?” Ruby said. “The sheriff has not been even accused of anything. I think there is a particular need to be cautious of drawing conclusions from a proceeding that is conducted in secret.”
Sung’s attorney, Chuck Smith, offered similar comments.
“He asserted his rights based upon my advice, based upon my understanding of the case. It was the wisest course for him to take,” Chuck Smith said Friday.
He also defended Sung against being implicated by association with the case.
“He was subpoenaed as a witness. Not as a suspect, not as a target of the grand jury,” Chuck Smith said. “Based upon that, I don’t believe he’s culpable of any wrongdoing.”
To date, conspiracy and bribery-related indictments were leveled against sheriff’s Capt. James Jensen; Christopher Schumb, a South Bay litigator and assistant treasurer of the Santa Clara County Public Safety Alliance that backed Laurie Smith’s re-election in 2018; attorney Harpaul Nahal; and Milpitas gun maker Michael Nichols. Similar charges were filed last week against Christian West, former CEO of executive security firm AS Solution.
Prosecutors allege that Schumb, Nahal, Nichols, West and uncharged co-conspirator Martin Nielsen schemed to get $90,000 in third-party donations to the Public Safety Alliance and another group supporting Smith’s re-election two years ago so that AS Solution, which was run by West and had Nielsen managing executive protection for Facebook, could acquire up to a dozen concealed-carry weapons permits from the sheriff’s office.
Jensen is accused of helping broker a $45,000 donation to the PSA and working with uncharged AS Solution manager Jack Stromgren to falsify applications for its security agents with in-county addresses to fulfill, on paper, residency requirements for the coveted permits.
Nielsen, who is heavily mentioned as an operator of the scheme in the grand jury indictment, has not been charged even though he was the one who wrote the $45,000 check that touched off the investigation after Laurie Smith was elected for a sixth term in November 2018. Sources have told this news organization that he cooperated with investigators and helped gather incriminating evidence against the known defendants.
Jensen was also indicted on the charge of falsifying firearms proficiency forms for seven permit recipients, including Nielsen and Wasserman, the county supervisor.
In grand jury testimony that spanned July 27 and 28, Wasserman repeatedly claimed his faulty memory prevented him from recalling whether he actually fulfilled required gun proficiency tests to renew his CCW permits for two Glock pistols registered with the county.
“What probably everybody here doesn’t understand is I don’t recall the birth of my children. I don’t recall high school, college. I don’t recall my marriage — excuse me, my getting married. My mom calls me the absent-minded professor. People I don’t see often I don’t recall,” Wasserman testified.
Wasserman went on several tangents in response to Chase’s questioning, which centered on whether he remembered going to the sheriff’s gun range in South Santa Clara County — a region he represents — and who conducted his range exam. He also voiced uncertainty about whether he would remember Jensen.
“I don’t remember either way, him taking me or not taking me. Nobody took me to the range,” Wasserman said.
Later on, Wasserman repeated his claims of having a bad memory saying, “If you asked my chief of staff, if you ask my staff people what my Achilles heel was, they would say memory. If you ask my chiefs what part of the responsibility was, when we were out in the public events, they are to tell me the name of the person coming. I can recognize faces that I have seen before, but I can’t always place them.”
At another point during his testimony, Wasserman recognized his handwriting on a liability form but said he could not explain why it was not signed. In other instances, he was evasive, often not directly answering questions from either Chase or a juror.
Wasserman’s appearance before the grand jury, and particularly his heavy emphasis on being forgetful, belies his conduct at Board of Supervisors meetings in which he showed no apparent memory problems when weighing in on county issues. He has worked as a financial planner and tax preparer and currently manages rental properties. In his testimony, he re-affirmed a commonly known fact that he once operated a baseball-card shop; he has also been known to demonstrate a passion for baseball that includes robust recall of baseball players and statistics.
Inquiries to Wasserman’s office seeking comment were not returned Friday, as has been the case with previous messages by this news organization asking about his being called on by the DA investigation.