ReportWire

Tag: Regional

  • East Palo Alto housekeeper who fainted when arrested by ICE discharged from Stanford hospital

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    The East Palo Alto housekeeper with a chronic health condition who fainted while being arrested by ICE agents early this week has been discharged from Stanford Medical Center to a federal detention facility in Bakersfield, U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo said Saturday.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had been posted at her hospital room since she was arrested with an expired visa Monday, and prohibited her family from visiting most of the week, even forbidding flowers with a notecard from her father. The agency did not respond to a request for comment Saturday morning, or earlier inquiries during the week.

     

    Aleyda “Yeny” Rodriguez, in a photo from her family’s gofundme page, remains at Stanford Medical Center with ICE posted outside her door after being arrested in East Palo Alto with an expired visa. (Courtesy of Rodriguez family) 

    Aleyda “Yeny” Rodriguez, 47, has a blood disorder exacerbated by stress that causes her to faint, her family has said. They declined to comment Saturday.

    Stanford wouldn’t disclose Rodriguez’s health condition when she was discharged, but said in a statement that “throughout the patient’s stay at Stanford Health Care, our clinicians provided all necessary care.”

    Liccardo, a Democrat who represents much of Santa Clara and parts of San Mateo county and was participating in a Half Moon Bay beach cleanup Saturday, said he has been in touch with federal officials about her case. They told him that Rodriguez will have access to her phone Saturday to contact family.

    “Yeny’s arrest, which may have been perfectly legal under existing laws, exemplifies the devastation and trauma that this deeply misguided and cruel immigration policy is wreaking throughout our country,” Liccardo said in an interview Saturday. “We need to persuade more Americans and the other half of Congress of the extraordinarily important role that  millions of our neighbors like her play in our families and our communities.”

    Rodriguez was arrested Monday morning while dropping off her husband at her brother’s East Palo Alto house to start his day as a gardener. Her husband, Oscar Flores, managed to run to a neighbor’s house, where ICE agents stopped their pursuit because without a warrant they are prohibited from stepping onto private property, immigration lawyers say. Their nephew, Dario Jasso, had been arrested earlier that morning while getting into his vehicle to head to his construction job.

    Jasso, 29, had contacted his family earlier this week to say he was being held at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center, where his aunt now is being held. Flores videotaped the arrest of his wife, who was heard screaming while agents handcuffed her behind her back while on her knees. She fainted on the way to the ICE van, while her husband yelled in Spanish, “she’s sick! If she dies it’s your fault.”

    Flores is in hiding, but told the Mercury News earlier this week that he and his wife had 10-year tourist visas that expired two years ago. They had no other criminal record, he said, not even a speeding ticket.

    “I certainly heard that the target of her arrest was somebody else in the family,” Liccardo said, “and so we’re still trying to understand this and get more information.”

    Rodriguez’s father, Armando Rodriguez Garcia, had told the Mercury News that he traveled from Mexico to California on a tourist visa several weeks ago intending to take his daughter back to Mexico with him because she was “tired here.” He said he hoped he could take her home instead of having her experience the stresses of ICE custody, which were life threatening. The trauma of the arrest itself, he said, led to her weeklong hospital stay.

    The Trump Administration had once said its priority was arresting immigrants with criminal records, but has since expanded its operations over the past several months, hiring scores of agents to arrest those with expired visas. Federal agents only need probable cause to believe someone is in the U.S. illegally to make an arrest on public property.

    Liccardo said that he said he and fellow Democrats are working with organizations “to see how we can start to rally employers in red states and red districts as we start to see the impacts of these immigration policies on our agricultural industry, on health care, on elder care, on tech, construction and many industries where we know immigrants are critical to the substance of our economy.”

    He added that they are “working to essentially find allies who can communicate with Republicans who suffer from wobbly knees, if they can stiffen their spines.”

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    Julia Prodis Sulek

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  • San Mateo County claims State of California owes it and its 20 cities $38 million after ‘raid’

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    San Mateo County in a lawsuit filed this week claims the State of California “shorted” it and its 20 cities $38 million in funds distributed annually under a decades-old deal involving vehicle-license fees that is now enshrined in law.

    California’s unprecedented “raid” on the funding stream deprived San Mateo County and cities from East Palo Alto to Daly City of “critical” funds for serving residents, while giving a “windfall” to the state, the lawsuit filed Monday in San Francisco County Superior Court claimed.

    The lawsuit accuses California of breaking a legal requirement to provide the funding, and seeks a court order mandating payment of the $38 million, plus unspecified damages.

    Named as defendants are the State of California along with state Finance Department Director Joe Stephenshaw and State Controller Malia Cohen. A spokesperson for the Finance Department said the department had not seen the lawsuit yet and couldn’t comment on it.

    “Once we receive it and review it we will obviously have a filing with the court in response,” said department spokesman H.D. Palmer.

    State Controller’s office spokesman Bismarck Obando said none of the lawsuit’s allegations “pertain to the State Controller in her official capacity.”

    Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to questions about the lawsuit.

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    Ethan Baron

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  • 87-year-old woman badly injured in Oakland robbery; three teen suspects later arrested

    87-year-old woman badly injured in Oakland robbery; three teen suspects later arrested

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    OAKLAND — An 87-year-old woman suffered multiple fractures when she was robbed Wednesday afternoon in North Oakland and three suspects, including a 13-year-old boy, were arrested later after allegedly robbing another woman at gunpoint in the Dimond district, authorities said.

    The other suspects arrested were a 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man, authorities said

    The 87-year-old woman was robbed just before 4 p.m. Wednesday in a parking lot in the 5100 block of Telegraph Avenue in the Temescal district.

    Initial police reports were that the woman was dragged on the pavement by a male suspect who had grabbed her purse.

    The suspect, who may have had a gun, was able to wrestle the purse away and fled in an SUV occupied by at least two other people, authorities said.

    The woman suffered multiple fractures to her hips and back area and was in stable condition Thursday at a hospital, authorities said.

    Police said about 4:35 p.m. Wednesday the same suspects robbed a 45-year-old woman of personal items at gunpoint in the 3400 block of Lincoln Avenue in the Dimond district before fleeing in the SUV.

    The vehicle was spotted by police several blocks away and the police helicopter began tracking it, providing updates on its location to ground units that were not directly behind the vehicle.

    The SUV drove throughout the city before finally crashing in the 800 block of 40th Street, where the three suspects were arrested, police said.

    Police said it turned out the SUV had been stolen earlier in Oakland before the robberies but had not been officially reported yet.

    Property taken from the 45-year-old woman was recovered in the vehicle. The 45-year-old woman and a witness were brought to the scene and identified the suspects as the alleged robbers, authorities said.

