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  • These 11 Bay Area pop-up bars serve up festive cheer this holiday season

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    The winter holidays are nearly here, which means it’s a great time to gather with friends and family for some festive celebratory drinks. But where to go? If cozy kitsch, the glow of Christmas lights and an abundance of tinsel are your vibe, head for one of these 11 pop-up holiday cocktail bars around the Bay Area.

    Sippin’ Santa and Miracle — two pop-up bar organizers — work with existing bars to offer their seasonal cocktail menus. The Sippin’ Santa concept is generally more tropical and tiki-drink focused, while the Miracle bars also offer professionally developed cocktails “and the nostalgic energy of the best office party you’ve ever been to.”

    Originally launched in 2014 in New York City, the Miracle pop-up has grown since then, and now brings its seasonal pop-ups worldwide, according to its website. Meanwhile, the first Sippin’ Santa started in 2015 in New York City and has since expanded to over 60 locations across North America, especially following the creation of a 2018 partnership with tiki connoisseur, writer and bar owner Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. Generally, the menus are the same across the different locations for each concept, and each has a number of collectible cocktail mugs as well.

    There are five of each concept open now or very soon around the Bay Area.

    Santarex mugs are a popular item at Miracle’s pop-up holiday experience in participating restaurants and bars. (Photo by John McCall, South Florida Sun Sentinel) 

    SIPPIN’ SANTA LOCATIONS

    Beer Baron, Pleasanton

    Open 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 15-Jan. 4, at 336 St. Mary St., Pleasanton; beerbaronbar.com

    Faith & Spirits, San Carlos

    Open at 4:30 p.m. daily through Dec. 31, at 765 Laurel St., San Carlos; faithandspiritssancarlos.com

    Kona’s Street Market, San Francisco

    Open 5 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays-Saturdays, Nov. 28-Dec. 31 (closed Christmas Day), at 32 Third St., San Francisco; konastreetmarket.com

    55 South, San Jose

    Opens at 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 6 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 20-Jan. 3, 55 S. 1 First St., San Jose; the55south.com

    Flamingo Lazeaway Club, Santa Rosa 

    Open 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. and 2:30-10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 31, at 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa; lazeawayclub.com

    Additional California locations are in Hollywood, Paso Robles, Sacramento, San Diego and Santa Barbara.

    The Snowball Old-Fashioned cocktail made with rye whiskey, gingerbread, aromatic and wormwood bitters and orange essence will be served during the Miracle pop-up bar experience at participating restaurants and bars this holiday season. (Photo courtesy of Miracle)
    The Snowball Old-Fashioned cocktail made with rye whiskey, gingerbread, aromatic and wormwood bitters and orange essence will be served during the Miracle pop-up bar experience at participating restaurants and bars this holiday season. (Courtesy of Miracle) 

    MIRACLE LOCATIONS

    You’ll also find Miracle pop-up bars at the following bar locations. These cocktail bars are less tiki-themed, more.

    Pop’s Public House, Gilroy

    Open 4-9 p.m. Mondays, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays, 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays and 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 31, at 1300 First St., Gilroy; popspublichouse.com

    The Fat Pigeon, Livermore

    Opens 2 p.m. weekdays and noon weekends through Dec. 31, at 2223 First St., Livermore; fatpigeonbar.com

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    Kate Bradshaw

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  • Sharks can cling to one positive trend after blowout loss to Avalanche

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    SAN JOSE – Perhaps the Sharks’ biggest strength in recent weeks – beyond getting outstanding individual performances from second-year center Macklin Celebrini and rookie goalie Yarsolav Askarov — has been their ability to get past a bad game.

    The Sharks, regrettably, are in that position again going into Friday’s home matinee against the Vancouver Canucks, as they try to bounce back from their most lopsided loss of the season.

    On their heels from the start, the Sharks were blasted 6-0 by the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Wednesday night as they allowed two goals in the first period and three more in the second.

    Nothing went right for the Sharks as Askarov, through no fault of his own, was pulled early in the second period after the fourth goal. San Jose also managed only a handful of quality scoring chances as it was shut out for the third time this season.

    Now it’s a matter of correcting those issues – the lack of compete and physicality, along with some mental errors and defensive breakdowns – in time for their game against the Canucks, who are coming off a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.

    “To get better and to be a good team, you can’t dwell on the past,” Sharks forward Adam Gaudette said Thursday. “If you have an off night, the most important thing is the response the next game. You can’t let those losses stack up.”

    The Sharks (11-10-3) haven’t, as after their last seven losses, they’ve responded with a win six times.

    The most recent example came last weekend, when, after a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, the Sharks responded the next day with a 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins.

    The Senators outcompeted the Sharks for most of the final two periods. But after what coach Ryan Warsofsky called an “honest” talk the next morning, the Sharks responded with a much better overall effort – combined with a tremendous performance from Askarov – to finish what was a four-game homestand on a positive note.

    “You hope at some point it clicks, and you don’t have to have a response after a letdown, and you grow your team, and you grow your game,” Warsofsky said Thursday. “But for where we are as an organization, with the (youth) on our team, we’re probably going to have some nights where we maybe take a step forward, and a few games later, we take a little bit of a step back.

    “We’ve got to, as coaches, challenge that and try to teach through that, demand more, and have an understanding of what it looks like when we have success. I think our group has responded pretty well for the most part this year.”

    Much better than the previous few years, anyway. As the Sharks went 20-50-12 last season, they had five losing streaks of at least six games and responded to a loss with a win only 13 times.

    This season, after a 0-4-2 start, the Sharks’ longest losing skid is two games, as they lost on the road to Calgary and Seattle on Nov. 13 and 15. That’s allowed the Sharks to stay near the playoff cutline, as they entered Thursday two points back of the second and final wild card spot in the Western Conference.

    The Sharks will fly to Las Vegas right after Friday’s game to play the Golden Knights on Saturday.

    “There’s just a better product on ice, and a bigger belief that we’re a good team in here,” Sharks winger Ryan Reaves said. “When you start believing that, those losses don’t mean as much. A loss is a loss, but you’ve got to move on, and good teams learn how to move on.”

