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Paul Flores sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for murder of Kristin Smart

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:24 GMT

Paul Flores was sentenced Friday to 25 years to life in state prison for the 1996 murder of Kristin Smart. Flores, 46, was convicted by a jury last October for murdering Smart in 1996.Smart was a freshman at Cal Poly when she was reported missing in May 1996. Flores was arrested in 2021 following a 25-year investigation into the case. He was convicted the following year.“Today, our criminal and victim justice system has finally delivered justice for Kristin Smart, for the Smart family, and for our San Luis Obispo County community,” said San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow.  “We thank the Smart family and our community for the tremendous trust and patience they placed in the investigation and prosecution of this terrible crime.  We recognize the jury for their focused attention to the evidence and the Sheriff’s Office for their tireless effort in building this case.  Today, justice delayed is not justice denied.”Check back for updates on this developing st...

'I think we are flirting with danger': Jerry Brown discusses international crises, California’s political landscape

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:24 GMT

(Inside California Politics) — It’s been a little more than four years since former Governor Jerry Brown left office and Sacramento altogether. Since leaving the governor’s mansion, the 84-year-old Brown spends his days on his ranch in rural Colusa County, on land that’s been in his family for generations. But just because California’s longest-serving governor is living off the grid and out of the political spotlight doesn’t mean he’s not engaged or short of opinions.In early March, Inside California Politics co-host Nikki Laurenzo made the trip to Brown’s ranch for a lengthy conversation on several topics, including the former governor’s thoughts on global politics, specifically on relations with China and the war in Ukraine. Rep. John Garamendi discusses war in Ukraine one year after Russian invasion “Yes, we have got some problems here in California, but the big international problems are not being addressed in a way that is maximizing our chance of avoiding disaster,” Brown sa...

Southern California's wild winter in photos

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:24 GMT

Winter 2022-2023 in Southern California will go down as one of the wettest, if not the wettest, in recorded history, and also among the most destructive. By early March, the Los Angeles metropolitan area and coastal areas in Ventura County had received over 12 inches of rain, causing flooding, mudslides, rockslides and other damage. Meanwhile, heavy snow in the San Bernardino Mountains left thousands of residents stranded. Below are some images from California’s wild winter.KTLA 5 anchor Lauren Lyster covering flood damage in Studio City, California. Jan. 10, 2023Snow is piled up on buildings in Running Springs, Calif., Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. Beleaguered Californians got hit again Tuesday as a new winter storm moved into the already drenched and snow-plastered state, with blizzard warnings blanketing the Sierra Nevada and forecasters warning residents that any travel was dangerous. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)A home in the Beverly Crest neighborhood of Los Angeles is threatened by a mud ...

Here’s Hoping Jane’s Addiction Don’t “Stop!” Anytime Soon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:24 GMT

Back in August of 2003, Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell prophetically proclaimed from the stage of his festival, Lollapalooza, “Next year you’ll all bring cell phones!” He was right. And way before that, when he sang about media desensitization in “Ted, Just Admit It” (“Camera’s got them images/Camera’s got them all/Nothing’s shocking”), none of us had any idea just how right he’d be. And then there’s the band’s first release, the gritty and glorious Triple X self-titled, “live” record which had songs about street life, making art and the 1% that are still relevant today (“the gang and the government– no different”) and they put two of the best covers ever out there– The Velvet Underground’s “Rock and Roll” and The Rolling Stones “Sympathy.” That record in particular was the soundtrack to this writer’s coming of age, especially since it came out around the time we starting sneaking into clubs like Downtown L.A.’s Scream as a teen– and actually got to see the numb...

Ksenia Craven: A Fashion Designer and Illustrator Making Waves in the Industry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:24 GMT

Ksenia Craven is not just a fashion designer and illustrator; she is also a psychologist who understands people’s needs and emotions. Her unique perspective and approach to fashion design have enabled her to create stunning designs and illustrations that meet her clients’ needs.Psychology is at the heart of Ksenia’s fashion career, and it has helped her to understand different cultures and fashion standards. She believes that fashion is more than just aesthetics; it is a means of expression that can reveal people’s innermost thoughts and feelings. Ksenia’s designs and illustrations are not just beautiful; they are also thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.Ksenia’s passion for fashion dates back to her childhood, and she has been able to turn that passion into a thriving career. She has worked for several high-end luxury brands and has been featured in top publications. Her work has also been sought after by people who want something unique a...

