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The Hollywood sign officially turns 100

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:01:20 GMT

The Hollywood sign, one of the world’s most iconic and photographed landmarks, officially turns 100 years old on Friday.The sign was first illuminated on Dec. 8, 1923, originally saying “Hollywoodland” to advertise an upscale residential real estate development.The original 13 letters were 30 feet wide and approximately 43 feet tall, constructed of 3 by 9 foot metal squares rigged together by scaffolding, pipes, wires and telephone poles, according to the sign’s official preservation website.“At night the Sign blinked into the Hollywood night: first “Holly” then “wood” and finally “land,” punctuated by a giant period. The effect was truly spectacular, particularly for pre-Vegas sensibilities.”The Hollywood sign is seen as it is repainted in preparation for its 100th anniversary in 2023, in Hollywood on September 28, 2022. - A team of 10 painters will work eight weeks and use almost 400 gallons of paint as the iconic Tinsletown landmark gets a makeover ahead of it's 100th anniversary...

3 California freeways among the 'most loathed' in America

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:01:20 GMT

Brake lights, honking horns and drivers battling it out to the very end of merge lanes -- all familiar scenes for California drivers.For those who live in the Golden State, gridlock is part of life. This may be why three California freeways are among the "most loathed highways in America," according to a recent survey.Vehicle dealer Gunther Volvo Cars Daytona Beach surveyed 3,000 drivers across the U.S. in October 2023, and then ranked the top 100 most loathed roads to drive on based on those results.As it turns out, the top three detested highways in the country, according to this survey, are in the Golden State. Here's a breakdown of those rankings: California Interstate 405: Ranked No. 3 "most loathed"Particularly in the Los Angeles area, the I-405 -- also referred to as "the San Diego Freeway" -- is known for being one of the most congested freeways in the country. This is especially true during holiday travel days.As noted by the vehicle dealer, the I-405 "carves its path throu...

UN warns that Gaza aid operation is ‘in tatters’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:01:20 GMT

By Wafaa Shurafa, Julia Frankel and Lee Keath | Associated PressDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel said Friday that the military was rounding up Palestinian men in northern Gaza for interrogation, searching for Hamas militants, while desperate Palestinians in the south crowded into an ever-shrinking area, and the U.N. warned that its aid operation is “in tatters.”The detentions pointed to Israeli efforts to secure the military’s hold on northern Gaza as the war entered its third month. Furious urban fighting has continued in the north, underscoring Hamas’ heavy resistance, and tens of thousands of residents are believed to remain in the area six weeks after troops and tanks rolled in.The first images of mass detentions emerged Thursday from the northern town of Beit Lahiya, showing dozens of men kneeling or sitting in the streets, stripped down to their underwear, their hands bound behind their backs and some with their heads bowed. U.N. monitors said Israeli...

San Jose: Man charged with sexually assaulting child of ex-fiancee, homicide victim

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:01:20 GMT

SAN JOSE — A man has been charged with sexually assaulting the child of a woman who was his ex-fiancee, based on an allegation that surfaced during an investigation into the woman’s killing this past weekend, authorities say.Police have stopped short of calling Ray Anthony Garcia a formal suspect in the death of 33-year-old Joanna Pinedo Gandara. Officers were called to her home on Thelma Way in the late afternoon of Dec. 3 after a family member reported finding Pinedo Gandara’s body during a visit to check on her welfare.While the discovery was reported Sunday, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office lists her as having died the previous day, on Dec. 2. The official cause of death is listed as “sharp force injuries” to her neck.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Mail carrier robbed of postal keys in Palo Alto Crime and Public Safety | Armed suspect linked to vehicle burglary spree in Morgan Hill ...

Single-family house in Pleasanton sells for $1.7 million

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:01:20 GMT

3963 Fairlands Drive – Google Street ViewA 2,002-square-foot house built in 1970 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 3900 block of Fairlands Drive in Pleasanton was sold on Oct. 13, 2023, for $1,700,000, or $849 per square foot. This two-story home boasts a generous living space with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Inside, a fireplace adds character to the home. The property is equipped with forced air heating and central A/C. In addition, the house features a two-car garage.These nearby houses have also recently been purchased:On Fairlands Drive, Pleasanton, in July 2023, a 2,140-square-foot home was sold for $1,700,000, a price per square foot of $794. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In February 2023, a 1,584-square-foot home on Fairlands Drive in Pleasanton sold for $1,320,000, a price per square foot of $833. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.A 2,140-square-foot home on the 3700 block of Fairlands Drive in Pleasanton sold in September 2023, f...

