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Wildfires can make your California red wine taste like an ashtray. These scientists want to stop that

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:53 GMT

By ANDREW SELSKY | Associated PressALPINE, Ore. — The U.S. West Coast produces over 90% of America’s wine, but the region is also prone to wildfires — a combustible combination that spelled disaster for the wine industry in 2020 and one that scientists are scrambling to neutralize.Sample a good wine and you might get notes of oak or red fruit. But sip on wine made from grapes that were penetrated by smoke, and it could taste like someone dumped the contents of an ashtray into your glass.Wine experts from three West Coast universities are working together to meet the threat, including developing spray coatings to protect grapes, pinpointing the elusive compounds that create that nasty ashy taste, and deploying smoke sensors to vineyards to better understand smoke behavior.The U.S. government is funding their research with millions of dollars. Wineries are also taking steps to protect their product and brand.The risk to America’s premier wine-making regions — where wildfires caused bi...

Retail theft attempt at San Mateo Target ends in four arrests

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:53 GMT

SAN MATEO – Police on Wednesday announced the arrests of four people in connection with the attempted theft of nearly $2,000 worth of merchandise from a Target store in San Mateo.The news came a day after Target Corp. said it was closing three stores in the Bay Area due to organized retail theft and the threat the crime poses to employees and shoppers.Around 8:40 a.m. Monday, officers were called to the Target at the Bridgepointe Shopping Center for a report that a person had entered the store wearing a ski mask and carrying a backpack, while an accomplice parked a red Honda CR-V at the rear of the business, the San Mateo Police Department said in a news release Wednesday night.Officers arrived minutes later to find the Honda parked next to a delivery door. All three occupants – identified as a 32-year-old San Francisco resident, a 31-year-old Vallejo resident and a 32-year-old Hayward resident – were wanted on multiple warrants.As officers were detaining the trio, another suspect, ...

Saratoga taking ‘swift action’ after group ‘Zoom-bombs’ council meeting with racist language

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:53 GMT

A group of people disrupted a Saratoga City Council meeting last week, making remarks that targeted racial and ethnic minorities and the LGBTQ community.A representative from the city of Saratoga said the comments were made by a group of participants  who virtually joined the the council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 20, via Zoom. A copy of the meeting recording was shared with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office but had yet to be posted on the city’s website at press time.“The city of Saratoga values freedom of speech and the democratic process. However, hateful remarks and blatant disrespect towards the diverse members of our community and our city council, which is comprised of several different cultures and faiths, at our meetings are not acceptable,” Mayor Kookie Fitzsimmons said in an email. “We are taking swift action to ensure respectful discourse at city council and commission meetings as there is no place for racism, bigotry or discrimination in Saratoga.”Thi...

Cal keeping quiet about QB situation ahead of Arizona State showdown

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:53 GMT

BERKELEY — Week 5 of the Cal football schedule has arrived and quarterback questions remain unanswered. Sam Jackson V and Ben Finley are continuing to vie for the starting job as the Bears seek consistency at the position.“We’re only going to be as good as our quarterback play,” Cal offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said.Finley started at Washington last Saturday but was picked off three times in the first half and ultimately knocked out of the game late in the third quarter with a sore lower back. Jackson, the starter when the season began, came on to direct Cal to three touchdowns but all of it came in garbage time as the Huskies rolled to a 59-32 victory.Jackson, more the dual-threat QB, has completed 57.4 percent of his passes for 426 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing for 63 yards. The Bears are 2-0 in his two starts. Finley, a pocket passer with something of a gunslinger mentality, has completed 62 percent for 533 yards, with three TDs and four pi...

A hidden climate danger threatens U.S. coastal communities

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:53 GMT

By Todd Woody | BloombergA little-known climate threat lurks under our feet: rising groundwater that could release toxic chemicals from more than 132,000 contaminated sites in coastal areas of the US. In a first of its kind study, researchers estimated the number of polluted industrial sites and mapped them to areas likely to experience groundwater inundation due to rising seas.“A lot of  people don’t realize that the ocean actually extends under the land in coastal areas, so as the ocean rises, it pushes up the groundwater toward the surface,” said Kristina Hill, an associate professor at the University of California at Berkeley and the lead author of the paper, which was published last week in the journal Earth’s Future.Factories, fuel stations, military bases and other industrial facilities have left surrounding soil contaminated with carcinogenic chemicals and heavy metals. Some became Superfund sites whose cleanup is overseen by the federal government. Far more are managed by i...

