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3 ‘Top Chef’ stars are designing coffee drinks at this Oakland cafe

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:06 GMT

Want to try a coffee creation that a “Top Chef” star calls a “true masterpiece that’s the result of my passion for flavors”? Then head to Oakland’s The Caffè by Mr. Espresso, which is featuring not one but three specialty drinks designed by “Top Chef” alums beginning now.Related ArticlesRestaurants, Food and Drink | Indian Rasoi takes over Cafe Colucci space in Oakland Restaurants, Food and Drink | Photos: Bay Area’s Oktoberfest season now in full swing Restaurants, Food and Drink | Some older customers are staying away from Olive Garden and Cracker Barrel Restaurants, Food and Drink | With roots in Silicon Valley, this century-old fruit business has ties to your cereal bowl Restaurants, Food and Drink | Asian-themed mall in East Bay lands veteran buyer Mr. Espresso is an Italian immigrant-founded coffee enterprise that has been part of the East Bay s...

Taste-Off: The best Oreo flavors and the ones they really shouldn’t make

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:06 GMT

First came the Oreo, the classic dark chocolate rounds sandwiched with sugary white frosting. A cookie so beloved, they’re sold all over the world.The first Oreos were launched in 1912 and eight years later, the company introduced Lemon Creme Oreos. In the decades that followed, the company began introducing more new flavors — many, many more. To date, the company has served up 198 variations on the Oreo, including such unexpected flavors as apple cider doughnut, matcha and hot chicken wing (not kidding, but only available in China). Nabisco, the parent company of Oreo, confirms that while many Oreo flavors have come and gone, new ones will continue to appear.Curious to find out what the flavor fuss is all about, we rounded up 13 fun, interesting Oreo flavors and tasted. The take-away? Some are much better than the original, and others are perfectly awful.A great flavored Oreo is a welcome treat. It’s crispy and sweet and infused with pleasant, complementary flavors that mesh ...

Pleasanton police reach tentative labor deal with city

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:06 GMT

PLEASANTON — Pleasanton police have reached a tentative labor deal with the city that appears likely to end months of bitter contract negotiations and establish an incentive program for police to stay with the department long-term.The agreement would give officers a general pay raise of 16% over the life of the three-year contract. Sergeants would get a 19% pay increase.The deal would also establish a career-incentive program in the third year of the contract for officers with at least 15 years of law enforcement experience who have completed several years of special assignment work such as SWAT or drone assignments. The “Master Officer/Sergeant Program” would provide pay equal to 2% of an eligible employee’s base pay.Brian Jewell, a police officer and president of the Pleasanton Police Officers Association, or PPOA, said members of the association have voted in support of the tentative deal.“Our members are ready to move on and get back to serving this...

Young biker’s tragic death renews calls for drivers to use ‘Dutch reach’ when exiting their cars: Roadshow

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:06 GMT

Q: A four-year-old girl, riding as a passenger on her dad’s bike, died last month after suffering a head injury in Oakland when someone opened the door of their parked car without looking to see if anyone was coming. I seem to recall someone mentioning the “Dutch reach” in a prior post in your column. It is taught in the Netherlands, beginning in primary school. It dramatically reduces these accidents because you use your inside hand to reach across to operate the door handle. This tends to cause you to look to see what is coming from behind. Let’s include that in our school curricula and in our driving handbooks and written tests.Craig Foster, San JoseA: And…Q: Gary, could you post in your column about the “Dutch Reach” method for opening a driver’s door, especially when an auto is parked to the right of a bicycle lane? Every time I ride my bike, I encounter motorists who open their driver’s door without checking for oncoming bicyclists.I heard r...

Oakland businesses plan Tuesday strike to protest crime

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:06 GMT

(BCN) -- Over 200 Oakland businesses are preparing to go on strike Tuesday in a call for better public safety. Some will be closed all day and some from 10 a.m. to noon, according to Carl Chan, longtime local business advocate and former president of the Chinatown Business Association. They are planning to gather for a public press conference outside of Le Cheval restaurant at 10 a.m. The 38-year-old family business announced last week it will be closing because of a drop in business due to increased crime. Young mother slain at Bay Area Toyota service center identified "We need to get additional resources from the county sheriff, the California Highway Patrol and the FBI," said Chan. He also called for the involvement of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. "Crimes have gotten out of hand. All these repeat offenders keep targeting many businesses, but also people," said Chan.The strikers are also calling for financial resources from the city, county and governor to off...

