State champions! Oakland Tech routs Centennial-Bakersfield in dominant display

SACRAMENTO – The painted area from the free-throw line to the baseline is a purple hue in Sacramento’s Golden 1 Arena. On Saturday night, Oakland Tech’s relentless boys basketball team covered the rest of the 94-feet in a purple shade. The Bulldogs, decked out in white, gold and purple jerseys picked up Centennial-Bakersfield’s guards from one baseline to the other, and overwhelmed the SoCal ballhandlers with their quickness and determination. Then Oakland Tech’s standouts wowed the crowd with quick passes and electrifying finishes. By the end of Oakland Tech’s 79-55 CIF Division II state championship victory, the school’s trademark “O-T, Ohhhhhh-Teeeee” chants echoed throughout the building. “It means everything to me,” Oakland Tech coach Karega Hart said about the chants. “We take pride in being Bulldogs, and we take pride in being from Tech. But most of all, we take pride in being from the city of Oakland.” ArDarius Grayson was the engine of this frenetic system, a blur capable of transitioning from a relentless point-of-attack defender to an acrobat with the ball, capable of twisting and contorting his body around defenders on spectacular finishes.

Sharks’ Bordeleau, Chrona earn career firsts as tough week ends on positive note

SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks now have 19 games left, may be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention by early next week, they have some players who thought they might get traded but weren’t, and as of earlier this week, were playing games in front of only a few thousand fans. And they just watched their best player get traded to their fiercest rival. It hasn’t been the easiest set of circumstances for anyone in teal. Still, the expectations for everyone inside the Sharks organization remain the same – carry a professional and positive attitude and compete as hard as possible even as everyone plays out the string. A challenging week on a positive note Saturday, as Thomas Bordeleau had his first career two-goal game in the NHL and goalie Magnus Chrona made 32 saves to earn his first victory in the league as the Sharks beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1 before an announced crowd of 17,008 at SAP Center. Mikael Granlund, playing in his 800th career NHL game, assisted on both of Bordeleau’s power play goals as the Sharks snapped a nine-game losing

CIF state basketball championships: This weekend’s scoreboard

Boys Open Division Saturday’s state final Salesian (31-1) vs. Harvard-Westlake (32-3) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, 8 p.m. Division I Friday’s state final St. John Bosco-Bellflower 78, San Ramon Valley 62 Division II Saturday’s state final Oakland Tech (29-5) vs. Centennial-Bakersfield (28-7) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, 4 p.m. Division III Friday’s state final Alemany 63, Santa Cruz 53 Division IV Saturday’s state final Monterey 74, Chatsworth 66 Division V Friday’s state final Athenian 67, Verdugo Hills-Tujunga 49 Girls Open Division Saturday’s state final Archbishop Mitty (30-0) vs. Etiwanda (31-3) at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, 6 p.m. Division I Friday’s state final Bishop Montgomery-Torrance 52, Bishop O’Dowd 40 Division II Saturday’s state final Harvard-Westlake 60, Colfax 45 Division III Friday’s state final Caruthers 54, Granada Hills Charter 48 Division IV Saturday’s state final St. Bernard’s 47, Grossmont-El Cajon 29 Division V Friday’s state final Oakland 56, Montgomery-San Diego 50

Pedestrian critically injured after being hit by vehicle in San Jose

A pedestrian was critically injured Saturday morning after being hit by a vehicle in San Jose, authorities said. The pedestrian was struck at about 6 a.m. near South 7th Street and Phelan Avenue, according to the San Jose Police Department. The person was taken to a hospital with injuries that were initially considered life-threatening. Police later said that the person had been stabilized and listed in critical condition. Police did not release any more information about the circumstances of the crash, or what led to it. Authorities temporarily closed South 7th Street between Phelan Avenue and Leo Avenue while investigating the wreck.

