Daily Republic: Friday, January 27, 2023

Winter diseases coming down across Solano A3

Solano baseball could be on the rise again B1

5

ex-officers charged with murder of Tyre Nichols

Video to be released Friday

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Five former Memphis police officers were charged with sec ond-degree murder Thursday in the brutal beating of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop, authorities said.

Ex-Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith, who are Black, were charged with second-degree murder, two counts of official misconduct, one count of official oppression, aggra vated assault-act in concert and two counts of aggravated kidnapping in the death of Nichols, according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee.

“I’m excited. It shows that justice is being served. It doesn’t matter the color of the officers. The fact is, the officers did what they did, and it was unnecessary,” Nichols’ aunt Kandi Green said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

The encounter occurred Jan. 7 and was captured on police body cameras. Memphis police and other law enforcement agencies across the country were bracing for reaction to the release of the video showing the beating of Nichols, who died Jan. 10, three days after the encoun ter with police.

The city of Memphis announced it would release video of the police encounter Friday after 6 p.m. Central

GDP expands at healthy 2.9% pace in 4Q

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

The U.S. economy expanded at a healthy pace in the fourth quarter, though signs of slowing underlying demand mounted as the steepest interest-rate hikes in decades threaten growth this year.

Gross domestic product increased at a 2.9% annualized rate in final three months of 2022 after a 3.2% gain in the third quarter, the Commerce Department’s initial estimate showed Thursday. Personal consumption, the biggest part of the economy,

climbed at a below-forecast 2.1% pace.

Median projections in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 2.6% rise in GDP and a 2.9% advance in spending. About half of the GDP increase reflected inventory growth, while government spending matched the biggest gain since early 2021.

The report also showed some signs of stress for American consumers whose wages have failed to keep up with inflation and continued to encourage them to draw down

See GDP, Page A8

Todd r. H Ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The Solano County Sheriff’s Office has issued an evacuation warning in the Mix and Gates canyons area due to road closures.

The warning affects Gates Canyon Road, above the 2.5-mile marker, and Mix Canyon Road, above the 1.2-mile marker, “due to hazardous road conditions caused by the recent storms,” a statement released by the Sheriff’s Office said.

“The evacuation warning is

prompted by emergency responders being unable to access residents while both roads are closed, creating a potential threat to life and/or property,” a statement released at 1:20 p.m. Thursday by the Sheriff’s Office said.

“Solano County Resource Management engineers have determined both roads have experienced land slippage compromising their structural integrity,” the statement said.

Emergency vehicles will no longer be able to get into the areas

once repair work starts Saturday. Mix Canyon Road is expected to be closed for about seven days and Gates Canyon Road is expected to be closed for about 30 days.

“The evacuation warning will remain in place until at least one of the roads is reopened,” the statement said.

Gates Canyon and Mix Canyon roads have been closed to traffic – except for emergency vehicles – since Jan. 13.

“Residents in the affected

Solano’s annual report highlights accomplishments in 2022

Todd r. H Ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Nearly $24 million in benefit claims were awarded in 2022 to the 34,000 veterans and 90,000 military dependents who live in Solano County.

The county also continued in its recovery efforts from the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex Fire that destroyed 309 homes and claimed the lives of two Vacaville hills residents.

The new 36-bed mental

health treatment and residential complex opened; and the county libraries hosted 553,000 visitors with 1.8 million books and other materials checked out – a 40.2% increase over 2021 – and experienced a 33% increase in digital checkouts.

“Libraries are a cornerstone of our communities for what they offer and provide,” said County Administrator Bill Emlen, who was

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic file (2022) Visitors check out a bedroom while touring the new Solano County Mental Health Residential Treatment Facility in Fairfield, Dec. 13, 2022.

My pops, Master Chief Petty Officer Orvis T. Wade Sr., was a Smack Grand Master and taught me so much in that regard. Now, while I have hyper-focused my considerable abilities on sports smack, the discipline he excelled at was family games.

Dominos was the main one where he talked the most smack. We would always play doubles with me and my mom against my dad and my older brother Ken. They were cut from the same cloth and could be so incredibly annoying when they were winning and equally whiny and pouty when me and my mom were whuppin’ up on ‘em.

My dad would also talk smack in Monopoly, Spades and a few other games as well. Now, he wouldn’t play me in Scrabble because he knew I would put a serious hurtin’ on him. I used to taunt him by saying he didn’t have to have more points than me at the end of the game, if he even came within 100 he would win. He never took me up on it. And for good reason.

Look, that may sound braggadocios and arrogant, but it’s not. It’s just facts. It’s like before a fight when Muhammad Ali would say he was gonna knock somebody out in the third round . . . and then he went and knocked them out in the third round.

And yes, if you are keeping score at home, I just compared arranging little wooden squares with letters on them on a game

board to a heavyweight boxing match. The origins of my sports smack began when my dad and I would play one-on-one basketball in the backyard of our Davis Drive house. My dad was a big guy and I was a lanky beanpole they called Bony (I’ve since circled back round to that nickname after many years).

His winning strategy was to slowly back me up to the hoop and then throw up a hook shot that I could not defend.

It worked . . . until it didn’t.

My growth spurt happened when I was in high school and I remember the first time he tried his li’l Kareem/Meadowlark Lemon hook shot move and I stuffed it down his throat. When I went on to beat him for the very first time, his reaction was not quite as intense as the one by the Great Santini when he repeatedly bounced the basketball off his son’s head, but he didn’t like it.

The one thing I learned from him is that talking smack should, yes, be annoying, but on some level funny.

When I am clowning a team’s fans on Facebook, I don’t use profanity or bathroom humor. I don’t post anything that is homophonic or misogynistic. I also respect boundaries.

I have a “Parking for Raider Fans Only” sign in front of my house and I hang my Raiders flag out on game days. I would never go put my sign or flag on someone else’s house. That is similar to tagging someone

in a smack post on Facebook or putting it on their timeline, which I never do.

Another thing I never do is talk smack about off the field stuff. I don’t watch TMZ and I’m certainly not interested in living it. However, there is something related I have learned. It is a philosophy I spelled out in a column in 2011: Off The Field Funkiness.

If a player from a team is involved in a funky situation during the season, their team will not win the Super Bowl that year. This may not sound very scientific, but to dispute that assertion, I’m actually wearing the requisite white lab coat as I’m typing this and am about to use a very scientific word.

So, allow me to explain my hypothesis (there’s the word); it is really just kind of an intuitive feeling you get. It’s akin to sensing intangible things that happen in football games and other sports such as a team gaining momentum or “being in the zone.” It’s when you just know in your bones when a football team is going to win and when they are not.

As a Raiders fan, I have a lot of experience with the latter.

Now, it can be exacerbated if the funkiness is immediately before the Big Game. Take for instance the case of Atlanta Falcons safety Eugene Robinson in 1999. He received the Bart Starr Award for high moral character the day before the game and then that very night was busted soliciting an undercover cop he thought was a prostitute.

The next day the Broncos

stomped the Falcons 34-19 in Super Bowl Three X Three

I. Was it superior defense?

Perhaps, but I say it was Robinson’s off-field funk.

Of course, I experienced this first-hand as a Raider fan on Jan. 26, 2003. Now, the following I am only allowed to write about because I have received a special exemption from the Raider Nation to briefly discuss The Day Which Must Never Be Spoken of Again.

I first had to go to Total Recall to have the erased memories restored and after writing this, Agent J from “Men in Black” will use his flashy thing on me and ease my torment.

When I turned on my TV early in the morning that day and learned that center Barrett Robbins had gone missing and then was sent home, I knew we would lose the game.

I had no idea that then-NFL MVP and Raiders quarter-

back Rich Gannon would have a record-setting horrific game, but Robbins’ mental meltdown was some serious funk and the game was over before the initial coin toss.

So without going into the details, the Santa Clara 49ers had some off the field funkiness happen this week and regardless of what happens this Sunday, they shan’t be winning the Super Bowl if they make it there.

I am preparing appropriately annoying and funny smackalicious memes as we speak.

Fairfield freelance humor columnist and accidental local historian Tony Wade writes two weekly columns: “The Last Laugh” on Mondays and “Back in the Day” on Fridays. Wade is also the author of The History Press books “Growing Up In Fairfield, California” and “Lost Restaurants of Fairfield, California.”

My pops taught me the art of smackology BRIGHT spot

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS

A headline on a story that appeared in Wednesday’s paper wrongly stated that American Tower Corp. left the Board of Supervisors meeting “miffed.” Company representatives were not at the meeting. The board had continued a public hearing on an appeal of a Cingular Wireless project involving an ATC tower. The story should have referred to Cingular in the final paragraph.

It is the Daily Republic’s policy to correct errors in reporting. If you notice an error, please call the Daily Republic at 425-4646 during business hours weekdays and ask to speak to the editor in charge of the section where the error occurred.

Tony Wade Back in the day

Tony Wade is defended by his father, Master Chief Petty Officer Orvis

T. Wade Sr., on the family’s backyard basketball court, back in the day.

Winter diseases coming down across Solano

State readies to end Covid emergency

Todd R. H ansen

THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The state Covid-19 emergency that started in March 2020 is scheduled to end March 1.

The last day would be Feb. 28.

“Gov. (Gavin) Newsom could extend it, but I don’t see why he would,” Dr. Bela Matyas, the Solano County public health officer, said in a phone interview Thursday.

Matyas said not only is the trend of Covid cases declining, but trends for all common winter respiratory diseases are coming down, too.

“Overall, the winter disease season seems to be improving,” he said.

If the Covid emergency ends as expected, Matyas said the county will no longer update its dashboard.

Matyas also announced that vaccinations at the Solano Town Center clinic will no longer be given after Saturday, but testing will continue. The two Optimum Service clinics in Vacaville and Vallejo have

already shut down.

The county reported 257 new coronavirus cases since the last update Jan. 19, of which 235 are from the actual seven-day period, a daily average of 33.57 cases. That is actually up slightly from the 27.43 cases in the previous report, but Matyas said all other indicators have the disease rate falling.

The 10-day daily average was 30.1 on Thursday. That compares to 37.5 on Jan. 19, the county reported.

There were no new deaths reported, holding at 441, while the number of residents with positive coronavirus tests in area hospitals dropped from 20 to 17, and the number of patients with the actual Covid disease in intensive care units went from three to one, the county reported.

There were two more hospitalizations due to the flu, according to Kaiser Permanente numbers in the statewide surveillance program, taking the total in Solano County for

See

Judge cuffs child molester with 46-year sentence

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — A man who the Solano County District Attorney’s Office said “repeatedly raped, sodomized and molested a young child who trusted (him) like a father,” was sentenced Tuesday to 46 years in state prison.

Solano County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey C. Kauffman handed down the sentence to Victor Guarcas-Tol, 49, who was convicted by a jury in September 2021 on three counts of committing sexual acts on a child younger than 10 years old.

The jury’s guilty verdict was given to GuarcasTol on his 48th birthday, records show.

The time lapse between the conviction and the sentencing was due to a motion for a new trial being filed. The sentencing had been initially scheduled for November 2021.

The District Attorney’s Office reported the

crimes took place between 2015 and 2019.

“The child lived in fear and did not come forward for a significant period of time due to (GuarcasTol’s) threats that he would harm her if she told anyone about the abuse,” the District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. A prior statement indicated Guarcas-Tol had threatened to cut off the child’s hands.

“The abuse eventually came to light in July 2019, and the child, now 11, courageously testified at trial regarding this horrific abuse and bravely attended the sentencing proceeding,” the District Attorney’s statement said.

Deputy District Attorney Elaine Kuo prosecuted the case, which was investigated by District Attorney Investigator Kathryn Lenke, formerly of the Fairfield Police Department. Victim Witness Advocate Andrea Vela provided victim advocacy and support to the victim.

SUISUN CITY —

There was an audible mix of jubilation and groans in the City Hall chamber when it was announced Tuesday night that Amit Pal would be appointed to the City Council.

It was the final exhale from weeks of nervous lobbying by the supporters for the two frontrunners for the post: Pal and Katrina Garcia, each with a substantial number of backers in the room.

“I’m a little bit emotional, humbled,” Pal said in closing his remarks after being selected to fill the final two years of the term left vacant by the Nov. 8 election of Alma Hernandez to the mayor’s post.

His term runs into early December 2024 after the November election results will be certified.

