 Trial to begin in yacht killings case
 Associated Press
Nearly four years after his father and stepmother vanished, Ryan Hawks, shown above at his Cardiff home, intends to be in court every day for the murder trial of the man suspected of tying the couple to an anchor on their yacht and dumping them at sea.
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Personal beliefs fuel Prop. 8 fundraising
$48 million contributed on same-sex marriage issue
SACRAMENTO, Oct. 7
California ballot measure campaigns are usually money magnets, drawing huge sums from special interests that often have a financial stake in the outcome.
But Proposition 8 is an anomaly. It's attracting tens of millions of dollars in contributions large and small from those who are motivated not by money but by their personal beliefs on same-sex marriage.
More California & The West News
Oct. 7 (UNION-TRIBUNE)
Whether for it or against it, donors are from all walks of life: But deep commitments? That's another story. The vast majority of people donating money to support or defeat Proposition 8 – the Nov. 4 ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriage in California – aren't like San Diego hotel owner Doug Manchester (he's for it) or Hollywood star Brad Pitt (he's against it).
MINERAL, 11:57 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Dad mistakenly shoots son on Calif. hunting trip: A Marysville teenager was shot in the hip by his father during a weekend hunting accident in Northern California.
RENO, Nev., 11:26 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Homeless being removed from Reno tent city: City officials have ordered homeless men to move out of a tent city on the edge of downtown Reno. By next week, all women must also vacate the encampment where as many as 160 people have lived since the beginning of summer.
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz., 10:52 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Man plunges 250 feet to his death at Grand Canyon: A man has died after falling 250 feet into the Grand Canyon from an overlook. Grand Canyon National Park rangers responded to a 911 call about 4:15 p.m. Monday of a man having fallen into the canyon at the first overlook on Desert View Drive, on the canyon's South Rim.
WILLIAMS, 10:41 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Bus driver in fatal California crash investigated: Quintin Watts had a lengthy criminal record, a history of substance abuse and a string of motor vehicle offenses. Even his mother says he wasn't a good driver.
WOODLAND, 10:38 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Yolo County man ripped off landlord for $13,000: A Yolo County jury has convicted a 58-year-old man of stealing $13,000 from his landlord. Jurors found Richard Esquivel guilty Monday of theft from an elder and fraudulent use of a credit card. He faces up to four years in prison.
TRUCKEE, 9:35 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Hiker dies after rescue from Sierra trail: One of four hikers rescued in the Sierra over the weekend has died from apparent exposure. Placer County sheriff's deputies say 62-year-old Phyllis Hall was among the four a a search-and-rescue team found Saturday morning on the Pacific Crest Trail near Tinker's Knob.
RENO, Nev., 9:29 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Nevada population to grow 49 percent next 20 years: Nevada's population is projected to increase by nearly 50 percent over the next 20 years, a gain of 1.3 million people that would bring the statewide total to about 4 million by 2028.
LYNWOOD, 8:39 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Fire in Lynwood lot knocked down: Firefighters have knocked down a blaze in a lot full of wooden pallets that sent flames soaring in Lynwood. There are no reports of injuries.
LOS ANGELES, 7:06 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
6 die in family murder-suicide in Los Angeles: The only hints of trouble in the big beige house on Como Lane were the newspapers in the driveway and the lack of any activity behind the front door.
WEST HOLLYWOOD, 6:55 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Officials threaten to crack down on House of Blues: The West Hollywood City Council is considering whether to revoke or suspend a popular nightclub's business license after a series of violent clashes.
NORTH FORK, Nev., 6:20 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Arctic quake sends waves through Nevada: Scientists say what appeared to be an earthquake in northeastern Nevada was actually a seismograph picking up waves from an earlier quake in the Arctic Ocean.
PRINCETON BY THE SEA, 6:01 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Names released of two killed in boating accident: Authorities have released the names of two people who died when the fishing boat they were on capsized off the San Mateo County coast over the weekend.
OAKLAND, 5:32 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Oakland schools meeting moved to bigger facility: A public meeting over possible school closures in Oakland is expected to draw so many people that officials have moved the meeting to a larger facility.
SAN FRANCISCO, 3:21 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Judge: Calif. must pay for prison health care: A federal judge has scolded California officials for failing to provide the billions of dollars a court-appointed receiver says is needed to upgrade the state's prison health care system.
SANTA CRUZ, 3:10 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Santa Cruz museum hit for $1000 in cash and goods: Burglars took $1000 in cash and jewelry from the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. The Saturday break-in and theft was the third time in two years that the museum has been targeted by criminals.
