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Tag: Sacramento

  • Everyone in California’s Montecito ordered out amid deluge

    Everyone in California’s Montecito ordered out amid deluge

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    Rain-weary Californians grappled with flooding and mudslides Monday as the latest in a series of powerful storms walloped the state, prompting widespread evacuations, toppling trees and frustrating motorists who hit roadblocks caused by fallen debris.

    Tens of thousands of people remained without power, and some schools closed for the day.

    An evacuation order for the entire community of Montecito and surrounding canyons scarred by recent wildfires came on the fifth anniversary of a mudslide that killed 23 people and destroyed more than 100 homes in the coastal enclave.

    The National Weather Service reported that at least 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain fell over 12 hours, with several more inches predicted before the latest storm system moves through the area with roads winding through wooded hillsides with large homes. Upscale Montecito is squeezed between mountains and the Pacific and is home to celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Rob Lowe and Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

    Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said the decision to evacuate nearly 10,000 people was “based on the continuing high rate of rainfall with no indication that that is going to change before nightfall.” Creeks were overflowing, and many roads were flooded, he said.

    Northbound lanes of U.S. 101, a key coastal route, were closed, along with several other highways and local roads.

    Up the coast, evacuation orders were issued in coastal, woodsy Santa Cruz County for about 32,000 residents living near rain-swollen rivers and creeks, said Melodye Serino, the deputy county administrative officer. The San Lorenzo River was declared at flood stage, and video on social media showed a neighborhood flooded with muddy water surging up to a stop sign.


    California prepares for new round of powerful storms

    02:11

    A large, muddy slide blocked both lanes of southbound Highway 17, a key but windy route into Santa Cruz from the San Francisco Bay Area. Vehicles were turned back at the summit as crews arrived to clean up.

    Despite the deadly nature of storms, which have killed at least a dozen people, residents of tiny, flooded Felton remained calm and upbeat.

    Christine Patracuola, the owner of Rocky’s Cafe for 25 years, handed out free coffee to customers whose homes lacked power Monday. Her staff couldn’t come in because of closed roads, including a bridge over the San Lorenzo.

    “A little coffee can’t hurt anybody,” she said. “You can’t really change Mother Nature; you just have to roll with the punches and hope you don’t get swept up into it.”

    Nicole Martin, third-generation owner of the Fern River Resort in Felton, said Monday that her clients sipped coffee, sat on cabin porches amid towering redwood trees, and were “enjoying the show” as picnic tables and other debris floated down the swollen San Lorenzo.

    The river is usually about 60 feet (18 meters) below the cabins, Martin said, but it crept up to 12 feet (4 meters) from the cabins. Still, Martin said she wasn’t worried — her family has owned the property for about 60 years, and her grandfather checked out conditions Monday and shrugged it off.

    US-WEATHER-RAIN-FLOODING
    This aerial view shows a damaged pier is split in Capitola, California, on January 9, 2023. – A massive storm called a “bomb cyclone” by meteorologists has arrived and is expected to cause widespread flooding throughout the state.

    JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images


    The resort prepared by getting about 8,000 pounds of sandbags, readying generators, and handing out lanterns to guests who opted to weather the storm in their cabins.

    In Northern California, several districts closed schools. More than 35,000 customers remained without power in Sacramento, down from more than 350,000 a day earlier after gusts of 60 mph (97 kph) knocked majestic trees into power lines, according to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.

    The National Weather Service warned of a “relentless parade of atmospheric rivers” — long plumes of moisture stretching out into the Pacific that can drop staggering amounts of rain and snow. The precipitation expected over the next couple of days comes after storms last week knocked out power to thousands, flooded streets, and battered the coastline.

    President Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration Monday to support storm response and relief efforts in more than a dozen counties, including Sacramento, Santa Cruz and Los Angeles.

    Gov. Gavin Newsom said 12 people died as a result of violent weather during the past 10 days, and he warned that this week’s storms could be even more dangerous and urged people to stay home.

    The first of the newest, heavier storms prompted the weather service to issue a flood watch for a large portion of Northern and Central California, with 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rain expected through Wednesday in the already saturated Sacramento-area foothills.

    In the Los Angeles area, there was potential for as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain in foothill areas late Monday and Tuesday. High surf was also expected on west-facing beaches.

    Since Dec. 26, San Francisco received more than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain, while Mammoth Mountain, a popular ski area in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, got nearly 10 feet (3 meters) of snow, the National Weather Service said.

    The storms won’t be enough to officially end California’s drought, but they have helped.

    Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, expects a break in the rain after Jan. 18.

    “That is my best guess right now, which is good because it will give the rivers in Northern California, and now in Central California, a chance to come down,” he said.

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  • Evacuation warnings amid flooding after California storm

    Evacuation warnings amid flooding after California storm

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    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Residents of a Northern California community were ordered to evacuate ahead of imminent flooding, and evacuation warnings were in place elsewhere in rural parts of the region on New Year’s Day after a powerful storm brought drenching rain or heavy snowfall to much of the state, breaching levees, snarling traffic and closing major highways.

    Even after the storm moved through, major flooding occurred in agricultural areas about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Sacramento, where rivers swelled beyond their banks and inundated dozens of cars along State Route 99.

