The A’s came into Seattle on Monday evening and used some late-game offense to take the first of this three-game set. Back in the win column, and back atop the AL West with sole possession of the division lead.
West
Registered sex offender’s city council bid sparks fury as officials explore blocking his path
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A registered sex offender convicted in a child sex abuse material case is seeking elected office in California — launching a campaign for Fresno City Council amid fierce backlash and renewed questions about whether someone with his record should hold public office.
Rene Campos, a Fresno native required to register as a sex offender, has announced plans to run for the District 7 seat on the Fresno City Council.
Campos was charged in 2018 with possession of child sex abuse material, according to court records. He has said he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge and is now a registered sex offender.
His opponent, Nav Gurm, says the campaign has transformed what should be a local race focused on infrastructure and public safety into a national controversy.
Rene Campos in a 2018 booking photo related to a child sex abuse material possession case. Campos, now a registered sex offender, has launched a campaign for Fresno City Council. (State of California Department of Justice)
“His candidacy is a slap in the face to families and children in Fresno,” Gurm told Fox News Digital. “They deserve a councilmember who can show up at their schools and in their neighborhoods without restriction.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Campos defended his candidacy, arguing he has met all legal requirements.
“I satisfied every legal obligation imposed under the laws this state enacted for accountability and rehabilitation,” Campos said.
CONVICTED KILLER KEPT IN POLICE OVERSIGHT ROLE AS CITY COUNCIL DISMISSES CONCERNS OVER PUBLIC SAFETY
The entrance to Fresno City Hall in Fresno, California. The District 7 City Council seat is up for election amid controversy surrounding a registered sex offender candidate. (James Ward, Visalia Times-Delta via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
“If those same laws can be set aside when politically inconvenient, then we are not debating one candidacy — we are testing whether the rule of law is stable or selective. Democracy depends on consistent standards. When eligibility shifts under pressure, public confidence weakens. Voters decide elections — not political preference.”
Under California law, registered sex offenders are not automatically barred from seeking or holding local office as long as they meet voter registration and residency requirements.
But Gurm argues that legality does not equate to fitness for office.
CHILD PREDATOR DUBBED ‘MONSTER PARENTS FEAR MOST’ CLEARED FOR RELEASE THROUGH CALIFORNIA PAROLE PROGRAM
“While it may not be a legal disqualification, it’s a disqualification in practice,” he said. “If you can’t fully participate in school events, youth gatherings and community activities, you can’t fully do the job.”
Gurm is urging state lawmakers to amend eligibility standards.
“I urge the Fresno City Council and the California State Legislature to push forward legislation making lifetime sex offender registration an explicit disqualification for holding public office,” he said.
NEW JERSEY POLICE SERGEANT, FORMER DEM MAYOR ALLEGEDLY DRUGGED, SEXUALLY ASSAULTED CHILD HE MET ONLINE
Nav Gurm, a candidate for Fresno City Council District 7, has called on his opponent to withdraw from the race amid controversy. (Nav Gurm for Fresno City Council Campaign Team)
The backlash has extended beyond campaign opponents.
Fresno City Council President Mike Karbassi said he believes voters will reject Campos and suggested he would oppose him taking office if elected.
“When it comes to the safety and welfare of our children, your past matters,” Karbassi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “So long as I am Council President, I will not permit him to be seated on the Fresno City Council.”
VICTIM FEARS FOR OTHERS AFTER CALIFORNIA PAROLE BOARD APPROVES RELEASE OF CONVICTED CHILD PREDATOR
It remains unclear what legal authority, if any, the council president would have to prevent an elected candidate from assuming office.
Outgoing Councilman Nelson Esparza, who currently represents District 7 and is termed out, also criticized the campaign.
“Regardless of any rehabilitation, he needs to find a different line of work,” Esparza told Fox News Digital. “So much of what I do in this district is for and with respect to our children and youth. I don’t see any reasonable way someone with registered sex offender status could effectively do this job.”
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Esparza noted that councilmembers regularly participate in school initiatives and that children frequently visit City Hall for tours and meetings. He said councilmembers are examining possible municipal policy changes and urging legislative action at the state level.