    CELEBRINI SITS

    Celebrini was given a maintenance day on Thursday but will play Friday, said Warsofsky, adding that the Sharks’ leading scorer and No. 1 center isn’t dealing with anything specific.

    “Just a lot of hockey for him,” Warsofsky said. “Just going through the wear of it all, just kind of dealing with bumps and bruises, and (Celebrini’s) no different.”

    Celebrini had 20:47 in ice time on Wednesday and played late into the third period. Celebrini centered the Sharks’ top line with William Eklund and Will Smith and had three shots on net, 11 shot attempts, and won seven of 17 faceoffs. The Sharks’ power play created some scoring opportunities but still went 0-for-4.

    SKINNER, MISA TIMELINES

    Forwards Jeff Skinner and Michael Misa, both out with lower-body injuries, skated again on Thursday and could, if they continue to progress, join the Sharks for their next scheduled practice on Tuesday.

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • How Avs’ Blackwood helped the Sharks’ future franchise goalie: ‘Not everybody’s like that’

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    SAN JOSE – Yaroslav Askarov did not know many people inside the San Jose Sharks organization in Aug. 2024 when general manager Mike Grier acquired him from the Nashville Predators.

    Fellow goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, who also came to the Sharks via trade a little more than a year earlier, offered the Russian-born Askarov his support and helped him get adjusted to his new surroundings.

    It’s something Askarov will never forget.

    “I’m still not speaking (English) really well, but last year was worse,” Askarov said. “He was like, ‘Hey buddy, if you need to say something, just take your time. I’m going to be waiting. I’m going to be listening to you. I’m going to try to (help you) understand everything.’

    “Not everybody’s like that.”

    The Sharks traded Blackwood, forward Givani Smith, and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Avalanche last December for goalie Alexandar Georgiev, winger Nikolai Kovalenko, a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick, and a second-rounder in 2026.

    Still, Blackwood, with his big personality, not to mention his often-stellar play, left his mark in San Jose, particularly on Askarov, who has all but replaced Blackwood as the Sharks’ No. 1 goalie with his own recent string of success.

    Askarov and Blackwood were again set to be on opposite sides of the ice on Wednesday night when the Sharks faced the league-leading Avalanche at Ball Arena. In the Sharks’ 3-2 overtime win over Colorado on Nov. 1, Askarov stopped 36 of 38 shots while Blackwood made 20 saves in what was his first game of the season.

    “He doesn’t have bad days,” Askarov said of Blackwood. “He always has fun. He’s smiling, jokes around. It helps during the long hockey season, because you’re keeping your focus most of the time, but he’s that type of guy who makes your life easier and makes your life more fun.”

    The Sharks haven’t reaped much reward for trading Blackwood, at least not yet, as the underperforming Georgiev and Kovalenko are now back in Russia. The 2025 fifth-round pick was used on center Max Heise, who had 15 points in 19 games for the Prince Albert Raiders before Wednesday, and the 2026 pick looks like it will come late in the second round.

    Blackwood, a pending unrestricted free agent, signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract extension with the Avalanche, a term and dollar amount the Sharks were unwilling to commit to, partly because they felt they had their goalie of the future in Askarov, who spent the majority of last season in the AHL with the Barracuda.

    Before Wednesday’s game, Askarov was now 7-1-0 this month with a .959 save percentage – second-best in the NHL among all goalies with at least five starts – as he helped the Sharks rejoin the playoff race after a 0-4-2 start.

    There’s no doubt that Askarov credits Blackwood for helping him become comfortable in San Jose.

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • Askarov stands tall (again) as Sharks finish homestand with impressive win

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    SAN JOSE – Shakir Mukhamadullin and Macklin Celebrini both had goals in the first two periods, and goalie Yaroslav Askarov made 33 saves as the San Jose Sharks earned a 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday to close out a four-game homestand.

    Mukhamadullin scored his first goal of the season at the 15:53 mark of the first period, and Celebrini added his 14th at the 11:45 mark of the second on a power play as the Sharks took a 2-0 lead.

    The Bruins got one goal back at the 10:02 mark of the third as Morgan Geekie scored his 17th of the season in front of the Sharks’ net off a pass from David Pastrnak.

    Collin Graf iced the win for the Sharks with an empty-net goal with 1:07 to play.

    Askarov didn’t have a chance on that play and had eight saves in the third period, as the Sharks finished their homestand with a 3-1-0 record.

    Askarov made 25 saves through two periods, including one on a one-timer by Pastrnak midway through the second period.

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San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) keeps an eye on the puck against Boston Bruins’ Marat Khusnutdinov (92) in the third period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

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Askarov entered Sunday as one of the hottest goalies in the NHL. In seven starts this month, Askarov was 6-1-0, and his .957 save percentage was second-best among all NHL goalies who have started at least seven games.

Askarov was coming off a 31-save performance in the Sharks’ 4-3 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings. Askarov also made 24 saves in San Jose’s 3-2 overtime win over the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday to open the homestand.

The Sharks were looking to bounce back after a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday when coach Ryan Warsofsky lamented his team’s lack of complete, battle-level, and attention to detail.

San Jose held a 2-1 lead late in the second period, but a poor line change helped lead to a goal by Senators winger Fabian Zetterlund, and a defensive breakdown late in the third allowed Tim Stutzle to score the go-ahead goal, handing the Sharks their third loss in five games.

The Sharks tweaked their forward lines for Sunday’s game. William Eklund was moved to the top line alongside Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, and Philipp Kurashev slid to the second line with Alexander Wennberg, who played his 100th game with the Sharks on Sunday, and Tyler Toffoli.

Playing on back-to-back days, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky also wanted to get fresh legs into the lineup, as rookie Sam Dickinson entered the lineup for Sam Klingberg. But it was clear, too, that Warsofsky thought Klingberg’s miscue led to Stutzle’s goal on Saturday.

