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A 21-year-old skier who was reported missing at a Northern California ski resort was found dead Thursday morning, officials said.
Deputies received a report of a possible missing person at Northstar California Resort around 11 p.m. Wednesday, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said.
Authorities quickly began investigating and located the man’s vehicle in the resort’s parking lot. Based on their investigation, the sheriff’s office said deputies determined the man had gone skiing earlier in the day and had not returned as expected.
The Placer County Office of Emergency Management coordinated search efforts, activating the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team early Thursday morning. The search included 15 skiers, a snowcat and two snowmobilers. Northstar Ski Patrol members also assisted in the effort.
At approximately 9 a.m., search crews located the man deceased in an area with trees, investigators said. He has been identified as Colin Kang of the San Francisco Bay Area city of Fremont.
Additional details about the circumstances surrounding his death have not been released.
This marked the third death at Northstar California Resort this month.
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — Carson Whisenhunt wasn’t expecting to see a number that high.
During the first inning of Thursday’s simulated game, Whisenhunt geared up and fired a four-seam fastball to catcher Logan Porter. The pitch felt good coming out of his hand, so he took a look at Scottsdale Stadium’s scoreboard to see how hard he just threw.
97.
This wasn’t a case of a stadium having a hot radar gun. The scoreboard projected Trackman readings, meaning this was a legitimate 97 mph. And if this caliber of heat is real, it has the potential to transform him as a pitcher.
“I think there’s more in there, too,” Porter said. “It’s coming out firm.”
Whisenhunt’s velocity wasn’t just for show. He retired seven of the eight batters he faced during the sim game, striking out Jesus Rodriguez, Jake Holton and Bo Davidson on his signature changeup.
“I’m feeling a lot better than I did last year,” Whisenhunt said. “I’m moving better mechanically, especially, so everything’s just kind of flowing right now. I’m trying not to overdo it, but it came out hot today.”
Whisenhunt didn’t exhibit this type of velocity during his brief time in the majors last season. Over five starts, the left-hander had an average fastball velocity of 92.6 mph, which ranked in the 23rd percentile. His velocity with Triple-A Sacramento (92.3 mph) was no better.
The left-hander said he was sinking in his back hip a lot more last year, which he felt like was “blocking velo, so to speak.” Now, Whisenhunt is a little more upright and trying to get into his back hip.
“And then, just kind of throwing the [expletive] out of it,” Whisenhunt said with a smile. “That’s the best way to put it.”
In his estimation, the last time Whisenhunt exhibited consistent mid-90s velocity was 2023, his first full season as a professional after being drafted in the second round of the ‘22 MLB draft. That year, which he spent with Single-A San Jose, High-A Eugene and Double-A Richmond, Whisenhunt’s velocity sat in the 94-97 mph range.
Whisenhunt, who’s peaked as high as 98 mph, acknowledged that he probably won’t consistently hit as high as 97. If he can sit comfortably in the 94, 95-mph range as he did in 2023, the rest of his arsenal plays up — especially his bread-and-butter changeup.
“Obviously, trying to win a job, you have to do a little extra as a young guy, but not trying to overdo it,” Whisenhunt said. “But also, get my work in and make sure I’m ready for the season.”
Improved velocity isn’t the only new tool in Whisenhunt’s bag. The left-hander, like many other young starters in camp, added a cutter to his repertoire. Whisenhunt has also worked on his slider, the focus being on generating more horizontal and downward movement.
One of Whisenhunt’s biggest additions to his game hasn’t been extra velocity or refined pitches, but the subtraction of tipping.
Whisenhunt and the Giants’ coaching staff realized he was tipping pitches after his start against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 27, a game he won after allowing three earned runs over five innings. Before Whisenhunt could address the issue, his lower back began giving him issues and sidelined him for the rest of the year.
“Obviously, it’s frustrating,” Whisenhunt said. “Tipping pitches is my fault, but at the same time, a lot of other teams knew that I was throwing it and still had trouble hitting it. It’s a confidence booster for me, but at the same time, if I could have gone out there and not been tipping pitches, it might’ve been a whole different outcome.
“We obviously don’t know that — it could’ve gone either way. I had success, I had failure, so I’m looking at it as, ‘What can I do better during spring training to push me to get back up there?’”
Lighting up the scoreboard will certainly help Whisenhunt’s pursuit of getting back to the majors.
Santos hits triple digits in sim game
Whisenhunt wasn’t the only pitcher chucking heat on Thursday. Right-hander Gregory Santos not only retired all four batters that he faced but also touched 100 mph during his at-bat against Tyler Fitzgerald.
“It’s a good arm,” Whisenhunt said. “Then, you play the four-seam off of that, the two-seam that he’s got and he’s got the power slider as well. Tough for a hitter in that aspect.”
Santos, 26, made his debut with the Giants in 2021 and is back in camp as a non-roster invitee. The right-hander pitched well for the Chicago White Sox in ‘23, posting a 3.39 ERA and 2.65 FIP over 66 1/3 innings, but injuries have limited him to 16 appearances over the last two years.
