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Construction worker who died after being crushed by concrete wall in Pacoima was ‘irreplaceable’ grandfather of 3

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:47 GMT

A construction worker who died after being crushed by a concrete wall in Pacoima was described by his family as a loving husband, father and “irreplaceable” grandfather of three.Javier Calderon, 49, was killed in the accident Wednesday morning.The collapse was reported around 8:45 a.m. in the 10500 block of Glenoaks Boulevard. Two people were initially trapped, and while one was able to get themselves out, the other remained trapped under cinder blocks, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Worker dies after getting crushed by concrete wall in Pacoima Multiple firefighters tried to get the worker free, but he was pronounced dead at the scene around 10:30 a.m.A GoFundMe page started by his family indicates Calderon was more than just a construction worker. He leaves behind two daughters, a wife and three grandchildren.Calderon had promised one of his granddaughters to roast marshmallows on Friday night at the beginning of their usual sleepover, but “he did not make it back ...

26-year-old man gets 16 years to life in murder of woman in Oxnard

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:47 GMT

A 26-year-old man who has suffered from severe mental illness was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of a woman in Oxnard, authorities announced Wednesday.  James Beam, who is originally from Iowa, and the victim, Sybil Woodbury, were both homeless and living in an Oxnard shopping center when the fatal April 9, 2020, incident occurred.  The 26-year-old followed Woodbury to a darkened, isolated area of the shopping center’s parking lot and stabbed her to death while under the delusion that the victim was a threat to him and his children who lived out of state, according to a news release from the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.  “Ms. Woodbury died from a stab wound to the chest about 45 minutes after the attack,” officials said.  On April 15, 2020, detectives with the Oxnard Police Department arrested Beam, who subsequently confessed to the murder.  “Following Beam’s arrest, a thorou...

This strange wind effect is more common with newer cars

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:47 GMT

It has happened to all of us.You’re driving on the freeway and open a window to let in some fresh air. Immediately, you’re hit with throbbing, helicopter-like vibrations that produce unpleasant pressure on your body, especially your ears.Quickly, you roll down another window. Problem solved.So, what exactly is that vibration?It is called wind buffeting and is caused by something called Helmholtz Resonance. Hermann von Hemholtz was a German physicist who is considered one of the most influential scientists of the 19th century.As Car and Driver explains, wind buffeting is the interaction between two masses of air that creates vortexes that rapidly compress and decompress the air. It works basically the same way as when you blow into a bottle.“How intrusive buffeting can get depends on the car’s shape and the size of its windows as well as the speed the vehicle is traveling,” the automotive magazine explains.Most drivers will notice that wind buffeting seems worse when you open a rear ...

Under house arrest, fake heiress rehabs her rep with a podcast

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:47 GMT

By John Carucci | Associated PressNEW YORK — It’s a weekday afternoon and Anna Sorokin is on house arrest in a New York apartment building that has been condemned as imminently perilous to life. So she’s attempting to capture outside attention and relieving her boredom in the most quotidian way: starting a podcast.“So many people became famous for bad things and were able to kind of segue it into something different,” she recently told The Associated Press in her East Village apartment.“The main theme of my podcast is productive rule-breaking,” she said of “The Anna Delvey Show.”For now, she wants to reimagine her public image to shake her reputation of being a con artist and a scammer.“I’m on 24/7 house arrest. I’m only allowed to leave for my parole check-ins, my ICE check-ins and for medical emergencies,” she said. Behind her is a life-size cutout of her likeness — created by artist Kenny Schachter — which, l...

Letters: Animal welfare | Reverse boycott | Income-based billing| Ocean conservation | Hydrogen hype | Personal steps

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:47 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Livermore Rodeo needsanimal welfare policyBack in 1986, after a series of rodeo animal injuries and deaths at the Rowell Ranch Rodeo, the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District adopted a progressive animal welfare policy, one reviewed annually.The annual June Livermore Rodeo, managed by the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District, has no such policy. This needs to change, for the benefit of the animals and rodeo alike.At the very least, such a policy should require an on-site veterinarian and ban cruel, nonsanctioned events such as “mutton busting” and “wild cow milking” (recently outlawed by the county Board of Supervisors).Eric MillsCoordinator, Actions for AnimalsOaklandA’s reverse boycott willshow owners are wrongTuesday, June 13, is the reverse boycott for the A’s.I urge the East Bay Times to help get the word out about this event. This is an opportunity fo...