    Another witness later contacted officers and told them they had seen the suspects throw a gun from the SUV while fleeing the Lincoln Avenue robbery. Police found the gun.

    The suspects were arrested on suspicion of numerous charges, including robbery, elder abuse and vehicle theft counts.

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    Harry Harris

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  • Beloved Richmond nursery and garden supply store closes abruptly

    Beloved Richmond nursery and garden supply store closes abruptly

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    RICHMOND — Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, one of the East Bay’s go-to nursery and garden supply stores, abruptly closed Thursday, owners announced in a notice published to the business website.

    For the past 30 years, Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, located at 740 Market Ave., has been serving the Bay Area’s plant lovers, offering one of the largest selections of native Californian flowers, drought-resistant plants and a wide variety of other greenery already hardened to the elements, thanks to the nursery’s “old-fashioned” approach to growing — starting most plants out as seeds.

    But those seeking out the nursery’s wares will be out of luck for the foreseeable future. Sarah Hundley, who purchased the shop from its original owner, Annie Hayes, in 2021, closed the nursery Oct. 3 due to “serious and unexpected heath challenges,” according to a note to customers posted on the company website.

    “Throughout this difficult time, I’ve worked tirelessly to explore every possible way to keep the nursery going. Sadly, despite my best efforts, the challenges — both personal and business-related — escalated much faster than I ever anticipated, and I could no longer maintain business operations,” Hundley said.

    Customers flocked to social media with their responses.

    “I’m so very sad to hear this,” Alisa Moore posted. “I’ve been purchasing your plants for decades, both at the nursery and in shops from Berkeley to San Leandro and now Sacramento. … You are such a beloved figure in the community. I’ll never forget how much fun your open houses were. I wish you the best and a full recovery.”

    The future of Annie’s Annuals & Perennials is unclear. Discussions with potential buyers are ongoing and progressing, Hundley said, and any updates on a final decision will be shared with the community when possible.

    In the meantime, pending orders are being reviewed. Customers will be contacted directly with updates on the status of their orders. Returns and new online orders are no longer being accepted and gift cards and store credit cannot be redeemed.

    “Even as I step away, I remain hopeful that Annie’s legacy can live on,” read the note. “Though our doors are closing, I hope the plants and memories you’ve taken home will continue to grow and thrive in your gardens for many years to come.”

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    Sierra Lopez

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  • Grandfather begged for custody before San Jose boy, 6, stabbed to death, lawsuit says

    Grandfather begged for custody before San Jose boy, 6, stabbed to death, lawsuit says

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    Before 6-year-old Jordan Walker was stabbed to death, his grandfather had begged for custody, warning Santa Clara County social workers that the two-bedroom apartment where the San Jose boy lived with a cast of nefarious relatives with criminal backgrounds coming and going was dangerous.

    But those red flags were either ignored or mishandled, grandfather Morian Walker Sr. said. Now as one of the boy’s uncles sits in jail on murder charges in the killings of Jordan and Jordan’s great-grandmother a year ago, Walker Sr. is suing Santa Clara County’s child welfare agency, Washington Elementary School in San Jose and others, claiming they didn’t do enough to keep Jordan safe.

    “I talked to several people at Child Protective Services, to social workers,” Walker said in a phone interview. “I asked them to do criminal background histories on everyone that’s living there. I asked them to check the police reports, to see the police blotter at that location. It all fell on deaf ears.”

    Walker’s lawsuit filed Sept. 13 in Santa Clara County Superior Court is the latest complaint against the county’s Department of Family and Children’s Services, which has been making efforts to reform the agency after the Bay Area News Group investigated the death last year of baby Phoenix Castro, who was sent home with her drug-abusing father over objections from social workers. This news organization also exposed the county’s operation of a string of illegal group homes, called scattered sites, and highlighted two state reports that have been highly critical of the county’s child welfare agency.

    The lawsuit hasn’t been served yet, and the county had no comment except to say that “the murder of this child and his great-grandmother is a heartbreaking and shocking tragedy.” The school district also had no comment.

    The lawsuit also challenges a guiding principle of Damion Wright, the director of the county’s child welfare agency who is named in the lawsuit: that children always do best with their families. In this case, at least, despite intervention and support from his agency, Jordan was placed with the wrong relatives.

    As the lawsuit makes clear, Jordan’s brief life was chaotic and insecure. His mother, Danielle Walker Marshman, had a history of drug problems and allegations of neglect. In August 2022, a social worker came to her home amid reports that adults there were selling fentanyl and leaving drug paraphernalia around the house. When Jordan’s mother refused a drug test and social workers didn’t see any signs of drugs, the case was considered “unfounded” and closed, the lawsuit says.

    Two months later, social workers responded to reports that Jordan’s mother and stepfather were smoking fentanyl, and Jordan was left alone for hours and had to “scrounge” for food. The case was closed because “social workers said they were unable to make contact with the family,” the lawsuit said.

    Not until February 2023 was Jordan removed from his mother’s care — six months before he was killed — when he took a bag of methamphetamines to school and told his teacher that his mother had given it to him. The lawsuit accuses Washington Elementary of sending Jordan home that day with his mother and, in prior instances, failing to report her neglectful care of him.

    Even so, the incident with the bag of methamphetamine triggered prosecutors to charge Jordan’s mother with child endangerment. That’s when county social workers sent Jordan to live with Delphina Turner, his 71-year-old maternal great-grandmother.

    “The apartment was described as an endless revolving door of different drug users and homeless people — both short term and long term visitors,” the lawsuit said.

    Those coming and going through Turner’s apartment while Jordan was assigned to live there, the lawsuit says, were a convicted rapist, a felon who spent 20 years in prison, at least two drug addicts, and Jordan’s uncle, Nathan Addison, who had drug and mental health issues and a prison record and is charged with Jordan’s murder.

    At one point, it appears that a social worker flagged the family problems, writing in an “investigation narrative” that “the generational history of substance use, mental health, and criminal history indicate a risk for the family environment the child is exposed to.”

    Walker, who filed the lawsuit, “was upset and appalled that his grandson was being placed in Turner’s home after social workers were told that he wanted the boy, had a stable environment for Jordan to live in and Jordan loved his grandfather and wanted nothing more,” the lawsuit said. Turner was once Walker’s mother-in-law.

    Morian Walker, Sr., shares photos of himself with his late grandson, Jordan Walker, who was stabbed to death in Aug. 2023 allegedly by an uncle with a long criminal history. Walker is suing Santa Clara County’s child welfare agency for placing Jordan in an unsafe home instead of with him. (Photos Courtesy of Morian Walker) 

    Walker, 59, retired after a military career, says he purchased all of his grandson’s clothes and toys over the years in an effort to help his daughter who was struggling. In the lawsuit, Walker was characterized as “stable and had no drug or criminal history.”

