South Bay and East Bay office markets outperform San Francisco: report

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:08 GMT

South Bay and East Bay office markets outperform San Francisco: report SAN JOSE — The office markets in the South Bay and East Bay — while feeble in a post-coronavirus era — still outperform San Francisco’s moribund office sector in key benchmarks.The South Bay and East Bay display a greater degree of health — or less weakness — than San Francisco, in a comparison of the performance of these markets before and after the coronavirus outbreak, according to a report prepared by Avison Young, a commercial real estate firm.The benchmarks to compare the three regions include the average size of an office lease, the length of a rental agreement and concessions that landlords make to tenants such as free rent, Avison Young determined.Google Bay View campus on the grounds of the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, May 2022. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group)“Silicon Valley is the epicenter of tech with decades of tenants that have withstood various economic cycles with new innovations at the rebirth of each r...

California launches new map to track fire prevention, forest health projects

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:08 GMT

California launches new map to track fire prevention, forest health projects  Fidel Tupul, left, uses a chainsaw to cut dead branches in the Mt. Tamalpais watershed near Sky Oaks Road in Fairfax on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. He was on a crew contracted by the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority to reduce fire fuels near residences.(Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal) A task force commissioned by Gov. Gavin Newsom has unveiled a new online tool that it says will provide a first-of-its-kind map showing all forest and fire prevention work completed in California.Following the destructive wildfires experienced across the state this past decade, a multitude of agencies has ramped up fire prevention projects on public lands and forests in an effort to prevent future disasters.Until now, state officials said there has not been a simple way to track the collective work that has been accomplished thus far.Patrick Wright, director of Newsom’s California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force, said giving these agencies and communities a better understanding...

On Marin’s highest peak, Mount Tamalpais, a most accessible trail

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:08 GMT

On Marin’s highest peak, Mount Tamalpais, a most accessible trail This past year has involved a series of injuries in our family that have left us on group outings looking for trails that we can all navigate successfully. On a recent August weekend, we looked for the millionth time at Mount Tamalpais and decided that the 0.7-mile Verna Dunshee Loop trail around the east peak was just what we needed: a beautiful (if winding and long) scenic drive that would end with some out-of-doors time that we all could enjoy.We also encountered an unexpected but welcome history lesson during our visit, and those of us who could took some short side trips on spurs spiking off of Verna Dunshee. It was a perfect day with what are hands-down some of the best views in Bay Area, a crowded and competitive field.The 360-degree journey around the eastern peak of Mount Tamalpais offers views from on highest of fog sliding into the San Francisco Bay, San Pedro Mountain and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge all the way to Mount Diablo, Bon Tempe and the surrounding greenspace...

Alameda crews return home after fighting fires at California-Oregon border

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:08 GMT

Alameda crews return home after fighting fires at California-Oregon border (KRON) -- Firefighters from the East Bay are back home after responding to dangerous fires at the California-Oregon border.A group of men and women spent two weeks battling the Smith River Complex fire in Del Norte County. The fire has burned more than 84,000 acres and is 19 percent contained. City of Alameda Fire DepartmentCity of Alameda Fire DepartmentCity of Alameda Fire DepartmentThe United States Forest Service says the fire started during thunderstorms on Aug. 15. Firefighters from Cal OES Strike Team 2802A and OES Engine 409 were among those who deployed.

30-day closure of Hwy 12 at Hooker Creek Bridge begins

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:08 GMT

30-day closure of Hwy 12 at Hooker Creek Bridge begins (BCN) -- A portion of state Highway 12 will be closed for a month beginning Tuesday while crews demolish and rebuild a bridge in Sonoma County, Caltrans said. As part of the Sonoma and Hooker Creek bridge replacement project, Highway 12 between Madrone Road and Agua Caliente Road will be closed to take down and the rebuild Hooker Creek Bridge. The bridge is located northwest of the city of Sonoma. Caltrans estimates that the project will take 30 days. Through traffic will be diverted around the closed bridge via Madrone Road, Arnold Drive, and Agua Caliente Road, Caltrans said. Map: CaltransLocal traffic will be permitted as far as the closed bridge. According to Caltrans, the Hooker Creek Bridge is made of concrete and is too brittle to be demolished in stages; therefore it is not safe to keep it open as crews take it down, unlike the Sonoma Creek Bridge, which is made of steel and strong enough to accommodate one lane of open traffic during construction. Sho...

