News and Coffee
Open 24 hours
Freshest news in town

Switch to the Red Design

San Jose Mercury News: California & The West

San Jose's Chestnut wins hot dog contest after eat-off
NEW YORK - Joey Chestnut retained the top spot at the annual hot dog eating contest in Coney Island today after first tying with archrival Takeru Kobayashi in a 10-minute chow-down and then beating him in a five-dog eat-off.
by editor@mercurynews.com (Adam Goldman
Associated Press)
4 Jul 2008 at 1:41pm

As wildfire approaches Big Sur, some evacuate, some stay
As the flames teased from a distance, creeping closer to his Big Sur restaurant atop the scenic cliffside, Kirk Gafill waited, watching the orange sky and prepared to protect his land. Slide show of fire in Big Sur
by sgonzales@mercurynews.com (Sandra Gonzales
Mercury News)
4 Jul 2008 at 1:25pm

San Jose police arrest two of three suspected 'Big Bad Boyz'
The Big Bad Boyz are in Big Bad Trouble. Acting on anonymous tips generated by media coverage, police on Wednesday arrested two San Jose men and booked them on suspicion that they are the brawny, big-bellied men behind a high-profile and unusual string of commercial burglaries.
by swebby@mercurynews.com (Sean Webby
Mercury News)
4 Jul 2008 at 1:21pm

Cops ready to cite fireworks revelers
As blazes in Big Sur cast a menacing red glare, some Northern California cities are stepping up their safety precautions in anticipation of Fourth of July fireworks. Humane society: Keep pets inside Things to do: Fireworks, parades, more Vote: Best way to watch fireworks
by editor@mercurynews.com (Shelby Martin
Mercury News)
4 Jul 2008 at 10:38am

San Jose Jack in the Box robbery caught on tape
San Jose police released pictures Thursday of two young women captured on Jack in the Box video surveillance cameras just before investigators believe they entered through the take-out window and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash and a bag of fries.
by lernandez@mercurynews.com (Lisa Fernandez and Mark Gomez
Mercury News)
4 Jul 2008 at 9:26am

Day of deliverance for Iraqi translator, now in San Jose
In his native Iraq, Haitham Jasim risked his life alongside U.S. Marines who hired him as a translator during deadly counterinsurgency missions. Fellow Iraqis put a $20,000 bounty on his head. Audio slide show: Falcon lands in S.J.
by kmclaughlin@mercurynews.com (Ken McLaughlin
Mercury News)
4 Jul 2008 at 8:12am

YouTube order: Does it threaten your privacy?
A federal judge in New York has ordered Google to turn over to Viacom a database linking users of YouTube, the Web's largest video site by far, with every clip they have watched there.
by editor@mercurynews.com (Mercury News staff and wire reports)
4 Jul 2008 at 7:24am

Ex-cop charged with DUI
More than three months after San Jose police failed to test a former cop for intoxication or cite her after a serious multi-car accident, the state attorney general has charged Sandra Woodall with felony drunken driving.
by swebby@mercurynews.com (Sean Webby
Mercury News)
4 Jul 2008 at 7:09am

Mother-in-law isn't surprised suspect is accused of killing lawyer
This week's brazen shooting of a San Jose immigration attorney has opened fresh wounds for the mother of Ying Deng, who was found floating in her Cupertino pool five years ago. Read and sign guest book for Xia Zhao
by lernandez@mercurynews.com (Lisa Fernandez
Mercury News)
4 Jul 2008 at 7:08am

Husband, friends recount slain lawyer's life, fears of suspected killer
For 17 years, Xia Zhao's knack for planning ahead helped her steer through obstacle after obstacle. The Chinese immigrant spoke little English, but she graduated from nursing school and college, then worked in an intensive care unit at nights while going to law school. Read and sign guest book for Xia Zhao
by lgoldston@mercurynews.com (Linda Goldston
Mercury News)
4 Jul 2008 at 7:07am

Drugs, alcohol absent in attack
MODESTO - Toxicology tests came back negative Thursday for the Turlock man who savagely beat his young son to death last month, adding to the mystery of why a father would commit such a heinous act.
by editor@mercurynews.com (Rosalio Ahumada
Modesto Bee)
4 Jul 2008 at 3:35am

