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Fruit growers arrested for using illegal wells in drought-hit Spain

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:14 GMT

26 people were arrested on Tuesday (9 May) for illegally tapping wells in southern Spain to grow tropical fruits such as mangos and avocados, amid a prolonged drought.In the Axarquia region of Andalusia which has suffered from drought since 2021, authorities conducted a four-year probe and discovered more than 250 illegal boreholes, wells, and ponds.Spain is Europe's largest producer of tropical fruits, which require large amounts of water. Avocado production is expected to drop by 25 percent this year because of high temperatures and lack of water.Police said that the suspects were being investigated on suspicion of misappropriation and fraudulent use of water to irrigate subtropical crops.It was not specified whether the arrested were commercial or subsistence growers.Water management in Spain has been brought to the forefront by the lack of rain, especially around the Donana wetlands, which are also located in Andalusia, and threatened by climate change, as well as illegal irriga...

Get Ready to Shine and Align at WisdoMania Festival 2023

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:14 GMT

Are you ready to shake off the stresses of life and bask in a day of wellness, creativity, and self-care? If so, mark your calendar for WisdoMania Festival 2023, a one-day festival taking place on May 21 at The Lodge in Los Angeles. This immersive mental health and arts festival will do its part to celebrate Mental Health Month by providing an inviting space for young creatives to turn their pain into power through the arts while enhancing their knowledge of wellness and mental health resources. Tickets to WisdoMania Festival 2023 are now available.With free daytime programming, including yoga, dance, a sound bath, and a songwriting workshop, WisdoMania attendees can enjoy an energizing evening of live music and comedy programs all for just $25. Also, in partnership with BetterHelp, all ticket holders will receive three free months of therapy, typically worth hundreds of dollars.Following Spotify’s sponsorship of last year’s event, Amazon Music will sponsor this yearR...

Dear Abby: I heard that she was gossiping about me. Was my response excessive?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:14 GMT

DEAR ABBY: I had a very good relationship with my daughter-in-law. In fact, I treated her like my own daughter and showered her with gifts.People told me she’d been gossiping about me and saying how much she dislikes me. I feel betrayed, so I have distanced myself from her and no longer want her near me.Am I a vindictive mother-in-law? I love my grandson, but I need my privacy, too. What will I do during holidays when family needs to get together? I no longer trust her, and I cannot wear a fake smile. Am I overreacting? DISILLUSIONED IN THE WESTDEAR DISILLUSIONED: If what you were told about your daughter-in-law is true, you are not overreacting.However, you won’t know if the information is accurate or in what context something may have been said until you have been told by her. This is why you need to have a face-to-face conversation in which you ask directly if what you heard was true and if you have done something that upset her. Then listen.Related ArticlesAdvice | ...

K-9 ‘Blaze’ safely locates missing East Bay boy with special needs

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:14 GMT

Police in Hayward praised their K-9 unit “Blaze” on Thursday for locating a missing 6-year-old boy with special needs last month.Police said the boy wandered away from his babysitter at a local park and could not be located.Multiple agencies took part in the search for the boy, including Hayward Area Recreation and Park District rangers, the EastBay Regional Park District, Hayward firefighters, and a Hayward police drone.But police say it was their German Shephard named Blaze that located the child, just weeks after the dog completed tracking school.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Search for Palo Alto woman missing since 1996 takes authorities to Redwood City Crime and Public Safety | Peru will allow extradition to US of Natalee Holloway disappearance suspect Joran van der Sloot Crime and Public Safety | Map: Last locations of Beau Mann, missing tech CEO found dead Crime and Public Safety | Northern Cal...

Man pleads guilty to attacking California couple in their home, injuring Sheriff’s Deputy

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:14 GMT

A 31-year-old man pleaded guilty Thursday, May, 11 to attacking a couple in their San Juan Capistrano home in 2020 and biting an Orange County sheriff’s deputy who was on the scene.Court records show Cole Altuzarra, a San Juan Capistrano resident, pleaded guilty to several felonies, including two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and assault with a weapon on a peace officer. He also admitted to sentencing advancements for inflicting great bodily injury, according to the records.In 2020, a then-29-year-old Altuzarra was charged with attempted murder and other felonies after he was discovered in a “violent struggle” with the residents of a Via Arboleda home, authorities previously said. During the struggle, Altuzarra bit and severely injured a victim’s ear before biting the chin of one of the three deputies on the call.The three deputies were left with minor injuries in the aftermath of the attack, OCSD said at the time.It was not clear what motivated the attack or whether Altuz...

