Category: Bay Area

SAN QUENTIN — Federal prosecutors have been uncovering alleged crimes within the walls of California’s oldest  prison, but they say the perpetrators had been living in the free world. From late September to Halloween, two different San Quentin employees — a custodian and now a corrections officer — have been charged with crimes related to alleged possession of drug contraband within the prison. The latest man to face charges is Avelino Ramirez, a K9 officer who excelled at finding contraband wherever he worked, because authorities say he was allegedly planting it first. Ramirez was indicted on Oct. 31 on charges of committing wire fraud by allegedly racking up overtime and setting himself up for illicit pay raises by first planting contraband, then “discovering” it. This occurred not just at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center — formerly known as San Quentin State Prison — but also at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville where he previously worked, prosecutors allege. When you take a look at Ramirez’s employment records, it is no wonder they drew suspicion; prosecutors say he outperformed colleagues by more than 10 times over. In

Business Economy News News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. SUBSCRIBER ONLY Economy | Bay Area airports all remain stuck below pre-COVID passenger heights San Jose, Oakland trail SFO passenger rebound pace (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) A Southwest Airlines jetliner flies over downtown San Jose on its way to San Jose International Airport. By George Avalos | gavalos@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: November 11, 2024 at 12:20 PM PST All three of the Bay Area’s airports remain stuck well below their pre-coronavirus heights. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.

Editor’s note: We prohibit the use of bots and any other artificial methods of voting. Suspicious activity could lead to the disqualification of candidates and a permanent suspension of the Athlete of the Week poll. No voting by email: Votes by email and after 5 p.m. Wednesday are not counted. Welcome to the Bay Area News Group ( Mercury News & East Bay Times ) boys  Athlete of the Week poll. For the entire academic year, we will provide a list of candidates who stood out over the previous week and allow you, the reader, to vote for the winner. This week, we consider performances from Nov. 4-9 . Polls close at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Vote as many times as you’d like until then without using bots or any other artificial methods of voting. Votes by email and after 5 p.m. Wednesday are not counted. Scroll to the bottom for the poll. Winners are announced each Friday online and in the print edition of the Mercury News and East Bay Times sports sections. Candidates for future Athlete of the Week polls can be nominated at

Bay Area Home Report 122 Boyer Lane – Google Street View A house located in the 100 block of Boyer Lane in Los Gatos has new owners. The 1,298-square-foot property, built in 2001, was sold on Oct. 1, 2024, for $1,750,000, or $1,348 per square foot. The layout of this two-story home consists of three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The property is equipped with forced air heating and a cooling system. In addition, the home features a one-car garage. The property’s lot measures 2,178 square feet square feet in area. These nearby houses have also recently changed hands: On Wraight Avenue, Los Gatos, in December 2022, a 2,293-square-foot home was sold for $3,033,000, a price per square foot of $1,323. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. A 1,348-square-foot home on the 100 block of Creekside Village Drive in Los Gatos sold in September 2024, for $1,620,000, a price per square foot of $1,202. The home has 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. In June 2024, a 1,348-square-foot home on Creekside Village Drive in Los Gatos sold for $1,600,000, a price per square foot of

Editor’s note: We prohibit the use of bots and any other artificial methods of voting. Suspicious activity could lead to the disqualification of candidates and a permanent suspension of the Athlete of the Week poll. No voting by email: Votes by email and after 5 p.m. Wednesday are not counted. Welcome to the Bay Area News Group ( Mercury News & East Bay Times ) girls Athlete of the Week poll. For the entire academic year, we will provide a list of candidates who stood out over the previous week and allow you, the reader, to vote for the winner. This week, we consider performances from Nov. 4-9.  Polls close at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Vote as many times as you’d like until then without using bots or any other artificial methods of voting. Votes by email and after 5 p.m. Wednesday are not counted. Scroll to the bottom for the poll. Winners are announced each Friday online and in the print edition of the Mercury News and East Bay Times sports sections. Candidates for future Athlete of the Week polls can be nominated at highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Advent calendars are a fun way to treat yourself or someone else The holiday season is known for some of the best drops in the beauty industry. The shelves (both virtual and real-life) at Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Amazon and other beauty retailers are filled with limited-edition holiday gift sets, exciting new product launches and the creme de la creme of beauty treats: the beauty Advent calendar. Like traditional candy-filled Advent calendars, beauty Advent calendars reveal a new treat each day for a series of days until Christmas (usually 12 or 24). But instead of chocolates, you’ll find miniature skin care and makeup goodies. Why beauty Advent calendars are so special Besides the obvious benefit of a daily surprise delight, beauty Advent calendars are a great way to familiarize yourself with a new beauty brand or new beauty products. If you’re interested in a particular beauty brand, but aren’t super familiar with its products, a beauty Advent calendar from that brand is a great way to get acquainted with its offerings by trying miniature versions of its bestselling products. If you want to test a variety of items in

