ReportWire

Tag: attendee

  • Watch: Memorial service honors Rep. Doug LaMalfa in Chico; House speaker, Gov. Newsom are attending

    [ad_1]

    A public memorial service to honor the late Congressman Doug LaMalfa is being held at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico on Saturday.Watch the video leading this story for a livestream of the service beginning at noon.House Speaker Mike Johnson and a delegation of members of Congress are among the attendees honoring their Republican colleague. The gathering is also bipartisan with Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff in attendance.LaMalfa died on Jan. 5 while in surgery at Enloe Hospital following a medical emergency at his home.Memorial Service Updates The memorial began with a color presentation by the Unified Northstate Honor Guard and the singing of the National Anthem by Alexandria Jones.Mark Lavy, a second cousin of LaMalfa, was the first speaker at the service. He recalled LaMalfa’s life story, including how he met his wife Jill, the moment he knew he would be a Republican and key moments in his political career.Other speakers at the memorial include: Speaker Johnson; Ray Sehorn, LaMalfa’s sixth grade teacher; former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy; LaMalfa’s congressional chief of staff Mark Spannagel; Paradise Mayor Mark Spannagel; David Reade, LaMalfa’s former chief of staff in the Assembly; and Assemblymember James Gallagher.LaMalfa’s wife and his children were also set to deliver a family tribute.LaMalfa represented California’s District 1 in Washington for more than a decade and was the chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus. The district includes a large portion of California’s northernmost area, including Oroville, Yuba City, Chico, Redding and the California-Oregon state boundary.As a fourth-generation rice farmer, LaMalfa heavily advocated for his agricultural constituents. The congressman also worked to provide wildfire victims and survivors in his district with relief and recovery efforts and to bolster the state’s water resources.Before being elected to the U.S. House in 2012, LaMalfa served in the California State Assembly and State Senate. Earlier this month, a bill previously championed by LaMalfa advanced in the California Assembly. AB 1091 would allow Californians to purchase eight-character license plates.LaMalfa is survived by Jill, his four children, one grandchild, two sisters and a host of cousins.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    CHICO, Calif. —

    A public memorial service to honor the late Congressman Doug LaMalfa is being held at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico on Saturday.

    Watch the video leading this story for a livestream of the service beginning at noon.

    House Speaker Mike Johnson and a delegation of members of Congress are among the attendees honoring their Republican colleague. The gathering is also bipartisan with Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff in attendance.

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

    LaMalfa died on Jan. 5 while in surgery at Enloe Hospital following a medical emergency at his home.

    Memorial Service Updates

    The memorial began with a color presentation by the Unified Northstate Honor Guard and the singing of the National Anthem by Alexandria Jones.

    Mark Lavy, a second cousin of LaMalfa, was the first speaker at the service. He recalled LaMalfa’s life story, including how he met his wife Jill, the moment he knew he would be a Republican and key moments in his political career.

    Other speakers at the memorial include: Speaker Johnson; Ray Sehorn, LaMalfa’s sixth grade teacher; former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy; LaMalfa’s congressional chief of staff Mark Spannagel; Paradise Mayor Mark Spannagel; David Reade, LaMalfa’s former chief of staff in the Assembly; and Assemblymember James Gallagher.

    LaMalfa’s wife and his children were also set to deliver a family tribute.

    LaMalfa represented California’s District 1 in Washington for more than a decade and was the chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus. The district includes a large portion of California’s northernmost area, including Oroville, Yuba City, Chico, Redding and the California-Oregon state boundary.

    As a fourth-generation rice farmer, LaMalfa heavily advocated for his agricultural constituents. The congressman also worked to provide wildfire victims and survivors in his district with relief and recovery efforts and to bolster the state’s water resources.

    Before being elected to the U.S. House in 2012, LaMalfa served in the California State Assembly and State Senate.

    Earlier this month, a bill previously championed by LaMalfa advanced in the California Assembly. AB 1091 would allow Californians to purchase eight-character license plates.

    LaMalfa is survived by Jill, his four children, one grandchild, two sisters and a host of cousins.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Dozens of ‘No Kings’ protests will be held across Los Angeles County

    [ad_1]

    Building on the “No Kings” protests in June, organizations across the United States, including those in Southern California, are once again rallying and marching Saturday to protest against the Trump administration.

    On June 14, more than 50 million people across all 50 states joined in one of the largest single-day protests against “President Trump’s authoritarianism,” according to Studio City Rising, a local event organizer.

