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LAUSD, teachers union reach tentative labor agreement

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:36 GMT

The Los Angeles Unified School District and the union representing approximately 35,000 educators have reached a tentative agreement that will substantially increase salaries, both sides announced Tuesday morning.The agreement includes a 21% salary increase for all United Teachers Los Angeles members, reductions on class sizes and “increasing mental health and counseling services in order to better support the needs of students,” LAUSD said in a news release.It comes a month after a strike involving UTLA and the union representing bus drivers, custodians and teaching assistants shut down L.A. public schools for three days. The day after that strike ended, both sides reached a deal that gave SEIU Local 99 employees a roughly 30% pay increase.UTLA members who walked off the job in solidarity with SEIU Local 99 were not part of that agreement.“This agreement with UTLA is a necessary step not only to make Los Angeles Unified the district of choice for families but also the district of c...

Krispy Kreme, others offering discounts for Tax Day

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:36 GMT

Tax season is coming to an end Tuesday, and to celebrate, many restaurants across California are offering limited-time deals for customers.Even though most Californians received a federal tax filing extension due to the severe winter storms that plagued the state over the winter, anyone can take advantage of the deals and free items some restaurants are offering. Many California residents can file their taxes after the April 18 deadline BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse Anyone who visits a BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse location can receive $10 off any $40 purchase for take-out and delivery orders. Customers must use the promo code “10OFF40” at checkout to receive the discount.The offer is limited to one per person and can’t be combined with other discounts.Boston MarketBoston Market customers can get a Half Chicken Individual Meal complete with two sides, cornbread, regular-sized fountain drink and cookie for $10.40. No coupon is needed to redeem the deal.The Cheesecake FactoryCustome...

Two Teens Hurt in Motorbike Accident on Madison Street [Bakersfield, CA]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:36 GMT

Motorbike Crash near Watts Drive Left Two Teens InjuredBAKERSFIELD, CA (April 18, 2023) – Saturday evening, a motorbike accident on Madison Street left two juveniles hospitalized.The collision happened on April 15th, at around 8:15 p.m., on 1800 Madison Street, near Watts Drive.According to reports, the two teenagers were riding their motorbikes with no headlights on, when a car struck them. The impact of the collision left both of the teens with injuries.Responding medical personnel transported both teens – one with minor injuries and another with moderate injuries– to a hospital.Meanwhile, the involved driver stayed at the site of the incident and cooperated with the investigators.No further details regarding the Madison Street motorbike accident have been released to the public. Bakersfield Officials will provide more information once available.When driving, it is important to keep an eye out for motorcyclists. Check all your mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before m...

Child Pronounced Dead in Two-Vehicle Crash on West Riggin Avenue [Visalia, CA]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:36 GMT

ATV-Truck Collision near Denton Avenue Left Young Boy DeadVISALIA, CA (April 18, 2023) – Sunday afternoon, a child was killed in a two-vehicle crash involving an ATV on West Riggin Avenue.The incident happened at around 3:00 p.m., at the 8000 block of West Riggn and Denton Avenue.Upon arrival, authorities determined that a Chevrolet truck crashed into an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) driven by a young boy.First responders to the site of the collision declared the child dead at the scene. At this time, officials have not released his identity to the public.Meanwhile, the driver of the truck stayed at the site of the incident and cooperated with the investigation.Police said that drugs or alcohol did not appear to play a role in the collision.At this time, police are asking anyone with additional information about the West Riggin Avenue two-vehicle crash to contact the Visalia Police Department Traffic Unit at (559) 713-4237.No words can mend the broken hearts and sorrow felt during...

One Injured after Multi-Vehicle Pile-Up on Interstate 5 [Carlsbad, CA]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:36 GMT

Traffic Collision near Palomar Airport Road Prompted Freeway ClosureCARLSBAD, CA (April 18, 2023) – Friday afternoon, a person was transported to a hospital following a multi-vehicle pile-up on Interstate 5.The incident happened on April 14th, at around 1:36 p.m. along northbound Interstate 5, near the Palomar Airport Road exit.According to the CHP, the crash involves at least three sedans, two vans, and a semi-truck. The impact of the collision left at least one person with injuries.At this time, the circumstances surrounding the crash remain unclear.Meanwhile, paramedics transported the victim to a local hospital for a medical evaluation.Following the collision, crews shut down the area surrounding the crash for cleanup and preliminary duties. At around 5:39 p.m., all the lanes reopened. Carlsbad Officials continue to investigate the cause of the multi-vehicle pile-up. Police ask that anyone with additional information regarding the multi-vehicle pile-up on Interstate 5 to p...

