Category: Bay Area

Pedestrian fatality in Solano County is under investigation The crash happened on Gibson Canyon Road between Farrell Road and Vine Street around 10:09 p.m. 4 people are killed in a car crash in unincorporated San Diego County. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File) By Bay City News A fatal collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian in unincorporated Solano County near Vacaville Saturday night is under investigation, though driving under the influence is not suspected, the California Highway Patrol said. The crash happened on Gibson Canyon Road between Farrell Road and Vine Street around 10:09 p.m., according to the CHP. The roadway was closed to accommodate an onsite investigation, reopening at 11:50 p.m., the CHP said.

In one form or another, College Football Playoff controversy touched the SEC, Big 12, ACC and Mountain West — all the relevant conferences except one. The Big Ten was essentially unscathed during the selection process for the inaugural 12-team event. Oregon, the undefeated conference champion, landed the No. 1 overall seed. Penn State, the runner-up, received the No. 6 seed, followed by No. 8 Ohio State and No. 10 Indiana. The Hoosiers were closest to the fire but never seemed in danger of losing their spot — even after Clemson won the ACC championship and stole a bid. It was always Alabama vs. SMU for the seventh and final at-large berth. Why did Indiana stay above the fray? For that matter, why did Penn State, which had one victory over a ranked team (Illinois), receive the No. 6 seed? And why did Ohio State warrant the No. 8 spot ahead of Tennessee, giving the Buckeyes home-field advantage in their opening-round date with the Volunteers? “Ultimately as a committee and as we voted these teams, Ohio State was one ahead of Tennessee,” said Warde Manuel, the

The 49ers are clinging to their playoff hopes as they return Sunday to Levi’s Stadium to play their first home game in three weeks. The Niners face first overall draft pick Caleb Williams and the Bears, who fired coach Matt Eberflus last week after a Thanksgiving loss to the Lions, Chicago’s sixth consecutive defeat. San Francisco won’t have Christian McCaffrey, who injured his knee last week and is out for the season. Jordan Mason, McCaffrey’s backup, is out too with a sprained ankle, so it’ll be up to rookie Isaac Guerendo to run the ball for the 49ers. Other stars will also be missing: Nick Bosa was ruled out Saturday with an oblique injury that has lingered for weeks and Trent Williams’ ankle injury will also keep him off the field. The Bears, meanwhile, will be led by interim coach Thomas Brown, the offensive coordinator who took over when Eberflus was shown the door. The 49ers enter Sunday with a 7 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to the NFL’s playoff odds calculator, but they are only two games back of Seattle (7-5) for

Thankfully, the field for the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff was set Sunday morning. Had the process lasted another week, it might have ripped the sport apart and pitted conference commissioners against each other in steel-cage matches. Not everything sparked outrage when the CFP selection committee revealed the pairings. Oregon and Georgia were the top-two seeds, as expected. Boise State, champion of the Mountain West, and Arizona State, which won the Big 12, received the No. 3 and 4 seeds, respectively, and will have opening-round byes. Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State will play home games in the opening round. But that’s where the relative peace and tranquility ended. The committee granted the final at-large berth to SMU, not Alabama, and you could instantly imagine smoke billowing from the nostrils of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey. Alabama (9-3) had more quality wins and played a vastly tougher schedule than the Mustangs (11-2) but also had uglier losses than the ACC runner-up. That wasn’t the only flashpoint. Boise State was seeded higher than Arizona State despite a weaker schedule — an outcome that sends the

A Spare the Air alert is in effect through Sunday, amid moderate to unhealthy air quality across the Bay Area. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued the alert Sunday morning, making it illegal for residents or businesses to burn wood or manufactured logs indoors and outside. Air quality index forecasts show conditions are unhealthy for sensitive groups on the Peninsula, Santa Clara Valley, northern Alameda County, West Contra Costa County and parts of the North Bay. Much of the rest of the Bay Area is experiencing moderate conditions. “Regional wood burning and easterly winds transporting air pollution into the Bay Area from the Central Valley have contributed to high overnight concentrations of fine particle pollution and unhealthy air quality,” the agency said in a press release Sunday. Cool temperatures and light winds preventing the mixing of what National Weather Service Meteorologist Karleisa Rogacheski described as a “pool of cooler air” below a layer of warmer air. Those weather conditions also help trap smoke from wood burning closer to homes and increases pollution buildup, BAAQMD said. Conditions are expected to improve slightly as northernly

