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Letters: Local solar | Titan resources | Activism helps

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:38 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Local solar is state’stransmission solutionIn “How California can resolve its transmission lines bottleneck” (Page A8, Aug. 6), Nora Mead Brownell describes the inadequacy of our transmission lines to deliver the tripling of grid capacity we require by 2050. Ms. Brownell fails to mention a far superior solution, which is to co-locate electricity generation with consumption.A 2016 article posited that rooftop solar, if maximized across California, could generate over 74% of our total needs. Using roofs means no environmental drawbacks, no line losses, no wildfires, lower energy costs, local jobs, and, when coupled with home batteries in EVs or on walls, no outages.We need safer transmission lines but not more of them if we maximize the use of our roofs. Unfortunately, Gov. Newsom’s appointments to the CPUC derailed rooftop solar, echoing faulty logic promoted by PG&E. PG&E ...

Bedbugs, cockroaches, crime: Elderly Oakland tenants are latest in Bay Area to rail against slum conditions

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:38 GMT

OAKLAND — The apartments were supposed to be among the city’s affordable solutions for elderly, low-income residents — some lifelong Oaklanders, others immigrants — who couldn’t afford to live elsewhere.Now, tenants say the Northgate Terrace apartments in the city’s small Koreatown district have effectively become slums — riddled with infestations, bad security, broken water heaters and absentee property managers. They are calling on the Oakland Housing Authority to conduct regular inspections and wrangle more regular maintenance out of The Related Companies, a national company that manages the property.“Things were better when I first moved in,” said Harold Brooks, 77, who’s lived at Northgate for 13 years and in Oakland his whole life. “The last five years, the security’s gotten real bad. And the roaches!”Complaints of poor living conditions in multi-family housing are rampant in the Bay Area, where affo...

Letters: TLC needed | Mental health | Choose the best

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:38 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Downtown S.J. blockneeds some TLCRe: “Preservationists end court fight to save brutalist building” (Page B1, Aug. 10).I was pleased to see an article featuring a photo of the First Church of Christ Scientist at 43 E. St. James St. in its current sorry state. I had hopes that this article would relate good news about this building and the lot it sits on, which have been a major eyesore since I moved to San Jose in 2007.I was disappointed, and somewhat confused, therefore, to read the article. Apparently, the fight being ended is over the brutalist bank building at CityView Plaza, which I believe has already been bulldozed, while the church on St James Street is among those on the endangered list.I offer no opinion about the desirability of preserving this church. My concern is that this block of downtown San Jose ceases its current condition of weeds, broken concrete and shredded plastic, and ...

San Jose doctor arrested for illegal opioid prescription scheme

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:38 GMT

(BCN) -- A South Bay doctor was arrested Friday and charged with several felonies related to an alleged illegal opioid prescription scheme, according to the California Attorney General's Office. Dr. Arash Padidar, a radiologist with offices in San Jose, is alleged to have engaged in a two-year scheme starting in 2018 to illegally acquire hydrocodone by writing fake prescriptions for himself, his wife and his father, using another doctor's prescription information. Padidar would allegedly write the prescriptions and have various other people pick them up at pharmacies in and around San Jose, according to prosecutors. Police: Sunnyvale dentist hid camera inside bathroom, recorded children "When a bad actor exploits their position for personal gain, they not only shatter our trust, they harm vulnerable patients," Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release Friday. Padidar's alleged activity was uncovered when an employee who had helped with the scheme came forwar...

Montgomery Co. school system launches investigation into principal after allegations of sexual harassment

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:38 GMT

A Montgomery County high school principal is reportedly on extended leave over complaints of bullying and sexual harassment from a number of people, including teachers.The Washington Post reported Joel Beidleman, who had been promoted to run Paint Branch High School in June, was placed on leave after the Post submitted questions to the school system about his reported harassment. According to the Post, Beidleman is the subject of at least 18 verbal or written reports submitted to the school district over the past seven years.Reportedly, 39 current and former staffers said they had been harassed or bullied by Beidleman, and one Farquhar Middle School teacher — where Beidleman most recently served as principal — lodged a complaint detailing 20 alleged cases of misconduct by Beidleman.In a statement emailed to WTOP, school district spokesman Christopher Cram wrote the school system works to provide “a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment for our students” and that the sc...

