PG&E 8-Percent Rate Increase Approved 12-03-20 16:41 DC

Pacific Gas & Electric's household customers will be hit with an average rate increase of 8% to help the once-bankrupt utility pay for improvements designed to reduce the risks that its outdated equipment will ignite deadly wildfires.

The higher prices, approved Thursday, take effect March 1 and are expected to boost the bills of PG&E's residential customers by an average of $13.44 a month.

California power regulators approved the increase after two years of wrangling between PG&E and a variety of groups battling to limit how much of the financial burden customers should have to shoulder for the utility's long-running neglect of a grid that supplies power to about 16 million people in a sprawling area.

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Stay-At-Home - 5 Ca Regions - More Info 12-03-20A 14:00 S.S.

In regions where intensive care unit capacity falls below the threshold, the new Stay-At-Home order will bar nonessential gatherings and require people to stay at home (as much as possible) to avoid transmitting the virus. It will allow people to continue with essential activities such as going to the doctor, buying groceries, and picking up takeout. It also allows distanced outdoor exercise, like hiking, and outdoor religious ceremonies.

Retail will be allowed to operate in those areas at 20% capacity. Schools that have already reopened for in-person classes can remain open.

All playgrounds, indoor recreation, salons, museums, zoos, aquariums, movie theaters, wineries, bars, casinos, live-audience sports and amusement parks must close in regions subject to the order.

Once a region falls under the intensive care unit threshold, it will have two days to comply with the order and must follow the new rules for at least three weeks.

THE BREAKDOWN OF THE 5 REGIONS IS AS FOLLOWS:

• Greater Sacramento: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba
• San Joaquin Valley: Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne
• Northern California: Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity
• Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma
• Southern California: Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura

More information can be found on-line at: covid19.ca.gov

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Embezzlement Charges 12-03-20 11:12 S.S.

The former executive director of a non-profit organization in Salinas has been sentenced for embezzling funds. 59 year-old Lolita Garcia formed Central Coast Kids And Families back in 2008, to provide in-home services to the families of children with special needs....and to work with special needs kids at school too. Over the course of several years she is believed to have bilked various school districts and organizations out of more than $675,000. Garcia has been sentenced to 4 years in prison.

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Monterey PD Wants Info on Mon Night Armed Robbery 12-03-20 16:21

Monterey police say they are working to find a person accused of attempting to rob a pedestrian by pointing a gun at him and demanding money.

Police responded to the area near West Franklin Street and Larkin Street shortly before 8:30 p.m. Monday. When they arrived, the victim told officers that he was walking when a truck stopped next to him. He said the pickup trucks passenger pointed a handgun at him and told him to hand over his money.

The truck is described as a newer model 4-door silver GMC or Chevy pickup that had a black license plate with yellow writing. The suspect is described as a White man in his late-20s with longer hair and a dark-colored mask or bandana.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Michael Garcia at 831-636-3812.

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