After Pal took his official oath of office from City Clerk Anita Skinner, he then did a ceremonial

Black chamber taps council also-ran as chairman

daily Republic sTaff

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SUISUN CITY — Charles Lee Jr. has been named chairman of the Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce board. His selection was announced Tuesday night at the Suisun City council meeting.

Lee finished third in

oath administered by his business mentor, C.C. Yin, the owner of several McDonald’s franchises in Solano County.

Afterward, Pal related a story about his uncle coming to the United States from India, with few resources, but willing to work hard and help others.

“So thank you for coming to America and giving us a

the November balloting for two open seats on the council, then chose not to apply for the vacant position because he was insulted by not simply being appointed as the next highest vote-getter.

The chamber could not be reached Wednesday for names of other new board members or officers.

dream,” Pal said. He then touched the feet of his uncle, his aunt and his parents in the tradition of his homeland, also thanking the Sikh community for its support.

His appointment, as noted by Hernandez, adds to the diversity of the council, which she said better reflects the diversity of the community.

Pal is a member of the city Planning Commis-

sion, which several of the council members noted as positive in their decisions.

In general, they also were impressed with his business background, his economic development history, his grasp of technology and his general engagement in the community.

Hernandez said the council needed someone with longevity in city government, noting Pal had been appointed to the Planning Commission for the first time in 2015.

There were questions, however, about his employment with LionX and the firm’s downtown development interests. Some thought it was a conflict that would force Pal to recuse himself on a number of critical issues.

Others dismissed the notion, pointing out that in a small community, every council member is going to have conflicts, and if rising to the legal level,

See Suisun, Page A4

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SUISUN CITY —

Brian Kermoade started his career in the city Fire Department more than two decades ago – as a volunteer.

Kermoade on Tuesday – along with three captains and three engineers, including the first full-time female firefighter – took an oath of office as the department’s new division chief of training.

Kermoade holds a doctorate in contemporary organization and management business practices, an educational resume that started with an associate degree in liberal studies, a bachelor’s in communications studies and a master’s in business administration.

Chief Brad Lopez said the department has experienced a 42% increase in calls for service over the past

Fairfield police association sets crab feed

dinner starts at 7 p.m.

To get tickets and more information, go to https:// fairfieldcrabfeed.shutterfly.com/.

Willow Hall is located in the Fairfield Community Center at 1000 Kentucky St.

crab

five years, and noted since 2019 – and supported by Measure S resources – has graduated from a basic life support agency to an advanced life support agency, “providing for a more effective response to fires and a greater level of emergency medical care to our citizens.”

The funding for the seven position was approved in June by the City Council. The second staffed engine company went into service Dec. 19.

The others recognized at the City Council meeting Tuesday were Capts. Ryan Esparza, Japen Soto and Dean Martin, and Engineers Justin Duchscher, Jason Vander Meer and Jian Eddinger, who is the female firefighter.

“This accomplishment and milestone did not happen overnight,”

Mayor Alma Hernandez said, adding the addition of a second engine and additional personnel to the department was “a couple of years” in the planning.

Councilman Mike Hudson said the city had been working in that direction “for ages,” and Vice Mayor Princess Washington said their presence was key to the growth of the city.

Councilwoman Jenalee Dawson noted the varied backgrounds the group brings with them to the department.

Martin, who was an Explorer in Vallejo, and Duchscher each worked for Medic Ambulance,

while Vander Meer worked seven years for the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and then fulfilled his goal of working on a Medevac helicopter for eight years out of Sacramento. Esparza is an Army veteran who worked in fire service for the military, and Vander Meer also has experience as an EMS with the Air Force. It was the Air Force that brought Eddinger’s husband to Travis Air Force Base and so began her journey into

See Oaths, Page A4

Officials: Oaths to 7 firefighters mark growth, progress in Suisun

New Suisun councilman says he’s ‘humbled’ by appointment

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic

Amit Pal listens as Katrina Garcia answers questions from Suisun City Council members, Tuesday.

Todd R. H ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

Civil grand jury applications now available for 2023-24

FAIRFIELD — Members of the 2022-23 Solano County civil grand jury called the experience challenging and rewarding, and a perfect fit for retired and other residents who are looking to fill their time.

The new term runs July 1 through June 30, 2024. There are 19 members on the grand jury, with as many as 10 who can carry over from the previous year. The foreperson is usually one of the twoyear members. It is not uncommon for a number of members to return when eligible again.

their one-year term. During major investigations, members may need to serve three or more days per week. The members write and file reports on a host of government and related investigations, which are often follow-ups to previous jury investigations and/or are triggered by citizen concerns.

State extends comment period for Fire Hazard Severity Zones

Todd R. H ansen

THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The deadline to submit written comments on the proposed Fire Hazard Severity Zones has been pushed back, the state Fire Marshal’s Office announced.

The new deadline is April 4, a two month extension from the previous Feb. 3 sunset.

The map with the proposed zones was released in December. A public hearing was held Jan. 17 at the county Events Center in Fairfield. The map shows areas of state responsibility within 56 of the 58 state counties. The last map was finalized in 2007.

The new map shows 31,570 of the 86,971 acres of State Responsibility Areas in Solano County are

Suisun

From Page A3

they, too, must step aside on those matters.

The council members each asked a question of the six final candidates for the post. They were given 2 minutes to respond to those questions.

Councilman Mike Hudson asked the same question to each: How would they spend $250,000 in unexpected, one-time funds; and what would they cut if the budget suddenly came up $250,000 short.

Pal said public safety would be his top priority, and for cuts he said he would start by freezing hiring, and eliminate or delay all but the highest priority projects.

Other questions focused on clarifying statements of the candidates from the previous week’s interview, and others put the candidates in specific situations for a response.

If the council members had not made of their

oaths

From Page A3

The group hails from a number of service agencies in the Bay Area, but also from around the country, including Esparza’s time as a firefighter in Yakima, Washington, and as a member of the Tahoe Hotshots for the Depart-

now placed in very high hazard areas, representing 36.3% of the State Responsibility Areas. That is 21.5% more than in 2007. The map shows 27,416 acres of the State Responsibility Area (31.5%) is in the high hazard area, down 4.9% from 2007; and 27,987 acres in the moderate hazard area (32.2%), down 16.6%.

Down the road, maps of wildland areas not in the state areas will be developed as well as urban maps related to fire hazard ratings, state fire officials said at the meeting in Fairfield.

Many of the two dozen people who attended the hearing wanted to see actual land uses and existing topography factored into the final version, rather than the higher overview

minds before coming to the meeting, it was hard to tell how the responses influenced their decisions Tuesday night.

Councilwoman Jenalee Dawson said she was looking for someone with qualities that were different than her own experiences in dealing with social issues, noting particularly Pal’s business savvy. “I looked at economic development, which is what we need here,” said Vice Mayor Princess Washington, but adding she would have been comfortable with several of the applicants.

Hudson supported Garcia and Steven Olry in his initial vote, then joined the others in a consensus for Pal. He liked that both have attended a lot of council meetings and are engaged in those issues.

More than 25 individuals spoke during the meeting, with an additional 25 written comments:

22 favoring Garcia and three for Pal, who had more than 150 letters of support turned in last week. The

ment of Natural Resources.

Soto brings 10 years of experience to the post, starting as a volunteer with the Glen Ellen Fire District. He worked for the Kenwood Fire District, as did Martin, and is a certified instructor with California State Training and teaches at the Fire Academy in Santa Rosa.

A badge-pinning ceremony is planned for 6:30 p.m. Friday at The Salvation Army Kroc Center, 586 E. Wigeon Way.

in the state’s map.

The methodology on how the zones were developed was explained in a video at the meeting. Prior to the meeting, the state issued a statement that indicated the zones are “based on the likelihood different areas will experience wildfire.”

“After years of work to develop a sound scientific basis and methodology with a range of experts and stakeholders, updates to this map bring this valuable tool and statutory requirement current in a way that accurately reflects today’s reality for wildfire hazard throughout the state,” Cal Fire said in a statement.

Written comments may be submitted by mail to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, California

speakers divided into 13 for Pal, 10 for Garcia, and three who were relatively neutral as far as the candidate went, but were looking for certain qualities.

Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, P.O. Box 944246, Sacramento, CA 942442460 – attn.: Deputy Chief Scott Witt. The comments may be taken to the Fire Marshal’s Office, again to the attention of Witt, at the California Natural Resources Building, 715 P St., ninth floor, in Sacramento. Comments may can be sent by email to fhszcomments@ fire.ca.gov.

To determine the Fire Hazard Safety Zone for a specific property, go to https://osfm. fire.ca.gov/divisions/ community-wildfire-preparedness-and-mitigation/ wildfire-preparedness/ fire-hazard-severity-zones. An automated hotline also has been established at 916-633-7655.

the people have spoken,” Santos said while also endorsing Garcia. It is a bit ironic, however, that Pal received little acknowledgement for having run for council in the past, too, just not in November. When it was mentioned it was coupled with the fact he did not fare well. Garcia finished last in the November balloting.

Members must make a commitment of at least six days per month for

Winter

From Page A3

the program to 105. The number of flu-related deaths held at three, Matyas said. Fairfield added 60 new Covid-19 cases to take its pandemic total to 31,655. Vallejo added 95 cases for a new count of 35,748. Vacaville is at 29,504 after 64 new cases, the county reported.

Suisun City (8,157) added 16 cases; Dixon (5,510) added eight; Benicia (4,865) added 12; Rio Vista (1,668) added two; and the unincorporated had no new cases to add to its 232 total, the county reported.

Matyas has previously

indicated Covid-19 case counts are likely much higher with the use of in-home testing, results of which are not generally reported to government agencies and in many cases are not shared with medical providers if medical treatment is not needed. He has also said the availability of vaccines and changes to personal behavior have slowed the disease throughout the Bay Area.

Overall vaccination rate percentages did not change from the previous week, the county reported. There were 496 additional boosters administered over the past seven days to take the count to 184,863.

The number of monkeypox cases stayed at 44.

Frankl in Lee

‘Frank’ Smith

Frank, a resident of LaPlace, LA, passed away on Friday, January 13, 2023 at the age of 71.

Garcia’s supporters argued the voters of Suisun City had spoken for her once already, and while she did not win one of the two seats that were open in November, she had engaged with the community and earned ballot support.

“This is a selection, not an election,” Russell Dorsey said of the appointment process.

A caller, Lito Santos, suggested the public was watching very closely at what the council did.

“If you want to get your credibility back . . .

Pal’s supporters focused on a decade of his business acumen, his success in attracting business and his ability to listen and connect with people.

The other finalists were Anthony Adams, Herbert Dardon and Jonathan Richardson.

Initially there were 12 candidates who applied. One withdrew, and the council last week pared that list to the final six. All were encouraged to continue their desires for public service through other city commissions and committees.

“We really need your help; the city needs your help,” Hudson said.

HARLEYS IN HEAVEN

Frank was the beloved father of Danielle Zimmer (Dustin), Amber Stacey (Rob), and the l ate Brandi Smith. He was the be loved husband of the late Jeannine Bercageay Smith.

Frank is survived by 3 siblings: Sue Galvez (Dave), Mike Smith (Debbie), Melissa Smith Powell (Reggie) as well as many nieces, nephews and grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by Cleo and Virginia Smith; George and Richie Smith; and Lori Thompson.

Until we meet again.

The service will be held at a future date

Natalie Anna Sheppie

Natalie passed away peacefully on January 8, 2023 surrounded by her family Natalie was a Centenarian and lived an amazing 104 ½ years. She was born in Schenectady, NY in 1918 and lived there for 40 years before moving with family to San Francisco. She was strong and survived two pandemics (the Spanish Flu in 1918 & the Coronavirus in 2020). Natalie celebrated 60 years of marriage to her beloved husband and had three children, two grandsons and one great granddaughter. She worked at SF Crocker Bank in Operations and retired after 15 years. Natalie was a gifted writer and story-teller and loved journaling. She was known for her love of Christmas… always gathering the family together each year and celebrating the season at her home with lavish holiday décor, food, drink and gifts. Natalie will be remembered for her longevity and fortitude as the strong matriarch of the family…for her amazing strength of character, for her spirituality, for her joy of life, for the many prayers and rosaries and masses she sponsored through the church for the less fortunate …and most of all, for her great influence on family and for her love of family

Natalie is preceded in death by her husband Edward Sr. (passed in 2002), by her parents Anna & Joseph Polejka, sister Clara Califano half-brother Michael Lesczyck, daughter-in-law Shelly Sheppie, brothers-in-law Ted & George Sheppie, sisters-in-law Alfreda Cichy Sophie Weber, Irene Rock, Virginia Sacco, and niece Diane Masucci.