    Even though Walker “adamantly expressed” to social workers “the unsafe living conditions and the number of convicted felons and drug addicts living with Mrs. Turner,” Jordan was allowed to remain at the apartment of his great-grandmother. Turner had a long-term job at NASA, but Walker says she enabled her younger, drug-abusing, dependent relatives.

    At one point, a social worker told a family member that “social workers knew there were dangerous people going in and out of Ms. Turner’s house, including Nathan Addison” and warned Turner that only she and Jordan were allowed in the home, the lawsuit says.

    “Social Services did nothing to ensure the warning was adhered to,” the lawsuit says, “and in fact, knew it was not.”

    The great-grandmother also promised that she would supervise all visits between Jordan and his mother, who had not been attending drug classes as agreed, the lawsuit said. When a social worker visited the mother’s home in June 2023 and found Jordan with her unsupervised — and the mother refusing a drug test — she called for the court to terminate parental rights. And that’s how — just weeks before the killing — Jordan was sent to live again with his great-grandmother in the two-bedroom apartment.

    By that time, Addison had been released from prison and was back living in the apartment, the lawsuit said.

    Walker says he was told by relatives that Turner had been giving money to Addison, and he may have become enraged when she cut him off, which led to the stabbing. Prosecutors wouldn’t immediately comment on a motive.

    Walker broke down with emotion as he remembered his grandson’s short life, how he liked to swim and ride his skateboard. He was funny.

    “I love him and I miss him,” Walker said. “And with every day that goes by, I won’t stop fighting for justice for Jordan and bringing to light the travesty that Santa Clara County Family and Children’s Services and everybody involved have let Jordan down.”

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    Julia Prodis Sulek

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  • Sheriff’s K-9 attacked by pit bull during standoff in Cherryland community

    Sheriff’s K-9 attacked by pit bull during standoff in Cherryland community

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    HAYWARD — What began as a response to a court order violation  Wednesday morning led to more than six-hour  standoff  between Alameda County sheriff’s deputies and a pellet rifle wielding man who also  brandished what was thought to be a stick of dynamite, authorities said.

    A pit bull associated with the home where the standoff happened also attacked  a sheriff’s K-9, authorities said.

    The  31-year-old suspect has been charged with two felonies:   resisting an executive officer and  possession of a destructive device and three misdemeanors:   brandishing a replica gun, resisting a police officer and  disobeying a domestic relations court order.  He has also been charged with violating parole and his being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail.

    The volatile incident began about  2:20 a.m. Wednesday when  deputies were dispatched  to a home in the 21000 block of Meekland Avenue  in the unincorporated Cherryland community for a disturbance related  to the man violating a restraining order to stay away from a woman who lives in the home, authorities said.

    When deputies arrived the suspect allegedly brandished what turned out later to be a pellet rifle at them from inside, Sheriff’s Sgt. Roberto Morales said. That prompted a call-out of additional deputies, including  the Special Response Unit,  Crisis Intervention Unit, and drone operators.

    Deputies were able to safely evacuate other occupants of the home, but the man  remained inside.

    While CIU deputies communicated with the man, he also brandished from inside   an 8 to 10-inch object  that looked consistent with a stick of dynamite and made threats that he had a bomb, Morales said. That later turned out to be  “a makeshift apparatus taped together to resemble dynamite,” authorities said.

    The man refused to surrender, remained uncooperative  and continued to threaten deputies for several hours. A “gas irritant” was then deployed into the home by deputies to encourage the man to surrender, authorities said.

    Before that, some neighbors in the area were evacuated  and those who chose not to were encouraged to shelter in place.

    After the gas deployment,  a pit bull  came out of the yard of the residence and attacked a sheriff’s K-9 named Gambit.  Deputies are not sure if the suspect  deliberately released the dog  to attack the K-9 or if he let it out due to the gas irritant.

    The K-9 suffered puncture wounds and was bleeding from its back leg following the attack. Its handler immediately took him to a veterinary hospital for treatment.

    Authorities said it turned out the pit bull belonged to the person living at the home who had the restraining order and the dog was returned to her.

    As negotiations continued the suspect  eventually  came out of the home to avoid the gas but then barricaded himself in the side yard.

    He was ultimately arrested at about 8:40 a.m. and taken to a hospital for medical clearance before being booked at Santa Rita Jail.

     

     

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    Harry Harris

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  • California bill requiring schools to limit student cellphone use awaits governor’s signature

    California bill requiring schools to limit student cellphone use awaits governor’s signature

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    California would become the fifth state to require public schools to restrict or ban student smartphone use on school grounds under legislation Gov. Gavin Newsom has supported and is expected to sign.

    The bipartisan Phone-Free Schools Act — Assembly Bill 3216 — would require school districts to enact smartphone restrictions by July 1, 2026, and review policies every five years. If enacted, California would join Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina and Ohio in passing statewide cellphone use restrictions on public school campuses.

    “Now is the time to require rather than just authorize all school districts to take measures to not only support student success by limiting or restricting smartphone use but to protect their teenage mental health,” said Democratic Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, who co-authored the bill.

    Newsom, who has been very vocal about supporting cellphone restrictions on school grounds, previously approved legislation in 2019 — AB 272 — authorizing school districts to limit or prohibit students’ use of cell phones at school. In June, he said he planned to build on that law to further restrict students’ cell phone use, but did not offer details.

    The governor again emphasized the importance of smartphone restrictions earlier this month, when he urged educators in a statewide letter to immediately restrict cellphones on campus as students return to the classroom.

    The Phone-Free bill was authored by Muratsuchi of Torrance — who also authored AB 272 — along with Republican Assemblymember Josh Hoover of Folsom and Democratic Assemblymembers David Alvarez of Chula Vista and Josh Lowenthal of Long Beach.

    “We’re Democrats and Republicans, but what we all have in common is we’re all parents, and we’ve all seen this firsthand,” Hoover said. “I strongly believe that this is an area of statewide concern.”

    Muratsuchi said he introduced AB 272 not only as a state legislator, but as a father of a teenage daughter. Growing research shows a relationship between teenage smartphone use and anxiety, depression and suicide, he said, making the need for smartphone restrictions more important than ever.

    The governor’s letter to schools cited a Pew Research survey that found that 72% of high school and 33% of middle school teachers report cell phone distractions as a major problem and a Common Sense Media survey that found that 97% of students use their phones during the school day for a median of 43 minutes.

    Hoover said the key difference between AB 3216 and the existing 2019 legislation is that now, every school in the state will be required to pass policies limiting smartphone use during the school day and revise those policies every five years. He said there are no specific requirements for districts in the bill in order to allow flexibility for schools to choose how to restrict or ban cellphone use.