    Emergency crews rescued motorists on New Year’s Eve into Sunday morning and the highway remained closed. Crews on Sunday found one person dead inside a submerged vehicle near Route 99, Dan Quiggle, deputy fire chief for operations for Cosumnes Community Service District Fire Department, told The Sacramento Bee.

    Sacramento County authorities issued an evacuation order late Sunday for residents of the low-lying community of Point Pleasant near Interstate 5, citing imminent and dangerous flooding. Residents of the nearby communities of Glanville Tract and Franklin Pond were told to prepare to leave before more roadways are cut off by rising water and evacuation becomes impossible.

    “It is expected that the flooding from the Cosumnes River and the Mokelumne River is moving southwest toward I-5 and could reach these areas in the middle of the night,” the Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services said earlier on Twitter Sunday afternoon. “Livestock in the affected areas should be moved to higher ground.”

    To the north in the state’s capital, crews cleared downed trees from roads and sidewalks as at least 17,000 customers were still without power Sunday, down from more than 150,000 a day earlier, according to a Sacramento Municipal Utility District online map.

    Near Lake Tahoe, dozens of drivers were rescued on New Year’s Eve along Interstate 80 after cars spun out in the snow during the blizzard, the California Department of Transportation said. The key route to the mountains from the San Francisco Bay Area reopened early Sunday to passenger vehicles with chains.

    “The roads are extremely slick so let’s all work together and slow down so we can keep I-80 open,” the California Highway Patrol said on Twitter. Several other highways, including State Route 50, also reopened.

    More than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow had accumulated in the high Sierra Nevada, and the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area said heavy, wet snow would cause major delays in chairlift openings. On Saturday, the resort reported numerous lift closings, citing high winds, low visibility and ice.

    A so-called atmospheric river storm pulled in a long and wide plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. Flooding and rock slides closed portions of roads across the state.

    Rainfall in downtown San Francisco hit 5.46 inches (13.87 cm) on New Year’s Eve, making it the second-wettest day on record, behind a November 1994 deluge, the National Weather Service said. Videos on Twitter showed mud-colored water streaming along San Francisco streets, and a staircase in Oakland turned into a veritable waterfall by heavy rains.

    In Southern California, several people were rescued after floodwaters inundated cars in San Bernardino and Orange counties. No major injuries were reported.

    With the region drying out on New Year’s Day and no rainfall expected during Monday’s Rose Parade in Pasadena, spectators began staking out their spots for the annual floral spectacle.

    The rain was welcomed in drought-parched California. The past three years have been the state’s driest on record — but much more precipitation is needed to make a significant difference.

    It was the first of several storms expected to roll across the state in the span of a week. Saturday’s system was warmer and wetter, while storms this week will be colder, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

    The Sacramento region could receive a total of 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 centimeters) of rain over the week, Chandler-Cooley said.

    Another round of heavy showers was also forecast for Southern California on Tuesday or Wednesday, the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles-area office said.

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  • Flooding prompts evacuation orders in California after powerful New Year’s Eve storm

    Flooding prompts evacuation orders in California after powerful New Year’s Eve storm

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    Residents of a Northern California community were ordered to evacuate ahead of imminent flooding, and evacuation warnings were in place elsewhere in rural parts of the region on New Year’s Day after a powerful storm brought drenching rain or heavy snowfall to much of the state, breaching levees, snarling traffic and closing major highways.

    Even after the storm moved through, major flooding occurred in agricultural areas about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Sacramento, where rivers swelled beyond their banks and inundated dozens of cars along State Route 99. Emergency crews rescued motorists on New Year’s Eve into Sunday morning and the highway remained closed.

    Sacramento County authorities issued an evacuation order late Sunday for residents of the low-lying community of Point Pleasant near Interstate 5, citing imminent and dangerous flooding. Residents of the nearby communities of Glanville Tract and Franklin Pond were told to prepare to leave before more roadways are cut off by rising water and evacuation becomes impossible.

    “It is expected that the flooding from the Cosumnes River and the Mokelumne River is moving southwest toward I-5 and could reach these areas in the middle of the night,” the Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services said earlier on Twitter Sunday afternoon. “Livestock in the affected areas should be moved to higher ground.”

    One person was found dead in a vehicle on a flooded road southeast of Sacramento, CBS Sacramento reported. A Cosumnes Fire Department helicopter spotted the submerged vehicle along Dillard Road in the area of Highway 99, around 10 a.m. local time, according to CBS Sacramento.

    Dozens of other drivers were rescued on New Year’s Eve along Interstate 80 near Lake Tahoe after cars spun out in the snow during the blizzard, the California Department of Transportation said. The key route to the mountains from the San Francisco Bay Area reopened early Sunday to passenger vehicles with chains.

    “The roads are extremely slick so let’s all work together and slow down so we can keep I-80 open,” the California Highway Patrol said on Twitter. Several other highways, including State Route 50, also reopened.

    More than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow had accumulated in the high Sierra Nevada, and the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area said heavy, wet snow would cause major delays in chairlift openings. On Saturday, the resort reported numerous lift closings, citing high winds, low visibility and ice.

    California Storms
    This Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, photo released by Caltrans District 3, shows Sierra highway back open but chain controls remain in effect as crews clean up in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. 