Clad with a sparkly gold dress and her iconic smile, Oakland’s Alysa Liu made history at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Thursday.
The 20-year-old skated her way to gold in the women’s singles figure skating event, leading several points ahead of Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai, who won the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Liu is the first American woman to take the gold home at an Olympics individual figure skating event in 24 years since 2002 by Sarah Hughes, three years before Liu was born. Although she won gold in the mixed team event for USA earlier this Olympics, this is her first individual Olympic title.
After her win, an outpour of congratulations came from local Bay Area organizations and other notable athletes who are celebrating her historic gold medal. Here are just a several that we found heartwarming:
Visit Oakland celebrated Liu in a joint Instagram post with her home rink, Oakland Ice Center, and thanked her for “sharing [her] love of Oakland with the world.” The post also included her high school alma matter, Oakland School for the Arts.
Training in San Francisco, Liu described that she frequently takes the BART to travel from Oakland and back. The public transport system applauded the Oakland native for making the Bay Area proud.
Fellow Bay Area figure skaters Brian Boitano, Dorothy Hammill and Kristi Yamaguchi celebrated the win on Instagram with a shared selfie, highlighting the historical significance of the win.
Liu also got a shoutout from the legendary gymnast Simone Biles, posting “SLAY QUEEEEEN,” on her Instagram story with a repost of Liu’s win.
Sharks Ice and the San Jose Sharks also congratulated the skater, applauding her win for the gold medal.
The San Jose Sharks congratulated Alysa Liu on her golden performance Thursday.
Broadcaster and former figure skater Tara Lipinski, who also won the gold medal in the same event in 1998, wrote a heartfelt message to Liu on her Instagram, welcoming her to the gold club.
Watch all the action from the Milan Cortina Olympics and Paralympics on NBC and Peacock.
Mayor Lurie signed a new drug-focused sobering center into law Wednesday, despite City Attorney pushback that the center has a “failure to comply with State law” and “non-compliance with standards for detention facilities.”
The SF Board of Supervisors took a very normal and seemingly unexciting vote last week to approve Mayor Daniel Lurie’s proposed $14.5 million RESET Center, which would basically be 25 so-called “sobering beds” run by the SF Sheriff’s Office. People who are busted while high on fentanyl or other drugs could simply be given the chance to sober up on a bed and then hopefully seek drug treatment. The program would be run by some outfit called ConnectionsCA, which despite the name, appears to be based in Phoenix, Arizona.
Lurie then signed the center’s existence into law on Wednesday, saying in the tweet below that “Today, I signed legislation to open the new Rapid Enforcement, Support, Evaluation, and Triage Center—better known as the RESET Center.”
For too long, San Franciscans have been told that we must choose between clean, safe neighborhoods and compassion for those struggling on our streets.
I ran for mayor because I believed we can—and should—do both. And today, we’re showing that our city doesn’t have to choose… pic.twitter.com/zTKNPDRpw5
But KTVU reports on worries voiced by the City Attorney’s Office that the RESET Center may not even be legal. According to KTVU, “The program is raising some concerns. City officials have confirmed a confidential memo from the city attorney’s office raising questions whether the RESET center can be legally considered a jail or detention facility.”
Mayor Lurie’s new South of Market “sobering center” is legally risky & could invite a lawsuit, a confidential city attorney’s memo found.
The center, where deputies can arrest & hold inebriated people, could be viewed by a court as a “detention facility.”https://t.co/PuMo1qWrpy
That KTVU reporting picks up on the confidential City Attorney memo originally reported last week by Mission Local. Mission Local managed to obtain that confidential memo, which stated that that the proposed center had a “failure to comply with State law” in terms of staffing, safety checks, and detox treatment. The memo also acknowledges a potential serious liability that anyone who went through the center could then sue the city for “non-compliance with standards for detention facilities.”
When the investigation identifies who unlawfully disclosed confidential @SFCityAttorney advice, I’ll introduce a censure motion against the @SFBOS member involved. City officials who violate these laws are subject to penalties and “removal from office due to official misconduct.” pic.twitter.com/0Z2p5YNJHc
And goodness gracious, is Supervisor Matt Dorsey angry that that confidential memo became public! “When the investigation identifies who unlawfully disclosed confidential @SFCityAttorney advice, I’ll introduce a censure motion against the @SFBOS member involved.” Dorsey fumed on Twitter last week. “City officials who violate these laws are subject to penalties and ‘removal from office due to official misconduct.’”
Will there seriously be an “investigation” into who leaked this memo? Dorsey is throwing around some very pointed language that some mystery supervisor might be “removed” from office, though as Mission Local notes, “Lurie, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, police chief Derrick Lew, and Director of Public Health Daniel Tsai also received the memo.” So that’s also a lot of City Hall officials (and their staffers) who may have seen the memo and could have been the leakers as well.