Natalie is survived by her three children Lindalyn (Dave), Edward Jr., and Mark (Karen), her two grandsons Brian Phillips and Jonathan Sheppie (Jessica), and one great granddaughter, Charlotte Helene Sheppie, and many nieces and nephews.

Natalie will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by her family every day.

A private committal and interment will be held at the Fairmont Memorial Ceme te ry in Fairfield, Ca. A Celebra tion o f Life will be held at a l at er d at e. Visit Br yan Braker website at www.Br yanBraker.com.

Although a volunteer organization, civil grand jurors receive a nominal payment for meetings, and are reimbursed for mileage and juryrelated expenses. Applications, a list of qualifications and other information is available on the civil grand jury webpage on the Solano County Superior Court site, https://solano. courts.ca.gov/. the fire service in Alameda County and as a volunteer in Suisun City since 2018.

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic file

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Marshall Turbeville explains the process for developing the proposed California Fire Hazard Severity Zones map during a meeting at the Solano County Events Center in Fairfield, Jan. 17.

Pal said public safety would be his top priority, and for cuts he said he would start by freezing hiring, and eliminate or delay all but the highest priority projects.

Donations through TCU Foundation supports local children’s hospitals

VACAVILLE — The Travis Credit Union Foundation donated $10,000 as a match to $10,000 in donations to support the local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

The $20,000 will go to the UC Davis Children’s Hospital, Merced Valley Children’s Hospital and the UC San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital.

“I want to send a sincere thanks to more than 1,000 donors who helped raise $10,000 . . . that the Travis Credit Union Foundation will match to support the work of the Children’s Miracle Network,” said Kevin Miller, chairman of the Travis Credit Union Foundation board

and chief executive officer and president of Travis Credit Union.

The Travis Credit Union Foundation was founded in 2018 as a 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation dedicated solely to charitable and educational causes.

The foundation supports financial education, literacy and wellness initiatives and is the philanthropic arm of Travis Credit Union. Donations may be made at tcufund.org.

Credit Unions for Kids is a nonprofit collaboration of credit unions, chapters, leagues/associations and business partners from across the country, engaged in fundraising activities to benefit 170 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Tuskegee Airmen topic of museum presentation

DAily r epubliC STAff

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE — The Vacaville Museum in February will host Aubrey Matthews, an expert on the history of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Matthews is the second speaker in the museums “Aviation Forum,” a speaker series that is running in conjunction with their exhibit “Solano Skies: A History of Aviation in Solano County.”

Matthews, a Vietnam veteran, was born in Boulder, Colorado before relocating to California and graduating from Vallejo High School in 1966.

His interest in the Tuskegee Airmen began through his own military career, where he fostered a love for not only aviation but history. Working as an airframe technician, Matthews served in the U.S. Air Force from January 1967 until his honorable discharge in January 1971. He continued his career and passion of aircraft while working in places such as Mare Island, Travis Air Force Base and in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Matthews is a former president, historian and Young Eagles coordinator of Lee A. Archer Jr.

Accused gunman: He suffered ‘years of bullying’ before killing 7

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

HALF MOON BAY —

Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen Inc. at Travis Air Force Base as well as the former president and Young Eagles coordinator of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Chapter 1230, at the Nut Tree Airport. He has spent years traveling to exhibits and meeting Tuskegee Airmen in order to collect information and knowledge about their legacy.

To celebrate Black History Month, and acknowledge the contribution that the Tuskegee Airmen made in the fight for equality in the military, as well as honor their service to our country, Matthews will discuss the formation of the unit as well as how it affected the Air Force and U.S. history.

The talk will begin at 3 p.m. Feb. 4 at 213 Buck Ave.

The Vacaville Museum is a nonprofit, membership supported organization that is dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting Solano County history.

For more information, call the museum at 707-447-4513. For more information on future speakers, visit the museum on Instagram @TheVacavilleMuseum.

Vacaville bus fares return Feb. 1

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DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE — Vacav-

ille City Coach will resume fare collection after nearly three years without due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Beginning Feb.1 . . . riders will be required to pay the standard fare when they board City Coach buses, use paratransit, or ride City Coach Direct. This fare will assist in covering the cost of maintaining the fleet, providing a safe and comfortable ride, and offering service in areas where other transportation options are limited,” the agency said in a statement announcing

the fare schedule. An adult single ride fare is $1.50. A day pass is $3.25. Bus passes with the year 2020 or older will not be accepted. Only 2023 passes and passes without a specified year will be accepted. Passes may be purchased from the Finance Department at Vacaville City Hall, 650 Merchant St., or at the Ulatis Community Center, 1000 Ulatis Drive, the McBride Senior Center, 91 Town Square Place, and Lucky’s Supermarket, 1979 Peabody Road. More sites are expected to be added.

The full menu of fares and other information can be found at citycoach.com.

Amid a state investigation into workplace conditions at the San Mateo County farms where seven people were killed this week, the farmworker charged in the massacre said he had experienced “years of bullying” and working long hours before opening fire.

Chunli Zhao, 66, in a jailhouse interview with NBC Bay Area, admitted that he took a semiautomatic handgun and opened fire on his coworkers Monday.

San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen M. Wagstaffe told The Times in an interview that although he could not go into details in the case, the suspect’s comments to the TV station were “consistent with what he told law enforcement.”

In the 15-minute interview, the alleged gunman also said he had been suffering from “some sort of mental illness” and was “not in his right mind” at the time of the shooting.

He said he planned to turn himself in to law enforcement when he drove to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and was writing a note in his car before he was taken into custody.

NBC Bay Area’s Janelle

Wang said the suspect also told her he regretted the deadly incident. State officials Thursday said they had opened investigations into labor and workplace practices at the two sites of Monday’s fatal shootings, casting a spotlight on the lives of California’s farmworkers, who often live and work in dangerous conditions.

The investigation comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the beachside community Tuesday. Newsom spoke with the victims’ families and co-workers about the deadly shooting and their workplace environment.

Without naming specifics, Newsom said some farmworkers were “living in shipping containers” and working for $9 an hour, well below the state minimum wage of $15.50.

“No healthcare, no support, no services, but (they’re) taking care of our health, providing a service to us each and every day,” he said at the news conference.

A spokesperson for Newsom called the workers’ conditions “simply deplorable” in a statement.

“Our country relies on their back-breaking work, yet Congress cannot even provide them the stability of raising their

families and working in this country without fear of deportation, which contributes to their vulnerability in the workplace,” Daniel Villaseñor, deputy press secretary for Newsom’s office, said in the statement. “California is investigating the farms involved in the Half Moon Bay shooting to ensure workers are treated fairly and with the compassion they deserve.”

California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health and the labor commissioner’s office confirmed they’re investigating the two Half Moon Bay-area work sites for potential labor and workplace safety and health violations.

Both agencies “want to ensure that employees are being afforded all the protections of California labor laws,” according to a statement.

Half Moon Bay is a rural beach town where the bedrock industry is vegetable and flower farms, though many, particularly the flower farms, have closed in recent years, affecting job opportunities. Farm owners have also pointed to the state’s extreme weather, with floods and heavy winds, devastating their fields and the surrounding infrastructure.

About 2,500 to 3,000 farmworkers live in the town at any given time, officials said. Many settle in the wealthy community after finding steady work, often living in mobile homes or trailers on the farms where they’re employed – just a short drive, but out of sight, of the town’s multimilliondollar coastal homes.

The two farms subject to the probe are California Terra Garden along State Route 92, the site of the first attack, and Concord Farms on Cabrillo Highway, where the second attack occurred.

Court records show that the deadly shooting Monday was not the first time an employee at California Terra Garden had attempted to shoot a coworker on the farm grounds.

On July 1, 49-yearold Martin Medina allegedly confronted one of his coworkers late at night, around 11:30 p.m., banging on his door and threatening to kill him.

District Attorney Wagstaffe told The Times that Medina allegedly fired a gun into the home. The bullet went through the glass of the door and into another trailer next door. No one was struck, but

See Gunman, Page A9

Judge pauses enforcement of law targeting doctors who share Covid misinformation

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

SACRAMENTO — A

federal judge on Wednesday paused enforcement of a new California law that punishes doctors for spreading false information about Covid-19 to their patients.

In doing so, Senior Judge William Shubb said the measure’s definition of “misinformation” was “unconstitutionally vague” under the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. A group of doctors, along with two organizations, are suing state officials in separate actions in the United States District Court in Sacramento.

They had asked Shubb to stop enforcement of the rule while their cases continue in court.

The law went into effect January 1. It says doctors who share false information about Covid-19 treatment options and vaccines, whether they did so deliberately or not, could be disciplined for “unprofessional conduct.”

In an order Wednesday, Shubb criticized the law’s definition of “misinformation,” which is “false information contradicted by contemporary scientific consensus contrary to the standard of care.”

Shubb, who called the definition “nonsense” at a court hearing Monday, said in Wednesday’s order that it was “grammatically incoherent.”

Beyond that, Shubb’s order also criticized the phrase “contemporary scientific consensus,”

saying that it doesn’t have an established meaning in the medical field.

“The statute provides no clarity on the term’s meaning, leaving open multiple important questions,” the order said. “For instance, who determines whether a consensus exists to begin with? If a consensus does exist, among whom must the consensus exist (for example practicing physicians, or professional organizations, or medical researchers, or public health officials, or perhaps a combination)?”

That lack of clarity, the judge added, makes it impossible to determine what the new law prohibits.

The law stemmed from a bill, AB 2098, introduced last year by Assembly-

man Evan Low, a San Jose Democrat. It said the “spread of misinformation and disinformation about Covid-19 vaccines has weakened public confidence and placed lives at serious risk.” As of Monday, the Medical Board of California and the Osteopathic Medical Board of California had not disciplined anybody under the law, according to board representatives. Doctors found to have committed unprofessional conduct could lose their licenses.

When Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill in September he called it “narrowly tailored” and said it only applies to conversations doctors have with their patients about

See Judge, Page A9

Next ‘Journey through Grief’ classes to begin online in March

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DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

Grief” classes over the course of the year.

This is a 10-week series of classes focused on healing and learning about grief. Each participant must have been bereaved, or in

mourning, for three months before beginning the class. Each session is facilitated by a grief therapist and is offered free of charge to county residents. The class is limited to 12 people.

The classes are offered for 10 Tuesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. online only. The next set

Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Chunli Zhao appears for his arraignment at san Mateo superior Court in Redwood City, Wednesday.

HALF MOON BAY SHOOTING

Add another to list of state’s botched projects

Gov. Gavin Newsom often boasts that California is a “nation state” that is – or should be – a model for the nation. However, when it comes to implementing large-scale projects and programs, California is more a model of bumbling incompetence.

The list of failures to deliver what was promised on time and on budget is endless, but here are a few obvious examples:

n A bullet train was supposed to be whisking passengers up and down the state by now, but the state is still building an initial stretch in the San Joaquin Valley that is probably a decade away from working, if ever, while cost estimates have nearly tripled.

n The reconstruction of one-third of the earthquake-damaged San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge took a quarter-century to complete and cost 25 times as much as the original estimate.

n The Oroville Dam on the Feather River nearly collapsed in 2017 when sections of its main spillway gave way and an emergency spillway eroded the base of the dam. In seeking re-licensing of the dam 12 years earlier, state officials dismissed concerns about the emergency spillway’s integrity. Later it also was determined the main spillway had been poorly engineered.

n When the Covid-19 pandemic erased the jobs of 2-plus million California workers, the Employment Development Department suffered an operational meltdown in handling legitimate claims for unemployment insurance, but gave as much as $30 billion in cash to fraudulent claimants.

n Although California is the global center of information technology, the state has run up an almost perfect record of botched projects to use it, with long delays in implementation and immense cost overruns.

Again, this is only a partial list. A book could be written about how state and local governments have spent untold billions of dollars on homelessness without making any visible headway. Another could be written about how California reduced its prison population by dumping more felons into overcrowded county jails and/or releasing them to prey upon the public.

One massive failure that developed largely under the media radar deserves a place on the list – a completely bollixed program to provide long-term care insurance to California’s public employees and retirees.

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System in 1995 received legislative approval to provide such insurance. Thousands of public workers signed up on promises that premiums would remain affordable. However, when the program proved to be actuarially unsound, CalPERS began sharply increasing premiums, finally leading to a class action lawsuit alleging that promises were broken.

