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The Cannabis Industry Saw Some Relief in 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

It’s a lot easier for the cannabis industry to look back on 2023 than it had been the past few years prior.It almost seemed like after that week in March 2020 when the industry sold the most pot ever, we entered a bit of a rut. The license struggles of various hitters and the price crash leading to a lot of small farms going under were two major parts of that sad reality.But for those who made it to 2023, there was more hope and positives to take away from the year. That being said, it wasn’t perfect. I’m not convinced you all have live soil all of a sudden. But here are a few takeaways we did enjoy.  We’re hoping more of these stories pop up next year. The Survivors Kept Surviving At certain points during 2021 and 2022, it felt like I heard a story about another company going under almost every week. After that great culling, on both sides of the market seemingly, legal and not, most of the ones left standing are monsters of the game or at least still have a few good hooks. R...

Man Pronounced Dead after Pedestrian Accident on Visalia Road [Farmersville, CA]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

Male Victim Killed in Pedestrian Collision near Virginia AvenueFARMERSVILLE, CA (December 20, 2023) – One man died Saturday night in a pedestrian crash on Visalia Road and Virginia Avenue. The incident occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m., on December 16th.News sources have conveyed that a male pedestrian sustained life-threatening injuries when he was struck by a vehicle in the vicinity. Despite immediate life-saving interventions, the man was ultimately declared deceased at the scene. The driver involved in the incident stayed at the location and actively participated in the ongoing investigation.Emergency crews temporarily closed off the surrounding area for cleanup and preliminary tasks. Additional information will be disseminated once it becomes available. After completing initial duties, authorities eliminated alcohol or drugs as contributing factors to the incident.Presently, a thorough investigation is in progress, and individuals with pertinent information are encoura...

LA’s Best Parties of 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

“We’ve lost dancing,” Fred again.. with the Blessed Madonna mourned during the pandemic.Well, if we lost dancing from 2020 to 2021, and 2022 was a rebuilding year, 2023 was a dance floor renaissance. It was the year dancing won. It was the first time in a long time that there seemed to be almost too many good things to do. Anywhere you went you could find a crowd of excited people ready to mix, mingle, exchange sweat and sometimes even more.The best parties this year all had a few things in common — anyone could go, they weren’t too pricey and the music and dancing were bar-none. And it’s what they didn’t have that set them apart — stuck up patrons, bouncers at the door side-eyeing your fit or a host trying to sucker you into buying a bottle.If you’re looking to dance in LA, there’s no better option than the DJ party. As Angelenos, we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to nightlife and entertainment. But when it comes to pound-for-pound, bang-for-your-buck fun, nothing be...

David Blakeney and Antonio Santana III Killed in 3-Vehicle Collision on Highway 175 [Cherokee County, TX]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

Two Drivers Pronounced Dead after Three-Vehicle Accident near JacksonvilleCHEROKEE COUNTY, TX (December 21, 2023) – David Blakeney and Antonio Santana III died Friday in a three-car crash on Highway 175.On December 8th, law enforcement responded to an incident on the freeway approximately eight miles north of Jacksonville. According to reports, the incident involved a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado, a 2022 Honda Accord, and a 2022 Toyota Corolla.Blakeney, the driver of the Chevy, was traveling north when the vehicle veered into the southbound lanes.The Chevy collided with the other two vehicles, resulting in fatal injuries for both Blakeney, 69, and Santana, 23.Emergency responders transported two passengers, including a 1-year-old child, to Children’s Medical Center. Additionally, four occupants from the Toyota were taken to UT Health East Texas for further medical attention.Currently, an active investigation is underway to uncover additional details about the incident.In thi...

DeSantis accused of spreading false info for trans care ban

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

By Brendan Farrington | Associated PressTALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A federal judge hearing a challenge to a transgender health care ban for minors and restrictions for adults noted Thursday that Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis repeatedly spread false information about doctors mutilating children’s genitals even though there’s been no such documented cases.The law was sold as defending children from mutilation when it is actually about preventing trans children from getting health care, Judge Robert Hinkle said to Mohammad Jazil, a lawyer for the state.“When I’m analyzing the governor’s motivation, what should I make of these statements?” Hinkle asked. “This seems to be more than just hyperbole.”Hinkle said he will rule sometime in the new year on whether the Legislature, the Department of Health and presidential candidate DeSantis deliberately targeted transgender people through the new law. He raised some skepticism about the state̵...