Maybe the City Attorney’s legal concerns are ticky-tack, and maybe the RESET Center will go off without a hitch. And maybe, just maybe, this very small and modest drug rehab program will save some folks from addiction, or maybe it will set off some witch hunt inquisition that Supervisor Dorsey seems to want at the SF Board of Supervisors.
MILL VALLEY, Calif. (KRON) — An avalanche near Lake Tahoe has left at least eight people dead and one person missing in what officials describe as the deadliest such event in decades. Rescuers managed to save six others after the group of 15 skiers was buried alive during a winter storm Tuesday.
The victims, who range in age from 30 to 55, include mothers from the Bay Area. Nevada County sheriff’s officials reported that it took rescue crews 6 hours to reach the survivors during a blizzard that produced gale-force winds and made visibility nearly impossible.
Rescue efforts transitioned into a recovery operation as dangerous conditions persisted in the area following the Tuesday morning event. Shannan Moon, the Nevada County sheriff, said crews utilized snowcats and specialized skiers to navigate the treacherous terrain. “A slow and steady pace going with snowcats skiers, going up into the area, which is still considered a very high danger for avalanche,” Moon said.
Snow falls on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
Experts noted that the risk of such events is typically highest immediately following major weather patterns. Craig Clements, a meteorology professor at San Jose State University, explained the specific timeline of peak risk. “Usually the first 24-48 hours after a very very large snowfall that the danger is highest,” Clements said.
Rapid snowfall and powerful winds continued to hamper efforts to reach the victims throughout the week.
The tragedy has specifically impacted the Bay Area community of Mill Valley, where some of the skiers on the trip resided. Staff at a local coffee shop in Mill Valley described one of the deceased victims as a friendly regular who frequently visited the business with her children. While officials confirmed the skiers from Mill Valley were mothers, their specific identities have not been released.
Max Perrey, the mayor of Mill Valley, addressed the impact of the loss on the community. “Our heart in Mill Valley goes out to the families that have been impacted. It’s a huge tragedy and a huge loss,” Perrey said. The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the victims were between ages 30 and 55.
Recovery crews are waiting for the current storm to lift before attempting to remove the bodies from the site. A backcountry avalanche warning from the National Weather Service remains in effect until Friday morning.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will gather Thursday with representatives from more than two dozen countries that have joined his Board of Peace – and several that have opted not to – for an inaugural meeting that will focus on reconstruction and building an international stabilization force for a war-battered Gaza, where a shaky ceasefire deal persists.
Trump announced ahead of the meeting that board members have pledged $5 billion for reconstruction, a fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild the Palestinian territory decimated after two years of war. Members are expected to unveil commitments of thousands of personnel to international stabilization and police forces for the territory.
“We have the greatest leaders in the world joining the Board of Peace,” Trump told reporters earlier this week. “I think it has the chance to be the most consequential board ever assembled of any kind.”
The board was initiated as part of Trump’s 20-point peace plan to end the conflict in Gaza. But since the October ceasefire, Trump’s vision for the board has morphed and he wants it to have an even more ambitious remit – one that will not only complete the Herculean task of bringing lasting peace between Israel and Hamas but will also help resolve conflicts around the globe.
But ahead of the board’s first gathering, the Gaza ceasefire deal remains fragile and Trump’s expanded vision for it has triggered fears the U.S. president is looking to create a rival to the United Nations. Trump earlier this week said he hoped the board would push the U.N. to “get on the ball.”
“The United Nations has great potential,” he said. “They haven’t lived up to the potential.”
Some US allies remain skeptical More than 40 countries and the European Union have confirmed they will send officials to Thursday’s meeting, according to a senior administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly. Germany, Italy, Norway and Switzerland are among more than a dozen countries that have not joined the board but are expected to attend as observers, the official said.
The U.N. Security Council held a high-level meeting Wednesday on the ceasefire deal and Israel’s efforts to expand control in the West Bank. The U.N. session in New York was originally scheduled for Thursday but was moved up after Trump announced the board’s meeting for the same date and it became clear that it would complicate travel plans for diplomats planning to attend both.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told reporters earlier this week that “at the international level it should above all be the U.N. that manages these crisis situations.” The Trump administration on Wednesday pushed back on the Vatican’s concerns.
“This president has a very bold and ambitious plan and vision to rebuild and reconstruct Gaza, which is well underway because of the Board of Peace,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “This is a legitimate organization where there are tens of member countries from around the world.”
Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., also pushed back on skeptical allies, saying the board is “not talking, it is doing.”
“We are hearing the chattering class criticizing the structure of the board, that it’s unconventional, that it’s unprecedented,” Waltz said. “Again, the old ways were not working.”
Questions about disarming Hamas Central to Thursday’s discussions will be creating an armed international stabilization force to keep security and ensure the disarming of the militant Hamas group, a key demand of Israel and a cornerstone of the ceasefire deal.
But thus far, only Indonesia has offered a firm commitment to Trump for the proposed force. And Hamas has provided little confidence that it is willing to move forward on disarmament. The administration is “under no illusions on the challenges regarding demilitarization” but has been encouraged by what mediators have reported back, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto pledged to work closely with other leading Islamic countries invited by Trump to “join in the endeavors to try to achieve lasting peace in Palestine.”