“These people were completely, completely misled,” Michael Bidart, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, told the Sacramento Bee in 2019, just before a trial was to begin.

“We raised rates to sustain the plan and we believe they were properly increased in accordance with our contract,” CalPERS General Counsel Matt Jacobs told the Bee, the only media outlet that has followed the case.

Negotiations led to a tentative settlement of $2.7 billion in payments to the plaintiffs. However, last spring CalPERS pulled out because too many individual plaintiffs rejected the deal and a new trial is scheduled later this year.

Science shows child not fully grown at 18

Any parent who has a child who has reached the age of 18 can relate.

That is a unique stage that gives a child the illusion they have reached what they believe is a grown and fully developed adult. Meanwhile, they are still entirely and totally dependent on you. You are providing their housing, food, transportation, cellphone and all other necessary utilities. Some of them are even still in high school. The word “I’m grown” should not even be allowed to slip out of a youth’s mouth under these circumstances. It’s almost laughable.

Just to be clear, to be grown means a person has reached the age of 18 and is fully developed both mentally and physically, mature and independent of his parents. Quite frankly, this doesn’t usually happen these days until at least age 25. Just turning 18 does not qualify.

What happens when a child turns 18? They lose their dang mind.

Why do teenagers act so peculiar at times? Is there something wrong with my child? What on Earth were you thinking? What did you think was going to happen? Why would you do such a thing?

These are common questions and responses to the behavior of most young people under the age of 25. Now we have a better answer to these questions. One of the best revelations I learned in researching youth development stages is on the maturation process of the brain. Specifically, the

prefrontal cortex, which is the last region of the brain to reach full development.

This section is the frontal lobes is just behind the forehead and is often referred to as the executive function or the “CEO of the brain.”

The primary functions of this region are cognitive analysis, abstract thought, focusing attention, problem-solving, consequences of behavior, considering the future assurances, controlling impulsive behavior and emotional management. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this region does not reach full maturation until age 25.

Does this not completely explain what most parents and youth workers already knew but couldn’t validate?

The elevator has not reached the top floor. They are a few cards shy of a full deck. The lights are on, but no one is home. Most adolescents in this stage lack the capacity to control impulsive behavior and make sound judgments.

This scientific support of adolescent brain development should make us question whether youth in this age group should ever be tried in courts as an adult, given a license to drive, allowed certain levels of responsibility or even to vote. The logical argument would be to question their judgment, to determine their level of cognitive maturity.

Youth in this age group tend to take more hazardous risks, knowing there are inherent dangers or con-

sequences for their behaviors. The mortality rates for 15- to 24-yearolds are triple the mortality rates of grade-school children and double the amount of adults ages 25 to 35. Injury and violence are the leading cause of death in adolescents ages 10 to 24.

This knowledge of youth brain development will help youth workers and parents understand why adolescents take ill-advised risks and why that risk-taking behavior is a normal part of their development. It should help us realize the need for more monitoring, modeling and mentoring of healthy lifestyles and behaviors for youth. This knowledge can also assist in developing effective interventions that could reduce harmful risk factors.

Armed with this relatively new information, how critical is the need for mentoring and parenting into early adulthood? That old notion of a person being grown just because they have turned 18 is seriously flawed. This proves today’s youth need guidance clearly into their mid-20s. Actually, is it really new information? I seem to recall a Scripture saying, “It does not belong to man walking to direct his own step.” I’m sure that thought included the 18-yearsolds as well.

Deon D. Price is an author and youth life skills coach who lives in Fairfield. He can be reached at www.deondprice.com or thisyouth generation@gmail.com.

What ‘Black Card’ can teach lawmakers

As members of Congress debate the debt limit, some seem to think the government has an American Express “Black Card.”

Dan Walters Rachel Greszler

In a 2018 episode of “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” Jerry Seinfeld explained his version of how the Black Card came to be:

Clearly, CalPERS didn’t know what it was doing. Were it a private insurer, the Department of Insurance would have probably cracked down, but CalPERS is exempt from such oversight.

Many managerial debacles have been ignored by the Legislature and the long-term care insurance is one of them. But the affected workers and retirees are now pressing the Legislature to order an investigation by the state auditor and it’s sorely needed to get the bottom of a multibillion-dollar mess.

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters. For more columns by Dan Walters, go to Commentary.

“I was waiting for [the crew] to move some cameras, and the crew guy comes up to me, he says, ‘You got the Black Card?’ And I go, ‘No, what’s the Black Card?’ He says, ‘There’s only three in the world. The Sultan of Brunei has one, the president of American Express has one, and I thought you would have the third one.’ Next morning, I call the president of American Express. I go, ‘Is there a Black Card?’ He says, ‘It’s just a rumor. It doesn’t exist.’ He said, ‘But you know what? It’s not a bad idea.’ And so they developed it, and they gave me the first one.”

The so-called Black Card – formally, the Centurian Card – is an exclusive, “no spending limit” credit card, available by invite only. While other companies also have their own versions of “no spending limit” credit cards, the reality is that none offers a blank check on spending.

The cards may have no preset spending limit, but they all limit cardholders’ purchasing power based on a rolling assessment of their credit worthiness and ability to repay. And that makes sense because neither the Sultan of Brunei, nor Jerry Seinfeld, nor American politicians should be given a limitless line of credit.

America’s debt limit exists as checkpoint, meant to protect Americans from the reckless accumulation of debt in their names, and that of

their children and grandchildren. That’s why a majority of Americans oppose raising the debt limit unless policymakers also reduce spending.

Already, the U.S. has accumulated $31.4 trillion in federal debt – the equivalent of $242,000 per household.

If the federal government’s borrowing were subject to the same constraints as ordinary households and it actually had to repay its borrowing, every household in America would suddenly have two mortgage or rent payments each month, instead of just one. (At $220,000 in 2021, average mortgage debt was slightly lower than each household’s share of the federal debt).

But unlike ordinary households –and unlike even exclusive Black Card holders – the federal government can simply vote to raise or temporarily waive its debt limits.

Over the past decade, policymakers have frequently given lip service to the debt limit, choosing to “suspend” the debt limit for periods of time, instead of setting dollar limits, and usually failing to include meaningful measures to alter unsustainable federal spending.

The proof is in the pudding in the case against Congress granting itself unlimited spending periods. Over the course of 74 years, from the establishment of the first debt limit in 1939 (an amount equal to $968 billion in today’s dollars) to 2013, policymakers raised the debt limit by about $15.4 trillion.

Policymakers in 2013 began the practice of “suspending” the debt limit instead of setting dollar limits and the consequence was $12 trillion in new debt over the next eight years,

through 2021. That’s seven times the inflation-adjusted rate of expansion prior to the reckless practice of suspending the debt limit.

And the federal government blew through Democrats’ $2.5 trillion debt limit increase enacted in December 2021, adding $19,200 in debt per household over the past 13 months.

Imposing an actual debt limit and enacting meaningful spending reforms is crucial because if politicians don’t set their own limits, they’ll face the market’s limits.

At some point, investors will become unwilling to continue lending to the U.S. government at reasonable interest rates, and recent years of reckless spending have pushed us closer to that point. The consequences of a market-imposed federal debt limit will be far more severe than the short-term effects of modest fiscal restraints that should accompany any debt limit increase.

For example, if markets soured on U.S. debt in 2025, balancing the federal budget in that year alone would require policymakers to take an extra $10,000 per household across the U.S.

If, however, policymakers were to agree to meaningful spending reductions and pro-growth policy reforms in exchange for a specified increase in the debt limit, they could help avoid a fiscal crisis and start reducing the second-mortgage equivalent of federal debt that looms over every household in America. They might even start to get us out of the red – and into the black.

Rachel Greszler is a senior research fellow at the Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget at The Heritage Foundation.

Deon D. Price

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Paris Hilton, Reum welcome their baby boy

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Hotel heiress and DJ Paris Hilton has welcomed an heir.

Hilton and husband Carter Reum, both 41, are now parents to a baby boy, the Los Angeles Times has confirmed. According to People, the socialite and the entrepreneur had the baby via surrogate.

“It’s always been my dream to be a mother and I’m so happy that Carter and I found each other,” Hilton told People. “We are so excited to start our family together and our hearts are exploding with love for our baby boy.”

On Instagram, the “Simple Life” alum shared a photo of her newborn son holding her hand and wrote,

“You are already loved beyond words.”

In the reply section of her Instagram post, several celebrities congratulated Hilton on her bundle of joy. Among the star-studded commenters were Lindsay Lohan, Sofia Richie, Rosario Dawson, Diplo, Ashley Benson, Nina Dobrev, Kimora Lee Simmons, Ivanka Trump, Naomi Campbell, Kris Jenner and Chrissy Teigen, who just welcomed a new baby of her own.

“a BABY!!!!!” model and cookbook author Teigen wrote. “congratulations so happy for you both!!”

“Congratulations what a blessing!!!!!” reality TV star Jenner wrote. “We love you!!!!”

Pickles Brian Crane

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú

Crime logs

FairField

TUESDAY, JAN. 24

12:35 a.m. — Shots fired, MARKELEY LANE

3:05 a.m. — Battery, 1200 block of B. GALE WILSON BOULEVARD

6:27 a.m. — Vandalism, 800 block of BROADWAY STREET

6:39 a.m. — Reckless driver, EASTBOUND AIR BASE PARKWAY

7:26 a.m. — Brandishing a weapon, 1300 block of GATEWAY BOULEVARD

7:58 a.m. — Reckless driver, WATERMAN BOULEVARD

8:25 a.m. — Trespassing, 1200 block of GULF DRIVE

8:26 a.m. — Reckless driver, WESTBOUND AIR BASE PARKWAY

9:45 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 100 block of PACIFIC AVENUE

9:52 a.m. — Vandalism, 2700

block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

10:52 a.m. — Battery, 1400 block of WOOLNER AVENUE

11:25 a.m. — Trespassing, 1200

block of B. GALE WILSON

BOULEVARD

11:57 a.m. — Vandalism, 1700 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

12:47 p.m. — Sexual assault, 5000 block of RED TOP ROAD

3:12 p.m. — Vandalism, 1900

block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

3:19 p.m. — Reckless driver, EASTBOUND INTERSTATE 80

3:22 p.m. — Vandalism, 300 block of DICKSON HILL ROAD

4:29 p.m. — Vehicle burglary, 1900 block of SAN CLEMENTE STREET

6:10 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 3300 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

7:32 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, EASTBOUND AIR BASE PARKWAY

7:41 p.m. — Trespassing, 1700 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

9:20 p.m. — Robbery, 1300 block of GATEWAY BOULEVARD

9:34 p.m. — Shots fired, 2900 block of SHORELINE CIRCLE

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25

6:50 a.m. — Reckless driver, WEST TEXAS STREET

6:55 a.m. — Commercial burglary, 2300 block of COURAGE DRIVE

8:03 a.m. — Brandishing a

From

hired in March.

The supervisors doled out the lion’s share of $86.9 million in federal pandemic relief funding in 2022, but the report also noted that Covid-19’s grip on Solano eased during the year.

“Family health welcomed a full return of patients into their clinics, medical and dental vans after nearly two years of Covid restrictions due to the pandemic, expanding access to some of the county’s most vulnerable and hard to reach clients,” the county’s 2022 Annual report states.

The county also oversaw three elections, an April special election for the 11th District Assembly seat vacated by Jim Frazier, a decision that cost taxpayers nearly $3 million – $590,000 for Solano County directly; the June primary and the November general election. Former Suisun City Mayor Lori Wilson won the special election, and then won a new term in November.

The county also passed a $1.43 billion budget, the

From Page One

area can choose to shelter-in-place during this time or temporarily relocate; anyone choosing to relocate cannot tow trailers down the hill,” the statement said.

