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California inmates escaped through a hole they cut in the ceiling, sheriff’s office says

in Local Roundup

The two inmates who escaped a Northern California jail Sunday cut a hole in the ceiling of their building, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said.

Santos Samuel Fonseca, 21, and Jonathan Salazar, 20, identified a blind spot in their housing unit of the Monterey County Adult Detention Facility and cut through the sheet rock and metal screen to make a 22-inch hole in the bathroom ceiling, Capt. John Thornburg, a sheriff’s office spokesman, told reporters Monday.
The inmates climbed through the ceiling and came down through a hatch that leads to a back door, he said. It appears they kicked the back door open and left the jail on foot, Thornburg said.
Continue Reading on CNN

Turlock Fire Department service still suffering from budget cuts, staffing shortage

in Local Roundup

TURLOCK, Calif — It has been four months since the Turlock Fire Department took a $1.1 million budget cut. Since then, they have faced a major staffing shortage and they’ve had to take one of their four fire engines out of service more than 60% of the time.

“I live in close proximity to a fire department… and know that [sometimes] I don’t have that protection, nor do any of my neighbors. It’s not comforting,” Amy Boylan-Mendes, a neighbor said.

Boylan-Mendes said she has lived next to the fire station for more than 25 years. She said when she wales up every morning, she checks to see if a white SUV is parked outside of that fire station. If it’s there, that means the closest fire engine to her house has been taken out of service for the day.

Continue Reading on ABC 10

In California, The Teen Birth Rate Has Hit A Record Low. How?

in Local Roundup

Diana Shalabi had to be sure. She was 15 when she told her dad she needed cash for a high school football game. Actually, it was for pregnancy tests. Test after test confirmed the news she wasn’t ready to face.

“I was like, ‘this is not happening,’ ” Shalabi said. “I was crying every day.”

That was four years ago, and she gave birth to a daughter, Amina. Her marriage to the baby’s father lasted less than a year. Today she says she has sole responsibility for Amina, and they live in Delano, a farming town of 52,000 north of Bakersfield in Kern County.

Continue Reading on Capitol Public Radio

California wildfires are mostly under control, but fire risk remains high

in Local Roundup

The California wildfires that scorched thousands of acres and prompted mass evacuations across the state in recent weeks are largely under control, but experts warn that hot and dry conditions will continue to elevate fire risk throughout the week.

The Maria fire, which broke out atop South Mountain just south of Santa Paula in Ventura County on Thursday night and spread to nearly 10,000 acres, was 70% contained as of Sunday evening, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. All mandatory evacuation orders were lifted Saturday.

“We’re pretty much in the mop-up stage,” fire Capt. Steve Kaufmann said.

Continue Reading on Los Angeles Times

At least 14 wildfires are burning in California

in Local Roundup

(CNN)Firefighters in California have been batting numerous blazes nonstop, trying to save millions of people and homes from the flames.

The biggest fire, the Kincade Fire, has incinerated parts of the wine country in Sonoma County since last week. Further south, multiple wildfires continue spreading near Los Angeles and surrounding counties.
Here are all the wildfires currently threatening the state, from the most active to those nearing full containment:
Continue Reading on CNN

‘Smashing’ comedian Gallagher coming to Turlock on farewell tour

in Entertainment/Upcoming event

A farewell tour for comedian Gallagher is coming to the Turlock Community Theatre.

Calling it his Last Smash Farewell Tour, the comedian who made himself famous for smashing watermelons with a giant mallet plays the Turlock venue Saturday, Nov. 9.

Gaining fame in the 1980s, he last played at the Turlock theater in 2010. His penchant for smashing things with his huge “Sledge-O-Matic” mallet comes with him. The Turlock theater warns ticket holders of a “splash zone” closest to the stage.

Continue Reading on The Modesto Bee

Legislation to help stabilize ag labor workforce in Monterey County, nation unveiled

in Local Roundup

MONTEREY – Faced with a growing labor crisis, five members of the United States House of Representatives, including Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, unveiled bipartisan legislation that provides a path to legal status for undocumented immigrant farmworkers while strengthening employee verification.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019, which could come up for a vote of the full House by the end of the year, aims to ensure farmers can meet their labor needs well into the future.

“One thing is clear … this bill is a prime example of governing by leadership, bipartisanship, farmers and farmworkers, together in the process, sitting at the table with both sides grinding out the details,” said Rep. Panetta. “Understand the number one issue is the lack of a stable labor workforce. This bill is so important because it protects the existing agricultural workforce while supporting an enduring future workforce.”

Nearly 300 California fire departments are battling the Kincade Fire

in Local Roundup

CALIFORNIA, USA — In an instant, hordes of firefighters traveled hundreds of miles from their homes to the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County to help Californians in need.

Nearly 300 fire departments, operational areas, and protection districts charged toward fire line of the raging Kincade Fire, a fire that has forced nearly 200,000 people to leave their homes.

According to Cal Fire, roughly 5,000 fire personnel are involved in the fire fight in Sonoma County. Those firefighters are comprised of crews as near as Bodgea Bay and Santa Rosa and as far as Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Diego. That response is due to the state’s fire and rescue mutual aid system, once touted by State Fire and Rescue Chief Kim Zagaris as “the best in the world.”

Continue Reading on ABC 10

Wedding photo showing masked newlyweds in burning California looks apocalyptic

in Local Roundup

Brides are told to always expect the unexpected on their wedding day.

But that took on a new meaning for a Chicago couple who got married in California’s wine country during the Kincade Fire.

Curtis and Katie Ferland traveled from the Windy City to have their dream destination wedding in Sonoma County Saturday, according to the Mercury News. When they landed, they were confronted with the enormous blaze that was ravaging the northern end of the county.

The couple continued their nuptials as planned at the Chateau St. Jean Winery in Kenwood, about 30 miles south of where the fire started, but not without a few hiccups, the paper reported.

Continue Reading on USA Today

Acquitted murder defendant reflects on trial

in Local Roundup

Four months after a Stanislaus County jury found Frank Carson not guilty of murder, the defense attorney is working on moving forward with his life and career, but that is not to say he is ready to let bygones be bygones.

Carson and brothers, Baljit Athwal and Daljit Atwal, who own the Pop N’ Cork stores in Turlock, were facing criminal charges for the death of 26-year-old Turlock resident Korey Kauffman.

Kauffman disappeared at the end of March 2012 and his remains were found in the Stanislaus National Forest in August 2013. The Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office launched an investigation, which led them to identify Carson as their primary suspect.

Continue Reading on Turlock Journal

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