Son of former Bay Area star breaks CIF championship scoring record in loss to Monterey’s “road warriors”

SACRAMENTO – Chatsworth sophomore Alijah Arenas made layups, dunks, triple-teamed mid-range jumpers and pullup 3-pointers as he scored a CIF Division IV state championship-record 44 points in the Southern California school’s 74-66 loss to Monterey.  He broke the old record of 35, set by Shon Tarver of Santa Clara-Oxnard in 1990. Arenas made 17 of 32 field-goal attempts and was 8 of 12 from the free-throw line as he scored 28 in the second half on Saturday afternoon at the Golden 1 Center. “I’m very grateful and very blessed to be in this situation,” Arenas said. “I feel like we played hard and gave it our all.” His father Gilbert Arenas, now famous for being a podcast host, started his 12-year NBA career in the Bay Area with the Warriors. The man known as “Agent Zero” won the Most Improved Player in his second season and made three All-Star teams and All-NBA teams with the Washington Wizards.  The elder Arenas sat courtside with his family and was seen giving tips to the Chatsworth team at halftime.  “He’s not in my ear too much, because he

Warriors provide encouraging update on Steph Curry’s injured ankle

SAN FRANCISCO — An MRI revealed no structural damage in the joint of Steph Curry’s right ankle, and the team announced that he’ll be re-evaluated again on Tuesday, March 12. Per that update, Curry is on track to miss at least two games — Saturday against the Spurs and the rematch Monday in San Antonio. As the Warriors make a push to escape the play-in round, they’ll need their superstar point guard to return — and return without missing a step — as soon as possible. The first game Curry will miss is Saturday night at home against the Spurs, who will also be missing rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama. If his Tuesday re-evaluation goes well, Curry could return for games in Dallas and Los Angeles, both of which will carry bigger postseason ramifications. In the bottom of what Steve Kerr called the ‘deepest’ conference he’s seen, the Lakers and Mavericks are two of the teams Golden State is competing with to escape the play-in round. Curry’s availability for those contests could go a long way in determining the playoff seeding. In his 15th season, Curry

On eve of Ramadan, Jerusalem’s Old City offers little festivity as Gaza war rages

By Jack Jeffery | Associated Press JERUSALEM — On the eve of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Jerusalem’s Old City bears few of its usual hallmarks of festivity. Nearly half of the grotto-shaped gift shops are sealed behind metal shutters. The narrow streets that run toward Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, are eerily empty. Absent are the fairy lights and shining lanterns that would usually dangle above hurried worshippers. Ramadan preparations in Jerusalem, the spiritual heart of the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have been subdued because of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, now in its sixth month. With more than 30,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza and hundreds of thousands going hungry, there’s little room for expressions of joy. “This will be the black Ramadan,” Abu Mousam Haddad said in front of his coffee stand near Damascus Gate, one of the Old City’s main entrances. But over the next few days, attention is likely to shift from Gaza to Al-Aqsa, which has been a frequent flashpoint for quickly escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence in the past. Hamas, which portrayed its Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel as a

Spain’s prime minister says he will propose that parliament recognizes a Palestinian state

BILBAO, Spain — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Saturday that he will propose that Spain’s parliament recognizes a Palestinian state. “I will propose granting Spain’s recognition to the Palestinian state,” Sánchez said. “I do this out of moral conviction, for a just cause and because it is the only way that the two states, Israel and Palestine, can live together in peace.” Sánchez added his voice to a chorus of other European leaders and government officials who have said that they could support a two-state solution in the Middle East as international frustration grows with Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories. French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that it’s not “taboo” for France to recognize a Palestinian state. British Foreign Minister David Cameron said that the United Kingdom could officially recognize a Palestinian state after a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. Sánchez said that his position on the conflict in the Gaza Strip is much like his country’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion more than two years ago. He stressed that Spain demanded “respect for international law from Russia, and from