    The California School Boards Association, which represents the state’s public trustees, has strongly opposed the bill, which it says does not account for the substantial demographic and ideological differences between the state’s 940 school districts and 58 county offices of education.

    Troy Flint, the association’s chief communications officer, said proponents on both sides of the argument are “well-intentioned” and trying to do what is best for student’s safety and mental health.

    “We don’t object to cellphone bans in the abstract and we encourage districts to investigate whether that makes sense for them,” Flint said. “We do object to the blanket statewide policy.”

    Flint said the association disagrees with Hoover on whether the bill respects local control “to the necessary degree.”

    “We have a lot of different situations in California,” he explained. “Kids traveling on a bus an hour to school … Kids with disabilities … This is a rare issue where everyone is well-intentioned and trying in their own way to do what they think is best.”

    Hoover confirmed that the Phone-Free Schools Act does not remove any of the current exceptions to existing legislation — including cases of an emergency or when students have permission to use their phone in class.

    Existing law also states a student has the right to access their phone in response to a perceived threat of danger, like a school shooting or lockdown.

    The bill is supported by the Los Angeles Unified School District — which voted earlier this summer to ban students’ use of phones beginning in 2025 — and the California Teachers Association, one of the state’s major teacher unions.

    “Our union has supported improving school environments and restricting the use of smartphones on campuses,” said David Goldberg, the teacher’s association’s president.

    Bay Area schools have been split on the issue. Some schools have expressed support over smartphone restrictions, including San Mateo High School, which became a phone-free campus in 2019.

    Others, like Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District and Palo Alto Unified School District, have said cellphones are necessary for many families and proposed bans don’t make sense in schools that rely on technology to support students’ learning.

    Muratsuchi said smartphones are still relatively new and society still is adjusting to its impacts.

    “We need to rethink this culture of constant access to smartphones,” Muratsuchi said, “given the growing evidence of the detrimental impact on student education as well as their mental health.”

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    Molly Gibbs

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  • In rare exchange, Santa Clara County child welfare leaders endure epic takedown from Supervisor Arenas

    In rare exchange, Santa Clara County child welfare leaders endure epic takedown from Supervisor Arenas

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    SAN JOSE — Santa Clara County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas had had enough.

    She listened quietly during Tuesday’s board meeting as leaders of the county’s child welfare agency breezed through a slide show about the progress they’ve made trying to reform the agency since last year’s fentanyl overdose death of baby Phoenix Castro, a 3-month-old they’d refused to remove from her drug abusing father.

    She waited for Damion Wright, the head of the Department of Family and Children’s Services, to mention a damning new report from the California Department of Social Services — a follow up to a similarly scathing report a year ago — that spelled out how the state was still “deeply concerned about the risks to child safety.”

    Wright never mentioned it. So Arenas, who’d spent her career working in child dependency court before joining the board in 2023, delivered a blistering 20-minute takedown, demanding accountability from Wright, his boss Dan Little — who now leads the county’s Department of Social Services — and his boss, County Executive James Williams. Their leadership and policies left children in dangerous homes, Arenas said, and she demanded to know what they’re doing to change that.

    “I do want an answer. Damion? Dan? What are you doing? James, what are you doing?” she asked from the dais, looking down on Wright and Little who slouched in their seats. “How are we mitigating the impacts of this extreme ‘family preservation’ framework that put our children at risk? That created a death in our community? That continues to impact Brown and Black children? What is it that you’re doing?”

    When Little started to respond that he would answer the same way he did during a board meeting nine months ago, Arenas interrupted.

    “I would really appreciate for you to say something slightly different than you did in December,” she said. “It was really disappointing.”

    The tense interchange between an elected supervisor and hired staff during a public meeting was extraordinary, with Arenas’ voice nearly trembling with anger at times, and her three targets shrinking in awkward silences. Board of Supervisors meetings are usually staid affairs that often seem interminable to members of the public who might show up to listen. If there is disagreement, it is usually wrapped in polite platitudes that ends in thank yous.

    But Arenas upended those norms Tuesday.

    The meeting came nearly a year after the Mercury News revealed how the county’s family preservation policies — championed by Dan Little in 2021 — appeared to trump child safety in Baby Phoenix’s death, despite red flags raised by social workers. This news organization also uncovered the original state report from February 2023 that found the County Counsel’s office often overrode decisions by social workers to remove children from unsafe homes. Little had kept that state report secret from the board of supervisors until the night before this paper was set to publish it.

    After neither Little nor Wright mentioned the second state report from July in their presentation, Arenas made it clear Tuesday she had little confidence in the agency’s leadership, transparency or commitment to child safety above all else.

    That July state report criticized the county agency for failing to follow up on whether families who were able to keep their children after reports of abuse or neglect were actually completing the voluntary county programs intended to improve their parenting. From July 2022 through March 2024, state investigators found that safety plans were not developed or monitored in 55 percent of cases where there were safety concerns in the home. No formal protocols were in place for social workers to follow when families didn’t follow through on their parenting programs, and there were no formal processes to assess whether a temporary caregiver was appropriate.

    After Little told Arenas that “we want to make sure that every decision we make for every child is the right decision for that child,” she interrupted again.

    “But it wasn’t, Dan. So I’m asking you, what are you doing in order to correct your leadership, to make sure that the systems don’t fall back where they were, that created, that compromised, the well being of our children?”

    When Little tried to answer, saying they’re following “policies and practices,” she cut him off.

    “I’m asking you to be accountable,” she said.

    “You were in charge, Dan. How about acknowledging that to our community? How about acknowledging that we made a mistake in our system? Are you going to apologize to each and every child that you put at risk that didn’t have a safety plan?”

    The board meeting was livestreamed and recorded. Alex Lesniak, a county social worker and union steward, watched it twice Wednesday.

    “I literally cried, in a positive way, because it’s like somebody finally gets it and sees what we have all been trying to flag, before Phoenix’s death,” Lesniak said. “Someone is actually asking those people who made those choices and implemented those policies to account for what they are going to do differently so this never happens again.”

    The board of supervisors has the power to remove Williams. There seems to be little interest among the rest of the 5-member board, however, to do so. Only Williams has the authority to fire Little or Wright — another possibility that appears to have little traction.

    Nonetheless, Arenas — with the support of the board — demanded in a motion that Wright and Little write a “personal reflection” on their leadership, how it failed vulnerable children, and what they are doing to improve it.

    “I really want this to be your own personal reflection about your own role in this fiasco that we’re in right now,” she said.

    She became especially animated when she brought up the state report from July, asking why neither Little nor Wright mentioned it. No answer came for a deadly 10 seconds. Williams finally piped up, agreeing that “it would make sense” to add the state’s findings and recommendations to the agency’s work plan going forward.

