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BCDA: Pittsfield man tried enticing teen through Facebook

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:53 GMT

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (NEWS10) -- A Pittsfield man was arraigned after attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl through Facebook for sexual activity. James Wojtkowski, 42, was arraigned on Tuesday. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! According to the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office, between April 29 and 30, Wojtkowski contacted a 14-year-old girl living in North Adams through Facebook. Wojtkowski allegedly asked the girl where she went to school, where she lived, and if she could sneak out of her house.Wojtkowski also allegedly asked her about her sexual history and discussed performing sexual acts on her. Law enforcement says he sent nude images of himself as well. Wojtkowski arranged to meet her at a set location. Applications available for home heating assistance When Wojtkowski arrived, he was met by North Adams Police. Wojtkowski had been communicating with an undercover North Adams Police Officer the entire time. Charg...

'You Paid For It' team helps get abandoned St. Louis County home torn down

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:53 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. -- Residents of an unincorporated St. Louis County subdivision are getting results after contacting FOX 2's "You Paid For It" investigative team about a burned-out abandoned home. The house in the Florissant area subdivision had been sitting vacant for five and a half years, and it was an awful sight.Reginald Newburn had been working for five years to get the house torn down. He sent emails, called, and attended county council meetings.Newburn first called FOX 2 in April to try to get something done. The abandoned house was becoming a real nightmare, with drug dealers and vagrants using it. Reginald was determined to make a change. Drivers may get rude surprise after alleged DMV fraud After he called You Paid For It, Investigator Elliott Davis got on the case. He reached County Executive Sam Page’s spokesman, Doug Moore.Moore promised action and results. But when the house was still standing months later, Elliott reached out to Moore again. This time, he prov...

Nine cartel members indicted for allegedly trafficking “large quantities” of drugs into Adams County

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:53 GMT

Nine members of a drug cartel based in Mexico have been indicted by an Adams County grand jury for allegedly trafficking drugs into Adams County.An investigation called Operation Dress for Less by the Drug Trafficking Unit of the Adams County District Attorney’s Office, the North Metro Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration Rocky Mountain Field Division looked into the distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamines, and cocaine between the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico and the greater Adams County area, according to a news release from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.The North Metro Task Force identified local distributors in Westminster and Federal Heights.The investigation uncovered an entire distribution network of co-conspirators that connected Mexico to Colorado, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona.The nine people indicted are members of the Sanudo-Rivera Drug Trafficking Organization and acted as a direct cartel pipeline for distribution into Adams County, a...

Pedestrian hit, killed on 101 Freeway; traffic halted

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:53 GMT

All traffic of the southbound side of the 101 Freeway in Hollywood was closed early Wednesday morning after a pedestrian was hit by a car. Footage from Sky5 shows CHP patrol vehicles stopping traffic in the middle of the 101 near the Vermont Avenue exit.Authorities halted all traffic on a stretch of the southbound 101 Freeway after a pedestrian was reportedly struck on Nov. 1, 2023. (KTLA)The pedestrian died from their injuries, according to KTLA 5’s Rich Prickett. The incident comes just two days after another person was fatally struck on the 101 Freeway near the Santa Monica Boulevard exit in Hollywood in an early morning collision. 

Man confronts loud kids with AR-style rifle, witnesses say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:53 GMT

HEMET, Calif. - A man was taken into custody after witnesses say he confronted a group of children with an AR-style rifle on Halloween night.Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of Columbia Street and Collegian Way in Hemet around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday after receiving multiple calls of man with a gun, authorities said.  1 hospitalized after truck crashes into Hollywood pizza shop According to witnesses, the man had come out of his home to confront a group of children who were reportedly being loud. Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the area of Columbia Street and Collegian Way in Hemet around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. (OnSceneTV) By the time deputies arrived on scene, the man had barricaded himself inside his home. After just a few minutes, he surrendered and was taken into custody, RCSD said, although no firearm was located.it was unclear if he would face charges.No injuries were reported.

