Thursday, November 12, 2009

Thursday Thriller

Suspect,18, arrested in road-rage incident in Roseville
From Chelsea Phua:
Roseville police have arrested an 18-year-old man who allegedly fired a pellet gun in a road-rage incident Tuesday afternoon near Sutter Roseville Medical Center.
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/crime/archives/2009/11/suspect-18-arre.html

Injured sea lion in Sacramento River eludes rescuers
By Anna Tong and Matt Weiser
Rescuers have been unable to find a sea lion that had made its way up the Sacramento River to near Old Sacramento and appeared to suffer from a severe eye injury.
http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/2320605.html

CDC now says 4,000 swine flu deaths in US
ATLANTA – Federal health officials now say that 4,000 or more Americans likely have died from swine flu — about four times the estimate they've been using.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091111/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu

Tyson faces jail if scuffle is deemed a violation
By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON, Associated Press Writer Raquel Maria Dillon, Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES – Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, who was arrested in a scuffle with a photographer, could be sent to jail if he's found to have violated probation from a 2007 drug case, officials said Thursday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_people_mike_tyson

Government says brown pelicans are no longer endangered
After plummeting to the brink of extinction, the brown pelican has resurfaced, much as it does after its death-defying dives for fish.
http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_13764820

Alleged Shoplifter Attacks Cop With Spiked Heel
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ―A shoplifting suspect allegedly tried to attack a police officer with a three-inch spiked heel after she was arrested at the Arden Fair Mall.
http://cbs13.com/local/shoplifter.heel.attack.2.1307101.html

Shooting suspect's superiors questioned behavior
By BRETT J. BLACKLEDGE and RICHARD LARDNER, Associated Press Writers Brett J. Blackledge And Richard Lardner, Associated Press Writers – Thu Nov 12, 10:21 am ET
WASHINGTON – Nidal Malik Hasan's overly zealous religious views and strange behavior worried the doctors overseeing his medical training, but they saw no evidence that he was violent or a threat.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091112/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_fort_hood_shooting;_ylt=Ar3hKFOIx_477TCAqSZ8BOus0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTMza3VkdjdkBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkxMTEyL3VzX2ZvcnRfaG9vZF9zaG9vdGluZwRjcG9zAzEEcG9zAzIEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA3Nob290aW5nc3VzcA--

Digital warriors mobilize for 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2'
By Anita Creamer and Darrell Smith
acreamer@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009
Around the nation on Veterans Day, millions gathered to wage simulated war, not in honor of America's veterans but in celebration of a slick, record-breaking video game release.
http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/story/2320544.html

Schwarzenegger defends $11.1 billion in borrowing
By Kevin Yamamura kyamamura@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009 - 6:30 pm
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday defended $11.1 billion in new borrowing as a critical investment in the state's water future while at the same time insisting California must cut its way toward a balanced budget in the short term.
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2322302.html

Police: 1 Shot To Death In Sacramento
Officers Search For Up To 4 People
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento police were searching for up to four people Thursday after a person was shot to death earlier in the day, authorities said.
http://www.kcra.com/news/21596477/detail.html

Sacramento Taco Bell Robbed
Workers Targeted Near Closing Time

by KCRA.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Employees were robbed late Wednesday at a Taco Bell restaurant in Sacramento's Pocket neighborhood, police said.
http://www.kcra.com/news/21598995/detail.html

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Tuesday

Group Teen Violence Shocks as Minors Charged With Rape, Murder, Assault
Three of the five Florida teenagers accused of setting 15-year-old Michael Brewer on fire over a $40 video game debt will be tried as adults, prosecutors decided Monday. They are among nearly two dozen teens across the country charged in the last month with committing extreme acts of group violence.

Labels: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/florida-teens-adults-burned-boy-case/story?id=9045495


Thompson powers Kings past Thunder

Jason Thompson had 21 points and 14 rebounds to help Sacramento beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-98 on Tuesday night, giving the Kings their first three-game winning streak in over a year.
Labels: http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2318281.html


D.C.-area sniper executed in Virginia

John Allen Muhammad, the mastermind behind the sniper attacks that left 10 dead, was executed Tuesday night as relatives of the victims watched, reliving the killing spree that terrorized the Washington metro area for three weeks in October 2002.