    Arenas fired back.

    “The system works as well as the people who run it,” Arenas said. “And sometimes we have to ask a question whether we have the right people on the bus to actually carry out the work.”

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    Julia Prodis Sulek

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  • Police: Man dies in Oakland traffic collision after two vehicles blow through stop signs

    Police: Man dies in Oakland traffic collision after two vehicles blow through stop signs

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    OAKLAND — An 18-year-old man died Wednesday night after the speeding car he was in was broadsided by another vehicle in East Oakland, authorities said.

    Both vehicles failed to stop at a stop sign before the collision, police said.

    The driver of the other vehicle fled the scene on foot as did another occupant of the car the man who died was in, police said.

    The name of the man killed has not been released. Authorities have not yet said if he was the driver of the car or a passenger.

    The collision happened about 10:35 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of 38th Avenue and Carrington Street.

    Police said that based on video recovered from the area, the Honda Fit the man who died was in was traveling northbound on 38th avenue at an excessive speed when it failed to stop for a stop sign at the intersection of 38th Avenue and Carrington Street.

    Police said as the Honda Fit accelerated through the intersection it was broadsided by an Acura TL that was traveling westbound on Carrington Street that also failed to stop for the stop sign.

    The Honda Fit hit some parked vehicles before coming to a stop.

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    Harry Harris

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  • Woman, man wounded by stray bullets while driving in West Oakland

    Woman, man wounded by stray bullets while driving in West Oakland

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    OAKLAND — A woman and a man driving in West Oakland Tuesday night were wounded by stray bullets fired during a gun battle between the occupants of other vehicles, authorities said.

    The 65-year-old man was in stable condition with a gunshot wound to his jaw, authorities said.  The 53-year-old woman was in stable condition with a wound to her arm.

    The shooting, which activated gunshot detection system alerts, happened about 10:37 p.m. in the 1700 block of Eighth Street. Numerous shell casings were recovered in the area.

    Police said initial reports indicated that the occupants of two vehicles exchanged gunfire while driving but none of the shooters were injured.

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    Harry Harris

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  • Newsom signs first-in-nation bill banning schools’ transgender notification policies

    Newsom signs first-in-nation bill banning schools’ transgender notification policies

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    Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Monday that will make California the first U.S. state to stop school districts from notifying parents if their child starts using different pronouns or identifies as a different gender than what’s on their school record.

    The governor’s office announced his signing of AB 1955 without comment among dozens of other bills signed and two he vetoed.

    California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Chair Susan Eggman said Monday, “Today is a great day for California.”

    “The Governor’s signature on AB 1955, a first-in-the-nation policy, reaffirms California’s position as a leader and safe haven for LGBTQ+ youth everywhere,” Eggman said.

    The bill makes California the first state to explicitly prohibit what critics called “forced outing” policies that some school districts adopted, requiring that they notify parents when students request to use a different name or pronoun than what’s on their birth certificate or school records — regardless of the student’s consent.

    Critics decried the law as an infringement of parents’ rights.

    “To our governor & the CA LGBTQ Caucus: you don’t have the authority to strip parents of their rights,” Gays Against Groomers California, which opposed the law, posted Monday on X.

    According to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit think tank and equality advocate, there are currently eight states — Idaho, North Dakota, Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama — that have passed laws requiring school staff to forcibly “out” transgender students. Five other states — Montana, Utah, Arizona, Kentucky and Florida — have passed legislation promoting forced outing policies in schools.

    In January, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a legal alert to all California school districts warning them against such policies, which he said violate the California Constitution and state laws safeguarding students’ civil rights.

    Assembly member Chris Ward introduced AB 1955 — the “SAFETY Act” — at the beginning of this year. It prohibits school districts from implementing policies requiring teachers to disclose any information on a student’s gender identity, sexual orientation or gender expression to their parent or guardian without that student’s permission.

    “While some school districts have adopted policies to forcibly out students, the SAFETY Act ensures that discussions about gender identity remain a private matter within the family,” Ward said in a statement Monday.

    The bill will also provide additional resources for parents and students to discuss gender and identity and will protect teachers and school staff from retaliation for refusing to share a student’s gender and identity.

    Legislators sent bill AB 1955 to Newsom earlier this month after an intense, emotional hearing in the Assembly that saw several members lose their cool over the proposed bill.

    The bill has a range of supporters and opponents. Notable supporters include State Superintendent of Instruction Tony Thurmond, the LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit The Trevor Project, the California School Employees Association and the California Teachers Association.

    “This historic legislation will strengthen existing protections against forced outing and allow educators to continue to create a safe learning environment where all students feel accepted, nurtured, and encouraged to pursue their dreams,” CTA President David Goldberg said.

    Opponents include Moms for Liberty Santa Clara County, Chino Valley Unified School District — which Bonta sued last year over its notification policies — and 16 Republican assembly members, including Bill Essayli, R-Corona, who proposed a bill last year that would have done the opposite of the SAFETY Act and required schools to notify parents if their child identifies as transgender.

    Following Ward’s announcement of the bill earlier this year, the Liberty Justice Center — which represented Chino Valley Unified School District in the Attorney General’s lawsuit — issued a statement condemning the bill.

    “Parents have a right to know what their own minor children are doing at school — and school officials have no right to keep secrets from parents,” the center’s president, Jacob Huebert, said in the statement. “That’s true now, and it will still be true if the state passes this bill. We will continue to stand with parents and the school districts that want to respect their rights — and we’ll continue to represent them free of charge, at no cost to taxpayers.”

    In the Bay Area, the bill won’t have much of an impact. San Francisco Unified School District already has a policy in place that prohibits teachers and school staff from disclosing a student’s gender or sexual identity without the student’s written consent.

    But across California, several school boards have discussed or voted on policies that would require schools to disclose students’ gender identity to their parents or guardians, regardless of the student’s consent.

    Along with Chino Valley Unified School District in San Bernardino County, Rocklin Unified School District in Placer County also faced backlash from the state over its parental notification policy, which passed in 2023.

    Temecula Valley Unified, Murrieta Valley Unified, Anderson Union High School District and Orange Unified School District all passed similar policies as well.

    Originally Published:

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    Molly Gibbs

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  • Check this out: Bay Area libraries offer unique services, tools, items to take home

    Check this out: Bay Area libraries offer unique services, tools, items to take home

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    Bay Area libraries draw book lovers, of course, who frequent those literary spaces to read and borrow novels, nonfiction volumes and picture books. But those halls hold so much more. They are bestowers of free lending programs, supplied with everything from Wi-Fi hotspots to vegetable seeds, hammers and hiking backpacks for library-card holding locals to use.