“We recognize there are still obstacles to be overcome, but at least my position is at least we have to try, and we have to do our best,” he said at an event at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, where he met with members of the business community.
On Thursday, updates are expected from the Gaza Executive Board, the operational arm of the board, about its efforts to create a functioning government system and services for the territory, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the broad outlines of the meeting.
In addition to Trump, the official said other speakers at the conference would include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the executive board’s high representative Nickolay Mladenov, and Waltz.
Michael Hanna, U.S. program director at the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit group focused on preventing conflicts, suggested the skepticism some U.S. allies are showing is not unwarranted.
“Without any clear authorization for the expansion of its mandate beyond Gaza, it is unsurprising that many U.S. allies and partners have chosen to decline Trump’s offer to join the board,” Hanna said. “Instead, many of the states most invested in Gaza’s future have signed up with the hope of focusing U.S. attention and encouraging Trump himself to use the influence and leverage he has with Israel.”
Alysa Liu is left to bear the ambitions of the American figure skating team on Thursday night, when the last of the “Blade Angels” with a legitimate shot at the Olympic gold medal tries to catch Japanese teammates Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto during the women’s free skate at the Milan Cortina Games.
Nakai, Sakamoto and Mone Chiba give Japan the chance for the first-ever women’s podium sweep.
Then there is Adeliia Petrosian, the young Russian sprite competing as a neutral athlete, and the only one of the contenders who has the ability to land a quad jump. She could shake up the entire competition with one big performance.
Those are the key players as the final night of figure skating drama unfolds at the Winter Games.
“Of course I want a medal. It would be very nice,” said Sakamoto, the bronze medalist from the 2022 Beijing Games, who trails Nakai by just a point in what is likely her final Olympics. “But I want to let everybody know what I’ve done over my career. I want people to know that there was a skater of this kind in Japan who had performed for a long period.”
Indeed, the Olympic gold medal is just about the only thing the 25-year-old Sakamoto has yet to win in her career.
At the opposite end of the longevity spectrum is Nakai, the 17-year-old inspired by the great Mao Asada. She will be the final skater on the ice after a brilliant performance Tuesday night, when she landed one of two triple axels in the entire women’s short program.
Chiba trails both of her Japanese teammates along with Liu, but the world bronze medalist is firmly in the mix.
“Being in Italy, with the music ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ I hope to skate as well as possible,” Chiba said, “and see how things are.”
Liu, who is two points out of first place, was the only skater to wedge herself among the Japanese trio.
The 20-year-old from the Bay Area has been on a dream ride ever since her two-year retirement, which had allowed her to reprioritize the things in her life and rediscover her love for skating. Liu became the first American world champion since Kimmie Meissner in 2006 last year in Boston, and now she could end an even longer U.S. drought for women at the Olympics.
“The Star-Spangled Banner” has not played for a podium ceremony since Sarah Hughes triumphed at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.
“I don’t think about stuff like that,” said the carefree Liu, who finished sixth at the Beijing Games, shortly before walking away from the sport. “My goal is just to do my program and share my story.”
Petrosian is the wildcard in the competition simply because she is so largely unknown.
The 18-year-old from Moscow has been unable to compete on a global stage because Russia remains banned from international events following its invasion of Ukraine. The few glimpses that people have seen have come from domestic events, where scores are typically inflated, and where the competition is far different from what Petrosian is experiencing at the Olympics.
Yet the latest pupil of controversial coach Eteri Tutberidze, Petrosian has proven in Milan that she could well become her nation’s next gold medalist, following in the footsteps of compatriots Adelina Sotnikova, Alina Zagitova and Anna Shcherbakova.
The last non-Russian to win the Olympic gold medal was South Korea’s Yuna Kim at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
“At first I was worried, not about my skate, but about my (emotional) state. This was the most important start of my life,” Petrosian said following her short program Tuesday night. “I hope this will help me with my free skate.”
Ronnie Selleaze notches triple-double to lead San Lorenzo past Heritage. Mission San Jose, Piedmont roll. Moreau Catholic girls cruise to second round.
The major thoroughfares through Northern California’s high country were seeing extended closures as extreme weather blankets the region.
Highway 50 reopened Wednesday morning, but officials cautioned that conditions remain slick and more wet weather was on the way.
I-80 was closed from Colfax to the Nevada state line, but reopened by 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Highway officials later closed eastbound I-80 over Donner Summit Wednesday evening, but have since reopened it with chain controls.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, westbound I-80 was closed to all semitrucks at the Nevada state line. For eastbound, trucks were required to carry chains.
Along Highway 50, the closure was in effect from Pointview Drive in Placerville to Meyers. That closure was lifted a little before 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Chain controls remain in effect on Highway 50 from Kyburz to Meyers.
BLIZZARD conditions at Donner Pass with gusts up to 40 mph, visibility down to 0.16 miles and heavy snow.
