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How dangerous is fentanyl exposure to first responders, if at all?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:00 GMT

BILLERICA — Doubt has been cast on the Billerica Police Department’s recent report to the community that an officer lost consciousness and was hospitalized due to her exposure to fentanyl during an arrest.Police Chief Roy Frost claims the officer may have unintentionally inhaled the potent opioid when a bag containing the drug was torn open inside a suspect’s vehicle, causing the substance to become airborne within the tight space.“We are grateful that our officer is expected to make a full recovery, but alarmed that such a small amount of fentanyl caused an officer to lose consciousness,” Frost stated in a press release issued by the department on Thursday.Though there’s little doubt that illicit fentanyl sold on the street is dangerous when consumed, medical research has shown that experiencing an adverse medical reaction to fentanyl due to a brief exposure to the drug is highly unlikely.The facts of fentanylThe National Institutes of Health states fentanyl, a synthetic opioid use...

Chico State professor and his estranged wife each testify as university pushes for restraining order

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:00 GMT

CHICO — In dramatic court testimony Friday, the estranged wife of suspended Chico State professor David Stachura detailed how he told her he bought guns and ammunition in 2020 with the intention of killing two colleagues and revealed he also told her he’d seen one of them riding a bike and said he wanted to run her down.Often sobbing on the stand, Miranda King said Stachura broke down after a marital counseling session and told her that guns and ammunition he bought in March 2020 were not, as he has claimed, purchased because he was concerned about home protection as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened. “He sat across from me and looked me in the eye and said ‘I didn’t buy the weapons for home protection.’”David Stachura As she testified, Stachura sat next to his lawyer, glaring at King, sometimes shaking his head. The couple is in the midst of a contentious divorce and child custody battle.Stachura has said he only dreamed of the killings, saying they were part of a nightmare he ha...

Bed Bath & Beyond is closing all of their remaining 360 stores. But they won’t be empty for long

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:00 GMT

Bed Bath & Beyond is stripping down its big blue signs, clearing out aisles of linens and closing hundreds of stores.The company filed for bankruptcy Sunday and said it will begin closing its remaining 360 Bed Bath & Beyond stores and 120 buybuy Baby locations. Bed Bath & Beyond already has closed 400 stores over the past year.Already, chains including TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and Ross have scooped up some vacant stores. Burlington, Five Below, Nordstrom Rack and budget gym Planet Fitness may also fill up the spaces, say retail landlords and real estate analysts.Bed Bath & Beyond’s real estate is a precious, scarce resource for retailers, gyms and anyone else who needs ample space. There’s been little new retail development since the 2008 financial crisis and the rise of online shopping, and vacancy rates are at historic lows.“E-commerce scared a lot of people off from building retail,” said Brandon Isner, the head of retail research at CBRE, a commercial real estate firm....

California sheriff’s investigators lose 60 pounds of meth in failed drug sting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:00 GMT

A suspected drug trafficker made off with almost 60 pounds of Riverside County sheriff’s narcotics investigators’ methamphetamine by fleeing after an undercover sting on Wednesday, April 19, and now the Sheriff’s Department is scrambling to get its drugs back.The California department has not disclosed where this mishap took place or what it is doing to recover the drugs. No new information was available Friday, said Sgt. Deirdre Vickers, a department spokeswoman.Special Investigation Bureau deputies set up the sale to identify traffickers, a sheriff’s news release said. They met with the suspect at 4 p.m. to sell him 27 kilograms of methamphetamine.“After the transaction, the suspect drove away and deputies from the Gang Task Force attempted a vehicle stop. The suspect failed to yield, and a pursuit was initiated. Due to the high speeds and the suspect’s disregard for public safety, deputies lost sight of the vehicle,” the news release said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety |...

Single-family house sells in Oakland for $2.2 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:00 GMT

6047 Snake Road – Google Street ViewA spacious house located in the 6000 block of Snake Road in Oakland has a new owner. The 2,237-square-foot property, built in 1962, was sold on March 8, 2023. The $2,150,000 purchase price works out to $961 per square foot. The property features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a garage, and two parking spaces. It sits on a 7,839-square-foot lot.These nearby houses have also recently been sold:On Zinn Drive, Oakland, in June 2022, a 1,300-square-foot home was sold for $1,400,000, a price per square foot of $1,077. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In March 2022, a 2,225-square-foot home on Balboa Drive in Oakland sold for $1,970,000, a price per square foot of $885. The home has 4 bedrooms and.A 1,606-square-foot home on the 1900 block of Gaspar Drive in Oakland sold in December 2022, for $1,450,000, a price per square foot of $903. The home has 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