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Rep. Elise Stefanik to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations, picking a loyal ally with little foreign policy experience to represent the U.S. at the international organization. “Elise is an incredibly strong, tough, and smart America First fighter,” Trump said in a statement Monday announcing his pick for the role — his first selection that will require Senate confirmation. Stefanik, 40, who serves as House Republican Conference Chair, has long been one of Trump’s most loyal allies in the House, and was among those discussed as a potential vice presidential choice. Born and raised in upstate New York, Stefanik graduated from Harvard and worked in former President George W. Bush’s White House on the domestic policy council and in the chief of staff’s office. In 2014, at 30, she became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, representing upstate New York. She later became the youngest woman to serve in House leadership. Stefanik was known early in her tenure as a more moderate conservative voice. But she soon attached herself to the former president

By WAYNE PARRY ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Opponents of offshore wind energy projects expect President-elect Donald Trump to kill an industry he has vowed to end on the first day he returns to the White House. But it might not be that easy. Many of the largest offshore wind companies put a brave face on the election results, pledging to work with Trump and Congress to build power projects and ignoring the incoming president’s oft-stated hostility to them. In campaign appearances, Trump railed against offshore wind and promised to sign an executive order to block such projects. “We are going to make sure that that ends on Day 1,” Trump said in a May speech. “I’m going to write it out in an executive order. It’s going to end on Day 1.” “They destroy everything, they’re horrible, the most expensive energy there is,” Trump said. “They ruin the environment, they kill the birds, they kill the whales.” Numerous federal and state scientific agencies say there is no evidence linking offshore wind preparation to a spate of whale deaths along the U.S. East Coast in

The flow of Californians leaving for other states declined last year by the largest amount in the nation. My trusty spreadsheet’s review of new state-to-state migration data from the Census Bureau shows 127,542 fewer California left in 2023 for elsewhere in the US compared with 2022. Next came New York, down 64,054. Economic rival Texas had the 16th biggest dip, down 15,507. Conversely, another California rival, Florida, was the state with the nation’s largest increase in departures – with exits growing by 21,020 residents. So is the California “exodus” over? Why did California exits slow? RELATED: This Bay Area couple plans to return to the US after their dream life in France became a ‘nightmare’  Well, last year’s continued return to somewhat pre-pandemic life – socially and economically – likely cooled the urge to move. Plus, the previous rush to other popular states boosted the cost-of-living in those locales, lightly muting the Golden State’s hefty affordability challenges. Yes, California still saw the most residents — 690,127 — finding a new home in another state in 2023. Then came Florida at 510,925, New York at 481,544

Ariel Cohen | (TNS) CQ-Roll Call President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to involve anti-vaccine activist and conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his next administration in some capacity, but whoever else he picks to run the major health agencies will have a major impact on the GOP health agenda of the next four years. Top posts require Senate confirmation, meaning Trump will need Senate buy-in too. Positions include Health and Human Services secretary, which requires Senate confirmation; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, which will require Senate confirmation beginning in January 2025; Food and Drug Administration commissioner and National Institutes of Health director, which also require Senate confirmation. Republican health priorities will likely include increased health care transparency and lowering drug costs, as well as limiting health care access for LGBTQ individuals and, potentially, further limiting access to abortion. This might look like rolling back Title X regulations, which are federal dollars for family planning, or the Mexico City policy, which blocks federal funding for nongovernmental organizations that provide abortion counseling or services. It could also look like rollbacks of rules regarding nondiscrimination in health care, drug price negotiation interference or nursing home staffing mandates. Here are some of the names being mentioned for future Trump health policy roles:

‘Dimensions’ made its debut earlier this year. The immersive, geometric exhibit by the Los Angeles art consortium HybyCozo, invites visitors to interact with the large metal sculptures through touch or shadow play. A 33-minute soundtrack accompanies the installation.(Photo courtesy of Sensorio) By Linda Zavoral | lzavoral@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: November 11, 2024 at 6:45 AM PST … and the newest illuminations have Burning Man ties. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.

San Francisco’s Camera Obscura, which sits atop a rocky platform near Ocean Beach, opened in 1946. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) By Jason Mastrodonato | jmastrodonato@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: November 11, 2024 at 6:45 AM PST This ancient piece of technology is still a unique attraction to those who pay their $3 admission – the price has gone unchanged for decades – and enjoy an unusual view of the beach. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.

This German apple cake is perfumed with almond paste and almond extract. (Photo by Lynda Balslev for Tastefood) By Lynda Balslev, Columnist | Columnist PUBLISHED: November 11, 2024 at 6:30 AM PST Perfumed with almond paste and almond extract, this easy German cake showcases very fall apples. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.

Is that squirrel staring at you, or is it asleep? Squirrels don’t close their eyes when they snooze. (Getty Images) By Joan Morris, Correspondent PUBLISHED: November 11, 2024 at 6:30 AM PST What can you do when squirrels or rats decide your backyard is a lovely place to live? Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.

