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Alleged Pittsburg gang member convicted of killing teen in drive-by shooting

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:21:30 GMT

MARTINEZ — In a case that partially hinged on messages between gang members in an Instagram group chat, a Contra Costa jury convicted a 20-year-old man of murder and conspiracy in the shooting death of a 17-year-old boy.Anthony McCoy was convicted Thursday of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the Sept. 4, 2022 shooting death of 17-year-old Anthony Westbrook Jr. He faces a life sentence.Westbrook was shot and killed near his home on Macaulay Street in Antioch. Police say the shooting was motivated by problems between two Pittsburg gangs called the Bully Boys and Midtown, whose members included McCoy and Westbrook, respectively.Before the shooting McCoy allegedly texted other Bully Boys members on Instagram about targeting Westbrook and other rivals for shootings.Deputy District Attorney Kate Dunbar admitted at trial that there was more than one person inside a red Nissan Altima that drove slowly by Westbrook’s house before someone inside opened fire. But argued th...

Bay Area day trip: Isleton, the ‘Little Paris of the Delta,’ gears up for its comeback

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:21:30 GMT

After Oakland craft beer enthusiast Iva Walton lovingly restored a historic Chinese gambling den on Isleton’s Main Street and opened it as her popular Mei Wah Beer Room in 2017, local leaders hoped that other creatively minded entrepreneurs would follow her path to the sleepy Delta town and help spur its renaissance.Alas, the renaissance got delayed by the pandemic, but the community of some 800 people appears to be back on track with efforts to become a Bay Area day-trip destination for food, arts, history and small-town charm.Over the past couple years, others have rehabbed buildings with colorful histories and turned them into cozy restaurants and hip coffee houses. There’s also a new art gallery, a cluster of new boutiques, cannabis dispensaries and the gorgeous new Isleton Museum, which opened in October. Housed in the nearly 100-year-old-old Bing Kong Tong Building, the museum highlights the town’s once-vibrant Chinese and Japanese communities. In June, Isleton als...

Kurtenbach: The 49ers-Nick Bosa contract stalemate is an embarrassment

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:21:30 GMT

The 49ers have perviously shown no reluctance in signing top players to record-setting contracts.Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, Fred Warner, and Trent Williams all set the market at their positions when they signed new deals with San Francisco. All but one — I’ll let you guess — deserved it.The Niners didn’t hesitate on those deals because the front office wanted to build the reputation around the league that it “takes care of its guys.”But heading into Labor Day weekend — the final weekend before the start of the regular season — the Niners’ top guy still needs a new, record-setting contract.So much for that reputation.While, yes, two parties need to agree on a new contract, it is an embarrassment that the entire preseason is over and the Niners have not received Nick Bosa’s signature on a new deal.This should have been sorted out weeks — if not months — ago.Nick Bosa (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) It’s not like Bosa’s excel...

Judge blocks law that drag performers fear would shut them down

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:21:30 GMT

By Juan A. Lozano | Associated PressHOUSTON — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked a new Texas law that drag show artists fear will be used to shut them down or put them in jail.The law, approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature, would expand the legal definition in the Texas criminal code of what is considered to be an illegal public performance of sexual conduct in front of children. It is part of a broader effort in Texas and other conservative states to crack down on drag shows and limit LGBTQ rights.Critics argued that the definition is so broad, it could include the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.U.S. District Judge David Hittner in Houston issued the temporary restraining order after a group of drag performers and LGBTQ+ rights advocates sought to keep the law from taking effect on Friday. During a two-day court hearing earlier this week, drag performers and advocates said the new law threatened their livelihoods and would censor their freedom of expression.In...

SF Giants miss out on waivers extravaganza, but it’s not all bad news

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:21:30 GMT

SAN DIEGO — Finally on the other side of a three-week gauntlet against contender after contender, the Giants weren’t sure when their charter flight touched down here Wednesday night whether possible reinforcements might be on the way. The answer came the following morning: They fared too well to be in position to scoop up a surprise late-season gift.Close to a dozen veterans were placed on irrevocable waivers this week, including nearly a quarter of the Angels’ roster, but none of them were claimed by the Giants as the deadline came and passed Thursday morning.The good news: San Francisco didn’t have much of a chance at any of them because its position in the standings — a half-game advantage on the third and final wild card spot entering Thursday.Another silver lining: Of the teams chasing them in the wild card race, only one, the Reds, was able to boost its roster. The greatest goods went to the American League, where the Cleveland Guardians blocked the most soug...

