LEGISLATURE-SPECIAL ELECTIONS
GOP seeks win in Central Valley state Senate race
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The lone Republican and a Democrat favored by party leaders have taken early leads among five candidates in a hotly contested Central Valley state Senate race.
Republicans are trying to win what has been a Democratic state Senate seat in Tuesday's special election, a coup that would eat into the supermajority that Democrats won just six months ago.
Republicans believe they can elect Andy Vidak of Hanford, who narrowly lost a congressional race in 2010, although half the 16th Senate District's registered voters are Democrats.
He led the field with 53% of the vote in early returns, trailed by Democratic Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez of Bakersfield.
Meanwhile, Lorena Gonzalez had 71% of early votes in a contest between two Democrats in San Diego County's 80th Assembly District.
OFFICERS SHOT
25-year-old charged in shooting of 2 officers
VISALIA, Calif. (AP) - Prosecutors say a 25-year-old man is facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison after being charged in the shooting of 2 Visalia police officers last week.
The Visalia Times-Delta reports Luis Avilez was rolled into a Tulare County courtroom on a wheelchair Monday where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted homicide of a police officer and one count of being a felon in possession of a handgun.
Police say when two Visalia officers tried to stop and question Avilez and another man last Thursday afternoon, Avilez ran from the officers, leading them through several homes, then shot the officers when they entered 1 of the homes.
Avilez was wounded when the officers returned fire.
1 of the officers was hit in the shoulder, while the second was shot in the chest.
The second officer was released from the hospital over the weekend after undergoing surgery.
PHOTOGRAPHER KILLED
Felon pleads not guilty in photographer killing
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - A 10-time felon charged in the shooting death of a former Oakland Tribune freelance photographer who was hit by a stray bullet has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges.
The Tribune reports that 38-year-old Joe Daniel McNeely, also known as Anthony Lister, entered his pleas on Monday.
McNeely is charged in the killing of 54-year-old Lionel "Ray" Fluker. Authorities say Fluker was hit by a stray bullet in East Oakland on April 5 when McNeely was involved in a gunfight with another man. Fluker was a freelance photographer for the Tribune from 1995 to 2007
McNeely as also shot during the gunbattle. He was arrested after being taken to a hospital by a friend.
Though McNeely has 10 prior felony convictions over a 20-year period, officials say none of them were serious enough to make him eligible for the state's Three Strikes Law.
ELDERLY MAN KILLED
81-year-old man hit, killed on San Jose street
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - San Jose police say an 81-year-old man was hit and killed as he crossed a street Monday night - the second traffic fatality of the day on the city's streets.
Officials told The San Jose Mercury News that David Stearns died after getting hit by the vehicle around 9:30 p.m. The 43-year-old driver stopped and was cooperating with investigating officers.
Police say alcohol or drugs are not believed to have played a role in the incident.
Earlier Monday, a 15-year-old boy was hit and killed by an SUV as he rode his bicycle to school.
And last week, a 5-year-old girl was killed when an SUV collided into her family as they crossed a street in front of an elementary school.
FOSTER FARMS RECALL
Foster Farms recalls grilled chicken breast strips
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Federal agriculture officials say chicken producer Foster Farms is recalling about 6,165 pounds of its ready-to-eat grilled chicken breast strips because the strips contain wheat and soy - known allergens - which are not listed on the labels of its packages.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall Tuesday, saying the mislabeled packages were discovered when a customer complained. Food safety inspectors and officials at Foster Farms say the problem occurred when labels for another chicken product that does not contain wheat or soy were inadvertently used.
Officials say there have been no reports of adverse reactions from the sale of the mislabeled products.
The chicken breast strips being recalled were produced on April 23 and were distributed to retail establishments in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
NFL MEETINGS
The 50th Super Bowl goes to San Francisco Bay Area
BOSTON (AP) - San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York says it "feels really good" to win a Super Bowl.
While the 49ers lost to Baltimore last February, NFL owners Tuesday awarded the 2016 Super Bowl to the San Francisco Bay Area over South Florida.
When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the decision, members of the San Francisco bid committee let out a roar of approval, then toasted each other with champagne.
It will be the 50th Super Bowl and York said they're excited "to be able to put on the 'Golden Super Bowl' in the Golden State."
The game will be played in the 49ers new stadium in Santa Clara that's due to open for the 2014 season.
The only previous Super Bowl played in northern California was at Stanford Stadium in 1985.
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