Word Game: March 20, 2024

TODAY’S WORD — KNICKERS (KNICKERS: NIK-ers: Loose-fitting pants gathered at the knee.) Average mark 25 words Time limit 35 minutes Can you find 32 or more words in KNICKERS? The list will be published tomorrow. YESTERDAY’S WORD — PROSAIC pair pica rasp orca sari scar scarp scrap soap soar sora spar spica aspic capo capris carp ciao coir copra corps craps crisp crop 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 creator Kathleen Saxe at kzsaxe@gmail.com.

The 10 most expensive homes reported sold in Palo Alto in the week of March 11

A house that sold for $5.2 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Palo Alto in the past week. In total, 13 residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $2.5 million, $1,489 per square foot. The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of March 11 even if the property may have been sold earlier. 10. $1.4 million, condominium in the 400 block of Grant Ave. The property in the 400 block of Grant Ave. in Palo Alto has new owners. The price was $1,420,000. The condominium was built in 1962 and has a living area of 1,362 square feet. The price per square foot is $1,043. The condominium features three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Grant Avenue 9. $1.5 million, condominium in the 400 block of Cesano Court The 1,760 square-foot condominium in the 400 block of Cesano Court has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in March and the total purchase price was $1,455,000, $827

Ask Amy: Nobody will tell this young mom that her videocalls are a drag

Dear Amy: My stepson and his wife and 3-year-old daughter live in Hawaii. My wife and I are on the West Coast. We visit them several times a year, and they visit over the Christmas holidays when they can. The times we spend together are always warm and drama-free. We’re on good terms, and I adore them. My one issue is our daughter-in-law. While sweet as she can be, she video-calls every day, often more than once, to recite the minutiae of her day. Honestly, it can be quite tedious. Sure, it’s good to see our toddler granddaughter, even when she’s being difficult or disinterested, but these unscheduled video calls can run 10, 15, 20 minutes each, and too often happen during meals or when we’re reading, watching television, or drifting off to sleep. We have other children and grandchildren whom we speak with about once a week. This amount of contact is delightful and reasonable. I have gently mentioned the annoyance to my wife, who mostly agrees, but cannot bring herself to set a few boundaries for fear of hurting our daughter-in-law’s feelings. After

Sale closed in San Jose: $1.8 million for a two-bedroom home

400 Pamlar Avenue – Google Street View A 1,338-square-foot house built in 1952 has changed hands. The property located in the 400 block of Pamlar Avenue in San Jose was sold on March 6, 2024, for $1,840,000, or $1,375 per square foot. The layout of this single-story house consists of two bedrooms and one bath. Inside, a fireplace enhances the ambiance of the living area. Additionally, the house features a two-car garage, providing ample room for vehicles and storage needs. Situated on a spacious 8,704-square-foot lot, the property offers ample outdoor space. Additional houses that have recently been purchased close by include: On Pamlar Avenue, San Jose, in May 2023, a 1,344-square-foot home was sold for $1,570,000, a price per square foot of $1,168. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. In November 2022, a 1,670-square-foot home on Almarida Drive in San Jose sold for $1,730,000, a price per square foot of $1,036. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. A 1,642-square-foot home on the 1400 block of Ramita Court in San Jose sold in July 2023, for $1,675,000, a price per square

Pedestrian struck and killed on Highway 101 in San Jose

SAN JOSE – A driver hit and killed a pedestrian Tuesday night on northbound Highway 101 in San Jose, according to the California Highway Patrol. The fatal collision was reported around 9:20 p.m. south of McKee Road, CHP Officer Ross Lee said. Additional details about the crash were not immediately available. Lee said the left two lanes of northbound Highway 101 were closed south and north of McKee Road. There was no estimated time for them to reopen. The fatal collision is the second in five days on South Bay freeways to involve a pedestrian. On Friday, the CHP arrested a 27-year-old San Jose man on suspicion of drunken driving after he hit and killed a pedestrian on southbound Interstate 280 at the Vine Street off-ramp. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Ex-president of Santa Clara metal finishing company sentenced to prison for fraud

SAN JOSE – The ex-president and CEO of a Santa Clara-based metal finishing company who improperly used corporate funds to buy jewelry from Tiffany & Co. and lease a Ferrari has been sentenced to 2½ years in federal prison, according to authorities. Harry Corl III, 71, of Pittsburg, was also ordered Tuesday to pay $253,625 in restitution to 30 former employees and shareholders, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release. A grand jury indicted Corl on several wire fraud and money laundering counts in November 2018. Last September, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. From 2008 to 2014, Corl and his estranged wife, Kim Corl, served as executive officers for Nu-Metal Finishing Inc. and trustees of its employee stock ownership plan, prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum. The plan provided retirement benefits and savings to employees by purchasing and investing stock for their benefit. The couple, as trustees, had a duty to manage the plan’s cash, stock and assets in the best interest of the employee shareholders, according to prosecutors. Instead, from 2011 to 2014, Corl used Nu-Metal’s accounts