California city ordered to pay affordable housing group $3.5 million in legal fees

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:14 GMT

A state appeals court ordered the city of Huntington Beach to pay $3.5 million in legal fees to an affordable housing group stemming from the organization’s 2015 lawsuit over the city’s housing plan.The three-judge panel ruled the Kennedy Commission’s lawsuit was a catalyst in forcing the city to bring its 2013-21 “housing element” into compliance with state law.While the city ultimately amended that earlier plan, Surf City leaders once again are embroiled in new legal battles with the state over their refusal to adopt a new plan, now 19 months overdue.The appellate ruling Thursday, May 11 also follows news that the Huntington Beach City Attorney’s Office has reached a $5 million to $7 million court settlement with the Pacific Airshow.Huntington Beach Councilmember Dan Kalmick estimated the airshow settlement could total up to $8.5 million. As of November 2021, the city’s litigation reserve was $14 million. These two cases potentially could eat up $10 million to $12 million of that....

Lakers’ Anthony Davis ‘feeling great,’ listed as probable for Game 6

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:14 GMT

First things first.Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Thursday that Anthony Davis did not have a concussion, that the eight-time All-Star big man is not in the NBA’s protocol, that he’s “feeling great” and “not showing any signs of anything” and will be listed as probable to play in Game 6 of their second-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.The collective sigh of relief all across Lakerland was real. Very real.“It’s huge,” Ham said of the news from the Lakers’ medical staff that Davis did not suffer a concussion when he was struck in the head late in the Lakers’ 121-106 loss in Game 5 on Wednesday. “You know, he’s the centerpiece of what we’re trying to do on both sides of the ball and, for us, just in general and our success rate.“So, that was great, great news.”After all, Davis is averaging 21.5 points on 52.9% shooting plus 13.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 3.5 blocked shots in 11 playoff games overall. He has averaged 22.4 points on ...

Coast Guard suspends search for plane with 3 passengers that crashed near California island

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:14 GMT

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a plane that crashed in the ocean near San Clemente Island on Wednesday, May 10 with three people on board, authorities said.A Phoenix Learjet contracted by the United States Navy crashed around a mile southwest of the island at 7:53 a.m. after taking off from the Naval Air Station Point Mugu near Oxnard. An emergency broadcast was sent from the plane shortly before it crashed. The destination of the airplane has not been released. The identities of the passengers will be released at a later time by Phoenix Air, the Coast Guard said Thursday.Search teams from the Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and United States Customs & Border Protection conducted a search  spanning over 300 square miles in the vicinity of the downed plane.The search was suspended at 9 a.m. on Thursday, after more than 24 hours, according to the Coast Guard. Neither the plane nor its passengers were found.“Suspending search efforts is one of the hardest decisions...

Mark Wetterau, CEO of California-based Golden State Foods, dies at 65

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:14 GMT

Mark S. Wetterau Sr., the 65-year-old chairman and chief executive officer at Irvine-based Golden State Foods, died at home Monday, May 8 due to ongoing health issues, the company said Thursday, May 11.Wetterau, a top executive for the food distributor for 25 years and an Orange County resident, died peacefully, surrounded by his family, GSF said in a statement.Conrad Wetterau, Mark’s brother, business partner and 25-year GSF board member, will serve as GSF’s chairman. Mike Waitukaitis, a 13-year company veteran, will continue to serve as vice chairman.With its offices on Von Karman Avenue in Irvine, the privately-held GSF is one of the largest food distributors serving McDonald’s. Forbes estimates its revenue in 2022 was $5.1 billion. The company’s key manufacturing plant for McDonald’s restaurants in the Western United States is in City of Industry. GSF affiliates produce and deliver food to Starbucks, Chick-fil-A and Taco Bell.“Despite the significant loss of my dear brother, bes...

Single family residence in San Ramon sells for $2.4 million

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 12:00:14 GMT

2621 Watervale Way – Google Street ViewA spacious house located in the 2600 block of Watervale Way in San Ramon has new owners. The 3,707-square-foot property, built in 2004, was sold on April 7, 2023, for $2,350,000, or $634 per square foot. The property features five bedrooms, five baths, an attached garage, and two parking spaces. The unit sits on an 8,866-square-foot lot.These nearby houses have also recently changed hands:On Tolley Court, San Ramon, in August 2022, a 3,757-square-foot home was sold for $2,260,000, a price per square foot of $602. The home has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.In November 2022, a 3,757-square-foot home on Cullens Court in San Ramon sold for $2,160,000, a price per square foot of $575. The home has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.A 3,826-square-foot home on the 2200 block of Rosemount Lane in San Ramon sold in August 2022, for $2,585,000, a price per square foot of $676. The home has 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms.