mercurynews--2020-09-24--‘Great Food Truck Race’ shooting in San Francisco — and you’re invited to join the fun

“ The Great Food Truck Race ” is coming to San Francisco and the public is welcome to drop by and chow down .
The popular Food Network series began filming all six episodes of its upcoming season in the city by the bay this week .
It ’ s the first time an entire season of the reality competition is being shot in a single city .
“ This is an ideal location for this program , ” said Joe D ’ Alessandro , president and CEO of San Francisco Travel , in a statement .
“ San Francisco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world .
Food trucks are already part of our culture , with loyal followers on top of the latest in mobile cuisine.
” The series , which launched in 2010 , has food-truck teams competing against each other to make the best dishes and raise the most money in a series of challenges .
The winner takes home $ 50,000 .
The program is hosted by celebrity chef and restauranteur Tyler Florence who owns Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco and lives with his family in Mill Valley .
All of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winners of previous contests : The public is invited to come out and do their own taste testing .
You can track the locations of the trucks , as well as the dates when they are open , by following the individual trucks on social media .
According to San Francisco Travel , the show ’ s producers are working closely with city health officials to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines .

“The Great Food Truck Race” is coming to San Francisco and the public is welcome to drop by and chow down.
The popular Food Network series began filming all six episodes of its upcoming season in the City by the Bay this week. It’s the first time an entire season of the reality competition is being shot in a single city.
“This is an ideal location for this program,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of San Francisco Travel, in a statement. “San Francisco is one of the top culinary cities in the world. Food trucks are already part of our culture, with loyal followers on top of the latest in mobile cuisine.”
The series, which launched in 2010, has food-truck teams competing against each other to make the best dishes and raise the most money in a series of challenges. The winner takes home $50,000.
The program is hosted by celebrity chef and restaurateur Tyler Florence who owns Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco and lives with his family in Mill Valley.
All of the food trucks competing in San Francisco are winners of previous contests:
— The Lime Truck @thelimetruck
— Seoul Sausage @seoulsausage
— Aloha Plate @alohaplate
— Waffle Love @wafflelovesocal
— The Middle Feast @themiddlefeast
— NOLA Creations @nolacreations504
— Mystikka Masala @mystikkamasalafoodtruck.
The public is invited to come out and do their own taste testing. You can track the locations of the trucks, as well as the dates when they are open, by following the individual trucks on social media.
According to San Francisco Travel, the show’s producers are working closely with city health officials to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.


mercurynews--2020-09-24--Lawmakers say Trump’s health orders carry little weight

CHARLOTTE , N.C. – President Donald Trump on Thursday signed two executive orders on healthcare for Americans that lawyers said will carry little weight , as the president seeks to boost his flagging credibility with voters on the hot-button issue ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election .
Trump signed the twin orders implementing his “ America First Healthcare Plan ” in an airport hangar in Charlotte , North Carolina , amid an audience that included medical professionals seated socially distanced and many wearing masks amid the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Under my plan 33 million Medicare beneficiaries will soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 200 that they can use to help pay for prescription drugs , ” Trump said in describing part of his program .
Video : Biden wants to restore Obamcare , Trump wants to replace it One of the executive orders is aimed at ensuring Americans with pre-existing conditions retain healthcare coverage , Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters on Thursday , even as his own administration seeks to strike down the Affordable Care Act , or Obamacare , which protects the same right .
Azar also said Trump was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work with Congress to pass legislation banning surprise healthcare bills by the beginning of next year , and explore executive action to address the goal if the legislative bid fails .
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi , a Democrat , labeled it a “ bogus order , ” as she called on the president to “ drop his lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act in the middle of a pandemic.
” While Trump heralded his actions , some lawyers expressed skepticism that he had the authority to make the move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a professor at University of Michigan ’ s law school , said : “ Unless there ’ s a law that prohibits the conduct in question , or unless the president is exercising a power that ’ s been delegated to him by Congress , his statements have no more legal weight than a tweet.
” “ It ’ s as if I was walking around with a memo that was titled ‘ Executive Order , ’ and claimed that the policy of the United States is that everybody gets a cheeseburger on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lags Democratic rival and former Vice President Joe Biden in national opinion polls , especially on the question of who would better handle healthcare .
The president ’ s action , unveiled less than six weeks before Election Day on Nov. 3 , also comes amid long-standing criticisms that he has failed to follow through on promises to propose an alternative to Obamacare even as he works to dismantle that program .
Trump also has drawn fire for his administration ’ s response to the deadly coronavirus , which has killed more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate the Obamacare law that added millions to the healthcare safety net .
The Affordable Care Act , passed in 2010 , prohibited health insurers from denying coverage to Americans with known health conditions .
Surprise bills occur when patients visit a hospital they believe is in their health insurance network but then are seen by a doctor or specialist who is out of network .
Trump previously called on Congress to address the issue in 2019 .
“ What the president is saying is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , doctors , insurance companies – had better get their act together , and get legislation passed through Congress that protects patients against surprise medical bills , ” Azar said .

By Alexandra Alper, Michael Erman and Steve Holland | Reuters
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – President Donald Trump on Thursday signed two executive orders on healthcare for Americans that lawyers said will carry little weight, as the president seeks to boost his flagging credibility with voters on the hot-button issue ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election.
Trump signed the twin orders implementing his “America First Healthcare Plan” in an airport hangar in Charlotte, North Carolina, amid an audience that included medical professionals seated socially distanced and many wearing masks amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Under my plan 33 million Medicare beneficiaries will soon receive a card in the mail containing $200 that they can use to help pay for prescription drugs,” Trump said in describing part of his program.
[vemba-video id=”politics/2020/08/12/trump-vs-biden-healthcare-policies-mh-orig.cnn”]
Video: Biden wants to restore Obamcare, Trump wants to replace it
One of the executive orders is aimed at ensuring Americans with pre-existing conditions retain healthcare coverage, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters on Thursday, even as his own administration seeks to strike down the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, which protects the same right.
Azar also said Trump was directing him via the second executive order to work with Congress to pass legislation banning surprise healthcare bills by the beginning of next year, and explore executive action to address the goal if the legislative bid fails.
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, labeled it a “bogus order,” as she called on the president to “drop his lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act in the middle of a pandemic.”
While Trump heralded his actions, some lawyers expressed skepticism that he had the authority to make the move via executive order.
Nicholas Bagley, a professor at University of Michigan’s law school, said: “Unless there’s a law that prohibits the conduct in question, or unless the president is exercising a power that’s been delegated to him by Congress, his statements have no more legal weight than a tweet.”
“It’s as if I was walking around with a memo that was titled ‘Executive Order,’ and claimed that the policy of the United States is that everybody gets a cheeseburger on Tuesdays,” he added.
Trump lags Democratic rival and former Vice President Joe Biden in national opinion polls, especially on the question of who would better handle healthcare.
The president’s action, unveiled less than six weeks before Election Day on Nov. 3, also comes amid long-standing criticisms that he has failed to follow through on promises to propose an alternative to Obamacare even as he works to dismantle that program.
Trump also has drawn fire for his administration’s response to the deadly coronavirus, which has killed more than 200,000 Americans.
In June, the Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate the Obamacare law that added millions to the healthcare safety net.
The Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, prohibited health insurers from denying coverage to Americans with known health conditions.
Surprise bills occur when patients visit a hospital they believe is in their health insurance network but then are seen by a doctor or specialist who is out of network. Trump previously called on Congress to address the issue in 2019.
“What the president is saying is that all the relevant players – hospitals, doctors, insurance companies – had better get their act together, and get legislation passed through Congress that protects patients against surprise medical bills,” Azar said.


mercurynews--2020-09-24--Pac-12 football returns: CEOs vote to restart 2020 season

The Pac-12 ended a six-month shutdown Thursday as the presidents and chancellors approved a restart of competition , including an abbreviated football season that begins the weekend of Nov. 6-7 .
The schedule will be released next week , but the framework is set .
Each team will play seven games : five within its division , one inter-division matchup during the regular season and a second inter-division date on the weekend of the conference championship ( as a means of providing an additional game ) .
The championship is scheduled for Dec. 18 and will be played on campus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record .
The move to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for the title game has been delayed until next year .
Despite the shortened season , the Pac-12 champion will be eligible for the College Football Playoff but is unlikely to be selected if compared to teams from the ACC , SEC , Big 12 and Big Ten that have played more games .
The Pac-12 ’ s best hope to reach the semifinals is disruption in other league ( i.e.
, canceled games ) that place the every champion on equal ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start play on Halloween but decided everyone should return together .
It will be the last member of the Power Five to return , with its season openers coming two weeks after the Big Ten starts play .
Pac-12 teams may start practicing as soon as they receive approval from public health officials .
In addition , the presidents and chancellors lifted the postponement of Pac-12 basketball , paving the way for teams to begin competition on or near Nov. 25 , the start date established by the NCAA .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson said of the return-to-play process .
“ But it was necessary to do the right thing.
” The news was largely expected after a frenzied few weeks that saw the conference secure daily antigen tests , state health officials in California and Oregon agree to loosen restrictions and the Big Ten — the Pac-12 ’ s partner in postponement — announce its return .
Nonetheless , Pac-12 fans were anxious that the presidents , considered less passionate about football than their counterparts in other leagues , would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place on the stage .
In fact , they discussed holding off until the winter .
“ We had a robust discussion today , ” said Oregon president Michael Schill , head of the Pac-12 CEO Group .
“ It was largely about the ( pros and cons ) about starting in the fall versus starting in January .
“ The consensus was the benefits of starting in the fall were much greater than starting in the winter.
” The conference has faced more severe challenges than its peers because of the wildfires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the footprint .
The most significant obstacle , however , was cleared three weeks ago when the Pac-12 announced a partnership with Quidel Corp. to provide athletic departments with rapid-response antigen tests .
Administered daily before practice and games , they are expected to prevent infected players from taking the field and , based on computer modeling , could reduce infectiousness by 100 percent .
“ Quidel made it possible to get over that hurdle , ” Schill said of the health-and-safety concerns .
The deal with Quidel — for 15,000 tests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game-changer by commissioner Larry Scott at the time , but it took two weeks for momentum to build .
Then , in a remarkable 24 hours that began the afternoon of Sept 15 : — USC players published a letter to California Gov .
Gavin Newsom , asking for the state to let them play — Newsom and Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown signaled they would lift the restrictions that had prevented the California and Oregon schools from conducting normal practices .
Two days later , the Pac-12 presidents met but did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the conference and prompted the six-day wait until today ’ s news .
Schill said the presidents delayed the vote in order to discuss the situation with students and faculty on their campuses .
Support the Hotline : Several Hotline articles will remain free each month ( as will the newsletter ) , but for access to all content , you ’ ll need to subscribe .
I ’ ve secured a rate of $ 1 per week for a full year or — introductory offer alert !
— just 99 cents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ option to cancel anytime .
Click here .
And thanks for your loyalty .
*** Send suggestions , comments and tips ( confidentiality guaranteed ) to pac12hotline @ bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716 *** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference , and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference .

The Pac-12 ended a six-month shutdown Thursday as the presidents and chancellors approved a restart of competition, including an abbreviated football season that begins the weekend of Nov. 6-7.
Fans won’t be permitted.
The schedule will be released next week, but the framework is set.
Each team will play seven games: five within its division, one inter-division matchup during the regular season and a second inter-division date on the weekend of the conference championship (as a means of providing an additional game).
The championship is scheduled for Dec. 18 and will be played on the campus of the division winner with the best record. The move to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for the title game has been delayed until next year.
Despite the shortened season, the Pac-12 champion will be eligible for the College Football Playoff but is unlikely to be selected if compared to teams from the ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten that have played more games.
The Pac-12’s best hope to reach the semifinals is disruption in other Power 5 conferences (i.e., canceled games) that will even out the Pac-12 power rankings with other conferences.
The conference discussed allowing some teams to start play on Halloween but decided everyone should return together.
It will be the last member of the Power 5 to return, with its season openers coming two weeks after the Big Ten starts play.
Pac-12 teams may start practicing as soon as they receive approval from public health officials.
In addition, the presidents and chancellors lifted the postponement of Pac-12 basketball, paving the way for teams to begin competition on or near Nov. 25, the start date established by the NCAA.
“It was deliberate and at times exhausting,” Arizona State athletic director Ray Anderson said of the return-to-play process. “But it was necessary to do the right thing.”
The news was largely expected after a frenzied few weeks that saw the conference secure daily antigen tests, state health officials in California and Oregon agree to loosen restrictions, and the Big Ten — the Pac-12’s partner in postponement — announce its return.
Nonetheless, Pac-12 fans were anxious that the presidents, considered less passionate about football than their counterparts in other leagues, would balk on the chance to reclaim a place on the stage.
In fact, they discussed holding off until the winter.
“We had a robust discussion today,” said Oregon president Michael Schill, head of the Pac-12 CEO Group. “It was largely about the (pros and cons) about starting in the fall versus starting in January. The consensus was the benefits of starting in the fall were much greater than starting in the winter.”
The conference has faced more severe challenges than its peers because of the wildfires and the state and local health restrictions throughout the footprint.
The most significant obstacle, however, was cleared three weeks ago when the Pac-12 announced a partnership with Quidel Corp. to provide athletic departments with rapid-response antigen tests.
Administered daily before practice and games, they are expected to prevent infected players from taking the field and, based on computer modeling, could reduce infectiousness by 100 percent.
“Quidel made it possible to get over that hurdle,” Schill said of the health-and-safety concerns.
The deal with Quidel — for 15,000 tests per week — was hailed as a game-changer by commissioner Larry Scott at the time, but it took two weeks for momentum to build.
Then, in a remarkable 24 hours that began the afternoon of Sept 15:
— USC players published a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, asking for the state to let them play.
— The Big Ten made its return public.
— Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signaled they would lift the restrictions that had prevented the California and Oregon schools from conducting normal practices.
Two days later, the Pac-12 presidents met but did not vote — a decision that generated frustration throughout the conference and prompted the six-day wait until today’s news.
Schill said the presidents delayed the vote in order to discuss the situation with students and faculty on their campuses.
Support the Hotline: Several Hotline articles will remain free each month (as will the newsletter), but for access to all content, you’ll need to subscribe. I’ve secured a rate of $1 per week for a full year or — introductory offer alert! — just 99 cents for the first month, with the option to cancel anytime. Click here. And thanks for your loyalty.
*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716
*** Follow me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline
*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.


mercurynews--2020-09-25--Review: ‘Kajillionaires’ is another great look at grifters

We ’ ve been blessed , of late , with excellent movies about families of grifters .
There was Hirokazu Kore-eda ’ s gloriously heartfelt “ Shoplifters , ” about a makeshift clan of small-time thieves whose familial bonds run at least as deep as DNA .
Bong Joon Ho ’ s diabolical Oscar-winner , “ Parasite , ” gave us a nuclear family of con artists who hatch their schemes from their subterranean dwelling .
And now comes Miranda July ’ s “ Kajillionaire , ” a portrait of a father-mother-daughter team of Los Angeles scavengers who subsist mainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their unique ways , the families of “ Parasite ” and “ Shoplifters ” were more harmonious bunches than the Dynes of “ Kajillionaire.
” They are Robert ( Richard Jenkins ) , Theresa ( Debra Winger ) and their 26-year-old daughter , Old Dolio ( Evan Rachel Wood ) .
And while they ’ ve refined their system of getting by — bending low beneath a wall to avoid their landlord , memorizing the bus schedule , approaching a target like post office boxes as though they ’ re in a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mission : Impossible ” — they are emotionally far less cohesive .
Bong and Kore-eda used theft and con to explore class divisions , but “ Kajillionaire ” is more about family dynamics .
It ’ s a coming-of-age tale .
The Dynes live in a cramped apartment next to Bubbles Inc. , a bubble-making factory of uncertain purpose .
Just oddities abound in July ’ s gently absurdist films ; you either roll with it or not .
But when you give in , you go through them childlike , experiencing real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cheap digs ( for which they can ’ t make their monthly rental payments ) is a daily leak of pink suds that ooze down the back wall , which the Dynes dutifully mop up .
But if their hardscrabble existence has fairy tale notes , they live jittery lives ( Jenkins , always terrific , is all anxiety and bus schedules ) and Old Dolio has grown up a painfully stunted young woman .
She ’ s never felt any intimacy or love from her mother ( Winger , sadly distant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s inherited her long , straight hair and monotone awkwardness .
So unfamiliar with affection is she that when Old Dolio — after a plan to trade a coupon for money is foiled — lies for a massage she spasms so violently that the masseuse ( Da ’ Vine Joy Randolph ) can only hover her hands over Old Dolio ’ s back .
It ’ s a fine start but if “ Kajillionaire ” remained in the Dynes ’ weird and warped bubble , the quirkiness would surely grow a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman , Melanie ( Gina Rodriguez , sensational ) , joins in some of their hustles , July ’ s film comes alive .
Rodriguez — spirited , confident , sensual — arrives like an alien into the world of the film .
Her presence , and immediate connection with the Dynes ’ daughter , prompt Old Dolio — already stirred by a parenting class she was forced to sit through — to question and challenge her unconventional upbringing .
A sense of human connection ( so often the yearning behind July ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ root for Old Dolio .
Something earnest and tender , like soap bubbles in the wall , emerges .
And the whimsical , unpredictable artistry of “ Kajillionaire ” turns out to be no con , at all .