Vallejo felon facing 10 years in prison for owning 'ghost gun'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:06 GMT

(BCN) -- A felon from Vallejo is facing 10 years in prison for owning a "ghost gun," federal prosecutors said Monday.Raykheem Andrew Guthery, 31, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of California said in a news release.Court documents showed that on June 9, 2022, officers pulled over Guthery, who was reportedly driving a car without license plates. He pretended to be unarmed and someone else, claiming he was not on parole or probation, federal prosecutors said. Father, daughter detained by Alameda County deputies after false gun report However, officers found out he was on probation for felony assault. Officers also discovered he was carrying a "ghost gun," or a non-serialized and privately manufactured firearm, loaded with one round of .40-caliber ammunition in the chamber and another 17 rounds in an extended magazine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.At the time, Guthery was already prohibited from...

Oakland to lower speed limits at 11 key locations to increase street safety

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:06 GMT

(BCN) -- City leaders in Oakland on Monday announced several locations throughout the city that will see lowered speed limits in an effort to create safer streets, according to City Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan. The move comes in response to Assembly Bill 43, which is a new state law that enables cities to lower speed limits in high traffic areas. "It is a well-established fact that by lowering speed limits, the number of traffic fatalities are correspondingly lowered," said Kaplan in a statement released by the city. Man fatally struck by vehicle in San Jose The initiative was announced by Mayor Sheng Thao, Oakland Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, Councilmember Noel Gallo, Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, the Oakland Department of Transportation director Fred Kelley and other city leaders. Ramachandran said lowering speed limits is a way to begin to change driver culture. "I look forward to expanding this effort to every corner of the city," she said. Acco...

Taylor Swift’s attendance at Chiefs game brings a spike in Travis Kelce jersey sales

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:06 GMT

Taylor Swift reacts during a game between the Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24 in Kansas City, Missouri. Taylor Swift reacts during a game between the Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24 in Kansas City, Missouri. (CNN) — The surprise attendance of pop superstar Taylor Swift at Sunday’s Kansas City Chiefs game also brought an unexpected surge in sales of Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce’s jersey, according to sports retailer Fanatics.“Yesterday, Travis Kelce was one of the top five selling NFL players and saw a nearly 400% spike in sales throughout the Fanatics network of sites, including NFLShop.com,” s...

In Sweden, 2 explosions rip through dwellings and at least 1 is reportedly connected to a gang feud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:06 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Two powerful explosions ripped through dwellings in central Sweden overnight, injuring at least three people and damaging buildings, with bricks and window sections left spread outside. Late on Monday, an explosion occurred in Hasselby, a suburb of the capital, Stockholm. In the early hours of Tuesday, a blast in Linkoping, some 175 kilometers (110 miles) to the southwest, ripped the facade off a three-story building, leaving debris strewn across a parking area. It was not known whether the blasts were related to each other. Swedish newspaper Expressen said Tuesday that both explosions were connected to a feud between criminal gangs, a growing problem in Sweden with drive-by shootings and bombings. Two gangs — one led by a Swedish-Turkish dual national who lives in Turkey, the other by his former lieutenant — are reportedly fighting over drugs and weapons. So far this year, there have been 261 shootings, killing 36 people and injuring 73. Police said that residents ...

Cintas: Fiscal Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:06 GMT

CINCINNATI (AP) — CINCINNATI (AP) — Cintas Corp. (CTAS) on Tuesday reported fiscal first-quarter net income of $385.1 million.The Cincinnati-based company said it had profit of $3.70 per share.The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of nine analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $3.65 per share.The uniform rental company posted revenue of $2.34 billion in the period, also beating Street forecasts. Seven analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $2.32 billion.Cintas expects full-year earnings to be $14 to $14.45 per share, with revenue in the range of $9.4 billion to $9.52 billion._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on CTAS at https://www.zacks.com/ap/CTASSource