Category: Bay Area

SAN JOSE – Ryan Warsofsky first started talking with John Tortorella toward the end of his time as the head coach of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in 2022. But the first-year San Jose Sharks bench boss really got to know Tortorella a few weeks later at the NHL Draft in Montreal. Warsofsky, then 34, had just finished winning a Calder Cup with the Wolves, and Tortorella had just been hired as the Philadelphia Flyers head coach. The two met for about four hours, and while Tortorella spoke to Warsofsky about a job opening he had on his coaching staff, they talked more about life and family. “That’s where I really got to know him a lot, and I think that’s when I realized how great of a person he is,” Warsofsky said of Tortorella. “Honestly, one of the highlights of my coaching career is being able to have that conversation with him.” Tortorella was fired as the Flyers’ head coach on Thursday morning, just three weeks before the end of the regular season. Philadelphia (28-36-9) is in last place in the Metropolitan Division and its

Coastal North Bay including Point Reyes National Seashore, San Francisco Peninsula Coast and Southern Monterey Bay and Big Sur Coast as well as San Francisco County are under an updated high surf advisory which was released by the National Weather Service on Thursday at 8:58 a.m. The advisory is in effect until Friday, Mar. 28 at 11 a.m. The NWS San Francisco CA adds to be ready for, “Long period very high northwest swell will result in large breaking waves between 25 to 30 feet on north and west facing beaches.” “Dangerous swimming and surfing conditions and localized beach erosion. Sneaker waves can unexpectedly run significantly farther up the beach than normal, including over rocks and jetties. These waves can suddenly knock people off their feet and quickly pull them into the cold ocean waters, where currents will be stronger than normal. These waves can also carry driftwood logs and other debris,” according to the NWS. “Inexperienced swimmers should remain out of the water due to dangerous surf conditions.” Originally Published: March 27, 2025 at 9:05 AM PDT Sourcing & Methodology This article was generated

On Thursday at 9:25 p.m. an updated beach hazards statement was released by the National Weather Service in effect until Friday, Mar. 28 at 11 a.m. for Northern Monterey Bay. The NWS San Francisco CA says to expect, “Long period high northwesterly swell will result in breaking waves between 15 to 20 feet along favored break points.” “Sneaker waves can unexpectedly run significantly farther up the beach than normal, including over rocks and jetties. These waves can suddenly knock people off their feet and quickly pull them into the cold ocean waters, where currents will be stronger than normal. These waves can also carry driftwood logs and other debris,” according to the NWS. “Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions.” Originally Published: March 27, 2025 at 9:30 PM PDT Sourcing & Methodology This article was generated by software that analyzes National Weather Service warnings and advisories and creates an article based on templates created by humans. Our data comes from publicly available information. You can report errors to content@bayareanewsgroup.com

Saturday, March 29, will be the last day of business for four Kohl’s stores in the Bay Area. The stores were on a closure list announced in January — 27 locations across the United States. The four are: Fremont: 43782 Christy St. (Pacific Commons) Pleasanton: 4525 Rosewood Drive San Rafael: 5010 Northgate Drive Napa: 1116 1st St. A fifth Bay Area store on the list, in Mountain View, shut down on Jan. 18. Other retailers announcing widespread closures so far this year include Macys and Walgreens. The chains Joann and Forever 21 announced plans to close all their U.S. stores after filing for bankruptcy.

1607 Hamilton Avenue – Google Street View A 3,087-square-foot house built in 1952 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 1600 block of Hamilton Avenue in Palo Alto was sold on Feb. 14, 2025. The $5,775,000 purchase price works out to $1,871 per square foot. This single-story house boasts a generous living space with five bedrooms and five bathrooms. On the exterior, the house is characterized by the use of wood shake roofing / shingles. Inside, there is a fireplace. In addition, the house provides a two-car garage, granting ample space for parking and storage purposes. The property occupies a sizable 9,600-square-foot lot. These nearby houses have also recently been sold: On Jefferson Drive, Palo Alto, in August 2022, a 1,978-square-foot home was sold for $4,100,000, a price per square foot of $2,073. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. A 1,978-square-foot home on the 500 block of Jefferson Drive in Palo Alto sold in July 2024, for $5,200,000, a price per square foot of $2,629. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. In November 2024, a 1,848-square-foot home on Dana