    Caltrans District 3 via AP


    In the state’s capital, crews cleared downed trees from roads and sidewalks as at least 17,000 customers were still without power early Sunday, down from more than 150,000 a day earlier, according to a Sacramento Municipal Utility District online map.

    The National Weather Service on Sunday extended the flash flood warning after a levee failure on the Cosumnes River in East Central Sacramento County.  

    A so-called atmospheric river storm pulled in a long and wide plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. Flooding and rock slides closed portions of roads across the state.

    Rainfall in downtown San Francisco hit 5.46 inches (13.87 cm) on New Year’s Eve, making it the second-wettest day on record, behind a November 1994 deluge, the National Weather Service said. Videos on Twitter showed mud-colored water streaming along San Francisco streets, and a staircase in Oakland turned into a veritable waterfall by heavy rains.

    In Southern California, several people were rescued after floodwaters inundated cars in San Bernardino and Orange counties. No major injuries were reported.

    With the region drying out on New Year’s Day and no rainfall expected during Monday’s Rose Parade in Pasadena, spectators began staking out their spots for the annual floral spectacle.

    The rain was welcomed in drought-parched California. The past three years have been the state’s driest on record — but much more precipitation is needed to make a significant difference.

    It was the first of several storms expected to roll across the state in the span of a week. Saturday’s system was warmer and wetter, while storms this week will be colder, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

    The Sacramento region could receive a total of 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 centimeters) of rain over the week, Chandler-Cooley said.

    Another round of heavy showers was also forecast for Southern California on Tuesday or Wednesday, the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles-area office said.

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  • Storm in California causes rock slides, flooding while dumping heavy rain and snow

    Storm in California causes rock slides, flooding while dumping heavy rain and snow

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    A powerful storm brought drenching rain or heavy snowfall to much of California on Saturday, snarling traffic and closing highways as the state prepared to usher in a new year. In the high Sierra Nevada, as much as 2 feet of snow could accumulate into early Sunday.

    The National Weather Service in Sacramento warned about hazardous driving conditions and posted photos on Twitter showing traffic on snow-covered mountain passes, where vehicles were required to have chains or four-wheel drive.

    The so-called atmospheric river storm was pulling in a long and wide plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. Flooding and rock slides closed portions of roads across Northern California.

    This photo provided by Micah Crockett of the California Department of Transportation shows heavy machinery removing a rock slide on State Route 299 in Trinity County, Calif., Dec. 31, 2022.
    This photo provided by Micah Crockett of the California Department of Transportation shows heavy machinery removing a rock slide on State Route 299 in Trinity County, Calif., Dec. 31, 2022.

    Micah Crockett/Caltrans District 2 via AP


    “Too many road closures to count at this point,” the weather agency in Sacramento said in an afternoon tweet. Sacramento County urged residents in the unincorporated community of Wilton to evacuate, warning that flooded roadways could “cut off access to leave the area.”

    Officials in Santa Cruz County posted a photo of a large sinkhole that opened along a road.

    Rainfall in downtown San Francisco on Saturday topped 5 inches at midafternoon, making it the second-wettest day on record, behind a November 1994 deluge. With rain continuing to fall, it could threaten the nearly three-decade old record.

    The California Highway Patrol said a section of U.S. 101 — one of the state’s main traffic arteries — was closed indefinitely south of San Francisco because of flooding. Videos on Twitter showed mud-colored water streaming along San Francisco streets, and a staircase in Oakland turned into a veritable waterfall by heavy rains.

    Weather service meteorologist Courtney Carpenter said the storm could drop over an inch of rain in the Sacramento area before moving south. One ski resort south of Lake Tahoe closed chair lifts because of flooding and operational problems, and posted a photo on Twitter showing one lift tower and its empty chairs surrounded by water.

    “We’re seeing a lot of flooding,” Carpenter said.

    A rainstorm caused a flash flood in San Carlos, California, December 31, 2022.
    A rainstorm caused a flash flood in San Carlos, California, December 31, 2022.

    Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images


    The Sacramento agency released a map of 24-hour precipitation through Saturday morning, showing a wide range of totals in the region, from less than an inch in some areas to more than 5 inches in the Sierra foothills.

    The Mammoth Mountain Ski Area reported numerous lift closings, citing high winds, low visibility and ice.

    The Stockton Police Department posted photos of a flooded railroad underpass and a car that appeared stalled in more than a foot of water.

    The rain was welcomed in drought-parched California, but much more precipitation is needed to make a significant difference. The past three years have been California’s driest on record.

    A winter storm warning was in effect into Sunday for the upper elevations of the Sierra from south of Yosemite National Park to north of Lake Tahoe, where as much as 5 feet of snow is possible atop the mountains, the National Weather Service said in Reno, Nevada.

    A flood watch was in effect across much of Northern California through New Year’s Eve. Officials warned that rivers and streams could overflow and urged residents to get sandbags ready.

    Some rainfall totals in the San Francisco Bay Area topped 4 inches.

    The state transportation agency reported numerous road closures, including Highway 70 east of Chico, which was partially closed by a slide, and the northbound side of Highway 49, east of Sacramento, which was closed because of flooding. In El Dorado County, east of Sacramento, a stretch of Highway 50 was closed because of flooding.

