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Bay Area’s best picnic spots: Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:57 GMT

If you’re driving out to some gorgeous spot on the coast, you could certainly stop at the Marin French Cheese Co. and pick up provisions — the company’s famous artisan cheeses, fresh sandwiches, wine —for a delicious picnic.But here’s another idea: Make this Marin cheese company your destination. Set amid rolling hills on a 700-acre dairy farm in Hicks Valley, its cheese shop and expansive picnic grounds offer a vision of West Marin pastoral heaven.The company’s iconic sign along the Point Reyes-Petaluma Road, west of Novato, invites passers-by to stop and stay a while. For locals, the cheese company, known simply as “The Cheese Factory,” has long been a destination for a day out. It’s especially popular with families looking for a pretty lunch spot where kids can run around.The cheese shop is housed in a classic, farmhouse-style building. The surrounding property is home to cows, chickens, a pig farm and a vegetable garden. And the historic creamery be...

The Bay Area’s best picnic spots: Concannon Vineyard, Livermore

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:57 GMT

Northern California has no shortage of picturesque wine country destinations where you can unfurl a blanket and plant your picnic basket. But few have as much trailblazing historical significance as the 210-acre Concannon Vineyard property in Livermore Valley.As the famed story goes, Irishman James Concannon founded the winery in 1883 — it is one of the oldest continuously operating family-owned wineries in the country — after immigrating to the United States and settling in the Livermore Valley, where he noticed a striking similarity to the terroir of France’s Bordeaux vineyards. He planted cuttings from Châteaux Margaux, and his son, Joe, kept the family business going through Prohibition by making and selling sacramental wine.A Victorian house built in 1895 is nestled among the vines at Concannon Vineyard in Livermore. (Courtesy Harrison Miller) Related ArticlesThings To Do | Bay Area’s best picnic spots: Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma Things T...

Livermore Wine Trolley: An afternoon of sipping, singing and so much more

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:57 GMT

Who knew an outdoor food and wine tasting assignment would involve singing Tupac and Lou Bega songs with a gaggle of new friends?But there I was, aboard the heated, vintage-style Livermore Wine Trolley, chanting “California Love” as it boomed in time with the trolley’s LED lights and bonding over breakups with a 30-something from Danville. We’d just departed Las Positas Vineyards, an award-winning winery on Wetmore Road, where we tasted a flight of five delectable wines paired with nibbles curated by the winery’s executive chef.(In warm weather, many wineries offer tastings on the patio, making this an outdoor adventure of the most civilized variety — but on this very wintry Sunday, we’re grateful to be indoors!)The $149-tour, which includes three winery stops and a designated driver, Fernando, who had the presence and panache you’d expect from a former San Francisco 49ers announcer, offers a fresh, deep-dive into a wine-growing region many ...

2 American survivors of deadly Mexico kidnapping are being treated in US hospital as bodies of 2 killed are examined

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:57 GMT

Two of the Americans who were kidnapped at gunpoint in a Mexican border city on Friday have returned to the US and are being treated at a hospital, while the remains of the two Americans who were killed are expected to be repatriated back to the US soon.LaTavia Washington McGee, one of the surviving Americans, is expected to come home Wednesday, her mother, Barbara McLeod Burgess, said in an interview with “CNN This Morning.” Burgess also described her understanding of what happened in the harrowing attack.“They were driving through and a van came up and hit them, and that’s when they started shooting at the car, shooting inside the van,” Burgess said. “She said the others tried to run and they got shot at the same time. They all got shot at the same time. And she watched them die.”The other survivor, Eric Williams, was shot in the legs three times and was brought to a hospital in Texas to undergo surgery, his wife, Michele Williams, told CN...

He’s filed more than 2,000 disability lawsuits in California. This case could set precedent

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:57 GMT

It all started with a parking spot.On a breezy afternoon in September 2017, Chris Langer couldn’t find one that would accommodate his van and the ramp he uses for his wheelchair behind a San Diego lobster shop.What transpired next has been the subject of arguments before two federal courts and opened a wide door to more federal disability lawsuits in California, home to more of these lawsuits in the last litigious decade than any other state.Four months after that fall day, Langer filed a disability access lawsuit in federal court against the lobster shop, a smoke shop in the same building and the building’s owners, Milan and Diana Kiser, claiming a violation of his rights.Langer has filed more than 2,000 claims like those over the past decade or so. For the last two years, his case against the Kisers was headed to defeat, with a federal judge ruling against him and questioning his motivation.But last month, Langer prevailed before a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court o...

Flood watch issued for Bay Area with atmospheric river poised to hit

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:57 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A flood watch has been issued for the Bay Area as an atmospheric river is poised to impact the Bay Area late Thursday into Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The flood watch will go into effect from Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning, according to the NWS website.Residents are being warned of flooding caused by excessive rainfall across the entire Bay Area and Central Coast. In January, a series of atmospheric rivers brought unprecedented winter storms that wreaked havoc in the Bay Area and across the state. The weather pattern approaching this week also is likely to bring impactful rainfall and potential flooding, the NWS says. What is an atmospheric river? The consensus among most forecasters is that the brunt of the storm will roll in overnight Thursday and into Friday, possibly a little earlier than initially expected. The timing of the storm's arrival could impact the exact amounts of rainfall we should expect and the areas of gr...

Noose found hanging outside Kaiser Permanente office

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:57 GMT

GILROY, Calif. (KRON) -- Police are trying to figure out who hung a noose from a tree outside Kaiser Permanente office in Gilroy. This discovery is something that Kaiser officials say is not only startling and offensive, but painful and triggering.Officials said a hangman's noose was found hanging from a tree in the back parking of its Gilroy office located off of Arroyo Circle. An exact date to when it was found has not been given, but hospital officials say it is being seen as a hate crime. Los Gatos ‘Party Mom’ attacked in jail by 5 inmates, court records reveal Not only is there an open investigation with police, but it also initiated a private third-party investigation. The company said in a statement Tuesday:“This alarming discovery caused shock, disgust, pain, and anguish for our staff and physicians in Gilroy and throughout Northern California. A hangman’s noose is a painful and triggering symbol of the history of violence against African Americans in the United States. It...

How much rain will the Bay Area get from the latest atmospheric river?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:57 GMT

(KRON) -- The Bay Area braces for yet another storm set to begin on Thursday. With the soil already saturated from this winter's parade of storms, downed trees, flooding and clogged storm drains pose a serious safety threat.A flood watch has been issued for the Bay Area starting Thursday night extending into Sunday morning. Officials are urging residents to take advantage of the calm before the storm on Wednesday to prepare their homes and property for potential flooding. A wind advisory is also in effect for the Bay Area on Thursday and Friday predicting winds between 20 and 30 miles per hour and gusts of up to 50 miles per hour. MORE: Here’s what to do if your house floods The National Weather Service posted rain total records for March 9 and March 10 with records stemming back to the 1930s in some areas.(National Weather Service)But how much rain is expected this time around?By the end of this weekend, predicted rain totals around the Bay Area could reach six inches in some are...

Contra Costa County officials prepare for flooding from latest atmospheric river

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:57 GMT

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. (KRON) -- As another atmospheric river prepares to douse the Bay Area this week, Contra Costa County officials are preparing for the flooding and damages the storm may bring. The rain is supposed to move into the area by Thursday and continue on through the rest of the week. County officials said they have been clearing storm drains, catch basins, roadside ditches, monitoring and maintaining flood control channels and stocking sandbag stations in preparation for the storm, and are encouraging residents to do the same. More: Here's what to do if your house floods Officials said residents should be wary of clogged drains and gutters, fallen or falling trees and limbs and other debris, look for potential trouble spots near their homes and stock up on sandbags at the nearest sandbag location.Officials also recommend staying off the roads this weekend if possible. Localized flooding and downed trees due to the already saturated soil could pose safety risks. ...

Several Bay Area schools make list of best colleges in California

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:14:57 GMT

(STACKER) -- Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions a person will make for their education, impacting everything from future earnings and employment to potential student loan debt and social circles.While every student wants to get the best education they possibly can, there are myriad considerations to take into account: location, size, diversity, areas of focus, study abroad opportunities—the list goes on. While best college lists are often topped with the same handful of expensive Ivy League schools, the U.S. is home to more than 4,000 degree-granting schools spread out across all 50 states and several territories, with amazing education offerings for students to consider.Stacker compiled a list of the best four-year colleges in California using rankings from Niche. Tuition, student-to-faculty ratio, acceptance rate, and graduation rate are factors considered in deciding these rankings. Location is also often a key factor in a school's appeal, whether it be a b...