By Abdulrahman Shaheen and Abby Sewell | Associated Press DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule but raising questions about the future of the country and the wider region. Joyful crowds gathered in squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war. Others gleefully ransacked the presidential palace and residence after President Bashar Assad and other top officials vanished, their whereabouts unknown. Russia, a close ally, said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and had given instructions to transfer power peacefully. Abu Mohammed al-Golani, a former al-Qaida commander who cut ties with the group years ago and says he embraces pluralism and religious tolerance, leads the biggest rebel faction and is poised to chart the country’s future. In his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday

Rivian specializes in fully electric vehicles for outdoor enthusiasts, and a second generation of its rugged all-wheel-drive SUVs and pickup trucks are arriving in 2025. The progressive automaker’s R1Ts are the most efficient pickup trucks available in the United States, and the 2025 Dual Max with 22-inch tires is the most frugal variant of the R1T, earning an exceptional combined MPGe rating of 87. The dual-motor setup with the jumbo battery pack also delivers the longest range of any Rivian model, venturing 420 miles on a single charge and outdistancing its SUV counterpart, the 2025 R1S Dual Max, by ten miles. The Environmental Protection Agency’s fueleconomy.com website ranks all pickups sold in the U.S. based on their fuel economy, and fully electric pickups are ranked at the top based on their superior combined MPGe ratings, which are considerably higher than the equivalent combined MPG ratings of gas-burning pickups. Different configurations of the R1T from 2024 and 2025 currently occupy the top twenty-eight spots in the ranking, with two variants of the 2025 Dual Max at the very top. The twenty-eight R1T models have combined MPGe

What is an Outback? An Outback is a midsize SUV built in the Lafayette, Indiana assembly plant and sold in North America by Subaru. According to Subaru and most automotive publications, midsize is the official class designation for the Outback. The Outback has seating for 5 passengers, and while considered a SUV, it has a somewhat cool looking station wagon aesthetic and feel; which is a good thing. The 2025 Subaru Outback offers a variety of features: Safety – Outback is built on a high strength steel platform and comes standard with eight airbags, height adjustable head restraints, and a ring shaped reinforcement frame. It also includes Eyesight Driver Assist Technology now as standard equipment. AWD – Outback has standard Symmetrical all wheel drive, which provides stability and power distribution for traction in different conditions. Space – Outback has plenty of room for 5 passengers and all their stuff. Technology – Outback has available tech like wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Engine options – Outback has a standard 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine with 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque, and offers a more

ANTIOCH — Two men are dead following a suspected shootout in the parking lot of the Delta Bowl Saturday night, authorities said Sunday morning. Officers responded to reports of shots fired at the bowling alley at 3300 Delta Fair Blvd. at 10:36 p.m. Saturday night. Upon arrival, they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds. One of them died in the parking lot and the other was taken to a hospital, where he died. Officers with the Antioch Police Department’s Investigations Bureau determined the 34-year-old victim was sitting in the driver seat of his vehicle, preparing to leave, when the 35-year-old suspect approached and the two began exchanging gunfire. No motive for the shooting is currently known and no other suspects appear to be involved, police said. The deaths are the 15th and 16th homicides in Antioch this year. At this time last year, Antioch had recorded 10 homicides, and ended 2023 with 12. Originally Published: December 8, 2024 at 9:10 AM PST

About 5 1/2 years ago, Superbike World Championship organizers in Monterey did something terrific. They invited Mary McGee, the pioneering motorsports athlete. Motorcycle racing doesn’t require pyrotechnics or other crowd enticements. The bikes are loud and fast, the drivers are an attractive mixture of confidence, wiry strength and adrenaline. Races are pure energy. McGee, who died Nov. 27 at age 87 in Gardnerville, Nev., defined the prototype. The rider’s career was honored throughout the 2019 World Championships. She provided broadcast commentary and talked with admirers. She also spoke with me in the media center at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for an article published in the Monterey Herald. Then age 82, McGee walked with a purpose, talked with the energy of youth and remained fit. She grinned widely, laughed often and wore her healthy supply of hair white and wind-whipped curly. Only brief collections of a life spent in cars, on motorcycles and negotiating rugged terrain can be detailed in an hour. McGee was pleased to share her story. But she was equally interested in knowing about the interviewer, focusing directly at me with her answers. She