“We don’t scan well enough as a defense, we don’t read it,” Warsofsky said Sunday. “It’s a quick game. So, we’ve got to be able to read it quickly. Again, the change isn’t (ideal), but it’s a 2-1-2 (neutral-zone forecheck). We should be able to defend that pretty easily.”

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San Jose Sharks’ Tyler Toffoli (73) fights for the puck against Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) and Boston Bruins’ Elias Lindholm (28) in the first period at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

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Curtis Pashelka

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  • Sharks’ Klingberg takes a seat after miscue; Will roster spot be available for young center?

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    SAN JOSE – Say this about the way the San Jose Sharks’ active roster is put together: When coach Ryan Warsofsky wants to make a change on defense, he has no shortage of options.

    Sunday, it was again John Klingberg’s turn to take a seat in the press box, as the Sharks prepared to face the Boston Bruins at SAP Center to finish a four-game homestand.

    Playing on back-to-back days, Warsofsky said he wanted to get fresh legs into the lineup Sunday, as rookie Sam Dickinson entered the lineup for Klingberg. But it was clear, too, that Warsofsky thought Klingberg’s miscue helped the Ottawa Senators earn a 3-2 win over the Sharks on Saturday.

    Klingberg scored a power-play goal for the Sharks in the first period. But he was also on the ice late and out of position in the third period when the Senators got a 2-on-0 and scored what would become the game-winning goal.

    As Sharks forwards Will Smith and Philipp Kurashev headed off the ice on an ill-timed line change, Klingberg was too far to the outside when Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson sent a pass right past Shakir Mukhamadullin to Drake Batherson.

    Batherson passed to Dylan Cozens, whose shot on a forehand-to-backhand move was saved by Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic. Klingberg got back but was unable to clear the puck off the goal line before Tim Stutzle arrived and poked it across with 6:38 left in the third period for the go-ahead goal.

    “We don’t scan well enough as a defense, we don’t read it,” Warsofsky said Sunday. “It’s a quick game. So, we’ve got to be able to read quick. Again, the change isn’t (ideal), but it’s a 2-1-2 (neutral-zone forecheck). We should be able to defend that pretty easily.”

    Klingberg, signed to a one-year, $3 million contract as a free agent in July, was a healthy scratch for the first time this season on Tuesday when San Jose hosted Utah.

    “I’m a defenseman. I’ve got to know what’s going on behind me,” Klingberg said after Saturday’s game. “But I’m thinking it’s a 1-1-3, so I’m gapping up on (Stutzle) and then they pass it, and there’s a breakaway 2-on-0 behind me. So, I’ve got to realize that a lot quicker.

    “(Nedeljkovic) obviously makes a huge save, and then I kind of get stuck with my stick in his pad. Otherwise, I’m clearing out (the puck) on the goal line.”

    Veteran defenseman Nick Leddy will also be a scratch for a third straight game Sunday, as the Sharks had eight available defensemen against the Bruins. They will soon have a ninth, as Vincent Iorio finishes up his two-week conditioning loan with the Barracuda.

    The overabundance of blueliners has created a bit of a tricky situation for Warsofsky, who has to dress the best lineup he can for every game while ensuring that Dickinson and Mukhamadullin are still playing and developing the proper way.

    Asked Sunday how tenable it is to continue to have nine defensemen, while only having 12 forwards, Warsofsky said, “It is what it is. We’ll focus on today, and the guys on the roster, and we’ll make do.”

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • 49ers 5 keys to beating Panthers on Monday night for elusive second straight win

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    SANTA CLARA – On display now at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a memento from the 49ers’ last game, only it’s the Arizona Cardinals’ jersey of Jacoby Brissett, who set an NFL record with 47 completions last Sunday.

    Embarrassing as that may be, the 49ers brought home their seventh victory of the season. Winning by any means possible is all that matters from here on out to the playoffs, and possibly back home to Levi’s Stadium for Super Bowl LX in this bizarro-world season.

    That’s why the 49ers (7-4) can not overlook the surprisingly upstart Carolina Panthers (6-5) in Monday night’s matchup.

    “It gets more important the later you get in the year, especially playing against a team right now who’s in the playoff hunt, fighting for first place in their division,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “So, I think we fully understand how important it is to get a back-to-back win.”

    The 49ers have not done that since their 3-0 start, instead alternating wins and losses each weekend amid myriad injuries.

    The Panthers had won just twice in 20 road games dating to 2023 before winning their past three away from Charlotte. They’re seeking their first Monday Night Football road win since 2016, and, almost a decade later, this is their first encore away from home since then.

    They’re not total strangers out here. They were, after all, the 49ers’ NFC West cohort from 1995-2001. They lost Super Bowl 50 here a decade ago. And they clobbered Shanahan 23-3 in his 49ers’ debut in 2017.

    But, again, all that matters now is who wins Monday night and makes a sizeable step toward the playoffs. Here are five keys for the 49ers to make that happen:

    1. STOP THE RUN

    The No. 1 task for any defense is stopping the run, and Monday night that puts the 49ers’ focus on Rico Dowdle. His patience style paid off with a 1,079-yard season last season as the Dallas Cowboys’ starter, and he’s carried that over this season to the Panthers.

    He is averaging 5 yards per carry, and he’s 167 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season. Mind you, he ran for 391 yards combined in back-to-back games against Miami and Dallas last month. Dowdle played a bit role as a Cowboys backup in two previous games against the 49ers, totaling just 26 yards in those 2020 and ’23 games. Spelling him are Chubba Hubbard and rookie Trevor Etienne.

    Curtis Robinson’s first career start comes with weighty responsibility as the play-relaying, movement-signaling middle linebacker role previously occupied by Fred Warner and Tatum Bethune, the latter of whom is out likely these next two games before the Week 14 bye because of last Sunday’s high-ankle sprain.

    2. TIGHTER PASS DEFENSE

    The 49ers not only failed to sack Brissett amid his 47-completion barrage, they yielded the fourth-most yards in their history (452). Carolina’s Bryce Young almost threw for that many on Sunday, too.