Assessed values up 7% in county as commercial property booms
Santa Clara County just closed a third straight year of slower growth in property values, Assessor Larry Stone said Thursday, as plunging starter-home prices undercut a booming market for commercial and industrial buildings.
by jwoololk@mercurynews.com (John Woolfolk
Mercury News)
4 Jul 2008 at 3:34am

Steel production gets a boost in East Bay
The curtain will soon rise on a new era in steel production in the East Bay city of Pittsburg, as a multimillion-dollar pipe factory takes shape.
by editor@mercurynews.com (Paul Burgarino
Bay Area News Group)
4 Jul 2008 at 3:34am

Firefighters douse blaze along San Jose creek
San Jose firefighters stamped out a two-alarm blaze burning near a mobile home park along a portion of Coyote Creek on Thursday morning.
by lernandez@mercurynews.com (Lisa Fernandez
Mercury News)
4 Jul 2008 at 3:34am

Menlo Park reconsiders plan to build new reservoir
In response to strong opposition from neighbors of Seminary Oaks Park, Menlo Park city staff are rethinking a long-standing plan to build a massive emergency reservoir under the open space.
by editor@mercurynews.com (Banks Albach
Bay Area News Group)
4 Jul 2008 at 3:34am

The Desert Sun : Palm Springs

Celebrate Independence Day with fireworks
What can you do to celebrate our nation's Independence Day today?
4 Jul 2008 at 2:30am

Authorities seek public's aid in search for three suspects
A boyfriend's jealousy almost turned deadly last year as he tried to shoot his girlfriend's ex while the man walked with a child. No one was hit by the gunfire, but the incident was enough to get Jose De Jesus Legaspi on Riverside County's Most Wanted list.
4 Jul 2008 at 2:18am

Coachella man dies in Desert Hot Springs truck collision
A Coachella man died Thursday after he lost control of his vehicle and collided with an oncoming truck in Desert Hot Springs.
4 Jul 2008 at 2:13pm

Venus will play Serena in third all-in-the-family Wimbledon final
A spot in her seventh Wimbledon final already secured, Venus Williams headed back to Centre Court to catch the end of the next match. And when Thursday's second semifinal ended, Williams stood, smiling and applauding for the woman who won, the woman she will have to beat to earn a fifth championship at the All England Club: her younger sister, Serena.
4 Jul 2008 at 3:03am

Sona Babai is oldest to earn U.S. citizenship
Sona Babai came to the Coachella Valley from Iran about 10 years ago. "She enjoys the life here," her son Antoine said, noting that his 108-year-old mother appreciates how genuine people are in the valley.
4 Jul 2008 at 2:55am

What event will Woods decide to try first in 2009?
It seems like everything with Tiger Woods these days is a guessing game. First, we were asked to guess what shape Woods would be in for the U.S. Open.
4 Jul 2008 at 2:49am

Local gas prices decline slightly
Riverside, San Bernardino countiesreport 2.8-cent decrease per gallon
4 Jul 2008 at 2:47am

A day to think about those responsible for our freedom
Freedom. Some 232 years following the Declaration of Independence, we sometimes take our freedom for granted.
4 Jul 2008 at 1:01am

Yankee, meant to be an insult, is a proud American moniker
We're all Yankees. When we hear the word Yankee we all have our own images. But do you know how the term originated?
4 Jul 2008 at 12:58am

Report: Gas priceshave lasting impact
America's days as an automobile nation are far from over. But the specter of high gas prices becoming permanent has forced the nation to reassess its "Yeah, right" attitude toward public transportation and to reconsider how Americans get from point A to point B.
4 Jul 2008 at 12:53am

SF Gate

Man killed in crash near Stanford
A 36-year-old Milpitas man died Thursday after the car he was riding in veered out of its lane and collided head-on with another vehicle, police said. The crash occurred in unincorporated Santa Clara County, not far from Stanford University around 1:40 p.m.,...