Tina Vital Pronounced Dead Following Three-Vehicle Crash on College Street [Woodland, CA]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:36 GMT

Car Collision on Court Street Left One Woman Dead, at Least 10 InjuredWOODLAND, CA (April 18, 2023) – Saturday night, police responded to a fatal car accident that killed Tina Vital.On April 8th, officers were dispatched to the intersection of College and Court Streets involving three vehicles.Investigation showed that a 13-year-old stole a Honda Pilot from a family member and went out for a joyride.According to authorities, they spotted the Honda driving in an unsafe manner heading northbound on College Street from Main Street where they confronted the driver.Consequently, the officers pulled over the kid but they drove into the intersection causing a collision with two other vehicles.Unfortunately, Vital died at the scene, and her daughter, her son, and her granddaughter sustained injuries from the collision.Also, seven other people suffered injuries from the crash. The police stated in the report that the chase was only short.Meanwhile, the 13-year-old child was hospitalize...

7 tips for writing a great college essay from ex-Stanford admissions officer

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:36 GMT

At its core, Irena Smith’s job as an independent college counselor means being a writing coach. With a PhD in comparative literature, the former Stanford admissions officer helps her teenage clients pen the all-important essays they’ll submit with their college applications.Certainly, the essays should be well-written, but they should mainly tell a good story about who the student is as a person — their personality, passions, values, unique life experiences — as Smith writes in her book, “The Golden Ticket.”REALTED: Confessions of a college counselor: Pushy parents, teen misery and the futility of the Stanford dreamOften, writing a good story means means abandoning the idea that the essay should brim with self-promotion. A student can tell a more engaging narrative about failure or about the most vulnerable time in their life, Smith said. They could also write about situation that seems minor but that illustrates an important point about their interests or motivations.Wh...

Confessions of a college counselor: Pushy parents, teen misery and the futility of the Stanford dream

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:36 GMT

In Irena Smith’s memoir about working on the front lines of America’s college admissions mania, the Palo Alto-based independent college admissions counselor recalls how she made a ninth-grader cry.Smith told the boy and his mother that he shouldn’t count on getting into Stanford, despite his good grades and vow to do whatever he could to be accepted. As Smith writes in “The Golden Ticket,” she worked in Stanford’s admissions office for four years and knew that the staff read most applications with “an eye to turning students down.” Indeed, data reported in February shows that Stanford’s acceptance rate for its class of 2026 was a record low 3.7%.When Smith assured the boy he could still get a great education at hundreds of other universities, his mother wasn’t pleased. She shot Smith “a look of hatred” when she dismissed the idea of letting her son falsely claim that he was captain of three varsity sports. “Who’s going to know?” the mother said.Sm...

Man missing in Northern California mountains is found dead

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:36 GMT

A man who went missing three months ago in the mountains of Northern California has been found dead, having apparently driven off the road barely 30 miles into his trip, the California Highway Patrol said.John Bartholomew, 56, had not been seen since he drove away from Salyer, in Trinity County, in the early hours of Jan. 14. He was reportedly headed to Sacramento, a 250-mile drive.A missing-person announcement on Jan. 20 said a car matching the description of the one he was driving — a silver 2005 Honda Accord — was seen on video from Highway 299 in the Weaverville area at 2:30 a.m. Jan. 14, but its license plate was not readable.Search-and-rescue crews drove and flew the mountainous Highway 299 corridor, with no sightings.It is likely Bartholomew never made it to Weaverville. Around 4 p.m. Friday, April 14, the CHP was notified of the wreckage of a Honda Accord along the Trinity River below Highway 299 between Big Bar and Big Flat, 20 miles west of Weaverville. The lic...

Bay Area Dance Week waltzes back after 3-year absence

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:40:36 GMT

The performing arts are always in want of good news, and the return of Bay Area Dance Week after a three-year hiatus brings welcome, joyful tidings of rare magnitude.Running April 21-30 in studios, theaters, parks and classrooms around the region, the vast open-door celebration encompasses hundreds of events, including workshops, performances, classes, open rehearsals, and more.Did we mention that everything is free?Presented by Dancers’ Group, an indispensable force supporting the Northern California dance scene, Bay Area Dance Week captures the dizzying diversity of traditions and styles that can be found here, from burlesque, Bollywood and Bolivian folkloric dance, to ballet, hula, Congolese dance, tango, jazz, modern, and hip-hop.After four years of tribulations and pent up energy, “We are beyond ecstatic to open the doors to studios and venues and spotlight individual artists and companies,” said Andréa Spearman, artist resource manager for Dancers’ Group. “This is an event tha...