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Fatal DUI crashes in San Diego on pace to remain at all-time high: DA's office

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- With only two months left in the year, the number of fatal DUI collisions is on track to remain around the all-time high in San Diego County, according to District Attorney Summer Stephan's office.So far in 2023, 25 people have been killed in crashes where one of the drivers was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Meanwhile, prosecutors have filed 4,635 DUI cases, including 253 that were solely drug-related and 219 where the driver was impaired by both alcohol and drugs.This comes two years after the county saw its worst year for DUI fatalities on its roadways with more than 39 deaths caused by collisions where impaired driving played a factor.In 2022, there was a slight dip in the number of people killed in DUI crashes to 33, according to the DA -- a number that equals the previous county record for fatalities in a year, which was set back in 2020.The DA's office filed 5,682 DUI cases last year, according to prosecutors, including 370 drug-specific cases and 151 c...

'Community eyesore' to be demolished in Little Italy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- There's good news for the those in Little Italy who have dealt with numerous instances of disturbance in the area of the County Administration Center. Structures located at 805 W. Cedar St. and 1560 California St., located next to the fire station, will be demolished following an agreement between the property's owner and city attorney Mara Elliott's office. Pack your bags: Southwest Airlines is offering new nonstop flights from San Diego The property has been the center of an enforcement action taken by the city attorney’s Nuisance Abatement Unit after a civil complaint was filed against the owners. In that complaint, the legal team detailed four years worth of law enforcement activity at the site. From Jan. 1, 2019, to Feb. 5, 2023, the city attorney's office said the San Diego Police Department responded to 44 calls for service in response to reports of disturbing the peace, narcotics sales and use, and trespassing. On top of those disturbances, the city atto...

Judge says ex-UCLA gynecologist can be retried on charges of sexually abusing female patients

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former gynecologist at the University of California, Los Angeles who was sentenced to prison for sexually abusing student patients can be retried on charges involving additional women, a judge ruled Friday.A Superior Court judge granted a prosecution request to retry Dr. James Heaps on nine charges after a jury deadlocked on the counts last fall. No date for Heaps’ retrial was set. Heaps, 67, was sentenced in April to an 11-year prison sentence. He was convicted last October of five counts of sexually abusing two female patients. Los Angeles jurors found him not guilty on seven other counts and deadlocked on remaining charges involving four women.Heaps, a longtime UCLA campus gynecologist, was accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of patients during his 35-year career. Amid a wave of sexual misconduct scandals coming to light that implicate campus doctors, he was arrested in 2019. UCLA later agreed to pay nearly $700 million in lawsuit settlements to hun...

UN official says the average Gazan is living on two pieces of bread a day, and people need water

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The average Gazan is living on two pieces of Arabic bread made from flour the U.N. had stockpiled in the region, yet the main refrain now being heard in the street is “Water, water,” the Gaza director for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Friday. Thomas White, who said he traveled “the length and breadth of Gaza in the last few weeks,” described the place as a “scene of death and destruction.” No place is safe now, he said, and people fear for their lives, their future and their ability to feed their families.The Palestinian refugee agency, known as UNRWA, is supporting about 89 bakeries across Gaza, aiming to get bread to 1.7 million people, White told diplomats from the U.N.’s 193 member nations in a video briefing from Gaza. But, he said, “now people are beyond looking for bread. It’s looking for water.”U.N. deputy Mideast coordinator Lynn Hastings, who is also the humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, said only one of t...

Michigan says Connor Stalions, football staffer at center of sign-stealing investigation, resigns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

Connor Stalions, the low-level Michigan football staffer who is at the center of an NCAA investigation into impermissible scouting of opponents and sign stealing, has resigned, the school said Friday.Michigan athletics spokesman Kurt Svoboda told The Associated Press that Stalions resigned his position, effective Friday afternoon. The school had no further comment.A person with knowledge of the situation initially told AP that Stalions, who was suspended with pay two weeks ago, had been fired, but not long after the school announced he had resigned.The person also said Stalions failed to show up for a scheduled hearing Friday and informed the school through his attorney he would not participate in any internal or external investigations.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Michigan was not discussing its internal personnel moves publicly.The NCAA is investigating Michigan for sending people to opponents’ games to record video that would be used to decode their in-game ...