Baseball stunner: No. 1 Valley Christian stumbles at Sacred Heart Cathedral

Sacred Heart Cathedral 6, No. 1 Valley Christian 3 Perfection is no more for Valley Christian, the San Jose powerhouse that had dominated most of its opponents during the early stages of this season. In the opener of a two-game West Catholic Athletic League series on Tuesday at Sacred Heart Cathedral, the home team erupted for five runs in the third inning to erase a three-run deficit and held on for the shocking triumph against MaxPreps’ 11th-ranked team in the country. Tate Medicoff’s three-run homer off ace Quinten Marsh ignited the big inning for SHC after Valley Christian scored three in the top half of the frame. Aaron Louis added a hit and two RBIs and Barclay Ovalle had a hit and scored twice for SHC, which had lost eight in a row to Valley Christian dating to 2017 and was 3-33 against the Warriors in the MaxPreps era, which began in 2004. Brock Ketelsen, Kole Laubach and Nathan Choi each knocked in a run for Valley, which had moved from No. 2 to No. 1 in the Bay Area News Group rankings earlier Tuesday.

Three Leigh pitchers shut out Westmont, keep Longhorns unbeaten in league play

CAMPBELL — Leigh received some outstanding pitching and just enough hitting Tuesday to win at Westmont 2-0. A week and a half into the divisional season, the Longhorns are the only undefeated team in the Blossom Valley Athletic League’s Mt. Hamilton Division at 3-0. They had three pitchers combine on the shutout — Lance Takamura, who went the first four innings, Dylan Christian, who pitched the fifth, and Ollie Obenour, who closed it out, going the last two innings. “All three of them were fantastic on the mound, throwing strikes, getting ahead,” Leigh coach Drew Marino said. And that’s kind of the way it’s gone so far this season. Leigh is 6-3 overall (the three losses are to Valley Christian, Mitty and Los Gatos) and has allowed a total of 10 runs in those six wins. And all that after Stanford-commit Dom Panella had to exit Leigh’s season opener Feb. 20 vs. St. Francis after three innings, and has not returned.to the mound. “We’ve had some guys fill in and have kind of done it by committee,” Marino said. “We hope to have Dom back

Foul play ruled out in man’s death at Antioch fire scene

ANTIOCH – A man found dead at the scene of a fire over the weekend in Antioch was not a victim of a homicide, authorities said Tuesday. That determination followed a “thorough autopsy,” Antioch Police Department Lt. Michael Mellone wrote in a news release. “The exact cause of death remains undetermined; however, foul play has been conclusively ruled out in this case,” Mellone wrote. Contra Costa County firefighters called police to the 2900 block of Melon Court around 6:50 p.m. Saturday. They arrived to find a deceased man who had been severely burned. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but an initial investigation revealed “no evidence of deliberate action” and no accelerants were found at the scene, according to Mellone. “The preliminary investigation suggests that the fire was accidentally started,” Mellone wrote. Anyone with information related to the case can contact Detective Kristian Palma at 925-779-6876 or kpalma@antiochca.gov. Check back for updates.

Polygamous sect member pleads guilty to child sex scheme

By Jacques Billeaud | Associated Press PHOENIX — A businessman pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring with the leader of an offshoot polygamous sect near the Arizona-Utah border to transport underage girls across state lines, making him the first man to be convicted in what authorities say was a scheme to orchestrate sexual acts involving children. Moroni Johnson, who faces 10 years to life in prison, acknowledged that he participated in a scheme to transport four girls under the age of 18 for sexual activity. Authorities say the conspiracy between the 53-year-old Johnson and the sect’s leader, self-proclaimed prophet Samuel Bateman, occurred over a three-year period ending in September 2022. Authorities say Bateman had created a sprawling network spanning at least four states as he tried to start an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which historically has been based in the neighboring communities of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. He and his followers practice polygamy, a legacy of the early teachings of the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which abandoned the practice in 1890 and now

Explainer: Gaza and Haiti are on the brink of famine

By Jonel Aleccia | Associated Press Catastrophic hunger is so dire in two world hotspots that famine is imminent in northern Gaza and approaching in Haiti, with hundreds of thousands of people in both places struggling to avoid starvation. That’s according to international food security experts and aid groups, who are warning about the toll from hunger caused by the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and the crisis in Haiti caused by gangs attacking the country’s key government institutions. In Gaza, virtually every resident is struggling to get enough food and 1.1 million people — half the population — are expected to face the highest level of severe hunger in coming weeks, according to a report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, an agency that monitors hunger globally. On Monday, the group warned that famine could occur in Gaza any time between mid-March and May without an end to hostilities and immediate access to essential supplies and services. In Haiti, about 1.4 million people are on the verge of famine and more than 4 million need help accessing food, aid groups