This is the CalTrans camera at the summit right now showing I-80.
CHP reporting I-80 now CLOSED both directions from Applegate to Nevada State Line. pic.twitter.com/lnK5gcNYUY
Near-whiteout conditions were buffeting Sierra mountain passes throughout the day on Tuesday, and by Wednesday night, the snow level had reached Applegate at around 2,000′ elevation, the lowest since 2023.
Snow levels now down to Applegate on I-80! Lowest snow since Feb 2023.
CHP Auburn saying in the video closure on I-80 EB to assist CalTrans on full chain controls.
The San Francisco Zoo has a new CEO. Six months after longtime executive director and CEO Tanya Peterson resigned amid growing dysfunction and reported mismanagement at the zoo, interim director Cassandra Costello has gotten the permanent position. [Chronicle]
Bay Area activist and tattoo artist Guillermo Medina Reyes has been arrested by ICE, after previously fighting his deportation in court last year. Reyes was reportedly taken into custody on Saturday, six months after he was arrested for attempted carjacking in Berkeley amid an apparent mental health episode — an incident which occurred two weeks after Reyes had won a temporary restraining order against ICE. [Mission Local]
French Laundry chef Thomas Keller has apparently joined the opposition that is fighting the design of an affordable housing development in Yountville, which is aimed at workers in the area earning less than $50K per year. Keller and others are encouraging the town to redraft plans to include more larger, family-oriented units, arguing that there is little to no interest in studio apartments among local workers. [Chronicle]
National:
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified today in the landmark trial in which his company and YouTube are accused of purposefully making app that are addictive to teenagers. The plaintiff’s attorney grilled Zuckerberg on internal documents that coached him in giving testimonies like this one, telling him not to be so “try hard, fake, robotic, corporate or cheesy” in how he spoke. [Associated Press]
Trump is now threatening to strike Iran as soon as this weekend. [CNN]
As ICE buys warehouses to increase its detention capacity, some local communities are pushing back. [New York Times]
Team USA won a nail-biter in overtime to beat Sweden 2-1 in men’s hockey today in Milan, advancing to the semifinals where they’ll play Slovakia. [CNN]
Video:
Take a tour of famous album cover photographs that were taken in and around San Francisco.
(KRON) — An investigation is underway after two people were found dead inside a Pleasanton home on Wednesday morning after reports of gunshots, according to the Pleasanton Police Department.
PPD said officers responded at 10:05 a.m. to a residence in the 3100 block of Joanne Circle and located “two apparent adults with multiple gunshot wounds.”
Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department. Their identities have not yet been released.
“Based on a preliminary investigation, the shooting appears to be an isolated incident,” said PPD in a news release.
This is an active case. Anyone with information about this incident is strongly encouraged to contact PPD at (925) 931-5100.
NEWARK, New Jersey — Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey were temporarily suspended after engine failure forced a JetBlue flight to return to the airport and evacuate passengers via slides on Wednesday, according to officials.
JetBlue Flight 543 took off from Newark heading to West Palm Beach around 5:45 p.m., and then immediately returned to the airport due to engine failure, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in a statement.
After the plane landed and exited the runway, the crew of the Airbus A320 reported smoke in the cockpit and evacuated the passengers via slides, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
They say the plane landed safely with no injuries reported.
Flight operations had been temporarily suspended while the aircraft was removed from the taxiway.
The airport has since reopened and flight operations resumed around 7 p.m., according to the FAA and the Port Authority.
Newark Airport advised travelers to check with their airline for up-to-date information.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Authorities said eight of the nine skiers reported missing after an avalanche near California’s Lake Tahoe have been found dead, with the ninth skier still missing but also presumed deceased.
The avalanche was reported near Castle Peak in Nevada County, north of Boreal Mountain Ski Resort, around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday as a heavy snowstorm moved through Northern California, bringing blizzard conditions to higher elevations.
A total of 15 backcountry skiers were involved in the avalanche, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office reported, with six of those people surviving and being rescued from the site.
Map of the area where the Feb. 17 avalanche took place.
Nine people were still missing as of Wednesday morning, officials said. Search efforts intensified on Wednesday as crews looked to take advantage of a break in the weather.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office announced at a press conference later Wednesday morning that eight of the nine missing skiers had been found dead. Search efforts were still ongoing for the last missing skier, but sheriff’s officials said they are presuming that the missing person has also died due to the condition of the scene.
Blackbird Mountain Guides, which led the skiers into the backcountry, stated that the group was returning from a three-day trip at Frog Lake. The group included four ski guides and 11 clients, the company said.
Of the six people rescued, the sheriff’s office said two have been hospitalized for treatment. The sheriff’s office stated that the survivors were one man and five women, ranging in age from 30 to 55 years old, with one of the six people being a Blackbird Mountain Guide. One of the injured survivors was stabilized, authorities said, while the other was still receiving treatment.
Sheriff’s officials noted that none of the bodies of the eight people found dead have been removed at this time. Search crews have placed avalanche poles so that the bodies can be found again when conditions permit, officials said.