Toddler critically injured in accidental shooting after suspect discards gun on day care playground

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A toddler in Las Vegas was hospitalized in critical condition after finding a gun on a day care playground that had been discarded by a teenager who was fleeing after opening fire on a city bus, authorities announced Friday.Deputy Police Chief Reggie Rader said the toddler, who is under the age of 5, “found the firearm, picked it up, and the firearm discharged.”Rader said the toddler was in stable but critical condition as of Friday afternoon.Police officers found the suspect in the area of the day care in northeastern Las Vegas and took him into custody. Rader did not identify the suspect, who he said is younger than 18.Emailed requests for comment weren’t immediately returned by the corporate office for the only day care center located on the street where police said the shooting happened. A woman who answered the phone at the day care told The Associated Press that she couldn’t talk about the shooting.Rader said it wasn’t immediately clear what ...

'We want to do this right': CPD opens new training facility to local media, showcase mock training

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

CHICAGO — With the Chicago Police Department still lagging far behind on consent decree reforms, police officials defended the department's pace Friday, calling it a long and hard journey.CPD also brought in local media to tour their new public safety training facility Friday, where they showcased a mock training scenario in action — officers responding to a person in crisis and finding a peaceful solution."What we don't want is for our officers to rush in, feel like they have to make an immediate decision, and act," said CPD Chief of Constitutional Policing and Reform Angel Novalez. "What we're doing, right, is avoiding and mitigating the opportunities of escalation."By the end of the year, police officials said CPD's more than 10,000 officers will have completed 40 hours of training, which includes the Integrating Communications Assessment and Tactics (ICAT) training that started back in April and focused on case studies, repetitive training drills and scenarios.Officers are also ...

Cody Bellinger declines player option, becomes free agent

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs center fielder and first baseman Cody Bellinger has declined his player option with the club and opted for free agency, according to the team Friday.The move is one many expected and comes hours after the Cubs congratulated Bellinger for winning National League (NL) Comeback Player of the Year.Bellinger had a bounce back 2023 campaign with the North Siders. In 130 games, Bellinger slashed .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs and 97 RBI's while posting an .881 OPS, his highest single-season OPS since winning the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 2019 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. White Sox decline team option on Liam Hendriks’ contract Nov. 6 marks the official beginning of MLB free agency, when the five-day exclusive negotiating window with players' 2023 teams ends, and players are free to negotiate with teams as they please.

Chicagoland veterans take part in Habitat for Humanity build

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

CHICAGO — As colder weather sets in across Chicago, the Habitat for Humanity build in West Pullman enters a new phase. "Today, honestly, I'm really excited," Jose Morales, a Retired U.S. Army Sergeant said. "I woke up super early, I was extremely excited."As a habitat employee, Morales is in charge of mustering the volunteers and training them in construction, and even in a November chill, this day warms his heart. "I actually feel so at home today, just being around all of these veterans and talking to everyone," Morales said.  Mayor Johnson vows urgency addressing migrant crisis, dodges questions about chaos at City Hall For years he was known as Sergeant Morales, but after leaving the military, he found a new way to serve, like many others taking part in the build. "There’s this thing that’s inside of veterans, that like, you know, a call to serve, and a call to able to provide and give," Morales said. "So for me, that meant joining Habitat, and being a part of t...

Police investigate string of burglaries on West Side

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:41:57 GMT

CHICAGO — An investigation is underway after a string of burglaries unfolded in the early morning hours on the city's West Side.Police say officers are investigating two burglaries and two attempted burglaries in West Town and another burglary in Wicker Park.According to police, all five incidents happened within half an hour of each other at around 3:30 a.m. on Friday morning. Mayor Johnson vows urgency addressing migrant crisis, dodges questions about chaos at City Hall Officers say in each instance, the individuals responsible gained entry to the business by smashing in glass, before escaping in a white sedan. Employees of "La Condesa," in the 1000 block of North Ashland Avenue, say their sense of safety has been shattered after the break-in.A surveillance camera captured the moment three people approached the restaurant in a white sedan before one of them kicked through the glass door. The two others then follow him inside, before taking off with the cash register. Police say ...