“Protect our kids from porn,” the placards warned in bold red letters. Funded by a city councilmember’s political action committee, they urged people to vote against a pair of ballot measures in an upcoming special election, including one that would abolish a controversial new community review board for library books"
The emergency closure around 2 p.m. created traffic nightmares on Highway 101 in Marin County and I-580 in Contra Costa County as cars sat bumper to bumper for miles during the afternoon-evening commute."
Troubled S.F. Parks Alliance will shut down amid city investigations into financial mismanagement
Chronicle/J.D. MORRIS: "The San Francisco Parks Alliance, a prominent nonprofit that helps improve the city’s public spaces, is preparing to dissolve after misspending millions of dollars and falling out of favor with city officials, donors and community partners.
Board members of the nonprofit voted last week to wind the organization down, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Chronicle agreed not to identify the person because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the situation."
Yosemite contractor slammed for hospitality failings, including rodents at Ahwahnee bar
Chronicle/KURTIS ALEXANDER: "The company that manages the hotels, restaurants and other enterprises at Yosemite National Park has long struggled to provide decent accommodations for park visitors, with a record of shoddy food service, unkempt facilities and dangerously overdue repair work.
This past year, things only got worse, according to the 2024 performance review of Philadelphia-based Aramark, obtained by the Chronicle."
Native American Church’s sacred plants destroyed during raids in CA, suit says
SacBee/JULIE MARNIN: "A Native American Church affiliate in Southern California says a sheriff’s department seized and destroyed “thousands” of psychoactive plants revered as sacred, interfering with members’ religious practices.
In a lawsuit against the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Shannon Dicus, California Evergreen Farms Native American Church says officers raided the church’s place of worship in the Mojave Desert, in violation of their right to practice religion freely, in November and January."
‘You only live once’: Hundreds chase ‘Survivor’ dream at Cache Creek casting call
SacBee/SEAN CAMPBELL: "Jason Flick traveled roughly 2,000 miles, spent $600 and lost two days of work to attend his 35th in-person casting call for CBS’ hit reality show “Survivor.”
When he arrived at Cache Creek Casino Resort at 1:30 a.m. Monday morning, he was roughly seven hours early. He was second in line. By 7 a.m., still two hours before the first potential castaway would get their time on camera, more than 70 people were in line. More than 300 had checked in within an hour of the event’s beginning. Flick said this was standard, if not slightly lower attendance than the average call he has attended."