    In beating the Atlanta Falcons 30-27 in overtime, Young delivered a career-best game (448 yards, three touchdowns, 123.2 rating). He has a bona fide No. 1 target in Tetairoa McMillan, who leads all rookies with 748 yards (four touchdowns). The 6-foot-5 McMillan had 130 yards and two touchdowns last Sunday, but he’s yet to produce a reception longer than 40 yards.

    The 49ers got interceptions last game from Deommodore Lenoir and Malik Mustapha, perhaps signaling a long-awaited launch point for a takeaway trend. The 49ers’ pass rush, led by Bryce Huff and Keion White, also could wake up and get to Young, who got sacked five times last game.

    Pay particular attention to intermediate passes between 10 and 19 yards, where McMillan has thrived (407 yards) and the 49ers’ defense has waned (111.3 passer rating).

    3. AN ‘UNWANTED’ McCAFFREY

    McCaffrey entered the NFL in 2017 with a chip on his shoulder and carried it with him from the Panthers’ trade to the 49ers three years ago. Motivation is never a concern. But perhaps he should channel his post-trade emotions and lash out for his third 100-yard game in the past six weeks, though the 49ers certainly wouldn’t mind another three-touchdown outing like last game.

    “In hindsight, I firmly believe it’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” McCaffrey said in May 2023 about the trade. “But at the time, it was bittersweet, right? You’re leaving (Carolina). In my head, I was pissed off, and to be frank, I felt, ‘You guys don’t want me anymore.’ I was hungry. That was the first emotion. I was hungry to get back to the football that I knew I could play.”

    Fullback Kyle Juszczyk called it a “weird” feeling the first time he faced his original team, the Baltimore Ravens, and said: “I’m sure Christian is going to have some of that. There’s going to be guys he played with over there and a few coaches, the medical staff. I’m sure he’ll be extra juiced up to go out there and put on a good performance.”

    The Panthers struggled last week to slow one of McCaffrey’s fellow all-purpose backs in Bijan Robinson, who ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns while adding 39 receiving yards.

    4. RED ZONE EFFICIENCY

    Often seizing on defensive coverages they’ve scouted, the 49ers have scored touchdowns on 12 of their past 15 red-zone drives over the past three games, and 16-of-19 dating to the Oct. 19 win over Atlanta.

    That’s pumped them up to the 11th-best red-zone offense in the league, with a 63.4% conversion rate. After a down 2024 season (57.1%), this full-strength 49ers offense could be trending back toward it’s league-leading mark in 2023 (67.2%).

    The Panthers’ defense ranks 29th in red-zone efficiency, yielding touchdowns on 65.8% of such drives.

    If the 49ers don’t score touchdowns, they should get points from newly signed kicker Matt Gay, who’s filling in after Eddy Piñeiro’s hamstring strain Sunday. Gay has made all 43 field-goal attempts in his career inside 30 yards and 84% on overall field-goal tries, though just 32-of-54 when attempting from 50 yards and longer.

    5. WIDE RECEIVER OUTBURST

    With Brandon Aiyuk’s comeback on indefinite hold and a 2026 breakup on the horizon, the time is ripe for Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne to rise up and link up with Brock Purdy, who’s right big toe is amenable to a second straight start for the first time this season.

    Purdy may have thrown three touchdown passes last Sunday in his triumphant return from a six-game hiatus, but they predictably went to George Kittle (two) and Christian McCaffrey (one). Pearsall had one catch for no gain, Bourne got shutout to remain 18 yards shy of a $500,000 bonus, and Jennings has just 378 yards in a highly publicized contract year. The only 49ers wide receivers under contract for 2026 are Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, and, for now, Aiyuk, pending a likely March exit.

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    Cam Inman

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  • CCS, NCS football playoffs: Best of Saturday’s semifinals

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    Saturday’s games

    CCS Division II

    No. 2 Sacred Heart Cathedral 63, No. 3 Santa Teresa 27 

    The game was tied at seven in the first half Saturday, but that’s as close as Santa Teresa would get as SHC routed the Saints to advance to the section title game, where the Fightin’ Irish will play rival St. Ignatius next week. SHC used a 28-point second quarter to propel the San Francisco school to the win. Quarterback Michael Sargent accounted for six touchdowns – throwing for four and rushing for two. Running back Jaylen Malcom had three touchdowns for Santa Teresa, which finished 11-1. – Nathan Canilao

    CCS Division V

    No. 1 Piedmont Hills 41, No. 4 Jefferson 14

    Piedmont Hills will play in its first section final since 2010 after making quick work of Jefferson at home. Senior Diego Arias was excellent on both sides of the ball, getting a 32-yard pick-six and throwing a 50-yard touchdown to Travis Linane. Running back Alijah Torres had two rushing scores. Quarterback John Palomo ran for a touchdown and kicker Cash Martinez knocked in field goals from 26 and 32 yards away. Jefferson quarterback Robert Saulny-Green accounted for both of his team’s touchdowns with a rushing score and a passing TD. The Pirates will play Sobrato for the D-V championship next week. They will try to avenge a 40-30 loss to the Morgan Hill school this season. Jefferson ended its season 9-2. – Nathan Canilao

    No. 2 Sobrato 27, No. 3 Terra Nova 19

    Brady Lennon rushed for 272 yards and three touchdowns to help Sobrato to the win and the program’s first appearance in a CCS title game. Lennon broke a 70-yard scoring run on the second play of the game. Brandon Huighes connected with Jacob Sorrentino on a 35-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0. After Terra Nova drew to within 20-19, Lennon’s 26-yard TD run with 1:46 left gave Sobrato (8-4) an eight-point lead. Then when kicker Kyle Gurney recovered a fumble on the subsequent kickoff, the Bulldogs were able to run out the clock. For Terra Nova (8-4), QB Joey Donati rushed for 93 yards and passed for 184 and touchdowns to Robbie Johnson and Holden Najar. – Glenn Reeves

    NCS Division V

    No. 2 Ferndale 35, No. 3 Salesian 7

    Salesian traveled more than 250 miles up Highway 101 for its semifinal game against Ferndale, hoping to return home to Richmond with a shot to capture the program’s eighth NCS championship next week. For three quarters Saturday, there was still hope. The Pride trailed 14-7 with 12 minutes to play. But the home team found another gear down the stretch, scoring three touchdowns in the final quarter to advance to play top-seeded St. Vincent de Paul for the championship next Saturday at Rancho Cotate High in Rohnert Park. Instead of Salesian playing for an eighth NCS crown, Ferndale (12-0) will be seeking its 15th. Salesian finished 10-2.  – Darren Sabedra

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    Nathan Canilao, Darren Sabedra, Glenn Reeves

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  • Cal’s Metayer helps lead Washington Spirit into NWSL championship game at PayPal Park

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    SAN JOSE — Few players in the NWSL cover more ground than Paige Metayer.

