Latest news with #ContraCosta
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Immigrant rights advocates rally against ICE courthouse arrests in San Francisco
Immigrant rights advocates rallied Wednesday outside San Francisco 's immigration court to condemn the Trump administration's latest deportation tactics and implore asylum-seekers to keep their court dates despite recent arrests. Arrests have been a rarity in or near immigration courts, but U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents last week showed up at courthouses across the country to arrest migrants who appeared for routine court proceedings. The move has rattled immigrant communities already feeling pressure from the Republican administration to leave. Eight people were arrested in the San Francisco and Contra Costa County courthouses Tuesday, advocates said. At least one person was arrested last week. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Most of the people in Concord courthouse are asylum-seekers, said Ali Saidi, director of Stand Together Contra Costa, an immigration hotline and rapid response team in the county east of San Francisco. It was unclear who was being targeted and why, but speakers at the rally said agents at both courts had specific names and were not arresting people at random. They did not have details of the people who were arrested. 'It seems to be targeted arrests that they could have done at other locations," Saidi said, 'but chose to do it at the court in order to — it appears — make people afraid to come to court.' Speakers implored immigrants to keep their court dates, because missing a hearing would make them subject to a removal order and deportation. They said lawyers are available, as are volunteers, to accompany them to court.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
About 50 birds have dropped dead in an East Bay neighborhood. Why electrocution is being ruled out
The Brief About 50 dead birds have been reported in a Contra Costa County neighborhood. Some residents suspected the birds were electrocuted by a power pole. But state wildlife officials found no signs of electrocution, though they concluded the birds had "injuries consistent with trauma." RICHMOND, Calif. - There are many unanswered questions following the discovery of dozens of dead birds in a residential neighborhood in western Contra Costa County. About 50 dead birds have reportedly been discovered in the unincorporated community of East Richmond Heights in recent weeks. Some residents suspected the birds came in contact with a malfunctioning power line and fell to their deaths after being electrocuted. SEE ALSO:Orphaned raccoons living in walls of Chase Center rescued by SF animal care officers There were reports of residents hearing a zapping noise prior to the birds being found dead. The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office said last month, deputies were called to the 6100 block of Bernhard Avenue. "A resident reported multiple birds were possibly electrocuted when they landed on a power line," investigators said in an earlier statement. Sheriff's officials said PG&E was alerted to inspect the power lines. The utility brought two dead birds it had collected to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for investigation, according to the state agency. In a statement, wildlife officials told KTVU that a mourning dove and a European starling were evaluated. What they're saying "CDFW's Wildlife Health Lab staff found no signs of electrocution in the collected birds," the agency told KTVU in a statement. Officials said it appeared the birds may have been shot at. "The birds did show injuries consistent with trauma that could possibly have been caused by a pellet gun, BB gun or a slingshot," CDFW said. Officials also noted that state wildlife experts reviewed photos of four other dead birds from the Bernhard Avenue neighborhood and concluded that those birds also suffered injuries consistent with trauma, though they could not identify the exact cause of the trauma. PG&E said it has sent crews to the area, and given its findings and those by the CDFW, the utility does not believe its equipment caused the avian deaths. "The power pole at issue is compliant with avian safe guidance, as established by the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee," PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian told KTVU. Even after making those conclusions, the utility said it sent another electric worker to the location last week for further investigation, due to the ongoing and heightened concerns of the residents in the neighborhood. "He confirmed that everything in our electric system in that location was operating safely and properly," Sarkissian said. KTVU reached out to the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office and the county's Animal Services Department about possible investigations they may be conducting but did not immediately receive responses.
CBS News
10-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Invasive mosquito known for dengue, yellow fever found in Antioch
An invasive mosquito has been found in Antioch, the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District said Friday. The species, Aedes aegypti, is capable of transmitting pathogens that can cause Zika virus, dengue fever, and yellow fever. The species was found in an area of Antioch where the district also found invasive mosquitoes last fall. District employees recently re-inspected locations where the mosquitoes were previously found. A sample taken this week from one of those properties contained young mosquitoes developing in the water and one recently emerged adult. The district said in a statement it will likely find more of these mosquitoes as it inspects more properties. An Aedes aegypti mosquito is pictured at a laboratory of the Center for Parasitological and Vector Studies (CEPAVE) of the national scientific research institute CONICET, in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, on March 26, 2024. Researchers at CONICET are studying the biology, genetic characteristics and behaviour of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, transmitter of dengue, zika and chikungunya, and creating biological control strategies as Argentina is facing a significant growing number of dengue cases. LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images "As the district's main goal is to protect public health for all Contra Costa County residents, at this time, we need Antioch residents to be extra vigilant to remove any amount of standing water that is present in your front and back yard," the district's operations manager David Wexler said in the statement. "Scheduling a district inspection of your front and back yard is strongly recommended, as Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are found in hard-to-find locations." Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are very small, about a quarter-inch, with black bodies and pearly white stripes and spots. They lay sticky eggs above the water line in any size container that holds water, including potted plants or other outdoor containers. Because of their disease risk and their ability to grow from egg to adult in even very small amounts of water, the district said it is critically important that residents work with the district to prevent them from becoming established in the area. The district says to dump out any amount of standing water from any back or front yard container, including buckets, toys, tires, fountains, flowerpot saucers, pet bowls, and that people should report unmaintained swimming pools to the district. It also says people should wear mosquito repellent when outside and report any daytime mosquito biting to the district at (925) 685-9301 or can go to