    The latest “No Kings” rallies and marches will take place in dozens of Los Angeles County locations.

    “Our community is peacefully coming together to push back against President Trump’s violent, authoritarian actions,” said Studio City Rising. “We’re standing with our neighbors and residents from all over our city to share a simple resolved message: We don’t do dictators or kings in America. Our diversity is our strength and empathy is our superpower.”

    The national event is backed by groups that include the American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers, Common Defense, 50501 Movement, Human Rights Campaign, Indivisible, League of Conservation Voters, MoveOn, National Nurses United, Public Citizen and Service Employees International Union.

    An interactive map of “No Kings” events across the U.S. can be found online.

    Here is an alphabetical list of 30 of the “No Kings” rallies in Los Angeles County, the times and locations, along with notes for attendees.

    Alhambra
    When: 10 a.m. to noon
    Where: Alhambra Park, 500 N. Palm Ave.
    Event notes: Attendees will gather at the park on the corner of Alhambra Road and North Palm Avenue. There will be access to restrooms.

    Beverly Hills
    When: 2 to 4 p.m.
    Where: Along Olympic Boulevard at Roxbury Park, 471 South Roxbury Drive
    Event notes: Nearby on-street parking is available. Organizers encourage attendees to carpool to avoid any parking problems.

    Burbank
    When: 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
    Where: Abraham Lincoln Park, 300 N. Buena Vista St.
    Event notes: Attendees will have access to restrooms. The event will take place mainly on flat ground.

    Covina
    When: 4 to 7 p.m.
    Where: Heritage Plaza Park, 400 N. Citrus Ave.
    Event notes: Attendees will have access to bathrooms and the rally will take place mainly on flat ground.

    El Segundo
    When: 10 a.m. to noon
    Where: Main Street and East Imperial Avenue
    Event notes: Organizers say this rally is slated to be a family-friendly, dog-friendly and nonviolent community event. Attendees are asked to stay on the grassy areas and off of the roads.

    Glendale
    When: noon to 2 p.m.
    Where: Public plaza outside the Social Security Office, 225 W. Broadway
    Event notes: The event will take place mainly on flat ground.

    La Habra
    When: 10 a.m. to noon
    Where: The corner of South Beach Boulevard and Imperial Highway
    Event notes: Attendees will have access to bathrooms and dedicated parking spots.

    Lakewood
    When: noon to 2 p.m.
    Where: Lakewood City Hall, 5050 Clark Ave.
    Event notes: Attendees are asked to meet in front of Lakewood City Hall at noon for a quick introduction speech along with a reading of the poem, “Bread and Roses” by James Oppenheim. Accommodations such as water and earplugs will be available at the first aid table.

    Long Beach
    When: noon to 3:45 p.m.
    Where: The corner of East Ocean Boulevard and Junipero Avenue
    Event notes: Attendees are encouraged to bring signs, water, lawn chairs and walking shoes.

    Los Angeles
    When: noon to 2 p.m.
    Where: Los Angeles Unified School District Headquarters, 333 S. Beaudry Ave.
    Event notes: Education Workers including school custodians, teachers, special education assistants, food service workers, principals, school maintenance workers, child care providers and others will rally and march from the headquarters of the Los Angeles Unified School District to join the massive “No Kings” rally in downtown Los Angeles.

    Los Angeles, downtown
    When: 2 to 5 p.m.
    Where: 200 N. Spring St.
    Event notes: The rally and march is hosted by Democracy Action Network and Indivisible DTLA No Kings. The event will be held mainly on flat ground.

    Los Angeles, downtown
    When: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
    Where: In the larger park, up the hill from the main crowd where the park intersects North Hill Street
    Event notes: No Kings Silver Lake suggests protesters join the event dressed as a taco. Anyone with an extra taco costume is encouraged to bring it for other attendees.

    Los Angeles, Pico Robertson
    When: 4 to 5:30 p.m.
    Where: The corner of La Cienega and West Pico boulevards
    Event notes: The event will take place mainly on flat ground.

    Los Angeles, Historic Filipinotown
    When: 10 a.m. to noon
    Where: Unidad Park and Community Garden, 1644 Beverly Blvd.
    Event notes: The rally will be hosted by the Indivisible – Historic Filipinotown / Echo Park and the Filipino American Lakas Alliance. It will be held mainly on flat ground.