Any residents unable

weapon, 2000 block of FIELDCREST AVENUE

8:19 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 2900 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

9:25 a.m. — Fight with a weapon, 800 block of WASHINGTON STREET

9:33 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 2200 block of CONDOR WAY

12:01 p.m. — Vandalism, NORTH TEXAS STREET

12:16 p.m. — Trespassing, 2100 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

12:52 p.m. — Battery, 1500 block of GATEWAY BOULEVARD

12:52 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 2400 block of WATERMAN BOULEVARD

3:30 p.m. — Vandalism, 2100 block of WEST TEXAS STREET

3:33 p.m. — Trespassing, 300 block of TULIP STREET

3:37 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 2100 block of WEST TEXAS STREET

5:47 p.m. — Fight with a weapon, 1700 block of FAWN GLEN CIRCLE

6:09 p.m. — Shots fired, 700 block of SAN MARCO STREET

6:14 p.m. — Assault with a deadly weapon, 1200 block of B. GALE WILSON BOULEVARD

7:35 p.m. — Reckless driver, OLIVER ROAD

7:47 p.m. — Trespassing, 100 block of RED TOP ROAD

8:10 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 1000 block of OLIVER ROAD

8:49 p.m. — Shots fired, FAIRFIELD AVENUE

9:57 p.m. — Robbery, 800 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE

10:31 p.m. Reckless driver, REDWOOD

Schiff enters marquee Senate race

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Rep. Adam B. Schiff, a decades-long fixture in San Fernando Valley politics who rose to national prominence as a top Democratic foe to thenPresident Donald Trump, is joining a contest for U.S. Senate that is quickly shaping up to be highly competitive, he announced Thursday.

A mild-mannered former prosecutor, Schiff built a profile as a moderate Democrat focused on foreign policy and national

Murder

security. The Trump era, however, thrust him into the spotlight, as he led the first impeachment of the then-president and served on the congressional panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack that culminated in referring Trump to the Justice Department for criminal investigation.

“The Senate is where many of these fights over the future of our democracy take place,” Schiff said in an interview prior to his campaign launch. “Some of Donald Trump’s

biggest enablers are in the Senate. And I think that is where I can most effectively champion our democratic institutions.”

His campaign injects new fundraising and political heft to the race for the Senate seat currently occupied by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the San Francisco Democrat who has held that office for 30 years.

Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, a rising star in the party who has notched close victories in competitive Orange County,

was the first major candidate to declare her Senate candidacy this month. Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee, a progressive Democrat, told colleagues she also will launch a bid, although she has not yet done so publicly. Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of Fremont also has signaled interest in running. Though the race for Feinstein’s seat has begun in earnest, the 89-year-old has not disclosed whether she intends to seek reelection next year.

largest in Solano history.

Those were just some of the highlights in the report, which was presented Tuesday at the board meeting and provides an opportunity for the Board of Supervisors and the county administration to highlight the positives and accentuate the services the county provides.

The report also highlights efforts to streamline access to county parks, various water infrastructure projects, the ongoing lead paint removal initiatives, combatting food insecurities, drought relief to farmers and ranchers and improving children’s health and play opportunities.

The report further noted the efforts of the Probation Department and the Public Defender’s Office to help transition its clients and wards into self-sufficiency.

And as always, the county noted the annual Centenarian Celebration, which for the third year was presented virtually rather than in-person due to the pandemic.

It has been described by supervisors as “the best thing we do.”

The full report may be accessed at www.solano county.com and https:// issuu.com/solanocounty.

to shelter-in-place or temporarily relocate due to hardship may contact the Solano County Office of Emergency Services at 707-784-1600 or send an email to OES@ SolanoCounty.com.

Visit https://bit. ly/3X093lH to view a map of the affected area. This link will be updated when either Mix Canyon or Gates Canyon roads reopen.

time. Police departments across the country were on notice as they braced for demonstrations.

“This is a failing of basic humanity toward another individual. This incident was heinous, reckless and inhumane,” said Memphis police Chief Cerelyn Davis in a video statement Wednesday evening. “When the video is released in the coming days, you will see this for yourselves.” Davis, taking an apologetic tone in her address, urged citizens to peacefully express their First Amendment rights but added that the disturbing video must not be a “calling card for inciting violence.”

Lawyer Benjamin Crump, who represents Nichols’ family, said the charging of the officers “gives us hope as we continue to push for justice for Tyre.”

“This young man lost his life in a particularly disgusting manner that points to the desperate need for change and reform to ensure this violence stops occurring during low-threat procedures, like, in this case, a traffic stop,” Crump said in a statement.

Shelby County District Attorney Steven Mulroy announced the charges Thursday afternoon along with David Rausch, the director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

“Frankly, I’m shocked. I’m sickened by what I saw. . . . In a word, it’s absolutely appalling,” Rausch said of the video of the encounter between police and Nichols. “We should not be here. Simply put: This shouldn’t have happened.”

From Page One GDP

From Page One

savings accumulated from government pandemicrelief programs. The burden of elevated prices and higher borrowing costs is mounting, pointing to a tenuous outlook for the economy.

A key gauge of underlying demand that strips out the trade and inventories components – inflationadjusted final sales to domestic purchasers –rose an annualized 0.8% in the fourth quarter after a 1.5% gain.

The latest Bloomberg monthly survey shows economists see the economy shrinking in the second and third quarters, putting 65% odds on a recession in the coming year.

Stock-index futures and Treasury yields remained higher and the dollar was little changed after the GDP report and better-than-expected weekly jobless claims. Applications for unemployment insurance dropped to 186,000 last week, the lowest since April.

Recent data show cracks are developing more broadly. Retail and motor vehicle sales data showed households are

Nichols – a California native who grew up in Sacramento and recently moved to Memphis to work for FedEx – was pulled over Jan. 7 and arrested on suspicion of reckless driving, according to Memphis police. When officers approached Nichols’ car, a confrontation occurred, and Nichols fled the scene on foot, police said.

The police officers pursued Nichols, and another confrontation took place, which led to Nichols’ arrest and subsequent hospitalization, police said.

Officers and Nichols were just 100 yards from the home of Nichols’ parents during the encounter, according to Jennifer McGuffin, the chief spokesperson of Romanucci & Blandon, the law firm representing Nichols’ family.

The video to be released Friday shows Nichols being tased, pepper-sprayed, beaten and restrained for three minutes, according to McGuffin. Nichols called for his mother and told officers he wished to go home, McGuffin said.

A day later, while Nichols was hospitalized, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation launched a use-of-force inquiry at the request of the local district attorney.

Nichols loved to skateboard and had a bright smile, his aunt recalled.

“He just had one of those spirits, one of those personalities that would draw you to him,” Green said. “He was a sweetheart. Every time you seen him, he had a smile on his face. . . . Never had a criminal record. Never been in any type of trouble. Allaround good kid.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton, a New York-based civil rights activist, said he would be traveling

starting to retrench, the housing market continues to weaken and some businesses are reconsidering capital spending plans.

As the Federal Reserve continues to hike interest rates to ensure inflation is extinguished, housing and manufacturing have deteriorated quickly while industries including banking and technology are carrying out mass layoffs.

The GDP report showed the personal consumption expenditures price index, a key inflation metric for the Fed, rose at an annualized 3.2% rate in the fourth quarter, down from a 4.3% pace in the prior three months. The core index that excludes food and energy climbed at a 3.9% rate compared with 4.7% paces in the prior two quarters. Monthly data for December will be released Friday.

The moderation in price pressures is consistent with forecasts that the Fed will further scale back its tightening campaign next week, when it’s expected to raise rates by 25 basis points. Policymakers boosted the benchmark rate by 50 points in December after 75 basis-point hikes at their previous four meetings. The world’s largest

to Memphis and that he had spoken with the Nichols family.

“The fact that these officers are Black makes it more egregious to those of us in the civil rights movement. These officers should not be allowed to hide their deeds behind their Blackness,” Sharpton said in a statement. “We are against all police brutality – not just white police brutality.”

Less than two weeks after Nichols’ death, the Police Department announced the firing of the five police officers who were involved in the confrontation.

William Massey, an attorney representing Martin, said his client surrendered Thursday morning and was “resolved to put this behind him.”

“What police do is dangerous and difficult. And I think this is every policeman’s fear, that something like this would happen on their watch,” Massey said.

A lawyer for Mills said his client was “shocked to have found himself in this position.”

“He dedicated his whole life to serving his community,” attorney Blake Ballin said.

The Memphis Police Association, the union representing police officers in the city, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The five officers were part of the Memphis Police Department’s SCORPION Unit, a 40-person team dedicated to fighting violent crime in hot spots in the city. SCORPION stands for Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods.

“It is important to us that each member of the community feels like they can go to the grocery store or live in their house without their house being

shot, or the shootings that are frequently occurring on the streets and in the roadways. So, for that reason we launched the SCORPION Unit,” Assistant Chief Shawn Jones said when the unit was launched in 2021.

The SCORPION Unit identifies high-crime areas using data and then sends teams to those locations. It was not immediately clear why SCORPION officers were the ones who pulled Nichols over.

In her video address Wednesday night, Davis called for a “complete and independent” review of all specialized units in the department, including SCORPION.

Nichols’ death reignited public scrutiny of police brutality nearly three years after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer set off nationwide protests and launched the #DefundThePolice movement.

Police departments across the country were put on high alert Thursday with the announcement of charges against the officers, prepping for potential demonstrations, especially after the Nichols video is released publicly.

Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Warren Moore told the Times that the department was actively preparing for possible protests.

“We’re setting up different watches and making sure we have the proper resources out,” the officer said.

The department is “flirting with” going to A and B watch, which would mean all officers work 12 hours on and get 12 hours off, an expensive action that makes more officers available than regular.

economy expanded 2.1% last year. In 2021, when demand snapped back from pandemic-related shutdowns, the economy grew 5.9% – the best performance since 1984.

The GDP data showed services spending increased at 2.6% annualized rate in the October-December period, the slowest since last year’s first quarter.

Outlays on goods rose at a 1.1% pace, the first advance since 2021.

Business investment slowed sharply after a third-quarter surge.

Spending on equipment declined an annualized 3.7%, the most since the second quarter of 2020.

Outlays for structures rose at a 0.4% pace.

Residential investment slumped at a 26.7%

annual pace, marking the seventh-straight quarterly decline. Home sales fell last year by the most since 2008 as mortgage rates skyrocketed.

The report showed trade added 0.56 percentage point to GDP. Inventories contributed 1.46 points. Gross domestic income, one of the government’s main measures of economic activity, will be released with the second estimate of GDP in late February. The National Bureau of Economic Research’s Business Cycle Dating Committee, the official arbiter of when business cycles start and end in the U.S., uses the average of GDP and GDI along with a range of other economic variables to make any recession call.

Medina was later taken into custody and charged with attempted murder. Both Medina and the victim were managers at the farm, and Wagstaffe said the confrontation was sparked by a workplace dispute. Despite the location, however, Wagstaffe said the incident and the people involved were not connected to Monday’s shooting.

The “commonality,” he said, was “they occurred in the same area and the same farm.”

David Oates, a crisis public relations expert hired by California Terra Garden, declined to comment on the state investigation but told The Times an official with the state labor commissioner’s office was at the farm Wednesday.

Newsom’s characterization of low pay and poor living conditions for workers doesn’t “reflect the conditions at California Terra Gardens,” he said.

The company typically employs about 35 people, and about eight families live on site in mobile trailer homes that are permitted and inspected by the county, Oates said.

The families pay about $300 a month for rent, are compensated at a rate of $16.50 to $24 an hour and receive health benefits, he said.

“We treat them like family members,” he said, adding that some of the families had lived on the property since before California Terra Garden acquired the farm in March 2020. It was formerly known as Mountain Mushroom Farm.

Officials with Concord Farms did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Eric DeBode, executive director at Abundant Grace Coastside Worker in Half Moon Bay, said his charitable organization primarily serves the

Judge

From Page A5

Covid-19. Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta and representatives of

homeless population of the Half Moon Bay area but also farmworkers. The organization runs a farm whose produce is given for free to the very people working low-wage farming jobs that produce much of the area’s food.

“(It’s) very telling that a very large portion of folks we serve are making the food we eat and aren’t able to afford it themselves,” DeBode said.

He called the housing conditions on the farms “shocking” and “deplorable,” adding that farmworkers and the tourists who come to the area “are living in two different worlds.”

Monday’s rampage stunned the entire community. The gunman opened fire at both locations, killing seven people and injuring one in what authorities have characterized as a case of workplace violence.

The suspect, who officials said had worked at and resided in trailers at California Terra Garden, was “a co-worker or former co-worker of the victims at each shooting site,” the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said.

He faces felony charges that could make him eligible for the death penalty, authorities said.

The shooting, which came less than 48 hours after a mass shooting in Monterey Park that killed 11 people, has drawn attention to what advocates say is a well-known secret: Farms across the state – and the United States – often thrive on poor and vulnerable agricultural workers, many of whom are undocumented and unaware of their rights.

