Jumat, 18 September 2026

Floriston Fire, Costly Commutes, and Oodles of Poodles

Friday, September 18, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1905, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors confirmed the incorporation of Santa Maria, six days after residents voted to become a city.

A fall treasure hunt is underway near Mount Shasta. One of the world’s priciest mushrooms is back in season, and we have details for aspiring foragers below.

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Floriston Fire Closes I-80, Forces Evacuations

A wind-driven wildfire near the California-Nevada line kept westbound Interstate 80 closed Thursday after erupting a day earlier.

The Floriston Fire started around 10 a.m. near Floriston Way, about 9 miles northeast of Truckee in Nevada County, and grew to 640 acres by Thursday at 5% containment, according to CAL FIRE. The cause remains under investigation.

The Nevada County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders and warnings across several zones, with additional warnings in Sierra County. Residents with livestock or pets were urged to leave early.

Westbound Interstate 80 remained closed at the Nevada state line Thursday with no estimated reopening.

Feds Charge 3 in Homeless-Aid Fraud

Federal agents arrested three people in Los Angeles on Wednesday, accusing them of fraud involving millions in taxpayer money meant to house and support the homeless.

Michael Young, 46, who founded the Culver City nonprofit Home At Last, faces a wire fraud charge for allegedly using shell companies to misappropriate more than $7.5 million. Prosecutors say he spent more than $1 million to open and operate an Inglewood nightclub and bingo hall and also used taxpayer funds for vacations and luxury car restorations.

Also charged was Lakiya Malone, 48, accused of taking more than $180,000 in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for housing referrals that included "ghost" clients who never lived at the sites. Donye Mitchell, 55, was charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $1.2 million in county-funded grant money.

The cases are part of a federal Homelessness Fraud and Corruption Task Force. Mayor Karen Bass said her administration has "zero tolerance for fraud," and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority said none of its own staff were implicated.

New Poll Shows Becerra, Tax Ahead

Democrat Xavier Becerra leads Republican Steve Hilton 60% to 38% in the race for governor, a new Public Policy Institute of California poll found.

ABC7 reports Becerra's lead has grown 4 points in a month, with less than two months until Election Day. The survey was conducted Sept. 4-10, and 65% of respondents said candidates' positions on affordability are very important to their vote.

The same survey shows likely voters narrowly backing Proposition 40, a proposed billionaire tax, 52% to 46%.

The measure would put a one-time 5% tax on the assets of the state's roughly 200 billionaires to help offset federal cuts to Medi-Cal. Gov. Gavin Newsom opposes it, as do both candidates, and two rival measures could nullify the tax even if it passes. Those measures also had slim majority support in the poll, creating a potential conflict among the measures in November.

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➤ Danville: Edwin Lickiss, a 78-year-old financial adviser, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for a Ponzi scheme that ran nearly 30 years and defrauded friends, church members, and even his own family of millions. He admitted selling nonexistent bonds. (More)

➤ San Francisco Bay: A BART audit found oversight lapses contributed to hundreds of bolt failures during the Transbay Tube seismic retrofit, forcing more than 8,000 replacements and pushing costs above $2 million. BART said a redesigned system fixed the problem. (More)

➤ Marin County: One person died and two were injured after a 25-foot fishing boat crashed into rocks and capsized beneath the Golden Gate Bridge Thursday morning. All three were rescued, but one later died at a hospital. (More)

➤ San Francisco: Opera Orchestra musicians performed outside the War Memorial Opera House as the ensemble’s first-ever strike continued over stalled contract talks. Performances are canceled through Sunday as musicians seek higher wages and the opera faces a $15 million deficit. (More)

➤ Willow Glen: Residents of this San Jose neighborhood say coyotes are turning up in yards and streets. One man reported four charged him, and a neighbor's cat was killed. Santa Clara County vector control inspected two homes but said it does not trap or relocate coyotes. (More)

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➤ Vandenberg: SpaceX launched a classified U.S. Space Force mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday after scrubbing an earlier try. The Falcon 9 flew a southerly path from Space Launch Complex 4E, the third national-security launch there in weeks. (More)

➤ Yosemite: The Dome Fire near Wawona grew more than tenfold to about 1,177 acres by Wednesday, closing trails around Chilnualna Falls. Park officials reported no immediate threat to developed areas or infrastructure. (More)

➤ Fresno County: Record diesel prices are squeezing Central Valley farmers and truckers just as harvest arrives. Diesel hit $7.89 a gallon at one Valley station, while one trucking operator said higher fuel costs forced him to raise shipping rates 10%. (More)

➤ Santa Barbara County: Supervisors voted 3-2 to ban new onshore oil and gas wells and restarts of abandoned ones, while existing permitted operations can continue. Supporters cited health and environmental concerns. Opponents cited jobs and local revenue. (More)

➤ Los Osos: Before building, developers must offset the new project’s water use by paying to replace older toilets, washers, and showerheads in existing nearby homes. For a typical single-family home, that can mean about 14 fixture upgrades. (More)

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➤ Chatsworth: Prosecutors charged Bailee Rios, 36, with second-degree murder after authorities say her SUV slammed into a Metro bus Tuesday, killing two people and injuring six. The DA says Rios had drugs in her system and narcotics were found in her SUV. She could face life in prison and is being held on $4.03 million bail. (More)

➤ Also Chatsworth: Federal investigators say video recorded aboard the NBC4 helicopter before its deadly crash is their “most important evidence” so far. The recording captured engine changes and warning tones shortly before the crash and will undergo audio analysis. (More)

➤ San Diego: Federal prosecutors charged 12 county residents in an alleged $10 million-plus “ghost daycare” scheme, saying they falsified attendance records to collect child care funds intended for low-income families. Some were allegedly out of the country on dates they claimed to be caring for children. (More)

➤ Orange County: Uber and a driver were ordered to pay $40 million to the parents of Emily Normandin-Parker, 23, after the driver left her in an unsafe area along the 73 Freeway. She was later struck and killed by a vehicle. (More)

➤ Beaumont: The city’s elected treasurer, Anup “AJ” Patel, 39, faces six felony counts, including perjury and identity theft, after prosecutors said he filed false tax returns for a motel he ran and used another person’s identity to make false claims about taxes owed. (More)

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➤ The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics could generate up to $40.6 billion in economic output and support more than 200,000 jobs across the region, according to a new study from the LA County Economic Development Corporation. (More)

➤ Athletics minor league outfielder Ryan Lasko was released from an in-patient rehab facility this week, more than two months after being paralyzed in an outfield collision while playing for Double-A Midland. (More)

➤ San Diego State football unveiled new "Age of the Jaguar" uniforms honoring Aztec heritage, anchored by a black helmet featuring an Ocelotl, or jaguar, glyph. They’ll debut tomorrow night against James Madison. (More)

➤ UCLA announced that all student tickets to home football, men's basketball, and women's basketball games are now free—starting with tomorrow's Big Ten opener against Purdue at the Rose Bowl. (More)

➤ 49ers rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling underwent ankle surgery this week and is expected to miss roughly 10 weeks. The second-round pick was injured in the season opener against the Rams. (More)

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➤ Fresno Yosemite International Airport is in the running for USA Today’s best small airport for the second straight year. An expert panel nominated 20 airports based on factors including flights, accessibility, and amenities. Fresno finished 10th last year. (More)

➤ State Farm and Allstate have filed plans to resume writing new California home insurance policies, a possible thaw in a market strained by wildfire risk. Neither is taking new business yet. State Farm would consider new applications for homes with qualifying wildfire-safety designations. (More)

➤ In-N-Out managers now earn an average of about $200,000 a year, the Southern California chain told Inc., up from $163,000 in 2018. Managers typically start as hourly workers and work their way up through a training program. (More)

➤ The costliest commutes in the U.S. include four California metros, according to ConsumerAffairs. San Francisco ranked No. 1 at an estimated $10,902 a year, followed by San Jose at $10,636. (More)

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➤ Poodle lovers and their curly companions will descend on Carmel-by-the-Sea for Poodle Day on Oct. 3, with a poodle parade, off-leash beach play, and evening cocktail parties. Proceeds benefit NorCal Poodle Rescue. (More)

➤ Prized matsutake mushrooms, among the world's most expensive, are back in season near Mount Shasta. The fall harvest opened this week in the Mount Shasta and McCloud ranger districts of Shasta-Trinity National Forest and runs through Nov. 30, with foragers required to carry a commercial permit. (More)

➤ Apple-pie season is in full swing in Julian, with u-pick orchards, fresh cider, and plenty of pie drawing visitors to the San Diego County mountain town. Mom’s Pie House and other local spots are serving up the town’s longtime apple tradition. (More)

➤ California pizzerias landed among the world’s best in the latest 50 Top Pizza rankings, with Los Angeles’ Pizzeria Sei and San Francisco’s Tony’s Pizza Napoletana tying for No. 5. Dana Point’s Truly Pizza also cracked the global top 50 at No. 26. (More)

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