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Long Beach launches program to distribute drink safety test kits

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:55 GMT

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services has launched a program to begin distributing drink safety test kits that detect illegal substances in beverages, officials announced this week.Request forms for the kits are now available for businesses and organizations in the city."We are taking proactive steps to prevent drink spiking and promote a safe environment for all,” Mayor Rex Richardson said. “This $25,000 initiative is a significant investment in our community's safety, and we are proud to be promoting personal safety."The SipSafe testing kit is designed to detect the possible presence of drink-spiking drugs like GHB, known as the date rape drug, and ketamine.Other cities in Southern California, including West Hollywood, have established similar initiatives, which the Health Department is modeling its program after, officials said.Vice Mayor Cindy Allen first recommended the implementation of SipSafe and the measure was co-sponsored by Councilwomen Mary Zendejas and...

Woman goes into labor during Beyonce's Inglewood concert

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:55 GMT

Beyonce said you won't break her soul, but she never said you won't break her water. That's exactly what happened with actress Sarah Francis Jones. Both she and her partner, actor Marcel Spear, attended Queen Bey's birthday show on Monday at SoFi Stadium when she suddenly went into labor as soon as the "Cuff It" singer hit the stage. Diana Ross sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to Beyonce at SoFi Stadium "I think it was right after the mute challenge," Jones said. "Everybody went mute. L.A. did very well ... and then I started having contractions."Sarah Francis Jones and Marcel Spear welcomed their baby girl just hours after Jones went into labor during the Beyonce concert at SoFi Stadium on Monday.This caught the couple by surprise as the baby girl wasn't due for a few more days. When the contractions started, the "Honey" actress thought they were Braxton Hicks, also known as false labor pains."I said 'Something's happening,'" she explained. "Usually I like to dance at the concert and I wa...

Haven Gabriel Finkie Died in Two-Vehicle Crash on US Highway 175 [Henderson County, TX]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:55 GMT

Joseph Charles Simmons Injured in Two-vehicle CollisionHENDERSON COUNTY, TX (September 6, 2023) – Early Monday morning, a two-vehicle crash on US Highway 175 left Haven Gabriel Finkie dead.The incident happened on August 21st, at around 12:30 a.m., in the area of US Highway 175, just about 1.1 miles north of Baxter.According to police, a 2007 Honda Civic driven by 22-year-old Finkie, and a 2019 Ford F150 driven by 30-year-old Joseph Charles Simmons were involved.It was reported that the Honda was headed southeast and the F150 was headed northwest along Highway 175. The Honda then attempted to turn onto County Road 4511 but failed to yield. As a result, the Honda traveled into the path of the F150. The two vehicles collided leaving both drivers with serious injuries.Emergency crews transported Finkie to UT Health Hospital in Tyler. Additionally, they transported Simmons to UT Health Hospital in Athens for treatment of their injuries.At the hospital in Tyler, officials pronounce...

Anthony Vezzoni Dies in Head-On Collision on State Route 903 [Cle Elum, WA]

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:55 GMT

86-Year-Old Man Pronounced Dead after Head-On Accident near Milepost 4CLE ELUM, WA (September 5, 2023) – Late Sunday night, Anthony Vezzoni was killed in a head-on collision on State Route 903.Police responded to the scene around 10:35 p.m., near milepost 4 on August 25th.For reasons under investigation, Vezzoni was heading south on the freeway and crossed over the center line. There, the wrong-way vehicle collided head-on with another car.Medics arrived and pronounced 86-year-old Vezzoni, of Cle Elum dead at the scene. Investigators say he was not wearing a seat belt at the time.Meanwhile, the 73-year-old man and 71-year-old woman inside the other vehicle remained uninjured.At this time, an active investigation to determine further information is still currently underway. Once available, more details will be provided.In this sorrowful time, the Sweet James team would like to extend their heartfelt condolences to the family of Anthony Vezzoni.If you have lost someone in a seri...

Bay Area arts: 10 shows and festivals to catch this weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:55 GMT

From a new “Romeo and Juliet” in San Jose to a family-friendly opera in Walnut Creek to a play about a wolf boy in Berkeley, there is a lot to see and do in the Bay Area this weekend and beyond.Here is a partial roundup.Classical picks: ‘R&J’; S.F. Opera gala; ‘3 Feathers’Opera companies are launching the 23-24 season in style: “Romeo and Juliet” at Opera San Jose, a gala concert at San Francisco Opera, and a fairy tale work at Solo Opera highlight the calendar for this weekend. Here’s a look.“Romeo and Juliet”: Charles Gounod’s romantic take on Shakespeare’s tragedy of star-crossed lovers opens Opera San Jose’s fall season in a new production by company general director Shawna Lucey. Tenor Joshua Sanders is Romeo, and sopranos Melissa Sondhi and Jasmine Habersham alternate as Juliet. The cast also features baritone Efrain Solís as Mercutio and tenor Alex Boyer as Tybalt. Joseph Marcheso conducts.Details: Saturday through Sept. 24; Calif...