An Avalanche Warning, with the danger rated as “high,” was in effect at the time of Tuesday’s incident, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center. Even into Wednesday, search crews were dealing with elevated avalanche risks and treacherous conditions.
Officials underlined the danger of the backcountry where Tuesday’s avalanche took place, referencing the January avalanche that also killed a snowmobiler near Castle Peak.
SAN JOSE — A fight over sites near a BART station east of downtown San Jose might be headed to a jury trial that would pit small business owners against the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.
The VTA is attempting to seize properties it says are needed to construct the 28th Street/Little Portugal BART Station near the interchange of U.S. Highway 101 and East Santa Clara Street. The site is bounded by North 28th Street, East St. James Street, North 30th Street, and Five Wounds Lane.
Properties bounded by Five Wounds Lane, North 28th Street, East St. James Street, and North 30th Street, that are the site of a future BART station east of downtown San Jose, marked by the lines. Boundaries are approximate. ( Google Maps )
A business already ousted from the BART site, Monarch Truck Center, moved in 2024 to a new location at 1015 Timothy Drive in San Jose because it was forced to swiftly decamp from its longtime spot at 195 North 30th St. at the request of VTA officials, according to Monarch Truck Center Chief Executive Officer Nicole Guetersloh.
“We were told we needed to leave so construction could start, but it has been almost two years, and nothing has happened,” Guetersloh told this news organization. “The building is still standing. They haven’t even taken down our signs. The extra time could have made a huge difference for us in terms of finding a new location.”
Monarch Truck Center headquarters at 1015 Timothy Road in east San Jose, seen in November 2024. (Google Maps)
In 2021, the VTA filed a lawsuit against the owner of the site as well as Monarch and other businesses at the location as part of an eminent domain proceeding to seize control of the property so the BART station could be constructed.
The transit agency at one point even asked a Santa Clara County judge to order the businesses to vacate the site before a judgment was issued authorizing VTA to take ownership of the property.
“To meet the current construction completion schedule and ensure critical path activities are not compromised, the subject property is needed by April 2023,” Gary Griggs, the VTA’s chief program officer for the BART extension in the South Bay, stated in court papers filed in 2022. “Securing possession by this date will allow the contractor(s) to begin building demolition work and site preparation, followed by archaeological testing.”
Following the VTA filing, it has been disclosed that massive funding shortfalls have engulfed BART’s extension to three San Jose train stops and one in Santa Clara.
For Monarch Truck Center, finding a new site and setting up shop wasn’t straightforward.
“Moving a company like Monarch Truck Center isn’t easy,” Guetersloh said. “There were very few available properties that fell within the boundaries we must adhere to. Even fewer were properly zoned and capable of supporting a full-service truck dealership like ours. Every time I drive by our old location, I can’t help but wonder what was the rush.”
The VTA’s lawsuit is now headed for a jury trial within the next few weeks, absent an out-of-court settlement of the case, court papers show.
“After VTA condemned the property, Monarch was forced to relocate to a subpar site with significant limitations,” Monarch Truck stated in a background document regarding the case. “The business has suffered a measurable loss of goodwill and is seeking just compensation. VTA has valued the company’s losses at $0, and the case is headed to trial.”
In celebration of Black History Month, NBC Bay Area’s Damian Trujillo talked with the leaders of three parochial schools in the South Bay who made history.
Rod Jemison represents the Jesuit motto at Bellarmine proudly: a man for and with others. Jemison is also the first Black principal in Bellarmine’s 175-year history.
“Just tells you that the pioneers of our culture paved the way for me to sit here today. I think about Douglass, I think about King, I think about Malcolm,” Jemison said.
And while diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, or DEI, have been heavily scrutinized under the Trump administration – Bellarmine still has a DEI director.
But Jemison also notes. the DEI philosophy does not completely define the Bellarmine mission.
“It can’t be the only way in which justice is served. It can’t be the only way in which America finds its way to hope and justice,” Jemison said.
Five miles away is Archbishop Mitty High School, an academic and athletic powerhouse.
Latanya Hilton is a Mitty alum, and also the school’s first Black president. She says Mitty also has a DEI director.
“We have always been super mission-driven around belonging and inclusivity and equity, because that is what the catholic church has called us to do because the Catholic schools were built to educate the marginalized communities of this world,” Hilton said.
For Hilton, social justice is a lived experience.
Originally from the deep south, her parents attended San Jose State with John Carlos and Tommy Smith, icons of the civil rights movement during the 68 Olympics.
“When you see these iconic individuals like Rosa Parks, MLK, we tell the story of the accomplishments but there’s also the story of the sacrifice and the times when they may have wanted to give up and they had to keep going,” Hilton said.
In downtown San Jose, Ashley Rae Mathis is also a first at her school; she is the first black head of school in Notre Dame’s 175-year history.
Home of the center for women’s leadership.
“While I am the first head of color, it is significant that I am a black, African American identifying woman. That is the distinction for me,” Mathis said.