America’s Car-Mart: Fiscal Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:08 GMT

America’s Car-Mart: Fiscal Q1 Earnings Snapshot ROGERS, Ark. (AP) — ROGERS, Ark. (AP) — America’s Car-Mart Inc. (CRMT) on Tuesday reported fiscal first-quarter net income of $4.2 million.The Rogers, Arkansas-based company said it had profit of 63 cents per share.The results missed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 98 cents per share.The auto retailer posted revenue of $368 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on CRMT at https://www.zacks.com/ap/CRMTSource

Former Md. official charged with soliciting sex from agent posing as 13-year-old

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:08 GMT

Former Md. official charged with soliciting sex from agent posing as 13-year-old A former Maryland official has been charged with soliciting sex from an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old girl.Luis Esteban Borunda, 65, was charged with one count of sexual solicitation of a minor, Maryland State Police said in a news release.Borunda — the former Maryland Deputy Director of State under the Larry Hogan administration — engaged in an inappropriate text chat on a smartphone app, with who he believed was a 13-year-old girl on Aug. 22, according to state police. It turned out that he was chatting with a special agent with the Fort Meade Army Criminal Investigation Office, posing as an underage girl.Borunda sent a filtered photo of himself, and suggested meeting with her on Aug. 30, at a location in Anne Arundel County, police said. Upon arrival, he was arrested by state police with members of the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.#ARREST @mdsp arrested a man Wednesday on charges he solicited sex from an undercover law enforcement officer who wa...

India’s government replaces ‘India’ with ancient name ‘Bharat’ in dinner invitation to G20 guests

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:08 GMT

India’s government replaces ‘India’ with ancient name ‘Bharat’ in dinner invitation to G20 guests NEW DELHI (AP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has replaced the name India with a Sanskrit word in dinner invitations sent to guests attending this week’s Group of 20 summit, in a move that reflects his Hindu nationalist party’s efforts to eliminate what it sees as colonial-era names.Indian President Droupadi Murmu is referred to as “President of Bharat” instead of “President of India” in the invitation sent to G20 attendees. The nation of more than 1.4 billion people is officially known by two names, India and Bharat, but the former is most commonly used, both domestically and internationally.Bharat is an ancient Sanskrit word which many historians believe dates back to early Hindu texts. The word also means India in Hindi.The change in nomenclature is backed by officials of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. They argue that the name India was introduced by British colonials and is a “symbol of slavery.” The British ruled India for about 200 years until the country ga...

Denver named one of the best cities to retire

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:08 GMT

Denver named one of the best cities to retire DENVER (KDVR) -- Start loading up your 401(k). Out of almost 200 cities in the U.S., Denver ranks seventh among the best places to retire, depending on if you can afford it. WalletHub released a new data set that looks at the "retiree-friendliness" of 182 cities in the country. It compared the affordability, quality of life, activities, health care and around 40 other metrics. Study: Most workers would make these sacrifices for flexible schedules Here's what the study shows: Highest-ranked cities:Denver doesn't rank among the top five best cities to retire, but it's also going up against four cities in Florida, which is the home of most retirees.Tampa, FloridaScottsdale, ArizonaFort Lauderdale, FloridaOrlando, FloridaMiami, FloridaCasper, WyomingDenver, ColoradoCincinnati, OhioCharleston, South CarolinaAtlanta, GeorgiaDenver's health care, quality of life and affordability rank fairly low on the list of best retirement places. While it's not the worst, it certainly isn't in the t...

Study: Most workers would make these sacrifices for flexible schedules

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:34:08 GMT

Study: Most workers would make these sacrifices for flexible schedules DENVER (KDVR) — A recent study found that an overwhelming majority of workers in the U.S. prefer a more flexible work schedule, whether it be a four-day workweek with longer hours or the option for remote work.A vast majority of those in favor of a four-day workweek among all generations would even sacrifice something to make it happen, according to a study from Bankrate that used data from YouGov. Zero sugar, two choices: What’s the difference between Coke Zero and Diet Coke? The study said that working-class people know what they want, and it's up to employers to make the next move. Workers want a four-day workweekAmong full-time workers, 81% were in favor of a four-day workweek, and of those, 89% were willing to make a sacrifice to get the four-day workweek. This is what the study found people were willing to sacrifice for a four-day workweek:54% were willing to work longer hours37% were willing to change industries, jobs or companies27% were willing to give up remote work23% w...