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Plea seal reached in vast Capitola vacation rental scam

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:45 GMT

SANTA CRUZ — In a sweeping real estate scam affecting more than 130 people, a former Capitola property and vacation rental manager agreed to a plea deal and was sentenced for four felony embezzlement charges Thursday.Dolores “Dede” Harrington, 49, had co-owned the Capitola Avenue business Beach House Rentals LLC since 2004, brokering high-end vacation, home, condo, cottage and townhome rentals. During a period spanning early 2020 through August 2022, however, Harrington began failing to pay property owners their rental income, withholding rental deposits, canceling vacation rental contracts with little or no notice and other similar activities, numerous complainants told the Sentinel. Even before her October 2022 criminal arrest by Capitola police, civil breach-of-contract actions had begun piling up against Harrington.Of 16 original felony charges filed by the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office in the case, 12 were dismissed as part of the plea deal. Santa Cruz County Sup...

Former California police chief gets 11-year sentence for role in Jan. 6 Capitol riot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:45 GMT

Alan Hostetter, a former La Habra police chief-turned yoga instructor and conservative Orange County activist who called for the execution of his political enemies after the 2020 elections, was sentenced Thursday to 11 years and three months in federal prison for joining a mob of rioters during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.The former law enforcement officer planned for weeks in the leadup to Jan. 6, transported weapons across the country and while armed with a hatchet joined the group of rioters that overran the U.S. Capitol.While Hostetter himself was not accused of taking part in direct violence on Jan. 6, prosecutors in the leadup to his sentencing compared his actions to “terrorism,” saying he was “eager to stoke the fires of revolution” and called for the killing of those he deemed “tyrants and traitors.”Hostetter — who represented himself at trial and sentencing — has continually downplayed the events of Jan. 6, arguing they were the result of a “federal setup” ...

California woman gets 25 years to life for slaying ex-foster mother of her 2 kids

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:45 GMT

A woman was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life in prison for killing a 75-year-old Pasadena resident who was the former foster mother to two of her children, authorities said.A jury on Nov. 1 found 46-year-old  Mary Jean O’Connor guilty of first-degree murder.She didn’t speak at her sentencing Thursday, according to Deputy District Attorney Ryan Erlich, who said: “Anyone who is involved in the case or heard about the case can agree it is incomprehensibly tragic.”O’Connor’s lawyer couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.O’Connor’s five children were taken from her by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, police said. Jeri Douglas had been the foster mother of the two oldest children, a boy in 2010 and a girl in 2011, Erlich said in an earlier interview. The boy later was adopted by one of Douglas’ daughters and O’Connor’s parents got custody of the girl, he addedWhile only two of the children were placed with Douglas, O’Connor blamed her for the loss...

Banned for a game, Arsenal manager Arteta says it’s hard to curb celebrations in big moments

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:45 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Mikel Arteta says managers deserve some leeway when it comes to goal celebrations.Like when your team scores a 97th-minute winner that keeps you atop the Premier League.The Arsenal coach will be banned from the touchline at Aston Villa on Saturday after he received his third yellow card of the season on Tuesday for his excessive celebrations following Declan Rice’s winner in a 4-3 victory at Luton.“When you get those moments in sport, you should be able to do that, but I understand as well there are certain boundaries and you have to respect them, such as when you are in an away ground,” he said Friday at a news conference. “But if I was given the chance, I would be there jumping.”It’s “very difficult to demand” that coaches shelve their emotions, he added.“I don’t know how to stop (it). It was a really emotional moment. You have everybody bouncing around and you lose sense of where you are, and the space that you have to be in,” Arteta said. “It was unfortunate ...

Soccer fans launch legal challenge to stop French authorities from banning away supporters at games

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:45 GMT

PARIS (AP) — An umbrella organization for soccer fan groups has taken legal action aimed at stopping French authorities from banning away supporters attending some games this weekend.The National Supporters’ Association said Friday it has referred the matter to France’s highest administrative court as it seeks to challenge bans targeting four matches, including two in the top-tier of the French league.The bans ordered by the French government and local authorities followed the death of a supporter in Nantes last weekend.Sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said this week that preventing supporters from traveling to rival clubs could help restore calm following a series of incidents this season. “These appeals are in no way intended to minimize the seriousness of last Saturday’s tragedy,” the group said. “No one can doubt the immense sadness in the French stands. Nor can anyone doubt our sense of responsibility.”The group argued that it’s essential to let away fans ...

