'This is rape:' Judge sentences Dublin prison chaplain to 7 years for sex abuses
A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced a former Dublin prison chaplain to seven years behind bars, calling his crimes "unspeakable" and dismissing his defense team's pleas to be lenient because he suffered PTSD as an Army veteran who suffered from "impulse control."
Women say Dublin prison chaplain used Bible, God to manipulate them to have sex
Six women detail how former Dublin prison chaplain James Highhouse offered his office as a sex den and used Bible stories to manipulate them into having sex.
Dublin prison chaplain used faith and fear to abuse inmates
Highhouse, an Army veteran, pressured one inmate into having intercourse with him on Veterans Day by telling her she needed to serve her country and on Thanksgiving by telling her she needed to show her gratitude for him, prosecutors said.
Power bills sent to McKinney fire victims who lost their homes
McKinney fire victims in Siskiyou County say they are receiving utility bills from Pacific Power and expected to pay them back in full, despite losing everything.
Dublin prison correctional officer under investigation dies by suicide
A correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institute at Dublin who was under investigation has died by suicide, the Solano County Coroner's Office said.
San Leandro liquor store feels targeted after recent strong-arm robberies
A San Leandro store worker said she was robbed twice since May and thinks it's the same suspects. Both robberies were caught on camera.
California woman becomes pastor after sex assault at Dublin prison 30 years ago
Valerie Mercadel was sexually abused at the federal prison in Dublin 30 years ago. She became a pastor to help her deal with that trauma. But nothing has erased those dark memories.
Dublin prison guard says she was forced out for reporting abuse
Tess Korth worked as a federal correctional officer at Dublin's prison for 25 years, in which she reported the abuse of women. Then, she got a letter telling her she was re-assigned to another state. She told them to shove it.
Scammers target PG&E customers over SmartMeters, threatening disconnection
PG&E said it has received dozens of reports of the emerging SmartMeter scam, aimed at robbing customers of hundreds, even thousands of dollars.
Water tests show what's causing the Oakland Estuary to be muddy brown and slimy green
The murky and muddy mystery about what's in the Oakland Estuary water has been solved. Tests show harmful algae blooms or "red tides" are present in the estuary, as well as the Bay side of Alameda, and in Lake Merritt.
Brown water in Oakland Estuary undergoing testing
Scientists are testing the brown, murky water in the Oakland Estuary to determine if there's something harmful in it, following complaints and health fears.
Murky, muddy mystery in Oakland Estuary water
Neighbors describe seeing unusually brown or rust-colored water in the Oakland estuary for days, despite the changing tides.
Unsolved San Francisco homicide gets renewed attention as reward grows to $75K
Six years have passed since someone shot and killed 24-year-old Mitchell Warren while he was walking a friend home in San Francisco. Police and his parents were out in the Tenderloin District bringing renewed attention to this unsolved homicide in hopes of finding new clues.
Oakland clearing out homeless encampment after fire despite opposition from residents
Wood Street in West Oakland is an area that has a number of homeless encampments. The city has started to remove some makeshift homes as part of a larger plan to turn it into an intervention site to help the homeless in the area. It comes one day after a large fire at one encampment.
Judge orders California to stop denying rent relief applications
A judge has ruled the California Department of Housing and Community Development must stop denying applications for COVID-19 rent relief money, amid a lawsuit filed by tenants’ advocates, who argue the state has unfairly withheld money from low-income renters.
1 in 3 applications denied California rent relief money, thousands still waiting
More than 85,000 renter households are waiting for their applications to be reviewed in California's emergency rental assistance program and close to 158,000 have been denied, according to an analysis of state data. It comes days before eviction protections are set to expire.
Unsolved Jane Doe murder case reopened using rootless hair DNA
In 1985, a woman was found shot and killed in a field in Newark. To this day, no one knows who she is. Rootless hair DNA and drawings developed from pictures of her skull may provide the leads to help crack the case and ultimately find the killer.
Woman who reported Dublin prison sexual abuse claims she was target of retaliation
Cherie Dillon is speaking out about her experience at the federal prison in Dublin, revealing that when she reported the sexual abuse of a peer, both women were retaliated against with extra time and solitary confinement.