WILLIAMS, 8:01 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)Bus driver in fatal California crash investigated: Authorities have begun investigating whether a bus driver who had a string of motor vehicle offenses and a history of substance abuse was under the influence of drugs or alcohol when his casino-bound bus crashed, killing eight people.
NORTH FORK, Nev., 6:20 a.m. Oct. 7 (AP)
Arctic quake sends waves through Nevada: Scientists say what appeared to be an earthquake in northeastern Nevada was actually a seismograph picking up waves from an earlier quake in the Arctic Ocean.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6 (AP)
Two energy initiatives in California under fire: Californians will vote on two ballot initiatives this fall that at first glance would seem shoo-ins for approval in a state long associated with environmental activism.
SACRAMENTO, Oct. 6Credit chill may put new Indian casino on ice: The global credit squeeze has chilled sources of financing needed to complete a new Indian casino resort in Imperial County, a major credit-rating agency has warned. SAN FRANCISCO, 4:53 p.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
'Bride' and 'groom' to be restored to Calif. forms: State health officials say the words “bride” and “groom” will reappear on all marriage license applications issued in California starting next month. SAN FRANCISCO, 2:25 p.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Judge: Calif. must pay for prison health care: A federal judge scolded California officials on Monday for failing to provide the billions of dollars a court-appointed receiver says is needed to upgrade the state's prison health care system. LONG BEACH, 4:49 p.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
SoCal mom who drove teenagers to fight convicted: A mother who drove her teenage son and his friends to a fatal fight with a rival gang was convicted of second-degree murder Monday. SAN FRANCISCO, 4:55 p.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Suspect in Hells Angels leader slaying in custody: Police say the man suspected of killing the leader of the San Francisco Hells Angels chapter has turned himself in. MOORPARK, 5:15 p.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Police dig in SoCal for possible murder victim: Investigators began excavating around two Ventura County freeway offramps Monday for the remains of a boy believed to have been killed by a serial murderer 40 years ago. LOS ANGELES, 2:27 p.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
6 die in family murder-suicide in Los Angeles: An unemployed accounting industry worker who was despondent over financial problems shot and killed his wife, three children, mother-in-law and then himself in an upscale home in a gated community, police said Monday. SANTA ANA, 1:06 p.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Grieving son welcomes trial in yacht killings: Ryan Hawks held a memorial service after his father and stepmother vanished at sea four years ago. SAN FRANCISCO, 1:53 p.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
SEC sues disgraced Democratic fundraiser: Federal regulators on Monday sued political fundraiser Norman Hsu for allegedly operating a $60 million investment scam and using some of the proceeds to make contributions to Sen. Hillary Clinton and other prominent Democrats.
RENO, Nev., 7:29 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Daschle to attend debate watch party in Reno Tues.: Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle will be in Reno Tuesday night to join Nevadans at a gathering to watch the second presidential debate.
PRINCETON BY THE SEA, 6:02 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Two dead, others hospitalized in boating accident: Two people are dead and two others hospitalized after a boating accident in rough seas near Half Moon Bay.
RENO, Nev., 5:45 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Invasive mussels in Colo. raise concerns at Tahoe: The discovery of invasive mussels in a series of high-elevation lakes in the Rocky Mountains is causing concern that the same thing could happen at Lake Tahoe and other parts of the Sierra.
RENO, Nev., 5:41 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Reno man arrested in probe of guns, drugs: A 21-year-old Reno man has been arrested in connection with a long-term state and local investigation into guns and drugs.
SPARKS, Nev., 5:35 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
$1,500 reward offered in Sparks robbery: Secret Witness is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of a gunman who robbed an auto parts store in Sparks Saturday night.
FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, 5:31 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Los Padres forest fire now 37 percent contained: Despite rain and increased humidity over the weekend, fire officials say they still won't have a wildfire burning in the Los Padres National Forest contained until the middle of the month.
SALT LAKE CITY, 12:18 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Project aims to capture Western animals on tape: Rattlesnakes aren't to be trifled with but if you're trying to collect the sounds of every creature in the West that slithers, hops, flies or flops, distance isn't a luxury you can afford.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., 12:16 a.m. Oct. 6 (AP)
Chinese beetles enlisted to fight harmful tree: Chinese beetles are being enlisted to fight an invasive tree species that is choking stream banks across the West.
SACRAMENTO, 10:08 a.m. Oct. 5 (AP)
Medical reform in Calif. prisons heads to court: With California struggling to pay its bills and facing another deficit, the receiver in charge of the state's inmate medical care will argue Monday for the right to take $8 billion from the state treasury.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, 1:04 p.m. Oct. 5 (AP)Heaven-sent waves have SoCal priests riding high: He may not be able to walk on water, but when the mood strikes, Father Matthew Munoz can ride one gnarly, tubular wave all the way into the beach.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill., 9:58 p.m. Oct. 5 (AP)
Bank of America settles lawsuit over bad mortgages: Facing a lawsuit over deceptive mortgage practices, Bank of America Corp. has agreed to modify tens of thousands of loans to keep people in 11 states from losing their homes, the Illinois attorney general's office said Sunday.
FORT ROSS, 12:10 p.m. Oct. 5 (AP)Search on for woman missing along Sonoma coast: Park rangers are searching for a 42-year-old woman who went missing along the Sonoma County coast while attending a retreat at a state park. FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, 9:38 a.m. Oct. 5 (AP)
Rain and humidity slow 12,000-acre wildfire: Rain and humidity are slowing a wildfire that has burned more than 12,000 acres in the Los Padres National Forest along California's central coast. COVINA, 2:54 a.m. Oct. 5 (AP)
Bronze statue stolen from SoCal real estate firm: A bronze statue worth about $35,000 was stolen from a real estate firm here that had another statue taken in June. SANTA ANA, 5:40 a.m. Oct. 5 (AP)
OC treasurer says he saved taxpayers $50 million: Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector Chriss Street said he has avoided a potential $50 million loss to the taxpayers by selling an investment early. TRUCKEE, 5:12 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Sierra hiker dies after being rescued: A Sierra Nevada hiker has died at a Truckee hospital after being rescued by the Placer County sheriff's search and rescue team.
LAS VEGAS, 2:53 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
O.J. Simpson loses in Las Vegas: In a city where luck means everything, O.J. Simpson came out the big loser – and his unlucky number in a case full of bizarre twists was 13.
LOS ANGELES, 5:08 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)Search continues for Calif. reps' missing brother: Divers continue searching the water five miles south of Los Angeles harbor for debris from a boat believed to have belonged to the missing brother of Congress members Loretta and Linda Sanchez. SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Project to help rare frog under way near Tahoe: The U.S. Forest Service has launched a project to eradicate nonnative trout from seven lakes near Lake Tahoe to help save the rare mountain yellow-legged frog. ELK GROVE, 3:50 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Canadian farmer wins California pumpkin contest: A Canadian farmer has won a California contest with a record-setting 1,536.5-pound pumpkin. DANA POINT, 3:25 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Simpson's in-laws: Verdict brings 'mixed emotions': Family members of O.J. Simpson's slain ex-wife say they wish to remain private as they “work through many mixed emotions” in the wake of the former football star's conviction on kidnapping and armed robbery in an unrelated case in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS, 3:19 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Emotions connect old OJ acquittal, new conviction: Jurors had been told to ignore what they knew about O.J. Simpson's past, but for many observers, the line connecting the former NFL star's murder acquittal last decade and his new conviction for robbing memorabilia peddlers couldn't have been clearer.
FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, 2:44 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Monterey County fire grows to nearly 12,000 acres: More than 1,300 firefighters are trying to contain a wildfire that has burned nearly 12,000 acres in the Los Padres National Forest along California coast.
LOS ANGELES, 2:39 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Fred Goldman pleased with Simpson verdict: The father of the man O.J. Simpson was accused of murdering along with his ex-wife says he's pleased that the one-time football hero could end up spending the rest of his life in jail.
LOS ANGELES, 2:20 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Stomach virus strikes at least 75 USC students: At least 75 University of Southern California students are being treated for a contagious gastrointestinal virus centered around a cluster of dormitories at its downtown Los Angeles campus.
REDDING, 1:59 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Shasta County public defender faces new charge: A Shasta County deputy public defender has been hit with a new misdemeanor charge. Michael Borges was already accused of public intoxication and resisting or obstructing a police officer following a disturbance at a Redding nightclub in April.
LAS VEGAS, 1:34 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Democrats hold voter edge in Nev.: A new report shows Democrats hold a registration advantage in every age group in Nevada, including senior citizens.
