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NEWS RELEASE: California Students Propel Nation’s First High-Speed Rail System to Award-Winning Year – California High Speed Rail

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NEWS RELEASE: California Students Propel Nation’s First High-Speed Rail System to Award-Winning Year – California High Speed Rail


February 14, 2024

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Students love high-speed rail! The California High-Speed Rail Authority took home a national honor this week for the award-winning student engagement I Will Ride program. The American Public Transit Association (APTA) recognized the program as 2023’s Best Comprehensive Marketing and Communications Educational Campaign for Workforce Development during its annual AdWheel Awards this week in New Orleans.

“California’s transit future will be built on the backbone of interregional connectivity that is the high-speed rail project. This system is for and by the next generation of mass transit riders, thousands of whom have heard directly from the Authority. I applaud I Will Ride’s work and this well-deserved AdWheel recognition.”

Paul P. Skoutelas, APTA President and CEO 

The annual AdWheel Awards recognize the exceptional marketing and communications efforts of APTA’s members across the country.

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I Will Ride is about connecting students to information and career opportunities,” said Authority Outreach and Student Engagement Specialist Yaqeline Castro. “With our outreach having steadily increased since the relaunch of the program in 2020, we look forward to continued engagement with the next generation of transportation professionals.”

Fast Facts about I Will Ride in 2023

  • Reached 4,479 students throughout California
  • Construction and Regional Alignment Tours
  • University Capstone Projects
  • Classroom and Club Presentations for elementary to university students
  • Outreach Tables
  • Networking Sessions
  • Webinars
  • Mentorship

Open above image for larger version.

In 2023, the program won the prestigious Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award from the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) Sacramento chapter.

See examples of I Will Ride at work at Fresno State’s first annual K-12 Railroad Model Competition and a recent construction tour with high school students from the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) summer program at San Jose State University. These are just two small peeks into the Authority’s award-winning efforts to bring their futures into sharper focus.

Meanwhile, the Authority has begun work to extend the 119 miles currently under construction to 171 miles of future electrified high-speed rail from Merced to Bakersfield.

There are more than 25 active construction sites in California’s Central Valley, with the Authority having also fully environmentally cleared 422 miles of the high-speed rail program from the Bay Area to Los Angeles County.

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The following link contains recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings: https://hsra.app.box.com/s/vyvjv9hckwl1dk603ju15u07fdfir2q8

These files are all available for free use, courtesy of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.



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Suspected Northern California library shooter charged with murder, faces life in prison

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Suspected Northern California library shooter charged with murder, faces life in prison


OROVILLE — Bradley Scott Sayer was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and discharge of firearm with injury during his arraignment Thursday at the Butte County Superior Court.

Sayer, 18, is the suspect in the Chico library shooting on Monday in which two men were killed, and he could face life in prison. If convicted, Sayer is facing the highest penalty for capital murder with special circumstances, which would be life in prison without the possibility of parole. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, who is the prosecutor of the case, said the court is not seeking the death penalty.

Sayer was not given bail, as Ramsey said the court felt Sayer was “too dangerous.” Ramsey also said Sayer is on suicide watch in at the Butte County Jail.

“We felt that it would be too dangerous to let him go at this juncture,” Ramsey said. “He planned a mass shooting, and there’s no reason to believe that if he was let go, that he wouldn’t continue to do that.”

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During a press conference Thursday, June 25, 2026 in Oroville, California, Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey addresses the series of events leading up to the shooting and honors the two people killed in a shooting at the Chico library on Monday. (Lexi Lynn/Enterprise-Record) 



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CA state senator physically, verbally harassed at pride parade for Israel stance | The Jerusalem Post

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CA state senator physically, verbally harassed at pride parade for Israel stance | The Jerusalem Post


California State Senator Scott Wiener was harassed for his stance on Gaza during the San Francisco Trans March on Friday, to the point where it was no longer safe for him to remain, Wiener said. 

A group of people were so “physically and verbally aggressive that it was impossible for me to safely remain in the park,” Wiener stated, adding that this was the first time he did not participate in the march.

Wiener was surrounded by people who made statements about his “Israeli handlers, among many other inaccurate, extreme, and vile statements,” Wiener said.

“We f***ing hate you. You stopped being queer the moment you started supporting Israel,” one person yelled in a video later shared on social media.

