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Toll lanes open on 405 Fwy in Orange County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:01 GMT

It's finally here, Orange County. On Friday, toll lanes on the 405 Freeway opened, providing what officials say is a faster option for those willing to pay and less congestion for those who aren't."The Express Lanes benefit all who drive on the I-405, even those who don’t drive in the Express Lanes. Drive times on the regular lanes will be reduced because space will be freed up by those who choose to use the Express Lanes," the Orange County Transportation Authority said on the project's website.The lanes, which run from Long Beach to Costa Mesa, uses electronic tolling, requiring drivers to have a FasTrak transponder. The actual cost to drivers will fluctuate based on what time it is, the day of the week and the direction of travel, something officials call "congestion management pricing," according to OCTA."Congestion management pricing is designed to optimize express lanes traffic at free-flow speeds," OCTA said. "To accomplish this OCTA monitors hourly traffic volumes. Tolls are...

Who will be the 2024 Rose Parade grand marshal? We'll find out soon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:01 GMT

The name of the 2024 Tournament of Roses grand marshal will be announced a little later Friday morning, but officials have given us a clue about the person's identity. "The Grand Marshal is one award away from the coveted E.G.O.T. status, having won three of the four prestigious awards," the Tournament of Roses stated in a news release earlier this week. The grand marshal will take part in the 135th Rose Parade presented by Honda and participate in the 110th Rose Bowl pre-game by tossing the coin on Monday, Jan. 1. The 2024 Rose Parade is themed “Celebrating a World of Music.” The name of the grand marshal will be revealed at 9 a.m. on the front lawn of the Tournament House in Pasadena.

DeSantis, Newsom clash over COVID-19, crime, abortion in fiery debate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:01 GMT

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) went head to head in a Fox News debate on Thursday as the governors — one a current presidential contender and the other seen as a future White House prospect — clashed over their records and policy.During the fiery 90-minute debate moderated by Sean Hannity and branded as “The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate,” DeSantis and Newsom took jabs at each other over how they handled key issues like the COVID-19 pandemic, crime and abortion, at times reverting to personal attacks such as calling each other bullies.The debate came against the backdrop of DeSantis’s presidential campaign. The Florida governor was initially seen as a threat to Donald Trump but is now lagging in polls behind not only the former president but also former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.Meanwhile, Newsom has been widely floated as a presidential hopeful; while he has said he’s not interested in challenging President Biden next year, the Fox News ...

Linying Sees the Lights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:01 GMT

Linying Sees the Lights: LA-via-Singapore artist Linying told us about her Francis & the Lights experience.Linying: As an ex-perfectionist taking great measures to undo what feels like a hard-coded impulse to maximise, I’ve come to realise that what is best is only as true as what feels best… which then becomes an exercise in listening to yourself. The best gig I’d ever been was the one I hadn’t known was happening until it was in front of my eyes — it was SXSW in 2017, and my guitarist and I had just stumbled out of a church in Austin where an up and coming artist named Billie Eilish had played a solo set on her ukulele. On the way out we spotted Chloe Grace Moretz sitting on the steps and, while gawking, nearly collided with a tricycle Questlove was sitting in. As musicians from Singapore growing up in a city state in which life was by and large predictable and sterile, it blew our sheltered little minds that we were turning corners every five minutes and seeing people whose f...

Kurtenbach: The Eagles’ ‘Tush Push’ is the NFL’s best play. The 49ers know the secret to stopping it

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:01 GMT

The NFL’s most famous play might also be its most straightforward.And on Sunday, when the 49ers play the Eagles, it’s must-see TV.You can call the play the Tush Push, the Brotherly Shove, or, simply, the Eagles’ quarterback sneak.But no matter the moniker, Philadelphia has run it so often and so effectively that there have been calls for the league to ban the play.“People can’t do it like we can,” Eagles coach Nick Siriani said in October. “Don’t ban this play. If everyone could do it, everybody would do it.”Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) scores a two-point conversion against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 57 football game, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Related ArticlesSan Francisco 49ers | Kurtenbach: Inside the Brock Purdy-Brandon Aiyuk relationship that has taken the 49ers offense to a new level San Francisco 49ers ...