RENO, Nev., 1:19 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Mystery endures in adventurer's final flight: That morning, the sky was clear, the wind light. Steve Fossett took off alone from hotel magnate Barron Hilton's Flying M Ranch, about 70 miles southeast of here, in a blue and white stunt plane with orange stripes and blue sunbursts on the wings.
SAN FRANCISCO, 12:14 p.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Report: Net could stop Golden Gate Bridge suicides: Golden Gate Bridge officials say a net hanging 20 feet below the world-famous span is the cheapest and safest way to prevent bridge suicides.
COPPEROPOLIS, 11:29 a.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Calif. man accused of cutting neighbor with sword: A Copperopolis man is facing an attempted murder charge after he allegedly attacked his 22-year-old neighbor with a sword.
MALIBU, 11:26 a.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
SoCal ravine deaths investigated as homicides: Authorities say they're now investigating the deaths of a Simi Valley couple found dead near their car at the bottom of a Malibu ravine last year as homicides.
SAN FRANCISCO, 10:54 a.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Grand jury probes San Francisco's sanctuary policy: San Francisco officials say a federal grand jury is investigating the city's policy of offering sanctuary to illegal immigrants.
SACRAMENTO, 10:35 a.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Two men sentenced to prison for deadly street race: Two Sacramento street racers have been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading no contest to vehicular manslaughter chargers in the death of a 16-year-old pedestrian.
9:54 a.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
A look at the 9 men in the O.J. Simpson case: By The Associated Press Nine men, including O.J. Simpson, were in a cramped Palace Station casino hotel room during an armed robbery Sept. 13, 2007. Six were initially charged in the case. Four pleaded guilty to lesser crimes and testified for the prosecution, along with the two victims and the man who arranged the meeting. A look at the key players:
9:45 a.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Timeline of major events in the O.J. Simpson case: A timeline of major events in the O.J. Simpson armed robbery, kidnapping case: June 12, 1994 – O.J. Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman found dead in Los Angeles.
9:41 a.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
O.J. Simpson case charges, penalties: O.J. Simpson and co-defendant Clarence “C.J.” Stewart were tried on the following charges and faced these possible penalties in a Sept. 13, 2007, confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers at a Las Vegas hotel:
LOS ANGELES, 4:59 a.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Report: Nurses convicted of crimes remain licensed: California's nursing board failed to yank or restrict the licenses of dozens of nurses who have criminal convictions for years before it acted against them in a state that has the largest number of registered nurses in the nation, it was reported Saturday.
LOS ANGELES, 3:06 a.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
High level of flame-retardant chemical found in CA: Researchers have found that Californians have twice as much of flame-retardant chemicals in their blood and as much as 10 times more of them in their homes than anywhere in the country.
SANTA ANA, 1:46 a.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Arrest made in OC killing of man freed from prison: A man was arrested for allegedly killing Arthur Carmona who gained national attention when he was released from prison after being wrongfully convicted.
LAS VEGAS, Nev., 12:08 a.m. Oct. 4 (AP)
Sage grouse numbers down in Nevada: With 70,000 to 80,000 sage grouse scampering through thickets of high desert shrubs in Nevada, a casual observer might think the chicken-like bird is hardly a candidate for listing as a threatened or endangered species.
LOS ANGELES, 8:13 p.m. Oct. 3 (AP)Calif. reps' brother among 2 missing boaters: The brother of Congresswomen Loretta and Linda Sanchez and his girlfriend were missing Friday after their boat was apparently destroyed, possibly in a collision with a barge outside the nation's largest port complex.
SACRAMENTO, 12:39 p.m. Oct. 3 (AP)
Calif. leaders hope bailout loosens credit market: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and California's top finance officials reacted cautiously Friday to congressional approval of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout package.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, 1:49 p.m. Oct. 3 (AP)Annual kokanee salmon run under way at Lake Tahoe: One of Lake Tahoe's most popular nature shows of the year is off to a promising start. Thousands of kokanee salmon are swimming up Taylor Creek off the lake's south shore as part of their annual spawning ritual.
SAN DIEGO, 10:41 a.m. Oct. 3 (AP)
Navy retires mini-rescue sub featured in TV, film: The Navy has retired the last of its mini-rescue subs built after the 1963 sinking of a nuclear-powered submarine during deep water diving tests.
CYPRESS, 10:24 a.m. Oct. 3 (AP)
FBI arrests man for half-dozen bank heists: The FBI has arrested a man alleged to be a ballcap-wearing bank robber dubbed the “assistant coach bandit” – and he's a coach.
