State

CALIFORNIA—California’s Great America amusement park officially announced on Tuesday, August 4 they would remain closed for the rest of the year. Manny Gonzales, Vice President and General Manager of California’s Great America indicated in a statement: “Today, California’s Great America announced that it would remain closed for the rest of 2020 due to the ongoing challenges related to the coronavirus (COVID-19)...

SAN FRANCISCO—Hair salons, barber shops, and massage studios opened on September 1, in what San Francisco Mayor London Breed called a “huge step in the right direction.” Since that date, hair salons were eligible to apply for permits and services, and were limited to dry hair cuts. Gyms were allowed to operate outdoors on September 9 at 9 a.m....

UNITED STATES—On Wednesday, March 10, members of Congress voted and approved the final details of the $1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The relief package will provide a $1,400 check for individuals earning $75,000 or less, or couples earning no more than $150,000 with an adjusted gross income. A child tax credit is also included with an...

SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco Bay Area was subject to some unusual seismic activity over a weekend in which five earthquakes were recorded in San Francisco alone. At 2:05 p.m. on May 3, a 2.5 magnitude quake rumbled the ground near Concord, a city suburb located approximately 30 miles northeast of Downtown San Francisco. The weekend’s largest earthquake came just 10 minutes later,...

SAN FRANCISCO—Beginning January 1, 2016, smokeless tobacco and chewing tobacco will be banned at sporting venues across the city. The new ordinance, signed Friday by Mayor Edward Lee, makes San Francisco the first city in the United States to ban a product that has been synonymous with baseball. Supporters of the ordinance have argued that the ban will push impressionable youngsters...

SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco couple’s divorce has taken an ugly turn following the breakout of a legal and ethical fight over the fate of frozen embryos they created five years ago. The issue began shortly after Dr. Mimi Lee, 46, received a breast cancer diagnosis back in September 2010 that prompted her and her husband, executive Stephen Findley,...

CALIFORNIA— Four men were sentenced on Friday, July 24 for their involvement in a large-scale scheme where homeless individuals on Skid Row were bribed in exchange for forged signatures on ballot petitions and voter registration forms, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Richard Howard, 64, and Louis Thomas Wise, 37, both pleaded no contest to falsifying names...

SAN FRANCISCO—On Saturday, December 3, the newly renovated, Hilltop (Sundial) Park, which is  3.58 acres located at La Salle Avenue and Whitney Young Circle opened to the public. The new park design is a result of several community workshops, focus groups, and volunteer clean up days. The new park contains two playgrounds, new seating throughout the park, improved ADA accessible pathways, new...

BENICIA―A homeless man who was found in possession of a replica gun, in addition to drugs was arrested by authorities in Benicia on Wednesday, February 1, after a city employee reported the individual to authorities. The homeless man was sleeping in a parked boat on East Fifth Street located near the wastewater treatment plant . The employee noted that the man may...

WESTWOOD—Co-Founder of Death Row Records, Marion “Suge” Knight was involved in a fatal hit-and-run on Thursday, January 29 in Compton. The victim was Terry Carter, 55, who was killed when Knight put his vehicle in reverse and ran over Carter. Also injured during the incident was Cle Sloan, 51. Knight has been taken into custody by authorities and booked on...