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Los Angeles

No Tickets Sold With All Six Powerball Lottery Numbers

There were no tickets sold with all six numbers in Monday evening’s drawing of the multi-state Powerball lottery, pushing the estimated jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing to $416 million. One ticket each with five numbers, but missing the Powerball number, were sold in Colorado and Pennsylvania and are both worth $1 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association, which conducts the game. The numbers drawn Monday were 11, 18, 23, 38, 60 and the Powerball number was 9. The estimated jackpot was $398 million. The drawing was the 25th since the last time a ticket with all six numbers was sold. The odds of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number is 1 in 292.2 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. The overall chance of winning a prize is 1 in 24.9. The Powerball game is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.

Sacramento

Engine Company No. 2 to open to the public with guide

RED BLUFF — The Whitt Hall Fire Museum will open its doors and host tours during a special event. Retired Fire Captain and Curator of the Whitt Hall Fire Museum, Dom Catona, will give tours on Saturday, March 8, from 10 to 2 p.m. Catona recently invited Tehama County Genealogical & Historical Society members, followers and the general public to view the museum and hear its history in Red Bluff. People of all ages are welcome. Antique fire trucks will also be on display. Catona has a goal of re-opening the museum to visitors on a regular basis. The firehouse has been a staple of Red Bluff since 1906. It was the home of Engine Company No. 2. When built, it had four stalls for horses and “two box stalls for the fiery steeds,” which were on duty ready to haul the apparatus to fires. According to historical records, the upstairs was fitted as a meeting room, and there was a hayloft. The Whitt Hall Fire Museum is at 835 Cedar St. in Red Bluff. For more information, visit rbfd.org.

Sacramento

Dreaming of tax simplification | Purcell

I can’t help but dream this time of the year. It’s the thick of winter, you see, which means I’m spending hours huddled in my home office getting a million tax details in order for my CPA. And I’m dreaming of tax simplification. President Trump has shared a bold vision to potentially replace the income tax entirely in favor of tariffs. Though I can’t imagine that ever happening, he has also promised to simplify tax filing to such a degree that “nine out of 10 Americans will be able to file their taxes on a single, little, beautiful sheet of paper.” Could tax filing become as simple as it was for my father in 1959? My dad kept a work draft of his return that he filled out in pencil, then completed the final version in ink before sending it to the IRS. I still can’t believe how simple his tax form was. In 1959, he paid a measly 5 percent in federal taxes. Though the top income tax rate was 91 percent that year — President Kennedy would slash rates a few years later

Sacramento

Norfolk Island Pine | Red Bluff Garden Club

When I wake up and after starting my morning coffee, I walk through my house room-by-room to greet the many members of the green kingdom that share my home. Yes, I garden. The Peace Lily, Angel Wing Begonia, Crossandra, Boston Fern, and Norfolk Island Pine all enjoy their morning mist; the little Rat Tail Cactus eyeing me with disdain as I move past, mister in hand. The Norfolk Island Pine is the most recent addition to my household, acquired the week after Christmas when living trees are plentiful and generously marked down at the local retail store. Since he is quite slow-growing and currently only 20 inches tall, I take him to the kitchen sink, relieve him of his drip pan and turn the faucet on low and cold for a drink while misting from above, simulating a moist, sub-tropical environment. Visually, the water drips gently from the holes in the bottom of the planter, ensuring the tree drains well in porous soil. The soil should be kept damp but not soggy. The Australian or Norfolk Pine is softly textured with flowing foliage that grows

Sacramento

Will I Inherit My Parents’ Debts? | Everyday Cheapskate

This week, as I reached into the mailbag, I pulled out two questions, neither of them with easy answers. I was tempted to set them aside and try again, but I decided to tackle both, knowing that my letter-writers are not the only ones facing these kinds of financial situations. Dear Mary: If my parents are in debt and they die, who pays the bills? I am terrified of inheriting my parents’ debts. — Bethany Dear Bethany: First, let me be clear that I am not an attorney, so what follows is my opinion. When a person dies, creditors can only look to his or her estate (the assets that person owned upon his or her death) for the payment of debts. If the debts are shared legally with another person still living, as in the case of a spouse in a community property state, or someone else who can sign on the account, that person may be responsible for part or all of the debt. Having said that, generally, unless you are a cosigner with your parents on their credit cards and other debts

San Diego

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife and dog found dead in their New Mexico home