    The former Cal midfielder has transformed into one of the league’s most versatile players. On Saturday, she brings that full-spectrum game back to the Bay Area as the Washington Spirit face Gotham FC in the NWSL championship at PayPal Park.

    The third-year pro has played at forward, midfield, and fullback for the Spirit, and started at right back in last year’s 1-0 championship game loss to Orlando.

    Bay FC’s Penelope Hocking advances on Gotham FC in Saturday night’s NWSL match in Harrison, N.J. Hocking scored Bay FC’s lone goal when she scored from close range in the 11th minute. It was Hocking’s fourth goal in her last five games. (Courtesy of Bay FC / NWSL) 

    Metayer started for four years at Cal, but didn’t receive all-conference recognition and went undrafted. But the Spirit offered her a preseason invite, and it took her just a few weeks to prove she belonged.

    As a rookie in 2023, she started all 21 matches she appeared in, and scored three goals—every one of them a headed finish off a corner kick. Heading had never been a strength earlier in her career, but like so much else in her game, she developed it quickly, even unexpectedly.

    “It wasn’t something I specialized in,” she said. “I wasn’t very tall growing up, so heading wasn’t really part of my game. But the service was great, and I was able to get my head on things. It became a strength I didn’t know I had.”

    Cal coach Neil McGuire wasn’t surprised at Metayer’s professional evolution.

    “She’s got incredible soccer intellect,” McGuire said. “She understands the game at a really high level, so positionally she can play in a number of spots. Athletically she’s extremely fit. Technically she’s gifted. She can deal with pressure, strike a ball over distance, receive with both feet—she just has a lot of strengths that make her right for the professional game.”

    That combination of intelligence, composure, and athleticism turned her into one of the most adaptable players on the Spirit roster. In 2024 alone, she appeared in 20 regular-season matches, making 11 starts, and played across all three levels of the field.

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    Harold Gutmann

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  • The Shark Tank is rocking again. Their rookie goalie is a big reason why

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    SAN JOSE — Forward Philipp Kurashev scored on his shootout attempt, and rookie goalie Yaroslav Askarov didn’t allow a goal at the other end to continue his exceptional play of late as the San Jose Sharks earned a raucous 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday at SAP Center.

    After the Kings scored late in the third period to tie the game 3-3, and following a scoreless overtime, Kurashev beat goalie Anton Forsberg with a wrist shot for the Sharks’ only goal of the shootout. But Askarov stopped shots by Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe before Corey Perry’s attempt went wide, helping to give the Sharks their sixth win in their last eight games.

    Adam Gaudette and Ty Dellandrea also scored, Collin Graf had two assists, and Askarov made 31 saves through three periods and overtime in another solid performance.

    “I haven’t seen this team have any mental weakness,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “We’re excited to come to the rink every day. They take the coaching, the constructive criticism, and they want to get better, individually and collectively. There’s a real care to win, which we haven’t had in a long time. And you can see it.”

    With the victory, the Sharks, at 10-8-3, already have half of the wins they had through 82 games last season (20-50-12). They’re also 6-0-1 at home since late October, and are one point out of a playoff spot going into Friday’s games.

    “We’re finding a rhythm. And I don’t think it’s just at home,” Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro said. “We’re just finding our game altogether.”

    The Sharks could have sagged after allowing a game-tying goal to Kempe with 58.3 seconds left in regulation time. But they were probably the better team in overtime, and once the shootout began, they might have felt some peace with the way Askarov has been playing of late.

    This month, after Thursday, Askarov is 6-1-0 with a .957 save percentage with one of the NHL’s best marks in goals saved above expected. Askarov also had 24 saves in the Sharks’ 3-2 overtime win over the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday.

    After Thursday’s shootout, Askarov pumped his fist before his Sharks teammates swarmed him.

    “Awesome, unbelievable, clutch,” Dellandrea said of Askarov. “He wants the big moments. He wants a lot of saves. He could be the first star every night, it seems. He’s been playing great, winning us games, keeping us in games. We’ve got to tighten it up a bit and not rely on him.”

    Thursday’s atmosphere was reminiscent of the glory days of the Sharks-Kings rivalry, as the announced attendance of 16,387 witnessed a back-and-forth game featuring dynamic playmaking and elevated physicality.

    “It was great, eh?” Dellandrea said. “The Tank was loud. It was fun to play in. You hear the chants during play, during whistles. It’s a great spot to be in when it’s like that.”

    “I wasn’t here when the Shark Tank was alive and well, but I’ve heard a lot about it, and we want to make it like that very, very soon,” Warsofsky said.

    Anze Kopitar, in his last regular-season game in San Jose after a 20-year NHL career, scored on a breakaway on Askarov 1:47 into the second period to tie the game 2-2.

    Kurashev, though, scored a go-ahead goal late in the second period.

    Setting up near the slot, Kurashev created some space for himself, took a pass from Will Smith, and beat Kings goalie Anton Forsberg five-hole for his sixth goal of the season.

    At the 11:46 mark of the second period, a Joel Armia goal was taken off the board, as, after a Sharks challenge, it was determined Kings forward Kevin Fiala had preceded the puck into the offensive zone.

    Macklin Celebrini recorded his third career NHL hat trick in the Sharks’ win over Utah. Still, the Sharks did not like how they played, especially 5-on-5, as their lack of connectivity defensively allowed the Mammoth to create almost twice as many high-danger chances as they did, per Natural Stat Trick.

