Kurtenbach: The 49ers lead the NFL in dudes. That makes them the team to beat

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:02:41 GMT

Kurtenbach: The 49ers lead the NFL in dudes. That makes them the team to beat SANTA CLARA — In football, there is no higher compliment than “dude.”On the field, a dude combines skill and physicality, toughness and speed.They’re not just big. That’d be a hoss. They’re not just athletes, either.No, these guys are the whole package. I’m talking about the kind that will run right through an opponent and leave his teammates in the dust.I’m talking about the kind of player that will force you up and out of your seat.The kind of player that makes you, a fan, grunt in glee at the TV.Dudes are the reason we love this ridiculous, dangerous, beautiful game.And the Niners lead the NFL in dudes.That might not be a stat you can find in a spreadsheet — and don’t go looking for the position in fantasy football — but it’s wildly evident on the field. It’s showing up in the standings, too.There’s a downright preponderance of dudes in Santa Clara, folks, and for my money, that makes the Niners the league’s ...

Discovery of ‘unknown substance’ in Menlo Park home prompts hours-long road closure

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:02:41 GMT

Discovery of ‘unknown substance’ in Menlo Park home prompts hours-long road closure MENLO PARK — A Belle Haven neighborhood street was closed for several hours Thursday after an “unknown substance” was discovered inside a residence, police said.In an advisory issued around 5:50 p.m., the Menlo Park Police Department said the 1300 block of Henderson Avenue was “closed until further notice due to a hazmat situation.”“A homeowner found an unknown substance in a rental unit they were cleaning out,” Sgt. Kevin Paugh said, adding that a hazmat team was summoned to identify the material.The substance was ultimately deemed nonhazardous and the street was reopened around 10 p.m., police said in a follow-up advisory.Additional details about the incident, including the exact nature of the material, were not available.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | 2 dead as bus carrying high school students crashes in NY Crashes and Disasters | Family sues Google alleging its Maps app led father to drive off collapsed bridge to his death Crashes and Di...

49ers: Christian McCaffrey matches Jerry Rice’s long-held record

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:02:41 GMT

49ers: Christian McCaffrey matches Jerry Rice’s long-held record SANTA CLARA — Christian McCaffrey has been with the 49ers for less than a year and he’s already etched his name in franchise lore.McCaffrey extended his streak of games with a touchdown to 12 with a four-yard endzone dash in San Francisco’s 30-12 win against the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football. That 12-game streak ties Jerry Rice’s 12-game touchdown streak set in 1987 —  Rice led the league with 22 touchdown receptions that year.McCaffrey’s streak extends back to last season and includes the 49ers’ playoff run that ended in an NFC Championship Game loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. The dynamic 27-year-old back has three touchdowns this season — one per 49ers win.“That’s a huge honor,” McCaffrey said. “Obviously scoring touchdowns is a team line. O-line did a great job blocking, I just had to hit the hole.”McCaffrey was traded to the 49ers on Oct. 20, 2022 and his touchdown streak began on Dec. 4 2...

Fremont’s Skubal sharp as Tigers hand A’s their 8th straight loss

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:02:41 GMT

Fremont’s Skubal sharp as Tigers hand A’s their 8th straight loss OAKLAND — Fremont’s Tarik Skubal had a season-high 10 strikeouts in seven strong innings for his fourth consecutive win, and the Detroit Tigers handed the Athletics their eighth consecutive loss, beating Oakland 7-3 on Thursday night.Kerry Carpenter had his ninth multi-hit game this month and the 34th of the season for Detroit. Matt Vierling added two hits, an RBI and scored twice for the Tigers, who are 6-2 on their final road trip of the season.Brent Rooker hit his 28th home run for the last-place A’s (46-107), who need to win their final nine games to avoid matching the 1979 A’s (54-108) for the most losses in Oakland history.A’s manager Mark Kotsay’s team committed three errors, hit into two double plays and failed to advance a runner past first base in their latest setback.Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal delivers to an Oakland Athletics batter during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron)&n...

VIDEO: Tourists chase car in attempt to get items back after car break-in

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:02:41 GMT

VIDEO: Tourists chase car in attempt to get items back after car break-in SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – A shocking video shows tourists trying to stop smash-and-grab thieves in San Francisco. The victims are seen clinging onto a speeding car in an attempt to get their stuff back. One of them was thrown from the vehicle. It’s another case of smash-and-grab crime that continues to plague the city.On Thursday, San Francisco supervisor Dean Preston sponsored a hearing on strategies to stop the car break-ins. Data presented at the hearing showed most of these cases do not get solved, but there was hope that some sort of solution could be crafted. ‘5 deaths, few answers’: Domestic violence task force formed in San Mateo County “Folks are understandably frustrated,” Preston said. “And visitors to our city are not only losing money and property but are often left traumatized and with a very bad experience in our city.”San Francisco government data shows the city experiences more than 20,000 break-ins per year and only about 1% of those result in arrests. San Francisco...