The District 7 seat will open when Esparza’s term expires. Candidates face a filing deadline in early March, and the primary election is scheduled for June.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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Santa Rosa prepares for next big earthquake
The Great 1906 earthquake devastated the Bay Area, destroying much of San Francisco and killing more than 3,000 people. The city marked the quakes 120th anniversary this weekend, but whats not as widely recognized is the damage to surrounding comunities like Santa Rosa.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. – While the Great 1906 Earthquake was a centerpiece of news around the world when its massive damage and fire destroyed much of San Francisco and took 3,000 lives, another far smaller, far less famous town, suffered massive damage almost forgotten by history.
Nearly forgotten
On this day 120 years ago, stunned people were digging for survivors two nights after the quake. Like a demon in the night, the Great 1906 Earthquake also came to Santa Rosa also bent on mass death and destruction.
Eric Stanley is the history curator and deputy director of the Museum of Sonoma County in Santa Rosa that supplied these pictures. “Santa Rosa, in particular, was devastated by the 1906 earthquake,” he said.
Survivors were shaken awake as whole buildings collapsed around them or on them. “A good portion, a really significant portion, of downtown Santa Rosa was completely destroyed,” said Stanley.
Many never woke up; crushed to death in their sleep. There were over a hundred people killed in the 1906 earthquake in Santa Rosa that only had 7,000 people in it at the time,” said the curator.
Active fault line
Sixty-three years later, in 1969, a time of budding, but far better science-based building codes, a double shaker nonetheless did significant damage and killed one person. “Even understanding all those things, you kind of at the earlier stage of that in the sixties,” said Stanley.
Today, four of Santa Rosa’s School buildings lie near or on the Rodgers Creek Earthquake Fault, capable of up to a 7.3 magnitude rupture. One is already closed with another due to close at the end of the school year for budgetary reasons.
That leaves two elementary schools, Hidden Valley, alongside the fault and Proctor, on the fault. The school board says both are seismically sound and safe to continue operating. “The two that are remaining open are both the ones that have the potential and the ability to grow because the entire site is not impacted by the fault line,” said Nick Caston, Santa Rosa City School Board president.
Staying prepared
In other words, things can and will eventually be moved around.
“What we’re gonna end up having to do is redesign the campus over the next several decades to have our fields and our parking in the front, which are totally acceptable to be over a fault line and actually move our academic builds and our student-serving buildings to the back,” said Caston.
Ultimately, the pictures and relics museums hold from natural disasters are given to those who come, a lesson and a warning. “Real people went through these experiences and we really do have to be aware of that and do our very best to prepare for those kinds of things,” said Stanley.
The 1933 Field Act requires earthquake-safe construction of schools, with evolving seismic codes as we learn more.
Ginn struggles early, settles in
On the mound tonight starting for the A’s was right-hander J.T. Ginn. He came into tonight on a mini roll, having put up two quality outings since getting inserted into the starting rotation.
Facing the Mariners for the very first time, Seattle greeted Ginn with two runs in the first, a solo homer off the bat of Cal Raleigh and an RBI double from first baseman Josh Naylor. They’d get Ginn for one more run in the second as well off another homer, this one coming courtesy of Dominic Canzone.
Those early-game struggles weren’t great, but Ginn was sent out for the third and finally had a shutdown inning, collecting three strikeouts in the third. The 26-year-old would go on to pitch all the way into the sixth without allowing another run and leaving with one out in the inning. He ended his night on a high note as well, getting Randy Arozarena to strike out swinging for his sixth K of the night.
- J.T. Ginn: 5 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 2 HR, 92 pitches
Well it was a little dicey in the first two frames but Ginn did good to buckle himself down and provide his team with some extra innings. Mark Kotsay made a good call letting Ginn work his way back into this one, and his offense would pick him up later tonight.
Offense struggles early, comes on strong late
On the other side of the ball, the A’s lineup was facing M’s righty Emerson Hancock. For the first few innings the A’s did have much of an answer for the former top prospect, collecting just a pair of singles the first time through the order.
