Modesto city workers sold jewelry found in sewers

Finders keepers?

Modesto city officials are trying to determine if a crime was committed when city workers sold jewelry they found in city sewers.

The sales came to light after routine checks of jewelry purchased by gold and coin dealers, Fox 40 in Sacramento reported.

Employees at Modesto Gold, Jewelry and Coin said workers wearing city uniforms routinely sold the tarnished and eroded jewelry to them as scrap. Police said the jewelry was worth as much as $2,500.

But who does the jewelry belong to? Police are trying to determine if a crime was committed. The city manager’s office is also reviewing its policy.

Normally, when city employees find something of value, an effort is made to return it to the owner, the TV station reported. But the jewelry, mostly rings, was in such bad shape from chemicals in the sewer system that identifying the items was virtually impossible.

One city resident says the nasty job deserves some perks.

“If I had a job like that I’d like to be able to keep what I found,” said Jeff Hanawalt.

Claude Sutherland, the owner of the store, said he believed no crime was committed.

"I don’t think they did anything wrong," he said.

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Coroner: 2 killed in Marysville racetrack crash died of trauma

A teenager and man killed in a crash at Marysville Raceway Park in Northern California died of blunt force trauma, coroner's officials said.

Marcus Johnson, 14, and Dale Wondergem Jr., 68, were killed Saturday night when a winged sprint car doing warm-up laps went into the pit area where they were standing.

Yuba County coroner's officials said Johnson died of trauma to the head, chest and abdomen, Fox40 in Sacramento reported. Wondergem died from trauma to the head and chest.

Wondergem died at the scene. Johnson was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Johnson was a cousin of the driver, Chase Johnson, who was not hurt.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing. The Yuba County Sheriff's Department told the Associated Press it was looking into whether the car's detachable steering wheel may have been faulty, potentially causing the driver to lose control.

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Tagger falls to death from freeway overpass in Sacramento

A known tagger who fell to his death at a freeway construction site in Sacramento may have been spray-painting graffiti on a bridge near where his body was found, police said.

A roadside memorial stands where the body of 23-year-old Andrey Petkov was found. He was believed to have fallen Friday night or early Saturday morning. The memorial includes cans of spray paint, flowers, crosses and candles.

Friends say Petkov fell from a freeway overpass 30 to 40 feet above the roadway. There was evidence of recent graffiti activity on the bridge near where his body was found, police told Fox40 in Sacramento.

Petkov was one of four people arrested by Roseville police when the notorious Sacramento Graffiti Killers crew was arrested in 2009, following an undercover operation.

Bill could extend last call for alcohol to 4 a.m. in some cities

Last call could come a little later in some California cities if one bill becomes law.

State Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) has introduced legislation that could extend the last call for alcohol in some California cities until 4 a.m., saying doing so could boost the state's economy by drawing in tourists.

The state's major cities, Leno contends, are at a disadvantage competing with Las Vegas, New York and Miami for tourists who want a lively nightclub scene because of a California law that cuts off alcohol sales at 2 a.m.

"This legislation would allow destination cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego to start local conversations about the possibility of expanding night life and the benefits it could provide the community by boosting jobs, tourism and local tax revenue,'' Leno said.

Currently, the state allows the sale of alcohol from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. for bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Leno's bill would let cities get permission from the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to allow their nightspots to extend their hours for serving alcohol.

Cause of raceway crash that killed boy and man is still a mystery

The California Highway Patrol and local authorities are trying to determine exactly what caused a crash at Marysville Raceway Park in Northern California on Saturday night that killed a boy and a man.

Authorities said they hope to have the results of autopsies completed in the next few days. Both were killed in the pit area while cars were doing a practice run before the main race.

Marcus Johnson, 14, and Dale Wondergem Jr., 68, were walking in the pits as part of a driver’s pit crew when a winged sprint car crashed into them. Johnson was a cousin of the car's driver, Chase Johnson, who was not hurt, according to the Associated Press.

"Both Johnson and Wondergem were connected to race teams and had a legitimate reason to be in the pit area," Yuba County Undersheriff Jerry Read told the Sacramento Bee.

The Johnson family issued a statement Sunday. “Our family has suffered an unspeakable tragedy with the passing of our precious Marcus Johnson and Dale Wondergem. There are no words to express our sorrow," Don Johnson, Marcus' uncle, said in the statement. "Our family has been racing for four generations and loves the sport that has now brought us so much pain."

Death of boy, man at California raceway 'unspeakable tragedy'

The family of a boy killed during a crash at Marysville Raceway Park in Northern California on Saturday night described the accident as an "unspeakable tragedy" and thanks the public for its support.

