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High utility bills? California regulators must do more to protect consumers, auditor says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:42 GMT

Electric bill shocking? Natural gas bill igniting a slow burn? Folks love to blame all that on the California Public Utilities Commission, which critics say has rarely met a rate increase it didn’t like.The state auditor isn’t quite that harsh, but the watchdog agency’s probe of the CPUC and its in-house Solomon-the-Wise/Protector-of-the-People, the Public Advocate’s office, finds weaknesses in their oversight of California’s utility monopolies.“Our assessment focused on electricity and natural gas rate increases, and we determined that the CPUC and Cal Advocates need to strengthen their monitoring of utilities’ costs, and the CPUC needs to provide greater transparency when authorizing rate changes,” said California State Auditor Grant Parks in a report to the governor and legislature released Tuesday, Aug. 29.“(B)oth agencies can better protect customers by implementing certain improvements to their oversight.”All charts by the California State Auditor The auditor looked at ra...

Saratoga winery could stop tastings next month when permit expires

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:42 GMT

House Family Vineyards may have to stop hosting wine tastings on its property at the end of next month.The winery is set to go before the Saratoga City Council on Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. to ask for an extension of its temporary compliance plan, which allows the business to host wine tastings while it completes the permit process it bypassed more than a decade ago.House Family Vineyards, located in the hills of Saratoga at 13336 Old Oak Road, opened 10 years ago and has become a popular tasting room with an open-air deck and sweeping views of Silicon Valley.Once the city caught wind of the winery’s lack of permits, it was forced to shut down until it had the necessary paperwork on file.Last year, the winery applied for a temporary compliance plan, which allowed it to remain open at a limited capacity until Sept. 30. A group of residents appealed the decision, citing noise levels, traffic concerns and safety issues, but the council rejected that appeal.Nancy Leitzke, who filed the app...

Cal turns to transfer portal to restock roster, break out of losing rut

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:42 GMT

BERKELEY — Cal is still waiting on definitive word whether it will move to the Atlantic Coast Conference next season. But as the college football landscape undergoes seismic change on all fronts, the Golden Bears appear to be gaining a foothold with the transfer portal.The Golden Bears will have as many as 19 first-year transfer players on the team plane this week as they head to Denton, Texas for their Saturday opener against the North Texas Mean Green.Nine of those — including quarterback Sam Jackson V, formerly of TCU — are listed as starters or co-starters. The newcomers hail from schools in 14 states, with at least one from every Power Five conference in the country.“It’s just a new era — it’s different,” said coach Justin Wilcox, who started four transfers in the Bears’ 2022 opener. “You have so many new faces from where we were a year ago. But it’s exciting, too, because the dynamics change and the competitiveness certainly increased at a number of spots.“It’s not dull....

Saratoga Retirement Community residents speak out against proposed expansion

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:42 GMT

The Saratoga Retirement Community, nestled in the foothills above the city’s heritage orchard, is facing an ambitious expansion project to make room for more local seniors, but current residents say the project will impact their quality of life and the character of the historic campus.The expansion project at SRC, located at 14500 Fruitvale Ave., would expand its capacity by 52 independent living units with the construction of three new buildings.First proposed in 2019, the project will head to the planning commission sometime this year, with several opportunities for public review. Earlier this month, the city hosted a meeting to discuss the project’s draft environmental impact report, and more than 400 residents sent in public comment letters against the project’s proposed design.Construction noise, air pollution and impacts to traffic are top concerns among the residents at SRC.“In a way, we really feel that this is discrimination,” said Tsing Bardin, a member of the reside...

SF store clerk killed after robbery, assault with bat

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:42 GMT

(KRON) -- A store clerk in San Francisco's Richmond District has died after he was assaulted with a baseball bat during a robbery Thursday night, according to organizers of a GoFundMe set up for him. Around 9:31 p.m., officers responded to the report of a robbery and aggravated assault in the 3900 block of Balboa Street. An unconscious 60-year-old man, Yohannes Tewolde, also referred to as John, was found lying on the ground, according to police.(Photo: GoFundMe)Tewolde was taken to a local hospital with significant injuries. He died on Tuesday. An investigation into this incident and eyewitness accounts revealed an unknown suspect attempted to steal merchandise from the business. Tewolde confronted the suspect with a bat, police said. Major police activity at Chabot Elementary School in Oakland The suspect began assaulting Tewolde and was able to gain control of the bat with which he began hitting Tewolde. Before fleeing the scene, in an unknown sedan, the suspect threw the bat ...

What you need to know ahead of Beyoncé concert at Levi's Stadium

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:42 GMT

(KRON) -- Beyoncé fans are getting ready to take over Levi's Stadium Wednesday night ahead of her “Renaissance World Tour."Here's everything you need to know if you are planning to attend the concert.Timeline3 p.m.: Parking lot and box office open.3:30 p.m.: Early check-in begins for Club Renaissance or BeyHive VIP concertgoers. 6 p.m.: Stadium gates open.8 p.m.: Show begins.TransportationParking for regular vehicles start at $60 and parking for oversized vehicles, such as buses and RVs, start at $130. Traffic and delays are expected and fans are strongly encouraged to take public transportation. Here’s what it costs to see Beyoncé at Levi’s Stadium The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is offering more light-rail trains ahead of tonight's concert.What to bringWhen it comes to what you are allowed to bring inside the concert, Levi’s Stadium only allows clear bags that do not exceed 12 by 6 by 12 inches.Small cameras and cell phones are permitted. Professional cameras wit...

Caregivers report emphasizes need for information, respite in Santa Clara County

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:42 GMT

(BCN) -- An increasing number of Santa Clara County residents are acting as caregivers for adult family members, a trend that is projected to increase throughout the decade. What those caregivers and professional caregivers who work directly with patients need most is information and respite, according to a report by the county's Department of Aging and Adult Services that was commissioned last year and presented to the county Board of Supervisors during its regular meeting Tuesday. The report outlined several top needs for caregivers and goals the county could pursue to provide more resources and support to the roughly 217,000 people currently acting as caregivers in the county, 177,000 of whom are volunteers such as friends, neighbors and family, and another 40,000 of whom are health care professionals known as direct-care workers. By 2030, an estimated 20 percent of Santa Clara County residents will be over the age of 65, according to state projections. Pressed by...

Cops find over 30 dead dogs in New Jersey home; pair charged with animal cruelty, child endangerment

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:42 GMT

EVESHAM, N.J. (AP) — Two people were charged with animal cruelty and child endangerment after police found the bodies of at least 30 dogs at a home in southern New Jersey this week. Investigators believe up to 100 dogs died in the home, including many believed to have been buried on the property. Officers found both live and dead dogs in the residence on Monday, along with several cats and rabbits, the Evesham Police Department said. Nine of the live dogs were taken to an animal hospital for treatment, including several that were in “extremely poor health,” authorities said. One of those dogs eventually had to be euthanized.Rebecca Halbach, 35, and Brandon Leconey, 32, were arrested Monday in Evesham, a suburb of Philadelphia. Police went to the home after someone associated with an animal rescue group based in North Carolina, which had given the pair money to care for some of its dogs, reported seeing several malnourished and sick dogs around the property.Authorities said a 9-year-...

Court says Netanyahu’s son must pay damages to woman he implied had affair with his father’s rival

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:42 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son must compensate a woman who sued him after he implied she was having an affair with his father’s chief political opponent, a court ruled Wednesday. The court ordered Netanyahu’s eldest son, Yair Netanyahu, to pay over $34,000 in compensation and $6,000 in legal costs to Dana Cassidy. Cassidy sued him for defamation in 2020 after he insinuated on social media that she was romantically involved with Benny Gantz, who was running against his father for prime minister at the time. Over the course of the election, which ultimately returned Benjamin Netanyahu to leadership, Yair Netanyahu posted a series of unsubstantiated statements implying that Gantz was having extramarital affairs, according to the ruling. “The insinuation that the young activist had an intimate relationship with the head of the party, a married man who is decades older than her, could humiliate her and make her a target of hatred, conte...

These are Virginia’s top-selling spirits

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:42 GMT

Tito’s Handmade Vodka has been the top-selling spirit at Virginia’s state-run liquor stores for years, and it continued its reign in fiscal year 2023.The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control’s annual report on the top selling spirits notes Tito’s accounted for $72 million in sales in FY23 — $5.1 million more in sales compared to FY22.Tito’s was followed by Hennessy VS cognac, with $44 million in sales, Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 whiskey, with $30.1 million in sales, Patron Silver tequila, with $2.86 million in sales and Jim Beam straight bourbon whiskey, with $24 million in sales.The bestselling categories at ABC stores were led by vodka, followed by tequila — which overtook straight bourbon whiskey for second place, followed by cordials and rum.Tequila accounted for 13.7% of all spirits sales, and those sales were up 18.4% from the previous fiscal year.The biggest declines in sales were cognacs and Armagnacs, down 14.6% from the previous year, and Ca...