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Westminster woman who stole $800K from feds gets 50 months in prison

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:31:17 GMT

A Westminster woman was sentenced to 50 months in prison Monday for running a seven-year scheme that stole $800,000 from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.District Court Judge William Martinez also ordered Dema Martinez to pay $813,000 in restitution to the federal government and nearly $13,000 to two banks that she lied to.Martinez, 41, pleaded guilty last October to wire fraud and fraudulent use of an unauthorized access device. In exchange, prosecutors dropped 22 other felony charges, including embezzlement, bank fraud, mail fraud, and aiding and abetting fraud.Between January 2012 and April 2019, Martinez worked as a manager at the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Division of Energy and Mineral Development, located in Lakewood. The division gives advice to tribes that are developing their energy and mineral resources.As part of her job, Martinez had a government-issued credit card. Using that card and other cards issued to her coworkers, Martinez bought everything from airline tickets,...

Innocent taxi driver killed in wrong-way crash on 110 Freeway

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:31:17 GMT

One person died and three others were injured when a wrong-way driver crashed into another car in the northbound lanes of the 110 Freeway early Friday morningThe crash happened just before 3 a.m. near Exposition Boulevard in the downtown Los Angeles area and involved a taxi and a black Chevy Cruze, according to the California Highway Patrol. Investigators say the driver of the Chevy was going southbound in the northbound lanes when they collided with the taxi, killing the cab driver. He was later identified as Ken Balayev, 71, of Calabasas.The crash scene on the 110 Freeway. May 26, 2023. (OnScene.TV)The female driver of the Cruze and a female passenger, both in their 20s, were hospitalized with serious injuries, along with a passenger of the taxi, a spokesman for CHP told KTLA.The collision forced the closure of the northbound 110 for several hours. All lanes reopened around 6 a.m.CHP is investigating if drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.

Air Traffic Control to pilots: I don't need an argument (AUDIO)

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:31:17 GMT

A close call on the runway, as two separate airliners were forced to abort landings at San Francisco International Airport last week, after pilots spotted a Southwest Airlines jet taxiing across runways where planes had been cleared to land.The incident took place on May 19, when an inbound United Airlines plane got as low as a few hundred feet over San Francisco Bay, before pilots saw the Southwest jet on the same runway. Pilots of that United plane decided to abort their landing, according to the Associated Press.Shortly after that, the crew of an incoming Alaska Airlines plane allegedly saw the same Southwest jet crossing a second, parallel runway, and aborted their landing.LIVEATC.NET provided audio to KRON4Audio of the May 19th incident has been released. In it, you can hear the air traffic controller telling the Southwest crew, “You shouldn’t be on the runway,” according to a recording captured by LiveATC.com. When one of the pilots tried to explain why they were on the runway...

The top-ranked tourist attractions in California, according to TripAdvisor

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:31:17 GMT

As the school year begins to wind down and temperatures slowly go up, many families are starting to figure out how they will spend their summer vacations. To help families plan their upcoming getaways, experts at Trip Advisor compiled a list of the top-ranked tourist attractions in California, suitable for those visiting the state this summer, or locals looking to do something fun. Study names the ‘best’ theme park in California Reviews submitted by TripAdvisor users determined the ranking.Here are the top 10 tourist attractions in California, according to Trip AdvisorDisney California Adventure Park in AnaheimA file photo of Disney California Adventure park. (Unsplash) Disney California Adventure Park, located directly across from Disneyland, celebrates California’s history and culture with various Golden State-themed attractions and experiences.Parkgoers can visit Hollywood Land, which aims to transport guests back into Hollywood’s Golden Age, catch a ride on the Red Trolley Ca...

American tourist 'severely injured' in shark attack

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:31:17 GMT

A Connecticut woman is in serious condition after she was bitten by a shark while snorkeling in Turks and Caicos, authorities said. Authorities in the Royal Turks and Caicos said the woman and her friend were on a private snorkeling trip around 3 p.m. local time Wednesday when the woman was attacked by the shark.The woman was "severely injured" in the attack, the local Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) said. An employee at a nearby resort who contacted police after the incident claimed the woman "had her leg bitten off by a shark," according to a news release from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Authorities, however, have not confirmed the extent of the victim's injuries.The DECR said the women were at the Bone Yard dive site in Princess Alexandra National Park, a marine-protected area in the islands, on Wednesday afternoon. The two friends were the only people in the water when a presumed Caribbean reef shark attacked the victim in what officia...