    East Los Angeles
    When: 8:45 a.m. to noon
    Where: Salazar Park, 3864 Whittier Blvd.
    Event notes: Organizers encourage attendees to wear face masks as a flu and COVID-19 precaution.

    Southeast L.A., Lynwood
    When: noon to 2:30 p.m.
    Where: The corner of Atlantic Avenue and Imperial Highway
    Event notes: The rally will take place mainly on flat ground.

    Pasadena
    When: 1 to 3 p.m.
    Where: Pasadena City Hall, 100 Garfield Ave.
    Event notes: The event will include seven speakers including Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) and Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena). Music will be provided by the Nextdoors band and the All Saints drum circle. A long banner-style petition will be available for attendees to sign.

    Rancho Palos Verdes
    When: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
    Where: 1 Trump National Drive
    Event notes: The No Kings Harbor of Hope Rally will include parking access for attendees and will take place mainly on flat ground.

    San Dimas
    When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    Where: The corner of West Arrow Highway and West Bonita Avenue
    Event notes: The rally will take place on flat ground.

    San Pedro
    When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
    Where: The address will be shared upon submitting an online RSVP.
    Event notes: Organizers anticipate a large showing of demonstrators as a car show is taking place the same weekend. The rally will take place mainly on flat ground and there will be bathrooms nearby.

    Santa Monica
    When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    Where: Palisades Park on Ocean Avenue
    Event notes: Event hosts say parking is available at the beach parking lots and attendees can walk over the Montana Avenue or Idaho Avenue bridge to the rally. Attendees are encouraged to spread across Palisades Park from the California Incline to San Vicente Boulevard while staying on the grass. Santa Monica police officers will be in attendance to keep the event peaceful.

    Sherman Oaks
    When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    Where: 15233 Ventura Blvd.
    Event notes: The rally will take place across from the Sherman Oaks Galleria. Attendees will have access to restrooms and dedicated parking spots.

    Sierra Madre
    When: 10 a.m. to noon
    Where: 1 Kersting Court
    Event notes: An Indivisible group, Rooted in Resistance SGV, is sponsoring the event.

    Studio City
    When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    Where: The corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura boulevards in Studio City
    Event notes: Attendees should line up on Ventura Boulevard.

    Torrance
    When: 10 a.m. to noon
    Where: El Prado Park, 2201 W. Carson St.
    Event notes: The march will begin at El Prado Park, which is directly across from Torrance High School, and end at Torrance City Hall. Participants are asked to keep sidewalks clear, stay on the grass and avoid blocking entrances and driveways. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own signs, flags, water, snacks, sunscreen as well as comfortable hats and shoes. Protest hosts, Indivisible South Bay LA, have provided the chants online so that participants can print them ahead of the event.

    Venice Beach
    When: Noon to 3 p.m.
    Where: The corner of Abbot Kinney and Venice boulevards
    Event Notes: Attendees are encouraged to bring water, signs and comfortable shoes.

    Westchester/Playa
    When: 4 to 5 p.m.
    Where: The corner of South Sepulveda and South La Tijera boulevards
    Event notes: The rally will take place mainly on flat ground.

    Whittier
    When: 4 to 5:30 p.m.
    Where: Whittier City Hall, 13230 Penn St.
    Event notes: The Whittier Indivisible Chapter is hosting the rally and march which will begin at the Whittier City Hall. Attendees are encouraged to wear patriotic clothing and bring handcrafted signs and flags.

    Whittier
    When: 8 to 9 a.m.
    Where: 605 Freeway overpass on Obregon Street
    Event notes: Attendees will rally on the 605 Freeway overpass.

    Wilmington
    When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    Where: The corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Avalon Boulevard
    Event notes: Attendees are encouraged to create their own signs and help clean up when the rally is over.

    [ad_2]

    Karen Garcia

    Source link

  • After Charlie Kirk’s shooting, how will security change for polarizing public figures?

    [ad_1]

    Less than 24 hours after a bullet whizzed across a Utah college campus and claimed the life of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, polarizing figures from across the political spectrum swiftly canceled public events.

    Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) decided to postpone a North Carolina stop on the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour this weekend, while Trump allies Steve Bannon and Rudy Giuliani reportedly nixed plans for a New York gathering due to “increased security concerns.”

    Popular leftist Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who was set to debate Kirk at Dartmouth College later this month, told Politico he would “wait for the temperature to lower” before holding in-person events again.

