KFBK - A California Department of Water Resources employee is accused of posting sexually explicit ads on Craigslist -- while on the job.
This all started after Paul David Murray and his ex-fiance broke up. News10 is reporting the civil engineer began posting ads online, claiming to be Brandi-Lyn Vedder and her best friend.
The two women then began receiving an onslaught of phone calls and text messages from people, responding to the sexually explicit postings on Craigslist.
The women had a strong idea who was behind the ads. So Vedder's friend, who is also a cyber security specialist, went to work and found out
Murray had been posting most of the ads while he was working in his office at the DWR.
KFBK - For the fourth year in a row, California's high school graduation rate continues to climb.
Eighty-point-two percent of students that started the 2009-2010 school year graduated with their class in 2013. This matches the national average. Sacramento County is also showing good numbers compared to last year. Graduates increased by two-point-four percent sitting at 79-percent.
California's State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson says - more career education in schools is playing a big role. 'Whether hey're going into healthcare academies and career pathways, whether they're going into computer sciences or construction, they see the relevancy of their education so we're investing hundreds of millions of dollars into career education - and it's paying off. Students are staying in school - they're motivated."
Fifty-five teams made up of
high school students from all across California are at UC Davis, competing in
the 10th Annual First Robotic Competitions, where their robots will
battle head-to-head.
Mentor and spokesperson for the
competition Beth Traub says teams have to work together to move a yoga sitting
ball. Stephanie Zang is from Palo Alto High School with Team 1868, an all girls
team. Zang says her group feels good
going into the competition. The First Robotics
Competition officially starts on Friday, with the Championship on Saturday. The
four teams who make it past this competition will go on to St. Louis for
Nationals.
KFBK - Overcrowded classrooms are a common thing for school's in California, but if Gov. Jerry Brown get's his way, we may see classrooms shrink a bit.
The governor's new school-funding plan looks to reduce the number of students in kindergarten through third grade. In the mandate, schools must reduce class sizes or face a 10 percent funding reduction. But according to the chief business officer for the Sacramento School Distict, Ken Forrest, the school district can't afford it.
Forrest says the district stands to lose $7.1 million for in-state pupil funding because of declining school enrollment for next year.
The state's new school funding program sets the goal of 24 students per class and districts must reduce their class-size gap by 28 percent by next year. However, school districts can keep the larger class sizes if the teacher union agrees to it.
KFBK - Citrus farmers in California and the rest of the country are keeping an eye on our water reserves, because they're getting low.
California is in one of its driest calendar years on record with reservoirs having very little storage remaining. Our state produces 85% of fresh fruits for the United States, some of which that can only be grown here. Bob Blakely with California Citrus Mutual says this drought can affect everyone.
"So you have all of these vital commodities, fresh produce, fruits, and vegetables that the entire country relies on California to produce those, and without water that won't happen," Blakely said.
The ongoing drought is having some very negative implications for the livestock industry as well,
"There are some areas like the central coast here in California, they're at an all time low. This is the driest year we've seen since 1917 in that area" said Stevie Ipsen of the California Cattleman's Assocation.
Ipsen continued to say the situation is critical because reserves are already depleted.
"I've heard a lot of cattle producers say that in the next couple of months if they don't see some rain, that it could put them out of business entirely, and I believe that most California ranchers would be forced to sell some of their cows," said Ipsen.
Naturally, by law of supply and demand, that could lead to higher costs at the market.
If this dry weather persists and there isn't enough water in reservoirs, farmers will be forced to reach into their well reserves, which can deplete ground water.
On the eve of Christmas, Governor Jerry Brown pardoned 127 convicted fellons.
To be pardoned, those individuals needed to have completed their sentences and been out of custody for more than a decade.
Pardons are granted when someone convicted of crime has demonstrated exemplary behavior and recieved a certificate of rehabilitation. Former Sheriff and KFBK host John McGinnis, however, doesn't believe that's a good idea.
"We are the sum total of what we have done with our lives. Now if these people have been arrested and served their sentence that's all well and good, but they still can not erase what has been done and I think society has a right to know about them," McGinnis said.
