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San Diego County proclaims local emergency ahead of Hilary impact

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:41:50 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego County officials proclaimed a local emergency Saturday night, hours before Hurricane Hilary is set to make landfall in the region as a tropical storm.The proclamation, which was issued at 9:30 p.m., was sent out by the county's Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer on behalf of the County Board of Supervisors. According to a press release from the county, the local emergency will allow the county to deploy "all available resources, actions and measures deemed necessary" to ensure the safety of residents and property. The emergency will also open up avenues for assistance from other local agencies. What previous California storms could show about Hurricane Hilary The next step will be for the Board of Supervisors to ratify the emergency within seven days, according to officials. This proclamation comes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency during a visit to southern California Saturday evening to meet with members of the Na...

What's closed/canceled in San Diego due to Hilary?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:41:50 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- From the horse races at Del Mar Racetrack to a Padres home game at Petco Park, several events have been canceled for the weekend as Hilary sweeps the region.There are also some businesses that are choosing to close their doors out of precaution as torrential rain, high wind and flooding are deemed possible amid a Tropical Storm Watch for the region. MORE: Tracking Hilary Beaches and parksAll city-run beaches and parks in San Diego will be closed both Sunday and Monday.The California State Parks Department has closed all state beaches in San Diego County in anticipation of the incoming storm, including Carlsbad State Beach, Cardiff State Beach and the Torrey Pines State Beach. Anza-Borrego State Park has also been closed due to flooding concerns, according to the department.Several National Parks will also be closed in San Diego County, including the Cleveland National Forest and Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma. As of Saturday, Cabrillo will re-open Tuesday de...

Bus engulfed in flames after hitting van in Pakistan, killing 18 people and injuring 13 others

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:41:50 GMT

MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — A bus in Pakistan caught fire after hitting a van parked on the shoulder of an intercity highway in eastern Punjab province, killing at least 18 people and injuring 13 others, police and rescue officials said Sunday. The accident occurred early Sunday near Pindi Bhattian, where the Islamabad-bound bus hit a van parked on the shoulder of the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway, senior police officer Fahad Ahmed said. The van was carrying fuel drums, which caused an inferno that engulfed the bus, Ahmed said.There were more than 40 passengers on the bus, Ahmed said. Those who were rescued were badly burned, including several in critical condition. Other passengers were slightly injured with burns after escaping through the windows. The drivers of both vehicles died, police said. Such accidents happen frequently on Pakistan’s highways, where safety standards are often ignored and traffic regulations violated. Fatigued drivers also fall asleep behind the wheel during ...

Japan’s Kishida visits Fukushima plant to highlight safety before start of treated water release

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:41:50 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a brief visit to the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant on Sunday to highlight the safety of an impending release of treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, a divisive plan that his government wants to start soon despite protests at home and abroad.His trip comes hours after he returned home Saturday from a summit with U.S. and South Korean leaders at the American presidential retreat of Camp David. Before leaving Washington on Friday, Kishida said it is time to make a decision on the treated water’s release date, which has not been set due to the controversy surrounding the plan.Since the government announced the release plan two years ago, it has faced strong opposition from Japanese fishing organizations, which worry about further damage to the reputation of their seafood as they struggle to recover from the accident. Groups in South Korea and China have also raised concerns, turning it into a polit...

Ron Cephas Jones, ‘This Is Us’ actor who won 2 Emmys, dies at 66

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:41:50 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ron Cephas Jones, a veteran stage actor who won two Emmy Awards for his role as a long-lost father who finds redemption on the NBC television drama series “This Is Us,” has died at age 66, a representative said Saturday. Jones’ manager, Dan Spilo, said in an emailed statement the actor died “due to a long-standing pulmonary issue.” “Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him,” Spilo said. Jones had a double lung transplant in 2020 because of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and spent nearly two months in a Los Angeles hospital. On “This Is Us,” Jones played William “Shakespeare” Hill, a biological father whose life is renewed through his relationship with the family of his son Randall Pearson, played by Sterling K. Brown. “One of the most wonderful people the world has ever seen is no longer with us,” Brown said in an Instagram post after Jones...

