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Frank Ryan dies at 87; QB led Cleveland Browns to NFL title, then had unexpected post-football career

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:20:01 GMT

By Tom Withers | Associated PressCLEVELAND — Frank Ryan wasn’t your average NFL quarterback.His arm helped make the Cleveland Browns champions. His intellect earned him wider acclaim off the field.Ryan, who led the the Browns to their last NFL title in 1964 while spending his offseasons getting a doctorate diploma in mathematics, died Monday. He was 87.Ryan’s family said in a statement that he died while being cared for at a nursing home in Connecticut. He had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and the family said chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) “is suspected to have played a role in the progression of the disease.”Ryan donated his brain to Boston University’s CTE Center for study.“Our hearts are with the family and friends of Frank Ryan, as we honor the life of a Browns icon and championship-winning quarterback,” the Browns said in a social media posting.In the 1964 title game, Ryan threw three touchdown passes to wide receiver Gary Collins as the Bro...

Bicyclist dies after being struck by train in Fremont

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:20:01 GMT

FREMONT — A man died Tuesday morning after he was struck by a commuter train while riding a bicycle, authorities said.The coroner’s office was still trying to confirm the man’s identity Wednesday before publicly releasing his name.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Bus driver from UC Santa Cruz crash dies from injuries Crashes and Disasters | One dead, two injured in head-on collision in eastern Contra Costa County Crashes and Disasters | Caltrain fatally strikes person in Menlo Park Crashes and Disasters | Ex-CHP officer who hit and killed pedestrian had unknown vision impairment Crashes and Disasters | Two youths killed in East Bay late night hit-and-run identified The collision happened about 9:20 a.m. Tuesday near Auto Mall Parkway and Nobel Drive.The man was riding a bicycle when he was hit by an ACE train, a commuter train that runs between Stockton and San Jose.No one on boa...

Bay Area arts: 9 great shows and exhibits to see this weekend

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:20:01 GMT

There are a lot of great shows, films and exhibits to catch this weekend and beyond in the Bay Area, from a funny and poignant new play in Walnut Creek to the awesome Pacific Mambo Orchestra. Here’s a partial roundup.A ‘Brilliant’ sense of sharingAt first blush, a play about someone who keeps a list of things that make him happy might seem like a little much. After all, the holiday period just ended, we’ve probably all had our share of real or imagined good cheer — the last thing we need is someone nattering away about how puppies and peanut butter cookies make him feel good.But there is much, much, more to “Every Brilliant Thing,” the acclaimed solo show by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe that begins in previews this week in Walnut Creek. In this case, the constantly evolving list — which also serves as a conduit to some clever and meaningful audience participation — is a response to the complicated mental state of the protag...

Kurtenbach: The middling Warriors are saying the quiet part out loud

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:20:01 GMT

It’s been a common sight this season to see Klay Thompson on the Warriors bench, staring into the half distance, contemplating how he and his team arrived at this point of mediocrity.I’m sure many Warriors fans have been watching this season with the same confusion.The Warriors have held themselves to a standard of greatness for the better part of a decade. Since Warriors coach Steve Kerr arrived in 2014 and guided Golden State to a title in his first season, championships have not merely been the goal, but the expectation for this team.That’s over now.The honest back-room conversations about the state of this team — and its future — are becoming public. The Warriors are saying the quiet part out loud.And while it’s refreshing and positive to hear such truths being told, the words are laced with tragedy, too.Thompson let us behind the curtain in his post-game comments following a quality home win over the upstart Magic on Tuesday:“Steve and I actually h...

Political hopefuls line up to replace Assemblymember Evan Low

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:20:01 GMT

With California State Assemblymember Evan Low running for Congress, the race to replace the seasoned lawmaker and represent a large swath of Silicon Valley in the state legislature is heating up.Last month, Low announced he was vying for retiring U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo’s congressional seat after serving in the Assembly for nine years. Since then, six candidates have filed paperwork for the District 26 seat including Low’s district director and Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board President Patrick Ahrens, Sunnyvale Vice Mayor Omar Din and Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee Tara Sreekrishnan. The district includes Cupertino, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and parts of north and west San Jose.Ahrens said he’s more than just a longtime Low staffer, and that many of the issues impacting the community are deeply personal to him — when he was in college, he said he was housing insecure and homeless for a period of time. The 34-year-old was elected to ...

