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CONCORD — A 40-year-old man has been charged with raping and robbing a woman on a trail near the North Concord BART station, a crime that authorities describe as an attack on a randomly-selected victim. Larry Ridge Jr. was charged Wednesday with one count of forcible rape, one count of assault with intent to commit rape and one count of robbing the woman of her cellphone, records show. He is set to be arraigned Thursday afternoon before Judge Patricia Scanlon. Ridge was serving a life sentence for two second-degree murder convictions from 2004 until 2019, when a change in California law led to his release from jail. Those convictions stemmed from a quadruple shooting in Oakland that occurred — coincidentally — exactly 20 years to the day before Ridge allegedly raped the woman in Concord. On April 8, 2004, Ridge’s brother, 46-year-old Donald Jones, fired a rifle from a van containing Ridge, 28-year-old Ray Gilbert and one other person, at a group of people on 29th Street in West Oakland. A 15-year-old boy, Thomas Simpson, was killed and another teen was injured, prompting someone in

Bay Area

O.J. Simpson’s death unleashes strong emotions

By The Associated Press Reaction to the death of O.J. Simpson after prostate cancer. He was 76. Simpson’s family announced the news on his X account. Relatives said he died Wednesday. RELATED: 49ers’ historically bad trade for O.J. Simpson was mere blip in his complex life | O.J. Simpson rode his speed out of the Bay Area to fame and infamy. It didn’t start that way ___ “I feel that the system failed Nicole Brown Simpson and failed battered women everywhere. I don’t mourn for O.J. Simpson. I do mourn for Nicole Brown Simpson and her family and they should be remembered.” — Attorney Gloria Allred, who once represented Nicole’s family, on ABC News. ___ “The only thing I have to say is it’s just further reminder of Ron being gone all these years. It’s no great loss to the world. It’s a further reminder of Ron’s being gone.” — Fred Goldman, father of Ron Goldman, to NBC News. ___ “O.J. Simpson was the first player to reach a rushing mark many thought could not be attained in a 14-game season when he topped 2,000

Inland Empire

Gil Navarro, longtime Inland Empire activist, dies at 81

Gil Navarro is seen Oct. 14, 2003, during his campaign for the San Bernardino City Unified School District board. He died Saturday, April 6, 2024, at age 81. (File photo by Greg Vojtko, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Inland Empire activist and student advocate Gil Navarro has died. Navarro, 81, died Saturday, April 6, at St. Bernardine Medical Center in San Bernardino, according to his family. Although he was a Navy veteran, Navarro had worked at the corporate office for Carl’s Jr. and for IBM, owned a taxes and bookkeeping business and a mailbox business and was a notary. But he is best known for his advocacy work. The longtime San Bernardino resident, who previously lived in Riverside, spent the past three decades holding public school districts and other local government agencies accountable across the Inland Empire. Though he often pushed school districts on policy or economic issues, he was most often seen fighting for the rights of individual students. “My eldest brother was the first one to get in trouble” in 1990, said his son, Joe Navarro, who is now president of the Jurupa school board. “Some

Fast horses, stylish boutiques, tasty bourbon, even a castle are found in this one Kentucky county

Patti Nickell | Tribune News Service (TNS) Where can you taste the world’s best bourbon, make the acquaintance of the world’s most famous Thoroughbred, tour the home of the “Paul Revere of the South,” shop for high-end antiques in a converted schoolhouse, and spend the night in a castle — all in the same small county? If you said Woodford County, Kentucky, go to the head of the class. Located in the state’s scenic Bluegrass Region, Woodford County offers enough to keep a visitor occupied for an entire vacation. Start with the Thoroughbreds. Drive along US 60, and you will quickly discover that you are in an upscale neighborhood where the sprawling farms belong to folks such as the Sheikh of Dubai (Gainsborough at Darley) and Barbara Jackson, widow of California wine magnate Jess Jackson (Stonestreet). Most visitors make a beeline for Coolmore at Ashford Stud where Triple Crown and Breeder’s Cup winner American Pharoah stands at stud. The superstar stallion, along with his stablemate, fellow Triple Crown winner Justified, will happily pose for pictures with adoring fans. These guys preen, prance and mug for

