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Gilroy Fire Department faces staffing shortage, but quick solutions are scarce

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:51 GMT

For years, Gilroy has experienced a chronic firefighter staffing shortage – leading to slower response times that many say is a risk to their safety and homes.Now, residents and firefighters have had enough, and are urging the city to address the problem — an issue city officials readily acknowledge while pointing to funding shortages that they say make it difficult to resolve.“Right now we’re gambling with the lives of our residents, with our firefighters, with their health, with their safety, with that of their property,” said Gilroy Councilmember Rebeca Armendariz at a City Council meeting this week where residents and local firefighters rallied to draw attention to the shortage. “What are we going to do in the immediate?”The city currently has three fully-staffed fire stations. In 2020, they established a fourth temporary station housed in a building formerly used for children’s nature classes and located in the Santa Teresa area due to increased growth in that part ...

A biotech slump is emptying labs and threatening research on new drugs

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:51 GMT

Gerry Smith | Bloomberg News (TNS)Sangamo Therapeutics Inc.’s cost cuts didn’t hurt just the roughly 162 U.S. workers who lost their jobs this month. It’s also a blow to Jerry Walter, who’s lost five family members and suffered kidney, lung, hearing and heart damage from a rare disease.Citing the “challenging economic environment” that’s sending shock waves through the biotech industry, Sangamo paused research on an experimental gene therapy — possibly a cure — for Fabry disease. Walter, a 69-year-old retired U.S. Army colonel who’s already had a heart transplant due to the inherited enzyme deficiency, said it’s disappointing to see work stop on yet another potential new medicine.“The promise of a better treatment keeps getting pushed down the road,” he said.Sangamo will finish a current Fabry trial as planned and is seeking funding or a partner for help with moving its studies to the final stage, a spokesperson said. Yet it’s been another bleak year for biotech companies as a close...

Mailbag: Small Pac-12 buyouts, what’s next for the Pac-12 Networks and ACC, schedules for WSU and OSU, our thanks to you

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:51 GMT

The Hotline mailbag publishes each Friday. Send questions to [email protected] and include ‘mailbag’ in the subject line. Or hit me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline.Please note: Some questions have been edited for clarity and brevity.I’m seeing all these Pac-12 coaches on lists for schools with vacancies. Don’t Oregon, Washington, etc., have big buyouts or some other way to protect them from getting poached? — @brycetacomaOnly Oregon has significant protection. But even then, the schools likely to pursue Dan Lanning in coming seasons would have deep pockets and desperate donors.Before we delve into the dollar figures, let’s provide some context on the general buyout situation across the conference: It’s paltry.And it’s paltry because the schools pursued up-and-coming coaches.That’s not a bad strategy when you lack the resources to secure A-listers, but the very nature of those negotiations typically leads to low-end compensation figures with s...

Turkey Day turmoil: Small fire extinguished at San Jose airport on Thanksgiving night

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:51 GMT

SAN JOSE — One of the busiest travel weeks in years experienced some turbulence on Thanksgiving night as a small fire erupted at San Jose International Airport, according to fire officials.In a post to social media Thursday night, the San Jose Fire Department said crews responded to a “small conveyor belt fire” but no injuries were reported. A SJC spokesperson told the Bay Area News Group on Friday that the fire occurred in Terminal A, in a room in which baggage is temporarily stored to be checked by the TSA.#SJFD crews responding to a small conveyor belt fire at @FlySJC. No injuries. Incident will not impact remaining flight schedule for this evening. Please exercise caution around personnel and equipment. pic.twitter.com/Spsji0VshU— San José Fire Dept. (@SJFD) November 24, 2023There was no major damage to any equipment or luggage, and airport operations were unaffected. The fire was reported at 9:35 p.m. and the area was cleared by 11.No cause of the fire had bee...

Olympic sprinter Pistorius, who killed girlfriend, granted parole

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:51 GMT

By Gerald Imray and Mogomotsi Magome | Associated PressPRETORIA, South Africa — Double-amputee Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius was granted parole Friday, 10 years after shooting his girlfriend through a toilet door at his home in South Africa in a killing that jolted the world. He will be released from prison on Jan. 5, but will be constantly monitored by parole officials for five years until his sentence expires, the Department of Corrections said.Pistorius’ parole will come with other conditions, Department of Corrections spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo said outside of the prison where Pistorius has been incarcerated in the South African capital, Pretoria.Pistorius will not be allowed to leave the area of Pretoria where he is set to live without permission from authorities. He will also attend a program to deal with anger issues and another program on violence against women. He will have to perform community service.“Parole does not mean the end of the sentence. It is stil...

