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With roots in Silicon Valley, this century-old fruit business has ties to your cereal bowl

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:28 GMT

If you’re a dried fruit lover, you may have spotted the Mariani name in the supermarket aisle — and not just on bags of raisins or dried apricots. The 117-year-old Mariani Packing Company sells dried pineapple, mango and banana chips, too, and more cranberries than you could ever imagine.Today, the Vacaville-based company is led by George Sousa Jr., the fourth generation to manage this family business with operations around the world. But it all started in 1906, when Croatian-born Paul Mariani followed his high school sweetheart and her family to Silicon Valley. The couple married, bought an orchard in Cupertino and opened a dried fruit business. It’s still going strong, having survived multiple moves and a shift to a global marketplace — and an if-only-we’d-known, missed opportunity to sell land to Apple before the tech company made it big.We caught up with Sousa to hear more about the world of dried fruit, the challenges related to shepherding a famil...

Northern California bookstore destroyed in fire; owner finds help from Bigfoot community

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:28 GMT

On Sept. 1, Steven Streufert nearly died in the fire that consumed his bookstore in Willow Creek.Streufert — a type one diabetic — passed out shortly before the fire began, was awoken by the flames and made it to the front porch before losing consciousness again. The smoke was spotted by a California Highway Patrol officer, who dragged Streufert from the porch to safety, where he was then loaded onto an ambulance and taken to Mad River Community Hospital in Arcata.“I was in a state of low blood sugar when they found me sitting on the front porch or unconscious on the front porch, with smoke billowing out the windows and flames encroaching,” Streufert said.Bigfoot Books, with the triple whammy of online shopping, the pandemic and a decline in the local economy due to cannabis legalization, was no longer financially viable, and Streufert canceled his insurance for the books when the expense began to pile higher than what he was making.Because Streufert had been living in the building ...

Cal Bears look for more spark at quarterback heading into Pac-12 opener at No. 8 Washington

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:28 GMT

Cal is scoring 33 points a game so far this season, its highest offensive production in non-conference play since 2016, the last time Jake Spavital was the Bears’ offensive coordinator.But college football in the Pac-12 is a different landscape in 2023, and Spavital is the first to acknowledge this isn’t good enough.“This is a very dynamic league of offensive football,” said Spavital, alluding to the fact that six Pac-12 teams are averaging at least 40 points. “We’ve got to be able to match the firepower of these other schools.”So the Bears (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12) prepared this week for a Saturday night road game against No. 8 Washington (3-0, 0-0) — the most prolific passing team in the nation — by opening up the competition at quarterback.We don’t know if the starter will be Sam Jackson V — who won the job in the spring and was No. 1 after fall camp — or North Carolina State transfer Ben Finley. Both got heavy reps during practice as Spavital searched for greater explosiveness and effic...

Amazon is bringing ads to Prime Video and will charge you to avoid them

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:28 GMT

By Jordan Valinsky | CNNNew York — Amazon is joining other streaming services and inserting ads into its programming.Beginning next year, shows and movies on its Prime Video service will “include limited advertisements,” the company announced Friday. Amazon’s change brings it in line with its rivals, like Netflix and Max, adding ad-supported tiers as companies search for additional revenue.Amazon explained that ads will help it “continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time.” Spending on its content, which includes “Thursday Night Football” and its original series, soared nearly 30% in 2022 to $16.6 billion.The company didn’t reveal how long the ad breaks will be, but did say its shows and movies will have “meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers.”Related ArticlesTV Streaming | Murdoch’s exit comes as conservative media is increasingly fractured TV Streaming | Ho...

Oregon mom gets 30 days for waterboarding baby, putting him in freezer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:28 GMT

By KPTV Web staffPORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) — A mother was given a 30-day jail sentence after Oregon prosecutors claim that during an incident in 2021, she waterboarded her child and placed him in the freezer as a test to see whether the father would take any notice.Sharday McDonald was given a 30-day jail sentence after Oregon prosecutors claim that during an incident in 2021, she waterboarded her child and placed him in the freezer as a test to see whether the father would take any notice.(Multnomah County Detention Center/KPTV) On October 28, 2021, police were called to Sharday McDonald’s apartment in Gresham to check on her welfare after hearing a tip that the mother had put her infant in the freezer, according to court documents. McDonald, 30, pleaded guilty to counts of criminal mistreatment, ID theft, and tampering with a witness.The mother could be heard screaming at the child’s father, Kendrick Neal, as the policeman stood outside McDonald’s apartment, “I’m about to...

Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and wife indicted on bribery charges, Justice Department says

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:28 GMT

By Kara Scannell | CNNNew Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez was charged Friday with corruption-related offenses for the second time in 10 years.Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, are accused of accepting “hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes” in exchange for the senator’s influence, according to the newly unsealed federal indictment. Prosecutors allege the bribes included gold, cash, home mortgage payments, compensation for “low-or-no-show job” and a luxury vehicle.Also charged are Will Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes.This is the second set of corruption charges levied against Menendez by the Justice Department in a decade. He previously fought off conspiracy, bribery and honest services fraud related to alleged personal favors.Menendez is up for re-election next year. He has been in the Senate since 2006.Senate Democratic Caucus rules will force Menendez to step aside as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, but he can still serve on the panel. CNN ha...

1 arrested after alleged stabbing on BART train overnight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:28 GMT

(KRON) -- An alleged attacker was arrested around midnight Friday after police responded to a reported stabbing on board a BART train arriving at an Oakland station.Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department officers were on scene Friday just after the alleged stabbing on board a train at the 19th Street Station in Oakland and made an arrest at 12:20 a.m., BART Police told KRON4. The suspect was identified by authorities as 44-year-old Tamire Edwards of Oakland.The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the alleged stabbing, BART Police said. 2 dead in domestic violence shooting at Albany Toyota service center The alleged stabbing is believed to be unprovoked, according to investigators. The investigation into the alleged attack and the motive remains ongoing.Edwards was booked into the Alameda County jail.

1.2 million California inflation relief payments haven't yet been redeemed

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:28 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – While a few thousand Californians are still waiting to receive the Middle Class Tax Refund, more than a million debit cards preloaded with hundreds of dollars are sitting unused, according to state data. The state started issuing the direct payments, between $200 to $1,050, last October to help combat the rising cost of living. The "inflation relief" payments were sent out two ways: direct deposit and debit card. Of the 9.6 million debit cards sent out, 87% have been activated, according to the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB). More California inflation relief payments being sent this month That leaves 13% of cards that haven't yet been activated or used – about 1,248,000 people who qualified for the assistance, but haven't cashed in yet. The unactivated cards hold an estimated total of $600 million in unused benefits. The FTB is sending out letters to people who haven't yet activated their cards, reminding them to do so. Once a card is activated, it can be used t...

La Casa Blanca en miras de crear la primera oficina federal para prevenir la violencia armada

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:28 GMT

El presidente Joe Biden anunció el jueves planes para que la Casa Blanca establezca una oficina de prevención de la violencia armada, primera en su tipo. La nueva oficina será supervisada por la vicepresidenta Kamala Harris y dirigida por Stefanie Feldman, asesora política de Biden desde hace mucho tiempo en cuestiones de armas. Su creación es una victoria para los grupos de defensa que han estado presionando a Biden durante años para que designe una oficina para coordinar las medidas de prevención de la violencia armada en todo el gobierno federal. Según funcionarios, Harris fue elegida para liderar esta iniciativa por la pasión que siente a nivel personal por este asunto. Estalla la violencia: esta es la lista de asesinatos en masa en EEUU desde enero En detalle: la orden ejecutiva de Biden para endurecer los controles en la compra de armas “La epidemia de violencia armada que vive Estados Unidos requiere de un liderazgo u...

DC area braces for rain, wind from powerful weekend storm

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:10:28 GMT

The D.C. area is bracing for rain and wind from a powerful coastal storm expected to inundate the region starting Friday night and lasting through the weekend. Here’s what you need to know.The National Hurricane Center said that the tropical cyclone is approaching the East Coast toward North Carolina and it will affect the D.C. region.Listen to WTOP online and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM.Current traffic conditionsWeather forecastClosings and DelaysSign up for WTOP alerts7News First Alert Chief Meteorologist Veronica Johnson said the storm system is expected to bring widespread minor tidal flooding across the region, with the potential for moderate flooding along D.C.’s Southwest Waterfront as well as Annapolis and parts of Southern Maryland.The National Weather Service has issued several coastal flood watches and advisories.A Coastal Flood Watch is in effect for D.C., Arlington and Alexandria, from Saturday morning to late Saturday night with up to a foot of inu...