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Letters: $1 million outrage | Revoke approval | Realistic liberals | Save Social Security | Unjustifiable attack

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.$1M for canceled bookan outrage to taxpayersRe: “Writer to keep $1M in spite of plagiarism” (Page B1, March 14).Outrageous. Jean McCorquodale was knowingly unqualified for the job; she is not a professional historian, and writing grants wouldn’t have made her familiar with the county’s history.The county secretly gave her taxpayers’ money by avoiding the normally required bidding process. The $1 million fee was absurdly high; as one historian said, every real historian in the area would have jumped at the fee. She plagiarized about 20% of the book.The excuse for not suing her to recover the money — that it could “hypothetically” cost more than her fee — is troubling. Contracts of this size routinely provide that the loser in any dispute pays the winner’s attorneys’ fees. If this contract doesn’t, that’s another stain on the County.My guess is that the real reason for not suing is that the Cou...

Major delays at SFO amid blistering winds, temporary FAA ground stop order

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

San Francisco International Airport saw cascading delays and flight cancellations Tuesday after fierce winds forced a temporary halt to all flights and an ongoing ground delay order from the Federal Aviation Administration.The airport is expected to remain under a delay through the evening. As of Tuesday afternoon, 365 flights have been delayed – over 35% of air traffic – and 59 flights canceled, according to the airline tracking service Flight Aware.Many flights are seeing multi-hour holds, with the average delay at 155 minutes, according to the FAA. Airports in Oakland and San Jose are not reporting any major delays as of Tuesday afternoon.Doug Yakel, an SFO spokesperson, said the airport had to adjust takeoff and landing strips on Tuesday to account for southeasterly winds that have gusted up to 74 miles per hour.“For us (the winds) are normally out of the northwest,” said Yakel. “We’ve had to do a 180 in terms of how we’re taking off and landing.”Yakel is advising traveler...

Here’s how San Jose’s mayor wants to spend next year’s budget

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

Two and a half months after becoming mayor of America’s 10th-largest city, Matt Mahan unveiled a detailed look into how he intends to spend this coming year’s budget, heavily focusing on public safety, blight and homelessness.The mayor’s proposals, however, face a slew of potential fiscal obstacles: the possibility of a recession combined with a tech sector that has recently taken a beating with Silicon Valley Bank’s swift closure, the winding down of federal stimulus money from the pandemic and a tax base that has traditionally been smaller than comparable cities. Compared to the 2022-23 $5.3 billion budget, San Jose is expected to see a nearly $30 million surplus in the next fiscal year, though the excess dollars could dramatically slow down in the not-so-distant future, according to an analysis by the city manager’s office.Mahan must also overcome these hurdles amid a difficult political environment as he sits on a council with few allies and a narro...

Webb telescope captures star as it nears death

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

By Marcia Dunn | Associated PressCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Webb Space Telescope has captured the rare and fleeting phase of a star on the cusp of death.NASA released the picture Tuesday at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas.The observation was among the first made by Webb following its launch in late 2021. Its infrared eyes observed all the gas and dust flung into space by a huge, hot star 15,000 light-years away. A light-year is about 5.8 trillion miles.Shimmering in purple like a cherry blossom, the cast-off material once comprised the star’s outer layer. The Hubble Space Telescope snapped a shot of the same transitioning star a few decades ago, but it appeared more like a fireball without the delicate details.Such a transformation occurs only with some stars and normally is the last step before they explode, going supernova, according to scientists.“We’ve never seen it like that before. It’s really exciting,” said Macarena Garcia Mar...

Shelter in place ordered due to glass falling off SF high rise

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Emergency crews are on the scene in the area of 555 California Street between Montgomery Street and Spring Street due to “an obstruction,” according to the SF Department of Emergency Management. People are being asked to avoid the area, expect traffic delays and consider alternate routes. Bay Area atmospheric river updates: Power lines, trees down across region No injuries have been reported and as of 3:20 p.m., shelter in place orders remain in effect. Two windows have been shattered due to high winds and several blocks are closed for the public's safety. Businesses in the area have been told to shelter in place.Glass all on the street at Kearny and California. #SanFrancisco pic.twitter.com/mMbEGMs4cZ— Sara Stinson (@SaraStinsonNews) March 14, 2023Two windows are damaged, one is completely broken, according to the SF Fire Department. the other one is cracked.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Eastbound 580 shutdown due to overturned big rigs on Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