Sharks feel they’re playing better now than in October. Here’s why it’s still not enough

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:20:01 GMT

SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks feel they’re playing a much better brand of hockey now than they were during the first few weeks of the season.The end results of late, though, have looked awfully familiar.The Sharks will carry a nine-game losing streak into Thursday when they play the Winnipeg Jets, the team they last beat before they started a nearly three-week skid in which they’ve been outscored 41-14.It’s not quite as bad as it was from mid-October to early November when the Sharks were outscored 55-12 on a 0-10-1 stretch to start the year. The Sharks right now are creating a few more scoring opportunities each game and doing a better job of preventing goals, at least at even strength.It just hasn’t translated into any victories, and no one knows when it will. After Thursday, the Sharks (9-26-3) host the Toronto Maple Leafs, then begin a five-game road trip.“It’s not quite 60 minutes yet for us,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “It’s certainly a lot better ...

Semi-automatic pistol, several bags of marijuana found in Fairfield traffic stop

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:20:01 GMT

(KRON) -- A semi-automatic pistol and several bags of marijuana were found during a traffic stop Monday, according to the Fairfield Police Department. An officer made a traffic enforcement stop at Parkway Gardens near Del Paso Court at around 2:02 p.m.The vehicle that was stopped was occupied by two men. A records check, police said, revealed that the driver was on probation. Police searched the vehicle and patted down the passenger. Thieves ram-raid San Francisco bank, steal cash A semi-automatic pistol was found in the waistband of the passenger, who police said had previously denied having a firearm. Officers also found several bags of marijuana in the car.Officers secured the firearm and detained both men. A 19-year-old Fairfield man was arrested for weapons charges including possession of a stolen firearm. A 23-year-old man was cited for several open container and vehicle code violations.

Prosecutors file evidence against Rays shortstop Wander Franco in Dominican Republic probe

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:20:01 GMT

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Dominican prosecutors investigating Wander Franco amid allegations that the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop had a relationship with a minor delivered evidence Wednesday to a judge who is expected to soon rule on the player’s future.The judge is scheduled to analyze the documents and other evidence collected during a monthslong investigation and issue a ruling Friday in a courtroom in the northern Dominican Republic province of Puerto Plata, where the alleged act occurred.The judge has several options: release Franco on bond, temporarily arrest him, prevent him from leaving the Dominican Republic or demand that he make occasional appearances until the investigation or a trial has ended.The 22-year-old All-Star player remains in jail for now after being detained on Monday in Puerto Plata. His attorney, Teodosio Jáquez Encarnación, has declined to talk to the press, saying only that Franco is doing fine.Prosecutors also have declined comment.Authoritie...

Ugandan police say gay rights activist in critical condition after knife attack

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:20:01 GMT

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — A well-known gay rights activist in Uganda was stabbed by unknown assailants Wednesday, and police said he was hospitalized in critical condition.A video posted on the social media platform X shows Steven Kabuye lying on the ground writhing in pain with a deep and long cut on his right arm and a knife stuck in his belly.Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said that residents found Kabuye after the attack and that the activist was in critical condition.One of two attackers who arrived on a motorcycle tried to stab Kabuye in the neck, Onyango said.“He (Kabuye) managed to shield his neck with his right arm, resulting in a stab wound to his hand. Despite attempting to flee, the assailants chased and stabbed him in the stomach,” Onyango said.Ugandan gay rights activist Hans Senfuma said in another post on X that the attackers wanted to killed Kabuye.“Steven claims that these two guys’ intentions were to kill him not robbing and also claims that it seems they have b...

Trial postponed for man charged in 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie due to forthcoming memoir

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:20:01 GMT

MAYVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — The New Jersey man charged with stabbing “The Satanic Verses” author Salman Rushdie is allowed to seek material related to Rushdie’s upcoming memoir about the attack before standing trial, a judge ruled Wednesday.Jury selection in Hadi Matar’s attempted murder and assault trial was originally scheduled to start Jan. 8.Instead, the trial is on hold, since Matar’s lawyer argued Tuesday that the defendant is entitled by law to see the manuscript, due out in April 2024, and related material before standing trial. Written or recorded statements about the attack made by any witness are considered potential evidence, attorneys said.“It will not change the ultimate outcome,” Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said of the postponement. A new date has not yet been set. Matar, 26, who lived in Fairview, New Jersey, has been held without bail since prosecutors said he stabbed Rushdie more than a dozen times after rushing the stage at the Ch...