The PM afternoon news roundup logo. (Bay City News)
Bay City News
An advisory was sent out around 6:40 a.m. announcing that a crash occurred on the freeway south of Serramonte Boulevard. The crash resulted in a car fire and an overturned vehicle, according to a traffic alert from 511 SF Bay.
As of 10 a.m., all lanes reopened but residual traffic delays remained.
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San Mateo County on Tuesday became the first county in the Bay Area to ban the sale of kratom, a substance that state health officials say has been found to cause harm and addiction.
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia that acts on opioid receptors and can produce stimulant and sedative effects, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Kratom contains the alkaloid 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, which can be extracted from the leaves and synthesized into highly concentrated products such as liquid extract shots, gummies, drink mixes, and tablets. It is sold at retailers like smoke shops and gas stations.
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While often marketed as an herbal supplement, kratom products can lead to addiction and potential overdose, according to the California Department of Public Health. From 2020 to 2022, 27 people died in California due to kratom.
Kratom is not banned at the federal level, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued stark warnings against kratom and 7-OH use and does not regulate kratom products. Gov. Gavin Newsom began escalating crackdowns on kratom sales this year through existing food and drug safety laws. There has been state legislation introduced to explicitly ban kratom sales for those under 21, but it is still underway.
While 50 unhoused people in tents endured the rain in San Rafael’s sanctioned encampment area on Monday night, the city set in place the operations management for their future tiny cabin homes.
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The San Rafael City Council approved operations management for a temporary tiny cabin project at 350 Merrydale Road, which will house about 70 unhoused residents. The council voted to expand its agreement with Foege Schumann Global Disaster Solutions LLC , the same company that manages the sanctioned encampment along the Mahon Creek path. The company will oversee installation of the modular cabins and provide security, site management and maintenance.
FS Global knows the residents of the Mahon Creek site, who are the same people that will transition into tiny cabins beginning July. The 65 private, lockable cabins at the Merrydale site will have electricity, heating and personal storage for up to 70 people. Shared facilities include a kitchen, laundry, bathrooms and showers. They will continue to receive the same health and social services they have been getting at the Mahon Creek site.
FS Global’s current contract will be extended through June 30, 2028 and amended for an additional $2.5 million for a total contract amount of $3.8 million.
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Ridership on BART surged sharply over the weekend as a closure of a key stretch of eastbound Interstate Highway 80 in San Francisco and sunny weather prompted thousands of people to turn to trains as an alternative to driving, according to the transit agency.
In a statement Monday, BART officials said the agency recorded 182,570 trips on Friday, a 16% increase from the previous Friday and nearly 25,000 additional riders. Ridership rose further over the weekend, reaching 139,700 trips Saturday and 98,850 trips Sunday — both up 46% from the prior weekend’s totals.
Transit officials said the gains reflected both strong weather conditions and the closure of eastbound I-80 between 17th and Fourth streets, where crews carried out major repair work on nearly 2 miles of freeway.
The highway segment reopened late Sunday night, about seven hours earlier than scheduled after crews completed the work ahead of plan, according to Caltrans. Crews also repaired the Fourth Street off-ramp during the same closure, avoiding the need for a separate future shutdown.
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BART officials said the weekend surge showed the rail system’s role as a key transportation backup when major roadways are unavailable, and said system handled the increased demand while operating its standard five-line weekend service.
A man in his 40s suffered life-threatening injuries in a stabbing in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood on Monday night, according to police.
The stabbing was reported at about 10:15 p.m. in the 400 block of Stevenson Street. The 42-year-old victim was taken to a hospital and an update on his condition was not immediately available Tuesday morning.
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San Francisco police said the suspected stabber fled and remains at large. He is described as a man in his 40s but police did not provide a detailed description of him.
A 44-year-old San Jose man was arrested in Arkansas earlier this month for allegedly vandalizing an Alum Rock bakery and assaulting a patron in December.
Eugene Morgan was picked up by authorities in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on suspicion of trespassing on March 3 and was extradited back to San Jose on April 9, according to San Jose police.
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Morgan is accused of becoming enraged after an employee at Peter’s Bakery declined to purchase an item he was trying to sell.
He allegedly vandalized the store and then assaulted a woman who was trying to take a cellphone video of him, according to police. The woman suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has filed felony charges of vandalism and violently intimidating a witness, police said in a news release Tuesday.
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