TEMECULA, 10:11 a.m. Oct. 3 (AP)
Border Patrol seizes more than $1M in cocaine: Border Patrol agents have found cocaine with a street value of more than $1 million concealed in a gas tank compartment of a Mercedes-Benz stopped at a Temecula immigration checkpoint.
SANTA ROSA, 6:02 a.m. Oct. 3 (AP)
Police seeking man in fatal stabbing of his mother: Police are looking for a 41-year-old man after his mother was found stabbed to death in her Santa Rosa condominium over the weekend.
PASO ROBLES, 5:16 a.m. Oct. 3 (AP)
2 dead in Nacimiento water pipeline accident: Two construction workers have died in a Paso Robles trench when an apparent water main rupture filled the hole and washed them into a pipeline them were installing.
FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, 5:05 a.m. Oct. 3 (AP)
Fire in Monterey County 20 percent contained: The nearly 1,500 firefighters on the lines of a wildfire near the Monterey County coast should be getting some help from Mother Nature.
NEWPORT BEACH, 2:00 a.m. Oct. 3 (AP)
Bail raised in case involving ex-sheriff's deputy: A judge has raised bail to $5 million for a former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy accused of sexually assaulting his wife and torturing her lover after she threatened to leave him.
SANTA ANA, 1:31 a.m. Oct. 3 (AP)
Man suspected of being part of SoCal drug ring: A Long Beach man has been arrested for allegedly being part of a ring that stole about 100,000 doses of the prescription pain drug OxyContin from about 30 pharmacies.
MARTINEZ, 1:28 a.m. Oct. 3 (AP)
Contra Costa prosecutor arrested in alleged rape: Martinez police say a veteran Contra Costa County prosecutor who handled sex crimes in court has been arrested on rape charges.
FRESNO, 12:04 a.m. Oct. 3 (AP)
Man sentenced in murder of Fresno girl: A Fresno County judge has sentenced a man to life in prison after prosecutors used DNA evidence to convict him of murdering a 15-year-old girl in 1974.
SACRAMENTO, Oct. 2 (UNION-TRIBUNE)California starts to feel crunch of tightening credit: The state of California has joined the ranks of retailers and new-car buyers struggling to borrow in the tight credit market. SACRAMENTO, Oct. 2
State pulls the plug on non-Indian bingo machines: Delivering a big victory for gaming tribes and the Catholic Church, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation that outlaws non-Indian bingo machines while authorizing high-stakes bingo for charities and nonprofits. LOS ANGELES, 10:36 p.m. Oct. 2 (AP)
Man wanted for teen's death found in Mexico: A man wanted for the shooting death of a high school student 17 years ago in Los Angeles has been arrested in Mexico. CALABASAS, 10:11 p.m. Oct. 2 (AP)
Ex-staffer at senior home suspected of assault: A former employee of an upscale senior home was arrested Thursday for allegedly assaulting a resident before his death. BOSTON, 9:35 p.m. Oct. 2 (AP)
Boston judge denies bail for Clark Rockefeller: A man who calls himself Clark Rockefeller thought it was so outrageous to be held on $50 million cash bail, he asked the court to reconsider. INDIO, 8:27 p.m. Oct. 2 (AP)
Man wanted for 1967 Ohio killing arrested in SoCal: Investigators in Riverside County have found a fugitive wanted for the 1967 murder of a 14-year-old high school freshman in Toledo, Ohio. BOISE, Idaho, 8:25 p.m. Oct. 2 (AP)
Tamarack CEO: Skiing to open, but season uncertain: Tamarack Resort's biggest owner plans to open skiing in December but won't commit to keeping the troubled central Idaho resort afloat through the end of the season without additional investors or a new buyer, according to federal bankruptcy court documents. LAS VEGAS, 8:15 p.m. Oct. 2 (AP)
Simpson jury hears closing arguments: It was a new O.J. Simpson trial in a different city, but a prosecutor insisted Thursday on raising ghosts of the past in his final rebuttal argument. The strategy brought vigorous defense objections and a mistrial motion that left the former football star shaking his head as he left the courtroom. LOS ANGELES, 6:57 p.m. Oct. 2 (AP)
2 Europeans indicted for launching cyberattacks: Two Europeans were indicted Thursday for allegedly launching Internet attacks to shut down two retail Web sites in the U.S. – an attack that prosecutors believe was ordered by the retailers' competitor.
Starting July 1, 2008, drivers in California must use a hands-free device while talking on a cell phone or risk getting a fine.