    Whether you’re looking for gear for a new hobby or pursuit or to expand upon an existing one, here are some possibilities, from tool libraries to seed collections, outdoor equipment, park passes and more.

    Tool Lending

    If Home Depot is your go-to spot for testing out home, carpentry or electrical equipment, then consider adding this library service to your toolbox.

    Intended to reduce cost-related barriers associated with home improvement projects, tool lending libraries offer the community no- or low-cost access to tools and appliances. Some libraries, such as the Oakland Public Library, offer workshops on plumbing repairs 101 and power tool safety, too. And others, such as Fremont’s Irvington Library, have “makerspaces” where guests can tinker and build.

    Supervising librarian Jill Tokutomi at the Tool Lending Library at the Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch Berkeley Public Library in Berkeley. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) 

    “Tool lending libraries spark the public’s imagination and push the boundaries of what public libraries can be for our communities,” said Jill Tokutomi, supervising librarian for the south branch of the Berkeley Public Library.

    Tool lending libraries like Berkeley’s, which includes mechanical, power and cooking tools, have been around since the late 1970s.

    “After 45 years, it still blows people’s minds when they find out they can check out tools — both home repair and culinary tools — with their library card,” Tokutomi said.

    Tools wait to be borrowed at the Tool Lending Library at the Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch Berkeley Public Library in Berkeley, Calif., on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
    Tools wait to be borrowed at the Tool Lending Library at the Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch Berkeley Public Library in Berkeley. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) 

    Where to go: You’ll find tool collections at many Bay Area libraries, including the Santa Clara City Library, Oakland Public Library, Berkeley Public Library and Alameda County Library branches.

    What’s available: Everything from caulking guns and heat guns to thermal cameras, extension cords, drills, chain saws, sledge hammers, ladders, baking pans and more.

    Seed Libraries

    Got a green thumb? There are drawers filled with free flower, fruit and vegetable seeds tucked away inside libraries in Moraga, Mountain View and beyond.

    With more than 500 seed lending libraries worldwide, it’s a popular way to get people excited about gardening. Local gardens can help combat climate change and preserve genetic diversity, according to librarians at the San Jose Public Library, which has stations at six branches.

    Various seeds are available at the Seed Library in the San Jose Public Library Almaden Branch in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
    Various seeds are available at the Seed Library in the San Jose Public Library Almaden Branch in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) 

    In addition to distributing seeds, some libraries — in Clayton, for example, and Mountain View — welcome seed donations from personal or public gardens to help keep the collection growing. Those seeds will often do better than store-bought varieties, since locally harvested seeds have acclimated to the Bay Area’s microclimates and soils, according to librarians at the Contra Costa County Library, where 16 branches boast seed lending collections.

    Where to go: Check out seeds at the San Jose Public Library, Santa Clara City Library, Oakland Public Library, Hayward Public Library, Menlo Park Public Library, Mountain View Public Library, Palo Alto Public Library, Contra Costa County Library, San Mateo County Public Library and more.

    What’s available: Seeds for California native wildflowers, vegetables, fruit, heirloom varieties and hybrids

    Library of Things

    Browsing through a Library of Things collection is like shopping at an eclectic mall — except everything is free.

    The term was popularized by a grassroots experiment that started in London in 2014 and was inspired by the concept of tool lending libraries. Over the last decade, these collections have sprung up in Palo Alto, for example, Berkeley and Brentwood.

    Elizabeth Leong, of Fremont, checks out a hotpot for a party at Milpitas Library in Milpitas, Calif., on Friday, March 1, 2024. Milpitas library recently launched a new Library of Things program, where people can check out home gadgets to try and return. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
    Elizabeth Leong, of Fremont, checks out a hotpot for a party at Milpitas Library in Milpitas, Calif., on Friday, March 1, 2024. Milpitas library recently launched a new Library of Things program, where people can check out home gadgets to try and return. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

    Instead of appliances or tools, these libraries offer more unexpected items. At the Milpitas Library, which launched its Library of Things in November, card holders can borrow medical devices, karaoke gear, specialty cake pans, telescopes and sewing machines, among other things. Fremont resident Elizabeth Leong, for example, borrowed a blood pressure monitor, sous vide equipment and a hot pot and grill at that library this spring.

    Where to go: Milpitas Library, Palo Alto Library, Berkeley Public Library and several Contra Costa County Library branches

    What’s available: Sewing machines, Go Pros, Raspberry Pis, ukuleles, children’s toys, storytime kits, bike locks, bocce kits, Wi-Fi hotspots, Chromebooks and more

    Hiking Kits and Park Passes

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    Stephanie Lam

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  • Woman fatally shot in Oakland’s Uptown district

    Woman fatally shot in Oakland’s Uptown district

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    OAKLAND — A 29-year-old San Francisco woman was fatally shot Friday night in the Uptown district, authorities said.

    The  shooting happened about 10:47 p.m. Friday in the 1900 block of Telegraph Avenue, near William Street, and the assailant fled the scene before officers arrived. The wounded woman was taken to a hospital where she later died. Her name has not yet been released, pending notification of her family.

    Police have not released a motive or suspect information.

    The killing is the 50th homicide investigated by Oakland police this year. Last year at this time, police had investigated 53 homicides in the city.

    Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $10,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the killer.  Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3821 or 510-238-7950 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.

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    Harry Harris

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  • Bay Area receives $14 million in state grants to combat youth homelessness

    Bay Area receives $14 million in state grants to combat youth homelessness

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    The Bay Area is receiving $14.3 million from the state to help homeless families with children and unhoused young adults find lasting homes.

    The awards are part of the latest rounds of two statewide grant programs, which Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week.

    “These grants are critical for helping to connect some of the most vulnerable Californians with access to housing,” Newsom said in a statement. “Many of these young adults don’t have the support of friends or family that most of us take for granted.”

    The money will help local agencies provide housing and services for young adults under 25, prioritizing those currently or formerly in the foster care or probation systems. It will also help add transitional housing beds, bolster job training programs and offer financial assistance for homeless families with children.

    The awards include $5.6 million (two grants) for Santa Clara County, $2.1 million for San Francisco, $1.9 million for Alameda County, $1.8 million for Oakland, $1 million for Sonoma County, $626,040 for Contra Costa County, $280,768 for Livermore, $283,050 for Solano County and $173,160 for San Mateo County.

    In applying for the grants, local governments had to demonstrate a need to help homeless families and young adults into housing. It was not immediately clear why some jurisdictions received more money than others.

    Across the Bay Area, an estimated 37,000 people experience homelessness on a given night.

    In Santa Clara County, the local county with the largest homeless population, there are roughly 360 homeless families with children and about 760 homeless youth under 25, according to the most recent count last year. More than 80% stay in homeless shelters.

