Free Republic

CALAVERAS COUNTY, Calif. — The Calaveras Unified School District is clarifying the timeline of Monday’s chaotic school bus incident, saying its review of bus video shows the situation began escalating within minutes of the bus arriving at its designated stop. “Based on our review of the bus video footage, the bus was stopped for approximately four minutes while the driver addressed concerning student behavior, reviewed bus expectations, and asked students to calm down,” the district said. “During that time, a student exited the bus through a window.” A 12-year-old student who was on the bus told KCRA 3 that students...

LINDEN - Skull fragments, 300 bones of all sizes and personal items - an engraved woman's ring, a purse, a sandal - were pulled this weekend from the depths of an old well east of Linden. By Sunday afternoon, a mass grave in eastern San Joaquin County was taking shape. The grisly discoveries began to surface just as convicted serial killer Wesley Shermantine promised. The death row inmate - in letters to The Record - had called the site "Loren's boneyard" long before county Sheriff's deputies started digging a massive pit next to Flood Road. Shermantine, 45, wrote that Loren...

ANGELS CAMP, Calif. -- A carnival ride collapsed Friday evening at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds, injuring 18 people. A swing ride called the Yo-Yo collapsed just after 6 p.m., Cal Fire's Lisa Williams said. According to witnesses, 25 people were on the ride at the time. The Yo-Yo has arms that fling out as they spin around an axis, said Dennis Townsend, a chief in the Calaveras County unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE In response to Tuesday evening’s magnitude-5.6 earthquake near the junction of the Calaveras and Hayward faults, the following statement was issued by the California Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council, a panel of scientists chaired by the State Geologist that advises the Director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) on the scientific validity of earthquake forecasts and seismic activity in areas where damaging earthquakes have occurred in the past. “A magnitude 5.6 earthquake occurred at 8:05 Tuesday evening (30 October 2007). The earthquake occurred near the junction of the Calaveras and Hayward faults in the southern San...