Firefighters tackle a BMW on fire on I-680 in Walnut Creek

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:56:47 GMT

Firefighters tackle a BMW on fire on I-680 in Walnut Creek A BMW SUV that went up in flames Saturday afternoon on Interstate 680 in Walnut Creek shot smoke and sparks hundreds of feet up before responding firefighters were able to tackle the blaze.The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. on the Treat Boulevard off-ramp on northbound I-680. Traffic was slowed down to Highway 24.The engine appeared to be on fire and shooting sparks into the air, according to one witness. Firefighters arrived quickly and one person put out the fire. Smoke could be seen rising about 300 feet into the air.A Contra Costa County firefighter from Engine 1 attempts to extinguish a car fire on the Treat Blvd. off-ramp on northbound Interstate 680 in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Nobody was found inside or around the car, and the incident was turned over to the California Highway Patrol, said a spokesperson for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. The California Highway Patrol did not respond...

A woman in her 90s is rescued alive 5 days after Japan’s deadly earthquake

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:56:47 GMT

A woman in her 90s is rescued alive 5 days after Japan’s deadly earthquake By HIRO KOMAE, AYAKA MCGILL and YURI KAGEYAMAWAJIMA, Japan — A woman in her 90s was pulled alive from a collapsed house in western Japan late Saturday, 124 hours after a major quake slammed the region, killing at least 126 people, toppling buildings and setting off landslides.The woman in Suzu city, Ishikawa Prefecture, had survived for more than five days after the 7.6 magnitude quake that hit the area Monday. Nationally broadcast news footage showed helmeted rescue workers covering the view of the area with blue plastic, and the woman was not visible.Chances for survival diminish after the first 72 hours. Several other dramatic rescues have been reported over the past few days as soldiers, firefighters and others joined a widespread effort.Among the 126 dead was a 5-year-old boy who had been recovering from injuries he suffered when boiling water spilled on him during Monday’s 7.6 magnitude earthquake. His condition suddenly worsened and he died Friday, according to Ishikawa prefe...

It may be a long time, if ever, before everyone involved in January 6 is punished. Here’s why

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:56:47 GMT

It may be a long time, if ever, before everyone involved in January 6 is punished. Here’s why (CNN) — As Americans gear up for another tense presidential election, the U.S. legal system is still grappling with how to handle the hundreds of individuals who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, to keep former President Donald Trump in the White House.Over 1,200 Americans have been charged criminally for their alleged actions during the riot, and more than 890 have been found guilty of federal crimes, according to the Justice Department. More than half of those found guilty have been sentenced to prison time.And Trump, who was also criminally indicted for his alleged actions following his 2020 election loss, continues to propagate false claims of a stolen election and is again vying for the Oval Office.Even after three years, law enforcement and federal judges are feeling the reverberations of what has become the largest criminal investigation in American history, and the public is still wrestling with how the assault on the citadel of U.S. democracy will define the coun...

Unregistered handguns, cocaine, meth found in Marin County search warrant

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:56:47 GMT

Unregistered handguns, cocaine, meth found in Marin County search warrant (KRON) – Hundreds of rounds of ammunition and several unregistered handguns were found in a search warrant, the Marin County Sheriffs County’s Office announced Saturday. Marin County Specialized Investigative Unit detectives conducted a search warrant at a San Rafael residence on Jan. 4.  Hayward resident arrested for allegedly stealing over $7K from Colma business Alson Conkey, 58, was found to have several unregistered handguns, a shotgun, and a stolen assault rifle, police said. There were reportedly “hundreds” of rounds of ammunition and brass knuckles found in the search. Police also found cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and oxycodone inside the residence. Marin County Sheriffs County’s OfficeMarin County Sheriffs County’s OfficeConkey is a convicted felon, according to police. Police also detained Jessica Dwyer, 40. Dwyer was found to have two outstanding arrest warrantsDwyer was booked at the Marin County Jail for her warrants. Conkey also was booked for multiple felonies...

Feast of the Three Kings held at Our Lady of Charity National Shrine in Miami

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:56:47 GMT

Feast of the Three Kings held at Our Lady of Charity National Shrine in Miami Three Kings Day was children’s day at Our Lady of Charity National Shrine in Miami.The house of worship, located along the 3600 block of South Miami Avenue, held its Feast of the Three Kings, Saturday morning.The celebration brought children and their families out for a day of food, music, gifts and more, all part of the Hispanic tradition.As part of the event, a holy Mass was officiated to bless all of the kids in attendance.