Jessica Pegula beats doubles partner Coco Gauff in Montreal quarterfinals

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:38 GMT

MONTREAL (AP) — Jessica Pegula beat doubles partner Coco Gauff 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in an all-American match Friday to advance to the National Bank Open semifinals for the third straight year.Tied 5-5 in the third set, the sixth-seeded Gauff double-faulted for a ninth time while defending a breakpoint to give the sixth-seeded Pegula the edge. Pegula served out to improve to 2-1 in the rivalry and end a four-match losing streak against top-10 players.“That was a good match,” Pegula said in her on-court interview. “It’s always tough to play your doubles partner — you know exactly what you’re trying to do. It just came down to the wire and who was going to compete better.”Gauff was coming off a victory Sunday in Washington.Pegula will play the winner of the night match between top-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland and American qualifier Danielle Collins.In doubles Friday, the top-ranked tandem of Pegula and Gauff advanced to the semifinals with a walkover over Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara of Jap...

Texas Tech track coach Kittley gets new contract, is set to become school’s longest-tenured coach

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:38 GMT

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Texas Tech track and field coach Wes Kittley has agreed to a new $3.8 million, seven-year contract.Kittley is heading into his 25th season, which will make him the longest-tenured head coach in any sport at the Big 12 school.The contract approved Thursday by Texas Tech regents also includes performance bonuses for the 64-year-old coach. Kittley has been at Texas Tech since 1999, and the men’s team won the outdoor national championship in 2019.Kittley’s son, Zach, is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Red Raiders’ football team. Marsha Sharp, a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, was a head coach at Texas Tech for 24 seasons until she retired after the 2005-06 season. The Lady Raiders won the 1993 national championship.Under Kittley, the men’s and women’s track and field programs have won 11 Big 12 team titles and 31 individual NCAA titles. There have been 200 Big 12 individual champions and 19 Olymp...

Lucas Glover with a 64 leads Jordan Spieth by one shot in the PGA Tour playoff opener

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:38 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Sloppy mud one day, broiling heat the next. Lucas Glover is playing his best golf no the matter the conditions on the ground or in the air, posting a 6-under 64 on Friday for a one-shot lead over Jordan Spieth in the FedEx St. Jude Championship.Glover holed three putts longer than 25 feet, one of them for eagle on the par-5 16th, and has made only one bogey through 36 holes going into the weekend of the PGA Tour’s postseason opener at TPC Southwind.It was the 19th time in his last 20 rounds Glover has shot in the 60s. A week ago, he was No. 112 in the FedEx Cup and looking at a month off. Now he’s moving closer to making it all the way to the Tour Championship.“I’m old enough to know it can change the other way in a hurry, too,” the 43-year-old Glover said. “So kind of ride the wave and just don’t overthink it. Keep going and play until it runs out, and then figure it out after that.”Glover was at 10-under 130.Spieth was up to his tricks...

Maui wildfires projected to be the 2nd costliest disaster in Hawaii history. Follow live updates

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:38 GMT

Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii this week, destroying a historic town and forcing evacuations. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain, was partly to blame for strong winds that initially drove the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters.MAUI WILDFIRES PROJECTED TO BE THE 2ND COSTLIEST DISASTER IN HAWAII HISTORYThis week’s wildfires are expected to be the second costliest disaster in the history of Hawaii, second only to damages from 1992’s Hurricane Iniki, according to a Friday statement from a prominent disaster and risk modeling company.Karen Clark & Company said in the statement that approximately 3,500 structures were within the perimeter of the fire that torched the popular tourist town of Lahaina in west Maui. Officials said Thursday that fast-moving flames destroyed 1,000 buildings and killed 55 people, although both numbers are expected to in...

Valencia wins 2-1 at Sevilla on Spanish league’s opening day. Bounou plays amid talk of Madrid move

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:00:38 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A Valencia team featuring young players earned a 2-1 win at 10-man Sevilla on the opening day of the Spanish league on Friday.Twenty-year-old substitute Javi Guerra, who emerged as a talent last campaign, scored the 88th-minute winner after Sevilla had lost defender Loic Badé to a red card.“I am very happy not just for the goal but for the win by the team,” Guerra said. “There is no better way to start the season.”Hugo Duro was key to the win. He was breaking clear when Badé fouled him from behind with only the goalkeeper to beat and saw the direct red card in the 80th. And the striker helped recover the ball near Sevilla’s box before he assisted Guerra to slot home the winner.Valencia barely avoided relegation last campaign and lost several players in the summer with Samuel Lino, Edinson Cavani, Yunus Musah, Justin Kluivert, Ilaix Moriba, and Nico González all leaving the club. Few signings were made by the club owned by Singaporean businessman Peter L...