Month: April 2026

By Itay Hod

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    PALO ALTO, California (KPIX) — Between surging gas prices and ransom-level parking fees, the cost of the daily grind adds up.

But AbdAllah Abou-Ismail has found a way to make the city foot the bill.

“I was like, you know what? This my reason for biking every day,” he said.

Every morning, he hops on his bike and pedals his way toward a free lunch. Call it a bit of roadside economics: The city of Palo Alto pays him to stay out of traffic. And instead of low-grade road rage, he starts his day on the right foot.

“Actually, my energy levels got a lot better once I started biking. Before I would get to work a lot more sleepy, but with the bike, I come into work 100% I can hit the floor. No downtime, no nothing,” he said.

It’s all thanks to a program called “Bike Love,” which tracks his commute and pays him $5 a day — up to $600 a year — to spend at local businesses. It’s one of several efforts the city has rolled out to get drivers to shift gears. The initiative runs through an app called Motion, which tracks trips automatically on your phone, whether you’re on a bike, e-bike or scooter.

Pat Burt, a Palo Alto city council member who serves on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, said the goal is simple.

“We want this to be a means where they get addicted to biking and as a result, they’re healthier, mentally and physically, and happier,” he said.

According to the Palo Alto Transportation Management Association, the program kept nearly three million car miles off local roads last year and cut more than a thousand tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Not everyone thinks it goes far enough. Billy Riggs, a professor at the University of San Francisco who studies transportation innovation, says these programs tend to target people who are already biking.

“This is cute, it just can’t be about cute solutions,” he said.

As for Abou-Ismail, the payoff is simple — and daily.

“By the time I reach work, I’ve already had a small little adventure, and five bucks into my account,” he said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Sarah Horbacewicz

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    BOULDER, Colorado (KCNC) — As the iconic former Boulder bar, The Dark Horse, looks towards a new chapter, some of their eclectic memorabilia is up for sale. Pieces like a vintage hearse, dartboard, or wooden sleigh now line the Roller Auction floor as bids are open through Tuesday.

Brian Calkins is running the auction, and he says Roller Auction is already seeing bids on almost every item, including a larger-than-life hamburger server statue and an old toilet.

These items came from the ceiling of the Dark Horse, but most of the items are in storage right now as bar owners consider a new location in the region. Calkins says he expects to have a second auction after Dark Horse officially moves into a new location. He says that the goal is by the end of the summer.

Calkins says he’s seeing a huge interest in this auction, “A lot more phone calls, a lot of bidders that have never been with US, that just want a piece of The Dark Horse.”

And on Monday, fans and former patrons came to peek at the items for sale and reminisce about the decades-old bar.

“It’s a piece of Boulder’s history,” former patron Mike Gheleta said, “Generations have gone. Case in point, I used to go to law school, and my son had graduated from CU, so we would go there with his friends.”

Another bidder, Lori Laingor, said, “I was there, I think when it opened… looking at all of this stuff brings back so many memories.”

Her daughter, Tasha Bond, added, “I think it’s special, just the atmosphere that they created. And I don’t know, having a little piece of that would be kind of cool.”

But no matter where these pieces go, it’s clear the memories will always come with them.

The auction begins closing on Tuesday and all items must be picked up by 4:45 p.m. on Thursday.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Jonathan Ayestas, Maricela De La Cruz

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    ESPARTO, California (KCRA) — Five of the eight people arrested in connection with the deadly Esparto fireworks explosions appeared in court on Monday. Their arraignments were postponed to Thursday.

Among the defendants were Sam and Tammy Machado, who own the property that prosecutors said was storing about a million pounds of illegal explosives on the day the facility burst into flames.

Two defendants, Douglas Michael Tollefsen and Jack Lee, lost their attorneys during the court proceedings. Both lawyers appeared remotely and stated they could no longer represent them, without providing a reason. This means Tollefsen and Lee will need new legal counsel before their cases can move forward.

Tammy Machado also appeared in court, where she pleaded not guilty. She is expected to return on Thursday.

Family members of some of the victims of the Esparto explosion were present in the courtroom, with some hoping to address the judge. Jhony Ramos Sr., the father of Jesus and Jhony Ramos—two of the seven men killed in the explosion—shared his frustration.

“My children are already dead. It was two of them who were killed. I don’t know why they’re still being given rights,” Ramos said.

The family’s attorney, Ramin Younessi added, “We believe they knew a lot and they turned a blind eye. A lot was going on here for many years out in the open and it’s unfortunate. Those kids could’ve been alive today.”

The other three arrested are Kenneth Chee, Ronald Botelho III and Gary Chan Jr. Of the eight arrested, five are facing second-degree murder charges for the seven killed.

Chee made his first court appearance Friday in a Florida courtroom after being arrested at Disney World.

The Yolo County DA said that because the investigation is ongoing, additional people may face charges in connection with the blasts.

Sam and Tammy Machado both worked for the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office, Sam having been a lieutenant and Tammy a non-sworn employee. Yolo County Sheriff Tom Lopez said he accepted their resignations on March 17.

For months, investigators, including Cal Fire’s state fire marshal, looked into the facility. That led to Devastating Pyrotechnics and Blackstar Fireworks having their licenses revoked.

A grand jury indictment on April 3 alleges that most of the defendants operated multiple black-market fireworks companies from the Esparto location, selling “overcharged fireworks” made with significantly more explosive material than typical fireworks. Labels identified in the indictment include Bean Day Ho, For The Streets, Big Bully, and Double OG.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Jack Springgate

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    HAMTRAMCK, Michigan (WWJ) — Hamtramck police say it only took them 30 minutes to find a kidnapping suspect and rescue the teen who was with him on Monday morning.

Police say the armed abduction happened while the 16-year-old was on their way to the bus stop just after 7 a.m. Monday.

The department’s lead detective said tips from community members came in almost immediately, leading officers to find the teen and the suspect together at a gas station about two and a half miles from the area of Edwin and Brombach, where we learned the crime initially happened.

Surveillance and body cam video show the teen and the suspect make their way out of the suspect’s vehicle.

Speeding up the video, it took officers roughly 90 seconds to close in on the suspect at this Sunoco station on the corner of Conant and Nevada.

That’s where police say they safely recovered the teen, all after the abduction police say happened while the teen was walking to their bus stop.

Following the arrest, police realized how critical their fast response was and how much danger this teen was in.

“It was a criminal with a history of rape charges, and we will make sure he gets what he deserves,” said Hamtramck Mayor Adam Alharbi.

Hamtramck Police Chief Hussein Farhat says the teen and the suspect didn’t have any connection to each other before this, and it was random in nature.

“This appears to be an isolated incident, and there is not believed to be continued threats to the community,” he said.

The student’s school, Frontier International Academy, confirmed that the kidnapping did not occur on school grounds and that student safety is its highest priority.

“We are grateful to report that the student has been safely recovered and is currently with family. Law enforcement acted swiftly, and a suspect is in custody,” the school said.

Farhat shared his message for anyone planning on carrying out crimes in Hamtramck.

“The message is going to be clear to any criminal out there, we are very hospitable here in Hamtramck, but if you come here and try to break the law, we will get you, as we got you today before half an hour had passed,” he said.

Police say they’re not releasing any information on the suspect until his arraignment, which they expect to happen in the next one to two days.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.