    In Oakland, officials plan to use the grant money in part to add 8 beds at the Courage Housing Transitional Home. The home shelters women and children who’ve survived domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

    “The program provides residents with a safe space to heal, grow, and engage in comprehensive services related to professional development and career placement, economic resources, and preparation for permanent housing placement,” Raven Nash in Oakland’s Community Homelessness Services Division wrote in an email.

    Livermore aims to use its grant to add three 4-bedroom transitional housing units for homeless families at the Leahy Square affordable complex east of downtown. Families will receive job training support in finding permanent housing.

    “By leveraging this grant, we can provide stable housing and vital support services to some of Livermore’s most vulnerable families,” Paul Spence, Livermore’s assistant city manager, said in a statement.

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    Ethan Varian

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  • Two men sentenced in grisly killing where Baby Yoda doll and AC Transit bus provided key evidence

    Two men sentenced in grisly killing where Baby Yoda doll and AC Transit bus provided key evidence

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    An Alameda County judge on Wednesday sentenced two men to prison in what investigators claimed was a grisly kidnapping-turned-killing nearly three years ago in Castro Valley.

    Superior Court Judge Scott Patton sentenced Steve Hanna, also known as Richardo Onteveros, to 15 years to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the death of Benjamin Hemmann, 37. The man’s body was found strangled, bound and gagged with ratchet straps and duct tape in September 2021, in a case that investigators claimed to solve using surveillance footage from an AC Transit bus and the presence of a Baby Yoda doll on the alleged killers’ pickup.

    The judge also sentenced another man, Bryan Wu, to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary a few weeks ago. He is expected to be released in April 2025, given the fact he has been jailed in the case since May 2022.

    A third defendant, Kevin Woodruff, faces a potential six-year, eight-month prison term when he’s sentenced July 2 on charges of committing a home invasion robbery in concert and possession of stolen property.

    The sentences drew another sharp rebuke Wednesday from Hemmann’s sister, Laurie Henson, who tearfully blasted plea deals the three men reached a few weeks ago that allowed them to avoid first-degree murder and kidnapping charges.

    “I’m not asking for a miracle — I’m just asking for the defendants to be judged by a jury of their peers,” said Henson during the hearing, her voice cracking as she wept. “I just ask for justice to be served.”

    Patton on Wednesday called the plea deals “reasonable,” particularly given the “complicated” nature of the case. He also noted the possibility that a trial could end in a hung jury, given the large amount of circumstantial evidence gathered by investigators.

    His words were of little comfort to Henson.

    “I will not stand silently,” Henson told the judge. “There has to be change. Our court system is supposed to be for the people.”

    Moments later, Hanna turned directly to Henson, telling her: “I apologize.” Hanna — who has since changed his name to Said Ahmed Mustafa Ali after converting to Islam in prison — added that her grief was “understandable,” and again apologized.

    Hanna, Woodruff and Wu were arrested in spring 2022 and charged with murder after investigators claimed the trio took Hemmann to Skyline Boulevard in Oakland and tied him up. That’s when, investigators said, Hanna drove the man to Redwood Road in Castro Valley, strangled him and disposed of his body.

    The investigation into Hemmann’s death nearly stalled multiple times. Yet detectives caught a key break in the case: The discovery of video footage from an AC Transit bus that captured a Toyota Tacoma on the road where Hemmann’s body was found. Affixed to its grill was a small Baby Yoda doll.

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    Jakob Rodgers

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  • One teen killed, another injured in Hayward shooting

    One teen killed, another injured in Hayward shooting

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    HAYWARD – One teenager was killed and another was injured in a shooting Wednesday morning in Hayward, according to authorities.

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    Stephanie Lam

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  • Could a $20 billion bond measure help solve the Bay Area’s affordable housing crisis?

    Could a $20 billion bond measure help solve the Bay Area’s affordable housing crisis?

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    This November, Bay Area voters could decide on an unprecedented bond measure to raise up to $20 billion for as many as 90,000 desperately needed affordable homes across the nine-county region.

    Ahead of a crucial vote by a regional agency next week to put the measure on the ballot, the mayors of three of the Bay Area’s largest cities gathered in San Francisco on Thursday to rally support for the proposal.

    “If you’re concerned about homelessness, this is the measure to support,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said. “If you’re concerned about the high cost of housing and the high cost of living, this is the measure to support.”

    San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín were also at the event, held at an affordable housing complex near the Chase Center arena in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood.

    Absent was Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, who was a no-show after the FBI raided her home early Thursday morning.

    Across the Bay Area, some 1.4 million residents — 23% of all renters — spend more than half their income on rent, according to regional officials. Meanwhile, an estimated 37,000 people in the region are homeless on any given night — more than the entire population of Menlo Park.

    To alleviate the region’s chronic affordable housing shortage, the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority, established by the state legislature in 2019, has worked for years to put the bond measure on the ballot. The measure now needs approval from the finance authority’s board — made up of local elected and appointed officials — on June 26 before going to voters.

    While the board is expected to approve the measure, there remains some uncertainty about the final bond amount. The financing authority has proposed either $10 billion or $20 billion.

    The bond would be funded by a new tax on businesses and homes. For a $20 billion bond, the tax would come to $19 per $100,000, or about $190 a year for a home with an assessed value of $1 million.

    The vote comes as the state is pushing Bay Area cities and counties to approve more than 441,000 new homes by 2031, a roughly 15% increase in the region’s total housing stock. More than half of the new homes must be affordable to low- and middle-income residents.

    On Thursday, Breed said that soaring interest rates and other economic headwinds currently holding back construction underscore the need for more affordable-housing funding.

    “How are we going to get the much-needed affordable housing units done without the financial support?” she asked.

    Some mayors also pointed to the shrinking role the federal government has played in subsidizing affordable housing in recent decades as a reason the measure is needed.

    “Local mayors are right to complain,” U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat representing the South Bay, said in an interview.

    Khanna said he supports the bond measure, adding that if President Joe Biden is reelected, he plans to push the administration to make housing a high priority.

    If approved, a $20 billion bond measure would allocate $4 billion to creating a regional fund to finance affordable projects. The rest would be split among the Bay Area’s nine counties and five of its largest cities to determine how to boost affordable housing.

    Santa Clara County would receive $2.4 billion, San Mateo County $2.1 billion, Alameda County $2 billion and Contra Costa County $1.9 billion. San Francisco would see $2.4 billion, San Jose $2.1 billion and Oakland $765 million.

    A recent report by researchers with the housing nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners found the bond could help build 433 already-approved affordable projects totaling more than 40,000 units, many of which lack enough funding to complete. That includes more than 10,000 units in both Santa Clara and Alameda counties. Officials estimate the bond would also help build tens of thousands more new units.