Firefighters battle early-morning house fire in Gardena 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:53 GMT

A residence went up in flames early Wednesday morning, eliciting a massive response from fire crews. The blaze first broke out around 5 a.m. near the intersection of Artesia Boulevard and Denker Street in Gardena and was captured by Sky5. Video shows firefighters battling active flames from on the residence’s roof and cutting it open to ventilate the structure. The blaze first broke out around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 near the intersection of Artesia Boulevard and Denker Street in Gardena, CA. (KTLA)The blaze first broke out around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 near the intersection of Artesia Boulevard and Denker Street in Gardena, CA. (KTLA)The blaze first broke out around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 near the intersection of Artesia Boulevard and Denker Street in Gardena, CA. (KTLA)Around 5:30 a.m., first responders were able to make their way into the home and confirm that nobody remained inside, said KTLA's Rich Prickett. Pedestrian reportedly...

Bay Area News Group high school football predictions: Week 11, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:53 GMT

Our all-in-fun Bay Area News Group high school football picks competition rolls along.In the 11th and final week of the regular season, we pick 16 more games or, as we chat about in our video roundtable, jinx/motivate 16 more teams.Mike Lefkow, who raised eyebrows last week when he stated that Serra’s 2023 team might be the Bay Area’s best of all time, did not walk back his thoughts even though the Padres didn’t rout Valley Christian on Friday.Serra won 24-13.“I don’t regret what I said at all,” Lefkow said. “In fact, I still think that way. People were talking about the problems that Serra had last week in beating Valley Christian. I think that was a good victory for Serra. I’m sorry. Maybe I’m a little different. OK, so they didn’t go out and win by 40 points.“But when it was 14-13 in the third quarter, they scored the last 10 points in the game. They had a two-score victory. They had a good victory against a good t...

Realtors found liable for $1.8 billion in damages in conspiracy to keep commissions high

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:53 GMT

By Elisabeth Buchwald | CNNWashington, DC  — A Missouri jury on Tuesday found the National Association of Realtors, a real estate industry trade group, and some residential brokerages liable for nearly $1.8 billion in damages after determining they conspired to keep commissions for home sales artificially high.The lawsuit covered home sales that took place between April 2015 to June 2022.“We view it as a tremendous day of accountability for these companies,” Michael Ketchmark, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, told CNN.Despite the verdict, the matter is still far from being resolved.“This matter is not close to being final. We will appeal the liability finding because we stand by the fact that NAR rules serve the best interests of consumers, support market-driven pricing and advance business competition,” NAR president Tracy Kasper said in a statement after the verdict was announced.However, she said NAR “can’t speak to the specifics” to its basis of appeal until it is filed. “I...

Prep roundup: Valley Christian wins individual, team CCS girls golf championship

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:53 GMT

Girls golfCCS CHAMPIONSHIPSValley Christian was the Central Coast Section’s best in girls golf on Tuesday, individually and as a team.Varsha Ramachandran shot 3-under 69 at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch to win the section’s individual championship by a stroke over her Valley Christian teammate, Joyce Zhang, and a duo from Stevenson, Lucinda Wu and Nicole Iniakov.Leland’s Lexi Lowe and Harker’s Allison Yang each shot 72.Valley Christian placed first in the team standings, finishing at 385. Stevenson (393) was second and Harker (407) took third.The top three teams and four individuals not on a qualifying team move on to the NorCal regionals on Monday at Berkeley Country Club.Lowe, Saratoga’s Millie Wang (73), Los Altos’ Camille Thai (73) and Pioneer’s Katelyn Chang (75) advanced individually.NCS CHAMPIONSHIPSJames Logan’s Alyssa Lim shot 1-under 70 on Monday at Tilden Park Golf Club in Berkeley to win the North Coast Section Division I individu...

Alameda prevails in long battle over property tax to fund schools–but more trouble could be ahead

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:32:53 GMT

When the state Supreme Court let stand last week a controversial measure that allows Alameda Unified School District to fund employee salaries through a property tax, Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi said he felt extremely relieved. The years-long legal battle had consumed his time, threatened the district’s ability to retain talent, and put a full 20% of the district’s funding at stake.“There were doomsday scenarios we didn’t want to consider,” Scuderi said. “It created a lot of anxiety.”Related ArticlesEducation | Police accuse man of committing lewd acts in Marin County middle school bathroom Education | In California, students with unstable home environments most likely to be sent home from school, new study shows Education | A shortage of teachers for computer science classes puts California near the bottom of a national instruction ranking Education | Have Bay Area students recovered from pandemic learning losses? Here&...