MONTEREY – The Monterey Bay Aquarium is set to welcome a new resident sea otter in the coming weeks – but first, they are asking the community for help choosing her name. The newest sea otter is joining the aquarium after being found as a three-week-old pup stranded near San Luis Obispo in February last year. The otter has been deemed unreleasable by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to a press release sent out Monday. While she is currently living behind the scenes with other rescued otters undergoing rehabilitation, Aquarium staff are preparing her to join the other resident sea otters: Ivy, Ruby and Selka. Monterey Bay Aquarium staff name the sea otters to make training easier. Names must be easy for the otters to learn and recognize and must sound distinct from each other. The new sea otter has been described as smart, confident and protective by the sea otter team. The team has chosen three name options which can be voted on: • Hazel, a name associated with wisdom as the hazel tree is considered the Tree of Knowledge in many

By Skylar Woodhouse and Rachel Cohrs Zhang | Bloomberg Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced sweeping cuts to his department on Thursday, the latest step by the Trump administration to dramatically shrink the size of the federal government’s workforce and responsibilities. Kennedy plans to cut 10,000 employees, according to a statement from HHS. Combined with other departures from buyouts, the reductions mean the agency will employ 62,000 workers, down from 82,000. Kennedy also intends to streamline the department by consolidating its 28 divisions into 15, and cut regional offices from 10 to five. The department will create a new Administration for a Healthy America division. HHS says the changes will cut costs by $1.8 billion per year. “We are realigning the organization with its core mission and our new priorities in reversing the chronic disease epidemic,” Kennedy said in a statement. “This Department will do more – a lot more – at a lower cost to the taxpayer.” The Wall Street Journal first reported Kennedy’s plans. Kennedy, a prominent vaccine skeptic with unorthodox views on many public health issues, has vowed

CROCKETT — A person died early Thursday after a big rig and another car collided on an East Bay freeway, the California Highway Patrol said. Authorities did not identify immediately the person who died in the wreck, pending notification of relatives and the investigation. According to the CHP, the crash happened about 3:50 a.m. on eastbound Interstate 80 just west of the Pomona Street exit. The aftermath of the wreck left all lanes closed and caused the CHP to divert traffic on I-80 off at the Cummings Skyway. The CHP opened the far right lane about 5:10 a.m. but traffic continued to move at a crawl past 6:30 a.m. The wreck happened in the direction opposite the commute, and the westbound direction was not affected, the CHP said. They issued a Sig Alert for severe traffic but did not have an estimate for when all the lanes would be open. Please check back for updates. Originally Published: March 27, 2025 at 6:51 AM PDT

From cool concerts and classic movie scores played live to yummy treats at Oracle Park, we have all the fixins for a fun and delicious weekend. So let’s get to it, shall we? (As always, be sure to double check event and venue websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines or other details.) Meanwhile, if you’d like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters  or  www.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters . 1 SEE & HEAR: Great shows are all over From a concert full of classic movie scores with Symphony San Jose to banjo great Bela Fleck, there is a lot to see and do in the Bay Area this weekend. 2 EAT, SIP & PLAY: Oracle Park eats Headed to a San Francisco Giants game? Here’s what they’re serving at the concession stands. Seth Rogen stars in “The Studio,” which gets a fun cameo from Ron Howard. (Apple TV+)  3 WATCH: A sharp Hollywood satire “The Studio” aims zinger after zinger at Hollywood. Could there be a better target? The series tops our roundup of what

Stephen Curry is set to make $55.77 million this season from the Golden State Warriors, the most in the NBA by more than $4.5 million. Apparently, he’s still underpaid. Once upon a time, the Warriors used to be able to win entire playoff series without their best player in tow. But with Curry sidelined with a pelvis injury for the last two games, these Warriors — even with Jimmy Butler on the floor — haven’t been competitive against two of the league’s most forgettable teams, Atlanta and Miami. “We definitely need 30 back,” Butler said after Tuesday night’s blowout loss to the Heat. Curry can’t even take a week off without everything crumbling. (Remember this when it’s time for All-NBA voting.) The two losses have knocked the Warriors back into the play-in tournament in the Western Conference standings. As of Thursday morning, they’re in seventh place, with the Clippers overtaking them thanks to a tiebreaker. The Dubs should consider themselves lucky that was the worst of it. The other team hot on their trail—Minnesota—has lost three of its last four. While the situation is hardly