    Kirk’s assassination comes amid a spate of attacks on high-profile political figures — including two assassination attempts on President Trump — that security experts say will change the way large-scale political events are held, with open-air venues increasingly seen as risky.

    “In the current threat environment, outdoor venues for political events should be avoided at all costs,” said Art Acevedo, the former head of the Houston and Miami Police Departments.

    Even with a security apparatus as powerful as the U.S. Secret Service, experts say it is incredibly difficult to establish a firm perimeter at outdoor rallies with a large number of attendees. The gunman who opened fire on Trump in Butler, Pa., during the 2024 presidential campaign did so from more than 400 feet away. Kirk was shot from a distance of nearly 200 yards with a powerful bolt-action rifle.

    Kirk’s suspected killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested Friday morning, authorities said. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said ammunition recovered and linked to the shooting had anti-fascist engravings on it.

    A PBS/Marist Poll conducted last year found 1 in 5 Americans believes violent acts would be justified to “get the country back on track.”

    Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman was killed alongside her husband at their Minnesota home in June by a gunman allegedly motivated by conservative politics. In April, police arrested a man who allegedly tried to set fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s residence while the Democrat slept inside with his family.

    Politicians aren’t the only ones being targeted. The killing last December in Manhattan of a healthcare industry executive turned suspected gunman Luigi Mangione into an object of public fascination, with some applauding the act of vigilantism.

    With Americans increasingly viewing their political foes as enemy combatants, researchers who study extremist violence and event security professionals say Kirk’s killing on Wednesday could mark a turning point in how well-known individuals protect themselves.

    “The bottom line is, for public political and other figures, it is increasingly difficult to protect them anywhere, but even more so in an outdoor environment because it’s getting harder to screen people and devices in those open spaces,” said Brian Levin, a former New York City police officer and professor emeritus at the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino.

    Kirk was being protected by roughly a half-dozen Utah Valley University police officers and a handful of private security guards Wednesday, according to campus security officials. While that kind of presence might deter a close-quarters threat, snipers and other assailants with long-range capabilities would not be affected.

    Typically, security professionals seek to create three “rings of protection” around the focus of a public event, according to Kent Moyer, founder of World Protection Group, an international security firm.

    The inner ring often consists of barriers and security personnel meant to separate Kirk from the crowd immediately in front of him, not someone hundreds of yards away. In the middle ring, security guards positioned farther from the focus of the event monitor the temperature of the crowd and try to clock individuals acting strangely or becoming aggressive. An outer ring would serve to search bags and screen individuals before they enter the event.

    It did not appear there was any screening of attendees at the event where Kirk was killed, and it is legal to openly carry firearms on a college campus in Utah.

    Levin said he expects to see drones deployed at similar events in the future, an assessment seconded by Acevedo.

    “If you’re going to do an outdoor event you better make sure you have some kind of surveillance of rooftops,” Levin said.

    When doing risk assessments, Levin said, police and security professionals need to be cognizant that politicians themselves are no longer the sole targets for political violence.

    What Levin called “idiosyncratic actors” are increasingly likely to lash out at those connected to political and policy positions they find unjust. While Kirk was not a politician himself, he was a beloved figure in Trump’s orbit and his activist group, Turning Point USA, has often been credited with driving younger voters to support the president.

    “It’s not just elected officials. It’s pundits, it includes corporate people, people involved in policy and education,” said Levin.

    But a heavy security detail doesn’t come cheap.

    While elected officials are guarded by a range of federal and state law enforcement agencies, political influencers like Kirk must rely on their own vendors as well as security personnel hired by the venues they speak at.

    Levin warned that law enforcement assigned to political events should be on high alert for retaliatory attacks in the near future, given the “dehumanizing” rhetoric some have taken up in the wake of Kirk’s killing.

    Specifically, he pointed to Trump’s oval office remarks late Wednesday blaming Kirk’s death on “the radical left,” despite the fact that Kirk’s killer had not been identified at that time and federal law enforcement officials had not disclosed a motive in the shooting.

    Trump also rattled off a number of attacks on Republicans during his remarks, while making no mention of Hortman’s murder, the 2022 attack on the husband of U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, or the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol — all violent incidents carried out by people who espoused right-wing political values.

    “More and more people across the ideological spectrum, though more concentrated on the far hard right, think violence is justified to achieve political outcomes,” Levin said.

