Archives : 2009 : February

Berkeley Drunk Driving Enforcement Efforts have been A Huge Success

Berkeley has been able to bring down its drunk driving accident rates dramatically after receiving a substantial grant to enforce drunk driving crackdowns and other programs. Last November, the Berkeley police department received a grant of $176,846 from the California Office of Traffic Safety to combat drunk driving. Those funds have been used as [...]

Morgan Freeman Faces Personal Injury Lawsuit Over 2008 Car Accident

Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman is being sued by the female passenger who was in his car during in a car accident last year that left them both with serious injuries.
Demaris Meyer has filed a lawsuit in Mississippi alleging that Freeman was negligent because he drank alcohol prior to driving the car. She is claiming [...]

Bush Administration Enacted Rule Blocking Essential Information in Nursing Home Abuse Cases

In its last days, the Bush administration quietly passed a new rule that effectively blocks certain people, including Medicaid and Medicare contractors, from sharing essential information that could be used to pursue nursing home abuse cases. The Washington Post has a story that underscores just how badly the rights of senior citizens to justice in [...]

Caltrans to Speed up Road Repair and Construction Works with Federal Funds

Like other states around the country, California is gearing up to make investments in infrastructure with its share of the federal stimulus funds that will be allocated to it.
Caltrans needs heavy funding to undertake just its road maintenance projects every year, but typically invests about a quarter of its budget for road maintenance and repairs. [...]

Connecticut Animal Attack – Chimp Had Record of Aggressive Behavior

The chimp that was fatally shot after it attacked a friend of its owner in Connecticut earlier this week has a history of attacks, according to the Washington Post.
Travis, the 200-pound chimp that attacked and severely wounded Charla Nash, the friend of its owner, Sandra Herold, has had instances of out of control behavior in [...]

Evenflo Activity Centers Recalled due to Safety Hazard

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Evenflo Co. Inc. have announced a recall of ExerSaucer Triple Fun Stationary Activity Centers. The recall affects about 213,000 such activity centers. The problem is a defective cap on one end of the table that can cause the cap to become loose and fall off, potentially causing injuries [...]

Marine Killed in North San Diego County Motorcycle Accident

A Camp Pendleton marine was killed in a motorcycle crash in Bonsall in North San Diego County over the weekend. Bradley Waterman was riding his motorcycle on highway 77 when he crashed into a Chevy truck. The driver of the truck as well as other motorists nearby attempted to resuscitate the marine, but he [...]

Man Injured in San Diego Walkway Collapse Construction Accident Dies of Injuries

Last summer, a pedestrian walkway under construction in San Diego collapsed, leaving at least 16 people injured. One of the three people who was seriously injured in the collapse has died in the hospital.
49-year-old Tyrone Allen had been hospitalized with severe trauma after the accident that occurred on an East Village street on August [...]

California Company Recalls Sweatshirts Due to Strangulation Hazard

A California clothing company has announced a voluntary recall of thousands of its hooded sweatshirts after a 3-year-old boy died after being strangled by a drawstring in the sweatshirt. The US Consumer Products Safety Commission has issued a release saying that the company, Hill Sportswear Inc, will recall these items of clothing – kid [...]

Orange County Priest Charged With Sexual Abuse

An Orange County priest, who escaped being prosecuted a few years ago when charges had to be dropped because the statute of limitations had run out, will finally get his day in court. Denis Lyons, who no longer serves at his ministry, is facing charges of sexual abuse, arising from alleged child molestation incidents [...]