Labels: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33827106/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/?GT1=43001


United Pilot Accused Of Trying To Fly Drunk

A United Airlines pilot who was pulled from his trans-Atlantic flight to Chicago shortly before takeoff has been charged with having too much alcohol in his system, British police said Tuesday.

Labels: http://www.kcra.com/mostpopular/21576235/detail.html


D.C.-area sniper executed in Virginia

John Allen Muhammad, the mastermind behind the sniper attacks that left 10 dead, was executed Tuesday night as relatives of the victims watched, reliving the killing spree that terrorized the Washington metro area for three weeks in October 2002.

Labels: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33827106/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/?GT1=43001


Blackwater Said to Pursue Bribes to Iraq After 17 Died

Former executives said it was unclear if payoffs of about $1 million were made to Iraqi officials, but the goal was to hush criticism and buy support after 17 civilians were killed

Labels: http://www.nytimes.com/


Michael Jackson estate fight becomes public family dispute

Michael Jackson's mother dropped her challenge of the two men named as executors in her son's will, but her sudden reversal caught her husband by surprise Tuesday and led to a bitter fight in court.

Labels:http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/10/michael.jackson.estate/index.html


Sac PD Examines Racial Profiling

Data released from an independent group showed Sacramento police officers were twice as likely to pull over African-American drivers or pat down Latino drivers at a higher rate.

Labels: http://www.kcra.com/news/21580594/detail.html

Monday, November 9, 2009

Moondays

Shelter a safe haven for Asian and Pacific Islander women

Where Lakshmi comes from in India, calling authorities for help is an alien concept.

Sac Bee

Job Front: Small businesses slow to hire

Small businesses, pessimistic about the economy and frustrated by a lack of access to credit, are holding off on hiring, according to a new nationwide poll of small firms.

Sac Bee

Leonid meteor shower set to punctuate night skies, including Sacramento's

A cosmic light show is expected this week with the return of the annual Leonid meteor shower in the night sky.

Sac Bee


State recovers $27M for San Diego fire victims

The Associated Press
SAN DIEGO -- The state has recovered more than $27 million from insurance companies for victims of the wildfires that ravaged San Diego County in October 2007.

Sac Bee

Intelligence Officials Deny Sitting on Information About Fort Hood Shooter

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, announced Monday that he's asked the heads of the FBI, NSA and CIA to "preserve" all documents and material connected to the attack at Fort Hood last week that killed 13 and injured 29.

Fox News


Supreme Court won't halt D.C. sniper's execution

By Bill Mears
The Supreme Court refused Monday to block the execution of John Allen Muhammad, the mastermind of the sniper team that terrified the suburbs of the nation's capital in October 2002.

CNN


Tropical Storm Ida aims at Gulf Coast

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Some Gulf Coast residents hunkered down at home and in shelters Monday while others ventured outside to watch the approach of a rare late-season tropical storm that brought the potential for high winds, flooding and up to 8 inches of rain in some places.

Google News


Fort Hood: How the Injured Are Coping and Recovering

Bob Woodruff's Exclusive Access to the Injured Soldiers at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood

By Christine Romo, James Hill and Stephanie Wash
For many of the 43 people wounded when an Army psychiatrist allegedly went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, the scene was unreal -- it seemed like something out of a movie. Maybe it was a drill.

ABC News


Open front door report yields pot-growing operation find in El Dorado Hills

From Cathy Locke

A report of an open front door at an El Dorado Hills residence led to the discovery of a large indoor marijuana-growing operation.

Sac Bee

Midtown's young and restless make the most of 'Funlough Friday'

From the painful pay cuts to extra minutes in the DMV queue, the toxic side effects of "Furlough Fridays" on California state employees have been thoroughly quantified.

Sac Bee

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

World News Wednesday

Update:

Loss in Maine Sets Back Gay-Marriage Drive

11/04/09

They had far more money, ground troops and political support, and geography was on their side, given that New England has been more accepting of same-sex marriage than any other region of the country. Yet gay-rights advocates suffered a crushing loss in Maine when voters decided Tuesday to repeal the state’s new law allowing gays and lesbians to wed, setting back a movement that had made remarkable progress nationally this year.