United flight from SFO makes emergency landing in Los Angeles airport

A United Airlines flight bound to Mexico City from San Francisco made an emergency landing in Los Angeles Friday afternoon after the crew reported a hydraulics issue — the fifth incident this week involving one of the airline’s jets. Flight 821 left SFO at 1:02 p.m. Flight logs show that after taking off from San Francisco, the Airbus A320 jet suddenly turned around over Sonora, Mexico, around 3 p.m. It landed at Los Angeles International Airport around 4:30 p.m., without any injuries among the 110 people on board, United Airlines said in a statement. After deplaning at Los Angeles, passengers were put on a new plane and continued their trip to Mexico City. United jets have caused issues four times already this week. On Friday morning, a United plane rolled off a runway and got stuck in grass in Houston. On Thursday, a United flight headed to Osaka from SFO lost its wheel as the plane was taking off, crushing a car parked in the airport’s employee lot. Monday in Houston, littered bubble wrap on the tarmac was sucked into a plane’s engine, causing it

California enacts police transparency law inspired by San Jose cop scandal

A police transparency bill helmed by a Bay Area lawmaker and inspired by a sexual misconduct case involving a former San Jose police officer is now law, increasing the ability of law enforcement in California to reveal when an officer is fired for cause. Senate Bill 400, authored by State Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Fremont, amends state law so that allow police agencies don’t need a public records request to announce when they fire an officer for misconduct and offer details about the termination within the bounds of existing police transparency laws. “In partnership with law enforcement, this law bolsters efforts for transparency and accountability in law enforcement and reinforces trust with the public,” Wahab said in a statement. One of the catalysts for the bill, which was signed Feb. 29 by Gov. Gavin Newsom, was a 2022 scandal in which ex-San Jose Police Department officer Matthew Dominguez was arrested after allegations he was caught masturbating while working a domestic disturbance call. Dominguez was fired and put on a state decertification list that puts him on track to be permanently barred from being a police officer

Strong teamwork propels San Jose High’s robotics program to new heights

San Jose High School is a storied institution, producing a wealth of community leaders and athletic championship teams in its 161-year history. But the school’s latest success might be a surprise to some: The Blazing Bulldogs robotics team were Regional Winners of a 42-team competition held at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. For the first time in 17 years, last week’s victory — shared with a team from Davis and another from East Palo Alto — qualifies the team of nearly three dozen San Jose High students for the FIRST Robotics Championships in Houston next month. In 2023, the team ranked 22nd out of 3,294 teams worldwide based on robot performance, and it’s already ranked 10th this year. But Shelby Anderson, the team’s head coach, said the secret to its success has nothing to do at all with robotics. The Blazing Bulldogs robotics team from San Jose High School at the FIRST Robotics Silicon Valley Regional at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds on Sunday, March 3, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Blazing Bulldogs Team 581)  “It’s about creating a culture that encourages buy-in from every single

South Bay medical clinic for homeless people expands to provide thousands of health care visits

A medical clinic in one of the South Bay’s largest homeless shelters has expanded to provide thousands of health care visits for local unhoused residents. Santa Clara Valley Healthcare recently doubled the size of its shelter clinic at 2011 Little Orchard St. in San Jose to almost 4,000 square feet, local officials announced this week. The added space will allow staff to offer additional medical, mental health and social work services and accommodate around 3,000 appointments annually. Patients do not have to be staying at the shelter to receive care. “This allows the county to provide the proper medical and support services to those most in need,” County Supervisor Cindy Chavez said in a statement. “No matter what their current situation, everyone deserves access to critical health care needs.” According to the latest “point-in-time” count taken early last year, Santa Clara County has an estimated 9,903 homeless residents. About three-quarters live outdoors, in vehicles or other places not meant for habitation, while the rest stay in shelters. The San Jose shelter, which has around 250 beds, is operated by Milpitas-based nonprofit HomeFirst. After the South

Students’ mental health challenges persist — Bay Area schools are doing something about it