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    Curtis Pashelka

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  • Investigation into removal of superintendent reveals misuse of public funds, Santa Clara County Office of Ed says

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    At a contentious meeting Wednesday night, the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s board delivered the results of a lengthy investigation into an alleged misuse of public funds by the county’s former superintendent of schools — but conflicting claims by county office of education leaders made it clear that many questions still swirl around the findings.

    They come more than a year after former Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan was unexpectedly removed from her position in a 4-2 vote; the action was classified as “without cause.” The board declined to expand on the reasoning for Dewan’s mysterious removal for months, but says now the decision stemmed from her handling of several complaints regarding the county’s Head Start program, which helps low-income children under the age of five access critical resources.

    The report did not cite specific examples of wrongdoing, or include the names of the two law firms that conducted the independent review. But it contained 14 findings, including that under Dewan’s leadership, the Santa Clara County Office of Education misused public funds and violated several board policies, that the county superintendent’s segregated account was used to redirect grant funding for unrelated purposes and that public dollars were used for legal expenses and investigations of the board of education.

    A federal audit released earlier this year said the county office of education misused more than $135,370 in federal Head Start funds under Dewan, an error the board called a failed cover-up and an intentional effort to undermine the board’s authority — but which Dewan said was a communication error.

    The county office of education said Wednesday that the board and staff were not aware of any charges being filed by law enforcement or the district attorney’s office.

    The report’s summarized findings presented Wednesday were written by board counsel and the board’s governance committee — comprised of board president Maimona Afzal Berta, vice president Victoria Chon and trustee Jessica Speiser as well as current county superintendent David Toston — the board’s legal counsel said Wednesday and the findings stemmed from multiple investigations and reports conducted in the last two years.

    The report’s findings also said several office of education contracts were awarded in a manner that suggested personal favoritism and that “ethical safeguards” were ignored, with several county office of education employees allegedly using “public resources” to show support for their superior.

    In a statement Wednesday, Dewan condemned the board’s findings, calling them “meritless, malicious and baseless attacks unsupported by any evidence.”

    “I have no knowledge of any wrongdoing and fulfilled all of my duties with integrity and within the statutory framework of my role,” Dewan said. “This pattern of public attacks, mischaracterizations and personal targeting is harmful to the institution and discourages talented educators from serving our students.”

    Dewan also pointed out that whether appointed by the board — in the case of Santa Clara County — or elected by the community, a county superintendent has independent authority under the law to enter into agreements and contracts. She also said that employees, like all individuals, have First Amendment rights and the board’s effort to frame employee free speech as misconduct is troubling.

    At Wednesday’s meeting, a handful of community members and head start staff expressed their gratitude to the board for investigating the misuse of funds and Dewan’s “unethical” requests.

    “The findings are astonishing but not surprising given that I and Head Start staff have been saying this for the last two years,” said Mercedes Hill, a Head Start office specialist within the county office of education.

    But Riju Krishna, the president of the Association of County Educators — a group of local teachers unions — pointed out that the amount of improperly misused funding alleged in the investigation’s findings “cannot possibly be the work of one single superintendent” in a system that requires multiple checks and balances, and called on the current county superintendent Toston to implement significant policy reform.

    “What is your plan…to rebuild the school oversight, repair the damage and ensure that this never happens again?” Krishna asked. “How will you repair this harm?”

    The board of education presented several suggested policy changes in response to the investigation’s findings Wednesday in an effort to prevent the misuse of funds from reoccurring.

    But Tara Sreekrishnan, who said she was speaking as an individual member of the board and not on behalf of the board itself, expressed concerns about the proposed board policy changes, which she said centralizes authority in the board president, restricts speech, reduces transparency and moves the county office of education toward “punitive, politically motivated governance.”

    She also expressed deep concerns about the investigation’s findings.

    “The findings raise broad and serious concerns but they are presented without evidence or specific examples, which makes it difficult for the public trustees or any oversight agency to fully evaluate them,” Sreekrishnan said in a statement Wednesday.

    The report’s findings come amid several other investigations into the county office of education and board over the last year, which have pointed to an alleged history of tension between the county office of education leadership and board members and found that the board failed to follow its own management policies.

    Several other former county office of education leaders came to the defense of Dewan Wednesday, including former board president Claudia Rossi and former trustee Kathleen King.

    “Countless public dollars have been poured into this two-year witch hunt and still not a shred of evidence of wrongdoing has been produced,” Rossi said in a statement Wednesday.

    But current board member Don Rocha cautioned the community that in his more than 30 years of public service, he’s never seen an agency as unconcerned with serving community interests as the Santa Clara County Office of Education was under Dewan.

    “The evidence speaks for itself unless you choose to look the other way,” Rocha said.

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    Molly Gibbs

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  • Magnitude 3.0 quake jolts South Santa Clara County

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    MORGAN HILL – A magnitude 3.0 earthquake jolted South Santa Clara County Tuesday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

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    Jason Green

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  • Why are birds perching on only 1 set of power lines in Newark?

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    DEAR JOAN: There is something that I have noticed for years, and I finally decided to ask the only expert I know.

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    Joan Morris, Correspondent

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  • Bay Area residents win more than half a million dollars in Powerball

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    Two Bay Area residents won more than half a million dollars each playing the Powerball Lottery on Saturday night, officials said.

    The two winning tickets, which selected five correct numbers, were each worth $609,497, according to the California Lottery.

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    Caelyn Pender

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  • CCS, NCS football playoffs: Best of Saturday’s first round

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    Saturday’s games

    CCS Open Division/Division I

    No. 1 Archbishop Riordan 42, No. 8 Salinas 9

    The Crusaders scored 28 points in the first quarter and didn’t look back in a rout of Salinas at home. Despite having four touchdowns called back because of penalties, the San Francisco school had no problem moving the ball against the Cowboys. The lead grew insurmountable in the second half as a running clock initiated in the third quarter. Riordan (10-0) will play Serra (7-4) for the Open Division title next week. – Nathan Canilao

    No. 2 Serra 29, No. 7 Archbishop Mitty 13

    The Padres rushed for 312 yards and shut down Mitty’s offensive attack to cruise to a 16-point win at home. Speedy receiver Charlie Walsh led Serra with a rushing and a receiving score. Kicker Saul Marks knocked in three field goals and Serra’s defense forced three turnovers.S Serra will get a rematch with Riordan – after falling to the Crusaders in the WCAL regular season finale – in the Open Division finals next week. Nathan Canilao was in San Mateo and has the story here.