    Affordable housing is reserved for those earning less than a specified amount, generally a percentage of an area’s median income. That can be as much as 120% of the median income or as low as 15% or 30%. In Santa Clara County, 30% of the median income is $38,750 for a single person, according to the state housing department. Residents typically spend about 30% of their income on housing costs, though the amount can vary.

    Local officials could also use the bond money to help build homeless shelters, including tiny homes, motel conversions, group shelters and managed-encampment sites.

    Earlier this year, San Jose, which under Mahan has made building new shelters the centerpiece of its homelessness response, agreed to spend about 28% of its potential bond money on shelter options. In an interview, Mahan said affordable housing is too expensive and takes too long to build to be the primary strategy to fight homelessness.

    “I’m not going to support an approach that’s only going to support one strategy, especially one that’s the slowest to get people off the streets,” Mahan, a voting member of the finance authority board, said in an interview.

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    Ethan Varian

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  • Shooting in Oakland’s Uptown district under investigation

    Shooting in Oakland’s Uptown district under investigation

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    OAKLAND — A 30-year-old Daly City man who told police he was shot early Monday in the Uptown district was in stable condition, authorities said.

    The man told police he had left one club and was walking to another in the 1900 block of Telegraph Avenue about 12:30 a.m.  Monday when he heard gunfire and started running.

    He then felt pain in his leg and realized he had been shot, he told police.

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    Harry Harris

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  • NC State baseball tops James Madison to win the NCAA Raleigh Regional

    NC State baseball tops James Madison to win the NCAA Raleigh Regional

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    N.C. State’s Alec Makarewicz (99) celebrates hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning during N.C. State’s game against James Madison in the NCAA Raleigh Regional final at Doak Field Sunday, June 2, 2024.

    N.C. State’s Alec Makarewicz (99) celebrates hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning during N.C. State’s game against James Madison in the NCAA Raleigh Regional final at Doak Field Sunday, June 2, 2024.


    Ethan Hyman

    ehyman@newsobserver.com

    Raleigh

    For N.C. State’s baseball team, it’s on to the Super Regional.

    Whether in Athens, Georgia, or in Raleigh, the Wolfpack doesn’t care. All that matters is that the Pack is still playing in the NCAA tournament, moving on.

    The Wolfpack, hosting an NCAA regional for the first time since 2018, won it in three straight games, beating James Madson 5-3 Sunday in a winners’ bracket final at Doak Field.

    Pack third baseman Alec Makarewicz, named the regional’s most outstanding player, had a solo homer and RBI-double, and right fielder Noah Soles added a solo home run in the ninth for the 5-3 lead.

    Starting pitcher Logan Whitaker gave the Wolfpack six strong innings – his only slip-ups a pair of solo home runs by JMU’s Mike Mancini – before relievers Jacob Dudan and Derrick Smith came on to finish it up. Smith fanned all three batters in the ninth to start the celebration.

    N.C. State’s Derrick Smith (25) hugs Brandon Butterworth (3) after N.C. State’s 5-3 victory over James Madison in the NCAA Raleigh Regional final at Doak Field Sunday, June 2, 2024. N.C. State’s Jacob Cozart (14) is to the right.
    N.C. State’s Derrick Smith (25) hugs Brandon Butterworth (3) after N.C. State’s 5-3 victory over James Madison in the NCAA Raleigh Regional final at Doak Field Sunday, June 2, 2024. N.C. State’s Jacob Cozart (14) is to the right. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

    The Pack (36-20) will face Georgia, the No. 7 national seed, on the road in the Super Regional if the Bulldogs win the Athens Regional. If Georgia stumbles, the Pack will be hosting a Super Regional – its first at Doak Field since 2013, when N.C. State, led by Trea Turner and Carlos Rodon, made it to the College World Series.

    The Wolfpack, seeded 10th nationally, topped Bryant and then South Carolina in its first two games of the regional, getting strong starting pitching and solid relief pitching while manufacturing enough runs.

    James Madison made it to Sunday night by shutting out South Carolina 2-0 in Sunday’s first game at Doak. Another win against the Pack would have gotten the Dukes to Monday and a chance for a spot in the Super Regional.

    But the Wolfpack got the job done as Whitaker allowed four hits and struck out six in his six innings of work. Only one JMU batter did any damage against Whitaker – Manicini.

    With first base open and one out, the Pack elected to pitch to Mancini in the bottom of the eighth and Mancini drove in another run with a double to left off Dudan.

    N.C. State head coach Elliott Avent acknowledges the crowd after N.C. State’s 5-3 victory over James Madison in the NCAA Raleigh Regional final at Doak Field Sunday, June 2, 2024.
    N.C. State head coach Elliott Avent acknowledges the crowd after N.C. State’s 5-3 victory over James Madison in the NCAA Raleigh Regional final at Doak Field Sunday, June 2, 2024. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com

    The Dukes’ sophomore second baseman, with some pop in his bat, also had two home runs for JMU’s only runs against South Carolina on Sunday.

    Makarewicz slugged his homer to deep right field in the sixth for a 3-2 lead, then doubled in Garrett Pennington in the eighth for a 4-2 lead. The Pack had the bases loaded with no outs but could not add to the lead, but Soles homered in the ninth for a two-run lead.

    The Dukes stranded two in the bottom of the eighth as Dudan struck out Wyatt Peifer and Brenden O’Donnell, punching the air after punching out O’Donnell.

    The Pack had Makarewicz, Pennington and shortstop Brandon Butterworth named to the all-regional team along with Dudan.

    The Wolfpack in 2021 won the NCAA regional in Ruston, Louisiana, then went to Arkansas for the Super Regional. The Pack beat the Razorbacks, the No. 1 national seed, to earn the program’s third trip to the College World Series.

    The Pack was left out of the NCAA tournament in 2022, then lost out in the Columbia (SC) Regional last season. But Wolfpack coach Elliott Avent, in his 28th season, again has his team in Super with a chance to go to Omaha again.

    This story was originally published June 2, 2024, 9:16 PM.

    In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.

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    Chip Alexander

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  • San Francisco man shot while driving in Oakland

    San Francisco man shot while driving in Oakland

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    OAKLAND — A 26-year-old San Francisco man was in critical condition after he was shot Saturday morning while driving in East Oakland, authorities said.

    The shooting happened about 2:24 a.m.

    The man was found wounded inside his car that had crashed into a fence in the 10600 block of Foothill Boulevard.

    Police believe he was actually shot a few blocks away near the intersection of Frazier Avenue and Foothill Boulevard but was able to continue driving to where he crashed.

    Police are trying to determine why the man was in Oakland.

    A motive for the shooting is under investigation. No arrests have been made and no suspect information has been released.

    Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $5,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the shooter. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3426 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.

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    Bay Area News Group

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