Mali’s junta struggles to fight growing violence in a northern region as UN peacekeepers withdraw

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:02:41 GMT

Mali’s junta struggles to fight growing violence in a northern region as UN peacekeepers withdraw BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Attacks in northern Mali have more than doubled since U.N. peacekeepers completed the first phase of their withdrawal last month after a decade of fighting Islamic extremists, resulting in more than 150 deaths.In one brazen attack, militants targeted a triple-decker passenger boat, killing 49 civilians. And this week, another group of rebels attacked Malian army camps in the Lere locality on the border with Mauritania, leaving several security personnel dead and wounded. Now, fleeing Malians fear the worst is yet to come in the prolonged violence.“In Timbuktu, all the communities are leaving the city,” said Fatouma Harber, a resident of Timbuktu which is one of the worst-hit areas. “A few weeks ago, a rocket fell in the town, costing the life of a child. Everyone thinks it could fall on them or their children,” Harber added.After more than three years in power, Mali’s military junta is struggling to fight growing violence in a hard-hit northern region after deman...

Pope Francis visits Marseille as anti-migrant views grow in Europe with talk of fences and blockades

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:02:41 GMT

Pope Francis visits Marseille as anti-migrant views grow in Europe with talk of fences and blockades VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is visiting the French port city of Marseille, for centuries a multiethnic and multifaith melting pot, to amplify his call for the Mediterranean to be a place of welcome for migrants. It’s an increasingly lonely voice in Europe, where some countries are turning more and more to border fences, repatriations and talk of a naval blockade to keep a new influx of would-be refugees out.Francis is presiding over the closing session of a gathering of Mediterranean Catholic bishops, but his two-day visit that begins Friday is aimed at sending a message well beyond the Catholic faithful to Europe, North Africa and beyond. After a prayer at Marseille’s basilica, Francis holds an interfaith prayer at a monument dedicated to those who have died at sea — a number estimated to top 28,000 since 2014, according to the International Organization of Migration.Francis, who has long lamented that the Mediterranean has become “the world’s biggest cemetery,” co...

2 arrested in drive-by attack at New Mexico baseball stadium that killed 11-year-old boy

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:02:41 GMT

2 arrested in drive-by attack at New Mexico baseball stadium that killed 11-year-old boy ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Two people were arrested Thursday in connection with a shooting outside an Albuquerque baseball stadium that killed an 11-year-old boy and prompted the New Mexico governor to issue a controversial gun ban.Jose Romero, 22, and Nathen Garley, 21, were held for the Sept. 6 shooting after an Albuquerque Isotopes game in what appeared to be a case of mistaken identity, Police Chief Harold Medina said at a news conference. “These cowards thought they were tough,” Medina said in an earlier social media post. “They killed an innocent child.”Romero was taken into custody on Thursday evening. At the time, he already was wanted for failing to appear in court in connection with alleged drug dealing, Medina said.Garley was already in custody when he was arrested in connection with the killing. He had been stopped by state police on Sept. 13 while returning from Arizona and authorities found a gun and about 100,000 fentanyl tablets in the car, State Police Chief W. Troy W...

Experience small-town charm, big-city convenience in West Highland

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:02:41 GMT

Experience small-town charm, big-city convenience in West Highland Denver’s West Highland neighborhood is an urban oasis filled with small local businesses and a blend of Craftsman bungalows, Victorians, and modern scrapes.Conveniently located near Sloan’s Lake and Edgewater, with easy access to downtown Denver, Golden, and points west, West Highland is a tight-knit community that combines a small-town feel with big-city amenities.“You can’t create this charm in newer neighborhoods,” says Anna Domenico with West+Main. “The combination of old historic neighborhood charm with old main streets and small local businesses make it unique.”Carrie Craig with 8z says West Highland is a tight-knit community that provides a small neighborhood feel through community events like the Highlands Street Fair.What’s available?The Denver neighborhood offers a mix of older and newer homes, historic row homes, and duplexes with some newer condos and townhouses.Craig says buyers want the combination of classic architecture...

Latest edition of Eat Festival promises to 'go down a treat'

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:02:41 GMT

Latest edition of Eat Festival promises to 'go down a treat' Photo credit: © Mathieu GolinvauxDiscover the entire range of Bordeaux wines . . . at a single wine bar, writes Martin Banks.That is the enticing prospect offered to wine lovers in Belgium at this year’s Eat Festival.The annual event will take place later this month for the third consecutive year at Brussels’ Tour & Taxis and, once again, Bordeaux wines are heavily involved.A glass of Bordeaux wine will be offered to all festival-goers with an entry.Everyone will be able to choose according to their preferences: red wines, of course, but also lesser known wines which are good to discover: dry whites and sweet ones but also the bubbles of crémants and rosés (to help prolong that feel-good summer feeling).For those who wish to extend the experience, all wines will be on sale at €5 per glass.Bordeaux winegrowers and traders (mainly from the younger Bordeaux generation) will leave their vineyards to come to Brussels to share the...