North Bay gas prices shoot up 26 cents overnight

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:53 GMT

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (KRON) -- Gas prices in the North Bay went up 26 cents overnight Wednesday, according to AAA. It’s the highest jump seen so far in the Bay Area.In San Rafael, gas prices are now sitting at a Bay Area high of $6.07 on average after jumping 26 cents between Wednesday and Thursday. One San Rafael gas station Thursday morning showed unleaded was selling for $6.39. San Francisco and Santa Rosa trail San Rafael in high prices. The lowest average price in the Bay Area is in San Jose, coming in at $5.88Since Monday, the state average has risen 21 cents and is now $6.03. The increase comes just days before California is expected to switch to a winter blend of crude oil, which normally drops prices. Overall, California sits more than two bucks higher than the national average of $3.85Experts say the increase comes from a surge in oil costs, with barrels now around $90. Refineries in California are also facing issues and maintenance, which means major markups at the pumps.Lo...

Girona leads Spanish league after surprisingly good start. Now it faces Real Madrid at home

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:53 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Girona’s ceiling this season was expected to be another mediocre finish in the Spanish league. But after six straight wins and an undefeated start, the small club from Spain’s northeastern corner surprisingly sits at the top of the standings.Next up? Nothing less than a visit by Real Madrid on Saturday.“We have to enjoy this moment. The game against Madrid will be precious,” Girona coach Míchel Sánchez said after his team became the leader of Spain’s top league for the first time following a 2-1 comeback at Villarreal on Wednesday.Girona, which leads Madrid by one point and Barcelona by two, has only dropped points when it drew 1-1 at Real Sociedad in its opening match. Since then, the team that is partly controlled by Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi ownership has also beaten Getafe, Sevilla, Las Palmas, Granada and Mallorca.Girona was taken over by Abu Dhabi ownership in 2017 when it bought a 44.3% share in the Catalan club. Pere Guardiola, the brother of ...

Costantino Rocca’s win over Tiger Woods nearly 30 years ago paved the way for this Ryder Cup in Rome

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:53 GMT

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy (AP) — A 60-foot birdie putt from the Valley of Sin at St. Andrews to force a playoff with John Daly at the 1995 British Open.A front-row seat to history while paired with Tiger Woods in the final round of the 1997 Masters.Then a career-defining singles victory over Woods later in ’97 that helped Europe win the Ryder Cup.It’s been nearly three decades since Costantino Rocca put Italian golf on the map and it’s hard to imagine the Ryder Cup being held near Rome this week would have happened without him.“I hope to have contributed, because I’ve always said I was the first,” Rocca said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “Thirty years ago I wouldn’t have even thought that I would achieve what I did.”The first Italian to play for Europe in the Ryder Cup, Rocca appeared in three editions. He remained the only Italian to play in the event until Francesco and Edoardo Molinari appeared at Celtic Manor in 2010.Francesco Molinari went on to win the 2018...

Undefeated and unsatisfied, No. 5 Florida State using its bye week to get healthy

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:53 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — No. 5 Florida State is undefeated and unsatisfied — even with victories against powerhouses LSU and Clemson on a resume that’s widely considered the most impressive in the country.“One of the things I’m excited about is we’re 4-0 and we have yet to play our best game,” coach Mike Norvell said. “Opportunity for growth, opportunity for improvement.”The Seminoles (4-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) are using their bye week to refresh and get healthy after a daunting September that included a neutral-site opener and two road games.FSU has been without three starters — offensive tackle Robert Scott, center Maurice Smith and safety Akeem Dent at times — and star quarterback Jordan Travis has played through an arm/shoulder injury.Travis landed awkwardly on his left side in the second quarter at Boston College, although the sixth-year senior returned to the game for the second half. He eventually returned to form the following week at Clemson. when he threw f...

Where does Colorado rank in US for fentanyl deaths

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:53 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Over half of the U.S. is seeing an increase in fentanyl deaths in 2023, and Colorado is among those states.Families Against Fentanyl analyzed the newest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which revealed that overdose deaths are at an all-time high. The most recent data was collected from April 2022 to April 2023. Officials warn of powdered fentanyl circulating in Boulder County The national average for fentanyl deaths in 2023 so far is 77,415 people, which went up by 5% from 2022. In the U.S., 22 states ranked above the national average for an increase in fentanyl deaths. Some of the highest increases happened in Oregon, with a 67% increase, and Washington with a 65% increase. States that saw an increase in fentanyl deaths in 2023:Oregon: 67%Washington: 65%Nevada: 58%Oklahoma: 55%Wyoming: 41%Texas: 28%Hawaii: 27%Alabama: 27%Utah: 21%Vermont: 19%Delaware: 19%Alaska: 17%Maine: 16%Kansas: 16%Georgia: 13%Minnesota: 13%California: 10%Idaho: 9...