NY TImes

World News Wednesday


Update:

Opponents of same-sex marriage leading in Maine polls

By, Bob Drogin

11/4/09

Early reporting indicated voters were leaning toward upholding the state's law permitting gay and lesbian unions, but the tide shifted as returns trickled in.

LA Times

World News Wednesday

Investigators look into suicide as possible motive

By, Todd Wilson

10/30/09

An investigator into the homicide at the American River Courtyard residence hall last week believed the suspect may have lunged at police officers with a knife in an attempt to get the officers to shoot him, according to court documents filed in the case.

The State Hornet

Services held in memory

By, Miyu Kataoka and Kristine Guerra

11/4/09

Two separate services were held last week in memory of Scott Hawkins, the Sacramento State student beaten to death in his suite in the American River Courtyard residence hall.

The State Hornet

Afghanistan: Too Big to Fail?

By, Tom Engelhardt

11/2/09

In the worst of times, my father always used to say, "A good gambler cuts his losses." It's a formulation imprinted on my brain forever. That no-nonsense piece of advice still seems reasonable to me, but it doesn't apply to American war policy. Our leaders evidently never saw a war to which the word "more" didn't apply. Hence the Afghan War, where impending disaster is just an invitation to fuel the flames of an already roaring fire.

The Nation

Democrats score congressional victories in California, New York

From Times staff writers and wire reports

11/3/09

Reporting from San Francisco and Washington - A Democrat won a special congressional election in a heavily Republican district in northern New York by exploiting a battle between moderates and conservatives for control of the GOP.

LA Times

Pay-by-the-mile auto insurance advances in California

By, Jim Sanders

11/03/09

Car insurance by the tankful?

Not quite, but California moved a step closer last month to pay-as-you-drive policies that could allow motorists to buy insurance like they do gasoline – a little at a time

Sac Bee

Shortage of flu vaccines leaves healthcare workers vulnerable

By, Molly Hennessey-Fiske

11/03/09

For more than a week, occupational nurse Janet Li-Tall has been giving the H1N1 flu vaccine to a short list of fellow healthcare workers at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. But she cannot get the coveted vaccine for herself.

LA Times

Marriage in Maine in Dead Heat

By, Daniel Chandler

11/02/09

This November 3 the people of Maine will decide whether to keep a law, passed just six months ago, that made Maine the fifth state (of six) to legalize gay marriage. Polls are predicting a nail-biting finish, with the most recent showing those in favor of repeal ahead by 51 to 47 percent, effectively a tie (the poll has a 2.9 percent margin of error). With early voting already underway, both sides are ramping up their campaigns to reach out to Maine's voters and to ensure strong turnouts in this unusually intense off-year campaign.

The Nation

Bridge closure later likely for permanent fix

By, Michael Cabanatuan

11/03/09

The Bay Bridge is once again open to traffic - after six long days of emergency structural repairs and hellish commutes - but it will probably be shut down again in a few months for a permanent fix.

SF Gate

Body count now 10 at rapist's Cleveland home, where neighbors complained of stench for years

By, John Seewer and Thomas J. Seeran

11/03/09

The number of bodies found in and near a rapist's home rose to at least 10 on Tuesday when authorities unearthed four corpses from the backyard and found a skull in a bucket in the basement.

Chicago Tribune

Rape victim: Violence 'always the wrong choice'

By, Kevin Fagan and Henry K. Lee

11/3/09

The Richmond High School girl who was gang raped after leaving a homecoming dance delivered a message Tuesday evening to hundreds of people shaken by the attack and hoping to bring about a positive change in its ugly wake - "violence is always the wrong choice.”