Evan Low pulls ahead of Joe Simitian again and leads by two votes

In yet another twist in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, Assemblymember Evan Low has pulled back ahead of Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian — this time leading by only two votes — as the pair battle it out for a spot in the general election. Since election night, Simitian and Low have had several lead changes over the other in the Congressional District 16 race, with the supervisor on Monday leading his opponent by 12 votes. The winner will face former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who clinched first place last week, in November. Two weeks after the election, few ballots remain to be counted. Santa Clara County on Tuesday processed only 200 ballots, with 77 of them coming from District 16 voters. The remaining ballots — about 1,300 total — are largely challenged ballots that had a problem with the signature or another issue. San Mateo County did not report any new election results on Tuesday, but is expected to do so Wednesday. On Monday, the county said it had about 20 unprocessed ballots and 680 challenged ballots. The challenged

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak wins latest round in lawsuit vs. YouTube over Bitcoin scam

Steve Wozniak has won the latest round in a legal battle of Silicon Valley titans after a San Jose appeals court ruled YouTube can’t count on a controversial communications law to shield itself from responsibility for a scam that used the legendary Apple’s co-founders’ likeness. In doctored videos circulated on YouTube, Wozniak was shown speaking at technology conferences, while images and text added to the clips promised free Bitcoin. Viewers were instructed to send some of the popular cryptocurrency and they would receive double back. It was too good to be true. Wozniak and 17 alleged fraud victims sued YouTube and its parent company Google in 2020 over the videos the tech giant allegedly failed to take down. Such videos, they claimed, defrauded YouTube users out of millions of dollars, while Google and YouTube “unapologetically” hosted and promoted them for profit. Images and video of Wozniak, and text of his name, were used to create an impression he was hosting “Bitcoin Giveaways,” the lawsuit alleged. Wozniak repeatedly tried to get YouTube to stop the “unauthorized use of his name and likeness, but the company was “unresponsive,”

Campbell police officer fatally shoots man holed up in house with children

A Campbell police officer fatally shot a man early Tuesday morning who had allegedly opened fire on officers while holed up in a house with two children, authorities said. The officer fired a single round at Miguel Agustin Nava Gomez, 31, during a pre-dawn encounter at an apartment on the 1800 block of South Bascom Avenue, according to the Campbell Police Department. Gomez was pronounced dead at the scene. A woman initially texted 911 dispatchers at 2:58 a.m. about a potential domestic violence situation at the apartment, police said. When officers arrived, they found her outside of the home while Gomez and the woman’s two children were still inside, according to Letysia Moresco, a police spokesperson. About an hour later, at 3:57 a.m., officers “initiated contact” with Gomez, who “disobeyed officers’ instructions” and fired a round at police, according to the police department’s news release. That’s when the officer fired a single round back at Gomez, killing him. In a statement, Campbell police Chief Gary Berg lauded the responding officers for their “professionalism and bravery.” “Their quick actions saved the children involved and averted potential

Raid uncovers 1m rounds of ammo, machine guns, assault rifles and a shooting range inside Richmond man’s home, authorities say

RICHMOND – When authorities showed up to a home here recently, they expected to confiscate a limited number of weapons belonging to a 68-year-old man who had allegedly threatened local physicians and, while doing so, dropped a gun from his waistband inside a Contra Costa hospital. They instead discovered a huge arsenal at the East Richmond Heights home of Lawrence R. Hansen, according to authorities and new court records. Inside, police found one million rounds of ammunition, more than 250 guns — including at least 60 assault rifles — as well as silencers and homemade explosives, authorities say. The basement of the residence, which public records show is on Doremus Avenue and not far from churches and a preschool, had its own shooting range, where it appeared weapons were fired from close range at phone books and dictionaries, authorities said. Hansen is now in custody at Martinez Detention Facility and faces 21 weapons-related charges following his arraignment on Monday. He was arrested on Jan. 31 by a task force that included the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Firearms. A judge had ordered Hansen to

Single family residence in San Jose sells for $1.5 million

1437 Scossa Avenue – Google Street View A 1,360-square-foot house built in 1962 has changed hands. The property located in the 1400 block of Scossa Avenue in San Jose was sold on March 8, 2024, for $1,535,000, or $1,129 per square foot. This single-story home provides a generous living space with its four bedrooms and two baths. Inside, there is a fireplace. In addition, the house is equipped with a two-car garage, accommodating vehicles and storage needs efficiently. Situated on a spacious 6,100-square-foot lot, the property offers ample outdoor space. Additional houses have recently changed hands nearby: On Jarvis Avenue, San Jose, in May 2023, a 1,421-square-foot home was sold for $1,512,000, a price per square foot of $1,064. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. In September 2022, a 2,144-square-foot home on Sutcliff Avenue in San Jose sold for $1,750,000, a price per square foot of $816. The home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. A 1,949-square-foot home on the 4700 block of Jarvis Avenue in San Jose sold in April 2023, for $1,510,000, a price per square foot of $775. The home