Time for tea in London? Top hotels show how it’s made to perfection

George Hobica | Tribune News Service Afternoon tea in London — whether at a posh hotel such as the Ritz or the Savoy or in a department store like Harrods or Fortnum & Mason — is a special occasion treat for visitors and locals alike. It’s not an inexpensive affair, as you’ll be sitting in elegant surroundings, perhaps dressed up a bit. The freshly baked scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, the traditional dainty crustless sandwiches, the cakes and pastries are so popular at some venues that you’ll need to book well in advance. But what about the tea itself? Claire Ptak, a Californian now living in London where she writes cookbooks and owns a celebrity-endorsed cake shop, has this to say about afternoon tea at one of London’s luxury hotels: “I will always associate England with tea. The Ritz is a magical experience, having all these little things brought to you. The tea itself is not the most ‘flavour-forward.’” Amen to that. Most people who brew tea, whether at home or as part of their job, don’t know how to extract full flavor

‘I’m gonna break all your records’ — O.J. Simpson rode his speed out of the Bay Area to fame and infamy. It didn’t start that way

Long before he became an NFL legend and the most famous murder suspect in the United States — or even a boastful preteen who once told fellow legend Jim Brown, “I’m gonna break all your records” — O.J. Simpson was a toddler in the projects of San Francisco, with homemade leg braces and shoes worn on the opposite feet. When the time to walk came, Simpson did not. So his parents took him to a doctor at a hospital near the Potrero Hill neighborhood where his mother, Eunice, worked. It turned out “The Juice” had rickets, and his family couldn’t afford the leg braces that were needed to heal him. So his parents made some. And from there, the legend began. Those famous bow legs that developed from the braces turned Simpson into a Heisman Trophy winner and one of the greatest sprinters in the nation; as his athletic career peaked and began to fade in the NFL, he also became a movie actor and one of the top endorsement personalities of the 1970s and 80s. That all went away when he was accused of

Outdoor gear industry facing challenges after “insane” post-pandemic growth

Across 30 years in downtown Golden, Colo., Bent Gate Mountaineering has withstood three economic downturns including the Great Recession of 2008 and the pandemic recession of 2020. The store, at 1313 Washington Ave., attracts customers ranging from serious mountaineers to tourists who buy T-shirts and rain ponchos for shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, but it’s facing increasing competition in the outdoor retail world. A banner that hangs out front hints at the market pressures confronting it and other independent outdoor retail stores: “HUGE HUGE HUGE SALE” it says in big letters and vibrant colors. That sign, a semi-permanent fixture, is an example of fallout from turbulence the outdoor industry experienced during the pandemic and its aftermath. Following boom years in 2021 and 2022, outdoor retail sales saw a 3% decline last year to $27.5 billion, and independent specialty shops got hit hardest. Half of them endured double-digit declines, according to the Outdoor Industry Association’s annual retail sales trends report, and on average they declined 9.7%. A banner touting “huge” sales at Bent Gate Mountaineering in Golden is a sign of the times. General manager Ryan

What to watch: Unsettling ‘Civil War’ is the ultimate what-if movie

War is at the center of three of the best new films/shows to catch this week — be it in the chilling premise of Americans fighting Americans (“Civil War”), in the form of the aftermath of a nuclear attack (“Fallout”) or yet another look at the Vietnam War (“The Sympathizer”). Here’s our roundup. “Civil War”: The joyless eyes and weathered face of photojournalist Lee (Kirsten Dunst) tell her story, one of an entrenched sense of hopeless resignation as she and her colleagues cover a war that pits California and Texas and other states against the government and its supporters. Alex Garland’s intense dystopian “what if” movie — which is far less polarizing than you’d think — serves as a warning of the perils of national disharmony, constant conflict and the human desire to dominate and win at any cost, even when we’ve lost sight of what it is we’re fighting for. Lee has seen these developments play out too many times in other nations, yet she’s never flinched from capturing the savagery — the scorched, bullet-ridden corpses of men, women and children — on camera. Now

Far North

Music Tonight: Thursday, April 11

The Basement continues its hit parade of steady weekly shows featuring killer local acts. Tonight’s feature is the jazz fusion group RLAD, which, when I saw them last in 2023 was composed of Tim Randles on keyboard, Ken Lawrence on bass, Mike LaBolle on drums and Doug Marcum on drums. Skilled players, all of them, and creators of a heady brew when assembled as such. It’s at 8 p.m., no cover…

Far North

How to Survive This

I won’t check the news right now if you won’t. Instead, let’s think about summer peaches so ripe we’ll eat them leaning over the kitchen sink, or the crunching sound of walking on snow, and that dusty smell of the first rain, Let’s imagine how it would feel to put on warm socks right out of the dryer, fold a king-sized bottom sheet on the first try, and find those lost keys in a pocket. In place of updates, alerts, and daily round-ups, bulletins, flashes, and re-reviews, Why not sharpen a fistful of #2 yellow pencils and write thank-you’s to our favorite teachers in cursive. Or stroll alongside a playground listening for ear-piercing squeals only happy children make. Or go bird-watching, lying on our backs waiting for fly-overs, while eating popcorn. Of course, we could always just pause between headlines to come up for air, suspended between thoughts, and practice the dying art of exhaling very very slowly before diving back in. Diana Lynn…