    Humboldt County, where a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck on Dec. 20, also saw roadways begin to flood, according to the National Weather Service’s Eureka office. A bridge that was temporarily closed last week due to earthquake damage may be closed again if the Eel River, which it crosses, gets too high, officials said.

    It was the first of several storms expected to roll across California over the next week. The current system is expected to be warmer and wetter, while next week’s storms will be colder, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

    The Sacramento region could receive a total of 4 to 5 inches of rain over the span of the week, Chandler-Cooley said.

    “Strong winds could cause tree damage and lead to power outages and high waves on Lake Tahoe may capsize small vessels,” the weather service in Reno said.

    Avalanche warnings were issued in the backcountry around Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes south of Yosemite.

    On the Sierra’s eastern front, flood watches and warnings were issued into the weekend north and south of Reno, Nevada, where minor to moderate flooding was forecast along some rivers and streams.

    In Southern California, moderate-to-heavy rain was falling Saturday. The region will begin drying out on New Year’s Day, with no rainfall expected during Monday’s Rose Parade in Pasadena.

    Another round of heavy showers was forecast for Tuesday or Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Oxnard said.

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  • ‘Atmospheric river’ dumps heavy rain, snow across California

    ‘Atmospheric river’ dumps heavy rain, snow across California

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    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A powerful storm Saturday ushered in the new year in California, with much of the state witnessing drenching rain or heavy snowfall that was snarling traffic and closing highways.

    In the high Sierra Nevada, as much as 2 feet (0.6 meters) of snow could accumulate Saturday into early Sunday. The National Weather Service in Sacramento warned about hazardous driving conditions and posted photos on Twitter showing traffic on snow-covered mountain passes, where vehicles were required to have chains or four-wheel drive.

    The so-called atmospheric river storm was pulling in a long and wide plume of moisture from the Pacific Ocean, and flooding and rock slides triggered by the storm closed portions of roads across northern California.

    Weather service meteorologist Courtney Carpenter said the storm could drop over an inch of rain Saturday in the Sacramento area before moving south. One ski resort south of Lake Tahoe closed chair lifts because of flooding and operational problems, and posted a photo on Twitter showing one lift tower and its empty chairs surrounded by water.

    “We’re seeing a lot of flooding,” Carpenter said.

    The Stockton Police Department posted photos of a flooded railroad underpass and a car that appeared stalled in more than a foot (30 centimeters) of water.

    The rain was welcomed in drought-parched California, but much more precipitation is needed to make a significant difference. The past three years have been California’s driest on record.

    A winter storm warning was in effect into Sunday for the upper elevations of the Sierra from south of Yosemite National Park to north of Lake Tahoe, where as much as 5 feet (1.5 meters) of snow is possible atop the mountains, the National Weather Service said in Reno, Nevada.

    A flood watch was in effect across much of Northern California through New Year’s Eve. Officials warned that rivers and streams could overflow and urged residents to get sandbags ready.

    Some rainfall totals in the San Francisco Bay Area topped 4 inches (10 centimeters).

    The state transportation agency reported numerous road closures, including Highway 70 east of Chico, which was partially closed by a slide, and the northbound side of Highway 49, east of Sacramento, which was closed because of flooding. In El Dorado County, east of Sacramento, a stretch of Highway 50 was closed because of flooding.

    Humboldt County, where a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck on Dec. 20, also saw roadways begin to flood, according to the National Weather Service’s Eureka office. A bridge that was temporarily closed last week due to earthquake damage may be closed again if the Eel River, which it crosses, gets too high, officials said.

    It was the first of several storms expected to roll across California over the next week. The current system is expected to be warmer and wetter, while next week’s storms will be colder, lowering snow levels in the mountains, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

    The Sacramento region could receive a total of 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 centimeters) of rain over the span of the week, Chandler-Cooley said.

    “Strong winds could cause tree damage and lead to power outages and high waves on Lake Tahoe may capsize small vessels,” the weather service in Reno said.

    Avalanche warnings were issued in the backcountry around Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes south of Yosemite.

    On the Sierra’s eastern front, flood watches and warnings continue into the weekend north and south of Reno, Nevada, where minor to moderate flooding was forecast along some rivers and streams into the weekend.

    In Southern California, moderate-to-heavy rain was falling Saturday. The region will begin drying out on New Year’s Day and the Jan. 2 Rose Parade in Pasadena should avoid rainfall.

    Another round of heavy showers were forecast for Tuesday or Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Oxnard said.

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  • University of California workers end strike, ratify contract

    University of California workers end strike, ratify contract

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    LOS ANGELES — Striking graduate students at the University of California approved a bargaining agreement Friday, ending an unprecedented 40-day strike that snarled classes at the prestigious university system.

    Union representatives said Friday a majority of striking graduate students and teaching assistants approved two contracts to formally end the work stoppage.

    Wages will rise up to 80% for some of the lowest-paid workers, with all workers seeing a boost in pay, union representatives said. The contracts also improve benefits to help workers cover child care expenses and health costs and will help intentional students, they said.

    The bargaining units were represented by the United Auto Workers.

