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California's downtown areas were emptied by COVID; some areas are recovering

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:22 GMT

As the COVID-19 pandemic loosens its grip on California cities, many have wondered if popular destinations for residents and tourists alike, such as downtown areas, will ever rebound.Experts with the School of Cities at the University of Toronto compiled foot traffic data based on cellphone data from 62 North American cities from 2019 to November 2022 to see how quickly California's downtown areas are recovering from the stay-at-home orders.The report found that cities like Bakersfield, Fresno and San Diego are recovering or, at times, exceeded its pre-pandemic foot traffic numbers. In contrast, other cities like San Francisco and Oakland haven’t fully recovered. New census estimates show which California counties are losing residents This is how California cities ranked on the study’s downtown recovery analysis:2nd: Bakersfield: 118%, Exceeded pre-pandemic foot traffic levels3rd: Fresno: 115%, Exceeded pre-pandemic foot traffic levels8th: San Diego: 93% of pre-pandemic foot traff...

Woman Killed, 3 Injured in Solo-Car Crash on Sunset Boulevard [Hollywood, CA]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:22 GMT

Woman Killed in Fiery Single-Vehicle Accident near La Cienega BoulevardHOLLYWOOD, CA (April 26, 2023) – Early Monday morning, one woman was killed and three were hurt in a solo-car crash on Sunset Boulevard.The incident happened around 2:30 a.m., at the 8200 block of Sunset Boulevard near La Cienega Boulevard on April 3d.According to reports, the driver of a Tesla X was traveling at a high rate of speed and crashed in the area. Upon impact, the vehicle became engulfed in flames which caused fatal injuries to a female passenger.In addition, medics transported two other female passengers for treatment of various injuries. Another driver then took the driver to a nearby hospital for further treatment.Emergency crews closed off the surrounding area of Sunset Boulevard for a brief time during cleanup and preliminary duties. Those with further information about the solo-car crash on Sunset Boulevard should contact local authorities immediately.Once available, further details will be...

gocoffeego.com: How Passion Drives the Enduring Specialty Coffee Movement

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:22 GMT

If you find yourself living life at a rapid pace, and in need of slowing things down, enjoying a good cup of coffee can offer a great start.Brew some coffee. Enjoy the aroma. Take a seat. Pour a cup.Whether you’re starting your day with a first cuppa, taking a mid-afternoon break or winding down with a post-dinner refresher, a coffee, espresso, cappuccino or latte can create a space that’s just for you.The toned-down pace afforded by a cup of caffeine also reflects the origins of the Specialty Coffee Movement.“Specialty Coffee is produced with love and care,”said Elise Papazian, co-founder of San Francisco-based GoCoffeeGo.com. “It can never be rushed.“It’s all about high quality and takes a lot of effort, starting at the farm level with the best product. It is about the best soil, the best climate and how it is handled and sorted. Only the sweetest and ripest coffee cherries are picked. Waiting, caring and babying these plants is essential—and it takes time. The best coffee roaster...

Discovering the Magnificence Within: Lessons from “Go Be Brave”

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:22 GMT

Have you ever wondered how you would survive a journey across the country with no money, no food, and only the kindness of strangers to rely on? It’s a daunting task, but it’s just another adventure for Leon Logothetis. The global adventurer, host of the popular Netflix & Discovery+ series The Kindness Diaries, motivational speaker, and best-selling author has traveled to over 100 countries with nothing but his beat-up Beetle, a few articles of clothing, and the generosity of strangers. His work has been featured on Good Morning America, Rachel Ray, Tamron Hall Show, and New York Times.In his latest book, Go Be Brave, Leon shares his incredible mission and teaches children and teens how to become fearless, deeply connected, and braver humans. He aims to help them live without anxiety and fear, even in uncertainty. He teaches parents and their children life-saving tools that can start to make a change in bringing voices back to so many that have felt so silent.But Leo...

Kurtenbach: My seven-round 49ers mock draft (featuring way too many trades)

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:22 GMT

The 49ers finally started taking my advice.After years of doing the dumb thing and drafting in the first and second rounds, the Niners traded away all those early picks and are solely focused on the good stuff: late-round picks only nerds like me care about.Yes, I’m talking about the picks they let a zoo animal, a face-painted fan, or the owner’s third cousin twice removed announce on TV — if the pick is announced at all. AKA, the good stuff.Thing is, the Niners might have overdone it on all those Day 2 and Day 3 picks. With seven compensatory selections, the Niners boast 11 picks in this week’s draft, which starts Thursday in Kansas City.That’s too many picks, so I traded away a bunch of them in my Niners’ Mock Draft.So here you go, a bunch of names you probably don’t know (good for you) with numbers attached. I watched all these players, so you don’t have to, and if I get even one of these picks right, I expect a parade to be thrown in my ...