By Jake Coyle | Associated Press
We’ve been blessed, of late, with excellent movies about families of grifters. There was Hirokazu Kore-eda’s gloriously heartfelt “Shoplifters,” about a makeshift clan of small-time thieves whose familial bonds run at least as deep as DNA. Bong Joon Ho’s diabolical Oscar-winner, “Parasite,” gave us a nuclear family of con artists who hatch their schemes from their subterranean dwelling. And now comes Miranda July’s “Kajillionaire,” a portrait of a father-mother-daughter team of Los Angeles scavengers who subsist mainly on coupons and contest entries.
In their unique ways, the families of “Parasite” and “Shoplifters” were more harmonious bunches than the Dynes of “Kajillionaire.” They are Robert (Richard Jenkins), Theresa (Debra Winger) and their 26-year-old daughter, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood). And while they’ve refined their system of getting by — bending low beneath a wall to avoid their landlord, memorizing the bus schedule, approaching a target like post office boxes as though they’re in a very poor man’s version of “Mission: Impossible” — they are emotionally far less cohesive. Bong and Kore-eda used theft and con to explore class divisions, but “Kajillionaire” is more about family dynamics. It’s a coming-of-age tale.
The Dynes live in a cramped apartment next to Bubbles Inc., a bubble-making factory of uncertain purpose. Just oddities abound in July’s gently absurdist films; you either roll with it or not. But when you give in, you go through them childlike, experiencing real and surreal together. The downside of the cheap digs (for which they can’t make their monthly rental payments) is a daily leak of pink suds that ooze down the back wall, which the Dynes dutifully mop up.
But if their hardscrabble existence has fairy tale notes, they live jittery lives (Jenkins, always terrific, is all anxiety and bus schedules) and Old Dolio has grown up a painfully stunted young woman. She’s never felt any intimacy or love from her mother (Winger, sadly distant from us, too), but she’s inherited her long, straight hair and monotone awkwardness. So unfamiliar with affection is she that when Old Dolio — after a plan to trade a coupon for money is foiled — lies for a massage she spasms so violently that the masseuse (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) can only hover her hands over Old Dolio’s back.
It’s a fine start but if “Kajillionaire” remained in the Dynes’ weird and warped bubble, the quirkiness would surely grow a little tiresome. But when another young woman, Melanie (Gina Rodriguez, sensational), joins in some of their hustles, July’s film comes alive. Rodriguez — spirited, confident, sensual — arrives like an alien into the world of the film. Her presence, and immediate connection with the Dynes’ daughter, prompt Old Dolio — already stirred by a parenting class she was forced to sit through — to question and challenge her unconventional upbringing. A sense of human connection (so often the yearning behind July’s films) begins to belatedly take root for Old Dolio. Something earnest and tender, like soap bubbles in the wall, emerges. And the whimsical, unpredictable artistry of “Kajillionaire” turns out to be no con, at all.
“Kajillionaire”
3 stars out of 4
Rating: R (for some sexual references/language)
Running time: 106 minutes


mercurynews--2020-09-25--San Francisco sues 28 alleged dealers to stop flow of drugs

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ | The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco sued 28 alleged drug dealers who frequent a downtown neighborhood where broad daylight drug dealing and drug use is common , in an effort to clean up the area that has seen the city ’ s largest number of overdose deaths , authorities announced Thursday .
San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said the lawsuits , if approved in California Superior Court , would prevent the alleged dealers from entering a 50-block area in the Tenderloin and part of the neighboring South of Market neighborhood .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrest on misdemeanor charges , a $ 6,000 fine and the seizure of drugs and money .
“ These lawsuits won ’ t solve the problems themselves but they are a step worth taking , ” Herrera said .
The move comes after a 70 % spike in overdose deaths in 2019 , when 441 people died , more than half of them from fentanyl overdoses .
The Tenderloin neighborhood , which includes City Hall and several federal buildings , has a large homeless population and is just blocks from tourist-heavy Union Square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public safety problem with people shooting up or snorting powder on the sidewalks at all times of the day .
It has lots of single-occupancy hotels but is also home to many low-income families .
The Tenderloin has the highest concentration of children in the city — about 2,260 .
“ You see people who are pushing strollers , mothers who have to go out onto the streets and go around the drug dealing , and the drug using , ” said Mayor London Breed .
“ San Francisco has become the place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is known widely , and that has got to stop.
” Herrera said more drug treatment options , expanded mental health help and a concerted focus on major narcotics suppliers are also needed .
“ But these injunctions will give law enforcement one more tool to help keep Tenderloin residents safe , ” he said .
Of the 28 alleged drug dealers named , 27 live outside of San Francisco and come to the Tenderloin from Oakland , Hayward , San Jose , Suisun City and elsewhere , officials said .
The injunctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Tenderloin and who have multiple arrests for sales or possession for sale of cocaine , methamphetamine , heroin and fentanyl , Herrera said .
• Contra Costa DA to stop charging most people for some drug crimes , other non-violent misdemeanors • 2 Marines at Camp Pendleton indicted over drug ring allegations after third Marine dies from fentanyl overdose • 15-year-old arrested in Redwood City on connection with narcotics , firearm offense • Contra Costa deputies found pound of meth in car with secret compartment , feds reveal Herrera ’ s effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by federal officials who in August 2019 announced the arrest of 32 people , mostly Honduran nationals tied to two international drug cartels that poured heroin and cocaine into the community .
Chris Nielsen , special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in San Francisco , said an investigation launched in late 2017 uncovered two independent operations stretching from Mexico to Seattle in which mostly Honduran nationals living in the east San Francisco Bay Area commuted daily to the Tenderloin to sell drugs .
He said the “ commuter drug dealers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” selling drugs in exchange for housing .

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ | The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco sued 28 alleged drug dealers who frequent a downtown neighborhood where broad daylight drug dealing and drug use is common, in an effort to clean up the area that has seen the city’s largest number of overdose deaths, authorities announced Thursday.
San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said the lawsuits, if approved in California Superior Court, would prevent the alleged dealers from entering a 50-block area in the Tenderloin and part of the neighboring South of Market neighborhood. Those who violate the court order would face arrest on misdemeanor charges, a $6,000 fine and the seizure of drugs and money.
“These lawsuits won’t solve the problems themselves but they are a step worth taking,” Herrera said.
The move comes after a 70% spike in overdose deaths in 2019, when 441 people died, more than half of them from fentanyl overdoses.
The Tenderloin neighborhood, which includes City Hall and several federal buildings, has a large homeless population and is just blocks from tourist-heavy Union Square. The neighborhood has long been a public safety problem with people shooting up or snorting powder on the sidewalks at all times of the day.
It has lots of single-occupancy hotels but is also home to many low-income families. The Tenderloin has the highest concentration of children in the city — about 2,260.
“You see people who are pushing strollers, mothers who have to go out onto the streets and go around the drug dealing, and the drug using,” said Mayor London Breed. “San Francisco has become the place to go to sell drugs, it is known widely, and that has got to stop.”
Herrera said more drug treatment options, expanded mental health help and a concerted focus on major narcotics suppliers are also needed. “But these injunctions will give law enforcement one more tool to help keep Tenderloin residents safe,” he said.
Of the 28 alleged drug dealers named, 27 live outside of San Francisco and come to the Tenderloin from Oakland, Hayward, San Jose, Suisun City and elsewhere, officials said. The injunctions target drug dealers who continuously pray on the Tenderloin and who have multiple arrests for sales or possession for sale of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl, Herrera said.
Related Articles Crime and Public Safety | A California woman spent money that was left at her house. Then she was told she owed the Aryan Brotherhood a favor
A California woman spent money that was left at her house. Then she was told she owed the Aryan Brotherhood a favor Crime and Public Safety | FBI-led task force targeting major Bay Area fentanyl operation underway
FBI-led task force targeting major Bay Area fentanyl operation underway Crime and Public Safety | Colorado will consider capping the price of these 5 widely prescribed drugs
Colorado will consider capping the price of these 5 widely prescribed drugs Crime and Public Safety | Massachusetts pot boss apologizes as state’s weed sales hit all-time high
Massachusetts pot boss apologizes as state’s weed sales hit all-time high Crime and Public Safety | Redwood City drug deal ends in double shooting Herrera’s effort follows a yearlong crackdown in the neighborhood by federal officials who in August 2019 announced the arrest of 32 people, mostly Honduran nationals tied to two international drug cartels that poured heroin and cocaine into the community.
Chris Nielsen, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in San Francisco, said an investigation launched in late 2017 uncovered two independent operations stretching from Mexico to Seattle in which mostly Honduran nationals living in the east San Francisco Bay Area commuted daily to the Tenderloin to sell drugs.
He said the “commuter drug dealers” acted like “independent contractors,” selling drugs in exchange for housing.


mercurynews--2020-09-25--California cop rearrested in theft of cash at marijuana grow facility

LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles police officer has been arrested for a second time for allegedly stealing cash from the backpack of an employee at a cannabis grow facility , prosecutors and police said .
Officer Luis Mota was initially charged with misdemeanor theft after his first arrest in January .
Following his arrest on Thursday , the 46-year-old was charged with felony burglary , the Los Angeles Times reported .
An employee at the facility alerted an LAPD supervisor that money was missing from her backpack after police conducted enforcement at the pot grow , the newspaper said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alleged thief , prosecutors said .
Officials didn ’ t say what new information or evidence prompted the added charge .
• Black women speak out in Oakland after Breonna Taylor decision • Sacramento ex-deputy sentenced to jail for sex with ex-boyfriend ’ s teenage son Mota ’ s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday .
Mota could not be reached for comment .
Mota ’ s bail was set at $ 50,000 , but he was released from jail under rules aimed at reducing the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Times.. Mota is scheduled to be arraigned in January .
If convicted , he faces up to three years in jail .

LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles police officer has been arrested for a second time for allegedly stealing cash from the backpack of an employee at a cannabis grow facility, prosecutors and police said.
Officer Luis Mota was initially charged with misdemeanor theft after his first arrest in January. Following his arrest on Thursday, the 46-year-old was charged with felony burglary, the Los Angeles Times reported.
An employee at the facility alerted an LAPD supervisor that money was missing from her backpack after police conducted enforcement at the pot grow, the newspaper said. Surveillance video pointed to Mota as the alleged thief, prosecutors said.
Officials didn’t say what new information or evidence prompted the added charge.
Related Articles Marijuana | Man shot, killed by Colorado cop was holding a marker, not a weapon
Man shot, killed by Colorado cop was holding a marker, not a weapon Marijuana | Texas sheriff’s corporal arrested on suspicion of fatal hit-and-run crash on California freeway
Texas sheriff’s corporal arrested on suspicion of fatal hit-and-run crash on California freeway Marijuana | California cop ordered to stand trial on assault charge for 2018 on-duty shooting
California cop ordered to stand trial on assault charge for 2018 on-duty shooting Marijuana | Ex-Mississippi police officers plead guilty to torturing Black men
Ex-Mississippi police officers plead guilty to torturing Black men Marijuana | Judge rules retrial of ex-Philadelphia officer in 2020 protest actions should be held outside city Mota’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Mota could not be reached for comment.
Mota’s bail was set at $50,000, but he was released from jail under rules aimed at reducing the spread of the coronavirus in jails, according to the Times..
Mota is scheduled to be arraigned in January. If convicted, he faces up to three years in jail.


mercurynews--2020-09-25--California’s largest single wildfire spawned two massive firenados — one was an EF2

California ’ s Creek Fire is not only the largest single wildfire in the state known for huge and destructive blazes , it spawned two rare firenados a day after the fire started earlier this month .
One firenado — short for fire tornado — was rated an EF-2 , with winds up to 125 miles per hour .
The other had winds of up to 100 miles per hour and was rated an EF-1 .
They wreaked havoc across the rugged area , the result of “ unprecedented fire behavior , ” government forecasters said Thursday .
Fire tornadoes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fire pulls in smoke , fire and dirt , creating a rotation vortex above the blaze , according to CNN meteorologist Haley Brink .
“ To have even one tornado within a fire is rare , ” CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward said .
“ Fires can lead to fire whirls — kind of like a dust devil — due to differential heating , but to get a tornado with winds of over 100 mph is quite unusual.
” The tornadoes uprooted pine trees , snapping even several 2-foot diameter trees and stripping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ survey report said .
The historic wildfires California is experiencing this year have generated intense heat , causing the vortices to form , meteorologist Jerald Meadows at the National Weather Service office in Hanford , California , told CNN on Thursday .
While Meadows can ’ t say for certain the state is seeing more firenados than in the past , he said we will learn more as the technology has improved to track and monitor their formation .
It ’ s not the first time this year the phenomenon has occured : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near Nevada , spawned one last month .
• 130th anniversary : A look at the sequoia trees in the nation ’ s second National Park • PG & E warns of possible power shutoff in Sierra Foothills • Bobcat fire containment more than doubles ; federal investigators look at utility equipment as cause • 100 firefighters from Mexico arrive to help battle Castle fire in Tulare County The Creek Fire , which started on September 4 , has burned 291,426 acres in the Sierra National Forest and remains just 34 % contained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 , the first near Huntington Lake , and the second near Mammoth Pool , where a rescue operation airlifted hundreds of trapped people to safety .

California’s Creek Fire is not only the largest single wildfire in the state known for huge and destructive blazes, it spawned two rare firenados a day after the fire started earlier this month.
One firenado — short for fire tornado — was rated an EF-2, with winds up to 125 miles per hour. The other had winds of up to 100 miles per hour and was rated an EF-1.
They wreaked havoc across the rugged area, the result of “unprecedented fire behavior,” government forecasters said Thursday.
Fire tornadoes are created when the rising heat from a fire pulls in smoke, fire and dirt, creating a rotation vortex above the blaze, according to CNN meteorologist Haley Brink.
“To have even one tornado within a fire is rare,” CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward said. “Fires can lead to fire whirls — kind of like a dust devil — due to differential heating, but to get a tornado with winds of over 100 mph is quite unusual.”
The tornadoes uprooted pine trees, snapping even several 2-foot diameter trees and stripping bark from their trunks, a storm survey report said.
The historic wildfires California is experiencing this year have generated intense heat, causing the vortices to form, meteorologist Jerald Meadows at the National Weather Service office in Hanford, California, told CNN on Thursday.
While Meadows can’t say for certain the state is seeing more firenados than in the past, he said we will learn more as the technology has improved to track and monitor their formation.
It’s not the first time this year the phenomenon has occured: The Loyalton Fire in Northern Calfornia, near Nevada, spawned one last month.
Related Articles Crashes and Disasters | Map: Lightning fires prompt evacuation order west of Yreka
Map: Lightning fires prompt evacuation order west of Yreka Crashes and Disasters | Evacuations ordered as Northern California fire roars through forest near site of 2022 deadly blaze
Evacuations ordered as Northern California fire roars through forest near site of 2022 deadly blaze Crashes and Disasters | Did powerlines cause Maui fire?
Did powerlines cause Maui fire? Crashes and Disasters | Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds
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 The Creek Fire, which started on September 4, has burned 291,426 acres in the Sierra National Forest and remains just 34% contained.
Both Creek Fire firenados occured September 5, the first near Huntington Lake, and the second near Mammoth Pool, where a rescue operation airlifted hundreds of trapped people to safety.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.


mercurynews--2020-09-25--SF Giants Gameday podcast: How will the Giants rebound from their worst loss of the season?

The San Francisco Giants have had games where their pitchers let them down , their defense made mind-blowing errors and their offense never came to life .
The Giants didn ’ t have an ugly , non-competitive performance on Thursday at Oracle Park , but it ’ s possible no loss from the 2020 season will hurt the club as much as their 11-inning , 5-4 defeat to the Colorado Rockies will .
With a chance to gain a firm grip on the top wild card spot in the National League ahead of a pivotal four-game series against the San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early 3-0 lead and missed golden opportunities to put the game away in the bottom of the 10th .
A Wilmer Flores flyball died at the warning track , a five-man infield employed by the Rockies actually worked and Evan Longoria watched a 104.0 mile per hour liner into the hole between third and short end up in the wrong glove at the wrong time .
The Giants were nearly two games over .500 for the first time this season , but instead finished Thursday at 28-28 and hoping that the Milwaukee Brewers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their worst baseball of the year over the weekend .
The 27-29 Brewers aided the Giants by losing to the Cardinals on Thursday 4-2 with their ace , Corbin Burnes , on the mound , but have enough time left to climb the standings .
Manager Gabe Kapler ’ s club is 1-5 against the Padres and 6-16 against winning clubs in 2020 , but for the Giants to make the postseason , the team will likely have to win three of four against a San Diego team that has two of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s doubleheader .
Can the Giants rebound from their worst loss of the season ?
Can a team that ’ s been defined by its resilience prove that no gut punch is potent enough to knock it out ?
What will the wild card race look like after a doubleheader that has massive playoff implications ?
The Giants will know the answers to all of those questions soon enough .
SF Giants Gameday : Listen to the Bay Area News Group ’ s daily San Francisco Giants podcast , hosted by our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you an all-access look at the 2020 regular season with soundbites from manager Gabe Kapler and your favorite Giants players plus the latest analysis on every move during an unprecedented season .
We Need Your Support !
Several Giants articles will remain free every 30 days – and I ’ ve launched a free newsletter and podcast that come Monday-Friday – but for access to all of my coverage you ’ ll need to subscribe to MercuryNews.com or EastBayTimes.com .
Click here for our latest Mercury News offer and here for the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
— Kerry Crowley

The San Francisco Giants have had games where their pitchers let them down, their defense made mind-blowing errors and their offense never came to life.
The Giants didn’t have an ugly, non-competitive performance on Thursday at Oracle Park, but it’s possible no loss from the 2020 season will hurt the club as much as their 11-inning, 5-4 defeat to the Colorado Rockies will.
With a chance to gain a firm grip on the top wild card spot in the National League ahead of a pivotal four-game series against the San Diego Padres, the Giants blew an early 3-0 lead and missed golden opportunities to put the game away in the bottom of the 10th.
A Wilmer Flores flyball died at the warning track, a five-man infield employed by the Rockies actually worked and Evan Longoria watched a 104.0 mile per hour liner into the hole between third and short end up in the wrong glove at the wrong time.
The Giants were nearly two games over .500 for the first time this season, but instead finished Thursday at 28-28 and hoping that the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies would play some of their worst baseball of the year over the weekend.
The 27-29 Brewers aided the Giants by losing to the Cardinals on Thursday 4-2 with their ace, Corbin Burnes, on the mound, but have enough time left to climb the standings.
Manager Gabe Kapler’s club is 1-5 against the Padres and 6-16 against winning clubs in 2020, but for the Giants to make the postseason, the team will likely have to win three of four against a San Diego team that has two of its top starters scheduled to pitch in Friday’s doubleheader.
Can the Giants rebound from their worst loss of the season? Can a team that’s been defined by its resilience prove that no gut punch is potent enough to knock it out? What will the wild card race look like after a doubleheader that has massive playoff implications?
The Giants will know the answers to all of those questions soon enough.
SF Giants Gameday: Listen to the Bay Area News Group’s daily San Francisco Giants podcast, hosted by our beat reporter Kerry Crowley. We give you an all-access look at the 2020 regular season with soundbites from manager Gabe Kapler and your favorite Giants players plus the latest analysis on every move during an unprecedented season.
We Need Your Support!
Several Giants articles will remain free every 30 days – and I’ve launched a free newsletter and podcast that come Monday-Friday – but for access to all of my coverage you’ll need to subscribe to MercuryNews.com or EastBayTimes.com. Click here for our latest Mercury News offer and here for the latest East Bay Times offer. Thank you! — Kerry Crowley


mercurynews--2020-09-25--Review: Millie Bobby Brown has loads of fun playing Sherlock’s sister

There is a long , questionable and occasionally successful tradition of spinning off iconic literary and film characters through relatives distant and not from James Bond Jr. to John Shaft II and III .
In other words , it ’ s not out of bounds that someone would come along and invent a little sister for Sherlock Holmes and eventually make a movie out of it .
Enola Holmes is the creation of American author Nancy Springer who wrote a series of six young adult novels about Sherlock and Mycroft ’ s teenage sister who becomes a detective in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film adaptation stars “ Stranger Things ' ” Millie Bobby Brown as the titular character in an origin story that is clearly an attempt to start a franchise .
Thankfully it isn ’ t merely a “ set-up ” film .
We ’ re introduced to Enola by Enola herself , who breaks the fourth wall and directly addresses the camera and audience to tell us about how her mother raised her after her much older brothers left early .
It ’ s no surprise that the director , Harry Bradbeer , directed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” which relied heavily on this technique as well .
Enola , who tries not to think too much about the significance of the fact that her name backwards spells “ Alone , ” is clever and spirited and wholly isolated from the world and the social mores of Victorian-era England .
She and her mother ( a lovely Helena Bonham-Carter ) who are fiercely independent except from each other , use their stately mansion as a playground .
They practice archery and tennis indoors , blow things up in the name of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t seem all that concerned with the upkeep of anything but their minds .
So it comes as a shock when Enola wakes up one morning to find her mother gone .
Even more disconcerting is when her brothers Sherlock ( a probably too buff Henry Cavill ) and Mycroft ( Sam Claflin ) return to take care of her and the estate , they don ’ t recognize her .
The grown men are also horrified that their little sister is so rough around the edges — no hat , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decorum — and decide that she must be sent to finishing school .
Naturally , Enola is not excited about the prospect of finding a husband or fitting into society and instead sneaks off to try to track down her mother instead .
On her journey she becomes entangled in the life of a fellow runaway , The Viscount Tewskbury , Marquess of Basilwether ( Louis Partridge ) , who becomes her first client .
Brown is a natural star and seems to be having a lot of fun with Enola and getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than portraying the trauma stricken Eleven .
And besides a gnarly head injury late in the film , “ Enola Holmes ” is an all-ages endeavor .
The biggest knock against “ Enola Holmes ” is it feels like it should or could have been a series .
It ’ s very long and even this first story feels naturally episodic as she goes back and forth between searching for her mother and helping Tewskbury .
The second is that the screenplay is only credited to Jack Thorne and this script could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Its feminist touchstones veer on cliché .
Brown did have a hand in producing the film , however , which is itself a neat message .
Whether or not it becomes a franchise will remain to be seen .
“ Enola Holmes ” was supposed to be a theatrical release and Netflix jumped in to take it early in the pandemic .
But regardless of whether or not there are more , “ Enola Homes ” is the kind of movie that the preteen set will surely delight in and watch over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have .

By Lindsay Bahr | Associated Press
There is a long, questionable and occasionally successful tradition of spinning off iconic literary and film characters through relatives distant and not from James Bond Jr. to John Shaft II and III. In other words, it’s not out of bounds that someone would come along and invent a little sister for Sherlock Holmes and eventually make a movie out of it.
Enola Holmes is the creation of American author Nancy Springer who wrote a series of six young adult novels about Sherlock and Mycroft’s teenage sister who becomes a detective in her own right. The lighthearted and enjoyable film adaptation stars “Stranger Things'” Millie Bobby Brown as the titular character in an origin story that is clearly an attempt to start a franchise. Thankfully it isn’t merely a “set-up” film.
We’re introduced to Enola by Enola herself, who breaks the fourth wall and directly addresses the camera and audience to tell us about how her mother raised her after her much older brothers left early. It’s no surprise that the director, Harry Bradbeer, directed almost every episode of “Fleabag,” which relied heavily on this technique as well.
Enola, who tries not to think too much about the significance of the fact that her name backwards spells “Alone,” is clever and spirited and wholly isolated from the world and the social mores of Victorian-era England. She and her mother (a lovely Helena Bonham-Carter) who are fiercely independent except from each other, use their stately mansion as a playground. They practice archery and tennis indoors, blow things up in the name of science, read books and generally don’t seem all that concerned with the upkeep of anything but their minds.
So it comes as a shock when Enola wakes up one morning to find her mother gone. Even more disconcerting is when her brothers Sherlock (a probably too buff Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin) return to take care of her and the estate, they don’t recognize her. The grown men are also horrified that their little sister is so rough around the edges — no hat, no gloves, no worries about manners or decorum — and decide that she must be sent to finishing school.
Naturally, Enola is not excited about the prospect of finding a husband or fitting into society and instead sneaks off to try to track down her mother instead. On her journey she becomes entangled in the life of a fellow runaway, The Viscount Tewskbury, Marquess of Basilwether (Louis Partridge), who becomes her first client.
Brown is a natural star and seems to be having a lot of fun with Enola and getting to do something a little more carefree than portraying the trauma stricken Eleven. And besides a gnarly head injury late in the film, “Enola Holmes” is an all-ages endeavor.
The biggest knock against “Enola Holmes” is it feels like it should or could have been a series. It’s very long and even this first story feels naturally episodic as she goes back and forth between searching for her mother and helping Tewskbury. The second is that the screenplay is only credited to Jack Thorne and this script could have benefitted from a woman’s involvement. Its feminist touchstones veer on cliché.
Brown did have a hand in producing the film, however, which is itself a neat message. Whether or not it becomes a franchise will remain to be seen. “Enola Holmes” was supposed to be a theatrical release and Netflix jumped in to take it early in the pandemic. But regardless of whether or not there are more, “Enola Homes” is the kind of movie that the preteen set will surely delight in and watch over and over. I know I would have.
“Enola Holmes”
2 1/2 stars out of 4
Rating: PG-13 (for some violence)
Running time: 123 minutes


mercurynews--2020-09-25--Monterey County officials warn public to stay out of fire ravaged Toro Park

SALINAS — After more than half of Toro County Park burned in the River Fire , officials are asking the public to stay out and let nature take its course before rebuilding begins after the rainy season .
Bryan Flores , an operations manager for the Monterey County Parks Department , led the media on a tour of the fire damage at the park located along the Monterey-Salinas Highway .
“ The county ’ s message right now for Toro Park is please adhere to the park closure , ” Flores said .
“ It is a dangerous environment right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we have Cal Fire crews still doing suppression repair work , dozers and hand crews .
To have hikers and bikers and horses coming in at this time , they could get into some trouble.
” Besides putting themselves in physical danger due to unstable soil and hazardous trees , Flores said trespassers risk getting cited by rangers patrolling the park .
He said people have been sneaking into the park every day , whether its those who live nearby hopping the fence for a hike to look at the damage or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night .
“ We want the park to be open as soon as we can as well , to allow people to come in and enjoy Toro Park for what it ’ s meant to be used for , but currently we ’ re still doing our damage assessments , ” Flores said .
“ There are still hazards : trees that are burned that could fall at any moment , smoldering stump pits , what are called killer trees that have been compromised so much that they could fall .
And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now.
” The park remains closed with no timeline for reopening .
Flores said 80-90 % of the park ’ s trail network burned .
Rehabilitation work will not begin on the trails until the early spring at the soonest .
“ We need to let nature do what it ’ s going to do , ” Flores said .
“ We ’ re not going to get into trail rebuilding at this moment because why rebuild something that could potentially be destroyed by winter rains , debris slides , things like that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be detrimental to the landscape here.
” Cal Fire ’ s Watershed Emergency Response Team will put together a report that will help guide rehabilitation and repair plans .
The report will tell officials where the ground burned so hot the soil was damaged and mudslides or debris slides will be possible this winter .
“ Luckily for Toro Park , much of the area that burned , burned quickly and didn ’ t into the trees , it didn ’ t burn down into the soil itself , ” Flores said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ see a whole lot of debris and mudslides , probably just some spot areas near the improved areas of the park .
But it is the backcountry where it is moonscaped , one would expect that there would be some heavy debris coming down.
” While damage assessments are being conducted , officials believe roughly 3,500-4,000 acres burned .
Including the neighboring Marks Ranch property , Toro Park is 5,595 acres .
Flores said he ’ s unsure how much repairs will cost but they could be hundreds of thousands of dollars or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scar , including controlled backburns lit by firefighters , runs right down to the main park road in the front of the park and to the back property line .
“ So Ollason Trail , which kind of goes east to west to Harper Canyon , everything from where that goes up to 1800 into Simas Peak , everything south and east of that burned , ” Flores said .
“ So basically about three-quarters of the park is in the black.
” Lightning sparked the River Fire on Toro Park property near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Aug. 16 and it burned 48,088 acres before firefighters fully contained the blaze Sept. 4 .
“ Three o ’ clock in the afternoon ( Aug. 16 ) , it kind of blew up and started heading toward the communities that are along River Road there , ” Flores said .
“ Toro Park is a massive park .
It stretches all the way down River Road to Pine Canyon , all the way to San Benancio and into the back to upper San Benancio.
” The fire destroyed 30 structures and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park were saved .
Once Flores got word homes were being evacuated in upper Pine Canyon , he jumped into action .
“ I assumed that Cal Fire would be using Toro Park as incident command so we came and evacuated the park , ” he said .
“ In about half an hour , we were able to get a couple of hundred people out of the park .
And then I stood there at the gate and waited for Cal Fire to show up and about 9 o ’ clock that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we were able to set up a small city ( the incident command center ) .
” Flores said county officials knew the park would be impacted by the incident command center and heavy equipment rolling in .
“ But then as the fire started approaching the park , it started getting more real I guess you could say , ” he said .
“ And then the night that it did crest the ridge behind the Toro Park maintenance shop and started threatening the incident command post and they started doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it got very real .
I ’ m not going to lie , we sat back and a lot of us , including a lot of the Cal Fire guys , shed a tear a little bit for seeing how much of our park that we love was going up in flames.
” Since the fire was contained and county officials have started assessing the damage , Flores said wildlife has been coming down from the backcountry to the front of the park .
Dozens of turkeys were roaming the lower parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deer .
Flores said he ’ s seen bobcats as well recently .
• 130th anniversary : A look at the sequoia trees in the nation ’ s second National Park • PG & E warns of possible power shutoff in Sierra Foothills • Bobcat fire containment more than doubles ; federal investigators look at utility equipment as cause • 100 firefighters from Mexico arrive to help battle Castle fire in Tulare County “ The wildlife has been pushed out of the burn area down to the improved areas of the park and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
“ So they have been displaced .
…We haven ’ t seen any bears or mountain lions yet but we know that they ’ re here and they ’ re probably roaming around looking for food as well.
” Toro Park remains closed indefinitely and Flores said he can ’ t say when it will reopen .
“ Our struggle is how do we open one portion of the park and alleviate the concern that people will not just stay there but will go into the burn scar area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the challenge and with limited resources and staffing , it would be very difficult .
”