    “The dramatic improvements to our salaries and working conditions are the result of tens of thousands of workers striking together in unity,” Rafael Jaime, president of UAW 2865, said in a statement. “These agreements redefine what is possible in terms of how universities support their workers, who are the backbone of their research and education enterprise.”

    The university system applauded the new contracts, which it said will take immediate effect and run through May 31, 2025.

    “Today’s ratification demonstrates yet again the University’s strong commitment to providing every one of our hardworking employees with competitive compensation and benefit packages that honor their many contributions to our institution, to our community, and to the state of California,” UC said in a statement.

    The agreements cover about 36,000 workers, many of whom make as little as $24,000 annually, a paltry salary for living in cities like Los Angeles, San Diego and Berkeley, where the university system has campuses.

    The union said the strike, which began in mid-November, was largest ever among academic workers. It was being closely watched by other university campuses around the country.

    About 12,000 other striking workers, mainly postdoctoral students and academic researchers, already ratified an agreement that will boost their pay by 29%. They will also get better family leave, child care subsidies and job security.

    The strike lasted for a month before a tentative agreement was reached last Friday. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg served as a mediator after several failed attempts to reach a deal.

    By the end of 2024, the minimum pay for teaching assistants will be at least $36,000, with higher pay for students on campuses in particularly expensive cities. Graduate student researchers will make at least $40,000, according to union representatives.

    Workers can get childcare subsidies of more than $2,000 a semester.

    A group of workers branded as “Strike to Win” urged workers to vote against the tentative agreement, saying it failed to meet demands of a $54,000 base wage, more financial support for international students, $2,000 a month for childcare subsidies and expanded protections for people with disabilities.

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  • High school football incidents spark racism talks, programs

    High school football incidents spark racism talks, programs

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    Superintendent Torie Gibson felt she had no choice but to make the unpopular decision. When learning Amador High’s team had a group chat titled, “Kill the Blacks,” filled with derogatory language and racial slurs, she ended the Northern California school’s varsity season.

    That meant the 100-year anniversary game between rivals Amador and Argonaut was called off.

    “We canceled the season, and we did it for all the right reasons because the behavior is not acceptable,” said Gibson, who oversees the Amador County Unified School District. “However, football is an extracurricular activity. It is not a given. It is not a right. It is strictly extra.”

    The discipline was swift and abrupt. Moments before Amador was to play Rosemont — a predominantly Black and Latino school in nearby Sacramento — the game was called off.

    There was more fallout. Amador’s football coach, athletic director and principal were put on leave.

    In Gibson’s mind, the discipline was the easy part. The hard part will be setting the table for real change, and the key will be presentation. The school is based in a mostly white, rural area an hour’s drive east of Sacramento. Amador has just four Black students out of about 750.

    “I think if we roll it out correctly and we provide the necessary support and we don’t shame people for who they are and we work it out so that we celebrate everyone, but really, truly look at our blind spots and our differences, I think it’ll make a big difference,” said Gibson, who is white.

    The incident at Amador was one of several alarming examples of racism against Black people that occurred this fall in high school football around the nation. Athletes in the past were able to leave racism and other issues off the field, but today not even sports settings are immune from real world problems.

    Administrators in some cases have used these incidents to start conversations about race that have been hard for them to bring up before and roll out programs they hope will have lasting impact.

    A TikTok video created by players at River Valley High School in Yuba City, California, featured a mock slave auction. A social media post circulated showing five white males from West Laurens High School, a central Georgia school a little more than a two-hour drive southeast of Atlanta, at a football game wearing shirts that spelled out a racial slur targeting Black people. And at Guilderland High School in New York, about a half-hour’s drive west of Albany, several classmates showed up to a football game wearing black facepaint, prompting about 100 students to walk out of classes days later.

    Richard Lapchick, the founder of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida, is using social media to draw attention to weekly examples of racism in sports and elsewhere. He said the institute, also known as TIDES, found 58 articles in its first week of searching, and he highlighted 11 on his Twitter feed.

    “White supremacist acts have been unleashed across the nation in the current political climate,” Lapchick said. “I don’t think the general public knows how extensive it is.”

    Gibson, the superintendent in Northern California, feels she has to start with implicit bias work in her district. She said she was encouraged by the fact that the school already has strong transgender and gay and lesbian advocacy groups.

    “I think we are going to have a great opportunity to really make some change and to do some great work,” she said.

    The mock slave auction at River Valley was done as a prank, but there was nothing funny about the repercussions. The varsity football team forfeited the remainder of its season after suspensions left it with too few players to continue.

    The Greater Sacramento NAACP chapter hosted a meeting calling for systemic change and players apologized for their involvement. During the meeting, a Black player said he did not want to participate in the mock slave auction, but he was the only Black player left in the locker room and everyone focused on him. He said he tried to leave, but could not. He was told the video would not be published, but it was.

    River Valley Principal Lee McPeak said the district is working with a professional to implement programs to help learn from the incident.

    “There are vital messages about race, discrimination and systemic changes that are necessary to help us turn important corners toward equity, respect and compassion, critical for our schools today,” he said.

    At Guilderland High in New York, some students were outraged when some of their classmates showed up to a game in blackface. Administrators met with students through small group, roundtable discussions. The school said it was a “culminating moment” for students who had experienced discriminatory issues and injustices.