RICHMOND, Calif. (KRON) -- Several big rigs, including a Walmart truck, were flipped over on the Richmond-San Rafael bridge due to wind on Tuesday afternoon, and it caused closures in the area, according to the San Rafael Police Department. The eastbound side of Interstate 580 thru the Richmond-San Rafael bridge will remain closed until the overturned trucks can be moved after the wind dies down, SRPD says. Drivers are asked to use State Route 37 or the Bay Bridge as alternate routes. Bay Area storm updates: atmospheric river impacts traffic, downs trees Units with the California Highway Patrol faced delays in getting to the wreck due to the traffic buildup after the accident, per traffic logs. CHP has now issued a wind advisory for the bridge, and drivers are asked to keep all high-profile vehicles off of bridges at this time. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now KRON4 Breaking News ...

Bay Area atmospheric river updates: BART train strikes fallen tree

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

(KRON) -- Heavy rain and strong winds that disturbed Tuesday's morning commute have led to hazardous conditions across the Bay Area. The excessive rainfall from the latest storm could bring the potential for heavy flooding as well as downed trees and power lines. The rain is expected to dry up by Wednesday and Thursday before some more showers for St. Patrick's Day weekend, according to KRON4 meteorologist John Shrable. Walmart big rig overturns on Richmond-San Rafael bridge, causes lane closures The National Weather Service also issued a High Wind Warning for the entire Bay Area effective Monday night through Wednesday morning. Peak gusts in the valleys are expected to reach between 40 and 50 miles per hour while coastal gusts are expected to reach between 55 to 70 miles per hour.Tuesday, March 143:50 p.m. -- BART train strikes fallen tree on Yellow LineService on BART's Yellow Line is single-tracking between Concord and Pleasant Hill after a train struck a fallen tree on the tra...

Annapolis City Dock revitalization project gets $3 million boost; Construction starts this fall

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

City Dock in Annapolis, Maryland, is one of the D.C. area’s most popular destinations to eat, drink, shop and relax, right on the waterfront — but the charm of being on the water also carries the growing risk of flooding.Monday, the city got an infusion of $3.46 million from Congress, to help pay for its estimated $50 million City Dock revitalization project. U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin as well as Rep. John Sarbanes presented a ceremonial check to Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley.More Anne Arundel County NewsMore Maryland NewsMore Local NewsThe three Congressional leaders said climate change is triggering the increased flooding.The project aims to harden the economic and cultural hub against tidal flooding from the Annapolis Harbor, and protect the flood-prone area, which is often inundated after heavy rains.Artist rendering of Annapolis City Dock Revitalization project. (Courtesy Annapolis Mobility & Resilience Partners)The current parking lot on City Dock ...

Netherlands repatriates indigenous remains to Caribbean isle

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The Netherlands has returned the remains of nine indigenous people that archaeologists found more than 30 years ago on the tiny Dutch Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, officials said.The request for repatriation was made by the island’s Culture Department as part of a new push to recover artifacts and human remains held by former colonial powers and others to highlight and preserve St. Eustatius’ history.Some artifacts found alongside the bone fragments on the island, known as Statia, date back to the 5th century, the island government said in a press release Monday.“Our story is much broader and richer than even we thought, and it’s up to us to tell this story,” government commissioner Alida Francis said.The repatriation process took nearly a year, and officials said that a local cultural heritage committee will consult residents about how and where to rebury the remains.The Caribs are believed to have lived on St. Eustatius before the arri...

Callery pear tree: How to manage an invasive former favorite

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 10:56:19 GMT

It’s the late 1940s. World War II has ended, the Baby Boom is in full swing, and incomes are rising, making first-time homeownership possible for many. Cars are being marketed to the masses, so folks can travel farther to work. The post-war expansion of American suburbia has begun.Over the next 50 years, cookie-cutter homes on quiet, tree-lined streets become the epitome of success for those looking to escape crowded cities across America. And the Callery pear, a non-native tree species introduced from Asia in the early 1900s, is often chosen to line those streets.If you, too, have chosen the tree for your property, or inherited it from previous owners, you may now find yourself battling to control and maintain it. Indeed, removal is difficult. But it is possible — if performed in a very specific manner. And for those considering a new planting, there are plenty of suitable replacements. Favored for its fast growth, tight habit, glossy leaves, beautiful white spring flow...