Police missteps let a serial killer roam free in Detroit

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

By Ed White, Del Quentin Wilber and Maddy Peek | Associated PressDETROIT — The serial killer lured women one by one into vacant homes to be murdered, posing their nude or partially clothed corpses amid cheap booze pints, crumbling sheetrock and hypodermic needles.The slayings set Detroit on edge, prompting authorities to dispatch crews on overtime to scour the city’s decrepit stock of abandoned properties for more bodies. When the killer was charged in 2019, the police chief at the time told reporters that his department had been “very diligent, relentless” in solving the crimes.But now, a year after DeAngelo Martin was sent to prison for committing four murders and two rapes, it’s clear that police were hardly diligent or relentless.Over 15 years, Detroit police failed to follow up on leads or take investigative steps that may have averted the eventual killing spree, despite having received repeated warnings that Martin was a violent predator, an Associated ...

Letters: Ostracism, displacement | Ethnic cleansing | Israel for all | Ukraine aid | Sacred sites

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Dump the language ofostracism, displacementRe: “Caltrans worries about under-freeway storage” (Page A1, Dec. 5).Although the explosion on I-10 in Los Angeles was due to fire hazard violations, this article is centered on the safety concerns of the houseless population’s presence near freeway underpasses.In the article, private and public stakeholders are given a platform to express their concerns without confronting the tacit demand for the clearance and containment of the West Oakland houseless population. Urban policy has banished unhoused populations to industrial spaces under the ostensible guise of sanitation and safety.This article buttresses the scapegoating of houseless individuals and calls for law and order — a term historically synonymous with directed criminalization, violence and displacement. Future articles should be cognizant of the rhetoric of dog whistle politics...

The six most expensive homes reported sold in Milpitas in the week of Dec. 11

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

A house that sold for $1.7 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Milpitas in the past two weeks.In total, six residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past two weeks, with an average price of $1.4 million. The average price per square foot was $835.The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded from the week of December 4 to the week of Dec. 17 even if the property may have been sold earlier.6. $1.1 million, condominium in the 100 block of Marylinn DriveThe sale of the condominium in the 100 block of Marylinn Drive in Milpitas has been finalized. The price was $1,075,000, and the new owners took over the condominium in November. The condominium was built in 1983 and has a living area of 1,505 square feet. The price per square foot was $714. The condominium features four bedrooms and two bathrooms.Marylinn Drive5. $1.2 million, condominium in the 300 block of Tempo LaneThe 1,393 squa...

Oakland police clear abandoned boats, “anchor-outs” warned to leave estuary

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

A front loader tore violently into abandoned boats while dump trucks cycled through the parking lot of the Jack London Aquatic Center on Thursday, as police began a long-awaited cleanup of the Oakland Estuary.According to Oakland Police Marine Patrol Officer Kaleo Albino, who was overseeing the operation at Jack London Square, his team hauled at least 12 abandoned or derelict vessels from the thin waterway separating Oakland and Alameda on Thursday morning. The demolished boats were then transported to a landfill.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Police missteps let a serial killer roam free in Detroit Crime and Public Safety | Letters: Fire leaders | Little accountability | Animal welfare | Wasted space Crime and Public Safety | San Jose: Death after 2022 street fight declared a homicide Crime and Public Safety | Man sentenced to 10 years after killing another driver while on fentanyl following San Bruno police purs...

Mother in court, accused of DUI crash that killed 5-year-old girl

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:00:46 GMT

MARTINEZ, Calif. (KRON) -- A Richmond mother's blood alcohol content was double the legal limit when she crashed her SUV into a tree along Highway 4 in Martinez, prosecutors said in court Thursday. The driver's 5-year-old daughter, Dearri Shula of Richmond, died at the crash scene. Shakela Janey Dominick, 32, had two children riding in her Honda SUV when she drove off of Highway 4 and crashed around midnight Sunday. The second child, an 11-year-old boy, was "barely alive" when paramedics arrived and performed CPR, a witness told KRON4.California Highway Patrol officers said the boy suffered life-threatening injuries. A 5-year-old girl was killed in this crash along Highway 4 in Martinez. Contra Costa County prosecutors charged the mother with child abuse, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury.Dominick made her first court appearance on Thursday and did not enter a plea. A judge denied lowering Dominick's bail down ...