    [ad_2]

    James Queally, Richard Winton, Sandra McDonald

    Source link

  • ‘It’s like a homecoming for everybody’: Lodi Grape Festival celebrates decades of tradition

    [ad_1]

    THE EXCITEMENT. GUYS HAVING FUN SAY YEEHAW! THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF THINGS TO DO OR SEE INSIDE THE GATES OF THE LODI GRAPE FESTIVAL. IT’S ACTUALLY A FAMILY TRADITION. WE’VE BEEN GOING. I’VE BEEN GOING HERE SINCE I WAS LITTLE. THAT’S HOW IT’S BEEN FOR YEARS. IT’S JUST SOMETHING THAT, LIKE, TRULY MEANS A LOT TO US. IT’S SHOWTIME. THE FESTIVAL DATES BACK TO THE 1930S. ARE WE READY? FOR MANY, THE OUTING IS A TRADITION. WE HAVE LOTS OF MEMORIES HERE. THIS IS THE LAVA. THIS GROUP SAYS THEY’VE BEEN COMING HERE FOR DECADES. AND I HAVE EVERY ONE OF THEM. AND THEY HAVE THE PINS TO PROVE IT. THEY STOPPED MAKING THEM, LIKE TEN YEARS AGO. BUT I HAVE EVERY SINGLE ONE. IT USED TO BE WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP, YOU GOT AS FAR AS THE BEER BOOTH, AND THAT’S THAT’S WHERE ALL THE PARENTS STOP THOSE LONG LINES STILL MARK THE BOOTHS WHERE YOU CAN BUY DRINKS, AND WHILE MANY WILL DRINK THE WINE, CATCHING ME DOUBLE — THE GRAPES. WANT TO BECOME WINE VERY BADLY? THEY DO. SOME WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO MAKE IT. SINCE WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF 100,000 ACRES OF CALIFORNIA’S NICEST GRAPES, IT’S A GOOD IDEA THAT YOU SHOULD MAKE SOME WINE. THE GRAPES AND THE WINE INDUSTRY IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WE WANT TO PROMOTE THAT THE BEST WE CAN. MARK ARMSTRONG IS THE CEO OF THE LODI GRAPE FESTIVAL. I’VE BEEN THE MANAGER 34 YEARS. I’M STILL THE NEW GUY. HE SAYS HE’S PROUD TO PUT THE FOUR DAY EVENT ON FOR THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO COME EVERY YEAR. IT’S LIKE HOMECOMING FOR EVERYBODY. IT’S A CELEBRATION OF THE GRAPE HARVEST AND SOMETHING FOR LODI FAMILIES TO LOOK FORWARD TO. EVERY YEAR. AND IT IS A FOUR DAY FESTIVAL, SO YOU CAN STILL COME IF YOU PLAN TO. THEY RECOMMEND BUYING YOUR TICKETS ONLINE. THAT WAY YOU CAN GET THE BEST DEAL IN LODI, PEYTON HEADLEE KCRA THREE NEWS. IT RUNS FROM NOON TO MIDNIGHT TOMORROW AND SATURDAY NOON TO 11 ON SUNDAY. THERE’S LIVE MUS

    ‘It’s like a homecoming for everybody’: Lodi Grape Festival celebrates decades of tradition

    The Lodi Grape Festival in Northern California kicks off its four-day celebration, drawing thousands to enjoy food, wine, and entertainment.

    Updated: 11:22 PM PDT Sep 11, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    The Lodi Grape Festival in Northern California has begun its four-day celebration, marking the harvest season for wine grapes and drawing thousands of attendees to enjoy the festivities.The festival is filled with entertainment, food, vendors, grape murals, wine tasting, and so much more.”It’s actually a family tradition. I’ve been going here since I was little,” Monica Izaguirre said. “It’s just something that, like, truly means a lot to us.”For many families, the outing is a tradition that dates back decades. “It used to be when we were growing up, you got as far as the beer booths, and that’s where all the parents stopped,” Karen Brown Anderson said. “We’d get ride tickets and they go, okay, you’ve got a half hour and then come back here.”While many drink the wine that the festival offers, one booth will teach you how to make it.”Since we’re in the middle of 100,000 acres of California’s nicest grapes, it’s a good idea that you should make some wine,” Randy Savig with the Lodi Amateur Vintners Association said. “We make wine amateurish to start out with, and then some get very good at it. We have over, I think it’s 18 wineries in our Lodi area that they have started with our club and now they are a commercial winery.”Mark Armstrong, CEO of the Lodi Grape Festival, said the festival dates back to the 1930s. He emphasized the importance of the grape and wine industry to the community. “The grapes and the wine industry is the lifeblood of the community. And we want to promote that the best we can,” he said. Armstrong, who has managed the festival for 34 years, expressed pride in hosting the event for tens of thousands of attendees. “It’s like a homecoming for everybody,” he said.Tickets are still available. Armstrong said he recommends you buy tickets online for the best deals. The festival runs from noon to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 11 p.m. on Sunday, featuring live music acts including Tyler Rich and “We the Kings.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    LODI, Calif. —