“Yes I’m modeling leadership in terms of academic excellence. And I’m modeling what a Black leader could and should be, and it’s a tremendous weight and a tremendous privilege,” Mathis continued.
The mission at Notre Dame: educate the future women of impact.
“Our school was founded with the principle that diversity is a gift, and social justice is our intention,” Mathis said. “Representation matters and modeling matters. I don’t just want to be the first, I want to pave the way for who is to come.”
Mathis, Hilton, and Jemison say Black history is American history.
We didn’t know the number of casualties Tuesday when we learned of an avalanche in the Tahoe area, but now we know that nine back-country skiers are missing. Six skiers were rescued near Castle Peak, and this was reportedly a group of 15, with 11 clients and four guides with Blackbird Mountain Guides. [KCRA]
Authorities have confirmed the identity of a Bay Area man who died Sunday in a skiing accident at the Tahoe resort North Star. The man was 53-year-old Stuart McLaughlin of Hillsborough, and he died in a collision with another skier. [KTVU]
One of the nation’s largest mall owners, Simon Property Group, is trying to kick Saks out of the Stanford Shopping Center, claiming the retailer failed to pay rent before it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year. [Bay Area News Group]
An immigration judge has blocked the Trump administration from deporting pro-Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi, a grad student at Columbia who was detained last year when he appeared for a naturalization interview in Vermont. [The Hill]
The acclaimed and historic Chalone Vineyard is shutting down production at its Monterey County winemaking facility, but its wines will still be made at a facility owned by parent company Foley Family Wines. [Chronicle]
US skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin has taken home gold in the slalom event, ending a US medal drought. [NBC News]
NEVADA CITY, Calif. — The six backcountry skiers caught in the Donner Pass are now safely off the mountain, Nevada County Sheriff’s office said Tuesday night. Sheriff’s officials say two of them are being treated at a hospital.
First responders originally said 16 people were on the trip, but now say only 15 were there. The Sheriff’s Office says nine people are missing as of Tuesday night.
Search crews are hoping to fly aircraft Wednesday to search for those last nine people.
This is a breaking news update. Previous story follows.
Rescue crews on skis and snowcats battled blizzard conditions in an effort to reach six backcountry skiers still alive but trapped Tuesday after an avalanche high in the rugged Northern California mountains that left 10 other skiers missing as the danger of more slides remained high.
The search and rescue crews were dispatched to Frog Lake in the Castle Peak area, northwest of Lake Tahoe, after someone called 911 at about 11:30 a.m. to report an avalanche with people buried as a powerful winter storm moved through the state.
Snow falls on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif.
(AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
Hours later, Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, said six skiers had been located and were asked to shelter in place “as best they can” until they can be reached.
The group was on the last day of a three-day backcountry skiing trip, said Steve Reynaud, a Tahoe National Forest avalanche forecaster with the Sierra Avalanche Center. Reynaud said his group has had contact with people on the ground in the area. He said the skiers had spent two nights at huts on a trip that required navigating “rugged mountainous terrain” on backcountry skis for up to 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) and bringing along all food and supplies.
Nevada County Sheriff Capt. Russell Greene said authorities were notified about the avalanche by the ski tour company that took the group to Castle Peak and by emergency beacons the skiers were carrying.
The skiers are in communication with officials through their emergency beacons, which can send texts, Greene told KCRA-TV.
“They are doing the best they can. They have taken refuge in an area, they have made up a makeshift shelter with a tarp and are doing everything they can to survive and wait for rescue,” Greene told the television station.
He said rescue teams are making their way to the group cautiously because the danger of triggering more avalanches remains high.
“We have brought in snowcats. We have snowmobiles on standby. We have individuals on skis. We have several different ways that people are attempting to get there,” he said. “It’s just going to be a slow, tedious process.”
Backcountry conditions are dangerous
The company leading the trip, Blackbird Mountain Guides, said in a statement on its website that it was coordinating with authorities on the rescue operation. It said 12 clients and four guides were in the group.
California is being walloped this week by a powerful winter storm bringing treacherous thunderstorms, high winds and heavy snow in mountain areas.
“It’s particularly dangerous in the backcountry right now just because we’re at the height of the storm,” said Brandon Schwartz, Tahoe National Forest lead avalanche forecaster at the Sierra Avalanche Center based in Truckee.
The center issued an avalanche warning for the area in the Central Sierra Nevada, including the Greater Lake Tahoe region, starting at 5 a.m. Tuesday with large slides expected into Wednesday.
The dangerous conditions were caused by rapidly accumulating snowfall piling on fragile snowpack layers coupled with gale-force winds.
Several ski resorts around Lake Tahoe were fully or partially closed due to the extreme weather. The resorts along highways have avalanche mitigation programs and were not expected to be at as high of a risk as the backcountry where travel in, near or below the avalanche terrain was strongly discouraged, the center said.
