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PG&E preparing for possible power outages amid extreme heat
Triple-digit temperatures and power outages can be a dangerous combination.That's why PG&E has now activated its local emergency operation center in southeast Fresno as Central California braces for several days of excessive heat.PG&E has tracked weather events since 1970. Central Valley Region Vice President Josh Simes says since then, the utility has only seen severe conditions, like the ones we are about to experience, 18 other times."We ask our PG&E customers, our hometowns, to be prepared for heat outages that could happen," he said. "We ask them to check on their family members, those that are most vulnerable and ensure...
Oakland City Council passes budget using one-time funds from Oakland Coliseum sale
The Oakland City Council voted to approve a budget Tuesday that, while avoiding layoffs, also didn't solve the city's on-going fiscal morass. The 5-3 vote codifies a proposal by Mayor Shang Thao, with some amendments from councilmembers, to use $63 million from the anticipated $105 million sale of the city's ownership stake in the Oakland Coliseum to help close an estimated $117 million shortfall.The vote staves off painful service and program cuts for at least another year.If the sale doesn't go through or if the city doesn't receive its first payment from the buyers, the African American Sports and Entertainment...
Where to find SF Bay Area July 4th parades, festivals and fireworks shows
July 4th festivities will be held across the Bay Area this week through the actual holiday on Thursday with parades, festivals and fireworks shows.Below is a rundown of confirmed events:PARADES AND PICNICSAlameda 10 a.m. The annual July 4th parade returns. There will be additional July 4th festivities held at the USS Hornet starting at 10 a.m. Event infoAmerican Canyon This year's parade starts at 3 p.m. at American Canyon Road and Elliot Drive, traveling north on Elliot Drive to Benton Way, ending at Community Park II where there will be a celebration with food trucks, live music and other activities. Event...
‘Fog-free Fourth?’: Skies will be crystal clear for fireworks in SF—for once
Perhaps the only good news about the dangerous heat wave scorching the Bay Area this week is that fog is expected to burn off along the coast, allowing for clear skies—an essential and rare feature for viewing Fourth of July fireworks. The last time San Francisco had a fog-free...
Coliseum’s New Life Advances
On June 12, the Oakland City Council unanimously approved an initial agreement with the African American Sports & Entertainment Group to purchase the city’s 50% share of the Coliseum property for $105 million. This clears the way for development rights of the city’s largest public land site to an Oakland-based, African American development group—a first in the city’s 170-year history.
Exclusive: Oakland will not meet state's deadline to fix 911 response times
After July 26, Oakland is expected to lose state funding for its emergency communications center and be forced to reroute all its 911 calls through another agency’s calling center. These are the harsh consequences Oakland Police Department’s 911 center is set to face because it’s not able to improve...
Oakland entrepreneur's drone business taking off as alternative to fireworks
As some communities get ready for big fireworks displays for the July 4th holiday, others are making different plans -- including drone light shows.An Oakland entrepreneur is taking his small business to new heights and capitalizing on the increasing popularity of drone light shows as an alternative to fireworks displays. Inside John Eric Henry's office in Oakland's Jack London Square, he likes to create 3D animations of things flying in the night. "This is where the magic happens," said Henry, owner of Pinnacle Drone Light Shows. "This office used to be called the Holodeck [a Star Trek reference], but now it's...
DEA Oakland, Alameda Task Seize Enough Fentanyl to Kill 7.5 Million People; Dismantling Drug Ring in Arrests of Hunduran Narcos
Following a meticulous investigation spearheaded by the DEA Oakland in collaboration with the Alameda County Narcotics Task Force, a significant drug operation has been dismantled, resulting in the seizure of a substantial quantity of Fentanyl. The joint task operation focused on a group of individuals suspected of facilitating a substantial part of the fentanyl traffic within Alameda and San Francisco Counties. The sting operation culminated on Friday, 6/28, with search warrants being executed at multiple locations.
Pleasanton man sentenced to 15 years to life for ‘heinous’ murder, dismemberment of girlfriend
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... A Pleasanton man who was found guilty of second-degree murder for killing his girlfriend almost a full year ago and dismembering her body was formally sentenced to 15 years to life in a state prison without the possibility of probation Tuesday morning in a packed courtroom in Oakland.
‘Everything rests on this’: Will taxpayers loan Bay Area counties $20B to fix housing?
With state and federal funds drying up, banks lending less, and more cities facing budget deficits, tens of thousands of newly proposed affordable homes have been stuck in limbo, unable to get off the ground. So come this November, Bay Area voters will not only be weighing in on the...
Transient pushes woman into California commuter train, killing her
A homeless man allegedly pushed a 74-year-old woman into an arriving San Francisco Bay Area commuter train, killing her, police said Tuesday. Authorities with Bay Area Rapid Transit, better known as BART, said in a statement that the woman hit her head on the train and fell onto the platform in downtown San Francisco. She […]
Mayor Thao Applauds City Council’s Adoption of Proposed Midcycle Budget, Prioritizing A Clean and Safe City, Economic Development and Community Services
Mayor Thao Applauds City Council’s Adoption of Proposed Midcycle Budget,. Prioritizing A Clean and Safe City, Economic Development and Community Services. Oakland –Mayor Sheng Thao applauds the City Council’s vote to adopt her proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2025 Midcycle Budget Adjustment, a fiscally responsible budget that prioritizes public safety and other essential services. This budget will help maintain the progress we have made reducing crime, cleaning our streets, and promoting economic development.
Recall Thao campaign sued by Oakland ethics commission
The campaign committee, “Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao,” also known as OUST, is under scrutiny for possibly violating fundraising laws. In May, OUST was given a subpoena by the city’s Public Ethics Commission, claiming that the group was trying to bypass disclosing the sources and amounts of their campaign donations. After refusing to cooperate with the subpoena, OUST is now facing a lawsuit from the Ethics Commission.
More than 500 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks Off Oakland Streets
More than 500 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks Off Oakland Streets. For the second day in a row, the Oakland Police Department (OPD) is pleased to announce a significant seizure of illegal fireworks. While responding to a community member’s call in the 1500 block of 6th Avenue, officers saw a group of individuals near a vehicle. The group immediately left the area after seeing the officers arrive. The quick-thinking officers continued to investigate the area and came upon a vehicle with a large quantity of illegal fireworks in plain view.
Grand jury skeptical of Oakland police' capacity for new license plate readers
When Gov. Gavin Newsom announced earlier this year that the California Highway Patrol would install almost 300 new license plate readers in Oakland, it was the end of a roundabout process to fund, approve and implement the cameras. But the effect was the same: Oakland would expand its number of license plate readers nearly ten-fold.But that increase in the number of cameras won't be joined by an increase in the number of Oakland Police Department officers, and the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury released a report questioning whether the department can accommodate the new cameras. "OPD is unlikely to respond to...
Bay Area Spare the Air alert extended through Wednesday
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has extended a Spare the Air Alert through Wednesday as increased levels of smog pollution will continue to pose respiratory risk across the region.KPIX First Alert Weather: Current conditions, alerts, maps for your areaThe Spare the Air Alert is in effect Tuesday and Wednesday. The combination of weak afternoon sea breeze, extremely high inland temperatures above 100 degrees and tailpipe exhaust from the 3 to 4 million vehicles on the road each day in the Bay Area is causing unhealthy concentrations of air pollution, according to the air district.Air quality could be further impacted...
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