    The Lodi Grape Festival in Northern California has begun its four-day celebration, marking the harvest season for wine grapes and drawing thousands of attendees to enjoy the festivities.

    The festival is filled with entertainment, food, vendors, grape murals, wine tasting, and so much more.

    “It’s actually a family tradition. I’ve been going here since I was little,” Monica Izaguirre said. “It’s just something that, like, truly means a lot to us.”

    For many families, the outing is a tradition that dates back decades.

    “It used to be when we were growing up, you got as far as the beer booths, and that’s where all the parents stopped,” Karen Brown Anderson said. “We’d get ride tickets and they go, okay, you’ve got a half hour and then come back here.”

    While many drink the wine that the festival offers, one booth will teach you how to make it.

    “Since we’re in the middle of 100,000 acres of California’s nicest grapes, it’s a good idea that you should make some wine,” Randy Savig with the Lodi Amateur Vintners Association said. “We make wine amateurish to start out with, and then some get very good at it. We have over, I think it’s 18 wineries in our Lodi area that they have started with our club and now they are a commercial winery.”

    Mark Armstrong, CEO of the Lodi Grape Festival, said the festival dates back to the 1930s. He emphasized the importance of the grape and wine industry to the community.

    “The grapes and the wine industry is the lifeblood of the community. And we want to promote that the best we can,” he said.

    Armstrong, who has managed the festival for 34 years, expressed pride in hosting the event for tens of thousands of attendees.

    “It’s like a homecoming for everybody,” he said.

    Tickets are still available. Armstrong said he recommends you buy tickets online for the best deals.

    The festival runs from noon to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 11 p.m. on Sunday, featuring live music acts including Tyler Rich and “We the Kings.”

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Hundreds gather at California State Capitol to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day

    [ad_1]

    Hundreds of people gathered in front of the California State Capitol to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day, creating a somber yet spirited celebration as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues.”This day is a reminder to the whole world what freedom is about. And Ukraine fighting for their freedom,” said Vlad Skots, a Ukrainian American.Skots explained the evening’s significance, noting, “I would say we are not necessarily celebrating. We are here to remark the courage of the Ukrainian people. We are here to celebrate the American support.”While many Ukrainians want to celebrate, they are also mourning the lives lost in the fight to protect their freedom as the war continues.”The war today, it’s not only Ukrainian problem, that’s the global problem. And I deeply believe the United States will support Ukraine,” Skots said.Despite the current state of their country, attendees waved Ukrainian flags, danced to music and created a sense of community for refugees like Liana Lischenko, who arrived in Sacramento three years ago. “I remember my country, and I realize that I’m in Ukraine right now, and I have friends here who speak Ukrainian. And this is so kind,” Lischenko said.The gathering served as an important reminder of what they are still fighting for. “It’s not something particularly about country. It’s not about this group as a country only. No, that’s more than country. This is our value, our freedom, independence, what we stand for and what we will fight for,” Skots said.The event raised money for the Ukrainian military and featured multiple resource tents for those looking to get involved in the community.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

    Hundreds of people gathered in front of the California State Capitol to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day, creating a somber yet spirited celebration as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues.

    “This day is a reminder to the whole world what freedom is about. And Ukraine fighting for their freedom,” said Vlad Skots, a Ukrainian American.

    Skots explained the evening’s significance, noting, “I would say we are not necessarily celebrating. We are here to remark the courage of the Ukrainian people. We are here to celebrate the American support.”

    While many Ukrainians want to celebrate, they are also mourning the lives lost in the fight to protect their freedom as the war continues.

    “The war today, it’s not only Ukrainian problem, that’s the global problem. And I deeply believe the United States will support Ukraine,” Skots said.

    Despite the current state of their country, attendees waved Ukrainian flags, danced to music and created a sense of community for refugees like Liana Lischenko, who arrived in Sacramento three years ago.

