SANTA CRUZ — A judge found a 20-year-old man charged with killing his UC Santa Cruz student girlfriend competent to stand trial during a hearing Wednesday. Samuel Brannigan Stone  Samuel Brannigan Stone, who also had attended UCSC through last semester, pleaded not guilty to a murder charge after the court received a psychiatric evaluation eliminating doubt of his mental capacity. For Mansoor Naseem, news that his daughter’s alleged killer would continue through the legal process was a relief, he said in an interview after the hearing. Naseem’s daughter, Zainab Mansoor, 21, was found unco ..read more

Voters in two Bay Area school districts have received ballots for special May 7 elections on parcel taxes to help fund operations. Rather than placing the measures on the primary election or general election ballot, as most school districts do, officials in the two districts timed their elections to depress voter turnout. Each district also used tortured and deceptive ballot language that confuses voters and hides the magnitude of the proposed taxes. For details on the measures, here are our editorials: Voters in Los Gatos-Saratoga high school district should reject parcel tax hike San Ramon V ..read more

When school districts seek ballot approval for new property taxes, they should be transparent about the measures and encourage voter participation. The San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s two measures on a special May 7 election ballot flunk both tests. Voters should reject Measure E, a replacement of an existing parcel tax with one that has new inflation adjustments, and Measure F, a separate new parcel tax. These measures should have been placed on either the March primary or the November general election ballot. Calling a special election suppresses voter turnout. To see this, c ..read more

SAN JOSE — Dunn-Edwards, a big paint retailer, will greatly widen its footprint in Northern California by adding 17 stores in the region, an expansion poised to fill several former Kelly-Moore Paints sites. The 17 paint retailing locations include 10 new stores in the Bay Area and some stores near the region, Dunn-Edwards Paints stated. 4156 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, a former Kelly-Moore Paints location that Dunn-Edwards Paints has picked for a store site.  The expansion will increase the number of Dunn-Edwards Paints sites in Northern California by more than 50%. The Dunn-Edwards move ..read more

Atmospheric river storms are like punches in a boxing match. A flurry of weak ones are OK. But it’s best to avoid the big knockout blows. That’s exactly what happened in California this winter. Scientists say that from Oct. 1 to April 1, the state actually received more atmospheric rivers, the famous moisture-laden meteorological events that are critical to the water supply, than it did last year — 44 this winter compared to 31 last winter. But the intensity made all the difference. Statewide, California had just 2 strong atmospheric rivers this winter, compared with 7 last year. Many of the b ..read more

CONCORD — Burglars made off with a whopping $300,000 in cash and valuables from a single break-in at a home here last month, authorities said. The burglary occurred March 1 on Swainsons Court in Concord. The suspects broke in through a back window and made off with $100,000 in currency and $200,000 in jewelry, including an expensive Rolex watch, according to authorities. Related Articles Crime and Public Safety | East Bay woman gets 2-year sentence for killing woman in 2022 DUI crash Crime and Public Safety | DA files involuntary manslaughter charges against 3 East Bay cops in death of Mari ..read more

A generic threat tied to the demanded release of Russian prisoners put a scare into several Bay Area school districts Wednesday. Schools throughout Contra Costa County and Alameda County received the threats, according to authorities and school districts in the areas. Related Articles Crime and Public Safety | East Bay woman gets 2-year sentence for killing woman in 2022 DUI crash Crime and Public Safety | DA files involuntary manslaughter charges against 3 East Bay cops in death of Mario Gonzalez Crime and Public Safety | Former Fremont city manager sentenced to jail in fraud case, must p ..read more

Four years after the start of the COVID pandemic, the age and race of its victims in California have dramatically shifted: Now, a Bay Area News Group analysis finds, those who are dying from the virus are much older, and more often White than Latino, a notable switch. While COVID deaths in California have plunged across all race and age groups, a comparison of deaths from the first six months of the pandemic to the most recent six months of data compiled by the California Department of Public Health shows 70% of those dying nowadays are 75 or older — up from just over half in early 2020. And w ..read more

For over a decade, developer Forrest Linebarger has tried to build new multifamily housing on two half-acre parcels in Los Altos Hills. The city has done all it can to stop him. Related Articles Housing | Letters: Developers’ windfall | Green future | CalCare bill | Prop. 47 fix | Business fraud Housing | Hundreds of affordable homes are proposed near East Bay BART stop Housing | The $32,000 condos: Winning bidders sued after San Jose auction Housing | This map reveals where supersized ‘builder’s remedy’ projects could be coming Housing | State green lights Cupertino’s housing plan for m ..read more

After 12 years in San Ramon, Firehouse 37 is set to close this Sunday, April 14, according to general manager Scott Mouser. The firehouse-themed bar and grill offered a menu of pizza and calzone, pasta and burgers, a kids’ arcade area and 20 big-screen TVs.  Related Articles Restaurants, Food and Drink | Flashy, sophisticated Fitoor joins Santana Row's upscale restaurant scene Restaurants, Food and Drink | Pandemic baking, gardening lead to tea business for East Bay mom Restaurants, Food and Drink | McDonald’s plan to offset California minimum wage hike? Bring bagels back Restaurants ..read more