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Wiener stated that while he has no objection to anyone disagreeing, opposing, or protesting him, the “harassment, including cornering me, touching me, or trying to physically bully me out of a public event, that crosses a line.” 

“In San Francisco, we’re better than that,” he added.

Mayor Daniel Lurie made a statement on X/Twitter condemning the harassment, calling the language used “targeted, hateful, and antisemitic.”

In San Francisco, we welcome disagreement and respectful dialogue around issues many of us feel passionately about – but we cannot allow harassment and threats of violence,” Lurie wrote.

The California State Senate Democratic Caucus also released a statement on X, condemning the hate Wiener received. 

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“The harassment and violence shown from yesterday’s march in San Francisco towards Senator Scott Wiener is unacceptable and must be called out,” the statement read.

The caucus also pointed to Wiener’s work on legislation “advancing the rights and protections for Transgender, Gender Expansive and Intersex people.”

“The CA Senate Democratic Caucus and CA LGBTQ Caucus jointly denounce the verbal harassment and attacks he experienced,” the statement said.





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At least 117 dead dogs found in search at California animal rescue accused of abuse, officials said

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At least 117 dead dogs found in search at California animal rescue accused of abuse, officials said


California authorities unearthed at least 117 dogs in “various states of decomposition” on Friday, many of which appeared to have been killed by gunshot, as part of an ongoing investigation into an animal rescue organization.

The bodies were discovered during a search of Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, California, according to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. Officials had been granted a warrant that included excavation of the property for evidence that dogs had been buried in “mass graves.”

The 117 canine remains were those found mostly intact at two sites, the sheriff’s office said. Nearly two dozen skulls, “hundreds” of bones, and 600 dog collars were also recovered on the property.

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal thanked the law enforcement teams and forensic veterinarians who assisted in the recovery. In a statement, he noted that the investigation is “just getting started.”

“The determination all of these professionals showed while working through this horrific scene is something we will not forget,” Honsal said.

NBC News was not able to reach Shannon Miranda, the founder of Miranda’s Rescue, by phone on Sunday. She did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

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The sheriff’s office said in a news release last week that it had been contacted in April regarding allegations of fraud, animal abuse and animal cruelty at the rescue, and that the case had been assigned to the Major Crimes Division.

An initial search warrant was executed on May 1, at which time officials seized evidence related to the investigation. Investigators also determined that a “significant number” of animals surrendered to the rescue had not been accounted for.

Investigators search for animal remains while executing a second search warrant at Miranda's Rescue.
Investigators executing a second search warrant at Miranda’s Rescue, where 117 canine remains were found, in Fortuna, Calif. last week.Stephen Lam / San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

A second search warrant, executed Thursday, led to the recovery of the canine remains.

Forensic veterinarians were able to examine 71 of the bodies on-site Thursday but did not have time to reach the remaining 46. A preliminary examination — including X-rays of the remains — found that “many of those animals showed evidence of bullet fragments.”

Investigators are working to identify dogs that were microchipped.

Other remains were found “in advanced stages of decomposition” and were deemed too severely deteriorated to be removed from their burial site, the sheriff’s office said.

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This investigation is expected to be lengthy, the sheriff’s office cautioned in a statement to the public.

“The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office understands the public’s desire for accountability and justice,” it said. “However, it is our responsibility to conduct a complete, impartial, and legally sound investigation while ensuring that the constitutional and legal rights of everyone involved are protected throughout the process.”

No charges were announced.

Miranda was not available for comment, but posted a statement on June 18 addressing “recent media coverage and online commentary,” on the rescue’s website. The statement described two incidents that had “drawn particular attention” both involving animals that were killed at the facility.

The first involved a dog that killed another animal and attacked a third; the second involved a dog that lunged at a stroller carrying a baby, according to the statement.

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“These were not decisions made lightly and were based on my responsibility to protect both the public and the animals in our care,” Miranda wrote.

The statement also described Miranda’s Rescue is a no-kill shelter, meaning animals are not euthanized simply to free up space, but acknowledged euthanasia is sometimes necessary.

“Whenever euthanasia has been necessary, I have notified local authorities in advance, even when told that reporting is not required,” Miranda wrote. “I believe it is important to maintain a clear record of these difficult decisions.”



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