BROWN APPROVES TRIBAL CASINO IN SONOMA COUNTY: SANTA ROSA (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown has moved a Northern California Indian tribe one step closer to building a casino about 50 miles north of San Francisco.
The Democratic governor signed a compact in March with the 1,300-member Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, which intends to build on 254 acres in Sonoma County.
The Senate and Assembly voted by wide margins earlier this month to pass a bill ratifying the compact, and Brown signed it into law Thursday. The agreement allows for 3,000 slot machines and card games.
The tribe would pay the state $1.4 million a year for costs related to regulating gambling and assisting problem gamblers. A portion of the winnings also would go to the city and county.
DEA: SF BAY AREA FATHER-SON POT RING BUSTED: DISCOVERY BAY . (AP) — Authorities have arrested 19 people and seized thousands of pot plants in connection with a San Francisco Bay area marijuana growing operation that was allegedly run by a father and son.
The Drug Enforcement Administration says Wednesday's arrests were part of operation Disco Dazed, which targeted 14 locations. Authorities uncovered three dozen guns, a grenade launcher, $400,000 in cash and almost 100 pounds of prepared marijuana in addition to more than 3,600 pot plants.
The DEA says the ringleaders of the operation were 50-year-old Steven Ortega Sr. of Byron and his son, 25-year-old Steven Ortega Jr. of Discovery Bay.
DEA Special Agent in Charge Anthony Williams says the father and son used their hydroponics retail stores as fronts to provide pot growers with equipment in exchange for a share of the growers' profits.
GAP 1Q PROFIT FLAT BUT OUTLOOK BRIGHT, SHARES RISE: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Revenue gains at its Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic chains and online helped clothing seller Gap Inc. overcome rising costs and post first-quarter net income on Thursday that was unchanged from a year earlier.
The company raised its guidance for the year, and its shares climbed after hours.
Gap has struggled for years to reclaim its status as a fashion leader, but the results show that it's starting to get back its fashion groove and draw more people to shop in its stores. The company stepped up its marketing and pushed colorful trendy clothing, from brightly colored jeans to stylish T-shirts.
"During the quarter, we improved sales, grew earnings per share and continued investing in the business to drive performance," said CEO Glenn Murphy.
But Murphy was cautious during a conference call with investors following the report's release.
OAKLAND POLICE SEIZE 16 GUNS IN RAID OF BUILDING: OAKLAND (AP) — Oakland police say they seized 16 guns and arrested two people in a raid of a commercial building Wednesday night.
Police say some of the guns seized were assault rifles, while some had extended ammunition clips, which are illegal.
Some of the guns had previously been reported stolen in other cities.
Oakland police Chief Howard Jordan describes the results of the raid as one of the largest illegal gun recoveries within the city at one time.
In a separate matter, Oakland police also say they've arrested 13 people since last Friday as part of a move to identify areas where a large number of burglaries and other crimes have taken place.
Police say six of those taken into custody were arrested on burglary charges, while the remaining suspects were arrested for other property crimes.
"While it's nice to celebrate this small win in the first quarter, it's a long year," Murphy said. "We have a lot of initiatives in place."
CHIEF MEETS WITH POLICE SHOOTING VICTIM'S FAMILY: OAKLAND (AP) — Oakland's police chief has taken the unusual step of meeting with the parents of an 18-year-old high school student who was shot and killed by police.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/J0j3iO) that Chief Howard Jordan met with Alan Blueford's parents this week at police headquarters.
Blueford's mother, Jeralynn Blueford, and Jordan's Chief of Staff Christopher Bolton said Jordan expressed his condolences and explained the process that would be used to investigate the shooting. He also apologized for the long wait the Blueford family experienced while seeking information in the police lobby on the day of the shooting.
Police say they shot Blueford on May 6 after he pointed a gun at an officer. Blueford's parents have said their son would never even have held a gun. They have hired well-known civil rights attorney John Burris.