By FELICIA FONSECA, Associated Press Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, his wife and their dog were found dead in their New Mexico home, authorities said Thursday. Foul play was not suspected, but authorities did not release circumstances of their deaths and said an investigation was ongoing. FILE – Actor Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) FILE – This Jan. 19, 2003 file photo shows actor Gene Hackman at the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, file) FILE – Actor Gene Hackman with wife Betsy Arakawa in June 1993. (AP Photo, File) FILE – Actor Gene Hackman reacts during an interview on March 24, 1972. (AP Photo/George Brich, File) FILE – Actor Gene Hackman discusses the effect of an Academy Award nomination on his career, March 24, 1972. (AP Photo/George Brich, File) FILE – Gene Hackman holds his Cecil B. DeMille award at the 60th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Reed

San Diego

Grand jury indicts adoptive mother, grandparents in death of Spring Valley girl

Aarabella McCormack tried to run away from her family’s Spring Valley home. Her little sister told a grand jury they both wanted out. Two years before Aarabella died at age 11, she briefly made it out. And when a good Samaritan spotted the little girl early one November morning, shoeless and carrying a backpack, the then-9-year-old pleaded not to be returned to her family. Testifying last October before the same San Diego Superior Court grand jury, the woman said Aarabella told her “they didn’t feed her.” And, the child told her, she feared no one would believe her. After hearing testimony from several witnesses in the prosecution’s case, that grand jury handed up an indictment charging the child’s adoptive mother and adoptive grandparents with murder and a special circumstances allegation of torture. That allegation makes the punishment either life in prison without parole or execution. Leticia McCormack and her parents, Stanley and Adella Tom, had already been charged with murder for the girl’s 2022 death but not the special circumstance allegation. They were slated to have a preliminary hearing in El Cajon on Wednesday, but that

San Diego

Temperatures are expected to hit the 80s Thursday along the San Diego County coast

Temperatures will likely rise into the 80s on Thursday along the San Diego County coastline — and the 90s inland — due to Santa Ana winds, which will carry warm air from the desert to the sea during one of the driest periods in the region’s history, the National Weather Service said. The daytime high is projected to hit 81 at San Diego, which is 14 degrees above average, and 83 in Oceanside. El Cajon could top out at 91. The hot spell will be short-lived. Cold air will begin to spread across the county Friday and linger through the weekend. Forecasters say there’s a chance that inland parts of the county will get a bit of rain. San Diego is in the midst of the driest water year since record-keeping began in 1850, with the city’s airport recording only 1.27 inches of precipitation from Oct. 1 to Feb. 24. The second driest start to the rainy season occurred during the same period in 1876-77. The current numbers “are where we don’t want them to be,” said Alex Tardy, a weather service forecaster. Sea surface

Far North

‘Angst and Dissonance’

Editor: This party in power is moving fast to shred the fabric of our society and nature (Mailbox, Feb. 13). We’ll all be living homeless in tatters, stranded, awaiting the flying saucers to another planet. Communication is forced to yield to silence or petty retribution and surveillance. Culture is dismissed as elitism. But whether it’s the bitter-sweet or the tragic in his mind, I enjoy Collin Yeo’s writing (The Setlist), often expressing angst and dissonance, because it resonates. It’s not surprising that he enjoys a range of music, and I hope an audience of listeners. Susan Pence, Eureka…

Far North

‘It’s Just Chaos’

Full impacts of Trump orders, freezes and firings remains murky on the North Coast Now a month into the second Donald Trump presidency, we’ve seen a daily barrage of headlines documenting executive orders, funding cuts and layoffs, though how those are trickling down to the North Coast has been hard to decipher. Journal attempts to get hard numbers of local federal employees fired and local funding streams frozen or cut have found little success. We’ve confirmed that local employees of the National Parks Service and the United States Forest Service have been fired, though no one seems to know or be willing to say how many. And we know that a variety of local nonprofits have faced funding uncertainty and angst, but whether they have yet seen cuts materialize is likewise unclear. North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman hosted a virtual town hall meeting Feb. 24 and painted a dire picture of what is happening in Washington, though he provided few specifics. Inquiries to his office seeking specifics to quantify the impacts of layoffs and funding freezes were not immediately returned. During his town hall, Huffman

Far North

Fix the Roads!