Local authorities in recent days have pledged to improve working conditions at area farms.

boards that discipline doctors of medicine and osteopathy are being sued in the cases. Opponents have raised free speech concerns in their challenge of the law. They said it had created a “chilling effect” on conver-

Jonathan Weiss/Dreamstime/TNS file (2019)

FDA seeks end of regulatory wild west for CBD products

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced that CBD products, increasingly popular but largely unregulated, will soon join the ranks of other more mainstream, regulated products.

But rather than regulate the product as a dietary supplement or food, the agency announced it will work with Congress to create a new regulatory pathway for CBD products.

The announcement came as the agency has faced some pressure to regulate CBD products as dietary supplements.

As part of the announcement, the agency said it was denying three citizen petitions that had asked for FDA rule-making to allow the marketing of CBD products as dietary supplements – an idea that had gained some traction on Capitol Hill.

In 2021, Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader and 45 other Democrats introduced a

bill to regulate CBD as a dietary substance.

While many American city corner stores are stocked with CBD products that claim to do everything from relieve pain to help people sleep, the products were not legalized until 2018, when Congress passed legislation to remove hemp from the Controlled Substances Act. CBD is also found in cannabis.

Still, a few states have not removed hemp from their controlled substances list, meaning there’s still a patchwork approach to CBD legalization.

The FDA in 2018 also approved Epidolex, a drug derived from CBD, to treat rare seizure disorders. But most other marketed products that contain CBD are not FDA-approved.

The agency warns that while CBD is popular across the United States, there are still many unknowns about the substance and how it impacts the body, and there are

some safety concerns with long-term use. Some preliminary studies show the potential for adverse interactions with other medications, harm to the liver and harm to the male reproductive system. The agency is also concerned about the impact of CBD use in pregnant women and in children.

CBD, formally called cannabidiol, is one of the 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis and accounts for 40 percent of the plant’s extract. CBD does not contain THC, is not impairing and does not cause a high but is used in many products to alleviate pain.

Oversight and regulation of the product would allow the FDA to further investigate potential harms and give Americans information before consumption.

Next steps

A new regulatory path for CBD would mandate specific safeguards and oversight specifically targeted to CBD prod-

ucts. Some tools could include clear labels, prevention of contaminants, CBD content limits and measures such as minimum purchase age, the FDA said. A new pathway could also provide oversight for CBD products intended for animals, such as CBD canine gummies meant to alleviate joint pain or calm down an anxious dog.

Under current law, any substance, including CBD, has to meet specific requirements to be marketed as a dietary supplement or food additive. CBD products often don’t meet these requirements, so the agency does not intend to pursue rule-making allowing the use of CBD in dietary supplements or conventional foods.

“Given the available evidence, it is not apparent how CBD products could meet safety standards for dietary supplements or food additives,” FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock said.

sations between doctors and patients because of the threat of possible discipline. In court on Monday, an attorney representing five doctors in one of the cases, said the rule was meant to silence people who have different views

from the state. That said, Shubb did not address the law’s constitutionality under the First Amendment in the order. Instead, saying the concerns about its vagueness were enough to put the rule on hold.

Sunny

sunny

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Gunman From Page A5 THE DAILY REPUBLIC DELIVERS. CALL 707-427-6989.

sunny Sunny Sunny Xxxxxxx Rio Vista 59|38 Davis 58|36 Dixon 58|37 Vacaville 59|39 Benicia 60|40 Concord 61|39 Walnut Creek 61|38 Oakland 59|42 San Francisco 58|44 San Mateo 60|43 Palo Alto 61|41 San Jose 64|39 Vallejo 59|40 Richmond 59|43 Napa 61|38 Santa Rosa 62|37 Fairfield/Suisun City 63|40 Regional forecast Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

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Various CBD products for sale in 2019.

McCaffrey says he won’t miss NFC title game

SANTA CLARA — Christian

McCaffrey offered one, crisp word to describe his chances of missing Sunday’s NFC Championship Game: “Zero.”

He sat out his second straight practice Thursday because of a contusion on his right calf, from the 49ers’ divisional-playoff win Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

How does that impact his preparation?

“It’s the same process for me, just lowering the physical load,”

McCaffrey responded. “I’ll be ready to roll, man.”

McCaffrey said he participates in the walk-through sessions that preceded the official practices. He has scored at least one touchdown in eight consecutive games, the longest streak of his career and the best stretch by a 49ers’ player since Terrell Owens in 1998.

The 49ers have won 12 straight games since McCaffrey entered the starting lineup, after being rushed in as a reserve three days upon arriving in an Oct. 20 trade from the Carolina Panthers.

Whatever durability issues

he had the previous two seasons with the Panthers have been replaced by resilience and reliability with the 49ers.

So, assuming he’s full-go for his first NFC Championship Game, what can the 49ers expect out of their offensive catalyst, all due respect to complementary stars Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk?

Simply put, if the 49ers fall behind fast like other Eagles’ opponents, coach Kyle Shanahan’s run-oriented approach must divert to Brock Purdy’s passing ability, and the offensive line’s blocking prowess against an

Eagles’ front that produced a NFL-best 70 sacks.

On top of that, the early rounds of a playoff bout come with a feeling-out process.

“The running game, especially this late in the year, it’s not instant (success),” left tackle Trent Williams said. “It’s not like you open game and run the ball down people’s throat.

“We never go into the game expecting just to bust the gate open with 100 yards in the first quarter. But obviously that’s part of our identity, running the ball and having a balanced offense. It’s going to be tough sledding,

Solano baseball could be on rise again after rough stretch

m Att milleR

MMILLER@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

ROCKVILLE — Diamond are still drying out from the recent long stretch of rain and the calendar hasn’t even turned over to February yet, but California Community College baseball season is here.

Solano head coach Scott Stover couldn’t be happier.

“This is probably the most excited I’ve been in 10 years,” Stover said this week prior to Friday’s opening doubleheader at Butte College. “I’m back after taking a year off and we had the whole fall to get ready.”

The Falcons have not had a winning season since going 21-19 in 2017. Solano hasn’t finished over .500 in the Bay Valley Conference since a stellar 19-5 record in 2015. But with the Covid-19 pandemic and other issues now in the rear view mirror, Stover is optimistic his team will turn things around.

“The defense in the infield is probably the best I’ve had since I’ve been here,” he said. “The pitch-

ers are behind a bit with the rain. We really haven’t been able to get outside. But we also have good depth in the outfield.”

First base will be handled by freshman Dylan Nosrati (Dixon High School) and sophomore Alex Gaela (Dublin). Sophomore Victor Vegas (American Canyon) anchors the infield at second base, with freshman Connor Ross (Napa) at shortstop and freshman Trey Trias (Benicia) or freshman Kevin Parker (Berkeley) at third.

The outfield is led by center fielder Miles Meadows (Rodriguez), a former Mustangs quarterback on the football team who didn’t play baseball. Sophomore Jaxson Bates (Benicia) is in right with a stable in left field featuring sophomore James Larson (Benicia), freshman Robert Searcy (Rodriguez) and freshman Caleb Morant (Vacaville).

Freshman Dylan Snider (Napa) is behind the plate at catcher for the Falcons. Nosrati can also play there, along with freshman Julian Guerra (De Anza).

Stover said the pitching rotation is not set but that sophomore Joshua Petrill (Will C. Wood) will be his No. 1. Petrill is expected to pitch in one of the two games Friday.

Also listed as pitchers for the Falcons on the roster are freshman Miles Phillips (Vacaville), sophomore Cooper Hack (Casper, Wyoming), freshman Joseph Guttman (St. Patrick-St. Vincent), freshman Dylan Trammell (Benicia), freshman Nick Kambulu (St. Mary’s-Berkeley), freshman Gregory Ryan (Will C. Wood), freshman Jacob Requera (Armijo), sophomore Ryan Mitchell (American Canyon), freshman Dylan Kosar (Buckingham), freshman Gavin Arpaia (Alpha ChapterElverta), sophomore Jackson Dinsdale (Vacaville) and freshman Ayden Welch (Concord).

“We’re deep this year,” Stover said. “And they are all good guys. We’re going to be able to platoon a lot and play some hunches. I look forward to getting up every day and going to practice with this group.”

A’s trade starter Cole Irvin to Orioles

OAKLAND — As the A’s get closer and closer to Spring Training, the reshaping of their roster continued – and another big part of their last two years has been shipped out.

Left-handed starter Cole Irvin was traded to the Baltimore Orioles, the team announced on Thursday. Oakland also sent minor league pitcher Kyle Virbitsky to Baltimore in the deal, acquiring minor league infielder Darell Hernaiz, who was No.

16 in MLB.com’s rankings of Orioles prospects entering Thursday. The A’s acquired Irvin from the Phillies before the 2021 season for cash considerations after the Anaheim native pitched in parts of two seasons in Philadelphia. Given a chance to be a part of Oakland’s rotation, Irvin had a decent 2021 –10-15 with a 4.24 ERA in 2021 and 125 strikeouts in 32 starts – and a strong 2022, finishing 9-13 with a 3.98 ERA in 30 starts.

Irvin’s numbers got better across the board from 2021 to 2022 – ERA,

was hope that he could improve even more in his age-29 season, too.

just like it was last week.”

In that 19-12 win over the Cowboys, McCaffrey had just 35 yards on 10 carries, the final of which was a 2-yard, go-ahead touchdown run to open the fourth quarter. He also had six catches for 22 yards on a teamhigh eight targets. While noting the Eagles “pose a lot of challenges,” McCaffrey has grown comfortable in the 49ers’ system and behind an ever-improving offensive line, of which he added: “They’re so talented and so detail oriented that understanding the purpose of every play is important.”

Rodriguez girls hoops net big win over Vacaville

DAily Republic StAff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Roniya Vaughn scored 20 points and three others had nine as the Rodriguez High School girls basketball team notched a 58-43 win Wednesday night over visiting Vacaville.

TyEese Chappell, Mia Marquez and Samantha Morris all had nine as the Mustangs’ balanced attack held off a red-hot performance by Vacaville’s Brynlie Headrick. The Bulldogs star finished with a gamehigh 31 points.

Rodriguez twice held Vacaville under 10 points in a quarter. A 16-9 advantage in the third quarter helped the Mustangs stretch their lead.

Rodriguez improved to 7-15 overall and 3-2 in the Monticello Empire League. The Mustangs play Friday at Armijo. Vacaville fell to 11-8 overall and 2-3 in MEL games. Vacaville is at Fairfield on Friday.

Vanden wins lopsided clash

FAIRFIELD — Maalia Cherry had 16 points, Kalyn Harris scored 12 and Jakayla Gilmer added 10 Wednesday night as the Vanden High School girls basketball team overpowered host Armijo 83-9. The Vikings improved to 16-7 overall and 5-0 in the MEL.

No individual statistics were made available for Armijo. The Royals fell to 1-16 overall and 0-5 in the MEL.

Vanden hosts Will C. Wood on Friday; Armijo will be home for Rodriguez.

Strong start helps Will C. Wood girls

VACAVILLE — Will C. Wood High School’s girls basketball team raced out to a 16-0 lead on its home floor Tuesday night in the first quarter and rolled on to a 61-21 win over Fairfield.

Athena Brombacher led the Wildcats with 19 points. Natalie Sanchez had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Lucia Alexander added nine points and six assists. Wood improved to 10-7 overall and

4-1 in the Monticello Empire League. No individual statistics were made available for Fairfield. The Falcons fell to 5-14 overall and 0-5 in the MEL. Wood plays Friday at Vanden and Fairfield hosts Vacaville.

Girls Soccer Rodriguez remains tied atop league

FAIRFIELD — Saniyah Espadron scored the first goal and Morgan Witt converted a penalty kick Wednesday night as the Rodriguez High School girls soccer team beat Vanden 2-0. Kaleia Grinton, Tiara Smith and Jordyn Peter had shots on goal for Vanden but were unable to convert. Rodriguez improved to 4-1-2 overall and is tied for first with Vacaville at 4-0-1 in the Monticello Empire League. Vanden fell to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in MEL matches. Rodriguez is at Armijo on Friday night, while Vanden plays at Will C. Wood.

Boys Basketball

Ignacio’s putback lifts Fairfield

FAIRFIELD — Nicko Ignacio pulled down an offensive rebound and put back the gamewinning shot with six seconds left Tuesday night as the Fairfield High School boys basketball team held off visiting Will C. Wood 54-52. Ignacio scored 18 points and Amari Bryant added 12 as the Falcons improved to 5-17 overall and 2-3 in the Monticello Empire League. Fairfield shot the 3-pointer well and its first four baskets were from long range. Fairfield jumped out to a 16-2 lead in the first quarter before Wood came back and made it a close game the rest of the way. Isiah Dixon led the Wildcats with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Cory Edwards and Josiah Chavez had eight points apiece. Noah Bergman added six rebounds. Wood fell to 11-11 overall and 1-4 in the MEL.

