Oregon man wins Half Moon Bay pumpkin contest

HALF MOON BAY  (AP) — A grower from Oregon is the winner of this year's Half Moon Bay giant pumpkin contest with a gourd weighing in at 1,775 pounds.

Forty-five-year-old Thad Starr from Pleasant Hill, Ore., set a contest record with his pumpkin Monday, beating last year's winner by 71 pounds.

Starr, who has won the contest twice before, said he plans to use the $10,650 in prize money to take his family to Disneyland.

His pumpkin will be on display this weekend at the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival.

The runner-up came in at 1,521 pounds. That pumpkin is also expected to be on display this weekend.

Man killed after dashing onto San Jose highway

SAN JOSE . (AP) — Authorities are looking for a driver who struck and killed a man who ran onto a San Jose highway.

The San Jose Mercury News says the 22-year-old San Jose man was struck Friday night on Highway 87 after he dashed into southbound traffic.

CHP Sgt. Scott Siria says the man had been in an argument at a nearby home, grabbed his skateboard and ran onto the roadway. He threw the skateboard, which hit a passing car, and then ran into the path of an SUV.

He was struck and died instantly.

The SUV driver stopped but then drove off and is being sought.

Oakland City Hall windows smashed during protest

OAKLAND. (AP) — Protesters smashed windows at City Hall and other buildings in downtown Oakland during what was billed as an anti-imperialist rally and march.

The Sunday evening rally coincided with the 11th anniversary of the start of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. Police say about 200 protesters marched through downtown after a gathering around 6 p.m.

They smashed the glass front doors and windows at City Hall. They also broke windows at an Oakland police office, the offices of the Oakland Tribune, at least three bank branches and other places.

Police say no one was arrested, and there were no reports of injuries.

Girl, 6, killed in church parking lot accident

DALY CITY (AP) — A 6-year-old girl has died after a minivan struck her in a Daly City church parking lot.

The San Francisco Chronicle says Danielle Naval of Daly City was struck Saturday morning as she crossed the parking lot at St. Andrew Catholic Church.

Police and witnesses say a minivan driver apparently lost control of her car. It jumped a curb and pinned the girl, her mother and another woman as dozens of horrified churchgoers looked on.

One parishioner says a half-dozen people tried to lift the vehicle but it was too heavy.

The two injured women were hospitalized.

Police did not immediately cite the driver pending further investigation.