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COVID fraudster stole $2.8M, gets 3.5 years in prison

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

A Riverside County woman was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for scamming more than $2.8 million in fraudulent unemployment benefits.Sasha Lizette Jimenez, 26, was sentenced to 41 months in prison and will have to pay $2.3 million in restitution, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in a press release.She pleaded guilty in May to a count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud after she "admitted that she fraudulently obtained UI benefits from the EDD, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits intended for individuals who were unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic," the release said.Jimenez and her confederates stole identities from people who were dead, lived outside California or were otherwise ineligible for those benefits.While $2.8 million was issued to these fake beneficiaries, Jimenez withdrew about $2.3 million, resulting in the restitution amount she must repay, prosecutors said.Jimenez also participated in a separate check fraud scam wit...

Gloria Barajas and Brenda Quinonez Fatally Injured in DUI Crash on Road 56 [Tulare County, CA]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

43-Year-Old Man Arrested after Fatal Head-On Collision near Avenue 430TULARE COUNTY, CA (December 5, 2023) – Gloria Barajas and Brenda Quinonez were pronounced dead Sunday night after a DUI collision on Road 56 and Avenue 430. The incident occurred around 6:00 p.m., near Reedley.According to reports, the southbound driver of a Ford pickup truck drifted into oncoming lanes, resulting in a head-on collision with a northbound Nissan Rogue SUV. Medics later pronounced the occupants of the Nissan, identified as 55-year-old Barajas and 35-year-old Quinonez, dead at the scene.Simultaneously, two other family members were urgently transported to Community Regional Medical Center. The 43-year-old Ford driver, Blake Benham of Dinuba, was apprehended by paramedics and faces charges of felony DUI and vehicular manslaughter.The team at Sweet James offers their warm and sincerest sympathies to the friends and families of Gloria Barajas and Brenda Quinonez. May you find comfort and strength ...

George Pitman Hospitalized after Hit-and-Run on Highway 46 East [San Luis Obispo, CA]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

33-Year-Old Bolinas Man Injured in Truck Vs Cargo Van Crash on Highway 46SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA (December 5, 2023) – Friday morning, a hit-and-run collision on Highway 46 East sent George Pitman to a hospital for serious injuries.The crash was reported around 5:10 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of the highway near the Shandon Rest area.According to CHP, an eastbound 2018 Nissan 2500NV transit van collided with a tractor-trailer pulling out of the area.Reports said the truck driver did not stop and continued traveling westbound on Highway 46.Responding medical personnel airlifted the Nissan driver to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in critical condition. The van driver was later identified as 33-year-old George Pitman of Bolinas.Additionally, a portion of the highway was temporarily shut down to allow for cleanup and preliminary duties.At this time, officials are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to contact the San Luis Obispo CHP at 805-593-3333.Thousands of people are inju...

Zach Muckleroy, Judson Muckleroy, Lindsay Muckleroy Killed in 3-Vehicle Accident on Highway 281 [Forth Worth, TX]

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

Muckleroy & Falls Construction CEO, Two Children Killed in Three-Vehicle Accident near Johnson CityFORTH WORTH, TX (December 5, 2023) – Wednesday, a three-vehicle accident claimed the lives of Zach Muckleroy, Judson Muckleroy, and Lindsay Muckleroy. The incident unfolded around 6:40 p.m. on November 22nd, on Highway 281 near Johnson City.Responding authorities reported that the collision involved a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, a Chevrolet SUV driven by Lauren Muckleroy, carrying 44-year-old Zach, 12-year-old Judson, and 9-year-old Lindsay, and a Nissan Versa car.According to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s findings, the Toyota, initially traveling northbound, crossed into the southbound lanes, resulting in a head-on collision with the Chevy. Additionally, the southbound Nissan collided with the Chevy, causing it to overturn. Zach, Judson, and Lindsay succumbed to their injuries at the scene.The Toyota’s driver was transported to the hospital but later pa...

With 32nd tie-breaker, VP Harris breaks nearly 200-year-old record

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

By Chris Megerian and Lisa Mascaro | Associated PressWASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris broke a nearly 200-year-old record for casting the most tiebreaking votes in the Senate when she voted Tuesday to confirm a new federal judge in Washington, D.C.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, called Harris’ 32nd tiebreaking vote a “great milestone.”Related ArticlesNational Politics | Mathews: Come home, Kamala Harris, and run for governor National Politics | VP Harris heads to Dubai with challenging tasks ahead National Politics | I-10 reopens in Los Angeles in time for Monday commute The previous recordholder was John C. Calhoun, who cast 31 tiebreaking votes during his eight years as vice president, from 1825 to 1832. Harris, a Democrat, tied Calhoun’s record in July.Casting tiebreaker votes is among the only constitutional duties for vice presidents, and Harris has been repeatedly called ...