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic

Solano Community College’s Mike Phillips pitches during baseball practice at the campus diamond, Wednesday.

Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group/TNS file (2022) Cole Irvin went 9-13 with a 3.98 ERA for the A’s in 2022.

Friday’s TV sports

Local

From Page B2

Fairfield was scheduled Thursday night to play at Vacaville. Wood was scheduled to face Vanden.

Ian Lampkin scored 17 points, all in the fourth quarter, and Khammani Martin added 10 as the Fairfield junior varsity team beat Will C. Wood 58-41.

Fairfield’s freshman team also defeated Wood 53-24 as Devan Adams had 14 points for the Falcons.

Vanden overpowers Armijo for victory

Farmers Insurance Open, 5, 13, 2 p.m.

DP World

Dubai Desert Classic, GOLF, 11 p.m.

Hockey

NHL

Detroit at New York Islanders, ESPN, 4 p.m.

San Jose at Carolina, NBCSCA, 4 p.m.

Tennis

Australian Open

Women’s Final, ESPN, 12:30 a.m. (Saturday)

Saturday’s TV sports

Basketball College Men

Auburn at West Virginia, ESPN, 9 a.m.

Louisville at Notre Dame, ESPN2, 9 a.m.

Xavier at Creighton, 5, 13, 9:15 a.m.

Alabama at Oklahoma, ESPN, 11 a.m.

Iowa State at Missouri, ESPN2, 11 a.m.

Cincinnati at Houston, 5, 13, 11:15 a.m.

Illinois at Wisconsin, 2, 40, Noon.

TCU at Mississippi State, ESPN2, 1 p.m.

Arkansas at Baylor, ESPN, 1 p.m.

Arizona at Washington, 2, 40, 2:30 p.m.

Texas at Tennessee, ESPN, 3 p.m.

Florida at Kansas State, ESPN2, 3 p.m.

Kansas at Kentucky, ESPN, 5 p.m.

Ohio State at Indiana, 2, 40, 5 p.m.

Ole Miss at Oklahoma State, ESPN2, 5 p.m.

Saint Mary’s at BYU, ESPN2, 7 p.m.

College Women

Nebraska at Iowa, 2, 40, 10 a.m.

NBA Denver at Philadelphia, 7, 10, Noon.

N.Y. Knicks at Brooklyn, 7, 10, 2:30 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Boston, 7, 10, 5:30 p.m.

Sacramento at Minnesota, NBCSCA (Vacaville and Rio Vista), 5 p.m.

Extreme Sports

X Games, 7, 10, 9:30 a.m.

X Games, ESPN, 7 p.m.

Figure Skating

U.S. Championship Morning coverage, 3, 11:30 a.m.

Pairs Free Skate, USA, 5 p.m.

Football College

NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, NFL, 3 p.m.

Golf PGA

Farmers Insurance Open, GOLF, 11:30 a.m.

Farmers Insurance Open, 5, 13, 1:30 p.m.

DP World

Dubai Desert Classic, GOLF, 11 p.m.

Hockey

A’s

From Page B2

Now, that hope for further improvement will be what fans in the black and orange of Baltimore, who will get Irvin at the major league minimum for 2023 before he reaches his arbitration eligibility after this season.

Irvin was expected to be one of Oakland’s top starters in their 2023 rotation, along with 2022 All-Star right-hander Paul Blackburn and top signee Japanese righthander Shintaro Fujinami. Ken Waldichuk and JP Sears, both acquired from the Yankees.

FAIRFIELD — The Vanden High School boys basketball team had a 32-point third quarter Tuesday night en route to a 75-36 home win over Armijo.

“One of our big messages at halftime was to keep our feet on the gas,” Vanden head coach Micheal Holloway said. “We have a tendency to let up. We want to make sure we continue to play well throughout.”

Tyler Thompson led the Vikings with 15 points. Sterling McClanahan had nine and Jayden Robinson added eight. Four other players scored seven. Vanden improved to 15-8 overall and 4-1 in the Monticello Empire League.

Trevor Morris had 12 point and 12 rebounds for Armijo. The Royals fell to 2-15 overall and 0-5 in the MEL.

“We got completely overwhelmed by their pressure and the game was over within the first four minutes due to our lack of ability to handle the press,” Armijo head coach Michael Morris said in an email.

Vanden’s junior varsity team earned an 88-51 win over Armijo. Elijah Smith had 16 points, Aeden Molina scored 13 and T.K. Caradine added 10. The younger Vikings are 11-7 overall and 3-1 in the MEL.

Vacaville boys unbeaten in MEL

VACAVILLE — Nathan Schnell scored a gamehigh 22 points and and Larry Lewis III added

12 Tuesday night as the Vacaville High School boys basketball team held off visiting Rodriguez 52-48.

Vacaville finished the first half of the Monticello Empire League season unbeaten at 5-0. The Bulldogs improved to 17-5 overall.

Cameron Brewer had 13 points and seven rebounds for Rodriguez. Jerel Victor added 12 points and Joseph Gould added 10. The Mustangs are 11-11 overall and 3-2 in the MEL.

Vacaville was scheduled to host Fairfield on Thursday. Rodriguez was scheduled to host Armijo.

Balanced scoring helps VCS roll on

VACAVILLE — Garrett Kuch filled up the box score with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists

as the Vacaville Christian High School boys basketball team rolled to a 68-35 win Tuesday night over visiting San Juan.

The Falcons had a balanced scoring lineup as Thomas Lane scored 13, Landen Graves went for 12 and Brian Laxamana added 10. Tanner Tripp also had seven point and 10 rebounds for the Falcons.

Vacaville Christian improved to 16-3 overall and raised its perfect record in the Sierra Delta League to 6-0. The Falcons will host Golden Sierra on Friday night.

Boys Soccer Pacheco scores twice for Armijo

FAIRFIELD — Edwing Saucedo Pacheco had a pair of first-half goals as the Armijo High School boys soccer team netted a 4-1 win Tuesday over Fairfield.

Diego Torres also scored in the first half for a 3-1 lead at halftime. Esteban Carcamo delivered a goal in the second half. Eduardo Gomez also had an assist.

Fairfield scored with 19 minutes to play. Individual statistics were not made available for the Falcons.

“We saw some great play out there and a lot of players stepping up to different positions to support their team,” Armijo head coach Megan Flores said in an email.

Armijo improved its record to 7-8 overall and 4-1 in the Monticello Empire League. Fairfield fell to 4-7-4 overall and 1-3-1 in the MEL.

Armijo was scheduled to play at Rodriguez on Thursday night. Fairfield was at Vacaville.

Armijo won the junior varsity match 4-1. Haroon

Salarzai scored two goals and converted a penalty kick for a hat trick. Isaac Aguirre also scored and Artemio Perez had an assist. The younger Royals are 3-1-1 in MEL matches.

Vacaville boys edge Will C. Wood

VACAVILLE — The Vacaville High School boys soccer team remained unbeaten in the Monticello Empire League after a 2-1 win Tuesday night over rival Will C. Wood.

Nathan Beltran and Anthony Verdugo scored goals. Dylan Gonzalez assisted on Verdugo’s shot. Both shots came in the second half.

“We made some adjustments after the first half,” Vacaville head coach Tony Bussard said in an email. “Great teams find ways to win.”

Zack Rabold scored for the Wildcats as Will C.Wood opened the game with a 1-0 lead at halftime.

Vacaville improved to 10-2 overall and closed the first half of the MEL season at 5-0. Wood is 6-4-2 overall and 3-2 in the MEL.

Vacaville was scheduled Thursday night to host Fairfield. Wood was scheduled to play at Vanden.

Vacaville won the junior varsity content 3-1 over Wood.

Rodriguez earns victory over Vanden

FAIRFIELD — The Rodriguez High School boys soccer team netted a 3-1 win Tuesday over Vanden. No individual results were made available for either team.

Rodriguez improved to 3-6-1 overall and 1-3-1 in the Monticello Empire League. Vanden fell to 0-10-1 overall and 0-5 in the MEL. Rodriguez was scheduled to play Thursday

night at Armijo, while Vanden was scheduled to host Will C. Wood.

Wrestling

Vacaville, Rodriguez qualify for Duals

FAIRFIELD — The Sac-Joaquin Section office announced the divisions for Saturday’s Wrestling Team Duals Championship at Lincoln High School in Stockton.

Vacaville will compete in Division I with Folsom, Turlock, Sheldon, Oakdale, Elk Grove, Del Oro and St. Mary’s. Rodriguez also qualified and will compete in Division II with Stagg, River City, Laguna Creek, Pitman, Tracy, River Valley and Linden.

Weigh-ins for Division 1 and II begins at 7 a.m. with coaches’ meetings at 8:15 a.m. Wrestling will soon follow.

College

Solano women can’t slow Laney

ROCKVILLE — The Solano Community College women’s basketball team had its seven-game winning stretch halted Wednesday night with a 78-56 loss to Laney in Oakland.

Solano stayed close before Laney closed the game with a 28-14 advantage in the final period. The Falcons felt 13-9 overall and 7-2 in the Bay Valley Conference.

Jade Dickson led the Falcons with 15 points. Jaslyn Woods and Julia Wright had 12 apiece. Amira Brown led Laney with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Laney (8-0 BVC) now holds a two-game lead over second-place Solano in conference play.

Columns&Games

‘Unfriendly bet’ lost the battle but is winning the war

Dear Readers: Many of you wrote in with advice for “Unfriendly Bet,” who took a gamble on a particular college football game with a friend from a rival school of his. The stakes were high: The two discussed, starting Jan. 1, the letter writer having to post a new picture of himself on social media in a thong every day for a year, holding a sign saying, “My school sucks.” The game was never close, and the odds ended up in his friend’s favor.

Annie Lane

A number of astute readers noticed that the terms of the bet were not clear or nearly specific enough and argued the thong could have been worn over clothes or cleverly fashioned into headbands, hair scrunchies, belts, scarves, capes and even earrings. Others interpreted it to mean “thong” flip-flops – all great, creative and appropriate solutions to an otherwise potentially embarrassing and risque photo prompt.

Here is a follow-up note

from “Unfriendly Bet” himself.

Dear Annie: I wrote to you about losing the sports bet with my friend and having to post photos online.

Thank you for the advice. I decided to take my medicine like a man. Honestly, I didn’t get blowback. Actually, the opposite for owning up to the deal. There are a few laughs, albeit at my expense, but generally good humor all around. Thanks for your advice! — Unfriendly Better’s a Great Sport

Dear Annie: I am writing in response to “Helpless,” the man who moved his family out of state and is now upset that his cheating ex has a close relationship to his relatives back home.

I think you’re off base with your advice to move home. He should stay where he is and seek counseling at his location. Become active in some community programs both with and without his children. This helps build adult friend-

Horoscopes by Holiday Mathis

ARIES (March 21-April 19).

Fears are not facts on which to base ideas about your abilities or worth. The gentle work you’re doing will resolve fear, heal defensiveness and help you gain a greater appreciation of your needs and strengths.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20).

It is a great pleasure of life to surpass where you expected to end up. You will enjoy this pleasure now as you recall your early ideas about what you were capable of and realize how limited and wrong they were.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21).

Some of your experiments give you enough information to come to a conclusion and some won’t. Either way, life is more exciting when you try new things, and you’re much further along in your journey of knowledge.

CANCER (June 22-July 22).

You connect better when you see a bit of yourself in the other person. Arguably, all connection is built on this kind of resonance to some degree. You’ll meet someone new and find a point of relation straight away.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).

Often you bring out the best in people and they you. But if the chemistry goes another way and people bring out the worst in each other, it’s dramatic, though not necessarily bad for

What you do to establish your legacy is also a joy in the moment. You’ll learn, read and travel widely. The more you learn about the wide world the sharper your intuition becomes. Other highlights: dancing to your heart’s content, a secret gift or creation that you eventually share with the world and the closing of a big deal. Libra and Sagittarius adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 3, 24, 17, 28 and 19.

personal growth. At least it’s interesting.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).