Breaking News Travel | Bay Area rain map: A wet forecast for Veterans Day Things To Do Travel News News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. SUBSCRIBER ONLY Travel | Universal Studios Hollywood decks the halls for Grinchmas Universal celebrates the winter holiday season Nov. 29 through Jan. 6. Grinchmas during Holidays at Universal Studios Hollywood. (Courtesy of Universal) By Brady MacDonald | bmacdonald@scng.com | Southern California News Group PUBLISHED: November 11, 2024 at 6:30 AM PST Universal celebrates the winter holiday season Nov. 29 through Jan. 6. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.

To start the week, test your defense. Cover today’s East and South cards. Try to beat four spades. Your partner’s raise to two hearts over North’s double didn’t promise much. When South bid two spades, you had the strength and shape to compete to three hearts, but North bid game, hoping his honors were well placed. You lead the king of hearts: three, nine, ten. What next? East’s nine is a “count” signal, showing an even number of hearts. Your ace will not cash, but you need three more tricks from somewhere. You will get the ace of clubs, so you must hope East has a trump trick. And you will also need a ruff. SINGLETON You could continue with the ace and a second club, hoping East could ruff. But if he had four hearts plus a singleton club, he would have jumped to three hearts, preemptive, over the double. At Trick Two lead a low club. Declarer wins in his hand and lets the queen of trumps ride. East wins, returns his last club and ruffs the third club. Did you find the

TODAY’S WORD — NOISOME NOISOME: NOY-sum: Offensive to the sense, especially the sense of smell. Average mark 12 words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 56 or more words in NOISOME? SATURDAY’S WORD — MORTISE: merit metro mire miser miso mist mister mite miter mitre moire moist moister more mores most mote omit osier remit rest rime riot rise rite rose rote roti term tier time timer tire tome tore tries trim trio isomer item semi sire site smite some sore sort sortie stem stir store storm emir emit To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last! RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not

Dear Eric: Two years ago, a group of 11 women on my husband’s side, including his mother, sisters and aunts, went on a beach house girls’ trip. The group also included the daughters-in-law of his aunts. I was left out and wasn’t even told about this trip until after they came back. My husband was angrier about it than I was, but I asked him not to say anything so as not to cause drama that would come back on me. I accepted that his family didn’t like me when we were dating, so I wasn’t exactly surprised they would do something like this. It still hurts, though. Whenever we all get together, they talk about this trip and how much fun they had. Now they are planning another trip to the same place for next year. No one has asked me if I am going or if I want to go. I wouldn’t go even if I was invited. I’m just bitter and fuming this time, instead of annoyed and amused like last time. Should I say something about it or let it go again?

DEAR HARRIETTE: I married my husband three months ago, and already I can’t stand my new father-in-law. He means well, but he’s opinionated and doesn’t seem to respect boundaries. From the moment we returned from our honeymoon, he’s been around constantly, offering unsolicited advice on everything from how we should manage our finances to what our home should look like, and even how I should be “taking care” of my husband. Sometimes, he just shows up unannounced, as if he’s a part of our daily life. I want to keep the peace, especially since my husband and his dad have always been close, but I feel like my patience is wearing thin. My husband doesn’t see it the same way I do and brushes it off, saying his dad is just trying to help. But this is starting to put a strain on me and, honestly, on our new marriage. I worry that if I bring it up, it might create tension, not only between my husband and his father, but between my husband and me as well. How do I approach this situation without

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Leonardo DiCaprio, 50; Calista Flockhart, 60; Demi Moore, 62; Marc Summers, 73. Happy Birthday: Take every opportunity to turn a negative that comes your way into a positive. This is a year of change, making a difference in your life and the lives of those you love. Pay attention to what matters, surround yourself with those heading down a similar path and make a point to fulfill your dreams, hopes and wishes for a brighter future. Make the tough calls and bask in the glory of doing what’s best for you. Your numbers are 4, 11, 17, 27, 34, 39, 42. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Think before you act, and you’ll avoid regret. Direct your time wisely, apply your attributes to do something you enjoy and gain insight into your goals. Approach your path passionately, and you’ll attract someone who can help you advance. Choose an open mind and a positive direction forward. 3 stars TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Surrounding yourself with what excites you will change your perspective and encourage you to reach for things you have denied yourself

By Bay City News An 18-year-old Salinas man was shot to death during a sideshow in the unincorporated community of Prunedale on Saturday night, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said. The sheriff’s office and the California Highway Patrol started getting calls about a person who allegedly had been shot during a sideshow near Prunedale Road South at Blackie Road around 10:25 p.m., the sheriff’s office said. Officers from both agencies went to the scene and found a man with gunshot injuries, according to the sheriff’s office. The man was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, the sheriff’s office said. The victim was identified as Adrian Puga, of Salinas, according to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office is investigating the incident and is asking that anyone with information contact Detective R. Geng at (831) 253-6029 or Detective Sergeant N. Kennedy at (831) 755-3773. Callers can remain anonymous.