California’s big bloom aids seed collectors as climate change and wildfires threaten desert species

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:41:50 GMT

JOSHUA TREE, Calif. (AP) — Flowers that haven’t been seen in years bloomed across Southern California this spring after massive winter downpours, creating not only colorful landscapes but a boon for conservationists eager to gather desert seeds as an insurance policy against a hotter and drier future. In the Mojave Desert, seeds from parish goldeneye and brittlebush are scooped up by staff and volunteers working to build out seed banks in the hope these can be used in restoration projects as climate change pressures desert landscapes. Already this summer, the York Fire burned across the Mojave National Preserve, charring thousands of acres in the fragile ecosystem including famed Joshua trees.“This definitely highlights the importance of proactive seed banking as a fire management tool and how challenging it can be to keep up with the fire threats,” said Cody Hanford, joint executive director of the Mojave Desert Land Trust.Wildfires across the West can be deadly and wreak hav...

Broncos RB Javonte Williams feels 100 percent after first game since ACL tear

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:41:50 GMT

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Under the bright lights at Levi’s Stadium, Broncos running back Javonte Williams admitted he was a bit nervous.Denver’s second preseason matchup against the San Francisco 49ers didn’t count toward anything record-wise, but for Williams, it was his first game since tearing his ACL in October. He spent the offseason grinding through the recovery process just to be cleared for training camp. On Saturday night, he faced another hurdle: live contact.So, what did the third-year running back do? He dropped a wide-open pass from quarterback Russell Wilson on the first play of the game.“He must not like screens that are wide open,” head coach Sean Payton joked. “I gave him a hard time on that first play, but it was good to get him back in.”Preseason football might be the only time there are small victories within tough defeats. In the Broncos’ 21-20 loss to the 49ers, in which they blew an 8-point lead in the fourth, they walked away knowing Williams had returned.“I fee...

It might be just preseason, but referees drew Broncos coach Sean Payton’s ire Saturday: “Don’t know what time flights are leaving tonight”

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:41:50 GMT

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It’s hard to miss Sean Payton on the Broncos’ sideline, especially if you happen to wear black and white stripes during the game.Payton might have missed coaching, but he said Saturday he wished he didn’t have to chew on the officiating crew’s collective ear about an end-of-half situation.Denver quarterback Jarrett Stidham hit receiver Jalen Virgil for a 50-yard gain to the 1-yard line. Though he was close to the end zone, he was ruled short of the goal line with about 15 seconds to play. The Broncos had no timeouts, and Virgil injured his knee on the play. He was helped up to get lined up, but by the time Stidham snapped the ball again and spiked it, the officials ruled the game clock had run out and sent the teams to the halftime locker room.Payton, miffed at the sequence, barked at the line judge and the umpire on his way off the field.“I was a little disappointed at the end of the half. I thought we had time left; obviously the...

RB Jaleel McLaughlin is making his case for Broncos roster one TD and one practice at a time: “I wouldn’t say anyone’s surprised”

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:41:50 GMT

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Making a flashy play or two in a preseason game doesn’t land a young player on a 53-man roster.Having a good day in practice won’t do it, either.But when a guy makes plays day after day in practice and then does it every time he gets an opportunity in a game, too? That’s the path from undrafted free agent to a spot on the other side of the Aug. 29 cutdown day.If Jaleel McLaughlin has more work to do still to make the 2023 Broncos, he’s shown no sign that he’ll let up now.The former Youngstown State running back scored two more touchdowns Saturday night against San Francisco, accumulated 53 offensive yards and 44 more on a kick return, and made his loudest public statement yet that he’s going to be awfully difficult to keep off the regular-season roster.The thing is, he’s been doing this essentially since rookie minicamp in May. Earlier in training camp, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi marveled that McLaughlin “seems to break a big run at least once a day.”He...

Ron Cephas Jones, 'This Is Us' actor who won 2 Emmys, dies at 66

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:41:50 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ron Cephas Jones, a veteran stage actor who won two Emmy Awards for his role as a long-lost father who finds redemption on the NBC television drama series “This Is Us,” has died at age 66, a representative said Saturday. Jones' manager, Dan Spilo, said in an emailed statement the actor died “due to a long-standing pulmonary issue.” “Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him," Spilo said. Jones had a double lung transplant in 2020 because of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and spent nearly two months in a Los Angeles hospital. On “This Is Us,” Jones played William “Shakespeare” Hill, a biological father whose life is renewed through his relationship with the family of his son Randall Pearson, played by Sterling K. Brown. “One of the most wonderful people the world has ever seen is no longer with us,” Brown said in an Instagram post after Jones' death. “Th...