Far North

Dust to Dust

The green burial movement looks to set down roots in Humboldt County Arcata resident Michael Furniss traces his aspiration for a natural burial back to a rainy afternoon four decades ago when he was a graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley studying soil science and forestry. Watching swirls of water from the downpour absorb into the ground while sitting near a creek on campus, Furniss says he found himself thinking, “When my time comes, I’d like to be buried in the root zone of a giant Sequoia,” allowing his remains to enrich the soil and “ascend into a tree.” In his 20s at the time, Furniss says he began exploring the idea of what he later trademarked as “entreement” — rather than an internment — but couldn’t find any options available that fit his vision. Time passed and life marched forward, with Furniss going on to a career as a woodland soil scientist and international expert in climate vulnerability infrastructure assessments. Still, he says, that epiphany, “stuck with me and it’s been there ever since.” After entering semi-retirement, the Cal Poly Humboldt

Police accuse two youths in string of armed robberies in the Los Angeles area

Los Angeles police have tied two youths accused of robbing a convenience store in South Los Angeles to a string of robberies throughout Los Angeles County. On Saturday the LAPD received a call of an armed robbery in progress at a convenience store near the 3200 block of South Central Avenue. When officers arrived on scene, a witness pointed them to the suspects’ vehicle fleeing the store. Officers tried in vain to stop the vehicle, then pursued it, according to a police report. During the pursuit, police allege, one of the occupants tossed a firearm out of the car, and it was recovered by officers. When the pursuit ended, police detained both occupants of the vehicle: Los Angeles resident Nathen Sanchez, 18, and a 12-year-old girl, whose name was not released. Nathan Sanchez, 18, and a 12-year-old girl are accused of robbing a convenience store. (LAPD) Police say they recovered a large but undisclosed amount of currency from the vehicle, which had been reported stolen earlier that day in an armed carjacking in Hollenbeck. The pair are also believed to be involved in additional armed

Metrolink awarded $1.3 million to develop AI-powered system to detect hazards on tracks

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Southern California’s commuter rail system $1.3 million to develop an artificial intelligence-powered security system to detect unexpected movement on Metrolink tracks. The technology would aim to automatically slow down or stop a train when cameras and sensors verified the presence of a person, vehicle or debris, Metrolink said about the proposed “track intrusion detection” system. The technology would integrate with existing GPS that notifies train crew about a possible track danger, such as a homeless encampment or a pedestrian. “If it succeeds, this project will not only improve the safety of our passengers and crew, it will directly benefit pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and everyone else who interacts with our system,” Los Angeles City Council President and Metrolink Board member Paul Krekorian said in a statement. The current system, which is also linked to the U.S. earthquake-warning system, relies heavily on what people see and report in real time. While it accounts for human error by automatically stopping a train if an engineer does not respond to an alert, the new technology would create a predictive model to better understand

Urgen a los de la tercera edad en Estados Unidos unirse a una encuesta para “fondo de retiro”

Los Ángeles — Activistas comunitarios del Sur de California lanzan una encuesta, que busca arrojar las necesidades de las personas de la tercera edad sin documentos legales en Estados Unidos, para pedirle a los gobiernos de México y este país, un estipendio o “fondo de jubilación” para este sector de trabajadores. De acuerdo con los activistas de The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), que apoya a la comunidad de jornaleros, la encuesta fue lanzada en conjunto con la Universidad de Chicago, Illinois, este 8 de abril, debido al aumento de personas de la tercera edad tanto en California como en el resto de Estados Unidos, que es cada vez más evidente. El problema es que muchas de estas personas no tienen documentos legales para vivir en Estados Unidos y por ello no califican para las pensiones de retiro, y en muchos estados ni siquiera tienen beneficios de salud, dijo Nancy Torres, coordinadora de la campaña para la encuesta en NDLON. “Estos trabajadores de la tercera edad fueron y muchos siguen siendo el pilar de la economía de Estados Unidos, pero parece que se nos olvida

