cali ornia

Californians look for the exit

Mike Reilly spent his lifetime chasing the California dream. This year he’s going to look for it in Colorado. With a house purchase near Denver in the works, the 38-year-old engineering contractor plans to move his family 1,200 miles away from his home state’s lemon groves, sunshine and beaches. For him, years of rising taxes, dead-end schools, unchecked illegal immigration and clogged traffic have robbed the Golden State of its allure.

By By Michael R. Blood, The Associated Press , January 13, 2009

Landslide buries highway

January 06, 2009

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Man dressed as Santa kills at least 6 in Calif.

Stinging from an acrimonious divorce, a man plotting revenge against his ex-wife dressed up like Santa, went to his former in-laws’ Christmas Eve party and slaughtered at least six people before killing himself hours later.

December 26, 2008

Schwarzenegger, Dems seek budget compromise

With Republicans on the sidelines, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic leaders met Tuesday to fashion a midyear fix for California’s swelling budget deficit.

December 24, 2008

Freshmen lead Trojans past Bison 61-57

Freshman DeMar DeRozan made the go-ahead basket to cap a career-high 18-point performance, and Southern California rallied to beat stubborn North Dakota State 61-57 Saturday.

December 22, 2008

Police: Man stole decorative items

A suspicious surplus of Christmas spirit led to the arrest of a man in Southern California.

December 17, 2008

Family moves from a beach to a bean field

The Threadgolds traded a home near the beach in Southern California to one atop a soybean field near a tiny central North Dakota town. The mayor describes the town of Goodrich as dumpy. The Threadgolds view it as near-paradise.

By By James MacPherson, The Associated Press , November 24, 2008

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California wildfires take more homes

They waited for fire to come. They waited to return home. They waited just to see the ruins of their lives. Despite improving conditions on the lines of several large wildfires, Southern Californians were forced into an agonizing waiting game Sunday as flames continued to flare in wildlands near communities, leaving residents to ask themselves: Should I stay or should I go?

By By Justin Pritchard, The Associated Press , November 17, 2008

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Rallies in Fargo, GF protest California ban

Gay rights supporters in the first state to allow same-sex couples to exchange wedding vows gathered Saturday to protest the California vote that banned gay marriage there and to urge supporters not to quit the fight for the right to wed.

By By Jay Lindsay, The Associated Press , November 17, 2008

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Wind fuels Calif. wildfires

Firefighters were holding their own Friday against a wildfire that destroyed more than 100 homes in a wealthy, celebrity-studded en-clave, but authorities warned that evening wind gusts could send the blaze on another destructive sprint. Much of the damage to homes and a small Christian college occurred Thursday night, but several more homes burned Friday in Montecito, a quaint and secluded area that has attracted celebrities such as Rob Lowe, Jeff Bridges, Michael Douglas and Oprah Winfrey.

November 15, 2008

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Warrant issued for former Bismarck doctor

A warrant was issued for a former Bismarck doctor convicted of terrorizing when he didn’t show up for his sentencing. Emilio Cruz faxed a letter to the judge Friday, saying he was in the process of moving to California and was stuck in Las Vegas because his flight had been canceled due to the snowstorm in Bismarck.

November 10, 2008

Calif. gay-marriage ban creates legal uncertainty

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets Thursday over California’s new ban on gay marriage, amid deepening political turmoil and legal confusion over who should have the right to wed. Legal experts said it is unclear whether an attempt by gay-rights activists to overturn the prohibition has any chance of success, and whether the 18,000 same-sex marriages performed in California over the past four months are in any danger.

November 07, 2008

Ferocious winds cause wildfire to double in size

Ferocious desert winds pushed one of three major wildfires burning across Southern California to nearly double its size overnight, firefighters said Tuesday, the third day of the blazes that have destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands to flee. One person was killed by the flames; another died in a car crash as a blaze neared the freeway.

October 15, 2008

Police say Calif. fugitive arrested

Grand Forks police say they’ve arrested a man wanted in California on sex abuse charges. Authorities say 33-year-old Anthony Brian Foster is charged with eight felonies, including aggravated sexual assault of a child and ongoing sexual abuse of a child.

October 15, 2008

California wildfires kill 2

Two huge wildfires driven by strong Santa Ana winds burned into neighborhoods near Los Angeles on Monday, forcing frantic evacuations on smokeand traffic-choked highways, destroying homes and causing at least two deaths.

By Shaya Tayefe Mohajer , October 14, 2008