'Crunch' time in debt ceiling talks, as McCarthy and Biden reach for a deal with deadline looming

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:31:17 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his Republican debt negotiators hit “crunch” time Friday at the Capitol, straining to wrap up an agreement with President Joe Biden to curb federal spending and lift the nation's borrowing limit ahead of a fast-coming deadline. They hope to end weeks of frustrating talks and strike a deal by this weekend. Treasury says the government could start running out of money as soon as next Thursday, sending the U.S. into a potentially catastrophic default with economic spillover around the world.Anxious retirees and social service groups are among those already making default contingency plans. The next batch of Social Security checks are due to go out next week.“We made progress last night, we’ve got to make more progress now,” McCarthy said. "We know it's a crunch.”Democrat Biden and the Republican speaker are narrowing differences, laboring to lock in details on a two-year agreement that would restrain federal spending and lift the legal...

Albania’s First Green Agro-Tourism Business Kazerma e Cerenit Nominated for Prestigious Sustainable Tourism Award

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:31:17 GMT

 Kazerma e Cerenit, the first green agro-tourism business in Albania, has been nominated for the Sustainable Tourism Award at the prestigious World Travel Awards 2023. This nomination is a recognition of Kazerma e Cerenit’s commitment to sustainable practices in tourism and its dedication to preserving Albania’s cultural heritage.Established in 1975 as Army Barracks 3700, Kazerma e Cerenit was transformed in 2020 into a sustainable agro-tourism business that showcases Albania’s rich history and culinary artistry while promoting eco-friendly tourism. The site features solar panels throughout the area, demonstrating a commitment to renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions.Ismet Shehu, the visionary owner of Kazerma e Cerenit, said, “We are delighted to receive this nomination for the Sustainable Tourism Award. We believe that tourism can and should be sustainable, and we are proud to be leading the way in Albania. Our mission is to create an exceptional d...

Improving Everyday Experiences – Natuzzi Editions Showcases Comfort and High-quality Designs at Shenzhen Creative Week

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:31:17 GMT

Natuzzi Editions was invited to participate in the 38th Shenzhen Creative Week, jointly held from May 25 to 28 this year at Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center.Natuzzi Editions focuses on comfortable-relaxed lifestyle sharing and consumer needs. The consistent natural comfort, high-end and uncomplicated design style of Natuzzi Editions’ products are an ideal fit for the theme of this exhibition, called “New Urban Life.”To bring visitors to the Shenzhen exhibition hall a feeling of comfort and relaxation, Natuzzi Editions covered the floor with organic log slats, and platforms of different heights are designed along contour lines, so that the entire display area is full of layered levels that can be adjusted in individual areas. As you can see, the design principle of the exhibition hall follows the organic principle, and there are almost no sharp right angles throughout the exhibition hall, because the brand believes that only roundness can bring real...

Queen Elizabeth faced assassination threat during 1983 San Francisco visit, FBI reveals

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:31:17 GMT

About a month before Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the Bay Area and Yosemite National Park in 1983 — dining with President Ronald Reagan and Joe Montana and enjoying a serenade from Tony Bennett — a San Francisco police officer received an ominous call from a man he met at a favorite Irish pub.As the officer told the FBI, the man told him he wanted to avenge his daughter who “had been killed in Northern Ireland by a rubber bullet,” according to newly released FBI documents.In the call, dated Feb. 4, 1983, the man described how he would harm the British monarch during her California visit, the BBC and New York Times said, citing the FBI documents. The man said he would do this “either by dropping some object off the Golden Gate Bridge onto the Royal Yacht Britannia when it sails underneath, or (he) would attempt to kill Queen Elizabeth when she visited Yosemite National Park,” the BBC reported.Responding to the threat, the Secret Ser...

Suspect charged in Oakland crash-related shooting death

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:31:17 GMT

OAKLAND — Charges including murder have been filed against a man suspected of fatally shooting another man whose vehicle the suspect’s brother had crashed into Sunday morning in East Oakland, according to authorities and court documents.Michael Guerra, 22, is accused in the killing of 45-year-old Misael Sanchez-Villegas, who was fatally shot about 3:22 a.m. Sunday outside his home in the 10000 block of C Street.The two men did not know each other; Guerra has denied shooting Sanchez-Villegas, authorities said.Guerra is also charged with possession of a machine gun and carrying a loaded firearm on one’s person in a city.Authorities said that before the shooting, Guerra’s brother’s vehicle had struck some parked vehicles on C Street, including one belonging to Sanchez-Villegas. Guerra was in another vehicle following his brother, who police identified as Bryan Guerra, 27; he is still being sought.Both brothers, who each had guns, exited their vehicles foll...