SALINAS — After more than half of Toro County Park burned in the River Fire, officials are asking the public to stay out and let nature take its course before rebuilding begins after the rainy season.
Bryan Flores, an operations manager for the Monterey County Parks Department, led the media on a tour of the fire damage at the park located along the Monterey-Salinas Highway.
“The county’s message right now for Toro Park is please adhere to the park closure,” Flores said. “It is a dangerous environment right now, it is a fragile ecosystem, we have Cal Fire crews still doing suppression repair work, dozers and hand crews. To have hikers and bikers and horses coming in at this time, they could get into some trouble.”
Besides putting themselves in physical danger due to unstable soil and hazardous trees, Flores said trespassers risk getting cited by rangers patrolling the park. He said people have been sneaking into the park every day, whether its those who live nearby hopping the fence for a hike to look at the damage or motorcyclists riding through on dirt bikes at night.
“We want the park to be open as soon as we can as well, to allow people to come in and enjoy Toro Park for what it’s meant to be used for, but currently we’re still doing our damage assessments,” Flores said. “There are still hazards: trees that are burned that could fall at any moment, smoldering stump pits, what are called killer trees that have been compromised so much that they could fall. And it’s a real fragile ecosystem right now.”
The park remains closed with no timeline for reopening. Flores said 80-90% of the park’s trail network burned. Rehabilitation work will not begin on the trails until the early spring at the soonest.
“We need to let nature do what it’s going to do,” Flores said. “We’re not going to get into trail rebuilding at this moment because why rebuild something that could potentially be destroyed by winter rains, debris slides, things like that. … Heavy, torrential downpours would be detrimental to the landscape here.”
Cal Fire’s Watershed Emergency Response Team will put together a report that will help guide rehabilitation and repair plans. The report will tell officials where the ground burned so hot the soil was damaged and mudslides or debris slides will be possible this winter.
“Luckily for Toro Park, much of the area that burned, burned quickly and didn’t into the trees, it didn’t burn down into the soil itself,” Flores said. “So hopefully we don’t see a whole lot of debris and mudslides, probably just some spot areas near the improved areas of the park. But it is the backcountry where it is moonscaped, one would expect that there would be some heavy debris coming down.”
While damage assessments are being conducted, officials believe roughly 3,500-4,000 acres burned. Including the neighboring Marks Ranch property, Toro Park is 5,595 acres. Flores said he’s unsure how much repairs will cost but they could be hundreds of thousands of dollars or over $1 million.
The burn scar, including controlled backburns lit by firefighters, runs right down to the main park road in the front of the park and to the back property line.
“So Ollason Trail, which kind of goes east to west to Harper Canyon, everything from where that goes up to 1800 into Simas Peak, everything south and east of that burned,” Flores said. “So basically about three-quarters of the park is in the black.”
Lightning sparked the River Fire on Toro Park property near Pine Canyon in the early morning hours of Aug. 16 and it burned 48,088 acres before firefighters fully contained the blaze Sept. 4.
“Three o’clock in the afternoon (Aug. 16), it kind of blew up and started heading toward the communities that are along River Road there,” Flores said. “Toro Park is a massive park. It stretches all the way down River Road to Pine Canyon, all the way to San Benancio and into the back to upper San Benancio.”
The fire destroyed 30 structures and damaged 13 but the structures in Toro Park were saved. Once Flores got word homes were being evacuated in upper Pine Canyon, he jumped into action.
“I assumed that Cal Fire would be using Toro Park as incident command so we came and evacuated the park,” he said. “In about half an hour, we were able to get a couple of hundred people out of the park. And then I stood there at the gate and waited for Cal Fire to show up and about 9 o’clock that night they did. Within 24 hours, we were able to set up a small city (the incident command center).”
Flores said county officials knew the park would be impacted by the incident command center and heavy equipment rolling in.
“But then as the fire started approaching the park, it started getting more real I guess you could say,” he said. “And then the night that it did crest the ridge behind the Toro Park maintenance shop and started threatening the incident command post and they started doing firing operations from the park road, it got very real. I’m not going to lie, we sat back and a lot of us, including a lot of the Cal Fire guys, shed a tear a little bit for seeing how much of our park that we love was going up in flames.”
Since the fire was contained and county officials have started assessing the damage, Flores said wildlife has been coming down from the backcountry to the front of the park.
“It’s like Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” Flores joked.
Dozens of turkeys were roaming the lower parts of the park Thursday along with a few deer. Flores said he’s seen bobcats as well recently.
Related Articles Environment | Map: Lightning fires prompt evacuation order west of Yreka
Map: Lightning fires prompt evacuation order west of Yreka Environment | Evacuations ordered as Northern California fire roars through forest near site of 2022 deadly blaze
Evacuations ordered as Northern California fire roars through forest near site of 2022 deadly blaze Environment | Did powerlines cause Maui fire?
Did powerlines cause Maui fire? Environment | Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds
Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds Environment | Cadaver dogs are in Maui to help find the dead. Here’s how it works and why it’s difficult “The wildlife has been pushed out of the burn area down to the improved areas of the park and the area that borders Highway 68,” he said. “So they have been displaced. …We haven’t seen any bears or mountain lions yet but we know that they’re here and they’re probably roaming around looking for food as well.”
Toro Park remains closed indefinitely and Flores said he can’t say when it will reopen.
“Our struggle is how do we open one portion of the park and alleviate the concern that people will not just stay there but will go into the burn scar area,” he said. “That’s the challenge and with limited resources and staffing, it would be very difficult.”


mercurynews--2020-09-25--Next CSU president pledges to improve graduation rates, despite the coronavirus pandemic

