Los Gatos student earns prestigious national scholarship

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:02 GMT

A national nonprofit educational organization awarded Los Gatos High School student Najman Mahbouba a $25,000 scholarship for college.The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Inc. recognizes students who, in the face of great personal adversity, remain committed to pursuing higher education. The association gives students like Najman financial resources and programming like financial aid counseling, college selection advising, online seminars, and mental health support.“Growing up, students are constantly hearing that education is paramount. It’s an unmatched social mobility launchpad,” said Najman in a press release. “But for some, the launchpad is positioned too high, just slightly out of reach. The Horatio Alger National Scholarship closes this gap; it lifts high-achieving but underserved students and allows them to reach that launchpad.”The organization was established in 1947 to encourage young people to pursue their version of the American dream. Since the prog...

What is USB-C? Here’s why Apple’s charger switch is such a big deal

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:02 GMT

By Samantha Murphy Kelly | CNNApple retired its Lightning charger on Tuesday exactly 11 years to the day it was first announced.The effort marks a milestone moment for the company by finally adopting USB-C, a universal charging system. That’s noteworthy not only because Apple has been resistant to do so for years but because it’s about to make charging that much easier for its customers.But, as with most things, there’s a catch: The switch to a universal standard means Apple is giving up control of its wired charging ecosystem, and identifying good chargers from bad ones won’t be obvious to many consumers.What is changing?At its iPhone 15 event, the company announced all of its next-generation smartphones will launch with USB-C charging, and so will the latest iteration of its AirPods Pro. Although Apple has previously switched its iPads and MacBooks to USB-C charging, it has been resistant to making the change on the iPhone until now.The switch would come less than a year after the...

Fogarty Winery celebrates 40th anniversary two years late

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:02 GMT

In a recent letter to club members, Tommy Fogarty Jr. described the beginnings of Fogarty Winery, his father’s dream made real in Woodside.“There was no way of knowing what the future held, and there was certainly no plan in place when my father orchestrated the initial plantings here. The cast was impressive and legitimate, to be sure. David Bruce, Jim Beauregard, Bob and Jim Varner and Paul Draper were all involved to some extent in the new, ‘dangerously ambitious’ project of planting chardonnay and pinot noir in inhospitable lean soil and cold weather at the northernmost end of the Santa Cruz Mountains.”The Fogarty family first planted Damiana Vineyard not to make wine but to preserve the land in the Williamson Act, which taxes agricultural land at a lower rate than residential. Armed with a new Caterpillar D4, Fogarty Sr. then cleared Langley Hill, Portola Springs/Baja, Windy Hill and Albutom and planted chardonnay—a lot of chardonnay. That’s when Michael Martella joined the par...

El Chapo’s wife is set to be released from a California prison today

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:02 GMT

By Norma Galeana | CNNEmma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, is set to be released from a US prison on Wednesday, officials said.Coronel was sentenced to three years in prison in November 2021 after pleading guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges related to her husband’s narcotics empire. Her sentence also included four years of supervised release and a forfeiture of $1.5 million.“For privacy, safety, and security reasons, we do not elaborate on specific release plans,” a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons told CNN.Coronel was being held at a Residential Reentry Management facility in Long Beach, California, according to the prison bureau’s inmate locator.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Pit bull puppy overdoses on fentanyl, is revived with Narcan, SoCal police say Crime and Public Safety | What to know about over-the-counter Narcan Crime and Public Safety | Opini...

House Family Vineyards gets another extension from Saratoga council

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:02 GMT

House Family Vineyards will be able to host limited wine tastings for another year after the Saratoga City Council voted this month to renew the popular winery’s temporary use plan.The winery, located in the hills of Saratoga at 13336 Old Oak Road, opened 10 years ago and slowly grew to offer on-site wine tastings on its open-air tasting deck. However, it never obtained the necessary permits to do so, and the city shut down operations as the winery worked through the required paperwork.House Family Vineyards applied for a temporary compliance plan to offer wine tastings on a limited basis through Sept. 30 of this year while it completed the permit process it bypassed more than a decade ago.In a split vote, council extended that temporary plan for another year at its Sept. 6 meeting, giving the winery a reprieve until Sept. 30, 2024. However, the winery also must provide the necessary information for its Environmental Impact Report by Jan. 12, 2024, or its TCP could be suspended or r...

Bay Area inflation rate cools off as price gains approach normal pace

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:02 GMT

Consumer prices in the Bay Area cooled off in August and — while still rising — slowed to a near-normal pace for yearly increases in the inflation rate, the government reported Wednesday.The Bay Area inflation rate rose 3.4% in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.Related ArticlesEconomy | 10 California metros among 20 costliest places to raise a child Economy | Where are California’s biggest pay raises? Look inland Economy | Powell: Economy’s growth could require more Fed hikes to fight inflation Economy | Looking for a new car under $20,000? Good luck. Your choice has dwindled to just one vehicle Economy | California house hunters face record $4,359 monthly payment That pace is similar to the 2% to 3% yearly increases in the Bay Area in times when consumer prices are rising at a typical rate.The nationwide inflation rate was slightly more heated, rising at a yearly pac...

Man runs to Safeway after being stabbed by girlfriend in American Canyon

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:02 GMT

(KRON) -- A man ran to a nearby Safeway after reportedly being stabbed by his girlfriend on Tuesday, according to the American Canyon Police Department.Around 11:30 a.m., officers arrived and located a 30-year-old man suffering from a stab wound on his lower torso. According to the man, he was stabbed by his girlfriend at her house and ran to the nearest Safeway looking for help. San Francisco tech company laying off 17% of its staff The victim, whose injuries appeared to be non life-threatening, was transported to a local hospital.Police made entry into the girlfriend's home, located in the 200 block of Knightsbridge Way, but were unable to find her. During this time, residents were asked to shelter in place for around two hours, police said.The investigation is currently ongoing. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact American Canyon police.

City warns of rise in catalytic converter thefts in Oakley

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:02 GMT

(KRON) -- The City of Oakley has issued a warning following a rise in catalytic converter thefts, specifically in Toyota Priuses. If your converter is stolen, you will notice a loud rumble or roaring sound after you turn the engine on. Your car may also drive rougher than usual, the city says. Westfield mall operators sued by American Eagle over ‘rampant criminal activity’ To prevent catalytic converter thefts, drivers are advised to park in well-lit areas or in a garage. Oakley police advise the public to engrave your VIN number onto your catalytic converter, which makes it easier to identify in the case it does get stolen.There are also security devices that attach to the converter, making it harder for thieves to steal. It costs around $2,000 for victims to replace their catalytic converter, the city says.

Council approves wage increases for San Jose city workers

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:02 GMT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- The San Jose City Council signed off on a pay hike for 4,500 city workers Tuesday night. These newly ratified contracts will give 14.5% in raises over the next three years.This comes after the city and its two largest unions came to an agreement last month over wages and working conditions just before a strike was set to go move forward.San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan did not favor the new contracts. He says this change is not sustainable and would cause cuts to things like crossing guards, IT staff and traffic safety funding.The plan to cover the raises cuts $10,000 from each district, $100,000 from the mayor's budget as well as community event funding. Deputies clear out heated Sunol Glen school board meeting City council members, however, say the ratification was needed. "Employees are thinly staffed, they're overworked. Coming to this contract is an opportunity for us to show those folks who are operating the airport, feeding our seniors within our communi...