Volpe becomes 20-20 player as Yankees lose to Tigers 4-3 in 10-inning series finale

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:21:30 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Anthony Volpe, one of the few bright spots in the worst Yankees season in three decades, became the 15th rookie with a 20-homer, 20-stolen base season as New York lost to the Detroit Tigers 4-3 on Thursday in the finale of a four-game series,With New York trailing 3-0 in the ninth, Volpe hit a three-run, opposite-field homer to right off Alex Lange to become the Yankees’ first 20-20 rookie. Volpe has 21 steals in 26 tries.“I guess it’s pretty crazy,” Volpe said. “I never really had goals or anything like that going into the season numbers-wise.”Volpe is the second 20-20 rookie this year after Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, who has 23 homers and 41 steals.“It’s been fun watching him play the game. He’s gotten a lot of big hits for us today included,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Volpe. “With all that’s come with him and the expectations, he just managed everything so well, and I’m excited to see what he continues to do throughout his career … It’s pretty ...

John Isner’s US Open and tennis career end in a 5th-set tiebreak loss

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:21:30 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — John Isner’s career fittingly ended with a final-set tiebreaker.Isner put a volley into the net to end the match and what he had announced would be his final singles tournament, falling in the U.S. Open second round to fellow American Michael Mmoh 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (7).“It’s tough. I like to think I work as hard as I can,” Isner told a Grandstand crowd that erupted in cheers as he trailed off into tears.The 38-year-old Isner, who needed a wild card to get into the draw at Flushing Meadows, blasted 48 aces and won 86% of his first-serve points in a match that also included 63 unforced errors. Several times, the 6-foot-10 (2.08-meter) Isner fell to the ground while diving to make volleys.Isner reached a career-best ranking of No. 8 in 2018, shortly after reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon. He won 16 singles titles and hit 14,470 aces, an ATP Tour record. That includes 113 in the longest match in tennis history, a first-round Wimbledon win against Nicolas Ma...

Activists prepare for yearlong battle over Nebraska private school funding law

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:21:30 GMT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Activists declared a victory this week in their fight to repeal a new Republican-backed law allowing Nebraska taxpayer money to be used for private school tuition. But both sides acknowledge that the battle is just beginning.If the law is repealed, Nebraska would join North Dakota as the only states not offering some type of public payment for private school tuition. Opponents said Wednesday that they’d gathered nearly twice the roughly 60,000 signatures needed to ask voters for repeal. “If this initiative makes it onto the 2024 ballot, I can promise you the fight will not be over,” Gov. Jim Pillen said.Both Nebraska and North Dakota passed bills earlier this year to fund some private school tuition. North Dakota’s bill set aside $10 million in taxpayer dollars for private school tuition reimbursement. The legislation was later vetoed by the governor.The effort to protect Nebraska’s law has drawn conservative support nationally, including from th...

No se presentarán cargos por la muerte a tiros de un estudiante universitario de Carolina del Sur que intentó entrar a la casa equivocada, dicen las autoridades

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:21:30 GMT

(CNN) — La muerte de un estudiante de la Universidad de Carolina del Sur que intentaba entrar a una casa que no era la suya en su propia calle fue considerada un homicidio justificado y no se presentarán cargos, dijo la policía.“La determinación se basa en varios factores que incluyen evidencia reunida en el lugar, revisión del video de vigilancia que capta momentos antes del tiroteo, evidencia de audio y declaraciones de testigos”, dijo el Departamento de Policía de Columbia en un comunicado de prensa.La decisión se tomó tras consultar con la Oficina del Procurador del Quinto Circuito, según el comunicado.Nicholas Anthony Donofrio, un estudiante de segundo año de Connecticut de 20 años, murió en el tiroteo la madrugada de este sábado, de acuerdo a la policía.“La información preliminar indica que Donofrio, que residía en South Holly Street, intentó entrar a la casa equivocada cuando recibió un disparo mortal”, indicó la policía en el comunicado.“E...

Federal judge temporarily blocks Arkansas law requiring parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 10:21:30 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Federal judge temporarily blocks Arkansas law requiring parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts.Source