Contra Costa Times: Bay & State

Devil's Slide tunnels to be named for Lantos
This week, the California State Legislature honored the congressman's legacy by approving a bill to name the twin highway portals the "Tom Lantos Tunnels at Devil's Slide."
by editor@contracostatimes.com (Julia Scott / San Mateo County Times)
4 Jul 2008 at 10:32am

Proposed California budget cuts affecting most vulnerable
In the end, Nick Robinson just couldn't afford the Bay Area. And with pending state budget cuts threatening the foster care counselor's programs and salary, he decided to pack his belongings and leave Walnut Creek for Boston.
by editor@contracostatimes.com (Matthias Gafni / Contra Costa Times)
4 Jul 2008 at 7:29am

Sacramento Bee Local News

Sac City candidate hopes to become first Iu Mien elected to public office in ...
A young woman in yellow Reeboks sprints from house to house in southeast Sacramento, trying to make history.
Theresa Moung Hinh Saechao, a candidate for the District 4 seat on the Sacramento City Unified School District board, talks to children while campaigning door to door in south Sacramento last week. From left are Justina Reynosa, 9, her sister, Xiana, 7, and her cousins Vincent Ortiz III, 3, and Leticia Ortiz, 6.
Theresa Moung Hinh Saechao checks off addresses she has visited in her campaign for a seat on the Sacramento City Unified School District board.
Theresa Moung Hinh Saechao, a candidate for the area 4 seat on the Sacramento City Unified School District board, hands a flier to longtime resident Robert Luke while campaigning with her manager, Tom Bhe.
by smagagnini@sacbee.com (Stephen Magagnini)
4 Jul 2008 at 2:00am


With bullet in her head, girl's close call sends message to the trigger-happy
Forgive little Yamile Leon, whose favorite color is "rainbow," for still being in her pajamas at 11 a.m. Thursday. She was sleeping.
Yamile Leon, 7, takes it easy on Thursday – with a bullet in her head that someone fired into the air.
by blindelof@sacbee.com (Bill Lindelof)
4 Jul 2008 at 2:00am

Yolo judge will ask state's chief justice to intervene in trial of man accuse...
California Chief Justice Ronald George will be asked to intervene in Yolo Superior Court's controversial handling of the case against a man accused of murdering a sheriff's deputy last month, Presiding Judge David Rosenberg said Thursday.
by hsangree@sacbee.com (Hudson Sangree)
4 Jul 2008 at 2:00am

Motorist hit by off-duty detective gets $4.5 million
A Sacramento Superior Court jury has awarded a Loomis man $4.5 million for injuries he suffered in November 2005 when his car was rear-ended by an off-duty sheriff's detective.
by afurillo@sacbee.com (Andy Furillo)
4 Jul 2008 at 2:00am

Merced labor contractor reopens, then is shut down again
The company that employed a 17-year-old girl who died of a heat stroke after hours of working in a hot vineyard has been shut down by the state for a second time after briefly reopening.
4 Jul 2008 at 12:37pm


Redding command center works to predict hot spots, coordinate fire crews
REDDING – Gazing out a wall of windows, Mike Lococo watched lightning stab the horizon, over and over, like a bizarre light show gone awry.
Fire intelligence officer Mike Lococo works to analyze wildfires and predict hot spots.
Mike Lococo, left, looks over infrared maps with other staff members at the Redding center where they track wildfires and deploy fire crews.
by menkoji@sacbee.com (M.S. Enkoji)
4 Jul 2008 at 2:00am

Mosquito district warns: Watch out for West Nile Virus
The message from Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District for the Fourth of July is simple: protect yourselves from West Nile Virus.
by wdeberry@sacbee.com (Wesley DeBerry)
4 Jul 2008 at 11:33am

Hurry and enjoy cool weather
A string of 100-degree days is just around the corner for the Sacramento region. But temperatures will remain more civilized - in the low 90s - for the Fourth of July holiday, according to the National Weather Service.
by dkollars@sacbee.com (Deb Kollars)
4 Jul 2008 at 11:38am


Downtown's projects rise in face of downturn
Standing at the corner of 10th and K streets, in the heart of downtown Sacramento, there's little sign of the real estate free fall slamming the suburbs.
Mark Friedman, explaining a building plan in 2007, says urban developers are in better shape than those who placed all their bets on suburbia.
by mlvellinga@sacbee.com (Mary Lynne Vellinga)
4 Jul 2008 at 2:00am

Yolo grand jury report alleges misconduct at Davis Fire Department
The Davis Fire Department has been hit by the Yolo County grand jury over alleged misconduct, including accusations of off-duty firefighters sleeping off drinking bouts at the downtown station.
by nlofing@sacbee.com (Niesha Lofing)
4 Jul 2008 at 2:00am

LA Times: California

Goleta fire now covers 5,400 acres