Chaos and unrest are intensifying at California universities and colleges as protests against the Israel-Hamas war continue. Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement Wednesday, condemning violence that unfolded Tuesday night at UCLA. Newsom says “the right to free speech does not extend to inciting violence, vandalism, or lawlessness on campus.” He adds those engaging in illegal behavior will be held accountable either through criminal prosecution, suspension, or expulsion.
As the warmer months approach, a reminder to parents and caregivers that car heat can be fatal for children. When a child is left in a car, even at 60 degrees outside, their body temperature can rise to 107 degrees or higher, leading to possible death. (:08) Laura Dunn with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says almost forty children die of heat stroke every year after being left or getting into a hot car. During the summer, that’s an average of two children per week. In California, since 1998, fifty-six children have died in hot cars. It’s the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related fatalities for kids 14 and younger. Hot car deaths occur in three main scenarios. “Forgotten” cases are when a child is left behind in a hot car. “Gained access” cases in which the child gets into a car and can’t get out. And “Left behind,” in which a child is knowingly left in a vehicle.
President Biden is coming back to California next week. He’ll be in the San Francisco Bay Area for a fundraiser on May 10th at the home of a billionaire venture capitalist. Tickets are said to range from 66-hundred dollars to 100-thousand. It’s unclear what day the President will arrive and if he has any public events scheduled anywhere else in the state.
An update on a story we told you earlier this week. Organic walnuts sold locally at several stores are linked with E. coli food poisoning. The walnuts, sold in bulk and produced by Gibson Farms Incorporated, are connected with at least a dozen illnesses in California and Washington state. Seven people have been hospitalized and two have developed a rare kidney disease as a result. The walnuts were sold at several markets throughout Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake counties. The recalled walnuts have an expiration date between May 21st, 2025, and June 7th, 2025. If you purchased bulk walnuts recently, you should throw them out or contact your point of purchase to see if they’re included in the recall.
Lake County’s annual burn ban started yesterday. According to the Lake County Air Quality Management District, the ban applies to all areas in Lake County. If you had a burn permit, it expired on April 30th. In order to address concerns over fire hazards and air quality, the burn ban includes any open burning. There are some exceptions for things like agricultural operations, public safety burns, hazard reduction, and essential controlled burning. The ban also serves the purpose of speeding up emergency response to fires, as they’ll all be considered uncontrolled fires unless there’s an exemption permit in place. Anyone caught burning without the exemption permit could face citations and fines, and may be on the hook for the cost of fire agency response.
California Redwood Coast Humboldt County Airport was forced to close a terminal and security checkpoint after a suspicious item was found in a passengers luggage. It happened yesterday just before 4pm when TSA called in the Humboldt county Sheriff’s Office to investigate. A safety barrier was set up around the area so other flights could remain on schedule. Thankfully, no flights had to be delayed. TSA reported the suspicious item was cleared by the HCSO around 7:30pm, and the terminal and security checkpoint opened again just before 8.