Area has dark history
Castle Peak, a 9,110-foot (2,777-meter) peak in the Donner Summit area of the Sierra Nevada, is a popular backcountry skiing destination. Donner Summit, which can be perilous in snow, is named for the infamous Donner Party, a group of pioneers who resorted to cannibalism after getting trapped there in the winter of 1846-1847.
Training in avalanche assessment and rescue and safety equipment is highly recommended for backcountry skiing, also known as off-piste skiing, which draws people wanting to glide deep into the wilderness far outside the confines of a resort’s boundaries. Backcountry skis are wider, heavier and have other features to handle going up and down ungroomed terrain, unlike cross-country skis, which are narrower and designed for flat, more groomed trails.
In the nearby town of Soda Springs, at least 30 inches (76 centimeters) of snow had fallen in the last 24 hours, according to the Soda Springs Mountain Resort.
Forecasters said the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in northern Shasta County – including portions of Interstate 5 – and parts of the state’s Pacific Coast Range could see up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) of snow before the storm moves through late Wednesday.
The storm wreaked havoc on roadways spanning from Sonoma County to the Sierra Nevada. Traffic was halted temporarily in both directions on I-80 near the Nevada state line due to spinouts and crashes, the California Department of Transportation reported.
In January, an avalanche in the region buried a snowmobiler in snow and killed him, authorities said. Each winter, 25 to 30 people die in avalanches in the U.S., according to the National Avalanche Center.
Rainy weather wasn’t stopping people from going out and celebrating Mardi Gras in San Francisco on Tuesday.
Restaurants and businesses throughout the Mission District were participating in the Carnaval San Francisco Fat Tuesday Celebration with live music and performances.
“You don’t cancel Christmas and you don’t cancel Carnaval in San Francisco,” said Carnaval San Francisco Executive Director Rodrigo Duran.
Duran is the son of Mexican immigrants and a native of San Francisco. He knows February is not the time for an outdoor event in the city.
“All of our venues are inside, and the artists are going to come and perform and dance, and they have huge followings, so we expect this to be another great Carnaval,” explained Duran.
This is just the kickoff of the 48th Carnaval season. It is a night of music, samba dancing, and a crawl to venues across the Mission. But the Grand Parade isn’t until May.
“You mentioned the rain,” said Duran. “That’s the reason that we don’t have our Carnaval celebration in February like the rest the world, because it rains in San Francisco.”
Still, the dancers brought a taste of what people will get in May.
“Yes! Absolutely, this is how we kind of hype everybody up for what’s coming,” said dancer Angelita Peter.
The Hall is participating in Carnaval for the first time ever. The business, which specializes in billiards, just opened about six months ago.
Co-owner Modi Shantharam believes partnering with an event like this can bring in new customers.
“We’re hoping people who don’t play pool end up coming here because this is a place where we have food, we have good cocktails, and it’s a good vibe in here as well,” said Shantharam.
Duran says Carnaval is all about the community it serves.
“Carnaval San Francisco is a reflection of our neighborhood and our city so the way that we ensure that this city and this neighborhood thrives is by uplifting all of us,” said Duran. “We’re using all of our networks, our resources, our people to make celebrations like today happen.”
The National Weather Service forecast for the greater San Francisco Bay Area for Wednesday calls for chances of rain and showers throughout the day, with some areas expected to get patchy fog.
Daytime highs will be mostly in the low to mid 50s on the coast, and low 50s around the bay, and high 40s to low 50s inland. Overnight lows will be mostly in the low to high 40s.
Rain showers and small hail will continue across the Bay Area and Central Coast on Wednesday as colder air settles into the region, according to the NWS. A cold front has pushed south of Monterey County, but scattered to widespread showers remain.
Forecasters say activity should gradually diminish during the day before another organized band of rain moves through Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.
High-elevation snow will continue through the week, with the heaviest accumulations expected over the Central Coast mountains. Cold overnight lows combined with damp conditions are expected to make it feel even colder, especially for people without adequate shelter, the weather service said.
More storms are expected to bring windy conditions back to the region Thursday, with more chances for rain continuing into next week.
(KRON) — The California Highway Patrol Santa Rosa area office said the driver involved in a Feb. 11 fatal BMW rollover crash — while they were allegedly under the influence of alcohol — was taken into custody by officers on Tuesday morning after being released from the hospital.
One passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other passenger in the vehicle remains hospitalized in serious condition.
The suspect, who has not yet been identified, faces a felony DUI charge and has a problematic driving record, according to CHP Santa Rosa.
“The driver has a prior DUI crash and arrest in 2022. Due to that prior DUI arrest, she has also been booked on a murder charge,” CHP Santa Rosa said.
CHP Santa Rosa said officers responded to the solo-vehicle rollover crash at 8:43 p.m. on Highway 101 southbound, just south of Petaluma Boulevard South.
“Two passengers had been ejected from the vehicle, and the driver remained inside with major injuries,” CHP Santa Rosa said in a social media post on Feb. 12. “Preliminary investigation indicates the BMW was traveling southbound when, for unknown reasons, the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to leave the roadway to the right and roll over.”
Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact CHP Santa Rosa at (707) 806-5600.