Holiday lights add a bright touch to San Jose’s History Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:01 GMT

Christmas in the Park’s Drive-Thru Light Show is open and back at History Park in San Jose, where it offers the perfect complement to the Victorian-era buildings on the grounds.“We have been waiting to come back to History Park for a while,” said Christmas in the Park board chair Stacey Holden, whose mother was on the original board. “History Park is a special place in and of itself, but it really is magical when you combine it with this.”A car drives past the Pacific Hotel at Christmas in the Park’s annual “Drive Thru Light Show” at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)A view from Sal Pizarro’s vehicle as he drives through Christmas in the Park’s annual “Drive Thru Light Show” at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)Lights dangle at Christmas in the Park’s annual “Drive Thru Light Show” at History Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednes...

Holiday getaway: Cut down your own Christmas tree in Plumas National Forest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:01 GMT

Cutting down a Christmas tree is a tradition for many families — and a staple outing in nearly every Hallmark holiday movie. Christmas tree farms offer plenty of Douglas firs and Monterey Cypress, of course, but for those who crave the nostalgia of chopping down an imperfect pine in the wilderness, there’s another option.Tucked away in the Lost Sierra in Plumas County, the cozy town of Graeagle sits along the Middle Fork Feather River about an hour north of Truckee. With a population of less than 1,000, the small town offers all the wintry, holiday charm of a movie — you know, the kind where a big city exec falls in love with a lumberjack trying to save his family business.The tree-sourcing experience requires nothing more than a $10 permit from the Plumas National Forest, a hand saw and a sense of adventure. A four-wheel drive vehicle helps, especially when the weather is a bit wet. Consult a map and you’ll find several places where you can get off the main ...

Super-rare white American badger spotted in Marin County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:01 GMT

David Kramer was hiking on Nov. 26 in the Point Reyes National Seashore when he came across a startling sight: an American badger as pale as a bar of soap.“I was on a 5-mile out-and-back (in Olema Valley) and just after I turned around at my halfway point, I noticed something on the trail ahead,” says Kramer, a nature photographer who lives in West Marin. “Once it came into full view, I realized what I was seeing. It was coming towards me on the trail and didn’t notice me at first, as I had stopped moving.”Kramer just had time enough to whip out his phone and capture the above image of the white badger, which in his shot looks a little cranky. (Although badgers naturally seem to have resting-cranky faces.)“It seemed like it was just traveling,” he says. “It came padding towards me at a good clip, and when it turned around, it kept going at the same speed until it got off into the bushes.”Is this the Moby Dick of the badger world ...

Share the Spirit: Woman’s career goal back on track thanks to Rubicon Programs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:01 GMT

RICHMOND — Warnisha Smith knew she had to dramatically change her life — not only for herself but for her children, ages 4 and 6.Hampered by an incorrectly listed criminal charge on a pre-employment background check, the 28-year-old single mother was having trouble finding permanent work. Her hopes for the future were fading: She once dreamed of being able to open her own care facility for the elderly and disabled.She heard about Rubicon Programs from a family friend and went to the Richmond-based organization in 2019 to get back on her feet and connect to resources that would help her move forward.Warnisha Smith worked with attorneys from Rubicon Programs to help remove a mistake from her criminal record. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) Smith was a bit unsure at first, she said, and her attendance was spotty. But she finally realized how much her life needed to change and “dedicated my time” to what the agency offered her.She has no regrets and realizes how ...

Prefab homebuilder Veev to shutter after funders abandon former ‘unicorn’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:00:01 GMT

Bay Area prefabricated construction startup Veev, which promised to slash the time and costs required to build new homes, has announced to its employees that it plans to shutter operations after acquiring unicorn status just last year.The company, with offices in Hayward and Israel, said in a statement that the closure comes because the startup, which launched in 2008 and was once valued at more than a billion dollars, failed to close a recent financing round. This week, the company laid off most of its 250 employees, according to LinkedIn posts from employees. Veev had only recently finished construction on its first single-family home, which the company intended to bring to market in 2024.With Bay Area land and construction costs soaring, the company promised a way to build infill housing faster and cheaper. Rather than building a home entirely on-site, Veev built panels, which included electrical wiring, plumbing and other components, in their Hayward factory. The panels could th...