Quarry Park cleanup The Saratoga Parks and Recreation Commission is hosting an event to help maintain Quarry Park in Saratoga on Saturday, Dec. 14. From 9 a.m. to noon, volunteers will help beautify the city park located at 22000 Congress Springs Road. Volunteers between 10 and 14 years old must be accompanied by an adult. The commission will announce additional dates to volunteer about one month in advance. For more information and to pre-register, visit saratoga.volunteerlocal.com. Foothill Club events Learn about local history, see performances and participate in discussions during the Saratoga Foothill Club’s 2024-25 event series. The events include an interactive Bollywood dance performance, an evening of music with the Saratoga High School Advanced Jazz Band II, an exploration of the five-year effort to restore the Foothill club’s exterior and more. Tickets are $13.50 on Eventbrite.com and $15 at the door, and seniors can purchase a pass to four events for $45-$50. Admission is free for students with ID. Email publiclectures@saratogafoothillclub.org or visit the club’s Eventbrite page to learn more.

San Jose state Sen. Dave Cortese has introduced a bill to prevent state agencies selling decommissioned diesel trains for reuse after Caltrain authorized the sale of part of its diesel-powered fleet to Lima, Peru, last month. Cortese, the chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, introduced the bill on Monday. He critiqued the sale, saying that keeping the trains in use after Caltrain electrified most of its lines would put the same amount of carbon dioxide in the air, just in a different place. “This is no way to run a railroad by taking the diesel off California’s carbon footprint then putting it right back on in Peru. Are we not all fighting to decarbonize the same air?” Cortese said in a statement. “As a world leader in decarbonization in our transportation sector, we need to lead on this. We need to be serious about decarbonization worldwide.” California has set tough targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, but the state still has a lot of work to do to reach them. Many transportation options – including both public transit and privately-owned vehicles — emit

Carols on the Corner First Congregational Church of San Jose will be presenting “Carols on the Corner,” its annual holiday program on Friday, Dec. 13 at the church, 1980 Hamilton Ave, San Jose. The program will feature church musicians including the bell choir, chancel choir and family band, along with guest musicians Harmonia California, Ukulele Scramble and Zingers choir performing holiday music. Donations of non-perishable food items will benefit the Campbell United Church of Christ Food Pantry. For more information, contact Jay Jordana at music@firstccsj.org or 408-377-7121. Granting access to art A grant from Santa Clara County will enable New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU) to conduct greater outreach to students attending lower-income Title I schools to encourage participation in ArtNow, NUMU’s annual juried Santa Clara County high school art exhibition and educational program. The grant, which was proposed by County Supervisor Joe Simitian, will enable NUMU to translate communications and exhibit materials into Spanish and Vietnamese, enhance the Teen Council internship program, and develop an ArtNow Teacher Roundtable program to connect teachers and encourage resource sharing throughout the county. The ArtNow 2025 theme is “Dreamscapes”

Adam Gray Democratic former assemblyman beats Republican incumbent John Duarte by only 187 votes out of 210,000 cast in Merced-Modesto area congressional district, leaving the GOP a tiny 220-215 House majority. Raw Farm California Department of Public Health orders all raw milk and cream produced by the Fresno dairy to be pulled from store shelves after the unpasteurized products test positive for bird flu. NOAA Federal agency issues tsunami warning, causing anxiety and disruption to millions of Californians after 7.0 Humboldt earthquake. No tsunami came, but experts say the approach was prudent given the potential.

BERKELEY — Patience and honesty are key to success at the Dorothy Day House, a Berkeley nonprofit that has been focused on providing services to the city’s unsheltered population since the 1990s. Hundreds of Berkeley’s roughly 844 unsheltered residents access services through the Dorothy Day House each day – services such as warm meals, showers, clean clothes, storage lockers, housing support, job training and a safe bed to sleep. In addition to its main shelter in the Veterans Memorial Building downtown, the nonprofit also runs Beyond the Horizon, a hotel turned transitional shelter on San Pablo Avenue. The model was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic as a solution to providing unsheltered residents non-congregate places to live. “We had to find creative ways to make people safe,” said Dorothy Day House Executive Director Robbi Montoya. “Hotels and motels were struggling too. … This idea to master lease them to an organization and help solve multiple problems was just the logical way to go.” Dorothy Day House Executive Director Robbi Montoya speaks during an interview in Berkeley, Calif., on Dec. 4, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) 