Q&A: The “King” of cocktail bitters talks foraging ingredients in West Marin

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:22 GMT

Lawrence Batterton is a medicinal herbalist by trade who a decade ago stumbled, quite successfully, into the bitters business.“I started making cocktail bitters for holiday gifts. I’d play around with different recipes, like ‘Winter Blend’ or ‘Silk Road,’ type up my own labels and give them away to people like Christmas cookies.”His pungent creations – twice as strong as bar versions, thanks to his herbalist training – got such a popular reception that in 2017 he founded King Floyd’s Bar Provisions. The Novato-based company kicked off with “Aromatic Bitters,” an original recipe with 10 spices and herbs like gentian, cacao and black walnut. It’s since grown a nationally distributed product line with “Green Chili” and “Scorched Pear and Ginger” bitters, flavored salts and sugars, and deals with Williams-Sonoma and New York celebrity bartender Sother Teague.Batterton, the CEO and self-titled “chief bottle washer” of King Floyd’s, recently...

We Build The Wall founder imprisoned for fraud

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:22 GMT

By Jake Offenhartz | Associated PressNEW YORK — The co-founder of a fundraising group linked to Steve Bannon that promised to help Donald Trump construct a wall along the southern U.S. border was sentenced to four years and three months in prison on Wednesday for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors.Brian Kolfage, a decorated Air Force veteran who lost both of his legs and an arm in the Iraq War, previously pleaded guilty for his role in siphoning donations from the We Build the Wall campaign.A co-defendant, financier Andrew Badolato, was also sentenced to three years for aiding the effort. He had also pleaded guilty. A third man involved in siphoning funds from the wall project, Colorado businessman Tim Shea, won’t be sentenced until June.Kolfage and Badolato were also ordered to pay $25 million in restitution to the victims.Absent from the case was Bannon, Trump’s former top political adviser. He was initially arrested aboard a luxury yacht and faced f...

Los Gatos nursing home patient from San Jose killed by contaminated sandwich, lawsuit claims

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:22 GMT

A San Jose man recovering from surgery at a Los Gatos nursing home was killed by a contaminated sandwich staff served him, a new lawsuit claims.Richard Truong, 71, ate the sandwich at Vasona Creek Healthcare Center, according to the lawsuit by his wife Nancy Truong and his daughter Cyn and sons Robert and Eric.“Richard Truong developed sepsis and septic shock as a result of an infectious process which developed as a result of deplorable, unsanitary conditions,” the lawsuit in Santa Clara County Superior Court alleged.Vasona Creek Healthcare Center did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.Truong fell ill with gastro-intestinal problems after eating the sandwich in December 2021, then suffered seizures, the lawsuit claimed.Facility staff called Truong’s son Eric, “but did not call paramedics,” the lawsuit filed last week alleged.Truong’s daughter Cyn arrived soon after, “and witnessed her father vomiting and experiencing severe s...

Pedestrian dies from injuries suffered in East Bay collision last month.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:22 GMT

UNION CITY — A pedestrian injured when he was hit by a person driving a vehicle last month has died from his injuries, police said Wednesday.Arturo Marquez, 76, of Hayward, died at a hospital on April 19, according to a statement from Union City police.The driver of the vehicle has cooperated with the subsequent investigation, police said. They did not make an arrest but said the investigation is ongoing.Officers responded about 9:35 p.m. on March 23 to the area of Dyer Street and San Marco Court. They arrived to find Marquez in the roadway and unresponsive.An ambulance took him to a hospital.

Warriors-Kings Game 4 most-watched 1st round game in over 20 years

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:01:22 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- The first-round series between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings has captured the interest of fans well outside of Northern California. Of all the first-round games in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, none of them have garnered as many eyes as the one between the two NorCal rivals. Game 4 between the Warriors and Kings drew the largest TV audience for a first-round game across any network in 21 years, according to a press release from ESPN. The Warriors' 126-125 nail-biting win averaged 7,523,000 viewers during Sunday afternoon's ABC broadcast -- peaking at 10,406,000 viewers. SF Giants ace picks Kings over Warriors, wagers with Bay Area native teammates The game was also the most-watched television program on Sunday, the release said. Game 4 was the most-watched first-round playoff game since Lakers-Blazers Game 3 in 2002 averaged 8,555,000 viewers -- a matchup that featured NBA legends Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Fan interest in this series also ...