Suspected trespasser injured in Hayward house arson fire

HAYWARD — A suspected trespasser was injured in a deliberately set house fire Monday night in the Eden Shores area, authorities said. The man was taken to a hospital after being rescued by firefighters. He was being treated for smoke inhalation and was reported to be in serious condition, authorities said. The fire was reported about 9:34 p.m. Monday at a two-story home in the 2700 block of Shellgate Circle. Firefighters were told by neighbors the residents were on a trip out of the country and that no one was supposed to be inside. But when rescuers made a search of the home they found the man inside on the first floor and brought him outside, Fire Capt. Don Nichelson said. Firefighters had the fire under control in about 20 minutes. Nichelson said there was significant fire damage to the first floor and smoke damage to the second floor. It was not immediately known how long the man had been in the home. Investigators determined that the fire was deliberately set — allegedly by the injured man, Nichelson said — but were still working to

Supreme Court allows Texas to enforce new border law

By Lindsay Whitehurst | Associated Press A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a stay on a Texas law that gives police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally, while a legal battle over immigration authority plays out. The Biden administration is suing to strike down the measure, arguing it’s a clear violation of federal authority that would hurt international relations and create chaos in administering immigration law. Texas has argued it has a right to take action over what Gov. Greg Abbott has described as an “invasion” of migrants on the border. Opponents have called the law, known as Senate Bill 4, the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since an Arizona law more than a decade ago, portions of which were struck down by the Supreme Court. Critics have also said the Texas law could lead to civil rights violations and racial profiling. A federal judge in Texas struck down the law in late February, but the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals quickly stayed that ruling, leading the federal government to appeal to the Supreme Court.

These homes were in the week of March 11 best deals for Milpitas

A house in Milpitas that sold for $315,000 tops the list of the most affordable real estate sales in Milpitas in the past week. For comparison, the overall average price of real estate in the area during that time was $1.3 million, or $870 per square foot. A total of 9 home sales were recorded for the period with an average square footage of 1,487 square feet, 3 bedrooms, and 3 bathrooms. The list below includes the best deals on real estate priced between $10-$10,000,000. Please note that the prices in the list below are for real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of March 11, even if the property may have been sold earlier. 9. $1.7 million, single-family home in the 2100 block of Pedro Ave. The property in the 2100 block of Pedro Ave. in Milpitas has new owners. The price was $1,670,000. The house was built in 1977 and has a living area of 1,910 square feet. The price per square foot is $874. The house features 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Pedro Avenue 8. $1.7 million, single-family

Sharks’ Bordeleau carries special message from NHL dad he’ll have forever

When he was younger, San Jose Sharks forward Thomas Bordeleau was given a bracelet by his father, former NHL forward Sébastien Bordeleau, that had on it an engraved message of encouragement — and accountability. “You’re the master of your own fate,” it said. “Daily decisions determine destiny.” Thomas Bordeleau unfortunately lost the bracelet, so he had the saying tattooed on the top of his hand. “I’m not going to lose that again,” he said. Sébastien probably wishes his son still had the bracelet. “He wasn’t a fan of the hand tattoo,” Bordeleau said with a smile of his dad. “He wasn’t a fan of the tattoo that shows like that. But at this point, he’s kind of given up. He’s used to my tats by now.” Bordeleau on Tuesday night is expected to play his first game against the Nashville Predators, with whom Sébastien is in his fifth season as one of the team’s development coaches. The game comes at the end of a five-game road trip in which the Sharks have gone 0-4-0 with losses to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Chicago. Bordeleau was recalled

Eight House races to watch in Tuesday’s primaries

By Herb Jackson | CQ-Roll Call WASHINGTON — Voters in California could fill a vacant House seat Tuesday, while elections in Illinois and Ohio will pick nominees for another empty seat, decide the fates of challenged incumbents and set matchups for fall battleground races. Some contests have drawn heavy spending, including one where three candidates have each already loaned their campaigns more than $2 million. Another has been fueled by lingering bitterness between two House Republicans from last year’s battles over making former California Rep. Kevin McCarthy the House speaker. There are also many districts in which one party is heavily favored and there’s no real contest. In a year that has seen more resignations and retirements than average, each of the 17 incumbents in Illinois is running for reelection, and 11 of them, including 10 of the 14 Democrats, are unopposed in their party primaries. In Ohio, all of the five Democratic incumbents are unopposed in the primary, as are five of the eight Republican incumbents running. Here’s a look at eight races in the three states that are worth watching on Tuesday. Two