No one ever expected the Giants to find another Barry Bonds to play left field. But you’d think by now they might have found a left fielder who was at least around long enough to make a couple Opening Day starts in a row. The search continues. When the Giants open the season this afternoon at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Heliot Ramos will be their 18th consecutive different left fielder since Bonds made his final Opening Day start in 2007. That will tie the major league record for the longest such streak at any position. The Orioles, starting in 1937 as the St. Louis Browns through 1955, two years after moving to Baltimore, also started 19 straight Opening Days with a completely different left fielder. San Francisco Giants’ Barry Bonds, right, steals second base as San Diego Padres’ Khalil Greene waits for the throw in the first inning on opening day during their baseball game in San Francisco, Tuesday, April 3, 2007. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)  The Giants’ streak began after Bonds had been their Opening Day left fielder for 14 of the previous

On Thursday at 1:28 a.m. the National Weather Service released an updated wind advisory in effect until 8 p.m. for the Greater Lake Tahoe Area. “Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. Gusts up to 100 mph on ridgetops. Waves 2 to 4 feet on Lake Tahoe,” can be expected according to the NWS Reno NV. “Gusts exceeding 65 mph are possible for areas downwind of the Carson Range such as Mount Rose Highway and Galena.” “Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” according to the NWS. “Now is the time to secure loose outdoor items such as patio furniture, holiday decorations, and trash cans before winds increase which could blow these items away. The best thing to do is prepare ahead of time by making sure you have extra food and water on hand, flashlights with spare batteries and/or candles in the event of a power outage.” Navigating high wind alerts: What each level means When it comes to high wind alerts, understanding the levels of

By Chris Isidore | CNN New York — Get ready to pay more for your next car. Auto prices in the United States will start to rise very soon – perhaps within the next few weeks. That’s because President Donald Trump once again announced plans for 25% tariffs on imported cars and parts that will go into effect April 3, a move that will raise the cost of producing all cars sold in the United States – both imports and those built in American factories – by thousands of dollars each. Those additional costs will rapidly lift car prices if the tariffs go into effect. Previous plans for tariffs had been paused or postponed twice. “It is going to be expensive,” said Ivan Drury, director of insights at Edmunds.com. He said it will be an unpleasant sticker shock that could come much sooner than most people realize, even before some of the cars that will now cost more to produce arrive at their local dealerships. “It’s too soon to tell how much,” he said. “But it’ll be a couple of thousands of dollars, if not

Steph Curry left the Warriors’ win Thursday night against the Raptors after taking a hard fall late in the third quarter. He was ruled out for the game with a bruised pelvis. The Warriors defeated Toronto 117-114. Curry dribbled into the lane and jumped near the hoop to make a pass to the left corner, then collided with Toronto’s Jonathan Mogbo and Colin Castleton, falling awkwardly on his lower back. The 37-year-old superstar stayed down on the court underneath the Warriors’ basket while the play went the other way, then Toronto called timeout with 3:24 to play. The Raptors led 88-83 at the time. A Golden State trainer came out to check on Curry, who walked to the bench and eventually to the locker room holding his lower back. Curry, facing focused individual defense from Toronto, had just made two layups as he tried to bring the Warriors back from a surprising deficit against the Raptors, who entered the game at 24-45. He had 17 points in 25 minutes at the time of his fall, making 6 of his 8 attempts from the field and

By Anthony Washington, The Fresh Toast Love it or hate it – country music is a powerful genre…but what about the music and marijuana? While it has always been popular, in the last few years it has had an explosion of fans.  In the US alone, over 139 million listen.  And not just old school like Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton, or Randy Travis…the new generation of singers including Zach Bryan, Luke Combs, Sturgill Simpson, Morgan Wallen, and Colter Wall. While drinking is big in the scene, what is the connection between country music and cannabis. Country music and cannabis share a fascinating and evolving relationship, reflecting broader cultural shifts. While historically the genre leaned toward conservative values, recent years have seen a growing acceptance of marijuana within country music, both in lyrics and among its artists. In the past, country music often distanced itself from marijuana, aligning with socially conservative values. A prime example is Merle Haggard’s 1969 hit “Okie From Muskogee,” which explicitly rejected marijuana use and symbolized traditional American values. Despite this, outlaw country artists like Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Jr. and Johnny Cash embraced cannabis as part of their rebellious personas. Willie Nelson, in particular

Warriors: Kerr on Draymond Green’s Defensive Player of the Year case; Curry returns, but Payton out Steph Curry returns to the Warriors lineup vs. Raptors Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) defends as Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) attempts to drive to the hoop in the fourth quarter of an NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Kerr called Green “the best defender in the league,” and said he believed that Green should be a lock for the NBA’s all-defense first team. Originally Published: March 20, 2025 at 6:54 PM PDT