The road to happiness doesn’t start with wanting to be happy. Wanting itself is in opposition to happiness. The first signs of joy often come with noticing, admiring and the like. Your glad heart fills as your senses do.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It is said that the best leaders are often reluctant to take power. It’s not that you want to be the leader today, but it might be the case that no one else is stepping up so it naturally falls to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

There are sights that go unseen but that doesn’t mean they didn’t happen. This is what

ships, childhood friends for the kiddos and a support group for the family. Plus, why should “Helpless” have to uproot his children yet again?

His ex will fall on the sword, and his family will want to reconnect. He needs to make a new life, and at some point, that will probably mean a new wife. Don’t move back; stay away. Moving back can trigger some deep, dark sides – not being good for him or the children. Building a new, better life will be far more rewarding. I know; I’ve been there. — Stay Put Dear Stay Put: I certainly agree that “Helpless” needs to look forward and focus on building a better future rather than dwelling on the past. Whether he wants to do that in his new town or back with his family is up to him. Thank you for your insights.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com.

security video and instant replay is for, should you be so lucky. Today it may come down to whether or not you believe the witness.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). You prefer to live and let live, so it’s hard for you to relate to people who feel the need to control the expression of others. Whether people agree or disagree with you, it says more about them than you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). It will not be enough to read part of the situation. Get the whole story from every person’s point of view. Illumination will happen little by little. It will be so satisfying when this all comes together.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). Let nothing dampen your enthusiasm for possibilities hovering on the horizon, even if you seem to be the only one seeing them. It’s better to spend your time working on your passion than discussing or defending it.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). If only there was always time to think about the best way to react and practice it until it’s smooth. Alas, you never know what the day or the conversation will bring. Your reactions reveal humanity. That’s better than being cool.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Word Sleuth

Crossword by Phillip Alder

Bridge

finesse, but there is another modus operandi, if I may use the expression, that, in the right circumstances, slightly improves your chances.

After spades had been agreed, South hoped to hear North control-bid the diamond ace and club king (or singleton). When he got the first but not the second, he was forced to settle for six spades.

South ruffed the heart lead, played a trump to dummy and finessed the club queen. However, when West won with the king, South had to concede down one.

That was an uninspiring performance. After ruffing the opening heart lead and playing a trump to dummy, declarer should ruff another heart, return to dummy with a diamond to the ace and ruff the third heart high. South cashes the diamond royals and then makes the key play: He cashes the club ace.

THE DECEPTIVE SUIT COMBINATION

There are certain suit combinations that are deceptively difficult. Take, for example, holding A-Q-x in your hand opposite three low cards in the dummy. How would you try to win two tricks in the suit, given no communication problems?

You would probably take the

When the king does not appear, declarer crosses to dummy with a trump and plays a club to his queen. If East has the king – so that the finesse was working all along – the queen will win the trick. But if the queen loses to the king, there is one possibility left: West started with a doubleton king. If so, he must return a red-suit card, conceding a ruff-and-sluff.

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

by

1/27/23

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid contains the digits

THE DECEPTIVE SUIT COMBINATION

1 through 9, with no repeats. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

©

Difficulty level: SILVER

Today’s birthday

B4 Friday, January 27, 2023 — DAILY REPUBLIC

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That would be understandable given the high quality of his recent Netflix sequel to his 2019 theatrical hit.

as Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: Knives Out Mystery” left you hungering for more mysteries to be solved?Fortunately for you, Johnson hasn’t tired of the mystery genre and now offers you the largely entertaining, highly binge-able “Poker Face.” The Peacock series starring the distinctly delightful Natasha Lyonne (“Russian Doll”) debuts this week with its first four hourlong installments.

On TV

Before we go any further, we must point out the biggest difference between the “Knives Out” flicks and “Poker Face,” and it isn’t that Lyonne’s Charlie Cale has little in common with her spiritual big-screen cousin, Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc.

‘Poker Face’ Streaming on Peacock

Whereas “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion” are whodunits, allowing, at least to a degree, the viewer to try to solve a case along with the detective, “Poker Face” is what’s known as an inverted detective story, aka a “howcatchem.” We see the murder happen early in an episode and then watch the sleuth put the pieces together to solve it. (If you’ve ever seen an episode of “Columbo,” you’ll get the idea.)

Really, it’s a bit of a bummer.

Get past that, though, and the colorful, creative “Poker Face” is pretty addictive, based on the first six episodes, which NBCUniversal’s streaming platform made available for review.

The show’s hook is that Charlie is a walking lie detector – she constantly proclaims “bulls–” after hearing a falsehood, sometimes under her breath and at others plenty loud enough for the liar to hear. She doesn’t know what the truth is, but she reads people well enough that she knows when they’re not being straight.

As you might imagine – especially given the show’s title – she tried using this gift at poker tables, taking the unexpected card sharks for everything that they had in games here and there. However, her gift soon made her the enemy of a casino owner, who gave her a job as a cocktail waitress in exchange for her not gambling and so he could keep an eye on her.

She begins her journey as an amateur-but-effective detective when a co-worker and close friend from the casino, Natalie

Here’s

(Dascha Polanco, who, like Lyonne, is an alum of Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black”), supposedly is killed by her husband, who died in the event, as well.

The hotel’s manager and the owner’s ever-disappointing son, Sterling Frost Jr. (Adrien Brody, “See How They Run”), wants to use Charlie’s talents to relieve one of the casino’s big fishes – “He’s our Moby Dick,” Sterling says – of a lot of his cash. Problem is, Charlie knows Sterling and his henchman, Cliff Legrand (Benjamin Bratt, “Doctor Strange”), aren’t being honest with her when it comes to the nature of Natalie’s death. (The truth is she was set to report something disturbing she captured with her phone in the room of said big fish, and Sterling didn’t like that idea so much.)

Hopefully, it’s not too much of a spoiler to say by the end of the Johnson-written-anddirected first episode, “Dead Man’s Hand,” that Charlie is on the run, roaming the roads via her showing-its-age Plymouth Barracuda.

In each episode, she meets new people – some of whom, as our luck would have it, either will kill or be killed. Charlie has a habit of quickly losing her temporary, cash-paying gigs and really should hit the road as soon as the scene gets a little hot, but this woman can’t resist trying to right a wrong.

As suggested by the inclusion of Brody in the first episode, we are treated to a parade of appealing guest players throughout “Poker Face,” including Hong Chau (“The Menu,” “The Whale”), as Marge, a wisdom-filled truck driver who befriends Charlie in Episode 2, “The Night Shift,” directed but not penned by Johnson; Lil Rel Howery (“Get Out,” “Free Guy”), as ambitious Texas BBQ-based businessman Taffy Boyle, in the terrific third episode, “The Stall,” directed but not penned by Johnson; Chloe Sevigny

(“Big Love”), as Ruby Ruin, the singer of a one-hit rock band desperate to reclaim fame in “Rest in Metal,” another topnotch installment; and Judith Light (“Who’s the Boss?”), as Irene Smother, a one-time revolutionary now living in a retirement home with her longtime partner in crime.

The only episode that disappoints is the sixth, “Exit Stage Death.” Set during the production of a play starring old acting partners and bitter enemies (Ellen Barkin and Tim Meadows), it has too many moving pieces and is uncharacteristically messy despite some clever ideas.

Nonetheless, we eagerly await future episodes, including “The Orpheus Syndrome,” which debuts Feb. 23, is set to feature Nick Nolte and was directed and co-written by Lyonne.

Johnson (“Looper,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”) returns as the director of the penultimate episode, “Escape From S– Mountain” (March 2), and as the writer of the season finale, “The Hook.” Those installments will feature actors Joseph Gordon Levittt and Ron Perlman, respectively.

Yes, the guest stars are fun, and the writing and direction is generally strong even when Johnson is credited with neither. However, the biggest reason “Poker Face” keeps you going back for more is Lyonne – just as it has been over the two seasons of Netflix’s “Russian Doll.”

Her cigarette-smoking, beer-drinking heroine is just the right amount of colorful, just the right amount of caring, just the right amount of persistent. Lyonne – whose bigscreen credits include “Slums of Beverly Hills” and “American Pie” – may not have the greatest of ranges, but Charlie sits smack dab in the center of her quirky little wheelhouse. So while we wish we were allowed to solve the mystery with her, we’re thrilled she’s on the case all the same.

Word Sleuth

Crossword by Phillip Alder

Bridge

The only time you walk here by that route is after playing bridge at your club.”

Of course. I passed Holmes a sheet of paper showing only the North-South hands from the deal in the diagram. “I was in seven spades, North having shown two aces and the trump king-queen with no side-suit king in response to my 14-30 Baker Street Key Card Blackwood. West led the diamond queen. As you can see, it’s The Case of the Missing Queen, but I failed to find her. Given that West has two trumps, how should I have planned the play, Holmes?”

“I win with the diamond ace, immediately ruff a diamond high in hand, lead a trump to dummy’s queen, ruff another diamond, play a trump to dummy and ruff the last diamond.”

“West discards a low club, Holmes.”

SHAPE DISCOVERY ALLEVIATES A GUESS

The meerschaum pipe was filling the air with fragrant smoke. Holmes looked up as I entered. “Show me the bridge problem,” he said.

“But Holmes, how could you possibly know I have spent the afternoon playing bridge?”

“I can see from the mud on your shoes that you came here via the park.

“Excellent! Now I play three rounds of hearts, ruffing the last in the dummy.” “West discards another club.”

“The final piece of the jigsaw, Watson. East started with one spade, six hearts and five diamonds. Therefore, he has only one club. I play a club to the king and, if the queen hasn’t dropped, I run the club jack with assurance.”

“Brilliant, Holmes.”

“Elementary, my dear Watson.”

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

Enterprises Dist. by creators.com

1/28/23

Difficulty level: GOLD

Yesterday’s solution:

SHAPE DISCOVERY ALLEVIATES A GUESS

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9, with no repeats. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

The meerschaum pipe was filling the air with fragrant smoke. Holmes looked up as I entered. “Show me the bridge problem,” he said.

“But Holmes, how could you possibly know I have spent the

© 2023

Karolina Wojtasik/Peacock/TNS

Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in “Poker Face.”

Chrisley reveals when her life began ‘falling apart’

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

“Chrisley Knows Best” star Savannah Chrisley is struggling with the reality of her parents’ absence and says that her life is “falling apart” after they began their respective prison sentences for tax evasion last week.

At the start of Tuesday’s episode of her “Unlocked With Savannah Chrisley” podcast, the 25-year-old reality star acknowledged the prison-sized elephant in the room and provided a quick life update on her family life.

“So for those of you that are familiar with my family and have followed our lives and have also followed my podcast, you know that last week was an extremely difficult week for my family as a whole and for each of us individually,” Chrisley said. “We kind of had to say goodbye to my parents for a little bit of time, for the foreseeable future. And that was really, really, really tough.”

The “Growing Up Chrisley” star said she hasn’t taped a new podcast since before her folks’ departure. Instead, the episode that went live Tuesday – a joyful, lighthearted conversation with her podcast producer and childhood friend Erin Dugan – was recorded on Jan. 12. Todd and Julie Chrisley headed to separate prisons Jan. 17.

The husband and wife, who were best known for USA Network’s family reality series “Chrisley Knows Best,” were convicted for tax evasion and bank fraud in June 2022.

Todd Chrisley will serve 12 years at the Sunshine State’s Federal

Prison Camp Pensacola, while Julie Chrisley will serve her seven-year sentence at Federal Medical Center Lexington, a women’s prison in Kentucky. Both face 16 months’ probation after release.

“The podcast that is going to be airing today that you’re watching was filmed prior to my life falling apart, so it may seem happy-go-lucky during that time,” Savannah Chrisley explained. “I think it’s because there was a lot of hope that was had and I wasn’t faced with the reality of the situation.”

“So I just kind of wanted to throw this in there to address that because I know a lot of people are gonna be like, ‘Whoa, what is this?’ And this [pre-recorded episode] was kind of prelife falling apart. And now podcasts that I do going forward will be post-. So I hope that kind of helps you understand things,” she added.

Chrisley said that next week’s episode will be a “very intense one-onone podcast with myself kind of giving an update on where my life’s at, where things stand.” She also plans to share how her 16-year-old brother, Grayson, her 10-yearold niece, Chloe, her grandma, “Nanny Faye,” and her parents are holding up.

“I’m really looking forward to giving that update because I’ve seen God work in the craziest of circumstances. So until then, I hope you enjoy this week’s podcast,” she said, adding: “Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for supporting me, my family and ‘Unlocked.’ ”

Dilbert Scott Adams

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos