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Why are restaurants sneaking in service charges? They say they have no choice

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:04 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – In case your $20 salad and $15 cocktail weren't expensive enough, your restaurant tab might have a few more line items tacked on. Diners are more frequently encountering service charges, a fee added to their bill that doesn't always count as tip. Sometimes it's called a "living wage" charge or "kitchen fee," and is used to better pay back-of-house staff like cooks and dishwashers. Other times it's a fee the restaurant says it uses to cover employees' health care. Sometimes it's a mandatory minimum gratuity that gets split by all restaurant employees. For many restaurants, service charges started as a way to cover the sudden added costs of operating during the pandemic, such as purchasing PPE and setting up new safe workspaces, explained Denise Mickelsen, communication director at the Colorado Restaurant Association and Foundation. But even if the era of social distancing is basically over, running a restaurant hasn't gotten cheaper, she said. Food delivery fees ad...

Missing Washington County man found safe

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:04 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Columbia County Sheriff's Office announced that a missing Washington County man has been found safe. Darrell Dutcher, of Salem, NY, was located in good health by the East Greenbush Police Department. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The missing alert for Dutcher went live on June 23. Before being found, he had last been seen on June 3 in the town of Chatham.

Knife-wielding homeless man shot by police at Little Tokyo hotel 

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:04 GMT

An armed man was shot by police after allegedly threatening hotel staff with a knife early Sunday morning, police said. Authorities say the suspect walked into the lobby of the Miyako Hotel on 1st Street in Little Tokyo around 3:30 a.m. armed with a knife. "He was inside the lobby with a knife, and he refused commands given by the officers, at which time an officer-involved shooting occurred,” said LAPD Captain Elaine Morales.  An armed suspect was shot by police after allegedly threatening hotel staff with a knife early Sunday morning. (KeyNewsTV)An armed suspect was shot by police after allegedly threatening hotel staff with a knife early Sunday morning. (KeyNewsTV)An armed suspect was shot by police after allegedly threatening hotel staff with a knife early Sunday morning. (KeyNewsTV)The LAPD’s Force Investigation Division is handling the investigation. (KTLA)The suspect was transported to a nearby hospital and is said to be in stable condition. Authorities said th...

Human remains discovered on Mount Baldy near search for Julian Sands

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:04 GMT

Human remains were discovered by hikers on Mount Baldy Saturday morning in an area where authorities have been searching for missing British actor Julian Sands.At around 10 a.m., hikers contacted the Fontana Sheriff’s Station after coming across the remains in the Mount Baldy Wilderness Area.Deputies along with the sheriff’s Emergency Operations Division responded to the scene.The remains were transported to the coroner’s office where officials are working to identify the body. Authorities said positive identification is expected next week. No further details were released.Back in January, search efforts were underway when two hikers went missing in Mount Baldy including British actor Julian Sands, 65. Two other hikers were also found dead in the area before Sands went missing. Julian Sands (San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office)Jin Chung in a photo from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.Missing hikers in Mount Baldy. From left: Julian Sands, Robert Gregory, and J...

Police investigate deadly overnight shooting in Oakland

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:04 GMT

OAKLAND — A man was found fatally shot in East Oakland late Saturday, marking the city’s 52nd homicide of the year, authorities said.According to Oakland police, gunshot-detection microphones alerted officers to a shooting at 10:55 p.m. Saturday in the 6200 block of International Boulevard, south of Seminary Avenue. They arrived to find an unconscious man lying on the sidewalk, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.The man died at the scene a short time later. His name was not immediately released. Police have not determined a motive or identified any suspects in the shooting as of Sunday morning.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Authorities: South Bay man arrested for having guns in defiance of court ban Crime and Public Safety | One killed, one arrested in Oakland traffic collision Crime and Public Safety | Four wounded in three separate Oakland shootings Crime and Public Safety | Arrest made in Milpitas gas...

San Francisco to build 550 affordable homes across city

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:04 GMT

(BCN) -- San Francisco plans to build five new affordable housing projects, creating 550 new homes for low-income seniors, families and individuals exiting homelessness, Mayor London Breed's office announced Friday. Construction may start as early as 2026 with resident move-ins by the end of 2028, pending availability of gap funding. SF Pride street closures, schedule, parade route Projects were announced in five neighborhoods: Bernal Heights, the Sunset District, Potrero Hill, Alamo Square and Forest Hill. Each project will be developed by different groups in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), other city agencies and community partners. The MOHCD will fund the acquisition and predevelopment of the new projects. It will also support applications for future funding sources, including state and federal low-income housing tax credits, funding programs through the California Department of Housing and Community Development and lo...

Cool weather may delay wine grape harvest in Napa Valley

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:04 GMT

(KRON) -- This past year's record-breaking rainfall has helped wine grapes in Napa Valley thrive, but now the recent cool weather is threatening to keep them from ripening. SF Pride street closures, schedule, parade route The longer the fruit has to stay on the vine, the longer it is exposed to possible wildfires and exposure to more rain in the early winter. Harvests within the last couple of years have been impacted wildfires and droughts. KRON On is streaming news live now.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }The state's wine industry generates more than $170.5 billion annually.

Celebrating Pride Month in Silicon Valley

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:04 GMT

(KRON) -- Silicon Valley Pride returns this fall and Chief Marketing Officer Saldy Suriben joins KRON4's Stephanie Lin to share a preview of the celebration, which originally started in 1975. Suriben explains Silicon Valley Pride celebrates in August because they believe Pride should be celebrated all year long.

How to save money on cooling your house this summer

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:04 GMT

The summer heat has arrived in the D.C. area. Pepco has some tips on how to save money while keeping your house cool.You can save money and energy when the weather is hot by setting your thermostat a few degrees higher than normal, according to Pepco, which serves customers in D.C. and parts of Maryland.Another tip is to lower your blinds and close your drapes during the hottest part of the day to keep the cool air inside. Just make sure that air ducts and fans are not blocked by furniture.Consider a tuneup for your air conditioner, Pepco said, and change those filters to make the system run more efficiently.If you have ceiling fans, the company suggests turning them on to evenly distribute cool air throughout the house. And, if they’re reversible, those fans should be spinning counterclockwise for summer.Another tip is to run appliances like clothes dryers and dishwashers at night when it’s cooler.Pepco customers can sign up for usage alerts online. Those alerts can sho...

Russia says China backs its efforts to stabilize the country after mercenary rebellion

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:43:04 GMT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Russia said on Sunday that China threw its support behind President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to stabilize the country after an aborted rebellion against the Kremlin by an army of mercenaries.The Russian Foreign Ministry said China declared support for the leadership in Moscow during a previously unannounced trip to Beijing by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko. “The Chinese side expressed support for the efforts of the leadership of the Russian Federation to stabilize the situation in the country in connection with the events of June 24, and reaffirmed its interest in strengthening the unity and further prosperity of Russia,” the Russian statement said. Rudenko met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang to discuss “international and regional issues of common concern,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on its website.Rudenko’s visit came just a day after Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of private mercenary army Wagner Group, ordered his troops to march...