Sophia, an eighth grader at Monroe Middle School in San Jose, was trying to get through her first class, but her anxiety was making it impossible to calm down. She couldn’t focus on the lesson and worried she would get so upset that she’d cause a scene. So she asked her teacher for permission to leave and headed to the wellness center down the hall for a 15-minute break. Here, the lights were dimmed, peaceful piano music was playing, and a counselor was available. She could take her feelings out on the punching bag in the corner, play with kinetic sand or paint a picture for the Art Wall. Sophia situated herself at the bracelet-making station. Her tension and anxiety started to ease. “Coming here and having my own space and having my own alone time, that helps me calm down, and then I’m ready to go back,” said Sophia, who asked that her last name not be used. This space is one of 19 wellness centers throughout Santa Clara County elementary, middle and high schools, providing students with a place to de-stress and learn

Editorial: California should reject AT&T bid to shed landlines

About 30 years ago, American Telephone and Telegraph ended its telegraph services. Now AT&T is taking aim at “plain old telephone service.”  The Dallas-based telecom giant has applied to the California Public Utilities Commission to be released as the state’s “carrier of last resort,” a designation the company has held since 1996 requiring it to provide landline telephone service. From a business perspective, the request makes sense. Current demand for landline services is very small — less than 5% of households in AT&T’s California territory have landlines, according to the company. And AT&T says it spends more than $1 billion a year to maintain landlines in the state. Meanwhile, cell phones, along with broadband and fiber-optic cables, dominate the telecom industry, and demand for these technologies will only grow. The company says the money it spends on landlines could be used to strengthen more-advanced alternatives. And that 20 other states have already relieved the company of its carrier-of-last-resort status. But here in California, with floods, fires, earthquakes and rolling blackouts, our relationship with landlines is more complex. Those copper wires are emergency lifelines when the

Walters: California school budgets plagued by enrollment declines, absenteeism

California’s public schools live — or die — by the numbers. They are utterly dependent on how much money the state budget allocates each year under Proposition 98, a formula adopted by voters in 1988 that only a few wonks in and around the Capitol profess to understand — and even they often disagree. Prop. 98 computations are also subject to political horse-trading during each budget cycle. Whatever number emerges is then distributed to school districts, primarily based on “average daily attendance.” California is one of only a few states that use attendance to distribute state aid. A perpetual debate over whether it should continue is becoming more intense because two major factors in school attendance — enrollment and student absences — have been regressing. California experienced rapid population growth over the last two decades of the 20th century, due to a wave of migration from other states and a baby boom. That translated into a 50% increase in K-12 school enrollment, eventually topping out at 6.3 million kids. After reaching a plateau, however, enrollment started declining as the state began losing population, thanks largely to movements to

Bridge: March 9, 2024

The double by today’s North was “negative,” showing four spades. (With five or more, he would bid one spade.) South then branded himself as a notrump hog by jumping to 2NT. North raised. West led a heart: deuce, queen, ace. Declarer next led the ace and a low diamond, and West won and got out with a club. South then led another diamond. He hoped for a 3-3 break, but East took the jack and queen and led a heart for West to cash the jack and king. Down one. BIZARRE The auction was merely bizarre. If South cue-bids two hearts at his second turn, North-South might reach a makeable six clubs. But South’s play at 3NT was wrong. After winning the first trick, South takes the K-Q of clubs. When East-West follow, South unblocks his ace of spades, overtakes the jack of clubs with the ace and leads the queen of spades. West can win and lead the king of diamonds, but South wins and leads his deuce of clubs to dummy’s five. He has three spades, four clubs, a diamond and a heart.

Word Game: March 9, 2024

TODAY’S WORD — HUSBANDRY (HUSBANDRY: HUZ-ben-dree: The cultivation or production of plants or animals.) Average mark 40 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 53 or more words in HUSBANDRY? The list will be published Monday. YESTERDAY’S WORD — OUTRAGE oater ogre orate outage outer urea urge tare taro tear toga togue tore tour true rage ragout rate rogue rote roue rouge rout route aero ager ague argot argue auger auto gate gator gear goat goer gore gout grate great groat grout guar ergo euro 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 allowed. Contact Word Game

Ask Amy: The teddy bear ultimatum, and other strategies for decluttering after the kids leave

Dear Readers: A recent question from “Not-So-Empty-Nest Mom” sought solutions on how to deal with her two adult daughters’ stuff, which was currently filling the family garage after the daughters had left home. I asked readers to offer their own solutions, and this column is devoted to these suggestions. Dear Amy: I have two sons. Getting them to retrieve their treasures was a challenge. They were simply not interested. My solution: I have been giving them their own “treasures” for Christmas gifts and birthday gifts! Yes, the old impressions for braces, awards from elementary school, and many other “treasures” have inspired lots of laughs! Problem solved. – Empty Nest Dear Amy: We went through all of our kids’ stuff by ourselves and made a (small) stack of what we wanted to keep, a stack of what we thought they’d want to keep, a pile of likely to donate, and a pile of trash. Our kids came home to go through each pile. They took what they wanted to keep (and their father jokingly offered to contact the Smithsonian to see what treasures to donate to

Harriette Cole: I’m living a teen rom-com, and I don’t know how to deal with the mean girls

DEAR HARRIETTE: As an ordinary girl, I have recently caught the attention of the campus crush, who has started to court me. This unexpected turn of events has stirred up jealousy among the other girls, leading to an atmosphere of animosity and dislike all directed toward me. I find myself feeling overwhelmed by the negative energy and uncertain about what to do next. How do I handle the resentment from my peers in a positive and constructive manner? It is important to me to maintain my integrity and not let the newfound attention impact my relationships with others. I am seeking guidance on how to address this dynamic with grace and maturity, while fostering a sense of understanding and respect among my peers — especially the ones who think he should like them, not me. — Me Vs. Everyone DEAR ME VS. EVERYONE: I wish I could see you face to face right now. I would give you the biggest hug. Could it be possible that the campus crush truly does like you? Could you consider simply enjoying the attention for however long it lasts?

Additional details emerge in East Bay murder-suicide

PLEASANTON – New details emerged Friday in an East Bay murder-suicide a day earlier that culminated in an hours-long shutdown of Interstate 580 in San Leandro. The victim was alone at her residence on Saginaw Circle in Pleasanton around 11:10 a.m. Thursday when her estranged boyfriend forced open a rear sliding door, the Pleasanton Police Department said in an updated news release. The suspect then shot the victim several times during a confrontation, according to police. Officers arrived moments later to find the victim dead and the suspect gone, police said. A neighbor called police after hearing the gunshots and provided a description of the suspect’s vehicle, according to police. An unmarked unit then spotted the vehicle driving toward I-580 and started trailing it. The vehicle later crashed into the center median of the highway near Miramonte Avenue in San Leandro. Officers tried to talk with the suspect, but he did not respond, police said. He also did not respond when officers fired less lethal munitions and gas into his vehicle. Officers then approached the vehicle and found the suspect dead from a self-inflicted gunshot

After blockbuster trade, Tomas Hertl thanks San Jose, Sharks fans

SAN JOSE — Tomas Hertl, the newest member of the Vegas Golden Knights, thanked Sharks fans and the city of San Jose on Friday night after he spent the first 11 years of his NHL career in a teal uniform. In a letter posted to his account on X, Hertl wrote that San Jose will always hold a special place in his heart after he grew up in the city, going from a baby-faced teenager to one of the players most synonymous with the Sharks franchise. “When I arrived in San Jose in 2013, I was a 19-year-old boy who didn’t know anyone in America, didn’t speak a word of English, and had no idea where my career would take me,” Hertl wrote. “San Jose didn’t just accept me — it opened its arms wide and treated me like one of its own. This is where I call home. It’s the place I made friends, built my career, married my wife, bought a house, and became a father to my two boys. “I will always be grateful to the people of San Jose, especially the