TODAY’S WORD — MUSTERED MUSTERED: MUS-terd: Assembled. Average mark 54 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 62 or more words in MUSTERED? TODAY’S WORD — MUSTERED: meet mere merest mete meter muse muser must muster mute used user seder sedum seed seem seer sere serum smut steed steer stem strum stud suede suer suet surd sure teed teem term termed terse tree true etude reed remet reset rest rested resume reuse rude rudest ruse rust rusted deem deer deet demur demure demurest desert deter drum duet dust duster 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: I am a 55-year-old female who has a disabled daughter. The father is long gone from the picture. I make a middle income living and could live comfortably if it were not for my disabled daughter. Things go well for a while and then a crisis occurs, and she is back in the hospital accruing large medical bills. I have one brother, and he is a billionaire. We live in the same town, but we haven’t seen each other since my mom died. We never had a harsh word or anything. I think he just hangs around with a different class of people. I do everything I can to economize. I drive a 20-year-old car, buy my clothes at the 99-cent Goodwill sale and own a very modest home. I just feel very sad that I have a brother who is so wealthy and never thinks about helping me. He uses a private jet when he flies, takes fantastic trips, vacation homes all over the country, etc. I just wish with all his money he would offer to help me pay off some

Today is Sunday, Dec. 8, the 343rd day of 2024. There are 23 days left in the year. Today in history: On Dec. 8, 1980, rock star and former Beatle John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building by Mark David Chapman. Also on this date: In 1941, the United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Imperial Japan a day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed a treaty at the White House calling for the destruction of intermediate-range missiles. In 2012, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. In 2014, the U.S. and NATO ceremonially ended their combat mission in Afghanistan, 13 years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks sparked their invasion of the country to topple the Taliban-led government. In 2016, John Glenn, whose 1962 flight as the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth made him an all-American hero and propelled him to a long career in the U.S. Senate, died in Columbus, Ohio, at

DEAR ABBY: I just turned 29. My partner, “Jeremy,” and I have been together for six years and have talked about getting engaged. He set the timeline for an expectation of when he’d propose early on in our relationship — by “five or 30” (meaning either we’ve been together for five years or he hits 30). Both of those marks hit last year, and I expected him to propose, but it didn’t happen. I am mortified because I keep getting asked by people, “Why not?” I don’t have an answer, except that Jeremy is just not ready. He told me he wants to pay off some debts before buying a ring, but we are both saving and living well below our means, and I don’t want anything expensive. Jeremy is focused on his physical training and his hobbies. I’m ready to buy a home, get married, maybe even start a family, but I feel like we’re stuck in the post-college lifestyle. I have told Jeremy all of the above several times now, but it seems to fall on deaf ears. Otherwise, he tells me the

Potential game-winning field goal lands excruciatingly short with only 2 seconds left Thien-An Truong for Bay Area News Group Wilcox head coach Paul Rosa, shown here in a file photo, did not agree with a controversial delay-of-game penalty call that proved costly in Saturday’s CIF NorCal Division 2-A championship game at Twelve Bridges High School in Lincoln. Wilcox lost 28-27 after missing a last-second field goal. Potential game-winning field goal lands excruciatingly short with only 2 seconds left. Originally Published: December 8, 2024 at 12:08 AM PST

Clemson became the fifth and final conference champion to qualify for the College Football Playoff with a dramatic victory over SMU in the ACC championship on Saturday night that placed the selection committee in the most difficult position possible: Whether to pick SMU or Alabama for the final at-large spot. The stakes are enormous, both for the 2024 CFP field and the future of the event. Clemson’s win — on a walk-off, 56-yard field goal — came moments after Oregon fended off Penn State for a 45-37 victory in the Big Ten title game that secured the No. 1 overall seed for the undefeated Ducks. Oregon and Georgia, the SEC champion, are guaranteed opening round byes in the 12-team event, with the Ducks assigned to the Rose Bowl and the Bulldogs to the Sugar Bowl. Three teams are in contention for the final two byes: Clemson, Boise State, which won the Mountain West, and Arizona State, which claimed the Big 12 title. One of them will be the odd-team-out and open the playoffs on the road in two weeks, likely against Texas, Penn State or