Q: Your answer to a reader’s request that Caldecott Tunnel lighting be improved was incorrect. You said that Caltrans reported that it has improved the lighting in all bores of the tunnel. I drove through the right bore of the eastbound Caldecott Tunnel on September 30th and the right bore is still pitch black. It was truly scary and unsafe. Even my headlights didn’t provide enough light to help me see better.

Margery Bernstein, Walnut Creek

A: And…

Q: Somebody at Caltrans is spreading donkey dust on your porch again. Wallace Murfit was correct in his recent letter. The right bore (#1) of the eastbound Caldecott Tunnel is very dimly lit and is wet most, if not all of the time. My wife and I drive through that tunnel at least twice a week, frequently after dark. My wife always points out that bore #1 is wet. I always point out that it is dim. It is certainly not as well-lit as the other bores.

Bill Hickman, Orinda

A: And…

Q: Caltrans should consider what it’s like to drive into the eastbound Caldecott tunnel with the “improved lighting” while wearing glasses that darken with bright sunlight. I went though that tunnel with white knuckles a month ago because, suddenly, all I could see was the brake lights of the car in front of me in a sea of darkness. I will do anything to avoid doing that ever again. Why is it so important to lower the light level in that tunnel when, in the reverse direction it’s lit to the level of daylight?

MaryLou Clarke, Point Richmond

A: I’ll forward all your valuable comments to Caltrans.

Q: Once Caltrain is electrified, how will service to Gilroy be operated? Since Gilroy service is light, I don’t think Caltrain has the funding to electrify that segment by itself. If Caltrain continues diesel service from Tamien station, would a diesel locomotive be added to electric coaches to haul them to Gilroy? Or would a change of train be required?

Bill Stock, Emerald Hills

A: The short-term plan is for all service south of San Jose to run on diesel service, while everything north is 100% electric. Gilroy passengers will have a 3-minute cross-platform transfer at San Jose Diridon (meaning they disembark on one side of the platform, walk ten feet across, and board the electric train). Once battery-powered electric trains enter service (and there’s still no timeline on that, as it’s new technology and has federal approval hurdles to navigate first), electric service from Gilroy to San Francisco will be possible, with no transfer at Diridon likely to be necessary at that point.

Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.

If you are anywhere near or within earshot of a cellphone, a radio or TV on Wednesday morning, you will hear the jarring sound of an emergency alert.

The nationwide emergency alert test is expected to come at 11:20 a.m. in California, Vacaville Fire Department officials said in a social media post.

If your mobile phone is on and within range of an active cell tower from a participating wireless provider, you should receive the national test.

The message will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”

In a plea deal, a 38-year-old Rio Vista man received a 15-years-to-life sentence in state prison for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 years old.

According to court records and information provided by the Solano County Sheriff’s Office,a 12-year-old victim and her mother were living with Dennis Vongsa in Rio Vista in October of 2021. After several years of sexual abuse by Vongsa, the girl left her home during the night and ran to a neighbor’s home for help.

The neighbor then called the Rio Vista Police Department, a city contracted with the Sheriff’s Office. Officers responded and an investigation was launched with help from Sheriff investigators.

After an interview with the victim, where several items of evidence were discovered to have been collected by the victim herself, detectives developed enough evidence to arrest Vongsa.

The abuse began in 2017 and continued until October 2021, when the victim decided to seek help and left her own home to do so.

The case was investigated by Solano County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Danny Schilling. Deputy District Attorney Shelly Moore led the prosecution. Chief Deputy Public Defender Felicia Carrington represented Vongsa.

With the no-contest plea, Vongsa did not admit guilt but essentially stated he would offer no defense. Superior Court Judge Jeffrey C. Kauffman immediately found him guilty. A judge in Department 1, Kauffman also dismissed seven other similar felony charges and also one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, a felony.

Vongsa was sentenced Sept. 18 in Department 11 in the Justice Center in Fairfield, according to court records.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, call the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, telephone (707) 784-6844 in Fairfield or (707) 553-5052 in Vallejo.

SANTA CLARA – So much for savoring a victory.

Questions about the Dallas Cowboys – their next opponent — bombarded 49ers players before they even got dressed after Sunday’s 35-16 home win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Same thing happened to the Cowboys immediately after they beat the visiting New England Patriots 38-3, the most lopsided loss in Bill Belichick’s coaching career.

See, there’s never a minute to waste when it comes to staging another 49ers-Cowboys showdown, the next of which goes down this Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium between the 49ers (4-0) and Cowboys (3-1).

“We just know what they’re capable of, and a win in San Francisco would be magnificent,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told Dallas-area reporters. “A win against that team would feel like you’re playing for the marbles in the NFL. When you’re a guest of a team that’s undefeated …we’re going to come in there and try to stay on the field with them.”

The 49ers’ field is where the Cowboys got eliminated from last year’s NFC divisional playoffs, a year after the 49ers won in a wild-card matchup in Arlington, Texas.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, right after Sunday’s win, got blitzed by reporters asking about January’s 19-12 exit. “We’re so far passed that to be honest with you, that’s obvious,” Prescott replied. “If you just want to piss me off going into this weekend, I appreciate that, appreciate that. I do. Yeah, appreciate that, appreciate that.”

The 49ers-Cowboys series is tied at 19-19-1, including six battles for a Super Bowl berth. This is their first prime-time meeting hosted by the 49ers since 1983, a 42-17 win on “Monday Night Football.”

“Dallas, it’s always going to be one of those, what they call ‘ice-bag games.’ It’s a physical game,” said 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, who’s never cared for the Cowboys, either while growing up two hours east of Dallas in Longview, Texas, or by facing them in the NFL with Washington and the 49ers.

Here is how the 40th meeting shapes up:

TOP-FIVE STORYLINES

HISTORY LESSONS: As right tackle Colton McKivitz said: “This one will be a little extra, the history of the playoffs and the history of these two franchises. There’s definitely going to be a buzz.” Recent history saw the 49ers advance in the past two postseasons, but this rivalry’s roots are in the NFC Championship Game: Dallas won the 1970, ’71, ’92 and ’93 meetings; the 49ers won in the 1981 and ’94 seasons en route to their first and last Super Bowl wins.

RUSHING LEADERS: Christian McCaffrey’s four-touchdown outburst Sunday and his NFL-leading 459 rushing yards are garnering national attention. Not far behind him, with the fifth-most rushing yards (311), is Tony Pollard, who sustained a fractured left fibula on Jimmie Ward’s tackle in last season’s playoff matchup. Dallas’ defense allowed 222 rushing yards in losing at Arizona and ranks 27th at 4.61-yards allowed per carry; the 49ers’ run defense ranks third in yards per game (66.0).

PARSONS VS. BOSA: At this time last year, Micah Parsons was the early favorite for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, an award that instead went to the 49ers’ Nick Bosa. Parsons is off to another impressive start (four sacks, eight quarterback hits, NFC Defender of the Month). Parsons played through a second-quarter knee injury Sunday (44 of 55 snaps). Although the 49ers offensive line played “unbelievable” against Arizona, coach Kyle Shanahan expects a “huge” challenge with the Cowboys’ pass rush and speed. As for Bosa, he has just one sack but his 10 quarterback hits are third-most behind Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt and Cleveand’s Myles Garrett, the latter of whom hosts the 49ers on Oct. 15.

TREY LANCE REUNION: Traded a month ago for a fourth-round pick, Lance is serving as the Cowboys No. 3 (emergency) quarterback behind Prescott and Cooper Rush. Lance told the Cowboys’ website last week: “It’s been good for me to get a new look and a fresh start. It’s a breath of fresh air here.” Coach Mike McCarthy praised Lance’s work ethic as he learns from quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien, a 49ers third-stringer in 2011-12.

QUARTERBACK SPOTLIGHT: OK, the quarterbacks that matter most are Prescott and the 49ers’ Brock Purdy, who completed 20-of-21 passes Sunday while displaying the “timing element and anticipation” that Shanahan loves. Purdy has thrown 211 consecutive passes without an interception; Prescott’s only interception clinched their Week 3 loss at Arizona. Purdy’s top targets are Brandon Aiyuk (17 catches, 320 yards, two touchdowns), Deebo Samuel (17 catches, 247 yards, one touchdown) and George Kittle (14 catches, 148 yards); the Cowboys’ go-to man remains CeeDee Lamb (23 catches, 309 yards, one touchdown).

INJURY WATCH

Here are the 49ers’ health issues:

Running back Elijah Mitchell (knee)

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel (knee, rib)

Wide receiver Jauan Jennings (shin)

Offensive lineman Jon Feliciano (concussion)

*Cornerback Ambry Thomas (knee)

*Linebacker Dre Greenlaw (ankle)

*Greenlaw, Thomas were not mentioned by coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday’s conference call despite recent injuries. All other injuries are listed as “day to day” issues, although Feliciano must clear the NFL’s concussion protocol to resume special-teams duties.

Here are the Cowboys’ health issues:

Left tackle Tyron Smith (knee)

Right guard Zack Martin (leg)

Running back Rico Dowdle (hip)

Tight end Peyton Hendershot (ankle)

C Tyler Biadasz (hamstring)

*CB Trevon Diggs (knee) went on injured reserve last week; his replacement, DaRon Bland returned one of his two interceptions Sunday for a touchdown.

SERIES RECORDS

Not only are they tied at 19-19-1, the 49ers are 10-10 at home against the Cowboys and they’ve split the last six meetings. Dallas leads 5-4 in playoff action.

In their last regular-season meeting, the visiting 49ers fell 41-33 in December 2020, with Nick Mullens tearing an elbow ligament and Javon Kinlaw huring his knee for long-term ramifications. The last regular-season game at Levi’s Stadium was Oct. 22, 2017, when Prescott threw three touchdown passes in a a 40-10 Cowboys win to spoil C.J. Beathard’s starting debut.

SUNDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT

The only other time these rivals met for a Sunday night kickoff: a 24-6 win by the 49ers at Dallas on Nov. 11, 1990.  The 49ers hold a 3-1 advantage in prime-time matchups, including that 1983 home tilt in which Joe Montana threw four touchdown passes.

Overall, the 49ers are 17-18 on Sunday night (12-9 at home). They are 3-4 under coach Kyle Shanahan, losing their last three appearances (2021 home games against Green Bay and Indianapolis; last season at Denver).

“Anytime there’s matchups, especially for the night games, that’s what’s great for our league,” Shanahan said. “There’s nothing more fun than being a part of it as a player or coach. These are the games you live for and enjoy. But it’s a whole week to get there with big preparation.

“I know people will be amped up, they love it when the rest of the league gets to watch them.”

MILESTONE MARKERS

Winning would make Purdy 10-0 and match Mike Tomczak (Chicago Bears, 1986-87) as the second-most consecutive wins to start a quarterback’s career since 1990. Ben Roethlisberger started 15-0 for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2004-05; Purdy could potentially equal that mark Nov. 15 at home against Tampa Bay and surpass it on Thanksgiving night in Seattle.

After McCaffrey surpassed Jerry Rice’s 49ers record Sunday by scoring in a 13th consecutive game (including playoffs), he next could tie Emmitt Smith’s 14-game spree for the 1995 Cowboys (who dethroned the 49ers as Super Bowl champs). The only players in NFL history with a longer streak (playoffs included) are Lenny Moore (17), John Riggins (15), and O.J. Simpson (15).

Rice still holds the franchise’s record when it comes to strictly regular-season games (13); Purdy is on a 10-game regular-season touchdown streak.

CROSSOVER SCOUTING

The 49ers, to an extent, already studied Cowboys’ film last week to prepare for the Cardinals, who won 28-16 in their Week 3 matchup in Arizona. “You get to see a little crossover,” Shanahan said. “But I really never prepare the week before (the following week’s game). It takes away from the week you’re at. There’s always time to get it done.” That time is now.

AIKMAN’S TAKE

Ex-Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, appearing on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown, said the 49ers are this season’s most impressive team. “They play a style of football that reminds me a lot of some of the teams I was part of. They’re very physical. If you’re going to play the 49ers, whether you’re playing their offense or against their defense, you better bring some physicality, because if you don’t match that, you’re going to have a really tough time. That’s why Dallas in the postseason has had a hard time. This is going to be a great game. It’s a great matchup between what I think are the two titans in the NFC, along with Philadelphia.”

WEATHER FORECAST

Sunny, 82 degrees, with 10 to 15 mph winds, according to weather.com. That’s similar to this past Sunday’s game (sunny, 75 degrees, 9 mph winds at kickoff).

BETTING LINE

The 49ers are favored by 3 ½ points and the over/under point total is 45, according to BetMGM. This season, the 49ers are 3-0-1 against the spread, and they needed Purdy’s fourth-quarter touchdown sneak Sunday to cover their 14-point spread.

Prediction: 49ers 30, Cowboys 23

In the Bay Area, where highway traffic often moves slower than cold molasses, voters have a long history of generously paying to support public transportation, even though most don’t use it much themselves.

But as public officials once again weigh asking Bay Area voters to pay more and prop up the flagging finances of commuter rail systems, a new poll sponsored by the Bay Area News Group and Joint Venture Silicon Valley finds little enthusiasm for the subsidies, and much less for the usual means — tax, toll and fare hikes.

“I view this as the region at a crossroads,” said Joint Venture President and CEO Russell Hancock. “I think voters may be telling us it’s time for fresh thinking.”

The poll of 1,802 registered voters in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo counties conducted Aug. 29-Sept. 6 by Embold Research found 56% say commuter rail — BART, Caltrain and light rail, like VTA and Muni Metro — is important for the Bay Area and must be maintained even if it costs taxpayers more money.

But that’s not enough support to meet California’s current two-thirds approval for such special taxes, and would barely clear a lower 55% threshold for such measures that state lawmakers are asking voters to approve next fall.

And it gets worse when Bay Area voters are asked about specific funding mechanisms. The most support was for raising the fares passengers pay to ride trains, and that was just 22%. It went down from there: 18% would raise bridge tolls, 16% would raise gas taxes, 11% would raise sales taxes and another 11% would charge autos per mile driven. The most popular response? None of the above, at 56%.

When Catie Amaral of Castro Valley was a teenager and young adult, she used to take BART into Berkeley and San Francisco. But like two out of three Bay Area residents surveyed, Amaral rarely if ever takes public transportation these days, even though she lives only half a mile from a BART station.

“It’s progressively gotten more and more dangerous and more expensive,” said Amaral, 31, a chef who works around the Bay Area and a single mother of a 6-year-old daughter. “I’m usually by myself and there’s people just openly doing drugs. It’s wild. There’s less and less police presence, less enforcement on the trains and in the stations. Especially for a young woman traveling, it’s really not safe.”

Even some regular BART riders who favor a bailout aren’t keen on the suggested funding measures.

“I feel there are ways to trim the fat in BART, so to speak,” said Tracey Rentner, 49, of Martinez, who takes the service several days a week into San Francisco for her job as an arbitration services case manager.

BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said the agency has been listening to complaints and making changes. BART has offered incentives to hire more transit police and reassigned officers to double their presence on platforms and trains. In September, BART began running shorter trains with the idea that having more riders and officers in each car will reduce mischief.

“We have an all-out effort to address rider safety concerns,” Trost said. She added that BART isn’t administratively bloated compared to other transit agencies.

“We’re not as fat as people think we are,” Trost said.

The reluctance around the Bay Area to whip out the wallet and pay more for public transit is new, said Hancock, who for the last two decades has led 30-year-old Joint Venture, a regional urban policy research nonprofit supported by business, labor, academia and government.

In 2018, 55% of voters in all nine Bay Area counties approved a $3 toll increase over six years for most of the region’s bridges to pay for new BART railcars, high occupancy vehicle lanes, ferry service upgrades and Capitol Corridor rail improvements. The new poll showed just 18% of registered voters supported a toll hike.

Voters in Santa Clara County approved sales taxes to extend BART to San Jose in 2000, 2008 and 2016. Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco county voters in 2016 approved a bond measure for BART improvements. And voters in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties in 2020 approved a sales tax to support Caltrain. All of those required two-thirds support.

“Historically, there’s strong support for transit in the Bay Area, and it’s been quite striking,” Hancock said.

But since COVID-19 arrived  — touching off a work-from-home trend that has outlasted the pandemic — transit ridership hasn’t rebounded, even as traffic has risen.

The poll found that since 2021, more Bay Area residents see crime and homelessness as extremely serious problems, while fewer say the same about traffic congestion.

“Employers may be grumpy about this, but people are really clear: ‘I like being able to work from home,'” Hancock said. “That’s real stuff, and that’s permanent. Now people are taking a fresh look at transit, asking whether there’s a need. At the same time, there’s funding fatigue. The bridge tolls have gone up several times, and now people are talking about more. That’s true of the fares as well. People are starting to cry uncle.”

Laurence Lu, a 22-year-old student in Santa Clara who’s able to take classes at Mission College remotely, was among those polled who said commuter rail costs enough already, and service should be cut back rather than asking for more money “in a futile effort to claw back a demand that may no longer be there.”

“It looks like many Americans — particularly the tech workers vastly overrepresented in Silicon Valley — will be working from home for the foreseeable future,” Lu said.

Bay Area transit ridership actually is fairly respectable. Nationally, a 2016 Pew Research Center survey found that 11% of Americans take public transportation at least weekly, and 21% of urban residents use it regularly. But public transportation ridership nationally in 2022 was 62% of pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to American Public Transportation Association figures.

The Bay Area News Group and Joint Venture survey found 19% of respondents use it at least weekly. Of those who ride less than once a week, 47% said they prefer to drive, 46% said public transportation doesn’t go where they need to go, 43% said it takes too long, 37% said it’s too dangerous and 35% said it’s too dirty. Just 14% said public transportation costs too much, the same proportion who said they don’t take it because they work remotely.

Asked whether bus networks or commuter rail should be given priority, 52% said they favored the buses.

Royce Ruiz of Union City, who lives near a BART station and regularly uses it to travel around the East and South Bay for his work as a Baptist minister, said he’d support higher bridge tolls, gas or sales taxes or charging autos by miles driven to maintain it.

Ruiz, 39, whose family owns two cars, says automobile travel is heavily subsidized, masking its true cost. And though he occasionally sees problems with some riders on BART, he feels the trains are safe and more so when they have more riders.

“I think it’s worth investing in our rail infrastructure so people will use it so it will result in those full trains,” Ruiz said. “There’s a net benefit to society, including people who have to drive, because by having full trains, you have less traffic.”

But while most around the Bay Area would tend to agree, there may no longer be enough of them to support new funding measures.

“Until they offer routes to people that get them where they need to go — and safely — it’s not going to work,” Amaral said. “It’s one these situations where just throwing money at it isn’t going to change the problem itself.”

The first phase of a massive plan to elevate Highway 37 to prevent regular inundation from sea-level rise is set to begin with an estimated $1.6 billion project in Marin.

Caltrans officials held a presentation recently on the agency’s plan to rebuild a 2.5-mile section of the 21-mile North Bay commuter route as an elevated causeway from the Highway 101 interchange in Novato to the Atherton Avenue exit.

The project would be the first in the agency’s plan to elevate the entire highway onto a causeway before the road connecting Marin and Solano counties becomes regularly inundated by rising sea levels, which Caltrans projects will begin in 2040.

At a public hearing on the proposal in Novato this month, Caltrans project manager Javier Mendivil said the project is needed “to incorporate resiliency on the corridor to the effect of sea level rise to 2130 and flooding from stormwater.”

The state agency plans to conduct the project in two phases, beginning by rebuilding the Novato Creek Bridge onto a 35-foot-high causeway by June 2029. The second phase, aimed for completion in 2049, would rebuild the remaining sections of the 2.5-mile portion of the highway as a 114-foot-wide causeway including a bicycle and pedestrian path.

The existing road will be removed after the project is completed in 2049. The total project cost is estimated to be nearly $1.6 billion, according to Caltrans spokesperson Matt O’Donnell.

The causeway plan, detailed in a draft environmental analysis released in late August, would include four 12-foot-wide vehicle lanes; two 10-foot-wide inside shoulders and two 12-foot-wide outside shoulders; and a 14-foot-wide bicycle or pedestrian path.

The two sides of the road would be separated by a 2-foot-wide median barrier. The bicycle path would also be separated from vehicle traffic by a barrier.

Caltrans plans to begin with the Novato Creek Bridge given its existing flooding issues, which have recently caused full highway closures since 2017 and headaches for tens of thousands of commuters.

Caltrans states that it would be able to maintain traffic on the highway for most of the first phase of construction, with traffic impacts expected to add 15-minute delays.

The agency plans to maintain four lanes of traffic by constructing a 1,000-foot-long median between the existing highway. Caltrans would divert westbound traffic onto the median first and would remove the existing westbound bridge. The median will then be widened by 30 feet, allowing Caltrans to divert eastbound traffic onto the median and remove the existing eastbound bridge.

Two weekend closures would be needed during the first phase, in which traffic would be rerouted onto city and county roads. The proposed detour route would divert westbound traffic onto the Harbor Drive exit and have traffic travel on Atherton Avenue before entering Highway 101.

The second phase of construction is also expected to cause up to 15 minutes of delay, based on existing traffic volumes, but could be increased due to planned closures of the Atherton Avenue on-ramps and off-ramps, according to Caltrans.

Some Marin officials and environmental organizations said they support the plan to elevate the highway given its environmental benefits and the existing flooding impacts.

Marin County Supervisor Eric Lucan, who serves on the Highway 37 Policy Committee, said the project “casts the vision for the reimagined Highway 37 corridor.”

Environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club, Marin Audubon and Marin Conservation League state elevating the highway will help to restore wetlands along the corridor that have been blocked from tidal influence by the berm the highway is built on.

The San Francisco Estuary Institute nonprofit group has previously stated that elevating the entire 21-mile corridor would result in the largest wetland restoration project on the west coast of North America.

“It increases flood protection upstream, it lets the rising water filtrate into the marsh, and sequestering carbon is important in keeping as many marshlands we have left,” said Marin Conservation League member Kate Powers.

Steve Birdlebough, transportation chairman for the Sierra Club Redwood chapter, said one of his main concerns with the proposal is that the Marin section will not include a dedicated carpool lane as is proposed by Caltrans for the 10-mile section of highway between Sears Point and Mare Island. Birdlebough said that this could lead to traffic jams heading toward the Highway 101 intersection and would disincentive carpooling and transit commutes.

“This isn’t going to be a problem in the first five years of operation but by 2045 it will be a significant problem,” Birdlebough said. “And it will mean that anybody who is driving from Vallejo to a job in San Rafael is just going to be just as backed up and take as long as it does today.”

Caltrans is accepting public comments on its draft environmental analysis of the project until 5 p.m. Oct. 8. Comments can be submitted by email to SR37FloodProject@dot.ca.gov or by mail to Caltrans District 4, Skylar Nguyen, P.O. Box 23660 MS-8B, Oakland, CA 94623.

A copy of the environmental analysis can be found at bit.ly/48znTpt.

The Golden State Warriors hammed it up for the cameras during their annual Media day at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Monday.

It remains to be seen if the team has another shot at an NBA title. The Warriors do have a chance as they go into the season with the sixth-best odds to win the 2024 title, per FanDuel.

Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and the newcomer Chris Paul are not young. It’s nice that they feel that way, but these guys are ancient by NBA standards. The four have a combined 53 seasons of experience.

“It’s going to be fun to fight Father Time for as long as we can,” Steph Curry said Monday. “But not talk about it too much because we still feel young.”

Sports columnist Dieter Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

I cut my teeth in politics as an aide for former U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. It was a master class in politics that serves me to this day.

I had a front-row seat to history. The war in Iraq. Protecting the California desert. The March for Women’s Lives. Supreme Court nominations. The recall of California Gov. Gray Davis and the resulting election of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The day began every morning with a call from the senator on her way to the office. “Hi, it’s Dianne,” she would say, and then it was straight to business. No niceties. No small talk.

It was the time she used to get her house in order. We would go through the Senate floor agenda, her calendar and her call list.

She would speak with her chief of staff. Many days she spoke to her “field marshal,” Roz Wyman, her eyes and ears in the state. When Feinstein walked through the office each morning, we’d hit the ground running. There was never a dull moment.

Feinstein, who died last week at age 90, was a force to be reckoned with — for staff, for those lobbying her, for her Senate colleagues. As former press office staffer Colleen Haggerty recently put it, “You could sense when she approached. People stood straighter, tidied things up, and like the wave at a baseball game, there was a tide of eyes widening and shoulders pulling back exuding excitement.”

As 20-somethings beginning our careers, we had no idea working in her office would have such an impact. It taught young women how to be leaders — that we needed to be more prepared than the men; that we needed to do our homework, or as she liked to say, “earn our spurs.”

Some people say that Feinstein was tough on staff, but from my perspective, she was just a badass boss. She owned each and every room she walked into. I witnessed how people respected her organization, her drive and her leadership.

Every day, she met with Californians seeking her help. She met with staff developing and advancing her legislative agenda. She talked to presidents and prime ministers from around the globe. Through it all, she would ask the same questions: What’s the problem we’re trying to solve? How much does it cost? Can we get support from the White House and other senators?

In doing so, she was molding us.

“She liked it when women stood up for themselves. She never handed out favors,” former legislative staffer Natalie Alpert shared with me. “She always expected us to rise up and excel without help, like she did. And she always appreciated the smart, sometimes sassy women who wouldn’t back down when she challenged their assumptions.”

It was trial by fire, but those who passed came out the other side transformed.

Yes, her landmark political achievements included the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act and taking on the CIA to hold them accountable for torture.

Her lasting accomplishments, though, also lie in the work that didn’t grab as many headlines. She put an enormous amount of time into solving California water issues, protecting the state’s environmental resources and standing up for women’s freedoms.

One example: She authored federal legislation to create and sustain the Breast Cancer Research Stamp, the very first U.S. Postal Service fundraising stamp in history. To date, the stamp has been sold over 1.1 billion times and raised over $96 million.

Feinstein instilled a culture of caring, connection and respect. Every letter sent to the office received a response. Virtually every meeting requested was granted. And she read weekly reports from every single staffer describing who they met with, what the ask was and what our office could do to help.

Indeed, Feinstein blazed a trail. She listened, she cared and she showed up with grit and grace and courage.

She taught me that I can do hard things, and that when I fail, I need to pick myself back up and try again. She showed me how to to get things done and to take both my wins and my losses in stride.

I am forever indebted to Dianne, and I miss her greatly.

Alexis Podesta is the principal of Podesta Company. She previously served as secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency under Govs. Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom, and was U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s scheduler for five years. She wrote this commentary for CalMatters.

SAN FRANCISCO — The gang’s all here, for one more year at least.

While Steph Curry and Draymond Green have multi-year deals to remain in a Warriors uniform, head coach Steve Kerr and shooting guard Klay Thompson are entering their final seasons under contract.

Kerr said last week that he’s not worried about it and feels confident something will get done.

Thompson didn’t sound quite as confident while speaking at the Warriors’ media day on Monday.

Asked if he thinks it’s possible he’d sign a new deal before the season begins at home against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 24, Thompson said “I think it’s possible. If not, life is still great.”

Thompson, who turns 34 in February, is nearing an end to the five-year, $190-million maximum contract he signed on July 10, 2019.

“I’m playing basketball in my 13th year in the NBA, I have no complaints,” he said. “Whatever the future has in store, I’ve done so many great things in this uniform. There are many more memories to create. Whatever happens, life is great. I can’t really complain. I’ve had an incredible run here.”

With the Warriors reportedly trying to stay under the second level of the tax bracket, which would put their team salary just under $190 million, it could be tricky to pay Thompson and still make it work.

The Athletic reported last week that there have been no offers made from the Warriors or from Thompson’s camp, and there is no rush from either side to get a deal done.

The Warriors let Green go into his final season without a deal, then signed him to a four-year, $100-million deal in June, soon after the season was over.

Thompson, who is one month older than Green, is coming off one of his greatest seasons. He led the NBA in 3-pointers (301) and became the third player in NBA history to knock down 300 in a season. Only Curry and James Harden have accomplished the feat.

But there was talk after the season about Thompson trying to become a more well-rounded player. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive second team in 2018-19, but has seen his steals cut almost in half over the last two seasons.

Asked what he’s been working on this offseason, he said he’s trying to focus on the little details of the game.

Scoring is fun, “but sometimes it’s equally as fun getting a stop, getting a good rebound, making an assist,” he said. “Simple plays. When I was hooping this summer I just tried to focus on doing things that allowed the team to win. Whether that’s hitting the open man, taking the open shot, playing defense, not being so pressed to have to score for my team to win. Just trying to be a complete cerebral player. Hope I can do that this season.”

If he does, it should net Thompson a nice contract in the offseason, either from the Warriors or someone else.

Curry, who is two years older, has proven the ability to maintain his scoring averages while becoming a more effective rebounder in his later years.

He said he’s seen Thompson step up his offseason training intensity this year. Curry said Thompson looks locked in, “mentally and physically.”

“He looks great,” Curry said. “Compared to his experience last summer, I think it’s a night and day difference in the way he’s talking about it, the way he approached it, the progress he’s gone through this offseason, the confidence he has in himself and his body and to hit the ground running.”

Thompson has had the benefit of learning from one of the greatest to ever do it.

“It’s about being honest with yourself about the work you need to do to go into the season,” Curry said. “That’s the challenge of trying to extend your prime.”

With Chris Paul expected to take turns with Curry running the point, Thompson figures he could be in for an even bigger season on the offensive side.

“Playing a two guard spot you love playing with a point guard like Chris who is one of the greatest assist men in NBA history, I think he’s going to get me a lot of easy opportunities this year,” he said.

STOCKHOLM — Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for studying how electrons zip around the atom during in the tiniest fractions of seconds, a field that could one day lead to better electronics or disease diagnoses.

The award went to Pierre Agostini, Hungarian-born Ferenc Krausz and French-born Anne L’Huillier for their work with the tiny part of each atom that races around the center and that is fundamental to virtually everything: chemistry, physics, our bodies and our gadgets.

Electrons move around so fast that they have been out of reach of human efforts to isolate them, but by looking at the tiniest fraction of a second possible, scientists now have a “blurry” glimpse of them and that opens up whole new sciences, experts said.

“The electrons are very fast, and the electrons are really the workforce in everywhere,” Nobel Committee member Mats Larsson said. “Once you can control and understand electrons, you have taken a very big step forward.”

L’Huillier is the fifth woman to receive a Nobel in physics.

WHAT DISCOVERY WON THE NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS?

To understand how an electron travels, the scientists had to look at an extremely short time period — one quintillionth of a second known as an attosecond — just like a photographer uses a quick shutter speed when photographing a hummingbird.

How small is it?

“Let’s take one second, which is the time of a heartbeat,” Nobel Committee chair Eva Olsson said. To get the realm of the attosecond, that would have to be divided by 1,000 six times.

Physicist Mark Pearce, a Nobel Committee member, said “there are as many attoseconds in a second as there are seconds which have passed since the Big Bang, 13.8 billion years ago. So it’s an extremely short period of time.”

But even when they “see” the electron, there’s only so much they can view.

“You can see whether it’s on the one side of a molecule or on the other,” L’Huillier, 65, said. “It’s still very blurry.”

“The electrons are much more like waves, like water waves, than particles and what we try to measure with our technique is the position of the crest of the waves,” she added.

WHY DO ELECTRONS MATTER?

The scientists’ experiments “have given humanity new tools for exploring the world of electrons inside atoms and molecules,” according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which announced the prize in Stockholm.

At the moment, this science is about understanding our universe, but the hope is that it will eventually have many practical applications in electronics, diagnosing diseases and basic chemistry.

But L’Huillier, of Lund University in Sweden, said her work shows how important it is to work on fundamental science regardless of future applications because she spent 30 years on it before possible real word uses became more apparent.

HOW DID L’HUILLIER AND KRAUSZ REACT?

L’Huillier said she was teaching when she got the call that she had won. She joked that it was hard to finish the lesson.

“This is the most prestigious and I am so happy to get this prize. It’s incredible,” she told the news conference announcing the prize. “As you know there are not so many women who got this prize so it’s very special.”

Swedish news agency TT reached Krausz, 61, of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, by phone in Germany, where it is holiday.

“My colleagues are enjoying their day off, but I hope that we will meet tomorrow and then we will probably open a bottle of champagne,” he was quoted as saying.

Agostini is affiliated with Ohio State University in the U.S.

The Nobel Prizes carry a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million). The money comes from a bequest left by the prize’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. The laureates are invited to receive their awards at ceremonies on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death.

The physics prize comes a day after Hungarian-American Katalin Karikó and American Drew Weissman won the Nobel Prize in medicine for discoveries that enabled the creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.

Nobel announcements will continue with the chemistry prize on Wednesday and the literature prize on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday and the economics award on Oct. 9.

___

Borenstein reported from Washington and Corder from The Hague, Netherlands.

___

The California Board of Parole Hearings granted parole to Jose Francisco Velasquez for the fourth time, despite two reversals from Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In Dec. 1966, Velasquez (81) was sentenced to seven years to life for the murders – a sentence that reflected the sentencing scheme in effect at the time.

Velasquez was the ringleader of a group that committed four murders during a crime spree in 1966. Luis Francisco Pacheco, Jose Luis Galvan, Frank Urrea Gonzales and Juan Vasquez Garcia were also involved in the murders.

The group committed the first murder on July 29, 1996, when Velasquez, Gonzales and Garcia robbed Eduardo Dominguez, fatally stabbed him and left his body in a ditch one and a half miles from King City.

Dominguez was an acquaintance of the defendants and had asked the group for a ride home after drinking at the Resbalon Bar in King City. While driving, Gonzales pretended to run out of gas, initiating an argument between Garcia and Dominguez. A struggle ensued and Dominguez was stabbed and dragged from the car. He was also clubbed and stabbed multiple times and robbed of his shoes and $90 cash.

The defendants threw Dominguez’s body into an irrigation ditch and later beat Galvan for not participating in the murder.

Two weeks later, Velasquez and the group also murdered John Doe. Doe had been drinking at the Top Hat Bar in King City on Aug. 7, 1966 and asked the group for a ride home. Velasquez knew Doe from their shared hometown.

The group agreed to drive Doe home, but Velasquez demanded money from Doe. Doe argued that he’d already bought the men rounds of drinks. The defendants put Doe in their car and Pacheco drove the group, Gonzales taking over after Pacheco was pulled over and cited for driving without a license.

When the vehicle stopped, Velasquez opened the car door and grabbed Doe by the head, telling Garcia to “go ahead.” Garcia then shot Doe in the head. Doe’s body was dragged across the road into a ditch, stabbed 55 times by the group and robbed of several items. Velasquez sodomized the body before burying it in a shallow grave.

Later that evening, while driving away from the scene of the murder, the group came across three men walking down the road: Manuel Guerrero, Steven Sanchez and Roberto E. Rodriguez. The defendants discussed picking them up or running them over. Velasquez and Garcia wanted to run them down.

Gonzalez drove at the three men, killing Guerro on impact and knocking his body into an irrigation ditch. Sanchez received a glancing blow from the right front fender and knocked into a beet field. Rodriguez was able to get out of the way and took off through the fields. Velasquez and Galvan took off after Rodriguez but were unable to catch him and returned.

Pacheco located Sanchez and hit him with a club with three nails attached, causing a skull fracture. The group stabbed Sanchez 82 times, each using a knife. Sanchez attempted to defend himself and received defensive stab wounds on his hands. The group then took Sanchez’s wallet. Guerro and Sanchez’s bodies were found on the edge of a tomato and beet field on Spreckels Road outside of King City.

This was the 19th time Velasquez had been before the Board of Parole Hearings. He was granted parole at his 16th appearance in Aug. 2018.

In Dec. 2018, Gov. Jerry Brown reversed the grant of parole. Velasquez was granted parole again in January 2020, which was reversed in May 2020 by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Velasquez was again granted parole in June 2021, which Newsom reversed in October 2021.

The Board of Parole found that Velasquez’s lack of violence and rule breaking while in prison outweighed unsatisfactory answers in the areas of triggers, motivations, coping skills, understanding causative factors, self-awareness and insight.

The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office has asked Gov. Newsom to reverse the grant of parole.

“We believe the inmate continues to pose an unreasonable current risk of harm to the public based on the egregious facts of these murders and currently lacks insight into both his responsibility for these murders and his sexual deviance,” the county DA’s office said in a press release.

As the countdown to Halloween begins, I’ve been stocking up on candy and dusting off the spooky décor to ready my house and yard for a night of trick-or-treating. My young daughter loves the decorations — and, let’s be honest, the sugar high — that come with this frightfully festive night. But amidst all the fun, I always consider the impact on our pets and local wildlife. That’s because this spooky season comes with plenty of potential pitfalls for our four-legged friends, wild birds and more. Here’s how to protect animals this Halloween, without sacrificing the fun.

Dangerous decorations

Sure, you want to set a spooky scene, but some decorations are more treacherous than others. Jack-o’-lanterns and other candles are a burn risk if a curious pet comes too close, so opt for battery-operated, flameless candles if you crave that telltale flicker on your front porch. If you use decorations that plug into an outlet, be sure animals can’t chew or get tangled in the electrical cords. And steer clear of fake cobwebs, which can trap birds and cause serious harm if ingested by your pets.

Out of paw’s reach

That bowl of candy is tempting to more than just trick-or-treaters. Candy is unsafe for pets and chocolate is particularly dangerous, especially dark chocolate. It contains a toxin called theobromine, which can cause poisoning in both dogs and cats.

Signs of chocolate poisoning can include vomiting and diarrhea, rapid panting and heartbeat, and increased thirst and urination. And while milk chocolate is less of a threat, the sugar and fat in a candy bar can still cause your pet plenty of gastrointestinal distress. Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) right away if your pet has ingested chocolate.

Provide a safe space

Opening the front door over and over for trick-or-treaters can mean lots of escape opportunities for your pets, not to mention a lot of stress. Ringing doorbells and crowds of loud, unfamiliar people in costumes can be frightening for shy cats and nervous dogs that could attempt to bolt, or even bite.

Consider keeping your pets in a quiet room away from the commotion and from open doors. Playing music, the TV or even a white noise machine can help temper the noise.

Don’t force dress-up

Some pets are amenable to a little dress-up and may do just fine strutting in costume. But others may become anxious, irritable or overwhelmed. While it can be fun to get that perfect shot for social media, if your pet is easily stressed, skip the costumes. If your furry friend is open to their festive finery, make sure there are no parts that can get caught around their neck or mouth, or any pieces that can be chewed or swallowed. Never leave your pet unattended in a costume. Supervision is the name of the Halloween game.

Halloween doesn’t have to be a hair-raising event for our furry companions. With a little planning and a little caution, your pets can also have a safe and healthy holiday.

Julia Lamont is the social media and marketing specialist for Marin Humane, which contributes Tails of Marin articles and welcomes animal-related questions and stories about the people and animals in our community. Go to marinhumane.org, email lbloch@marinhumane.org or find us on social media @marinhumane.

BOULDER CREEK — A lengthy closure has begun at Highway 35 in the Santa Cruz Mountains as crews work to complete major repairs stemming from damaging winter storms.

A full, 10-week closure of Highway 35 began Monday and ranges from Bear Creek Road to 0.28 miles south of Bear Creek Road, according to a Monday release from Caltrans.

Weather permitting, the highway is scheduled to remain closed at this location until Dec. 10 and once the work is completed, it will remain under one-way traffic control for several weeks thereafter.

Message and directional signs have been placed in advance of the project area. During the closure, crews will suspend work to allow for the passage of emergency vehicles, according to the release.

Road information is at quickmap.dot.ca.gov.

Plans released for a massive Disneyland theme park expansion imagine thrill rides like Radiator Springs Racers, family attractions like Toy Story Midway Mania and shows like “Fantasmic” filling themed lands based on “Frozen,” “Tron,” and “Zootopia.”

Maps included in the 17,000-page Environmental Impact Report released by Anaheim in mid-September for the proposed DisneylandForward project show 16 rides and an outdoor show envisioned for the project.

The Immersive Theme Park westside expansion envisions a theme park on the Downtown Disney and Lilo and Stitch parking lots woven amid the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel — currently undergoing a transformation into the Pixar Place Hotel.

Maps of the westside site bounded by Katella Avenue, Walnut Street, Magic Way and Disneyland Drive show plans for five thrill rides, nine family rides, two round rides and an outdoor show.

The two outdoor thrill rides would be similar to Big Thunder Mountain and Incredicoaster while the three indoor thrill rides would be like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or Space Mountain, according to the DisneylandForward EIR.

The five outdoor family rides would be similar to Autopia and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree while the four indoor family rides would be like Soarin’ Around the World and Haunted Mansion.

The two round rides would be similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant and King Arthur’s Carrousel.

The EIR compares the outdoor show to “World of Color” and “Fantasmic.”

The 16 rides and attractions proposed for the Immersive Theme Park westside expansion would be far fewer than the approximately 40 rides and attractions at Disneyland and the 25 or so rides and attractions at Disney California Adventure.

Disneyland’s proposed theme park plans cluster outdoor thrill rides near the center of the expansion area and indoor attractions along the edge of the property. A noise study in the EIR estimates levels could reach 80 decibels near outdoor thrill rides. The expansion area would be surrounded by 12-foot-tall noise barriers to dampen the sound.

Concept art of the westside site shows a central mountain surrounded by water with buildings interspersed on the south end of the property. A mountain ridge to the west separates the theme park from nearby neighborhoods.

The westside site links up with Downtown Disney near the former AMC Theater and shuttered ESPN Zone.

Concept art of the northern end of the westside site includes an Autopia-like car course and a Dumbo-like spinning ride.

The long-term planning proposal dangles six possible projects based on “Frozen,” “Tangled,” “Peter Pan,” “Zootopia,” “Toy Story” and “Tron” as the types of lands and attractions Anaheim is missing out on under current city planning and zoning guidelines.

Concept art for DisneylandForward features Disney theme park projects around the globe intended to provide a “flavor” of what future expansion could look like at the Disneyland resort. The projects presented included the Tangled, Frozen and Peter Pan themed lands at Tokyo Disneyland in Japan, the Zootopia themed land, Disneytown retail district and the Tron roller coaster at Shanghai Disneyland in China and Toy Story Land and Disney Springs shopping district at Walt Disney World in Florida.

A woman was arrested in San Pedro after intentionally hitting a pedestrian in a Target parking lot, then leading police on a pursuit that ended with a crash near Point Fermin Park on Sunday night, Oct. 1, according to authorities.

The vehicle was a U-Haul pickup truck.

After hitting the pedestrian, the woman drove toward a Los Angeles police officer, prompting the officer to fire at least one shot but no one was hit, said Officer Melissa Podany, a Los Angeles police spokeswoman.

The events began in the area of North Gaffey Street and West Capitol Drive in the parking lot at about 9:20 p.m., Podany said.

Police responded to a report of a child-custody dispute and arrived to find everyone involved, Podany said. At one point, the woman entered the pickup and “intentionally struck a pedestrian and left the scene,” she said.

Officers pursued her until the woman hit a tree near the park, Podany said. She was arrested without further incident.

Afterward, officers examined the U-Haul pickup truck, which had ended up against a tree. In the parking lot, yellow tape was strung about and there was a single evidence marker where the events began.

The pedestrian’s condition was not known.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

A 2,159-square-foot house built in 1997 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 4100 block of Pleasanton Avenue in Pleasanton was sold on Aug. 1, 2023. The $1,820,000 purchase price works out to $843 per square foot. This single-story house presents a roomy floor plan, featuring four bedrooms and three baths. In addition, the home includes a two-car garage, offering generous space for vehicles and storage requirements.

Additional houses that have recently been purchased close by include:

• On Winter Court, Pleasanton, in July 2023, a 2,180-square-foot home was sold for $2,150,000, a price per square foot of $986. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.
• In July 2022, a 2,966-square-foot home on Fall Court in Pleasanton sold for $2,150,000, a price per square foot of $725. The home has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.
• A 1,812-square-foot home on the 1000 block of Harvest Circle in Pleasanton sold in July 2022, for $1,577,500, a price per square foot of $871. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

The two U.S. Senate candidates from Southern California had similar messages after the governor announced his pick of Democratic strategist Laphonza Butler to fill Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat.

“I want to offer my congratulations to Laphonza Butler on her appointment. I look forward to working closely with her to get things done for California,” said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank.

“As a labor leader, Laphonza Butler has spent her career standing up for women and working families. … I look forward to fighting for California with her,” said Rep. Katie Porter, D-Irvine.

Newsom announced his pick of Butler — an advisor to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign and the leader of Emily’s List, a political organization that supports Democratic women who support abortion rights — Sunday evening. The longest-serving senator, Feinstein died on Thursday after a series of illnesses.

