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San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area man threatened execution of school official over Pride flags, police say
A Petaluma man has been arrested on suspicion of threatening to execute a school district official if Pride flags weren't removed from city campuses, police said. Josh Garzoli, 54, was arrested shortly after noon Thursday after leaving a voicemail and email demanding removal of the LGBTQ flags, as well as a visit to the Petaluma City Schools administration office, police said. Garzoli first left an email with the district official on May 30 threatening 'harsh consequences' if the flags weren't removed from city campuses, according to the Petaluma Police Department. He also visited the district's office last Monday demanding removal of the flags, but left without further incident, police said. Officers responded at 9:18 a.m. Thursday after Garzoli sent an email saying he would have the district official, who has not been identified, 'executed' if the flags were not removed by the end of the school day, police said. The threat was time sensitive and caused safety concerns for school officials, police said. Detectives located and arrested Garzoli without incident and booked him on suspicion of making criminal threats, a felony, police said. The agency was granted a bail enhancement of $750,000, police said. Petaluma City Schools, which have flown the Pride flags on campuses from late May through the end of June since 2022 after a unanimous resolution by the board, issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to diversity, according to the Press Democrat. District officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. 'The Petaluma Police Department takes all criminal threats seriously,' police said in a statement. 'We are working closely with Petaluma City Schools to ensure additional security measures are in place and that district personnel feel supported and protected. The safety of our school staff, students, and broader community is our highest priority.'
San Francisco Chronicle
02-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Hedge fund buys Press Democrat and four other North Bay publications
Hedge fund Alden Capital's MediaNews Group is acquiring the Press Democrat newspaper and five other North Bay publications. The purchase agreement, confirmed by the companies on Thursday, would add the Santa Rosa-based publication to Alden's dozens of newspaper holdings that include the Mercury News, East Bay Times and San Diego Union-Tribune. 'We always believed that a viable, independent local press was vital to our North Bay community. We believe that the newspaper, its staff and most importantly the public will be best served under the stewardship of MediaNews Group, with the newspaper expertise and financial resources necessary to carry on our mission of delivering the highest-caliber local journalism for future North Bay generations,' said Darius Anderson, managing member of Sonoma Media Investments, in a statement. The sale would honor the existing contract between the newspaper and the Pacific Media Workers Guild, the newsroom's union. 'We are honored to bring a newspaper of this quality into MediaNews Group,' said Frank Pine, executive editor of MediaNews Group, in a statement. 'We appreciate the importance of local news and information to the communities where we publish and are proud to expand our commitment to Northern California in the North Bay.' The Press Democrat won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for its coverage of the Tubbs Fire. The sale also includes the Sonoma Index-Tribune, Petaluma Argus-Courier, North Bay Business Journal, Sonoma magazine, Sonoma County Gazette and La Prensa Sonoma. Hearst, owner of the Chronicle, was also reportedly a bidder for the newspapers.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Law enforcement warns of dangerous post-disaster scam preying on vulnerable residents: 'I find it disgusting'
Officials are warning California residents to be vigilant against a post-disaster scam that could cost them thousands of dollars. As detailed by the Press Democrat, multiple residents received notice that their vehicles had been towed as the Eaton fire, which destroyed more than 9,400 structures, was blazing. One Altadena resident received a call in the middle of the night that the city approved the towing of his family car, but that didn't appear to be the case for him or other impacted residents. "They did it before there was any perimeter set up, before the [highway patrol] got there, while the fire was still going. A lot of people have filed stolen car claims; tow companies just took them," said Sgt. Regina Garay, supervisor of the Inland Empire Auto Insurance Fraud Task Force. Weeks later, he and his wife heard the operators had moved their vehicle more than 30 miles away. They would need to pay $3,000 to retrieve it. As of early March, some wildfire survivors were still trying to reunite with their vehicles. "I find it disgusting that these fraudulent tow operators exploited fire survivors during their time of distress," Los Angeles County supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement. "Those behind this abhorrent scheme must be held accountable and brought to justice." The situation came to Barger's attention after she stumbled across a Facebook post titled, "Eaton Fire Hall of Shame." After investigating the matter, Barger learned from the Inland task force that the Eaton fire wasn't the first instance of "bandit" tow truck operators moving vehicles and holding them for thousands of dollars. According to the report, a task force discovered an auto fraud ring making false insurance claims for towed vehicles starting in 2022. What would you do if natural disasters were threatening your home? Move somewhere else Reinforce my home Nothing This is happening already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The force, led in part by the Department of Insurance, California Highway Patrol, and Riverside and San Bernardino County district attorneys, alleged they found more than $216,932 in false insurance claims. They charged 16 tow truck operators with stealing money, property, or personal information by pretending to be drivers' insurance companies. It is unclear if the Eaton Fire towings are related to the auto fraud ring investigation. Nonetheless, the situation raises the alarm, as an uptick in supercharged extreme weather events may provide further opportunities for scammers to take advantage of residents. In the Golden State, a warming climate driven by the burning of dirty fuels has increased the severity and frequency of wildfires, with the area burned by blazes expanding every year since 1950, according to the California Air Resources Board. As the task force continues its investigation, the state's insurance department is warning drivers to be on their guard against potential towing scams. In the event of a crash, it says drivers should contact their insurance companies before signing papers. Drivers should also look out for red flags, such as a tow truck driver failing to request their preferred shop. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
CBS News
05-02-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Mudslide buries portion of Santa Rosa home, trapping residents
A mudslide cascaded onto a home in Santa Rosa Tuesday evening, trapping residents inside until rescue crews were able to reach them, authorities said. The Sonoma County Fire Protection District said the slide happened around 5 p.m. Tuesday on Deer Trail Court west of Wallace Road and just east of Rincon Ridge. The slide severely damaged the home, collapsing part of its walls and roof and causing the home to buckle with the second floor separating from the bottom portion of the home. District spokeswoman Karen Hancock said the slide trapped residents inside the home for a time until firefighters safely rescued them. No injuries were reported. The house, perched against a hillside, had been rebuilt on the burn scar after the 2017 Tubbs Fire, making it especially vulnerable to heavy rain, said Hancock. The Press Democrat reported residents of the home had previously evacuated during the 2019 Kincade Fire and 2020 Glass Fire, both of which narrowly missed the home. The home was the second to be damaged or destroyed in Sonoma County on Tuesday because of the effects of the atmospheric river-fueled storm. Earlier during Tuesday's downpour, a slide pushed a home into the swollen Russian River in Forestville, where it was completely washed away. No one was in the home at the time.
