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Santa Cruz County college instructor caught up in child predator decoy sting sentenced to probation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:58 GMT

SANTA CRUZ — A 63-year-old former Hartnell College instructor was sentenced Thursday to two years probation after pleading guilty to the court in June.Valentin Rodriguez appeared before Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Denine Guy by video from bed at his Watsonville home, according to his attorney.Rodriguez, who is now in an advanced stage of renal failure and awaiting a transplant, according to defense attorney Gary Thelander, agreed to meet a 14-year-old girl with whom he had been exchanging electronic messages and images at the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on June 7, 2022.Instead of the girl, however, Rodriguez was confronted by an anonymous San Diego-based livestream activist who went by the name “Ghost.” The activist is among a group that operates the CC Unit or “Creep Catching Unit” website, whose members use decoys posed as underage minors and post recordings of sting efforts designed to catch adult sexual predators. The group’s YouTube account has since been suspended fo...

Joby Aviation delivers first eVTOL air taxi to U.S. Air Force ahead of schedule

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:58 GMT

MARINA – About six months ahead of schedule, Joby Aviation – a company developing electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles – delivered its first aircraft to Edwards Air Force Base. The aircraft was the first built on Joby’s Pilot Production Line in Marina and is believed to be the first delivery of an electric air taxi in the United States.The company rolled out the first aircraft off its manufacturing line in June after it received the Federal Aviation Administration Special Certificate of Airworthiness for the aircraft. That allowed it to begin flight testing its first production prototype.As part of Joby’s up to $131 million AFWERX Agility Prime contract with the U.S. Air Force, the aircraft has already begun flying at Edwards Air Force Base and is the first electric air taxi to be stationed on a U.S. military base.AFWERX, Air Force Work Project, is a technology directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory and the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force, to a...

Mortgage rates climb to 7.31%, highest since 2000

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:58 GMT

 Mortgage rates climbed to the highest level in nearly 23 years, ramping up the pressure on potential homebuyers.The average for a 30-year, fixed loan rose for a third week, reaching 7.31%, up from 7.19% last week, Freddie Mac said in a statement Thursday. A year ago, the 30-year fixed-rate was 6.7%. The latest time rates were higher was December 2000.Mortgage rates have topped 7% for the past seven weeks, hurting affordability for buyers and cooling purchases. The survey rate – for borrowers who put 20% down and have excellent credit – translates to a buyer with a $600,000 mortgage would be paying $4,118 a month at this week’s average rate, 58% more than in early 2022, before the Federal Reserve started hiking its benchmark rate to cool an overheated economy.“Mortgage rates now at their highest level in more than two decades continued to climb this week as investors adjusted their expectations about the strength and resilience of the US economy,” said Orphe Divounguy, senior m...

Taco Bell introduces Vegan Nacho Sauce with the latest return of Nacho Fries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:58 GMT

Taco Bell has announced that it will begin serving Nacho Fries with Vegan Nacho Sauce on Oct. 12, the first time it’s gone national with a vegan product.Nacho Fries actually returns to the menu for a limited time today, Sept. 28, but the vegan version of the sauce is still two weeks off.Taco Bell takes pride in its ability to adapt its dishes to vegetarian tastes and maintains a page on its website called Veggie Cravings, currently featuring 18 items marked with a green diamond with the letter “V,” meaning vegetarian. Nacho Fries do not carry the symbol.The Irvine-based fast food giant calls the vegan cheese sauce proprietary. It was tested in Hollywood last June as part of an entrée called a Vegan Crunchwrap. The sauce tested well, according to a news release.Related ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | New Bay Area restaurant alert: Dave’s Hot Chicken opens in El Cerrito Restaurants, Food and Drink | Here’s where to find deals for National Coffee Day 20...

California doctor and girlfriend once again charged with drugging a woman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:58 GMT

A Newport Beach surgeon and his girlfriend are once again charged with drugging a woman, after an Orange County Superior Court judge on Thursday allowed prosecutors to refile criminal charges in the high-profile case that he had recently thrown out.The ruling by Judge Michael Leversen means Dr. Grant Robicheaux and Cerissa Riley are both once again charged with poisoning a woman and furnishing her with PCP, while Riley is also charged with providing her with cocaine. An additional half-dozen charges against Robicheaux — related to various drugs and allegedly illegal weapons found by police during a search of his home — remain.After a series of legal setbacks — including the same judge earlier this year throwing out far more serious sexual assault-related charges that first drew international headlines to the case — Thursday’s ruling was a courtroom victory for prosecutors. But the defense team during a hearing at the Fullerton courthouse indicated they will soon be asking for the en...

