Monday Morning News Roundup

Oakland schools will begin reopening before the end of March, after leaders from the teachers’ union and the school district reached a deal Sunday after weeks of negotiations.

The tentative agreement — which won’t become official unless it is first approved by the Oakland Education Association and then passed by the Oakland Unified School District board — also preserves the option for students to remain in distance learning.

The first phase of the agreement has in-person classes resuming March 30 for pre-kindergarten through grade 2 and priority students, with the second phase resuming April 19 for grades 3-5 and at least one secondary grade to be determined later.

The district announced the tentative agreement late Sunday night just before midnight in a press release. The union is expected vote on the agreement this week and, if approved, would then go before the district school board for its vote.

Arna Kimiai, 24, the second suspect in the March 7 aggravated assault and robbery of a 32-year-old Uber driver, turned herself in Sunday and is now in custody, San Francisco police said.

The first suspect, 24-year-old Malaysia King, was apprehended by Las Vegas police officers on Thursday. That same day, through her attorney, Kimiai stated her intention to surrender, police said.

Kimiai was booked into San Francisco County Jail Sunday night on an arrest warrant on suspicion of robbery, assault and battery, conspiracy and violation of health and safety code, police said.

The incident began around 12:45 p.m. March 7, when the Uber driver picked up three female passengers at San Bruno Avenue and Felton Street in San Francisco, police said. When the driver saw that one of the passengers was not wearing a mask, he refused to continue the ride unless all passengers were wearing masks, in compliance with state and local public health orders for COVID-19.

An argument ensued, which was largely captured in a viral video that showed the passengers berating and coughing on the driver. The suspect identified as Kimiai is seen reaching over the seat and taking the driver’s phone.

Police said the driver was able to regain possession of his phone, but after the suspects exited the vehicle, one of the passengers reached into an open window and sprayed what is believed to be pepper spray into the car. Then the suspects fled the scene.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory through Monday morning to accompany its forecast for snow at elevations as low as 1,000 feet.

The wind advisory is in effect along the coastal North Bay, the coast from San Francisco and southward down the peninsula, as well as the San Francisco Bay shoreline from 10 p.m. Sunday until 11 am Monday. Wind gusts of 40-50 mph are forecast near the coast and in the hills, with gusts 25-35 mph elsewhere.

A frost advisory is also under consideration, with cold temperatures anticipated through Monday night and Tuesday morning.

A cold weather system will bring rain, along with snow in the higher elevations Sunday night into Monday. Snow levels will lower to 2,000 feet by late Sunday and to about 1,000 feet by Monday morning.

Roughly 1-2 inches of snow accumulation is possible on the region’s highest peaks and ridges, with potentially up to 6 inches of accumulation at the higher elevations of the Santa Lucia Mountains in Monterey County.

A 41-year-old Antioch man died in a solo vehicle collision on Highway 4 Sunday night, California Highway Patrol Officer Brandon Correia said.

The crash was first reported around 9 p.m. Sunday on westbound Highway 4 just west of Highway 160. When CHP officers and emergency responders arrived, they determined the man had driven his silver Chevrolet Impala off the roadway and into a metal guardrail, Correia said. The car then catapulted into a metal sign pole.

The driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, Correia said.

The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Office will handle release of his identity. Correia said it is not known if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the collision, which is still under investigation.

Anyone who witnessed this collision or the events leading up to it are asked to contact Contra Costa CHP at (925) 646-4980.

The Pleasanton City Council will likely take another step this week toward making good on its promise to deliver a new skate park.

City staff is recommending the council on Tuesday give $115,154 to RRM Design Group for conceptual design and public outreach for either a new facility or renovation and expansion of the current skate site at Ken Mercer Sports Park on Hopyard Road.

The city recognized it needed a new facility seven years ago in its 2014 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, identifying it “as one of the City of Pleasanton’s more significant deficiencies,” according to a staff report for Tuesday’s meeting.

The plan said the city would need an acre more of skating area as the city’s population grew. The city has since said the new space should be either adjacent to the current facility, or part of a renovation and expansion.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office is advising the public to be aware and take precautions after credit card skimming devices were found at three ATMS at Bank of America locations.

A skimmer was initially reported Tuesday at a Bank of America ATM in the Aptos area. Investigating deputies then located skimmers on ATMs in Watsonville and Felton.

Detectives believe all three were installed by the same person on Tuesday and are working to identify a suspect.

Skimmers are typically installed on ATMs or gas pumps to collect card data and information on the cardholder, officials said.

The Sheriff’s Office recommends inspecting terminals and card readers for “for anything loose, crooked, damaged or scratched. Pull at the edges of the keypad before entering your PIN. Then, cover the keypad when you enter your PIN to prevent cameras from recording your entry. Don’t use any card reader if you notice anything unusual.”

A fire at a fourplex apartment in the 1300 block of Carnelian Drive in San Jose displaced four residents and prompted a full first response on Sunday afternoon, the San Jose Fire Department reported on Twitter.

The fire started in a second-floor apartment’s kitchen and spread throughout the apartment, damaging another unit in the building as well, firefighters said.

The fire was under control by 2:56 p.m. Sunday, and there were no injuries to residents or first responders, firefighters said. The American Red Cross will assist the four residents who were displaced by the fire.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter rescued an injured hiker from Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa County on Saturday afternoon, said Shaun Bouyea, a spokesperson for CHP – Golden Gate Division Air Operations.

While exploring a remote, difficult-to-access trail, the hiker slipped and fell, injuring herself badly enough so she couldn’t walk out of the park, Bouyea said. The hiker called for help using her cell phone at about 12:25 p.m., and Cal Fire Napa County responded and requested that the CHP send a helicopter.

Once the crew of the H-32 located the hiker, a crew member was lowered to place the hiker in a rescue harness, Bouyea said. She was hoisted about 100 feet off the ground and flown about two miles to the location where an American Medical Response ambulance was waiting to take her to a nearby hospital.

She is expected to make a full recovery, Bouyea said.

The National Weather Service forecast for the San Francisco Bay Area calls for scattered showers Monday, along with low snow levels and possible thunderstorms.

Highs are expected in the 50s with lows in the 40s along the coast and dipping into the 30s inland.

Winds will switch to the west and northwest and increase, becoming strong and gusty through Monday morning, especially near the coast. Cold temperatures and possible frost is forecast for Monday night and early Tuesday. Dry weather appears likely on Tuesday and Wednesday. Rain chances redevelop on Thursday and showers may continue into next weekend.

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Copyright © 2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.