    In the wake of all the incidents, the work toward learning and changing is just starting.

    “It’s going to take us time,” Gibson said. “It’s going to be years of work. There’s no magic button to just fix it.”

    ———

    Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: twitter.com/CliffBruntAP

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  • California reparations task force to talk eligibility

    California reparations task force to talk eligibility

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    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s committee to study reparations for African Americans will meet in Oakland Wednesday to discuss what form reparations could take and eligibility requirements to receive possible payments.

    The first-in-the-nation task force previously voted to limit reparations to Black California residents whose ancestors were living in the United States in the 19th century. This week, the group will talk about whether there could be additional eligibility requirements and what time frame reparations could hinge on.

    The group will also discuss how the state may address its impact on Black families whose property was seized through eminent domain, a topic that garnered renewed attention after lawmakers last year voted to allow the return of a beachfront property known as Bruce’s Beach to descendants of Black residents from whom it was taken in the 20th century.

    Kamilah Moore, the task force’s chair, doesn’t expect the group to come to any final decisions at this week’s two-day meeting.

    “We’re still in the exploratory phase,” she said.

    The task force has a July 1 deadline to complete its final report for the Legislature listing recommendations for how the state can address its legacy of discriminatory policies against Black Californians. The group’s work contrasts from similar efforts that have stalled in Congress.

    Lawmakers in other parts of the country have pushed their states and cities to study reparations without much progress. But Evanston, Illinois became the first U.S. city last year to make reparations available for Black residents, and public officials in New York will try anew to create a reparations commission in the state.

    Officials from Oakland, Sacramento, Los Angeles and other California cities will talk about local reparations efforts during a panel Wednesday.

    That will include Khansa T. Jones-Muhammad, vice-chair of Los Angeles’ Reparations Advisory Commission, who said the commission — created last year under then-Mayor Eric Garcetti — doesn’t have a date set in stone to complete its work.

    The goal of the commission is to advise the city on a pilot program for distributing reparations to a group of Black residents.

    “A lot of our first year has really just been laying the groundwork to have a strong commission,” she said.

    In September, economists started listing preliminary estimates for what could be owed by the state as a result of discriminatory policies. But they said they need more data to come up with more complete figures.

    Moore said the task force has not decided on any dollar amounts or what form reparations could take, but the public’s interest in those estimates shows optimism about the group’s work. The group hasn’t discussed where money for reparations could potentially come from.

    About 30 people gathered Saturday at a Black-owned coffee shop in Sacramento for a reparations information session led by the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California, said Chris Lodgson, an organizer for the group.

    The coalition is focused on advocating for reparations for Black residents. It has been supportive of reparations largely targeted at the descendants of enslaved African Americans.

    “Generally speaking, Black folks can support other Black folks in the things that they want and need even if not everybody is benefitting equally from it or directly from it,” Lodgson said.

    California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a former assemblywoman, authored the bill that created the state’s task force, and the group began its work last year. The bill was signed into law in September 2020 after a summer of nationwide protests against racism and police brutality following the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minnesota.

    In June, the task force released a 500-page report describing discriminatory policies that drove housing segregation, criminal justice disparities and other realities that harmed Black Californians in the decades since the abolition of slavery.

    ———

    Sophie Austin is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on Twitter: @sophieadanna

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  • California reparations task force to talk eligibility

    California reparations task force to talk eligibility

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    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s committee to study reparations for African Americans will meet in Oakland Wednesday to discuss what form reparations could take and eligibility requirements to receive possible payments.

    The first-in-the-nation task force previously voted to limit reparations to Black California residents whose ancestors were living in the United States in the 19th century. This week, the group will talk about whether there could be additional eligibility requirements and what time frame reparations could hinge on.

    The group will also discuss how the state may address its impact on Black families whose property was seized through eminent domain, a topic that garnered renewed attention after lawmakers last year voted to allow the return of a beachfront property known as Bruce’s Beach to descendants of Black residents from whom it was taken in the 20th century.

    Kamilah Moore, the task force’s chair, doesn’t expect the group to come to any final decisions at this week’s two-day meeting.

    “We’re still in the exploratory phase,” she said.

    The task force has a July 1 deadline to complete its final report for the Legislature listing recommendations for how the state can address its legacy of discriminatory policies against Black Californians. The group’s work contrasts from similar efforts that have stalled in Congress.

    Lawmakers in other parts of the country have pushed their states and cities to study reparations without much progress. But Evanston, Illinois became the first U.S. city last year to make reparations available for Black residents, and public officials in New York will try anew to create a reparations commission in the state.

    Officials from Oakland, Sacramento, Los Angeles and other California cities will talk about local reparations efforts during a panel Wednesday.

    That will include Khansa T. Jones-Muhammad, vice-chair of Los Angeles’ Reparations Advisory Commission, who said the commission — created last year under then-Mayor Eric Garcetti — doesn’t have a date set in stone to complete its work.

    The goal of the commission is to advise the city on a pilot program for distributing reparations to a group of Black residents.

    “A lot of our first year has really just been laying the groundwork to have a strong commission,” she said.

    In September, economists started listing preliminary estimates for what could be owed by the state as a result of discriminatory policies. But they said they need more data to come up with more complete figures.

