SANTA CLARA — Brandon Aiyuk’s contract situation has been the top storyline for the 49ers this offseason. Regardless of what’s to come on that front, the 49ers needed better depth at wide receiver. And on Thursday night, the 49ers made a move with the idea of adding another reliable route-runner and pass-catcher for quarterback Brock Purdy. The 49ers selected wide receiver Ricky Pearsall of Florida with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The selection of Pearsall does not necessarily mean the 49ers are prepared to part ways with Aiyuk, but it leaves that door open for a possible tr ..read more

Over the last couple years, a group called the “Safe Street Rebels” has taken it upon themselves to begin making what they call “guerilla traffic improvements” to several San Francisco streets. Their efforts have usually come after a tragic crash or spike in issues for pedestrians or cyclists. Now, they’re trying to try and slow down car traffic through one of the most popular bicycle routes in the city. “The Wiggle” is a designated bike route through the DuBose Triangle neighborhood up to the Panhandle neighborhood of San Francisco. It’s extremely popular but has also been a place where cycli ..read more

At a special ceremony in the South Bay Thursday, victim advocates recognized the unsung heroes who stepped up and came to the rescue of people in dire situations. Heroes and rescued victims filled the ceremony inside the Morgan Estate in Los Altos Hills for the 2024 Unsung Hero Awards. The event was sponsored by MAM or Mothers Against Murder, who have spent two decades helping crime victims. “We need more awareness and empathy, feelings for what victims go through in their pain. Their suffering. In some cases, the trauma lasts forever and ever,” said MAM executive director Margaret Petros. The ..read more

Houses for sale are getting harder to come by in the Bay Area’s biggest county. New numbers show the amount of homes with sale pending in Santa Clara County outnumber the homes that are on the market. The low inventory means prices will remain high for the foreseeable future. MLS, which tracks homes for sale, shows that 621 homes are for sale in the county. By contrast, 759 show as sale pending. “It’s rare, but it’s been very consistent where the demand has been very high,” Keller Williams Silicon City CEO Hilda Ramirez said. “This is the first time in a long time that we’re actually seeing th ..read more

Steph Curry has another NBA accolade to add to his already impressive résumé. The four-time champion and two-time league MVP was voted the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season, beating out Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, TNT analyst Charles Barkley announced Thursday. The NBA introduced the Clutch Player of the Year award last season, given to the player who “best comes through for his teammates in the clutch.” The award’s recipient — Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox became the first last year — receives the ..read more

Caltrans will be shutting down a major corridor in the East Bay this weekend for repaving work. Southbound Interstate 680 is scheduled for a full closure between the I-580-680 connector in Pleasanton and Koopman Road in Sunol from 9 p.m. Friday through 4 a.m. Monday, the agency said. It’s the latest part of a prolonged project to replace deteriorated pavement on I-680 in the Tri-Valley area, Caltrans said. The full weekend closure is the last one scheduled for southbound I-680 in that area. But work will continue on the freeway through the year during nighttime lane closures, Caltrans said. T ..read more

Walmart announced Thursday that it plans to close one of its locations in Fremont next month. The store located at 40580 Albrae St. is scheduled to close on May 24, the company said. Walmart said it decided to shutter the store because it “hasn’t performed as well as we hoped.” Walmart does have another store in Fremont, located at 44009 Osgood Rd ..read more

In a grocery world that dotes on the perfect looking peach or apple, Watsonville chef Tabitha Stroup is a devotee of the idea of perfection within imperfection.  Dimpled pears? Contorted apples? Splotchy peaches? Twisty carrots? They’re all gems in the grand melting pot of Stroup’s kitchen, where she’s known for innovative jams, jellies, marmalades and preserves.  “We have such an idealistic view of food,” said Stroup, stirring a pot of blueberries from nearby Corralitos. “We demand perfection, whereas Mother Nature never got that memo.” In the bread basket of the Pajaro Valley ..read more

A former president of a San Jose elementary school enrichment program allegedly enriched herself by embezzling over $400,000 from the organization, police said Wednesday. Last July, investigators were tipped off to potential theft from the Schallenberger Home and School Association, which supports enrichment programs at Schallenberger Elementary School on Koch Lane. Financial crimes detectives began looking into the organization’s numbers and allegedly discovered “suspicious” financial transactions that occurred between 2019 and 2023. Tayesa Knight Police identified then-SHSA President Tayesa ..read more

The majority of the best hotels in the United States are in California, according to the Michelin Guide. The prestigious list for 2024 recognized seven California hotels to receive Three Keys, including The Beverly Hills Hotel, Dorchester Collection (Beverly Hills), Post Ranch Inn (Big Sur), SingleThread Inn (Healdsburg), Hotel Bel-Air, Dorchester Collection (Los Angeles), Auberge du Soleil, Auberge Resorts Collection (Rutherford), Meadowood Napa Valley (St. Helena) and Canyon Ranch Woodside (Woodside). The guide states that it is no surprise that California is the state with the most Key hote ..read more