    CCS Division II

    No. 2 Sacred Heart Cathedral 34, No. 7 Wilcox 21

    After trailing by two at halftime, the Fightin’ Irish took over the game behind a second-half surge to down visiting Wilcox at City College of San Francisco. Three second half touchdowns from quarterback Michael Sargent charged SHC’s offense, and the San Francisco school’s defense held Wilcox to just one score in the final two periods to seal the win. SHC (5-6) will host another South Bay powerhouse in undefeated Santa Teresa (11-0) next week. – Nathan Canilao

    No. 4 Menlo School 17, No. 5 The King’s Academy 7

    Menlo earned a hard-fought postseason win, defeating TKA at home. Quarterback Jack Freehill threw a touchdown pass to Chuck Wynn and Trevor van der Pyl’s 82-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter sealed the win for Menlo. Dylan O’ Malley rounded out Menlo’s scoring with a 27-yard first-quarter field goal. Quarterback Jaiden Flores to wide receiver Ricky Gutierrez was the only score TKA had on Saturday. Menlo (9-2) will travel to top-seeded St. Ignatius next week for its semifinal game. TKA ends its season 9-2. – Nathan Canilao

    CCS Division V

    No. 2 Sobrato 28, No. 7 Santa Cruz 17

    Sobrato advanced to the Division V semifinals after defeating Santa Cruz at home. Junior running back Brady Lennon led the way with rushing touchdowns from 35 and 10 yards. Jacob Sorrentino had a 75-yard touchdown grab and senior Jacob Kimerer had a 65-yard touchdown run. Sobrato improved to 7-4 and will host Terra Nova (8-3) next week. 

    NCS Division V

    No. 3 Salesian 38, No. 6 Northgate 33 

    Quarterback Izeah Buchanan tossed four touchdown passes to lead the Pride to a win over Northgate at home. Basketball star Carlton Perrilliat Jr. caught two touchdown passes while Joseph Tarin had two receiving scores of his own as Salesian will advance to the section semifinals at Ferndale next Saturday. Senior Jahlil Lindsey had a 95-yard scoop-and-score and kicker Roberto Mora knocked in a 27-yard field goal to round out the scoring for Salesian. Northgate (5-6) ends its 2025 season one game under .500. – Nathan Canilao

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    Nathan Canilao

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  • Morgan Hill: 12 illicit massage parlors shut down

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    MORGAN HILL — A dozen illicit massage parlors were shuttered in Morgan Hill for allegedly providing sexual services, authorities said Thursday.

    The 12 businesses were shut down by police during an 18-month operation, according to the Morgan Hill Police Department. The parlors either had their permits revoked or were denied permits after the city changed its municipal code to tighten requirements.

    Some of the businesses were found to be advertising sexual services online or caught by investigators providing sex, authorities said. Others had contraception in the rooms, lied in the permit application process or were otherwise generally promoted as a place for illegal sexual activity. Police found that the alleged sexual activity occurred both after-hours and during regular business hours.

    The businesses that were shut down include A&M Health Center, Angel Beauty Spa, Body Care Foot Spa, Body Care Massage, Elegant Foot Spa, Flower Day Spa, Laura Health Center, Lucky Spa, Morgan Hill Spa, New Times Massage, September Day Spa and TWNS Spa.

    Police also made multiple arrests of people on suspicion off pimping, pandering, supervising prostitution activities and soliciting prostitution, authorities said.

    In 2023, Morgan Hill saw an “unprecedented” increase in applications for massage business permits after similar businesses were closed across the Bay Area, officials said. The city partnered with reputable massages businesses, law enforcement, the California Massage Therapy Council and the Santa Clara County Illicit Massage Business Coalition to update the city’s municipal codes to “balance the needs of legitimate businesses with the safety of our community.”

    The changes to the municipal codes include requirements that all massage therapists be certified by the California Massage Therapy Council, and that front windows cannot be covered and doors to massage rooms cannot have locks. Owners of establishments that are denied permits also cannot reopen another massage business in the city, and the same storefront cannot be used for another massage business for at least five years.

    The updates to the city code went into effect in May 2024 and were further updated in June 2025, authorities said.

    Administrative Sgt. Christopher Woodrow said in a press release that the process of investigating illicit massage businesses is “time consuming” and “often frustrating.”

    “We took a multidisciplinary approach which included developing profiles from permit applications, communicating with other agencies and working on tips from community members,” Woodrow said. “Resources were often declined and there were no victims of human trafficking willing to provide testimony against their suspected traffickers which meant our team had to work even harder to ensure our decisions were not overturned on appeal.”

    Capt. Mario Ramirez said in the press release that some of the shuttered businesses left the city after their licenses were revoked, but others hired attorneys to appeal the decision.

    “The hard work and dedication of our team ultimately prevailed in all instances where suspected sexual activity was occurring,” Ramirez added.

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    Santa Clara County is one of three counties with the highest number of illicit massage businesses in the country, alongside Los Angeles County and Orange County, authorities added. The Human Trafficking Institute has found that California is the home of more than a quarter of the estimated 10,000 illicit massage parlors operating across the United States.

    “When you visit a licensed massage therapist, you’re entering a professional healthcare environment. We follow strict codes of ethics, maintain state licensure, and uphold the same professional boundaries you’d expect in any other healthcare setting,” Sarah Ellingson, owner of Rooted Republic, said in the press release. “By supporting legitimate, licensed massage therapists, our community helps protect the integrity of the profession and ensures that therapeutic touch remains a safe, respected, and valuable form of care.”