Marcus Johnson, 14, and Dale Wondergem Jr., 68, were walking in the pits as part of a driver’s pit crew when a winged sprint car crashed into them. Johnson was the cousin of the car's driver, Chase Johnson, who was not hurt, according to the Associated Press.

“Our family has suffered an unspeakable tragedy with the passing of our precious Marcus Johnson and Dale Wondergem. There are no words to express our sorrow," Don Johnson, Marcus Johnson's uncle, said in a statement released Sunday. "Our family has been racing for four generations and loves the sport that has now brought us so much pain."

The California Highway Patrol and local authorities are investigating.

At the time of the crash, the cars were doing their warm-up laps, according to Fox 40.

Wondergem was the owner of a few cars in the race.

The crowd went quiet after the accident. “Silent. Eerily silent. There was a focused effort to try and resuscitate those two individuals,” Steven Blakesley, a race announcer, said about the scene as it unfolded.

Wondergem died at the scene. Johnson was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

It was not immediately clear why the car lost control, but investigators are looking into whether mechanical problems were a factor. 

“Our thoughts and deepest prayers go out to everyone. Out of respect, we will not elaborate on details. We ask everyone to respect each other and the families,” raceway officials said in a news release.

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Photo: The scene at the racetrack after the crash. Credit: Fox 40

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Man, boy killed in Northern California raceway crash identified

Authorities identified the two people killed in a crash at the Marysville Raceway Park in Northern California on Saturday night.

The victims -- Dale Wondergem Jr., 68, and Marcus Johnson, 14, were walking in the pits as part of a driver’s pit crew when the winged sprint car crashed into them. Johnson was the cousin of the car's driver, Chase Johnson, who was not hurt, according to the Associated Press.

The California Highway Patrol and local authorities were investigating.

At the time of the crash, the cars were doing their warm-up laps, according to Fox 40.

Wondergem was the owner of a few cars in the race.

The crowd went quiet after the accident.“Silent. Eerily silent. There was a focused effort to try and resuscitate those two individuals,” Steven Blakesley, a race announcer, said about the scene as it unfolded.

Accident at Marysville racetrack leaves 2 dead

Two spectators died after a car veered off a racetrack during warm-up laps in Marysville on Saturday evening, according to reports.

The accident happened shortly after 6 p.m. at the Marysville Raceway Park, about 40 miles north of Sacramento. A car at the track lost control and struck the two people, according to reports from media and witnesses. 

One of the victims died at the scene, and the other was later pronounced dead at a hospital, according to those reports.

Management for the track and the Yuba County Sheriff's Department could not be reached late Saturday.

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City College of S.F. strives to retain accreditation

City College of San Francisco -- the largest community college in the state and possibly the nation -- faces a deadline Friday to prove that it should retain its accreditation.

A scathing report in June by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges found that the school, which serves about 80,000 students and has been heralded by supporters for its commitment to access and affordability, was riddled with problems. Among them: paltry financial reserves, a dearth of leadership, a slow-moving style of democratic governance and a lack of defined learning outcomes that can be tracked to determine meaningful success.

Leaders of the 78-year-old college and a special trustee charged with guiding reforms have been pressing hard for change ever since. While they concede they have not solved all the problems the commission had asked them to by Friday's deadline, they are hopeful that enough progress has been made to avoid closure.

The reforms have caused a rift on campus, with many students and faculty protesting proposed reductions of teacher ranks and salary cuts as contrary to the school's values. In a spirited protest to City Hall on Thursday, they derided the commission and other outsiders pressing reforms as "carpetbaggers." But college leaders counter that the school's values won't be worth much if it is forced to close. The accreditation commission is expected to determine its fate in June.

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Renaming SFO after Harvey Milk might be less pricey than thought

The effort to rename San Francisco International Airport after slain civil rights hero Harvey Milk got a little wind under its wings this week, when the city's legislative analyst reported that the cost would be just a fraction of earlier estimates.

After Supervisor David Campos announced that he wanted to name SFO in honor of Milk, airport officials said the price tag would be around $4.1 million, including the cost of changing freeway signs leading up to the busy hub.

Campos had long disagreed with the airport's figures, arguing that they were too high. According to SFGate.com,  the new analyst report said the name change cost "could end up being as little as $355,000 if only the signature name sign on the International Terminal is changed."

As SFGate reported:

“This shows that the numbers put out by the airport are definitely exaggerated,” Campos said. “It’s disappointing that the airport estimated the cost without actually calling Caltrans.”

Airport spokesman Doug Yakel said the airport did not have a comment on the report until officials had a chance to review it.

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Photo: Supporters hold signs with the image of slain San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk during a rally at San Francisco City Hall. Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images