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 (JIM STEVENS) Concord 'Mystery Man' gave away groceries to shake the blues The 'Mystery Man' of Concord came forward this week to talk about why he used a big chunk of his last paycheck after being laid off to buy $600 in groceries for customers at a local market: Michael Simas, 33, said he was "trying to take a lousy day and make it a good day. And it worked." |
 Property taxes could pay for $25 billion Delta tunnels without public vote The Santa Clara Valley Water District, Metropolitan Water District and others have the authority to raise property taxes without the usual two-thirds requirement under Proposition 13 -- and may use it to fund Gov. Jerry Brown's Delta tunnels plan. |
 ( ) Couple's West Coast crime spree detailed in testimony about Hercules slaying Husband and wife charged with jail break, carjackings and murder of retired Hercules teacher before their arrest near Seattle |
 ( ) California whooping cough epidemic: Latinos vigilant about vaccinating children Latinos who live in southern Santa Cruz County have higher vaccination rates and a dramatically lower incidence of whooping cough than the more affluent white population in the northern end of the county, according to data reported by schools and the county health department. |
LOCAL NEWS  BART to consider rules on free lifetime transit passes for board members Director Joe Keller wants to limit free lifetime passes to BART directors who have served 10 years in office. |
Celebrities  (Photo by Robin HarperParkwood Entertainment/AP Images) See Photo: Beyonce denies divorce rumors via Instagram Singers posts photo of her and Jay Z with their daughter, trying to end speculation that her marriage will end after summer tour. |
SPORTS  (D. ROSS CAMERON) Raiders training camp preview: Optimism abounds Oakland Raiders' Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen have reason to feel invigorated. |
Spotlight  (
STEPHEN CHERNIN
) Billy Joel: His Top 10 songs of all time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Billy Joel will be honored with Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in November. |
BUSINESS  (Alan Diaz) Apple's mixed bag: Profits beat expectations, but sales disappoint  Those looking for a clear indication of Apple's future direction didn't get it Tuesday when the company reported its fiscal third-quarter earnings. |
 This barren, desert prison is where O.J. Simpson lives  Some here call it the 'O.J. House,' the only gated community in a vast stretch of desert rich in gold and silver, pioneer trails and proud, isolated towns north of Reno. |
(
STEPHEN CHERNIN
) Billy Joel: His Top 10 songs of all time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Billy Joel will be honored with Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in November. |
(Photo by Robin HarperParkwood Entertainment/AP Images) See Photo: Beyonce denies divorce rumors via Instagram Singers posts photo of her and Jay Z with their daughter, trying to end speculation that her marriage will end after summer tour. |
 (
JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO
) Kawakami: Kaepernick shoulders blame for loss  Colin Kaepernick's late-game interception allows the Seattle Seahawks to hold off the San Francisco 49ers and advance to the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos |
 (
Nhat V. Meyer
) Purdy: Brutal heavyweight fight went way of Seahawks This was a wicked, awful, exhausting game for both the 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. |
 (
JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO
) Thompson: 49ers defense shows fight even after Bowman injury The San Francisco 49ers defense was not as dominant as it needed to be Sunday. But when things looked most bleak against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game, the defense got the ball back to the offense with a chance to win. Twice. Even without the unit's best player. |