2023 holiday movies: Here are 6 releases you can watch now — from a slasher flick to a beloved fairy tale

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:51 GMT

The holidays always generate some interesting seasonal offerings, and this year is no different. Here are six releases you can watch now, including Eli Roth’s off-the-wall (in a good way) “Thanksgiving.”Dig in, folks.“Thanksgiving”: Here’s a reason to be grateful: Eli Roth downplays the torture to create a campy and scary horror offering that’s a bloody good time. Roth is in a skewering mood and sharpens his knives and stabs at consumerism. A horrific melee at a Plymouth Rock megastore triggers a pilgrim-masked killer to go on his own spree a year later, picking off the bozos in the store who were caught on a since-vanished tape. A gallery of attractive suspects is on the chopping block with even People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive — Patrick Dempsey — getting caught up in a blood-drenched parade. It’s easily one of Roth’s best horror banquets — gory, ridiculous and over the top. I might even head back for seconds. Details: 3 stars; now in th...

Fairfield PD, Solano Town Center partner to ensure a safe holiday shopping

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:51 GMT

(KRON) – The Fairfield Police Department is partnering with Solano Town Center mall management to ensure a safe shopping environment for shoppers for the holidays.The department is taking multiple steps to deter crime this season. There will be an increased police presence both inside and outside of the mall and surrounding areas. Also, officers are cooperating with local loss prevention teams to curb shoplifting and harness technology, such as the FLOCK safety system, to identify and stop retail theft groups. Black Friday: Americans expected to spend up to $966 billion Fairfield PD asked community members to consider implementing the following safety tips:Avoid shopping late at night or in the early morning hours. If you must, bring along a friend or family member and tag team the shopping duties or request an escort to your car. Hold your child's hand in the parking lot and while shopping. Teach your children to ask a uniformed officer, security guard, or employee for help ...

Browns top cornerback Denzel Ward to miss Sunday’s game against Denver with shoulder injury

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:51 GMT

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Cleveland Browns will be without Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward on Sunday against Denver due to a shoulder injury.Ward missed his third straight practice on Friday, and coach Kevin Stefanski said the 26-year-old, who is having a sensational season for the league’s top-ranked defense, will sit against the Broncos (5-5).Stefanski wouldn’t forecast how long Ward, who got hurt in last weekend’s win over Pittsburgh, could be sidelined. Stefanski did not know the exact play in which Ward was injured.Ward’s absence puts extra pressure on Cleveland’s secondary, which has been dealing with several injuries the past two weeks.With Ward out, the Browns likely will start Greg Newsome II and Martin Emerson Jr. at the corners but they have other options.Starting safety Juan Thornhill returned to practice this week after missing two games with a calf injury and is listed as questionable.Stefanski also ruled out wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (concuss...

Nissan, Eli Lilly rise; Nvidia, Alphabet fall, 11/24/2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:51 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks that traded heavily or had substantial price changes on Friday:Nissan Motor Co., up 18 cents to $8.09.Nissan will invest $1.4 billion to update its factory in northeast England to make electric versions of its two best-selling cars. Apple Inc., down $1.34 to $189.97.Shares in big technology firms lagged the wider market. Nvidia Corp., down $9.40 to $477.76.Export restrictions to China are pressuring the company, though its stock has more than tripled this year.Alphabet Inc., down $1.80 to $136.69.Google’s parent company was among the big technology shares taking losses Friday.Eli Lilly & Co., up $6.01 to $601.10.Pharmaceutical companies were among the market’s best performers.Exxon Mobil Corp., up 56 cents to $104.57.The energy sector notched gains Friday despite an easing in oil prices. Macy’s Inc., up 3 cents to $14.87.Shoppers hunting for big deals packed malls on Black Friday as retailers stepped up discounts and other perks.Salesforc...

Packers’ surge raises hopes they could work their way into playoff contention

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:51 GMT

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur took issue this week when he was asked whether he’s reminding players about the possibility of making a late-season playoff run.LaFleur said he didn’t “want to go Jim Mora on you,” a reference to the sarcastic response by the former Indianapolis Colts coach to a playoff question during a disappointing 2001 season. LaFleur then added “I think we’re a long way from even thinking about that.”The postseason certainly seemed like a distant possibility after a four-game skid dropped the Packers to 2-5. The Packers seemed to concede as much when they sent veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills at the trade deadline.Green Bay (5-6) has won three of four since that slide, and the idea that the Packers could play meaningful games around Christmas suddenly doesn’t seem so far-fetched anymore. A surging offense, a resourceful defense and a favorable late-season schedule have created cause for optimism.“We’re trying to leave our mark on t...