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San Jose must unseal Pink Poodle strip club scandal documents about firefighters, judge rules

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:25 GMT

The City of San Jose was ordered by a judge on Friday to hand over investigatory documents related to a tawdry episode in October where a bikini-clad woman was seen stepping out of an on-duty firetruck and toward the Pink Poodle strip club.In May, The Mercury News sued the city after it repeatedly refused to release records about its internal probe of the Oct. 5 scandal and any subsequent disciplinary actions taken against the firefighters involved. Despite multiple attempts from reporters and a media attorney to obtain the documents through routine records requests, the city argued their release was not in the public’s interest and would have violated the employees’ privacy.In his ruling, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Thomas E. Kuhnle wrote that the law requires the city to give over investigatory records whenever it imposes discipline on an employee — and that the highly publicized incident garnered enough evidence and importance to compel full disclosu...

Proud Boys-linked Jan. 6 rioter gets 5 years in prison

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:25 GMT

By Alanna Durkin Richer | Associated PressA Florida man prosecutors say is affiliated with the Proud Boys extremist group was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison for attacking police officers with pepper spray as they tried to defend the U.S. Capitol against supporters of President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021.Barry Ramey, an aircraft mechanic who was convicted of assault and other crimes in federal court in Washington, D.C., also tried to intimidate an FBI agent investigating him before his arrest. Ramey anonymously called the agent and recited the agent’s home address over the phone, prosecutors say.Ramey has been locked up since his April 2022 arrest. His attorney wrote in court documents that Ramey “has understood the gravity of his actions and is ready for a change with support standing by to help him through it.”There was no immediate response Friday to an email sent to his attorney seeking comment.Prosecutors say Ramey joined a large group of Proud B...

Bill stalls to make Big Tech pay California publishers for news

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:25 GMT

​Signaling potential trouble for an effort to ​help news organizations survive in the internet age, an East Bay lawmaker has pulled back a bill that would force Google, Meta and other big technology firms to pay media companies in California for using their content.The bipartisan California Journalism Preservation Act (AB 886) had been scheduled for a hearing next week in a state Senate committee after the Assembly passed it last month. But in an abrupt reversal of momentum, the bill, strongly opposed by major tech firms, now has been sidelined until next year.The halt comes as Google and Facebook’s parent company, Meta, battle similar efforts in Canada and Australia, threatening to pull news from their platforms. Meta has made a similar ultimatum in California.The California bill aims to bolster the finances of traditional news outlets that have struggled even as their content has helped digital-advertising giants attract users to their platforms.Bill co-sponsor Buffy Wicks, ...

Louis Vuitton is latest high-end store to open in downtown Walnut Creek

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:25 GMT

(KRON) -- A luxury designer store has opened in downtown Walnut Creek. Louis Vuitton has opened a new location at 1275 Broadway Plaza.Louis Vuitton first opened its doors last Friday, June 30, a Broadway Plaza spokesperson confirmed to KRON4. The Paris-based designer store is on a shorter-term lease. These major retailers in downtown SF have closed their doors for good The spokesperson did not specify for how long exactly Louis Vuitton's lease is. However, the store "hopes to extend (the lease) after being open at Broadway Plaza for a while."Another luxury brand from France is set to open this summer. CHANEL Fragrance & Beauty Boutique is set to open by the end of July, the Broadway Plaza spokesperson said.Within the past year, Broadway Plaza has been through some changes. P.F. Chang's at 1205 Broadway Plaza closed its doors for good last month. Small business Decors de France shut down last fall -- the last mom-and-pop shop in Broadway Plaza. When Decors de France closed las...