Editor: It is my opinion that Measure O funds should be directed toward its primary intention, as described in the load of marketing materials I received from Humboldt County during the last election (“Election Results,” Nov. 6). That marketing said while funds could be spent on anything, the breadth of it stated the goal was to repair roads. There was only one line about public transportation on each marketing piece received by me. Now the county is having a debate about how to spend our money. One supervisor has said, “We have got a lot of money to work with.” Wow. The county and special districts should know that they can only go to the well so much. Please just start fixing and/or repairing the roads. Chad Sefcik, McKinleyville…

Far North

‘Immoral’

Editor: Inefficient, ineffective, illegal and immoral. That describes the first month of the new administration (Mailbox, Feb. 13). It’s inefficient to have workers dismissed midday or on a Friday night and then oops, “not you, nuclear safeguards,” prison guards, firemen, park rangers, etc. If only we knew who they were and how to find them! That’s not getting rid of unnecessary staff, but simply last in, first out. Not a smart process and certainly not efficient. These layoffs are ineffective, because there is no guarantee they will make for a more effective program. On the contrary, it has every indication of a less effective process as holes are left in crucial positions and the chain of command is altered. Just who is in charge? Some employees promoted to a higher level were listed as new hires and dismissed. There goes years of experience, knowledge and competent service. Not a smart process and certainly not effective. The Civil Service Law was enacted because of abusive hiring practices: relatives, who you knew or who paid to play. The merit system was a vast improvement. Due notice of

Far North

‘The Scourge’

Editor: So, it turns out that the scourge of cats killing wildlife might now be as bad for cats as it is for wildlife. According to Tanya Schrum’s article in last week’s NCJ, “cats appear to be the first extra-host to suffer the most significant mortality” from avian influenza (grammatically nonsensical, but it sounds scary). Will it be enough to get cat owners to — finally — keep their cats confined? The threats of cars, dogs, coyotes, mountain lions, toxoplasmosis and catfights; cats’ impacts on wildlife, especially birds; and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act haven’t done it, so I’m not overly optimistic. One could not be blamed for thinking that people didn’t give a mouse’s ass about birds or their «beloved» cats. But it is heartening to know that this might just put a small dent in the number of cats wreaking havoc out there, one way or another. If you happen to be one of those cat owners for whom this news tips the scale, I invite you to explore the concept of catios, which allow cats to experience the outdoors with no risk to them or wildlife.

San Diego

Sheriff releases description of suspect vehicle in deadly hit-and-run crash

ENCINITAS, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Authorities are searching for a vehicle involved in a deadly hit-and-run crash last month in Encinitas. The collision occurred on Jan. 19 just before 7 p.m. in the 900 block of North Coast Highway 101, Sgt. Jeremy Collis with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release Tuesday. A 66-year-old woman was hit by a vehicle described as a 2019-2023 gray Audi Q3, according to authorities. She died at the hospital. The suspect vehicle stopped briefly at the scene before driving off, per SDSO. “The car may have damage to the lower left area of the front grille or be missing parts from the grille,” Collis said. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office at 858-868-3200. To remain anonymous, call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or by visiting www.sdcrimestoppers.org.

San Diego

East County school district braces for staffing cuts

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The Grossmont Union High School District could see some staff cuts soon. Acting Superintendent Sandra Huezo sent an internal email to employees warning of “difficult financial realities” and “necessary staffing reductions” she is planning to propose to the Governing Board during Thursday’s meeting.  “Like many school districts across California, including those in San Diego County, GUHSD is facing long-term budget challenges due to declining enrollment and an uncertain state budget, exacerbated by recent events such as the Southern California wildfires,” said Huezo in the email.  “They’re talking about cutting the librarians from high school, that sounds ridiculous. Every single student uses all those services to reach the best potential they possibly can,” said James Messina, a veteran district teacher and the President of the Grossmont Education Association.  Messina says he already received information some librarians have been impacted.  “Everyone is now instantly concerned if they are going to lose their job and this is not needed in the slightest,” he said.  He said class sizes could increase as a result of staffing reductions as well.  “My reaction is that the

San Diego

Surveillance video shows thief taking funeral donation box in North County

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — North County residents are outraged after a thief stole a funeral donation box from a local liquor store in broad daylight. The crime, which was captured on surveillance video, has sparked a community-wide effort to help the grieving family. The stolen box contained hundreds of dollars intended to help cover funeral expenses for Alfredo Martinez, a longtime Fallbrook resident who passed away earlier this month, leaving behind a wife and three children. Security footage from Feb. 18 shows a man with a backpack walking into Happy Jug Liquor Store, pretending to be a customer. Moments later, he grabs the donation box near the register and quickly walks out. “This is something deplorable,” said store owner Rawia Elfarra. “I cannot believe that this man walked into my store and took that box.” Elfarra shared that the Martinez family had labeled the box in both English and Spanish, including a photo of Alfredo, hoping to collect donations from the community. “For 40 years, my family has held fundraisers for fallen service members and local families in need,” Elfarra said. “I’ve seen people