Winning Against the Storm: A Look Into Storm Ventures Group’s 9th Annual Conference

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:24 GMT

Renowned entrepreneur and the founder of Storm Ventures Group, Anthony Delmedico, has announced this year’s Win The Storm Conference and Tradeshow Expo for general contracting, roofing, restoration, and solar companies worldwide. The three-day event, which starts on March 15 and ends on March 17, will be held at Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, bringing together industry experts.Win The Storm Conference and Tradeshow Expo will start with a parade on the 15th (9.00 am) recognizing Hurricane Ian’s first responders. The conference will feature over 100 industry-specific breakout sessions, evening receptions, awards night, an entire tradeshow expo floor full of leading industry vendors and suppliers, and a live Q&A session where entrepreneurs will get a chance to ask questions concerning the restoration industry and how to overcome the challenges in the industry to achieve success. Some of the speakers include Michael Graziano, Doug Quinn, and Melanie G...

Atmospheric river storm brings headaches, traffic jams and wet weather, but Bay Area escapes severe damage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:24 GMT

An atmospheric river storm brought high winds, steady rain and some flooding to roads and low-lying neighborhoods Friday, but the Bay Area largely avoided the kind of severe damage that the region saw during the last wave of heavy storms in January.“I don’t think it was quite as prolonged as was expected,” said Jan Null, a meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Services in Half Moon Bay. “The storm moved through the Bay Area quickly, and in kind of an orderly manner.”There’s no question it was a headache for motorists caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.A broken water pump turned parts of Interstate 580 between 35th Avenue and High Street in Oakland into a bathtub during the Friday morning commute, stalling cars until all lanes were cleared by 11:30 a.m.To the south, surging waters from Uvas Creek flooded Highway 101 south of Gilroy between about 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., sending motorists onto side streets in a confused tangle of traffic.Flood wat...

Why SF Giants made former top prospect Heliot Ramos one of their first spring training cuts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:24 GMT

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — This time last year, Heliot Ramos was one of the Giants’ most promising prospects and among the candidates to break camp in the San Francisco Giants outfield. While he didn’t make the Opening Day roster, he got his first call-up within the first week of the season.Since then, however, it has been almost all downhill for the 23-year-old former first-round draft pick.That culminated Friday, as Ramos was optioned to the minor leagues in the Giants’ second round of cuts from major-league camp. The only other player on the 40-man roster to be cut sooner was right-hander Randy Rodriguez, who only reached Triple-A at the very end of last season.“He just didn’t perform at the minor-league level last year,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “Heliot still has some work to do. We saw that last year. Much more important than what we’ve seen in spring training so far is what we’ve seen over the last couple of years. We need to see him perform at th...

'Noose' found at Kaiser Permanente in Gilroy non-hate related: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:24 GMT

(KRON) -- A rope noose that was discovered earlier this week hanging in the parking lot of the Kaiser Medical Offices in Gilroy was not intended to be a symbol of hate or racial animus, according to police. The Gilroy Police Department was alerted about the rope on Feb. 27 at 10 a.m., the department said. Officers responded to the scene and found rope that appeared to be a noose hanging from a tree. Longtime employee killed after roof collapses at Peet’s Coffee distribution center in Oakland An investigation was initiated, and after a thorough review of surveillance footage, police determined that the rope was not placed on the tree to be a symbol of hate or facial animus. "There is no evidence to suggest that it was placed there with any ill intent," police said.KRON On is streaming live news now.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { p...

Man convicted of killing Kristin Smart gets 25 years to life

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:16:24 GMT

MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — The man convicted of killing Kristin Smart, who vanished from a California college campus in 1996, has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. A judge in Monterey County sentenced Paul Flores on Friday, calling him “a cancer to society.” The judge also rejected requests from the defense to acquit Flores and order a new trial.Smart was 19 when she disappeared from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Her remains have never been found, but prosecutors alleged Flores, a fellow student, killed her while trying to rape her in his dorm room. He was convicted in October. His father was accused of helping hide her body but was acquitted.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.LOS ANGELES (AP) — The man convicted of killing Kristin Smart, who vanished from a California college campus more than 25 years ago, was scheduled to be sentenced Friday for her murder.Paul Flores could face 25 years to life in st...