Police impersonator arrested, accused of conducting illegal traffic stops in SGV

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:10:48 GMT

Police impersonator arrested, accused of conducting illegal traffic stops in SGV A person accused of impersonating a police officer and conducting illegal traffic stops in the City of Industry has been arrested by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies.The arrest was announced Wednesday by the LASD Industry Station.The unidentified person allegedly made multiple unlawful stops in the East Valinda area near Nogales High School, officials said.Photos shared by the Sheriff's Department showed the suspect wearing a complete law enforcement officer's uniform and standing next to a motorcycle outfitted to look almost exactly like an official police bike.Additional photos showed the suspect loaded into the back of a Sheriff's Department vehicle, as well as an array of official-looking items that were apparently part of the entire costume.The items included a bulletproof vest, emergency radio, badge and holster with a stun gun. Officials did not say if any of the items were legitimate or just replicas.Photos shared by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Departmen...

Stolen vehicle suspect in custody after L.A. pursuit

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:10:48 GMT

Stolen vehicle suspect in custody after L.A. pursuit An erratic driver who was weaving in and out of lanes of the northbound 5 Freeway, striking several vehicles in the process, was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon. It is unknown where the chase began but the driver was wanted for allegedly stealing a vehicle, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department official said. The driver was taken into custody after appearing to resist officers along the freeway near the Indiana Street exit in the Boyle Heights area. Traffic was backed up for miles in the immediate aftermath of the chase. Check back for updates on this developing story.

Man Hospitalized after Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Crash on Southmost Road [Brownsville, TX]

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:10:48 GMT

Man Hospitalized after Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Crash on Southmost Road [Brownsville, TX] Male Pedestrian Injured in Hit-and-Run Collision near Esperanza RoadBROWNSVILLE, TX (October 11, 2023) – Wednesday morning, one individual was taken to the hospital after a hit-and-run incident involving a pedestrian on Southmost Road.The crash unfolded at the 4700 block of Southmost Road, near Esperanza Road, on September 20th. Police say the driver of a gray or silver vehicle collided with a pedestrian and promptly left the scene.Medical personnel who arrived at the location transported the injured victim to a nearby hospital. Meanwhile, the driver who was involved fled and did not contact authorities.For a brief period, emergency crews closed off the surrounding area for cleanup and preliminary duties. Additional information will be made available as soon as it is released. Authorities are actively looking into the pedestrian collision on Southmost Road, and the suspect is currently still at large.Anyone with information is urged to contact Brownsville Crime Stoppers at (956) 546...

Palestinian officials: Civilians bearing brunt of Israel’s response

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:10:48 GMT

Palestinian officials: Civilians bearing brunt of Israel’s response By Isabel DeBre and Fatima Shbeir | Associated PressGAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Hallways filled with screaming voices. A terrible stench in the air. Wounded people streaming through the doors. Lifeless bodies and bags of body parts arriving in bedsheets.The scene at Shifa Hospital was a grisly reflection of the chaos around it. Even as workers mopped up blood and relatives rushed children with shrapnel wounds into surgery, explosions thundered in central Gaza City.Over the last five days, Israeli warplanes have pummeled the blockaded strip with an intensity that its war-weary residents had never experienced. The airstrikes have killed over 1,100 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Officials have not said how many civilians are among the dead, but aid workers warn that Israel’s decision to impose a “complete siege” on the crowded enclave of 2.3 million people is spawning a humanitarian catastrophe that touches nearly every one of them.The airstrikes hav...

‘Coal war’ in Oakland could be settled by judge ruling in contract dispute

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:10:48 GMT

‘Coal war’ in Oakland could be settled by judge ruling in contract dispute The fate of the long-running “coal war” in Oakland may come down to who a judge decides is to blame in a contract dispute between the city and one of its most prominent real-estate developers.In closing arguments Wednesday, attorneys for the city said developer Phil Tagami and corporate partner Insight Terminal Solutions failed to meet key deadlines in the construction of a large marine terminal that would ship bulk goods at the former Army Base in West Oakland.Tagami, however, contends that the city intentionally stalled the project in order to prevent the transport of coal through the harbor — having failed once before to ban coal from passing through Oakland altogether.The pollutant has proven to be politically toxic in Oakland. Environmental advocates have warned for years that coal dust mixed with the open air could worsen West Oakland’s air quality.The ensuing legal and public fight has put construction of the terminal on hold since it was first appro...