    Moore said the task force has not decided on any dollar amounts or what form reparations could take, but the public’s interest in those estimates shows optimism about the group’s work. The group hasn’t discussed where money for reparations could potentially come from.

    About 30 people gathered Saturday at a Black-owned coffee shop in Sacramento for a reparations information session led by the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California, said Chris Lodgson, an organizer for the group.

    The coalition is focused on advocating for reparations for Black residents. It has been supportive of reparations largely targeted at the descendants of enslaved African Americans.

    “Generally speaking, Black folks can support other Black folks in the things that they want and need even if not everybody is benefitting equally from it or directly from it,” Lodgson said.

    California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a former assemblywoman, authored the bill that created the state’s task force, and the group began its work last year. The bill was signed into law in September 2020 after a summer of nationwide protests against racism and police brutality following the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minnesota.

    In June, the task force released a 500-page report describing discriminatory policies that drove housing segregation, criminal justice disparities and other realities that harmed Black Californians in the decades since the abolition of slavery.

    ———

    Sophie Austin is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on Twitter: @sophieadanna

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  • Storm packing high winds, heavy snow blows into the Sierra

    Storm packing high winds, heavy snow blows into the Sierra

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    RENO, Nev. — A winter storm packing high winds and potentially several feet of snow blew into the Sierra Nevada on Saturday, triggering thousands of power outages in California, closing a mountain highway at Lake Tahoe and prompting an avalanche warning in the backcountry.

    The storm is expected to bring as much as 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow to the upper elevations around Lake Tahoe by Monday morning, the National Weather Service said.

    A 250-mile (400-kilometer) stretch of the Sierra from north of Reno to south of Yosemite National Park was under a winter storm warning at least until Sunday.

    “Travel will be very difficult to impossible with whiteout conditions,” the weather service said in Reno, where rain started falling Saturday.

    A flood advisory was in effect from Sacramento to the California coast near San Francisco.

    The U.S. Forest Service issued an avalanche warning for the backcountry in the mountains west of Lake Tahoe where it said “several feet of new snow and strong winds will result in dangerous avalanche conditions.”

    A stretch of California Highway 89 was closed due to heavy snow between Tahoe City and South Lake Tahoe, California, the highway patrol said. Interstate 80 between Reno and Sacramento remained open but chains were required on tires for most vehicles.

    More than 30,000 customers were without power in the Sacramento area at one point Saturday morning. It had been restored to all but about 3,300 by midday. But forecasters warned winds gusting up to 50 mph (80 kph) could bring down tree branches and power lines later in the day.

    About 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow already had fallen at Mammoth Mountain ski resort south of Yosemite where more than 10 feet (3 meters) of snow has been recorded since early November.

    “It just seems like every week or so, another major storm rolls in,” resort spokeswoman Lauren Burke said.

    The storm warning stretches into Sunday for most of the Sierra, and doesn’t expire until Monday around Tahoe.

    As much as 18 to 28 inches (45 to 71 centimeters) of snow was forecast through the weekend at lake level, and up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) at elevations above 7,000 feet (2,133 meters) with 50 mph (80 kph) winds and gusts up to 100 mph (160 kph).

    On the Sierra’s eastern slope, a winter weather advisory runs from 10 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. for Reno, Sparks and Carson City, with snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches (2.5-7.5 cm) on valley floors and up to 8 inches (20 cm) above 5,000 feet (1,524 meters).

    ————

    Associated Press reporters Olga Rodriguez in San Francisco and Julie Walker in New York City contributed to this report.

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  • California proposal seeks to penalize oil refiners for

    California proposal seeks to penalize oil refiners for

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    California could become the first state to fine big oil companies for making too much money, a reaction to the industry’s supersized profits following a summer of record-high gas prices in the nation’s most populous state.

    Gov. Gavin Newsom and his Democratic allies in the state Legislature introduced the proposal Monday as lawmakers returned to the state Capitol in Sacramento for the start of a special legislative session focused solely on the oil industry.

    But the proposal was missing key details, including how much profit is too much for oil companies and what fine they would have to pay for exceeding it. Newsom’s office said those details would be sorted out later after negotiations with lawmakers. Any money from the fines would be returned to the public.

    Gas prices are always higher in California because of taxes, fees and environmental regulations that other states don’t have. But in October, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in California was more than $2.60 higher than the national average — the biggest gap ever.


    California’s AG investigating oil and gas companies, including ExxonMobil

    01:48

    Newsom: No good way to justify high prices

    Speaking to reporters, Newsom compared the actions of oil companies to price gougers charging more for hand sanitizer during the pandemic. He said the goal of the penalty is to prevent gas prices from shooting up similarly in the future, calling it “a proactive effort in order to change behavior.”

    “We’re burning up. We’re choking up. We’re heating up because of these folks,” Newsom said, referring to the oil industry and its impact on the environment. “And people are barely able to pay their bills because of these folks.”

    It could be a popular proposal with voters, who have been paying more than $6 per gallon of gasoline on average for much of the year. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy to get it through the state Legislature, where the oil industry is one of the top spenders on both lobbyists and campaign contributions.

    “Civil penalty” not tax

    Crucially, the proposal classifies the fine as a “civil penalty” and not a tax. That means only a simple majority would be needed for passage, instead of the two-thirds majority that is required to raise taxes.