Polis unveils roadmap to make Colorado more affordable

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:45 GMT

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — Colorado is in the middle of a housing crisis and Gov. Jared Polis wants the state to get cracking on development. He wants to start with creating more affordable housing across the state.The governor said a key part of making the state more affordable is making housing more affordable and accessible to get to."Whether you are in Grand Junction at a town hall with 85 people or Pueblo or the Denver metro area, the number one issue is affordability, affordability, affordability, right? And people are frustrated because while the job market is strong and people have jobs, costs have gone up more than salaries, the biggest part of that is housing," Polis said about why he's starting with housing when it comes to making Colorado more affordable. Denver man searching for missing emotional support dog The governor wants housing in the Centennial State to become more affordable and easier to get to by the time the state turns 150 in 2026. The governor said the top...

Gov. Polis weighs in on Colorado’s migrant crisis

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:45 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver has been in the spotlight recently as thousands of migrants have made their way to the area. In the last year, the Mile High City has supported more than 30,000 migrants. The influx has cost the city more than $36 million. Gov. Jared Polis weighed in on the issue on “Colorado Point of View.”He highlighted that it’s mostly a municipal issue, primarily in Denver. Polis shares 2024 legislative priorities But the Democratic governor also focused on the need for migrants to work. He hopes those who come here “have legal work permits because frankly, we need people across the economy.”Polis also said his administration will work with Colorado cities that are dealing with new arrivals, adding, “The state always tries to be helpful to our cities, however we can… It’s up to cities how they address it.”Watch the full conversation with Polis on “Colorado Point of View” on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 a.m. on Colorado’s Very Own Channel 2.

Court backs UK government’s veto of Scotland’s gender self-ID plan

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:45 GMT

LONDON — The U.K. government acted lawfully in moving to block Scotland’s plans to make it easier to legally change gender, a top Edinburgh court ruled Friday.The Scottish and U.K. governments have been locked in a court battle over the reforms, which were comfortably passed by the Scottish parliament last year. The Scottish government wanted to introduce a self-identification system to make it easier for people to change their legally recognized sex.But the U.K. government stepped in to block the legislation, arguing it conflicted U.K.-wide equalities law. It teed up a major fight between Holyrood and Westminster, and saw the governing SNP in Scotland deeply divided on how to proceed. An initial appeal by the SNP-led Scottish government against the veto has now failed — after Edinburgh’s Court of Session ruled against their case Friday.The losing side has 21 days to decide whether to further appeal by taking the case all the way up to the U.K.’s Supreme Court. The...

Macron faces backlash after Jewish ceremony at presidential palace

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:45 GMT

Emmanuel Macron is facing widespread pushback, even from within his own ranks, from critics who say the president breached France’s long-standing history of secularism after he attended a Jewish ceremony in the Élysée Palace on Thursday.Macron had been invited to receive an award for fighting antisemitism and safeguarding religious freedoms at an annual event from the Conference of European Rabbis.During the event, France’s chief rabbi Haïm Korsia lit a ceremonial candle as members of the audience sang traditional Hanukkah songs in Hebrew. Lighting candles on a multi-branched chandelier, called a menorah, is a Jewish ritual that is part of the Hanukkah celebrations, which this year began on Thursday and will last until next Friday.Macron said Friday, during a visit to the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, that he didn’t regret what happened “at all.” “I think that on this point we need to keep our heads,” the French president told reporters. &#...

Orbán calls Ukraine ‘one of the most corrupt countries in the world’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:07:45 GMT

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stood firm in his staunch opposition to Ukraine being admitted to the EU, calling it “corrupt” a week before EU leaders are set to make a decision on starting talks with Kyiv on joining the bloc. “Hungary is a neighbour of Ukraine … we know exactly what is happening,” Orbán told French news outlet Le Point in an interview published Friday. “Ukraine is known to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world. It’s a joke!” he said. “We cannot take the decision to start a process of accession negotiations,” Orbán said.EU leaders are set to gather in Brussels next week for two historic decisions on Ukraine: approving a plan to begin discussions on Kyiv joining the 27-nation bloc and the release of €50 billion in aid for Ukraine.Yet Orbán’s shadow looms over the summit, as the Hungarian leader has adamantly opposed the opening of accession negotiations for Ukraine — despite the European Commission ...