Man convicted of shooting 2 California cops in ambush

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:58 GMT

A gunman who ambushed two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies in 2020, shooting them at point blank range as they sat in their cruiser at the Compton Metro station, was found guilty of attempted murder and other counts Thursday, Sept. 28.After deliberating for days, jurors convicted Deonte Lee Murray, 39, of all the charges against him, said Deputy District Attorney Stephen Lonseth.The charges included two counts of attempted murder for shooting Deputies Claudia Apolinar and Emmanuel Perez-Perez on Sept. 12, 2020. Footage of the attack from a nearby security camera showed Murray calmly walking up to the deputies in their SUV, then opening fire before fleeing.The jury also found Murray guilty of one count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carjacking and robbery, and four counts of possessing a firearm as a felon.Murray faces a potential life prison term, Lonseth said.“Today, justice has been served,” L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement after ...

Opinion: Federal funding for child care is about to fall off a cliff

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:58 GMT

On Saturday, $39 billion in federal child-care funds made available through the American Rescue Plan Act are set to expire. As a result, close to 3.2 million children could lose their spots in early education programs. Congress can solve this problem. So far, however, it has declined to do so, starting with deciding not to pass the Build Back Better provisions in 2022 that would have made child-care funding permanent.Inaction has consequences. Families who have relied on this assistance since the COVID-19 pandemic will face tough choices. They could see their child-care costs increase by 15% or more. Instead of paying these fees, they might have to choose to reduce their work hours or leave the workforce altogether.This will come as a second blow to families who lost a measure of financial stability when Congress allowed the Child Tax Credit to expire in 2022, a decision that caused the rate of child poverty to more than double in one fell swoop — the largest year-to-year increase i...

El Congreso de Estados Unidos sigue camino al cierre del Gobierno

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:58 GMT

(CNN) — Se espera que la Cámara de Representantes adopte este viernes un proyecto de ley provisional del Partido Republicano para prorrogar la financiación del Gobierno, pero el presidente de ese cuerpo, Kevin McCarthy, parece carecer de los votos necesarios para aprobarlo y el Congreso sigue en vías de desencadenar un cierre del Gobierno.El Senado y la Cámara de Representantes se encuentran en un punto muerto sobre cómo mantener en funcionamiento el Gobierno, y el cierre es inminente ya que la financiación expira el 30 de septiembre.McCarthy se está preparando para que su cámara considere un proyecto de ley provisional del Partido Republicano con disposiciones fronterizas adjuntas, ya que los líderes del Partido Republicano de la Cámara de Representantes han insistido en que la seguridad fronteriza debe abordarse como parte de la lucha por el gasto.Análisis: La política de cierre del Gobierno del Partido Republicano sacude a WashingtonPero si el proyecto de ley llega a la Cám...

What is a Blue Alert?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:58 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — On Thursday just before 6:30 p.m., cell phones across Colorado started buzzing with information regarding a "Blue Alert." Many are familiar with an Amber or even a Medina Alert, but what exactly constitutes a Blue Alert?The public safety alert warned residents that a Blue Alert was activated in the Colorado Springs/ El Paso County area. People were told to be on the lookout for 41-year-old Justin Kula.A Blue Alert was issued in Colorado for Justin Kula, 41, on Sept. 28, 2023.FOX31 learned from our sister station, FOX21 in Colorado Springs, that Kula allegedly killed a parole officer during a hit-and-run crash and injured another parole officer.What does a Blue Alert mean?Blue Alerts are not commonly sent out to the community, but the alert has been in effect since 2011. Former Gov. John Hickenlooper signed House Bill 11-1036 into law and created the Blue Alert Program.The program works in cooperation with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, local law enforcement an...

Thieves use explosive device in attempt to steal ATM

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:18:58 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Police are investigating the attempted theft of an ATM in Jefferson County after multiple witnesses said they heard an explosion. Around 4:30 a.m. Friday, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the area of West Bowles Avenue and West Coal Mine Avenue on reports of an attempted ATM theft in the parking lot of a Walmart.According to deputies, multiple people called the sheriff's office and said they heard an explosion. Deputies believe an explosive device was used to try and gain access to the ATM. 16-year-old shot inside McDonald’s in Commerce City However, it appears the suspect or suspects were unsuccessful as deputies said nothing appeared to have been taken from the ATM. No injuries were reported.Deputies said the suspect vehicle was described as a red Honda CRV with a covered rear license plate. The car was seen fleeing the scene and heading east on Bowles.West Coal Mine Avenue is closed in front of the Walmart while deputies continue their inv...