Editorial: Oaths matter! So help me God

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:56:47 GMT

Editorial: Oaths matter! So help me God Taking an oath is not a joke!Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson can try to justify not reciting hers on Jan. 1, but it is simply unacceptable. She was ordered to report back to the City Clerk’s office to try again. She did so, obviously realizing her stunt was offensive.Her imprudence should not go unchallenged because the oath is sacrosanct.It separates us from Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Kim Jong Un’s North Korea, and Xi Jinping’s China. We could list a few other countries, but the oath is everything we believe in our souls.Our Democracy is flawed, but it’s ours to improve as best we can in our time on Earth. This great city deserves nothing less! We’ll use up our allotment of exclamation points if that’s what it takes to stop this ridiculousness!Fernandes Anderson made a mockery out of the oath, and she owes the city an apology. She’s being paid $115,000 and should act professionally!She told all of us who take pride in bei...

Search for missing helicopter underway near Revelstoke, B.C.

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:56:47 GMT

Search for missing helicopter underway near Revelstoke, B.C. REVELSTOKE — Rescue crews are searching for a helicopter that is believed to have went missing in Glacier National Park, east of Revelstoke, B.C., on Friday.Pedram Mohyeddin, a spokesperson for Maritime Forces Pacific, says the province’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre was alerted to the sound of an emergency locator transmitter about 10 nautical miles, or 18 kilometres, east of Revelstoke.Mohyeddin says crews are now operating as if the ping came from the missing helicopter, which was on its way from Calgary to Sicamous Friday.He says Search and Rescue, the RCMP and the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association have joined the ground search, but noted that it’s not clear if the helicopter crashed or how many people may have been on board.Mohyeddin says a search-and-rescue helicopter and a military aircraft were also tasked with finding the missing helicopter, but low visibility due to weather is preventing them from operating.He says they are grounded but are waiting for a window o...

Conservation group giving Christmas trees a second life

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:56:47 GMT

Conservation group giving Christmas trees a second life Christmas trees from across the region are finding a second life as one conservation group accepted hundreds on Saturday to be used in future projects.“People can upcycle their Christmas tree. They donate it to us and we’ll use it,” says Christine Bowen, Restoration Project Lead with Conservation Halton.It’s a program Conservation Halton runs at their headquarters in Burlington every year. Anyone can drop off their used tree on the first Saturday after the New Year where it will be stored and used as restoration work gets underway in the spring.According to Conservation Halton, each year roughly 1,000 trees are used to help mitigate erosion or to narrow creek beds that have become too wide, shallow and warm.“A lot of our fish species, they need clear water and cool water,” explains Bowen.The trees will be strategically bound together and held to the creek bed with wooden stakes. Over time the trees will collect sediment, both narrowing the creek and providing a new location to...

Protesters calling for cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war block freeway in Seattle for several hours

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:56:47 GMT

Protesters calling for cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war block freeway in Seattle for several hours SEATTLE (AP) — Protesters calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war blocked northbound traffic on Interstate 5 in Seattle for several hours Saturday. Additional demonstrators on a nearby overpass cheered in support of the blockade, which began around 1:15 p.m., the Seattle Times reported. The state transportation department said on the social media platform X that traffic at one point was backed up more than 6 miles (9.7 kilometers), and the agency asked drivers to use alternate routes.Demonstrators chanted “Free, free Palestine” and “Hey hey, ho ho, the occupation has got to go.”Seattle police posted on social media at 3:40 p.m. that officers gave a dispersal order, though protesters disputed receiving any such orders. Stormy weather, including hail, moved through the area, and protesters left the freeway around 4:45 p.m., according to the Times.Trooper Rick Johnson with the Washington State Patrol said via X that while people had abandoned the freeway, 12 vehicles were left...

Northwest Side residents meet to discuss crime in the 14th District

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:56:47 GMT

Northwest Side residents meet to discuss crime in the 14th District CHICAGO — Northwest Side residents met on Saturday to discuss how to tackle crime in their neighborhoods.Those who led the meeting say there are two crime statistics in particular greatly impacting neighborhoods in the 14th District and they said it is crucial to get people involved in the conversation.About two dozen people attended the 12 p.m. meeting at the Logan Square branch of the Chicago Public Library, which was hosted by the 14th District Community Committee for Public Safety and Policing Initiatives Investigation underway after man fatally hit by car in Park City "We can't tell the police how to be police, but what we can do is collect community perspective," Adam Burck, Chairman of the 14th District Community Committee for Public Safety and Policing Initiatives, said.Numbers shared in the meeting show that crimes like homicides and shootings are down, but robberies and motor vehicle thefts have skyrocketed around several wards that make up the 14th District.“Motor vehic...