By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
State news briefs
Placeholder Image

• SF PARKING METERS TO CHARGE ON SUNDAYS: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco residents and visitors will be hit with a surprise this weekend: starting Sunday, they will need to feed the meter to park in metered spots.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will roll out its new seven-days-a-week meter policy on Sunday.

Most meters will operate from noon to 6 p.m. going forward, with two exceptions: Fisherman’s Wharf, where meters will operate on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the waterfront area controlled by the Port of San Francisco, where they will operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Officials say all parking meters will have at least four-hour time limits on Sundays.

Parking attendants will issue warnings to cars parked at expired meters for the first three Sundays of this month. Full enforcement will take effect on Jan. 27.



• SFO RUNWAYS TO CLOSE, COULD DELAY SOME FLIGHTS
: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Travelers to and from San Francisco may see extra delays this year as San Francisco International Airport temporarily shuts down a few runways over the coming months.

Airport spokesman Doug Yakel says those closures could mean departure delays of between 30-45 minutes for travelers on shorter, West Coast flights.

The San Mateo County Times reports crews will be tacking tarmac onto the existing Runway 28-L and Runway 28R and moving landing lights and other infrastructure in January, April and June.

Yakel says the multiyear construction project is needed because of federally required lengthening of runways that is aimed at making air travel safer.

The federally funded work is expected to finish by the fall of 2015.



• JAMES BOND’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED AT OSCARS
: LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oscar won’t be the only chiseled man in the spotlight at the 85th Academy Awards.

Telecast producers say the show will also feature a celebration of Bond, James Bond.

Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced Friday that the show will pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise, which they describe as “the longest-running motion picture franchise in history and a beloved global phenomenon.”

The most recent Bond film, “Skyfall,” was released in November and has made more than $1 billion worldwide — a franchise record.

Nominations for this year’s Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 10. The Oscars will be presented Feb. 24 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.



• 10-YEAR-OLD FRESNO AREA BOY DIES OF GUN INJURIES
: FRESNO  (AP) — Fresno County authorities say a 10-year-old boy has died of injuries he sustained after being shot with a pellet gun.

Fresno County sheriff’s Lt. John Reynolds says the boy was treated at the scene and then airlifted to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, but did not survive the injuries to his chest.

Reynolds says the boy was shot near Hidden Hollow Lane and Quail Mountain Lane around 4 p.m. Friday in an accidental shooting that involved another boy, a close family friend who thought the pellet gun was unloaded.

Authorities say the victim’s family has been notified, but his name has not been released.

He says detectives are assisting with the investigation to learn more details.



• SUIT FILED TO STOP ROSE BOWL FROM TEMP HOSTING NFL
: PASADENA  (AP) — A group of neighborhood associations and residents in Pasadena has filed a lawsuit attempting to block city plans to offer the Rose Bowl as a temporary home to an NFL team that moves to Southern California while a permanent stadium is finished.

The lawsuit announced Friday, a day after it was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, challenges an environmental report approved by the Pasadena City Council that was the first step to bringing a team to the Rose Bowl, currently home to only college football.

The proposed Farmers Field stadium in downtown Los Angeles and a competing project in the City of Industry are looking to lure an NFL team to the area.

The team would need a temporary home for about two years during stadium construction.