111 Reservoir Road – Google Street View A 2,380-square-foot house built in 1952 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 100 block of Reservoir Road in Los Gatos was sold on Feb. 14, 2025, for $5,200,000, or $2,185 per square foot. The layout of this single-story home includes two bedrooms and three bathrooms. Inside, a fireplace adds character to the home. In addition, the home features a one-car garage. The lot size of the property measures an impressive 0.4-acre. These nearby houses have also recently been sold: In February 2024, a 5,537-square-foot home on Reservoir Road in Los Gatos sold for $5,850,000, a price per square foot of $1,057. The home has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. On Prospect Avenue, Los Gatos, in December 2023, a 2,432-square-foot home was sold for $1,975,000, a price per square foot of $812. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. A 4,273-square-foot home on the 100 block of Kimble Avenue in Los Gatos sold in June 2023, for $4,320,000, a price per square foot of $1,011. The home has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. This article

OAKLAND — The victim of a kidnapping earlier this month in East Oakland came forward Thursday, police said. The incident, which was caught on camera, happened just after 3:30 p.m. on March 4 in the 1800 block of 98th Avenue. The suspect first tried to hit the victim with a car and then got out and punched her multiple times, causing severe injuries, according to the Oakland Police Department. Afterward, the suspect grabbed the victim, forced her into the car while she yelled that she was being kidnapped, and drove away westbound on 98th Avenue, police said. The suspect’s car was later recovered in East Oakland and determined to be stolen. The victim, who identified herself in footage of the incident, was offered services, according to police. No other details were released Thursday. The suspect was previously described as a Black man, 20 to 24 years old and 5 feet 5 inches tall, with a thin build, short twisted hair and a scar or mark on his left cheek. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie with a white logo on the back, blue

SAN FRANCISCO — If a court filing by federal prosecutors is any indication, the allegations against Ricci Wynne are even worse than previously believed. Wynne, a 39-year-old right-wing social media influencer, is already facing state charges of pimping a woman in San Francisco, and a federal indictment on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material of two girls. But in a court filing, prosecutors revealed he is also suspected of sexually abusing girls, one who met him when she was 12, and was allegedly sexually abused by Wynne on camera at age 13. “(Wynne’s) established track record of sexually abusing children demonstrates he should be detained,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Cheng wrote in the document. He added that after being released in a prior drug case Wynne “almost immediately” began “contacting children as young as 12 or 13 and then sexually abusing them.” “Evidence recently identified by investigators shows (Wynne) not only sexually abused children, but further video recorded many of his sexual acts with them,” Cheng added. The document, filed in December but not previously reported, gives the public its best glimpse into the

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor. Let’s leave history curriculum to educators Re: “California should standardize, mandate Holocaust education” (Page A6, March 13). In her March 13 op-ed, Aya Shechter argues for a statewide mandate for comprehensive, multifaceted instruction on the Holocaust. This was undoubtedly a horrific episode in world history, but there have been other horrifying episodes of mass annihilation in the present time and over the centuries that also deserve a place in the history curriculum. These and other subjects compete for limited class time. I much prefer to let teachers and other education professionals decide the content and depth of the subjects covered by the middle and high school history curriculum and how the subjects are taught. Kennedy Richardson Piedmont Reform Prop. 13 to fund our schools Re: “Cities and schools facing big deficits and few good options” (Page A8, March 16). As a student in California, I have seen firsthand how budget shortfalls impact education. Rising tuition, limited resources and underfunded public schools create barriers that make quality education seem like a

World premieres, special events, returning stars and debuts by guest artists are on the calendar for the San Francisco Symphony’s 2025-26 season, announced this week. With music director Esa-Pekka Salonen having relinquished his tenure as music director at the end of the 24-25 season, 23 guest conductors – including six making their orchestra series debuts – will lead programs during the new season. Those events begin with the Symphony’s Opening Gala on September 12, 2025, with guest conductor Jaap Van Zweden on the podium and superstar pianist Yuja Wang playing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 on a program that also includes John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine” and Respighi’s “Pines of Rome.” Zweden’s appearance launches a three-season cycle of Beethoven symphonies, including performances of the composer’s second and seventh symphonies in February, 2026; additional major orchestra works on the season include Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7, Mahler’s Symphonies 1 and 9, and Shostakovich’s 8th. The season also includes selections from Wagner’s “Ring” cycle. New works figure prominently on the calendar, with the world premieres of works by the Symphony’s Principal Trombone Timothy Higgins and