The new California State University chancellor will take over the nation ’ s largest public university ’ s helm at a precarious time , but that ’ s one reason why Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro wanted the job .
Castro , 53 , was named the CSU ’ s 8th chancellor on Wednesday by the board of trustees .
He ’ s the first native Californian , first Mexican-American and first CSU president promoted to the position .
He ’ ll officially replace retiring Chancellor Timothy P. White on Jan. 4 .
Castro is taking on a 23-campus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future of tough budget cuts and students and employees facing hardship from historic wildfires and the coronavirus pandemic .
“ I decided to enter this ( chancellor ’ s ) search because of Covid , ” Castro said , in an interview with EdSource shortly after his appointment .
“ I felt it was time for me to step up in a new way .
This system needed strong , stable and experienced leadership.
” Castro , a grandson of Mexican immigrants , will become CSU ’ s first chancellor of color and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he takes over the job .
He is also the first chancellor since the system was formed in the early 1960s to be named from inside the CSU system and first time the board selected a president of one of its campuses to head the system .
“ Joe really gets our students , particularly in the Central Valley and in the San Joaquin Valley where he ’ s from , ” Kimbell said .
“ Coming from Fresno , which is a very poor area , he wants to give opportunities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from very poor homes and low-income families .
He is going to be such a fantastic role model … he ’ s the kind of person that many of our students can see themselves in.
” Castro , who grew up with a single mother , was raised for some time in public housing .
He said his family — great grandparents and his grandfather , then a child — came to California about 100 years ago to work on the railroad in the San Joaquin Valley .
He describes his grandfather as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in tents alongside the railroad .
Castro went on to become the first in his family to graduate from college .
He earned a bachelor ’ s degree in political science and a master ’ s in public policy at UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in higher education policy and leadership at Stanford University .
Despite the pandemic ’ s effects and perhaps cuts to the budget , Castro is still expected to move the CSU to its 2025 graduation goals .
Board Chair Lillian Kimbell said one reason the board selected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the graduation initiative and improving rates across the system .
Those goals , created in 2015 , seek to increase the four-year graduation rate for first-time students to 40 % and the six-year goal to 70 % .
For transfer students , the goal is 45 % for two-year rates and 85 % for four-year rates .
“ The Graduation Initiative 2025 goals the system has set are extraordinarily important , and we must continue to focus on them and take steps to achieve those goals , ” Castro said .
The CSU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goals at its November meeting .
But as of 2019 , the four-year rate for first-year students was 28 % and the two-year rate for transfer students was 41 % .
The CSU system enrolls more than 482,000 students and employs 53,000 faculty and staff .
Castro is inheriting a system that could see enrollment growth , despite the pandemic .
During Wednesday ’ s board meeting , White said , he ’ s learned from conversations with campus presidents over the summer and fall that enrollment has increased this year despite the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have numbers available , Castro said Fresno State is projecting its highest enrollment with a 6 % to 7 % increase this year .
That campus had 24,139 students last year .
Castro has worked closely with White as the Fresno State president for the past seven years , he said and applauded White ’ s decision to keep most classes virtual for the spring term starting January 2021 .
“ I ’ ve been a part of all the decisions we ’ ve made and as it relates to Covid , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families could plan effectively , ” he said .
When White announced his retirement last year , he had expected to leave the system in a relatively stable environment .
Instead , the coronavirus pandemic delayed the system ’ s announcement of a new chancellor by about six months , Kimbell said .
“ In the January meeting , we were talking about how great the budget was looking and all the big plans we had , ” Kimbell said .
“ But it ’ s a really tough time now and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
It ’ s a completely different environment he ’ s facing .
That we ’ re facing.
” White said he would make himself available to Castro to ease his transition into the new position .
Castro has “ my full unhesitating support ” in any way he finds helpful , he said .
Castro ’ s appointment was applauded widely by student advocacy organizations and higher education leaders .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom said he is thrilled to welcome Castro as the CSU chancellor and looks forward to working with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a leader in higher education will serve him well as he assumes this role at a pivotal time for students , faculty and staff , ” Newsom said .
“ I know he has the experience , wisdom and rest of many that he will need to build on Chancellor White ’ s progress on graduation , retention , and diversity and inclusion.
” “ Great things are in store for CSU students , the CSU community and higher education in California under Joe ’ s leadership , ” Drake said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe for a quarter-century and look forward to partnering with him in the coming years to advance higher education in our state.
” California Community Colleges President Eloy Ortiz Oakley also praised his new colleague : “ The California State University board of trustees could not have picked a more committed and student-centered leader .
Joe Castro will be a champion for students , and I look forward to working with him.
” Along with Drake , who is Black , and Oakley , who is Latino , it is the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three public higher education systems are people of color .
Castro will lead a system where Latino students make up the largest ethnic group at 43 % , followed by 22 % whites , 15 % Asians and 4 % Black .
Like most colleges and universities across the country , the CSU campuses also face challenges with improving diversity and have been trying to create a more inclusive system as Black Lives Matter protests intensified over the summer .
The new ethnic studies law signed by Gov .
Gavin Newsom in August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expand Native American studies , African American studies , Asian American studies or Latina and Latino studies across the 23 campuses for freshmen entering Fall 2021 .
Castro said the CSU already stands out as the most diverse public university system in the country , but he “ wants to take us to the next level of success … I want the position our system and our 23 campuses as a place where conversations about racial justice take place and we come together.
” Assemblyman Jose Medina , D-Riverside , who chairs the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Castro ’ s appointment “ historic and unprecedented.
” “ I believe that leadership has caught up with the demographic change in the State of California and that ’ s a wonderful thing that I ’ m very excited about , ” he said .
Medina said with Drake helming the 10-campus UC and Castro soon to lead the CSU , both systems are better prepared for the upcoming challenge .
The CSU system faces at least a $ 300 million cut in state funding if Congress doesn ’ t approve additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Castro ) has very good relations with the legislature , and as a member of the Latino caucus , we ’ re all overjoyed with the selection by the trustees , ” Medina said .
“ He has that leg up .
He knows us , and we know him , and that ’ s a real plus for relationships between the CSU and the legislature.
” Castro said he ’ s already begun having conversations with legislative leaders and Newsom .
“ I want to make them proud , so proud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the return on investment is extraordinary , ” he said .
• Dianne Feinstein ’ s husband identified as UC regent who recommended less qualified student • CSU taps former Fresno State president as chancellor , the first person of color to hold post For at least this year , Kimbell said the CSU is “ in pretty good shape ” because of $ 1.5 billion in operating reserves that it was criticized for saving last year by the California State Auditor .
“ We got a lot of grief from the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we have that fund , ” she said .
“ It ’ s a cushion now , but we ’ re looking at a possible three-year long decline in revenue.
” As chancellor , Castro will receive an annual salary of $ 625,000 plus a monthly housing allowance of $ 7,917 and a monthly auto allowance of $ 1,000 .
The system is based in Long Beach .
At Fresno State , Castro earned a salary of about $ 345,000 a year in 2018 .
White is paid a salary of $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in student success and I ’ m going to commit to them that I will do everything I can to support them and work with the presidents to remove barriers wherever they exist , ” Castro said .

By Ashley A. Smith, EdSource
The new California State University chancellor will take over the nation’s largest public university’s helm at a precarious time, but that’s one reason why Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro wanted the job.
Castro, 53, was named the CSU’s 8th chancellor on Wednesday by the board of trustees. He’s the first native Californian, first Mexican-American and first CSU president promoted to the position. He’ll officially replace retiring Chancellor Timothy P. White on Jan. 4. Castro is taking on a 23-campus system with classes mostly online, a future of tough budget cuts and students and employees facing hardship from historic wildfires and the coronavirus pandemic.
“I decided to enter this (chancellor’s) search because of Covid,” Castro said, in an interview with EdSource shortly after his appointment. “I felt it was time for me to step up in a new way. This system needed strong, stable and experienced leadership.”
Castro, a grandson of Mexican immigrants, will become CSU’s first chancellor of color and first native Californian to hold the position when he takes over the job. He is also the first chancellor since the system was formed in the early 1960s to be named from inside the CSU system and first time the board selected a president of one of its campuses to head the system.
“Joe really gets our students, particularly in the Central Valley and in the San Joaquin Valley where he’s from,” Kimbell said. “Coming from Fresno, which is a very poor area, he wants to give opportunities to first-generation students, many who come from very poor homes and low-income families. He is going to be such a fantastic role model … he’s the kind of person that many of our students can see themselves in.”
Castro, who grew up with a single mother, was raised for some time in public housing. He said his family — great grandparents and his grandfather, then a child — came to California about 100 years ago to work on the railroad in the San Joaquin Valley. He describes his grandfather as a “dreamer,” who grew up in tents alongside the railroad. Castro went on to become the first in his family to graduate from college. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in public policy at UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in higher education policy and leadership at Stanford University.
Despite the pandemic’s effects and perhaps cuts to the budget, Castro is still expected to move the CSU to its 2025 graduation goals. Board Chair Lillian Kimbell said one reason the board selected Castro was because of his commitment to the graduation initiative and improving rates across the system. Those goals, created in 2015, seek to increase the four-year graduation rate for first-time students to 40% and the six-year goal to 70%. For transfer students, the goal is 45% for two-year rates and 85% for four-year rates.
“The Graduation Initiative 2025 goals the system has set are extraordinarily important, and we must continue to focus on them and take steps to achieve those goals,” Castro said.
The CSU trustees will get an update on those goals at its November meeting. But as of 2019, the four-year rate for first-year students was 28% and the two-year rate for transfer students was 41%.
The CSU system enrolls more than 482,000 students and employs 53,000 faculty and staff. Castro is inheriting a system that could see enrollment growth, despite the pandemic. During Wednesday’s board meeting, White said, he’s learned from conversations with campus presidents over the summer and fall that enrollment has increased this year despite the pandemic. Although the system didn’t have numbers available, Castro said Fresno State is projecting its highest enrollment with a 6% to 7% increase this year. That campus had 24,139 students last year.
Castro has worked closely with White as the Fresno State president for the past seven years, he said and applauded White’s decision to keep most classes virtual for the spring term starting January 2021.
“I’ve been a part of all the decisions we’ve made and as it relates to Covid, we made good decisions early enough so families could plan effectively,” he said.
When White announced his retirement last year, he had expected to leave the system in a relatively stable environment. Instead, the coronavirus pandemic delayed the system’s announcement of a new chancellor by about six months, Kimbell said.
“In the January meeting, we were talking about how great the budget was looking and all the big plans we had,” Kimbell said. “But it’s a really tough time now and I think (Castro) is up for it. It’s a completely different environment he’s facing. That we’re facing.”
White said he would make himself available to Castro to ease his transition into the new position. Castro has “my full unhesitating support” in any way he finds helpful, he said.
Castro’s appointment was applauded widely by student advocacy organizations and higher education leaders.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is thrilled to welcome Castro as the CSU chancellor and looks forward to working with him.
“His extraordinary record as a leader in higher education will serve him well as he assumes this role at a pivotal time for students, faculty and staff,” Newsom said. “I know he has the experience, wisdom and rest of many that he will need to build on Chancellor White’s progress on graduation, retention, and diversity and inclusion.”
Newly appointed University of California President Michael Drake also applauded Castro’s selection.
“Great things are in store for CSU students, the CSU community and higher education in California under Joe’s leadership,” Drake said. “I’ve known and worked with Joe for a quarter-century and look forward to partnering with him in the coming years to advance higher education in our state.”
California Community Colleges President Eloy Ortiz Oakley also praised his new colleague: “The California State University board of trustees could not have picked a more committed and student-centered leader. Joe Castro will be a champion for students, and I look forward to working with him.”
Along with Drake, who is Black, and Oakley, who is Latino, it is the first time in California history the leaders of all three public higher education systems are people of color. Castro will lead a system where Latino students make up the largest ethnic group at 43%, followed by 22% whites, 15% Asians and 4% Black.
Like most colleges and universities across the country, the CSU campuses also face challenges with improving diversity and have been trying to create a more inclusive system as Black Lives Matter protests intensified over the summer. The new ethnic studies law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in August gives the CSU only a year to expand Native American studies, African American studies, Asian American studies or Latina and Latino studies across the 23 campuses for freshmen entering Fall 2021.
Castro said the CSU already stands out as the most diverse public university system in the country, but he “wants to take us to the next level of success … I want the position our system and our 23 campuses as a place where conversations about racial justice take place and we come together.”
Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, who chairs the Assembly’s higher education committee, called Castro’s appointment “historic and unprecedented.”
“I believe that leadership has caught up with the demographic change in the State of California and that’s a wonderful thing that I’m very excited about,” he said.
Medina said with Drake helming the 10-campus UC and Castro soon to lead the CSU, both systems are better prepared for the upcoming challenge. The CSU system faces at least a $300 million cut in state funding if Congress doesn’t approve additional stimulus relief before Oct. 1.
“(Castro) has very good relations with the legislature, and as a member of the Latino caucus, we’re all overjoyed with the selection by the trustees,” Medina said. “He has that leg up. He knows us, and we know him, and that’s a real plus for relationships between the CSU and the legislature.”
Castro said he’s already begun having conversations with legislative leaders and Newsom.
“I want to make them proud, so proud that they want to invest more because the return on investment is extraordinary,” he said.
Related Articles Education | Taliban have no plans to lift ban on female education
Taliban have no plans to lift ban on female education Education | College students blocked from campus when COVID hit want money back. Some are getting refunds
College students blocked from campus when COVID hit want money back. Some are getting refunds Education | Ex-California law school dean John Eastman, who advised former President Donald Trump, indicted on 9 counts
Ex-California law school dean John Eastman, who advised former President Donald Trump, indicted on 9 counts Education | 4 ways restarting student loan payments could impact economy
4 ways restarting student loan payments could impact economy Education | Are they students or employees? Stanford joins surge in graduate student unions across the country For at least this year, Kimbell said the CSU is “in pretty good shape” because of $1.5 billion in operating reserves that it was criticized for saving last year by the California State Auditor.
“We got a lot of grief from the state auditor, but we are very thankful that we have that fund,” she said. “It’s a cushion now, but we’re looking at a possible three-year long decline in revenue.”
As chancellor, Castro will receive an annual salary of $625,000 plus a monthly housing allowance of $7,917 and a monthly auto allowance of $1,000. The system is based in Long Beach. At Fresno State, Castro earned a salary of about $345,000 a year in 2018. White is paid a salary of $477,771 a year.
“I believe in student success and I’m going to commit to them that I will do everything I can to support them and work with the presidents to remove barriers wherever they exist,” Castro said.