‘RHOSLC’s’ Monica Garcia reveals she is ‘unexpectedly’ pregnant with baby No. 5

“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Monica Garcia will welcome another child in her life, and she said she has no time for haters. The reality TV personality revealed on Thursday that she is expecting her fifth baby. She shared the news on Instagram, hours after she first made the announcement on a three-hour episode of Nick Viall’s podcast, “The Viall Files.” “Yes. I already have four girls. No. I was not planning on being 39 and going through the baby stage again, but unexpectedly here I am,” she captioned a video of her taking multiple pregnancy tests. Garcia, who appeared in Season 4 of “RHOSLC,” shares four children — Bri, Jaidyn, West and Kendall — with ex-husband Mike Fowler. The pair reportedly finalized their divorce last year. She told Viall and his fiancée, Natalie Joy, that she is expecting her newest child with her 29-year-old boyfriend Braxton, whom she began dating a year ago. “I have not told one … person,” she told the couple, before revealing she is seven weeks into her pregnancy. The pregnancy announcement dropped three months after “RHOSLC’s” bombshell

Construction of wildlife crossing in Agoura Hills to partially close 101 Freeway

Caltrans will close half of the 101 Freeway starting next week in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills. All lanes in one direction will be closed at a time, starting Monday with the southbound lanes, according to the California Department of Transportation. The lanes will be closed each night for five hours starting at 11:59 p.m. Monday through Friday. The bridge will be the largest wildlife crossing of its kind and is aimed at saving a threatened population of mountain lions. Experts estimate that more than 500 mountain lions have been killed on California highways over the last eight years, a rate that scientists suggest may exceed the reproductive rate of the animals. The lanes are expected to be closed for about two to three weeks in one direction before switching over to the lanes on the other direction, Caltrans said. The closures are expected to last a total of 30 to 45 days from the starting date. Crews will be installing steel girders — long boxes of reinforced concrete — over the freeway in order to build

Reaction to the death of O.J. Simpson

Reaction to the death of O.J. Simpson after prostate cancer. He was 76. Simpson’s family announced the news on his X account. Relatives said he died Wednesday. ___ “I feel that the system failed Nicole Brown Simpson and failed battered women everywhere. I don’t mourn for O.J. Simpson. I do mourn for Nicole Brown Simpson and her family and they should be remembered.” — Attorney Gloria Allred, who once represented Nicole’s family, on ABC News. ___ “The only thing I have to say is it’s just further reminder of Ron being gone all these years. It’s no great loss to the world. It’s a further reminder of Ron’s being gone.” — Fred Goldman, father of Ron Goldman, to NBC News. ___ “O.J. Simpson was the first player to reach a rushing mark many thought could not be attained in a 14-game season when he topped 2,000 yards. His on-field contributions will be preserved in the hall’s archives in Canton, Ohio.” — Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter, in a statement. ___ “He died without penance. We don’t know what he has, where it

Officials seek help identifying those responsible for severely burning 3-month-old puppy

Warning: This article contains graphic photos The city of San Bernardino is asking for the public’s help to identify the individual or individuals responsible for severely burning a three-month-old puppy and abandoning it and another puppy at a veterinary office. Officials believe this was an intentional act of animal cruelty, a news release said. On April 4, the city’s Animal Services Department was called to a veterinary office on West Highland Avenue regarding two puppies abandoned in the parking lot overnight. Once officers arrived, they discovered two labrador retriever mix puppies, both of whom were about three months old. A photo of Ember, who suffered from severe injuries officials say were likely caused by fire. (San Bernardino’s Animal Services Department) A photo of Ember, who suffered from severe injuries officials say were likely caused by fire. (San Bernardino’s Animal Services Department) A photo of Ember, who suffered from severe injuries officials say were likely caused by fire. (San Bernardino’s Animal Services Department) A photo of Ember, who suffered from severe injuries officials say were likely caused by fire. (San Bernardino’s Animal Services Department) Officers discovered

Is a home equity loan or HELOC better amid rising inflation?

We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms. By Joshua Rodriguez Edited By Matt Richardson April 11, 2024 / 2:56 PM EDT / CBS News There are key difference between home equity loans and HELOCs to consider in today’s inflationary environment. sinenkiy / Getty Images Inflation came in hot for the third month in a row in March. Prices were 3.5% higher in the month than they were one year earlier. Not only did this figure outpace the 3.4% inflation rate economists expected for the month, it’s up from February’s 3.2% inflation rate which was an uptick from the 3.1% price growth seen in January. That could be bad news if you need to borrow money. After all, interest rates are already high and inflationary periods can lead to rate increases. So, the already high cost of borrowing money could climb even higher ahead. Then again, there is still at least one relatively low-cost borrowing option to consider (when compared to other options). That is to borrow against your home equity . This

Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter charged with federal bank fraud “Mr. Ohtani is a victim in this case”