Will Trump win all of California’s delegates in the primary? Here’s what polling suggests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:55 GMT

California Republicans’ support for former President Donald Trump appears to be growing, according to a new poll — and that’s a particularly positive sign for his campaign given how the state will assign its bevy of delegates this year.Trump is the preferred candidate for 55% of likely Republican voters surveyed in late August by the Berkeley Institute of Government Studies — taken after he was indicted in Georgia for alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.That’s an 11% increase from Berkeley IGS’s May survey — and would trigger the California Republican Party’s new rule allotting all of its 169 delegates to whichever candidate can secure a majority (50% plus 1) of the statewide vote in the upcoming primary election.In comparison, 16% of likely Republican voters picked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 7% former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and 4% tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.A February Berekely IGS poll found 37% of registered Republican voters preferred DeSantis whil...

Trump claims to know how Meghan Markle wrongly ‘dealt with’ Queen Elizabeth II

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:55 GMT

The world may never know if Queen Elizabeth II reciprocated the warm feelings and admiration Donald Trump had for her, but the former president is convinced that he got to know the late monarch well enough during his 2019 state visit to have an opinion on the relationship she had with Meghan Markle, her grandson’s American wife.“I didn’t like the way she dealt with the queen,” Trump said about the Duchess of Sussex in an interview Wednesday morning with syndicated radio host Hugh Hewitt, the Daily Mail reported. “I became very friendly with the Queen. She was an incredible woman.”Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor during a photocall in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle on May 8, 2019 in Windsor, England. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth at 05:26 on Monday 06 May, 2019. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty Images) In making these remark...

Traffic concerns prompt Brentwood board to kick Seeno housing proposal back to staff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:55 GMT

It all came down to traffic. After almost five hours of discussion on a longtime plan to erect nearly 300 homes in northwest Brentwood, the Planning Commission punted the proposal back to staff to consider possible solutions to avoid a potential traffic mess.At issue was a second exit from the proposed Albert Seeno III Bridle Gate development in northwestern Brentwood that would have routed vehicles into and out of the upscale Brentwood Hills and Shadow Lakes neighborhoods, areas that are already congested with parents driving their children to and from nearby schools.“We need to make sure that we approve plans that are beneficial to the people that are already here,” Commissioner Rod Flohr said on Tuesday. “…The hazards for the Shadow Lakes Community and the Brentwood Hills community have been very clearly stated and I think everybody here has had a chance to hear them.”With Planning Commissioner Anita Roberts absent, the remaining four commissioners unanimously voted to cont...

San Francisco 49ers hit a local note with the music at Levi’s Stadium

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:55 GMT

Stadium music is as much a part of the game-going atmosphere as what happens on the gridiron and in the stands. At Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium, the 49ers differentiate the musical experience by embracing songs by Bay Area artists — and a certain, distinctive local sound effect.It’s the call of a foghorn, a throwback to the team’s days in foggy San Francisco. You’ll hear the iconic sound three times before kickoff — and again every time George Kittle or another Niner lands in the end zone with the ball.“It doesn’t matter where you are in the building,” says Laura Johnson, the 49ers’ senior director of game presentation and live events. “When you hear the foghorn sound, you’ll know there has been a scoring play here at the stadium.”That sound is quickly followed by Vallejo rapper E-40’s 2006 hyphy classic, “Tell Me When to Go,” complete with the “Yay Area” intro, to celebrate the touchdown.“It’s fun. It’s hip,” Johnson says. “Anyb...

SF Giants place Patrick Bailey on concussion list, recall long lost catcher Joey Bart

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:55 GMT

The Giants planned to lean on rookie catcher Patrick Bailey down the stretch, but they’ll now be without him for at least the next week.Bailey, 24, was placed on the seven-day injured list with a concussion he suffered in Tuesday night’s loss to the Cubs. Joey Bart, stuck at Triple-A Sacramento for the past four months, rushed from Las Vegas, where the River Cats were playing, to Chicago and started Wednesday afternoon’s series finale.The Cubs’ six-run seventh inning Tuesday night was the Giants’ downfall in their fifth straight loss. And it also cost them their starting catcher.Bailey began feeling light-headed after a play at the plate in the seventh, Kapler told reporters in Chicago. Jeimer Candelario was on third base when Nick Madrigal bounced a high-hopper to Casey Schmitt at third. Schmitt’s throw was low, and as Candelario slid across the plate to score the go-ahead run, his knee appeared to knock Bailey’s head back.Bailey was lifted...