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California rents rise for 3rd straight month

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:16 GMT

”Survey says” looks at various rankings and scorecards judging geographic locations while noting these grades are best seen as a mix of artful interpretation and data.Buzz: California rents have increased three straight months after dropping in the previous five months.Source: My trusty spreadsheet looked at ApartmentList’s April report on California rents.ToplineRents statewide ran $1,941 a month in April, up 1.4% (or $26) in three months. It’s slightly smaller than the 2017-19 average increase of 1.64% in the January-to-April period.The upswing is a contrast from the previous five months when rents fell a combined 4.5% (or $90). So, tenants are paying only 0.1% more in a year – but 15.2% more over four years.DetailsThe slower growing state economy has enough muscle left to help end the recent rent drops.And the ongoing move back to offices and classrooms for workers and students may have pushed some tenants to move away from inland neighborhoods and back to traditional employment ...

Prosecutors: Man sat in car with loaded gun at Martinez elementary school parking lot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:16 GMT

MARTINEZ — Contra Costa County prosecutors filed a two-count complaint Wednesday against a Martinez man, charging him with possessing a loaded gun at a school, authorities said.The 23-year-old was charged in an April 26 incident at John Swett Elementary School in the 4900 block of Alhambra Valley Road, according to a statement from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s spokesperson Ted Asregadoo.Martinez police officers were dispatched to the school about 1 p.m. amid reports that a man who was known and not welcomed on the campus was in the school parking lot, Asregadoo said. The initial reports informed police that the man frequently carried a gun.The suspect cooperated when police approached him while he was in a vehicle in the parking lot; he told them he had a gun, Asregadoo said. Officers arrested the man on suspicion of possessing a gun in a school zone and carrying a loaded concealed gun.Police later took two additional weapons from the man’s residence...

Northern California man’s guilty plea hinges on finding victim’s remains

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:16 GMT

A man pleaded guilty to killing a Eureka woman on Tuesday, but his plea was conditioned with a requirement that he tell the police where his victim’s remains are located. If the police do not find the remains, the plea will be rejected and he will face a trial.Jason Miller, a Eureka man pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of 32-year-old Kiera Foley, would receive a 25-year sentence if law enforcement locates her body after his statement. He also pleaded guilty to killing Foley with a gun, committing assault with a semi-automatic firearm, assaulting Mark Dare — a now convicted child molester who was in the county jail with Miller for a time — and giving him great bodily injury.“(Miller) will give a full and truthful statement as to the remains of Kiera Foley,” Andrea Sullivan, Miller’s attorney said Tuesday afternoon in superior court.Before the plea agreement, Sullivan had filed a motion to dismiss charges against her client, citing the fact that Foley’s body had ...

Prep roundup: James Logan beats Mission San Jose, improves to 11-0 in MVAL baseball standings

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:16 GMT

NEW: PREP SPORTS MAILBAGThe Bay Area News Group is introducing a high school sports mailbag in May. Get your questions in as soon as possible. Our debut edition is an open forum. Got questions about spring sports playoffs, coaching changes, an early peek at football season, etc.? Send questions to [email protected]. Please include “mailbag” in the subject line.BaseballAeryk Hernandez is in his sixth season as the baseball coach at James Logan, and his last three teams are a combined 34-23, including a 2-0 victory over Mission San Jose on Wednesday.What has eluded Hernandez is an outright Mission Valley Athletic League title. The Colts finished in a first-place tie in each of the last two years.There is no way the veteran coach wants that to happen again. So he’s making sure his players know they have to win at least one more game for an outright MVAL championship.At 11-0 in league play and 14-6 overall, the odds would overwhelmingly favor the Colts, ranked No. 19 in t...

Chico State cuts ties with therapist who counseled both faculty and professor who allegedly made gun threats

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:16 GMT

Chico State has ended a contract with a mental health counselor hired to help faculty and staff cope with allegations that a biology professor threatened to shoot campus colleagues after university officials learned from court filings that she was also treating that very professor, David Stachura.The counselor, Christina W.H. Wong, didn’t disclose the apparent conflict of interest to university officials, according to documents and interviews.  Wong’s “no longer active in our system and will not receive new referrals,” campus spokesperson Andrew Staples told EdSource.Wong, a Chico-based licensed clinical social worker, has treated Stachura regularly since October 2021 according to a declaration Stachura filed in Butte County Superior Court as part of his effort to stop the university from obtaining a permanent workplace violence restraining order barring him from campus. She began treating other faculty and staff affected by the alleged threats in January.Neither Wong nor Empathia, ...

PG&E first-quarter profits jump as company’s utility revenue surges

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:16 GMT

OAKLAND — PG&E’s profits jumped during the first three months of 2023, the utility reported Thursday, a rise that coincided with big increases in monthly bills that numerous PG&E customers had to endure.During the January-through-March first quarter of 2023, PG&E earned $623 million, an 18.2% jump in profits from the $527 million in company profits during the same quarter in 2022, PG&E stated in a quarterly report it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.Operating revenue for both electricity and gas totaled slightly less than $6.21 billion during the first quarter of 2023, which was an increase of 7.1% from the January-through-March quarter of 2022, PG&E reported.Total revenue from electricity operations was $4.12 billion in the first quarter of 2023, which was a 0.9% decrease from the year-before quarter.Natural gas total operating revenue was $2.09 billion in this year’s first quarter, a jump of 27.4% from the same quarter the pri...

Cinco de Mayo 2023: Tacos, beer, margaritas and discounts

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:16 GMT

Cinco de Mayo falls on a Friday this year, meaning that several restaurants will keep the party going all weekend.Chains from quick-service to full-service have discounts with beer, margaritas and tacos.Here are some of the specials announced on websites and in news releases.Black Angus Steakhouse: There will be all-day happy hour on May 5 with a Messy Michelada for $8.50, Chili-Lime Chicken Bites for $11.99, and $7 starters, according to a news release. blackangus.comBJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse: The Huntington Beach chain will introduce a new Mexican-style lager,  BJ’s CureVeza, on Thursday, May 4 to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It will donate 25 cents per pint brewed to support research for a cure, according to a news release. May 5 happy hour deals will include $6 Brewhouse Margaritas. bjsrestaurants.comRELATED: 20+ Cinco de Mayo parties, parades, and celebrations happening in the Bay AreaChipotle Mexican Grill: The Newport Beach chain is partnering with e...

Oakland teachers on strike starting Thursday after no deal is reached with school district

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:16 GMT

(KRON) -- The Oakland Education Association will go through with its strike starting Thursday, the Oakland Unified School District said. OUSD said the strike will happen "despite great progress in negotiations." "OUSD has failed to come to the table in good faith," OEA said. "Educators will be on the picket line tomorrow, on strike for our students & for Oakland schools. Join us on the picket line. We will continue to negotiate in good faith & hope the district does the same." Person of interest in Davis stabbings detained, police say Schools will be open on Thursday, but teachers will not be in classrooms, per OUSD. The school district does not know how long the strike will last and says it will continue to bargain with teachers. "The end of the school year is always filled with milestone events for our students, so we want to ensure regular school resumes as soon as possible," OUSD said. Officials with the OUSD have scheduled a news conference Thursday morning on the fir...

SF 'feels post-apocalyptic,' Musk tweets in response to latest store closures

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:16 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Downtown San Francisco has taken on a "post-apocalyptic" feel due to closed retail establishments, according to a tweet from Elon Musk. Following the recent announcement that Nordstrom would be closing its longstanding Bay Area flagship store at Westfield San Francisco Centre and a nearby Nordstrom Rack location, the city's seemingly struggling retail economy has been back in the spotlight. Eighties rock anthem dropped as SF Pride’s theme after singer’s controversial tweet City leaders like Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who represents the district where Nordstrom is located, have lamented the closures, expressing disappointment and blaming the closures on "unsafe conditions." The right-leaning media has also been quick to seize on the Nordstrom closures as the latest evidence of San Francisco's detioration.Now, Twitter's owner has weighed in, tweeting "So many stores shuttered in downtown SF. Feels post-apocalyptic," in response to a tweet about car break-ins fro...

Best county to retire in every state

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:16 GMT

Retirement should be an exciting time, but for some retirees, the current economy with inflation rates sitting at 5%—well above the acceptable rate of 2%—has made for a belt-tightening experience.Many retirees have padded their retirement savings by relocating to a cheaper area. In 2019, those who leveraged this strategy were able to gain about $100,000 in home equity, according to Vanguard Group.While this strategy may not be for everyone, 40% of non-retired investors planned to relocate after they stopped working, with the cost of living and taxes being the top two factors for their desire to move, according to Nationwide.A financial situation may be one reason to move, but seniors aged 65 or older also have many other factors to consider when choosing where they want to live out their golden years. These include government services, health care facilities, climate, crime rate, recreational activities, eating establishments, cultural and entertainment opportunities, and more. Stac...