Single family residence sells for $1.8 million in Alameda

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:47 GMT

853 Oak Street – Google Street ViewA 2,076-square-foot house built in 1910 has changed hands. The spacious historic property located in the 800 block of Oak Street in Alameda was sold on May 5, 2023. The $1,765,000 purchase price works out to $850 per square foot. The property features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a garage. It sits on a 5,200-square-foot lot.Additional houses have recently been sold nearby:A 2,086-square-foot home on the 1300 block of Regent Street in Alameda sold in May 2023, for $1,580,000, a price per square foot of $757. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Whitehall Road, Alameda, in March 2023, a 1,636-square-foot home was sold for $1,625,000, a price per square foot of $993. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. 

Book publisher Richard Snyder dies at 90; ‘warrior-king’ was at heart of Simon & Schuster’s meteoric rise

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:47 GMT

By Hillel Italie | Associated PressNEW YORK — Richard Snyder, a visionary and imperious executive at Simon & Schuster who in bold-faced style presided over the publisher’s exponential rise during the second half of the 20th century and helped define an era of consolidation and growing corporate power, has died. He was 90.Snyder died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles, according to his son Matthew Snyder, who said he had been in failing health.“Dick Snyder led Simon & Schuster through some of its most storied and eventful years,” the company said Wednesday in a statement. “He built Simon & Schuster into one of the largest and most influential publishing companies in the world, known for headline-making nonfiction, bestselling fiction and timeless classics.”Snyder was among those who helped transform the industry. When he joined Simon & Schuster as a sales assistant in the early 1960s, publishing houses were mostly privately owned, some st...

Video shows attempted break-in using unknown device at San Jose hotel room

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:47 GMT

(KRON) -- An attempted break-in at a San Jose hotel room was reported Wednesday night. At least one suspect was using an unknown device to hook onto the inside doorknob and open the door from the outside, video posted on Reddit shows. San Jose rampage suspect worked for Google, had meth problem: court documents In the roughly one-minute video, the suspect uses a device in an unsuccessful attempt to open the deadbolted door. The room was on the eighth floor at the Holiday Inn on N First Street. The San Jose Police Department received a call around 9:36 p.m. for a "disturbance" at a Holiday Inn, the law enforcement agency confirmed to KRON4. Hotel management called to report two "suspicious" people on the property. The two suspects escaped hotel premises before police were able to make contact with them, SJPD said. KRON On is streaming news live now.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe,...

Vallejo stabbing suspect arrested after hours-long standoff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:47 GMT

(KRON) -- A man accused of committing a stabbing in Vallejo was arrested on Wednesday after a standoff that lasted several hours, the Vallejo Police Department said. VPD responded to a home on the 100 block of Ralston Court at about 12:23 p.m. for the report of a stabbing. A man with a non-life-threatening stab wound was located and hospitalized, police said. San Jose rampage suspect worked for Google, had meth problem: court documents The suspect refused to leave the home, and Vallejo's SWAT team and Hostage Negotiation Team arrived at the scene. After several hours of what police called "failed negotiations," the SWAT team entered the home and arrested the suspect without incident. He was identified as Ken Lamar Best. Best was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and booked into Solano County Jail. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Detective Bradley Phillips at (707) 805-1359 or [email protected] or Detective Brian Murphy at (...

Serial stalker Bill Gene Hobbs gets 6 years for crimes against women in SF

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:00:47 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- San Francisco serial stalker Bill Gene Hobbs was sentenced to nearly six years in prison and will have to register as a sex offender, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Thursday. Hobbs was convicted of felony false imprisonment, eight counts of misdemeanor battery, sexual battery, and assault.Hobbs, 34, was accused of groping and assaulting at least 14 women across the City of San Francisco, beginning in September of 2022 until he was arrested by US Park Police and San Francisco PD officers on Oct. 14. According to police, Hobbs would approach female victims and make unwanted physical advances toward them. Bay Area real estate value is fastest dropping in the nation, report says In many cases, he inappropriately touched the women and then fled the scene.He faced up to eight years in prison but received a sentence of two years and six months in County Jail, followed by three years in State Prison. He will have to register as a sex offe...