Firefighters responding to grass fire in Brisbane

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:25 GMT

(KRON) -- Multiple fire agencies are responding to a grass fire in Brisbane on Friday afternoon, according to Cal Fire. Units with North County Fire Authority and Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz are on the scene. SF woman swept over Lake Tahoe waterfall; Oakland man dies on hike PG&E and Cal Fire images from the scene show what looks like an acre or two of charred vegetation. The burn area appears to be surrounded by trees with dense rows of homes not too far away.There are no reports of injuries or damage at this time.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Parole denied for man who 'slaughtered' his family as a teen in Monterey County

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:25 GMT

(KRON) -- The California Board of Parole denied granting freedom for a Monterey County man who "slaughtered" four family members when he was 19-years-old, prosecutors said. Harold Bicknell stabbed his grandmother, his 6-year-old cousin, and two more cousins to death on August 9, 1977. His killing spree was triggered when family members found out that he had impregnated an underage girl, prosecutors said. Bicknell's parole was denied Wednesday.Monterey County District Attorney's Office wrote, "Despite multiple confessions, in varying environments ... Mr. Bicknell claims to be innocent. The parole commissioners found the denial implausible."The quadruple killing happened inside Bicknell's grandmother's house in Seaside. On August 9, 1977, Bicknell arrived at the house with his pregnant 14-year-old girlfriend, identified by prosecutors as "Terri M."Bicknell’s grandmother, Josephine Smith, lived in the Seaside house with her 28-year-old daughter, Suzanne Harris, her 15-year-old granddau...

Suspect who inappropriately touched teen girl wanted by Mountain View PD

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:25 GMT

(KRON) -- Police in Mountain View are looking for a man accused of inappropriately touching a teenage girl on a trail on Wednesday. The victim, a 17-year-old Palo Alto resident, was jogging on the Bay Trail around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday when the suspect approached her, according to the Mountain View Police Department.The suspect, a man walking a bicycle, approached the girl and asked if she spoke Spanish. He then asked her if she knew how to get back to a hotel but never said which hotel, police said. SF woman swept over Lake Tahoe waterfall; Oakland man dies on hike The man then asked the girl to show him a map for how to get to the hotel on her cell phone. It was at that point that the man grabbed the girl, pulled her toward him and touched her inappropriately.The teen pushed the suspect away and ran away. She was able to flag down a woman walking by who walked her to her car, police said.The girl arrived at the Mountain View police station the next day to report the incident. S...

$139K of sunglasses stolen in series of retail thefts across Bay Area; suspect arrested

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:25 GMT

(KRON) -- A man was arrested in connection to a series of retail thefts across the Bay Area, the Santa Clara Police Department announced Friday on social media. Approximately $139,000 worth of sunglasses were stolen. These major retailers in downtown SF have closed their doors for good The suspect was apprehended on June 20 at the Westfield Valley Fair Mall where he was caught stealing merchandise from Macy's, according to police. Most of the stolen merchandise was "high-end designer" sunglasses.Earlier that month, the same suspect stole $7,851 worth of sunglasses from the Macy's men's store. The aforementioned total amount was across two thefts one day apart, police said.Police said the suspect was involved in similar thefts across Macy's stores in counties such as Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and potentially Santa Cruz. The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office has filed 17 documented cases of grand theft against the suspect, which led to the $200K arrest warrant to ...

Jay Monahan to return to PGA Tour commissioner role after month break

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:25 GMT

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is returning to work just over a month after he stepped away for a “medical situation,” saying a two-year battle that ended in a surprise agreement with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf had been “grueling for all of us.”Monahan informed the PGA Tour’s policy board, players and staff Friday evening that he will return to his role on July 17, the week of the British Open.He said June 13 he was turning over day-to-day duties to two of his executives, just one week after announcing the commercial agreement with Saudi Arabia’s national wealth fund.Seven weeks of private meetings preceded the agreement, and the following week was spent trying to meet with players and explain to them why the tour went from battling the Saudi league to becoming its partner.“I am deeply sorry that I haven’t been able to be with you during this time,” Monahan wrote. “The last two years have been grueling for us all. I experienced that toll personally in the days following ...

Athletics place major league steals leader Esteury Ruiz on the 10-day injured list

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:25 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — The Oakland Athletics placed major league steals leader Esteury Ruiz on the 10-day injured list Friday because of a right shoulder injury.The roster move, retroactive to Thursday, was one of several the Athletics announced Friday before opening a three-game series against the Red Sox.Ruiz is batting .257 with 43 stolen bases. The Athletics said the outfielder has a shoulder subluxation.Oakland also called up right-hander Angel Felipe and outfielder Cody Thomas from Triple-A Las Vegas and designated right-handed pitcher Rico Garcia for assignment.The Athletics have used 47 players this season, not including the additions to the roster made Friday. Oakland used 64 players last year.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource