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Tuesday, 3 May 2022

Pittsburg makes select sideshow activity illegal

PITTSBURG, Calif. (KRON) -- Sideshows are a continued issue throughout the Bay Area. Recently in the East Bay, another city is moving forward with a new ordinance tonight that would crack down on the illegal activity.

Pittsburg City Council unanimously passed an ordinance to make it illegal to watch sideshows on private property and waived any further reading on Monday night.

Vice Mayor, Shanelle Scales-Preston, says the ordinance is specific to private property since that's where most of the sideshows are happening - specifically in parking lots of big stores.

"Something that we have noticed, more activity of sideshows going on within our city," Scales-Preston said. "Over by Home Depot here in Pittsburg is a hot spot area for us. It's a very large parking lot there. Another area is the Target parking lot which is right next to the city of Antioch.

She believes the proposed ordinance would make it illegal for people to watch sideshows on private property, as California law already prohibits racing and sideshows on public streets.

Other Bay Area cities like San Jose have already banned audiences at sideshows. In addition, they've become the first in the nation to make it illegal to promote sideshows on social media.

"If we can find people, if we can tow cars, whatever we can be more stricter on in the city of Pittsburg to make them not want to come here and do that, I think the stronger the policy is here the better," Scales-Preston said.

According to the ordinance, any violators will be guilty of a misdemeanor, subject to a max of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

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Oakland Council Member says parking laws will lower crime around Lake Merritt

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- A man died after being stabbed on the 1200 block of Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland. It happened Sunday shortly after 3:00 a.m. Oakland police released no information regarding a suspect or any possible motive.

It is the fourth deadly incident the past six months in a residential area that includes a cul-de-sac next to the lake.

This is Oakland City Council president Nikki Fortunato Bas's District. She released a statement that reads in part:

"I am calling for immediate action. The parking district when the park is closed must be enforced, including ticketing and towing that will prevent violence from occurring."

Bas credits previous vehicle mitigation measures being effective in deterring unwanted activity in that area.

"There have been ongoing safety issues at the Lakeshore Cul-de-sac for a number of years," she said. "So, working together with residents in the Spring of 2020, we installed speed bumps along the cul-de-sac to help deter the speeding dangerous driving a sideshows. That has been effective."

Bas says another deterrent for violence was creating a no parking zone while the Lake Merrit is closed overnight.

"That is from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. in compliance with state laws, and so one of the biggest challenges is enforcement," she said.

Oakland Police Department officials say their dispatch receives an average of 2,000 calls a day, with officers prioritizing response to violent calls, which does not include calls for parking enforcement.

"I was actually speechless when I read that," Officer Barry Donelan, President of Oakland Police Officers' Association said. "I don't know if were looking at the same problem. This is a response to a murder. Parking is not the issue. Violent crime is the issue."

However, the council president insists that it is the answer and must be done.

"It absolutely has to happen," Bas said.

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Monday, 2 May 2022

Supervisors seek $3M for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) -- Santa Clara County Supervisors are looking to invest $3 million in Planned Parenthood Mar Monte.

They say the funding would increase access to healthcare for women in the Bay Area, and for women who are coming from out of state seeking care.

Those behind this plan say right now is a critical time for women across the country, as states are passing restrictive bans on women's healthcare and a person's right to choose.

"Since July 2021 to today Planned Parenthood has already provided services for 80 out of state women, and many more are anticipated in California because they can get health services here, and I want to remind everybody, these are health services," Supervisor Cindy Chavez said.

Planned Parenthood Mar Monte is the largest Planned Parenthood affiliate in the country. Since last summer, they have served people from Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia and Texas.

All patients from Texas seeking care here after September first when Texas banned access to abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

If Roe v. Wade gets overturned this June by the supreme court, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte believes patient numbers will only increase.

"We're preparing across our affiliate to receive two to 500 additional patents a week coming from out of state," Stacy Cross said. "At least 26 states are poised to ban abortion. This current landscape is exactly why Planned Parenthood Mar Monte needs to expand in both size and services."

The one time capacity and expansion funding would increase medical and behavioral treatment capacity, build testing labs and improve medical training.

"When we impede women's ability to get healthcare of any kind, we impede their ability to get healthcare of all kinds," Chavez said. "And that's part of the reason we're so focused on making sure training facilities are available and that these services are available to all."

The Santa Clara Board of Supervisors are set to vote on the $3 million plan on Tuesday. U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren wrote a letter supporting the proposal.

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Apple employees' biweekly return helps nearby businesses

CUPERTINO, Calif. (KRON) – As of Monday, Apple requires employees to be in the office not once, but twice a week. The change could impact some nearby businesses.

At the Duke of Edinburgh Bar and Restaurant, one of the owners, Stan Gamble, said people are slowly trickling in. Since the pandemic began, Gamble said business has been down 70 percent.

“It was pretty busy, but we did used to open for lunch,” he said. “We don’t open for lunch now until 4:00 p.m.”

One long-time customer, Eric Crutchlow, showed KRON4 a picture of how packed the bar was before COVID-19. Now, as Apple employees are returning to work, he says it’s lively again.

“People decided to come in and just have a good time,” he said. “This has been great.”

Gamble is vowing to stay open as Apple employees trick back in.

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3 sideshows hit San Francisco on Sunday

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- San Francisco Police responded to this sideshow scene at 12:41 in the morning Sunday. Drivers were speeding in circles and a crowd of spectators with their cell phone cameras up at Harrison and Maine Street.

Residents in San Francisco’s South Beach neighborhood say this isn’t the first time a sideshow has happened there. If burning rubber and squealing tires continue, they’re moving out.

“People were parking and walking up, it was a madhouse," resident Will Decker said. "It was a very scary situation for someone like me who didn’t know what was going on.”

Tire marks are still visible in middle of the intersection, but the stunt drivers didn’t stop there

Police responded to a side show at Geneva Ave and Alemany just after 1:00 a.m. on Sunday. Then, another an hour later on 13th St. and South Van Ness Ave.

“Just to do that in the middle of San Francisco where we have a lot of residential people trying to get a goodnight sleep after a work week, not the place to do that," Decker said.

Dozens of vehicles and spectators were dispersed at all three locations. A marked police car was even vandalized by a vehicle fleeing the scene at 13th St. and South Van Ness.

“Little reckless to do it on a public street in the middle of the city especially,” Bence Lazar of San Mateo said.

Sirens can be heard in the background of a sideshow near the Bay Bridge and right next to the Gabby Market and Deli.

“Everybody is talking about it,” Sam Habash the owner Gabby Market and Deli said. "Some people are saying right now we might have to sell and leave. We thought this neighborhood was supposed to be one of the best neighborhoods.”

He says wants more of a police presence around his store to stop the sideshows before they start.

“We need a small police station in this neighborhood at least to protect this neighborhood," Habash said.

San Francisco Police say no arrests have been made, but officers are still working to investigate all three sideshows with the goal of arresting the suspects and seizing their vehicles.

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Driver claims she was 'following her GPS' down staircase, police say

(WFLA) — A 26-year-old woman who drove her SUV through a Portland, Maine, police pedestrian plaza and down a flight of stairs claimed she was "following her GPS instructions," according to police.

(Credit: Portland Police Department)
(Credit: Portland Police Department)

Officers with the Portland Police Department didn't buy the woman's claim, stating they "felt it was her excessive blood alcohol level" that led to the unusual crash.

The Officers said the woman, who appeared to be driving in a Toyota Highlander SUV, drove through the police department garage, across a pedestrian plaza, and down the stairs.

"We are fortunate that she didn't strike anyone and this ended with just a small amount of property damage," the Portland Police Department said in a Facebook post. "Please don't drink and drive."

The woman was issued a summons for allegedly operating a vehicle while under the influence.

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'Critical incident' reported in Oakland, police say

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- There is police activity Sunday night on the 1400 block of Peralta Street, the Oakland Police Department said in an email to KRON4. Police are calling this a "critical incident."

Police did not release any other details at this time.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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