The oldest kosher bakery in Oakland hits the market for $1

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:10:48 GMT

The oldest kosher bakery in Oakland hits the market for $1 Grand Bakery, Oakland’s oldest kosher bakery and one revered for its challah, just went on the market for a single dollar.Owner Sam Tobis announced the news late Wednesday afternoon in an email seeking “someone passionate about Jewish baking to take the reins of the Grand Bakery in Oakland – available to purchase now for a mere $1!”Why that low price? “Because I’m less interested in profit off the sale and more invested in finding the right individual to carry on the beloved bakery’s 60-year legacy,” Tobis wrote. “I’ve maintained the Grand legacy for seven years but the time has come to pass it on to the next set of loving hands.”Tobis bought the bakery in 2017 to “keep the Grand legacy alive for future generations,” he said in a statement on the bakery’s website. “But life sometimes has other plans.” Tobis also recently became a partner at Saul’s Restaurant and Delicatessen in Berkeley, and ru...

After clearing one kibbutz, Israeli soldiers find slain children

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:10:48 GMT

After clearing one kibbutz, Israeli soldiers find slain children By Sam McNeil | Associated PressKIBBUTZ BE’ERI, Israel — Trudging down a cul-de-sac turned to rubble, an Israeli army commander stopped in front of one scorched home, its front wall blown wide open. Look at what Hamas militants have done, he said, to this close-knit community that only days ago brimmed with life.“Children in the same room and someone came and killed them all. Fifteen girls and teenagers, they put (them) in the same room, threw in a hand grenade and it’s over,” Major Gen. Itai Veruv said.“This is a massacre. It’s a pogrom,” he said, recalling the brutal attacks on Jews in Eastern Europe in the 19th and early 20th century.The Israeli military led a group of journalists, including an Associated Press reporter, on a tour of this village a few miles from Israel’s fortified border with Gaza on Wednesday, following an extended battle to retake it from militants. Before Israeli forces prevailed, the attackers killed more than ...

Vehicle crashes into SF building, causes large gas leak: officials

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:10:48 GMT

Vehicle crashes into SF building, causes large gas leak: officials SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A vehicle that crashed into a building caused a "large" gas leak Wednesday afternoon, the San Francisco Fire Department confirmed. The building is located in the area of Filbert and Fillmore Streets in Cow Hollow -- near Pacific Heights and the Marina District. Over $17K of merchandise from Lululemon, Victoria’s Secret recovered in suspected SF fencing operation Residents on the 2200 block of Filbert Street are evacuated. No injuries were reported, but the driver was evaluated and denied medical assistance, SFFD said.Vehicle and pedestrian traffic are closed at this time, authorities said. Video from the scene can be viewed in the media player above. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

2 more Oakland restaurants announce closures

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:10:48 GMT

2 more Oakland restaurants announce closures (KRON) -- Two more Oakland restaurants are closing in the coming weeks. Palmetto in Downtown Oakland and Caffe 817 in Old Oakland both announced their closures on Instagram.Caffe 817Caffe 817, located at 817 Washington St., is shutting down on Nov. 11. The self-described European-inspired cafe was open in the mornings and early afternoons for 30 years. Its struggles began before the COVID-19 pandemic. The cafe's Instagram post said the local health department forced it to change its menu format and business model because it could not install a ventilation hood. Caffe 817 fought through COVID shutdowns and "an increase of crime and safety issues" before closing, it said. Banana Republic opens new flagship store in Downtown SF "There has been a lack of leadership and support from the city to help address these issues and to return our beloved city to an area of hope and growth," the cafe said. "Adding to the macro economic factors of rising costs and fewer people than expected retu...

Advocates say Muslim students face harassment as conflict escalates in the Middle East

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:10:48 GMT

Advocates say Muslim students face harassment as conflict escalates in the Middle East The escalating war between Israel and Hamas has led to some Muslim and Arab students being harassed and intimidated on campuses, according to the Muslim advocacy group the Council on American-Islamic Relations.Zainab Chaudry, the director of the CAIR office in Maryland, said students have filed complaints at a number of the state’s high schools and college campuses over the past couple of days.“Sometimes this can look passive like calling students ‘terrorists,’ and sometimes it’s much more aggressive,” Chaudry said.One of the complaints came from Johns Hopkins University, where a Palestinian woman said she was heckled.“She said that she was walking across campus and somebody, an unknown male, went past her and said, ‘You’re getting what you deserve,” Chaudry said. “She just felt very unsafe.”In other instances, classroom discussions about Israel and Hamas at several Maryland high schools have led to bullying as ...