5 shot, 1 killed outside SF nightclub in North Beach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:00 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Five people were shot and one was killed outside a night club in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. This neighborhood is popular with tourists.San Francisco police said this deadly shooting happened just before 11 p.m. Sunday night. The condition of the four injured victims is unknown. Police have not announced if an arrest has been made.The body was seen laying outside of a liquor store at the corner of Columbus and Grant Avenues with a gun laying just feet away. Police have not yet said where the incident started or what may have caused it.There are multiple nightclubs, bars and restaurants in the area. No information from police has been given.One man visiting from the United Kingdom said he was in his room when he heard almost a dozen gun shots off, then saw this:"Looked out the window, there was a guy being dragged across the street to a car," the witness said. "The car drove off, the guy got dragged back over to the convenient store, and so he's ...

Public meeting to discuss possible toll on Highway 37

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:00 GMT

(BCN) -- The California Transportation Commission will hold a public information hearing Monday in Vallejo regarding a tolling proposal application on state Highway 37, according to Caltrans. The meeting will include an introduction by Lee Ann Eager, chair of the commission, an overview of the tolling approval process, a summary of the project and time for public comment. Creating a toll on the stretch of Highway 37 between Sears Point and Mare Island in Sonoma and Solano counties is being discussed by multiple agencies who banded together in partnership in February to come up with short- and long-term plans for the roadway, which has been plagued with flooding and congestion for years. The partnership is between the California State Transportation Agency, the California Natural Resources Agency, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Caltrans District 4, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commiss...

Kentucky Derby coverage to air entirely on NBC

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — NBC Sports coverage of the Kentucky Derby will air entirely on NBC. The seven-plus hours is believed to be the largest window for horse racing on one of the broadcast networks.In previous years, some of the early races on the Derby Day card from Churchill Downs would air on NBC Sports Network or USA Network. Last year’s window on NBC was five hours.NBC’s coverage on May 6 will begin at 12 p.m. ET. It will include nine races as well as features on the 20-horse field leading up to the 149th Run for the Roses at 6:45 p.m. ET.Last year’s Derby on NBC and online averaged 16.0 million viewers, marking the eighth time in last nine years it has averaged over 15 million. The race was won by Rich Strike at 80-1, the second-biggest Derby longshot to end up in the winner’s circle.Derby coverage also will be streamed on Peacock.___Source

Coke’s strong quarter fueled by higher prices, China rebound

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:00 GMT

Coca-Cola Co. reported higher-than-expected sales in the first quarter as it continued to hike prices and saw its business in China improve.Revenue rose 5% to $11 billion for the January-March period, the company said Monday. That beat Wall Street’s expectations. Analysts polled by FactSet had forecast revenue of $10.8 billion.Adjusted for one-time items, the Atlanta beverage giant earned 68 cents per share. That also beat analysts’ forecast of 65 cents.Pricing and mix __ which includes changes in package sizes __ contributed 11% to its revenue growth while concentrate sales rose 1%. The company has said it expects to see slower growth this year as prices moderate. Price and mix grew by 12% in each of the previous three quarters.Unit case volumes jumped 10% in Asia as COVID-related shutdowns ended in China. Coke said it also grew its business in India by adding retail partners offering promotions on multi-packs.In North America, sales were flat. Higher sales of soft drin...

Another rare Northern Lights sighting in DC area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:28:00 GMT

The aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, made a rare appearance in the D.C. area Sunday night into Monday morning amid a strong geomagnetic storm.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center issued an alert for a severe G4 Geomagnetic Storm on Sunday night. The G4 Alert stated, “Aurora – Aurora may be seen as low as Alabama and Northern California.”(UPDATED) TONIGHT’S AURORA FORECAST:Based on current data, we’ve moved our possible Northern Lights viewing farther south. A moderate, strong, or severe geomagnetic storm is possible.Aurora viewing is likely in the United States tonight as Earth is impacted by a strong solar… pic.twitter.com/rwyY9hvHDt— Space Weather Watch (@spacewxwatch) April 23, 2023Last month, the Northern Lights were visible in some parts of Virginia. It was the third time auroras had been detected in Virginia over a span of 30 years with the last times being in 2003 and 2015.Faint pink and green Aurora are vi...