San Jose’s acclaimed Adega plans its final Michelin-style meals, including an 11-course NYE menu

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

The final December reservations are filling up for Adega, the Portuguese standout that became San Jose’s first-ever Michelin star honoree in 2016.In July, owners Carlos and Fernanda Carreira announced the end-of-year closure of the acclaimed restaurant that opened in 2015 in the city’s Little Portugal neighborhood, with David Costa in the executive chef role then and now. They plan to transform the space into the second outlet of their more casual concept, Petiscos, which is located in downtown San Jose, in early 2024.“We are so overwhelmed by the well-wishes and sincere sadness that so many have expressed,” Carlos Carreira said. “Many have even begged us not to close Adega, or at least not just yet. We tell them that we are simply ‘saving it up in the cloud’ (to use Silicon Valley tech language) and who knows what the future has for Adega? The brand and the business itself will remain active for the foreseeable future.”Meantime, he said, &#...

Here we go again: ‘Mamma Mia’ back on Bay Area stages

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

There are all kinds of touring musicals. Some of them feel like once-in-a-lifetime theatrical events. Some are long-anticipated glimpses of what all the fuss was about in New York or elsewhere. A few even start their Broadway-bound journey right here in San Francisco.And then there are the shows whose draw lies greatly in comforting familiarity.Coming to San Francisco and San Jose on its 25th Anniversary North American Tour, the Abba musical “Mamma Mia!” certainly falls into the latter category. It’s a show that people have either seen or at least seen around a lot, after many tours and countless local productions. And then there was the star-studded 2008 movie that even had a sequel (2018’s “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”), digging up more Abba songs that didn’t make the cut for the original.As a jukebox musical of the 1970s Swedish pop phenomenon’s greatest hits, “Mamma Mia!” relies heavily on nostalgia appeal to begin with. That hankering for days gone by is baked into playwright C...

Four-bedroom home sells for $1.5 million in Pleasanton

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

7717 Cottonwood Lane – Google Street ViewA house located in the 7700 block of Cottonwood Lane in Pleasanton has new owners. The 1,593-square-foot property, built in 1966, was sold on Oct. 10, 2023, for $1,513,000, or $950 per square foot. This single-story home offers a spacious layout with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Inside, there is a fireplace. In addition, the house comes with a two-car garage, allowing for convenient vehicle storage and additional storage space. The property’s backyard also includes a pool.Additional houses have recently changed hands nearby:A 2,109-square-foot home on the 7600 block of Desertwood Lane in Pleasanton sold in September 2023, for $1,850,000, a price per square foot of $877. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Bristolwood Road, Pleasanton, in July 2023, a 1,355-square-foot home was sold for $1,656,000, a price per square foot of $1,222. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In October 2022, a 1,854-square-foot home on Cherrywood Court...

U.S. tourist killed in shark attack while paddle boarding in Bahamas

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

By DÁNICA COTO | Associated PressSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A female tourist from Boston was killed Monday by a shark while paddleboarding in the Bahamas, police told reporters.The victim, who was not identified, was attacked less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island, where the capital, Nassau, is located. She was paddleboarding with a man who was not injured, according to Police Sgt. Desiree Ferguson.“We extend our heartfelt condolences…for this most unfortunate situation,” she said.Police said a lifeguard rescued both people with a boat upon seeing what was happening, but the woman suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body and was declared dead at the scene despite CPR efforts.It was not immediately clear what type of shark attacked the woman. A police superintendent did not immediately respond to a message requesting comment.Gavin Naylor, program director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida, said in an interview that there have been a ...

GOP presidential hopefuls use Trump’s COVID record to court vaccine skeptics

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:12 GMT

Darius Tahir, Daniel Chang | KFF Health News (TNS)Former President Donald Trump often seems proud to advertise his administration’s record on speedily developing COVID-19 vaccines.On the campaign trail to win another term in the White House, though, he also has knocked the use of those very vaccines. In October, for example, he unleashed a barrage of social media attacks on Ron DeSantis’ pandemic record by reposting claims that the Florida governor — who is running against him in the Republican presidential primaries — was too active in vaccinating Sunshine State residents.In a further twist, Trump simultaneously circulated an MSNBC article suggesting DeSantis wasn’t vaccinating his constituents enough.Trump’s tap dance — touting Operation Warp Speed’s success at developing vaccines while criticizing vaccine use — is emblematic of how pandemic politics are intensifying broader vaccine politics. Republican presidential candidates currently trailing the former president in polls are c...