mercurynews--2020-09-25--Santa Cruz County nurse arrested in connection with 2004 fatal stabbing of his stepdaughter

WATSONVILLE — Police have arrested a Pelican Drive nurse in connection with a cold-case Florida fatal stabbing dating back 16 years .
The Watsonville Police Department assisted Miami-Dade Police Department in tracking down Raul Mata , 46 , and joined with Santa Cruz Police Department to carry out his arrest Monday night , officials announced Thursday .
Based on circumstantial evidence , Florida investigators have long considered Mata a possible suspected killer in the Sept. 17 , 2004 killing of his 16-year-old stepdaughter , Dilcia Mejia , at the family ’ s then-Miami home , according to past media interviews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s arrest , however , after advances to forensic advancements in DNA technology helped connect him to evidence on Dilcia ’ s body , according to a Miami-Dade Police Department release .
Mata is being held without bail in Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of being a fugitive from justice , and is expected to face a charge of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon once he is extradited to Florida .
• Mysterious decade-old allegation holds up Bay Area sex trafficking case ; defendant allegedly held victim to $ 500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leads to arrest in 1980 killing of 18-year-old California woman • Suspect arrested in killing of California man who went missing in 2017 According to a Miami-Dade police reports , Mata initially reported finding his stepdaughter ’ s lifeless body , a laceration on her neck , on a Friday morning after he and the girl ’ s mother had both reportedly been away from the house for several hours .
Mata separated from Dilcia ’ s mother after the teenager ’ s death and moved to California , according to news reports @

WATSONVILLE — Police have arrested a Pelican Drive nurse in connection with a cold-case Florida fatal stabbing dating back 16 years.
The Watsonville Police Department assisted Miami-Dade Police Department in tracking down Raul Mata, 46, and joined with Santa Cruz Police Department to carry out his arrest Monday night, officials announced Thursday.
Based on circumstantial evidence, Florida investigators have long considered Mata a possible suspected killer in the Sept. 17, 2004 killing of his 16-year-old stepdaughter, Dilcia Mejia, at the family’s then-Miami home, according to past media interviews. Detectives were able to seek Mata’s arrest, however, after advances to forensic advancements in DNA technology helped connect him to evidence on Dilcia’s body, according to a Miami-Dade Police Department release.
Mata is being held without bail in Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of being a fugitive from justice, and is expected to face a charge of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon once he is extradited to Florida.


mercurynews--2020-09-25--How did the Santa Ana winds get their name?

We have now entered the fall season , and with that ( typically ) comes the season of the Santa Ana winds , those hot , dry winds that characterize many of our weather patterns during the last months of the year .
Raymond Chandler , the noted crime novelist who wrote such classics as “ The Big Sleep , ” described the condition : “ There was a desert wind blowing that night .
It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like that every booze party ends in a fight.
” In short , they are caused by high pressure over the Mohave Desert and Great Basin , coupled with low pressure generally in Southern California .
Hot , dry air under high pressure seeks to go to the areas of low pressure .
Normally this would be a fairly calm exchange , but because of all of the mountains that ring Southern California , the air movements get funneled through the three major mountain passes – Soledad , Cajon and San Gorgonio .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ resulting in those fierce , dry gusts that we in our area know only too well .
Why are they called Santa Ana winds ?
According to research done by Orange County historian Chris Jepsen , the first reported reference to that term comes to us in 1871 from the Anaheim Gazette .
To anyone in what would become Orange County at the time , the winds seem to come out of Santa Ana Canyon , hence the name .
However , having Santa Ana winds named for their city did not please @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city of Santa Ana , and they fought for years to get the name changed .
One such name that was used in the very early days was “ Riverside Zephyr.
” On Dec. 29 , 1883 , a person known only as “ B ” penned a letter to the editor of the Riverside Press & Horticulturist newspaper from Santa Ana .
In it , he said , “ We have just experienced one of the most protracted Santa Ana winds ( sometimes facetiously called ‘ Riverside Zephyrs ’ ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not so severe as we generally get at this season , though all day Saturday it held its own , and that night it made things lively.
” Obviously , the term “ Riverside Zephyr ” never really caught on , but another term did .
Again , according to research by Jepsen , in 1922 , a man named Cotton Mather ( yes , a descendent of that Cotton Mather ) , proposed the term “ Santana ” winds , believing that “ Santana ” was a local Indian term for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparently enough people either believed him or wanted to ditch the negative connotations of Santa Ana winds on the town of the same name .
Since that time , a few people have continued to use the term “ santana ” for the winds , although historically they are ( and have been ) the Santa Ana winds .
If you have an idea for a future Back in the Day column about a local historic person , place or event , contact Steve Lech and Kim Jarrell Johnson at backinthedaype @ gmail.com @

We have now entered the fall season, and with that (typically) comes the season of the Santa Ana winds, those hot, dry winds that characterize many of our weather patterns during the last months of the year.
Raymond Chandler, the noted crime novelist who wrote such classics as “The Big Sleep,” described the condition: “There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight.”
What are Santa Ana winds?
In short, they are caused by high pressure over the Mohave Desert and Great Basin, coupled with low pressure generally in Southern California. Hot, dry air under high pressure seeks to go to the areas of low pressure. Normally this would be a fairly calm exchange, but because of all of the mountains that ring Southern California, the air movements get funneled through the three major mountain passes – Soledad, Cajon and San Gorgonio. This funneling action creates tremendous wind currents resulting in those fierce, dry gusts that we in our area know only too well.
Why are they called Santa Ana winds?
According to research done by Orange County historian Chris Jepsen, the first reported reference to that term comes to us in 1871 from the Anaheim Gazette. To anyone in what would become Orange County at the time, the winds seem to come out of Santa Ana Canyon, hence the name. However, having Santa Ana winds named for their city did not please the members of the Chamber of Commerce in the city of Santa Ana, and they fought for years to get the name changed.
One such name that was used in the very early days was “Riverside Zephyr.”
On Dec. 29, 1883, a person known only as “B” penned a letter to the editor of the Riverside Press & Horticulturist newspaper from Santa Ana. In it, he said, “We have just experienced one of the most protracted Santa Ana winds (sometimes facetiously called ‘Riverside Zephyrs’) ever known in this valley … it was not so severe as we generally get at this season, though all day Saturday it held its own, and that night it made things lively.”
Obviously, the term “Riverside Zephyr” never really caught on, but another term did. Again, according to research by Jepsen, in 1922, a man named Cotton Mather (yes, a descendent of that Cotton Mather), proposed the term “Santana” winds, believing that “Santana” was a local Indian term for windstorm.
While that is incorrect, apparently enough people either believed him or wanted to ditch the negative connotations of Santa Ana winds on the town of the same name. Since that time, a few people have continued to use the term “santana” for the winds, although historically they are (and have been) the Santa Ana winds.
If you have an idea for a future Back in the Day column about a local historic person, place or event, contact Steve Lech and Kim Jarrell Johnson at backinthedaype@gmail.com.