San Mateo County law enforcement agencies hosting gun buyback event Saturday

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:01:20 GMT

SAN MATEO COUNTY — Law enforcement agencies across San Mateo County are partnering to hold an anonymous gun buyback event Saturday in Belmont, according to the county’s sheriff’s office.The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the county offices at 400 Harbor Boulevard. The sheriff’s office said all guns will be accepted.The agencies are giving $50 for non-functioning firearms, $100 for handguns, shotguns or rifles and $200 for guns classified as assault rifles in the State of California. Guns must be unloaded and stored in the trunk of its owner’s car.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | UNLV gunman had list of targets at the university and 150 rounds of ammunition, police say Crime and Public Safety | CHP seizes 1,250 rounds of ammo, three guns in raid of Pittsburg home Crime and Public Safety | San Jose gun task force arrests two after discovering drug and weapons cache Crime and Public Safety | ...

Jeep maker blames California for job cuts in their Midwest plants

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:01:20 GMT

By Keith Laing and Gabrielle Coppola | BloombergStellantis NV is eliminating a shift at a Jeep plant in Detroit and cutting jobs at its Toledo, Ohio, Jeep assembly complex, a move the company blamed on strict emissions standards adopted by California and more than a dozen other states in 2019.Stellantis announced Thursday it will temporarily cut a shift at its Mack Avenue plant in Detroit, which makes two- and three-row Jeep Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicles and hybrids, and trim jobs in Toledo, which produces the Wrangler SUV and Jeep Gladiator pickup.Stellantis said it was cutting Jeep production in anticipation of potentially lower sales of gas-powered vehicles in California and other states. The company filed a petition against California regulators Wednesday arguing the state’s rules put the company at a disadvantage versus competitors.The moves come as automakers are pushing back on the Biden administration’s efforts to increase fuel economy and spur faster adoption of ele...

49ers to honor former coach Greg Knapp with stair climb before Seahawks game

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:01:20 GMT

SANTA CLARA — Members of the 49ers’ coaching and personnel staffs will participate pregame Sunday in the second annual Greg Knapp Stair Climb Challenge, along with Knapp’s widow, Charlotte. The event raises awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, and it carries on Greg Knapp’s tradition of running stairs before games.Knapp was a 49ers assistant from 1995-2003 as part of a 25-year NFL coaching career, which came to a tragic end in July 2021 when he was struck by a distracted driver while cycling near his Danville home. He was set for his first season as the New York Jets’ quarterbacks coach when he died.General manager John Lynch, assistant GM Adam Peters and vice president Keena Turner are among those slated to participate Sunday, along with members of Kyle Shanahan’s coaching staff and other team personnel. Lynch was among the 49ers’ crew that ran Levi’s Stadium’s steps before last December’s win over the Tampa Bay Bucs. View this post on InstagramA po...

Trespasser arrested after police pursuit in Petaluma  

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:01:20 GMT

(KRON) – A 33-year-old Santa Rosa resident was arrested for criminal trespassing in Petaluma. The Petaluma Police Department Community Impact Response Team responded to a video burglary alarm in the 500 block of Madison Street on Wednesday at approximately 8:14 p.m. Ex-pilot Joseph Emerson released from jail, allowed to return home to Bay Area According to police, the video alarm footage was in a new subdivision of the business which is currently under construction and surrounded by a fence with a locked gate.Upon arrival, officers located a suspect within the fenced area and inside one of the homes’ garages. Once the suspect noticed the officers, he fled on foot and refused their commands to stop, police said. CIRT officers initiated a foot pursuit, which led them through the complex, over a fence, and onto the Lynch Creek Trail path. CIRT officers lost sight of the suspect after he entered the path creek due to the darkness.CIRT officers established a perimeter to find...

Tree lighting of 135-year-old cypress marks longtime San Francisco tradition

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:01:20 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A historic 135-year-old Monterey cypress tree on the east end of Golden Gate Park is adding to the city's holiday spirit. San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the city's park manager, Phil Ginsburg, counted down a tree lighting Thursday night as the cypress lit up with 550 bulbs.The festive event was attended by hundreds of community members.The holiday tradition dates back to 1929, when 800 bulbs first illuminated the tree for John McLaren’s 84th birthday. McLaren, the park’s first superintendent, made many significant contributions to city parks during his lifetime. Nearly 100 years later, the tree-lighting tradition lives on. "The annual tree lighting epitomizes everything we love about our parks as places for celebration, connection and community. San Franciscans have gathered around Uncle John’s tree to kick off the holidays for nearly a century and every year just gets better," Ginsburg said. This year’s event included the lighting of a Chanukkah menora...