The second time through the order the A’s batters were able to start getting a better read on Hancock. Leading off the top of the fourth, tonight’s DH Carlos Cortes connected on a fastball high and in and drove it over the wall in right field to get the A’s on the board for the first time tonight:
That was #2 on the year for Cortes, who came through with a massive night while hitting in the #3 spot of the order. Mark Kotsay was right again tonight about batting him in such a big spot in the lineup.
The A’s were starting to make better contact but it took a couple more innings for the big ones to come. Now into the sixth and with the top of the lineup at the plate this was about as good an opportunity as the team could hope for. Well first baseman Nick Kurtz strode to the plate and connected on a fastball right down the middle for another solo shot to cut the lead to one:
The A’s didn’t have to wait long for that next run either. Shea Langeliers came up right behind Kurtz and blasted his own solo shot, swatting another hanging fastball down the pipe and depositing it over the wall in center:
Tie game. That was his 7th of the year. The A’s had Hancock’s number and the Mariners knew it. That third homer of the night chased Hancock from this contest. The Athletics kept up the pressure against the bullpen, loading the bases that very same frame but weren’t able to cash in and take the lead. And with Ginn soon departing as well, it was going to be down to the bullpens to determine who would win tonight.
Left-hander Hogan Harris relieved Ginn in the sixth and not only finished the frame but handled the seventh as well. It was a perfect outing for Harris; no hits, no walks, plus a pair of punchouts to boot. Tonight was his team-leading 13th appearance and he’s been everything the A’s could have hoped for in the early going.
Now into the eighth, the A’s finally broke through in a big way. A double, single, and walk loaded the bases with no outs and the team was cooking. Third baseman Max Muncy made sure to drive in at least one with a productive sac fly that gave the A’s their first lead of the night.
After that it was Lawrence Butler’s turn at the plate and he came through with the biggest hit of the game, a two-run single to push the A’s lead to three runs:
Now with a lead and some extra breathing room A’s fans could relax and enjoy the rest of the game. Or so we thought. The Mariners did not go down quietly in this one. Mark Leiter Jr. took over for the eighth and gave up a pair of hits with both reaching scoring position and just one out. He managed to pull a Houdini with a massive strikeout of Arozarena and a flyout to end the threat, but that was a close one.
Then it was Joel Kuhnel on for the ninth for his fourth save opportunity. The right-hander, who did not start the season with the big league club, got the first out but then a single and RBI double cut into the lead and woke us all back up. Now with the tying run at the plate Kuhnel needed to be nails. And he was, getting J.P. Crawford to pop out and Raleigh to fly out to end the game.
A’s win! A solid performance all around. The bats took some time to get going but they came through in a big way late. Three homers. Four players getting multiple hits. Carlos Cortes going 4-for-4. Then Ginn had some early struggles but did a good job of not letting it snowball and get out of hand. He really saved the bullpen by being able to pitch into the sixth. Speaking of the ‘pen, the three arms combined pitched nearly four innings, and while it got a little dicey at times they bent but didn’t break. Kuhnel is now 4-for-4 in save opportunities which leads the team. Do we finally have our closer? And who would have seen this coming?
We’re back in first place and we’ll have an opportunity to add to that lead tomorrow evening when these teams meet back up for the second game of the series. For the A’s they’ll send left-hander Jacob Lopez to the bump. It hasn’t been a smooth start to the season for the lefty and he’ll need to show more than he has up to this point if he wants to keep ahold of his spot in the rotation. Walks especially have been a major problem for him so far as he has 17 in 18 innings of work. Overall he’ll bring a 6.38 ERA into tomorrow’s contest.
As for Seattle, they’ll have veteran Luis Castillo getting the ball for them for the middle game. The 33-year-old right-hander has had a so-so start to his year. He had a disaster performance a couple starts ago, when he got shelled for seven runs. Before that he pitched six shutout innings in his first appearance, 3 2/3 with three runs allowed in his second, the blowup game, and most recently he tossed 5 1/3 with just one run allowed against the Padres. Hard to know which version of Castillo will show up tomorrow but the A’s will be ready. In his career against the Athletics he has a nice 3.02 ERA in nine starts, so we’ll be hoping to boost that number a bit tomorrow night.
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