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    Caelyn Pender

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  • Bay Area News Group boys athlete of the week: Ashish Naveen, Dougherty Valley

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    Dougherty Valley’s Ashish Naveen scores eight goals, hands out four assists in water polo victory over Pittsburg.

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    Darren Sabedra

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  • Five arrested in connection with San Jose home burglary

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    SAN JOSE — A Halloween morning burglary at a West San Jose home ended in the arrest of five people, police said.

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    Jason Green

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  • Hours-long armed standoff at San Jose veterans home ends in arrest, deputies say

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    Authorities in the South Bay said they arrested a man who was allegedly armed following an hours-long standoff at a home for veterans that began Wednesday night.

    According to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the Veterans Housing Facility on Kirk Avenue in unincorporated San Jose shortly after 9 p.m.

    Deputies said the incident began with a verbal argument, which escalated to a resident pointing a gun at a staff member before he barricaded himself inside a room. The staff member was able to escape and was not injured.

    Members of the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team and Crisis Negotiation Team responded and spent several hours using de-escalation techniques. After about five hours, the standoff ended when deputies deployed less-lethal projectiles, which led the man to comply.

    The man, identified as 68-year-old Alexander Knapp, was taken into custody without further incident. Knapp was taken to a local hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

    “We commend the professionalism, patience, and de-escalation tactics demonstrated by Sheriff’s Office personnel, as well as the cooperation of facility staff and nearby neighbors,” deputies said in a statement. “We’re grateful the situation was resolved safely.”

    After being medically cleared, deputies said Knapp will be booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a firearm and resisting arrest.

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    Tim Fang

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  • California layoff plans hit 158,700 workers, No. 2 in US

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    California-centric layoff plans have hit 158,700 workers so far this year, the second-largest employment cuts nationwide.

    The job reports we usually follow are on hold during the federal government’s shutdown. So, my spreadsheet switched to a long-running tally of layoff news from major corporations, compiled by workplace consultants at Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

    Their latest report covered layoffs announcements by big companies through October in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This study tracks the layoff location based on either the corporate headquarters or the actual sites of the cuts, if mentioned in the layoff news release.

    California-related layoff plans in the first 10 months of 2025 account for 14% of the 1.1 million layoffs announced across the U.S. Challenger expects this year to be the nation’s worst for this layoff yardstick since the Great Recession era, minus 2020’s pandemic-scarred economy.

    Let’s put that 14% share in context. California is the nation’s largest economy. It has 18 million workers, more than any other state, and 11% of the nation’s 159 million jobs.

    Additionally, Golden State businesses comprise 11% of the 500 companies that comprise the high-profile S&P 500 stock index. And 13% of the INC. 5000 ranking of America’s fastest-growing companies hail from California.

    The national layoff hotspot was Washington, D.C., with 303,800. After California came New York, with 81,701, followed by Georgia with 78,049, and Washington state with 77,700.

    As for California’s economic rivals, Texas ranked seventh with 46,400 planned cuts, and Florida ranked ninth with 22,800 planned cuts.

    Who’s cutting

    A handful of industries dominate the list of layoff plans.

    Start with massive government job cuts, primarily in the District of Columbia, as the Trump administration aggressively shrinks the federal payroll.

    Nationwide, Challenger reported that announced layoff plans for all government workers totaled 307,600 in the first 10 months of 2025 – the largest cut in any industry and up 269,900, or 715%, in the past year.

    The next three shrinking industries have deep ties to California.

    Technology had 141,200 cuts announced nationwide, up 20,700 or 17%. Warehousing had 90,400, up 71,500 or 378%. And retail had 88,700 cuts, up 52,500 or 145%.

    Growing cuts

    California-centric layoffs rose by 22,100 in a year from the first 10 months of 2024. That’s the fifth biggest jump and 5% of the nationwide increase of 665,000.

    The largest increase was in D.C., at 269,000, followed by Georgia, with an increase of 60,200, and New Jersey, at 52,700. Florida was No. 8, up 9,800.

    Texas had the largest decline, down 20,600, followed by Rhode Island, down 10,600, and Nevada, down 8,400.

    The California bump looks less egregious on a percentage-point basis, ranking No. 20 with a 16% increase. Nationwide, these cuts grew by 65%.

    The biggest percentage jumps were in Alaska, at 2,346% – yes, it grew almost 25-fold – followed by Maine, up 1,446%, and D.C., up 773%. Florida was No. 12 at 76%.

    The largest dips were in Wyoming, down 99%, followed by Rhode Island, down 90%, and Nevada, down 76%. Texas was No. 34, off 31%.

    Job chill

    The layoffs are further proof of a cooling economy.

    Challenger only tracks layoff plans of big companies. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics follows actual layoffs and discharges, which include firings, at companies of all sizes.

    Through July, the latest numbers available, the BLS reported that 1.3 million Californians had been laid off or discharged, representing a 69,000 increase – a 6% jump – compared with the first seven months of 2024.

    Nationwide, these job cuts totaled 11.4 million in the same timeframe, a 4% increase of 445,000 in a year.

    And the shaky employment picture is why the Federal Reserve has shifted its focus from cooling problematic inflation to supporting the job market. The central bank made two cuts in the past two months in the interest rates it controls.

    Slow hiring

    Challenger also tracks hiring announcements on a national basis. It’s not pretty.

    So far in 2025, big companies have announced plans to hire 488,100, which is 35% lower than 2024 and down 53% from the median hires of the previous nine years.

    And seasonal hiring plans have been modest at many companies that supply the holiday spirit, from retailers to shippers. Expected year-end staffing increases are down 59% in a year.

    Merchants are seeing this wobbly job market help to depress consumer confidence. The Conference Board’s optimism indicators have decreased by 18% statewide and by 8% nationwide over the past year.

    Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com

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    Jonathan Lansner

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  • Assisted living senior care site in Los Gatos lands buyer from Chicago

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    LOS GATOS — A senior living community in Los Gatos that opened its doors earlier this year has been bought for more than $50 million by a big-time real estate investor from Chicago.

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    George Avalos

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