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New San Francisco DA initiative offers beacon of hope for struggling youth

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New San Francisco DA initiative offers beacon of hope for struggling youth


SAN FRANCISCO — Helping San Francisco youth before they set off on the wrong path is the aim of a new initiative being launched by the district attorney’s office.

Bianca Vasquez, a 22-year-old intern at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, is among the many young individuals benefiting from youth programs in San Francisco.

“It’s great because it’s giving youth, especially starting at the age of 16, a chance to avoid gangs and stay off the streets,” Vasquez said. “A lot of teens start to rebel at that age. These programs help them avoid that path.”

Bianca’s journey wasn’t easy. Personal issues forced her to drop out of college, but she found guidance and support through these programs.

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“It’s about getting out of that cycle of drugs, violence, and gangs,” she explained. “I think of my own family members who took the hard way out, and my friends who are now running the streets. I’m like, ‘You’re my age, what are you doing?”

Martina Ayala, the executive director of the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, emphasizes the importance of partnerships like the one with Bay Area Community Resources, which helped Bianca.

“For us to be able to have paid interns through programs that have been funded to provide youth with opportunities, it’s a wonderful thing,” Ayala said.

Bianca’s story is not unique. Many young people in the Bay Area need similar help. This need is why San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced a significant initiative on Wednesday.

“We’ve called it the Access to Hope Initiative because many people end up in the criminal justice system because they are hopeless,” Jenkins said. “The goal is to create opportunities for engagement and career exploration for our youth and young adults so that they can feel that they have a chance to ascend above their current circumstances.”

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The Access to Hope Initiative is now accepting applications. Young people between the ages of 14 and 24 can visit the initiative’s website to take advantage of opportunities like shadow days at the DA’s office and fellowships, which are particularly appreciated by Bianca.

The initiative comes at a critical time, as the number of victims of crime under the age of 18 served by the Victim Services Division has significantly increased in the past year.

“We’ve seen more and more young victims,” Jenkins noted. “With the drug crisis and other challenges, they’ve been exposed to situations that could negatively influence their lives, like drug use and having incarcerated or deceased parents.”

As part of the initiative, the DA’s office partnered with the Sojourn Project, taking a group of San Francisco youth to the Deep South to learn about the Civil Rights Movement from those who lived it. Another trip is planned for the near future.

Bianca believes these programs offer a beacon of hope, demonstrating that young lives can be redirected with the right support.

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“To know that it is available until the age of 24, that’s a big opportunity,” she said. “Why would you miss that?”



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New SF supervisor supports reopening Great Highway on weekdays

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New SF supervisor supports reopening Great Highway on weekdays


SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Alan Wong, the new supervisor for District four in San Francisco, has publicly expressed his support for reopening the Great Highway to vehicles on weekdays. This statement comes amid ongoing debates surrounding the highway’s conversion into a park last spring, which was met with mixed reactions from the community.

The Great Highway was transformed into a public park earlier this year, a change that many residents have embraced, while some local neighbors have pushed back. Joel Engardio, the former supervisor who supported this conversion through Measure K, was recalled this year, highlighting the division among constituents in District four.

Wong, who was appointed as supervisor following Engardio’s recall, filed paperwork to run for the elected position on the board. His term is set to last until January 2027, during which he aims to solidify his platform around reopening the Great Highway.

In his statement, Wong emphasized, “I believe my values align with a majority of Sunset residents who support reopening the Great Highway to cars on weekdays. As a result, I am prepared to be one of four supervisors needed to sponsor a ballot initiative to restore that compromise.” This suggests Wong’s intent to address community concerns head-on while building a wider consensus.

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Prior to its conversion, the Great Highway allowed vehicles during the week and served as a park on weekends, a compromise Wong supports restoring. He aims to return to this model in response to feedback from local constituents.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.



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Women’s volleyball professional team headed to San Francisco

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Women’s volleyball professional team headed to San Francisco


Pro volleyball will soon be coming to San Francisco and this latest team is part of a surge of women’s sports.

League One Volleyball officially launched this year with six teams. Now the league has announced it’s expanding to nine teams, and that one of those expansion teams will be based in the city by the bay.

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Three-time Olympic volleyball medalist Kelsy Robinson Cook is on the ownership team for LOVB San Francisco, bringing professional volleyball to the city. “Can tell you it’s going to be amazing,” said Robinson Cook. “Then, when you bring in the fandom of the Bay Area and SF I think personally it’s going to make for an incredible atmosphere.”

Team ownership said starting a team in the Bay Area is a natural with colleges and universities in the region turning out top talent. “It’s the number one sport for women and girls and I think that just speaks volumes as to where we’re headed, not only in club and college, but professionally,” said Robinson Cook.

Pro women’s volleyball is part of a growing list of professional women’s sports teams calling San Francisco and the Bay Area home.

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The women’s professional baseball league announced plans for a team in San Francisco. Bay FC and the Golden State Valkyries are already proving there is a market for professional women’s sports.

When pro-volleyball was looking to expand, San Francisco was a natural choice. “You’re seeing Bay FC, the Valkyries, the success that they have, and this market loves sports, and they’ve also proven they love women’s sports,” said Robinson Cook.

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San Francisco leaders said the city has already proven that it supports pro-women’s teams, and will welcome professional volleyball. Mayor Daniel Lurie pointed to the city’s rich sports history and enthusiasm to support the home teams. “Now, as we saw with the Valkyries selling out every single home game last year, there is an appetite, there is a fan base, and this new league understands that,” said Mayor Lurie.

At this time, there are still a lot of questions up in the air, including exactly where LOVB San Francisco will play. Organizers say they have a lot of plans in the works to get the team ready to bump, set and spike starting in January 2027.

 

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Body cam footage released in South San Francisco police shooting

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Body cam footage released in South San Francisco police shooting


(KRON) — The South San Francisco Police Department released video Thursday showing what led up to two officers shooting a man who authorities said was armed with a knife.

On December 8 at around 5:10 a.m., police arrived at the 900 block of Sandra Court on the report of a man under the influence of drugs and making threats to kill himself. When officers made contact with the man, identified as 28-year-old Luis Francisco-Manzo, he initially complied with orders, authorities said.

Officer-worn body camera video shows Francisco-Manzo walking toward officers in the entrance hallway of an apartment complex with his arms raised. A small dog barks as officers give repeated commands. Suddenly, Francisco-Manzo appears in the entranceway next to officers as one calls out, “He’s got a knife.”

South San Francisco Police Department officers shot Luis Francisco-Manzo on December 8, 2025. Authorities said Francisco-Manzo charged at officers while armed with a knife. (Photo: South San Francisco Police Department)

Officer Brendan Hart, who has been with SSFPD for eight years, fired a Taser at Francisco-Manzo, but it did not have the intended effect, police said.

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Four gunshots are heard in the body camera video. Police said Officer Hart and Officer Martin Corona were the officers who discharged their weapons. Officer Corona has seven years of law enforcement experience with over four years at SSFPD.

(Photo: South San Francisco Police Department)

Francisco-Manzo was transported to the hospital in critical condition. On Thursday, authorities said he continues to recover in the hospital. No officers were injured in the incident.

The police shooting remains under investigation by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.



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