Pardons clear a person's record so not even officers during traffic stops can know of previous arrests or confrontations.
KFBK - Losing your smart phone can also mean losing a lot of valuable information. Now a proposed bill is aiming to reduce that chance.
Right now, so called kill-switch technology exists. It makes your phone unusable if it's been lost or stolen. But not all phone carriers give that option for their customers. Well, a new bill being introduced by Sen. Mark Leno this January will make it a requirement for phone companies to have that added feature.
Leno says phone manufacturers are on board -- but its the phone companies that say no.
"They have a financial incentive for the status quo. They are profiting off this crime in that they sell insurance and profit from that. Of course, also then benefit to have to set up a new account and spend more dollars," he said.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, cell phone thefts account for 30-to-40 percent of all roberies nationwide.
For the first time since 2010, both California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Student-Athletes of the Month, hail from the same college. For the month of March, it was the Mounties and Mt. SAC that garnered both awards, with Garrett Nevels of the Men's Basketball Team and Emily Seidel of the Women's Softball Team, both earning student-athlete of the month honors. Continue reading...
Nearly
a year after the California Bank and Trust in Chino was robbed and an officer
shot, law enforcement is still looking for the man responsible, a man they’ve
named the "AK-47 Bandit".
On
February 29th 2012, the chino police department received a
9-1-1 phone call of a bomb that was intended to distract officers from the bank
robbery. FBI
Assistant Director Bill Lewis says they know things that can lead to the arrest
of the bandit.
A $100,000 reward has been issued for information leading to
the arrest of the suspect.
He
has also hit banks in northern California, Washington and most recently in Idaho.
If you have any information that can lead to an arrest, you can call 1-855-9-BANDIT or submit a tip at Tips.FBI.gov
For more pictures of the suspect, Click Here.
(San Andreas, CA Dec 17, 2011) - In a telephone call this morning, Bob Barker informed Pat Derby, Director of the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), that he will be providing all of the costs of transport for the relocation of the three Toronto Zoo African elephants, Toka, Thika and Iringa, to ARK 2000, PAWS' 2,300 acre sanctuary in northern California. To continue reading, Click Here.
W is for Winning – Warehouse Workers Take on Walmart
by Guadalupe Palma, Warehouse Workers United
There are some big changes coming to the Inland Empire, thanks to the organizing efforts of and solidarity of workers in Walmart contracted warehouses. Last October, after working in scorching heat with no breaks for hours on end, roughly 100 workers at a major Walmart contracted warehouse took legal action against Schneider Logistics after noticing wages were being stolen from their paychecks. To continue reading click here.
Comment, Share & "Like"
Do you know anyone who is a victim of Schneider Logistics or its sub-contractors?
How do you feel about this story?
According to Fox News, over a month ago, 16-year-old Zaineb Chaudhary ran away from home after her father arranged a marriage for her with a man in Pakistan. Police say the girl's father went to Pakistan in October to set up the marriage. The last time anyone saw her was March 11 at her high school.
Police say the missing girl met a 39-year-old man in El Monte. They met on a social network where she said she was 19. El Monte police interviewed the man, who claims he hasn't seen her.
Her sister spoke out during a press conference saying the family just wants to know if she is safe and where she is. She added that her sister doesn't need to worry about the family hurting her which raised more questions.
It is normal in Pakistani culture for the father to arrange marriages for their daughters as young as 16 years and is considered a "honor crime" to back out of one. In Pakistan, the general punishment for committing a "honor crime" is death. According to Fox News, since 1998 there have been 4,000 killings across Pakistan for women refusing an arranged marriage.
Police say if Chaudhary is afraid for her safety from her family, she can come to the police where they can put her in protective custody. A girl raised in the United States but raised by a culture her parents grew up in can cause conflict with Pakistani-Americans.
COMMENT and Follow Me On Twitter and Be Sure To "Like" This Blog What do you think of this news story?
Were you or someone you know raised by parents from a different culture and are expected to follow their ways?
.JPG)