    “Whatever Gov. Newsom wants to call it, this is a tax and it’s going to have the same impact that all taxes do on consumers, and that is to raises costs, not bring them down,” said Kevin Slagle, spokesperson for the Western States Petroleum Association. “We think the governor should be honest about what this is and let the legislators vote on a tax and sell it to the California public as a tax and see how people feel about it.”

    The California Legislature is in session most of the year, typically considering hundreds of bills. The governor can call lawmakers into a special session limited to discussing issues he specifies. Newsom said he called the special session on gas prices because it would help lawmakers focus on the issue.


    Debate rages in California over how to fund renewable energy

    02:30

    Mixed reaction from Senate

    But legislative leaders don’t appear in any hurry to pass the bill. Lawmakers convened in a special session for mere minutes Monday, long enough to adopt rules and appoint leaders. They won’t reconvene again until January.

    Many lawmakers said they had no idea what Newsom was proposing. A few senators joined reporters at Newsom’s news conference outside Senate chambers just to hear what he had to say.

    “I don’t think anybody objects to (oil companies) having a business model that makes a profit, but the extent to which they’re taking advantage of people really does appear to be unfair,” said state Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat from Santa Monica, expressing general support for Newsom’s concept.

    Republicans, who don’t have enough votes to influence legislation, denounced the proposal.

    “The last thing that we need to do is increase the cost on Californians who are already paying far too much,” Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher said.


    Local Matters: Some experts concerned about aging oil pipelines in California

    04:16

    Adding to the uncertainty is an unusually high number of newly elected lawmakers about to take seats for the first time. Roughly a quarter of the Legislature’s 120 members are new, with two close races still unresolved.

    Among the new state senators is Angelique Ashby, a Democrat who narrowly won election after an intense campaign. The oil industry spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on radio and TV ads supporting Ashby’s campaign, a trend noticed by critics who tried to use it against her.

    Ashby said she hasn’t been approached by lobbyists or others from the oil industry asking how she would vote on a potential penalty. She noted the oil industry spent the money as “independent expenditures,” meaning she had no control over that spending during the campaign.

    “Campaign slogans and strategies of my opponent are a thing of the past,” said Ashby, whose district includes Sacramento. “I’m fixated on the people of Senate District 8 and I will make my decision based on what is in their best interest.”

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  • Sheriff: 14-year-old boy shot, killed in Northern California

    Sheriff: 14-year-old boy shot, killed in Northern California

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    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A 14-year-old boy was fatally shot Friday in Northern California, authorities said.

    The teenager was found lying on the front lawn of a home in the North Highlands neighborhood near Sacramento around 9 p.m. with at least one gunshot wound, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.

    Detectives have not determined what led up to the shooting and the sheriff’s department did not immediately have information regarding a potential suspect.

    A 911 caller who found the teen told authorities they had heard gunshots, the sheriff’s department said. The teenager, whose name was not immediately released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

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  • Scott Peterson finally moved off California’s death row

    Scott Peterson finally moved off California’s death row

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    This Oct. 21, 2022, photo provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabiliatation shows Scott Peterson. Peterson has been moved off death row more than two years after the California Supreme Court overturned his death sentence for killing his pregnant wife two decades earlier, corrections officials said Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. Peterson was moved last week from San Quentin State Prison north of San Francisco to Mule Creek State Prison east of Sacramento. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP)

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  • Grand Opening of Jyros Twisted Gyros in Sacramento

    Grand Opening of Jyros Twisted Gyros in Sacramento

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Mar 12, 2018


    SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 12, 2018 (Newswire.com)
    –
     Come and celebrate the grand opening of Jyros Twisted Gyros on March 15, 2018. Jyros is doing things that have not been done before with Greek and Mediterranean food. A couple “twists”: Jyros uses naan (a fluffy white Indian flatbread) in addition to the traditional Pita bread and Jyros is also doing an Al Pastor (Mexican) pork, Sriracha sauces and things like our Garlic Mayo and Twisted Fries (with meat, toppings and sauce). Get a Gyro, Bowl, Salad, Twisted Fries or Medusa Nachos.

    This is owner Jared Katzenbarger’s first independent concept. “It was fun to develop the concept on my own, taking the foods I love and creating a fun, new and exciting concept. I have been a franchisee for years and you do not have the flexibility and creativity that your own concept allows.” Katzenbarger elaborated, “For example, the first couple weeks we were open I received a lot of feedback. I was able to make immediate changes and the guests were appreciative of us keeping their suggestions in mind.”

    Jyros is doing things that have not been done before with Greek and Mediterranean food.

    Jared Katzenbarger, Owner, Jyros Twisted Gyros

    On Thursday, March 15, Jyros will be offering 50 percent off all food items and also doing $2 beer and wine. In addition, they will be giving away prizes and swag, and for anyone that dresses up in a Toga, they will get a free Sando. Please visit us on Facebook /JyrosTwistedGyros or Instagram /jyrostwisted.

    1901 J Street, Sacramento, CA 916-462-1002  11a.m. – 9 p.m.

    Jared Katzenbarger, 916-546-4399, jared@jyrosgyros.com

    Source: Jyros Twisted Gyros

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