“I wish (Butler) well and look forward to working closely with her to deliver for the Golden State. I am singularly focused on winning my campaign for Senate,” Lee said on the social media platform X, which was formerly called Twitter.

California, the Oakland representative said, “deserves an experienced senator who will deliver on progressive priorities. That’s exactly what I’m running to do.”

Schiff said he is “glad the governor acted quickly with his appointment.”

And Porter, in her statement, noted: “She will be the third Black woman to serve in the Senate and will also be California’s first lesbian senator at a time when LGBTQ+ Americans are increasingly under attack.”

Butler is expected to be sworn in on Tuesday by Harris, the vice president, according to the Governor’s Office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

RIVERSIDE — A probationer accused of supplying a deadly dose of fentanyl to an 18-year-old Moreno Valley man was sentenced Monday to 22 years in prison.

Moisses Haro, 21, of Moreno Valley was arrested Oct. 20, 2022, following a months-long Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation.

Haro was originally charged with second-degree murder but ultimately convicted of voluntary manslaughter.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Ryan Marcuse, in the predawn hours of April 6, 2022, patrol deputies were summoned to the 22000 block of Downing Street, near Towngate Boulevard, to investigate reports of a comatose man in a residence.

Deputies and paramedics arrived within minutes and discovered Juan Jose Villasenor dead.

Marcuse said an autopsy ultimately determined the cause of death to be fentanyl poisoning. Central Homicide Unit detectives took over the investigation, eventually gathering sufficient evidence to identify Haro as the person “responsible for selling the fentanyl that killed Villasenor,” Marcuse alleged.

How Haro and the victim knew one another was not disclosed.

Haro was taken into custody without incident at his residence on Rotuberry Drive.

According to court records, Haro has prior convictions for assault with a firearm, illegal possession of a gun, driving under the influence and reckless driving.

The mother of a 1-year-old boy and a second suspect were arrested on suspicion of murder in Sugarloaf after a child with severe burns was found unresponsive and died Sunday, authorities said. Sugarloaf is a community in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Around 8 p.m., personnel from the Big Bear Fire Department responded to a report of a baby not breathing at a house on the 700 block of Santa Barbara Avenue. The child, identified as Henry Wheatley Brown, was unresponsive and suffered severe burns to his body, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release issued Monday evening.

Authorities arrested his mother, 33-year-old Samantha Garver of Sugarloaf, on suspicion of murder and an outstanding warrant out of Morongo Superior Court for child abuse without great bodily harm, jail records show. A Sugarloaf man, 32-year-old Sergio Mena, was also arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of the 1-year-old.

Information on any relationship between the two suspects, if known, was not immediately disclosed by the Sheriff’s Department.

EL SEGUNDO — For Lakers star LeBron James, the decision to return for a 21st NBA season wasn’t one he made hastily.

After contemplating his own basketball mortality in a way that’s rarely seen publicly after the Lakers were swept in last season’s Western Conference finals, James needed time.

Time to not only refresh the 38-year-old body that has accumulated 65,747 combined NBA minutes in the regular season and playoffs – the second most in league history behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (66,297) – but also his mind.

James used that time the way many around the NBA do during the offseason: putting the focus on his family.

It was while James was coaching his younger son’s (Bryce) AAU team alongside former Lakers teammate Rajon Rondo during the Nike EYBL Peach Jam in early July that James felt he was getting out of what he referred to as a “funk.”

“Just seeing the love and just seeing the – they just play for the love of the game,” James said during the Lakers’ preseason media day on Monday. “And being around all of those kids with our AAU program, they were just out there competing and just wanting to win. It had nothing to do with social media clicks or money or fame or none of that stuff. They were just playing to be able to be able to put themselves in a position to possibly win Peach Jam. Just seeing that kind of got me going a little bit.”

Not too long after that, James publicly announced he’d be back for at least one more season.

“I had a conversation with my family, [a] conversation with myself,” James said. “Getting inspired once again from my kids. And then I feel like I got a lot more in the tank to give.”

A tank that needed to be refilled after telling reporters in late May that he had “a lot to think about” when it came to his future with basketball.

“At that moment … I was exhausted. I was tired. Mentally, I was in too many different places,” James said. “And that’s what drew that comment. Because that’s just how I felt at the moment. But I’m happy to be returning for another season and helping this team, hopefully, get this team to the Finals.”

“I mean, I feel different. I’m not a 21-year-old, that’s for sure. Feels a little different getting out of bed every day. But as far as my energy level, I feel pretty good.”

To the Lakers’ brass, how James has prepared for the 2023-24 season is no different from what they’ve seen from him before.

“It’s staggering for a player who has 20 years under the hood already and is preparing for 21 like he’s a rookie,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said last week. “He’s been doing 6 a.m. workouts. Probably been in our building as much as any player this offseason.

“Any team LeBron’s played for, it’s been pretty uniform that his work sets the tone. There has been nothing but an increase in seeing that here. That really puts a spirit in our entire group to see him preparing that detailed and working that hard.”

James said “a lot” of his offseason was also spent rehabbing the right foot which he tore a right tendon in, resulting in a 13-game absence from Feb. 28-March 24. He played the final eight regular-season games and all 16 of their playoff games, but he was clearly limited physically.

“My foot has been reacting very well on my offseason workouts,” James added. Looking forward to seeing how it reacts during training camp and all preseason going into the regular season. Excited to see where I am as it stands.”

He doesn’t know what his future will look like beyond where this Lakers’ season takes him.

James, a three-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist who hasn’t played for Team USA since 2012, expressed interest in playing for the U.S. in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games but didn’t make a commitment.

“We’ll see what happens,” James said. “As far as physical toll, I don’t know, we’ll see how I feel at the end of the season. But from the players that we have here that I can think of off of the top of my head that could fill that roster up, I don’t think it would be too much of a physical toll. But we’ll see, we’ll see what happens.”

As for whether there’s any part of James that could see this being the last season he plays, he remained unsure.

“Um, I don’t know. I don’t know,” James said. “I’m happy right now. I’m excited. I’m looking forward to [Tuesday] and getting training camp going and getting going. But I don’t know what the end of this road looks like, or at the end of the season.”

.@kingjames breaks down his mindset heading into year 21 and expectations for the #LakeShow. pic.twitter.com/LpLUsvVNtK

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 2, 2023

“There's no mistake about what our goal is, but you can't talk about and constantly focus on the destination without first embarking on the journey.” Darvin Ham speaks on the expectations of greatness in the organization. pic.twitter.com/w5H9EmTFbS

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 2, 2023