SF Gate

Editor- Timothy Sandoval

Contributors:

Daniel Bahlert

Stacy Hoyt

Mark Lopez

Brianna LaFleur

Veronica Butenko

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Tuesday Wakeup

November 2, 2009

Update: Homicide suspect was seen at Sacramento County Halloween party

A 22-year-old Galt man wanted in connection with a Halloween night homicide in San Joaquin County was seen hours later at a southern Sacramento County party during which a volley of gunfire erupted, according to authorities.
As of Monday night, San Joaquin sheriff's deputies continued their search for Anthony Adell Hubbard (left photo), who is suspected of fatally shooting 28-year-old Adam Mariano Campa, also from Galt, Saturday night in Acampo, said Deputy Les Garcia, sheriff's spokesman.
-Sac Bee


Sacramento health official calls for H1N1 flu emergency declaration

Last Modified: Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 - 8:26 pm

Sacramento County's chief public health official said she will recommend that a state of emergency be declared in the county because of the dramatic rise in the number of cases of H1N1 flu.
Sacramento County's board of supervisors is expected to consider the request at its meeting tomorrow. Increased concern over the spread of the novel flu comes on heels of the latest H1N1-related death in Sacramento County - the 15th since last April, when the virus first appeared in the region. County officials could not provide specific details on that fatality.
-Sac Bee


Increasing incidents of bicycle theft on campus
Julia Baum

The State Hornet -

http://media.www.statehornet.com/media/storage/paper1146/news/2009/10/28/News/Increasing.Incidents.Of.Bicycle.Theft.On.Campus-3815389.shtml
Sacramento State police have made two arrests in the wake of a series of bicycle thefts on campus.Interim Lt. Kelly Clark said the arrests were the result of an effort by plainclothes officers to stop the thefts. There have been more than 20 bike thefts since the beginning of the semester. University police are uncertain if the thefts are related.

Sac State lawsuit investigation continues
Brittany Bottini
The State Hornet -

http://media.www.statehornet.com/media/storage/paper1146/news/2009/10/28/News/Sac-State.Lawsuit.Investigation.Continues-3815366.shtml

An investigation conducted by Sacramento State concluded that retired engineering professor Miroslav Markovic created a hostile work environment, in direct violation of the university's harassment policy. On Aug. 7, Cici Mattiuzzi, career counselor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, filed a lawsuit against Sac State and Markovic on seven charges, including sexual harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and retaliation.Markovic could not be reached for comment.

Bay Bridge stays closed

Pushing traffic turmoil into a second week, Caltrans said late Sunday that the workhorse Bay Bridge will probably remain closed through the morning commute after a fix meant to shore up a cracked beam failed a critical stress test.
When the region's busiest span will reopen remains unknown. Caltrans officials refused to speculate, saying that their repairs must pass several rounds of tests and inspections before the bridge is deemed safe for traffic.
"Unfortunately, (drivers) need to plan that the Bay Bridge will not be in service for the morning commute," Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney said at a briefing Sunday. "At this point, we don't want to make a false prediction about when the bridge can reopen."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/02/MNE11ADOBI.DTL#ixzz0VlIECaAg


Grizzly grotto adventurer wins round in court
(11-02) 19:04 PST SAN FRANCISCO --

A judge tossed out a trespassing charge Monday against a man who sneaked into the San Francisco Zoo's grizzly bear grotto, leaving the defendant facing just a misdemeanor count of bothering a dangerous animal.
Kenneth Herron wasn't trespassing, Judge Wallace Douglass ruled, because he had no intention of staying in the enclosure for a long time - which the defense argued was the legal definition of the misdemeanor offense.
Douglass' ruling leaves Herron facing just one charge as his trial proceeds in Superior Court, a count of willfully disturbing dangerous animals. The defense is expected to argue today that Herron's troubled mental state explained his behavior and that he should be acquitted.
Herron's lawyer, deputy public defender James Conger, cited legal precedent that to be convicted of trespassing, someone has to seek "occupancy," akin to squatting. Conger argued that Herron "did not intend to make the bear enclosure his place of residency, nor did his actions convey any indication that he would."
The judge agreed.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/02/BAJ01AE4KH.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0VlJY1bPs


Boy's fatal fall from midtown parking garage investigated
By Chelsea Phua cphua@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 - 8:51 pm

A 15-year-old Elk Grove boy fell to his death from a midtown Sacramento parking garage last week, authorities said.
The Sacramento County Coroner said the manner and cause of death is still under investigation. Authorities say they have ruled out homicide.

http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/2301023.html