A teacher at Parkway Heights Middle School in South San Francisco was arrested Thursday on charges of lewd acts with minors after police investigated “inappropriate behavior” with students.

Ahmad Rafah, an eighth-grade teacher at Parkway Heights Middle School, was arrested by police at his home Thursday and booked in San Mateo County jail. Rafah faces 12 counts of committing lewd and lascivious acts with minors, according to a South San Francisco Police Department news release.

Police said they began investigating Rafah after receiving information of inappropriate interactions with students. The San Francisco Unified School District had placed him on administrative leave.

Lewd acts with minors are defined as acts “arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child,” according to the California penal code.

Parents and educators got to bring their concerns directly to San Francisco school, fire and police leaders on Wednesday following two recent fires at an elementary school.

Two recent fires happened Lafayette Elementary School in San Francisco’s Richmond neighborhood.

The most recent fire happened at a playground late Sunday night and two weeks ago, someone set Lafayette PTA’s storage shed ablaze and destroyed everything.

“Two separate incidents so that’s really scary,” said San Francisco parent Cameron Archer. “I think we’re all concerned. I’m definitely concerned something worse could happen.”

The San Francisco Fire Department is calling both investigations arson.

Parents and educators voiced their concerns to fire and district leaders during a meeting at Lafayette Elementary School auditorium Wednesday night.

San Francisco police said they are gathering evidence for who would leave the playground in ashes.They are also looking at footage from the school and neighborhood and promising more patrols in the area day and night.

Gia Vang has more in the video above.

The burger game in Portland is getting another fighter in the ring. PLS on Sixth is opening inside the Hotel Zags, taking over Dave Machado’s former Nel Centro space. This is the second PLS restaurant, technically; the first opened in August 2023 inside San Francisco’s Hotel Zeppelin, near the city’s tourist-friendly Union Square. Like the first restaurant, the main attraction here are smash burgers and “crazy” shakes,

More than just food, the restaurant offers beer, nonalcoholic drinks, and cocktails. The outdoor patio has been revamped, too, with firepits, games including cornhole and tic-tac-toe, and activities for kids such as a playhouse and sandbox. In a press release, representatives said weekend DJ events and happy hours are on deck, too, making this addition to the Cultural District more than just a hotel restaurant. The restaurant’s grand opening launch party is on Thursday, May 22 starting at 4 p.m.

Taquito food cart/prodigal son returns

On Tuesday, May 20, Carlos Mendoza and Anthony La Pietra will bring buzzy food cart Tito’s Taquitos back to Multnomah Village as a full-fledged restaurant. Oregon Live reports the two will open in the former Little Big Burger at 7705 S.W. Capitol Highway, just a mile or so from the original food cart’s location. This third location will have a full liquor license; this news comes after La Pietra turned the original Tito’s into chicken wing and burrito cart, Alita’s, meaning no more food carts and just physical spaces for Tito’s.

Italian deli and bar on East Burnside Street

Five years into pizza dominance Dimo’s Apizza is taking over its next-door space. Dimo’s Italian Specialties is under construction with owner Doug Miriello telling Oregon Live this new space will serve as deli market, bar, and Fridays through Sundays a “refined white tablecloth supper club.” The planned opening is set for June.

NE Fremont Street cocktail bar opens for breakfast

With an elephant mascot in tow, Hi-Top Tavern is serving coffee and pastries at 7 a.m. seven days a week. Bridgetown Bites spoke to Ezra Caraeff, one of the owners, about the new offerings. That looks like hometown hero Coava Coffee on bar, Flour Market pastries, breakfast tacos, and lunch offerings.