    “I remember my country, and I realize that I’m in Ukraine right now, and I have friends here who speak Ukrainian. And this is so kind,” Lischenko said.

    The gathering served as an important reminder of what they are still fighting for.

    “It’s not something particularly about country. It’s not about this group as a country only. No, that’s more than country. This is our value, our freedom, independence, what we stand for and what we will fight for,” Skots said.

    The event raised money for the Ukrainian military and featured multiple resource tents for those looking to get involved in the community.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Man arrested near Trump rally in Coachella with shotgun, handgun, authorities say

    Man arrested near Trump rally in Coachella with shotgun, handgun, authorities say

    [ad_1]

    A man was arrested outside former President Trump’s rally in Riverside County on Saturday and charged with illegal possession of a shotgun, handgun and high-capacity magazine, sheriff’s officials said.

    Vem Miller, 49, of Las Vegas was arrested and booked at the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio on charges of possessing loaded firearms, Riverside County sheriff’s officials said in a news release.

    Deputies found the guns and magazine after searching Miller’s black SUV at a checkpoint at Avenue 52 and Celebration Drive in Coachella about 5 p.m., authorities said.

    The arrest “did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” sheriff’s officials said. No other information about Miller or the incident was immediately available.

    Trump narrowly avoided an assassination attempt in July at a rally in Butler, Pa. A bullet grazed his ear before snipers assigned to his Secret Service detail killed the gunman, Thomas Crooks, who had opened fire from the roof of a nearby building. A rally attendee, Corey Comperatore, was killed shielding his family from the gunfire.

    In September, police arrested a man near Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla. They suspect that Ryan Routh intended to shoot the former president with an SKS rifle while hiding in the shrubbery lining the golf club.

    Prosecutors say Routh possessed a handwritten list of dates and venues where Trump was expected to appear.

    Routh is charged with attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer), possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

    [ad_2]

    Matthew Ormseth

    Source link

  • Valley fever strikes attendees of Kern County music festival

    Valley fever strikes attendees of Kern County music festival

    [ad_1]

    California health officials are urging people who attended the Kern County music festival Lightning in a Bottle to seek medical care if they are experiencing respiratory symptoms or a fever.

    Authorities have identified five patients with valley fever who attended the six-day event, which was held May 22-27 at Buena Vista Lake, near Bakersfield. Three people have been hospitalized.

    More than 20,000 people attended the festival.

    One attendee, on a Reddit r/LightningInaBottle thread, said a festival companion had been hospitalized for two weeks with “severe” valley fever.

    “If you get unexplainable symptoms such as fever, chills, and headaches/neck pain,” the user wrote, “let the doctors know it could be valley fever, even though it’s been several months.”

    Valley fever is an infectious disease caused by the coccidioides fungus, which grows in the soil and dirt in some areas of California. It is most commonly found in the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast of California.

    Health officials say that most people exposed to this fungus don’t end up developing the disease, but it can infect the lungs and cause respiratory symptoms in some people, including cough, difficulty breathing, fever and fatigue.

    In rare cases, the fungus can spread to other parts of the body and cause severe disease.

    Valley fever is not contagious. Past outbreaks have been linked to dust and dirt exposure at outdoor events and job sites where dirt is disturbed — in areas of the state where the fungus is common.

    Valley fever is on the rise in California, with particularly high numbers of cases reported in 2023 and 2024. The fungus appears to flourish in wet years.

    A 2022 study in the medical journal the Lancet concluded that multiyear cycles of dry conditions followed by wet winters increased transmission, especially in areas that were historically wetter. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and duration of drought throughout the Southwestern United States, potentially increasing the prevalence of valley fever spores and fungus.

    Kern County has the highest incidence rate in the state, and it accounts — on average — for about a third of the cases.

    State health officials say that people who have visited Kern County in recent months and are experiencing respiratory symptoms that have not improved or are lasting longer than a week should see a healthcare provider and ask about possible valley fever.

    They also urge people to mention attendance at the music festival or travel to Kern County.

    Attendees can visit the California Department of Public Health’s valley fever survey website for more information and to share details about any illness.

    Another Reddit user said they came down with the disease two weeks after returning from the festival to their home in Colorado.

    The music fan described a “terrible” cough, headache, body aches, fever and chills. The Reddit user is not sure they’d go again next year.

    “Don’t want to miss … but I also don’t want a fungal lung infection again. Yikes.”

    [ad_2]

    Susanne Rust

    Source link