Thursday Afternoon News Roundup

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, accuses Oakland of trademark infringement for its not yet effectuated plan to change the name of Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to "San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport."

The suit alleges that San Francisco holds federally registered trademarks on the name of its airport, and that Oakland's new name would infringe those marks. Chiu requests an injunction against Oakland and its agents (including airlines, rental car and travel booking companies) from using the name in connection with any products or services or in marketing or advertising materials.

While the commission voted unanimously in favor of the name change at a meeting on April 11, that vote was only on the first reading of the ordinance and was not the official adoption of the proposed name. The final vote was postponed by the commission until May 9 in order to give it more time to talk with stakeholders, though Chiu says Oakland isn't talking to SFO.

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Someone was killed Thursday morning on westbound Interstate Highway 580 in Livermore in a multi-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle and two big rigs, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A CHP dispatcher said the crash happened west of Livermore Avenue. Authorities did not say which vehicle the victim was in.

CHP received the first call at 9:06 a.m. Up to five lanes of traffic were closed for more than two hours after the crash.

The CHP said witnesses told them a Mercedes-Benz and a small gray Nissan were also involved in the crash, which a witness captured on their dash camera.

The coroner was called at 9:30 a.m. All lanes were reopened as of 11:19 a.m.

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A shooting in Stockton early Thursday morning left a gas station employee dead, police said.

Officers responded at 1:42 a.m. to the Arco gas station with an AM/PM store in the 4800 block of East 99 Frontage Road on a report of a person shot.

Police said when officers arrived, they found a 50-year-old man who had been struck by gunfire. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and his name has not yet been released.

According to preliminary information from police, multiple suspects had entered the gas station store and began to rob the business. At some point during the robbery, an altercation ensued between the employee and the suspects that resulted in the employee being shot.

Police said the suspects fled the area in a vehicle and there is not any releasable information about them yet.

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta marked National Fair Housing Month at a public address in Oakland on Thursday, as the state Legislature considers whether to strengthen his enforcement powers over cities.

Bonta was surrounded by residents and small business owners at Casa Suenos, a new 181-unit affordable housing development. It was built through a partnership with nonprofit developers Bridge Housing and The Unity Council. The project is part of a mixed-use development adjacent to BART called the Fruitvale Transit Village.

Under current law, every city and county in California must periodically update its housing element to show the state its plans to allow enough homes to be built to meet demand. California's Department of Housing and Community Development is authorized to notify the attorney general when it tells cities and counties they are in violation of the law.

Local governments in violation of the housing law receive a court order to comply, and they have 60 days to bring their housing elements into compliance before getting hit with a monetary penalty.

But that penalty might change with a new bill that could come into effect Jan. 1, 2025 if approved by the Legislature. Senate Bill 1037, which is scheduled for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, would subject governments to new fines.

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Despite San Francisco canceling its official 4/20 event in Golden Gate Park this year, people will still show up. And the Church of Ambrosia said it will be ready for them.

The group said Thursday it's collaborating with Haight-Ashbury merchants and nonprofit groups to provide support services.

The church is a nondenominational, interfaith religious organization supporting use and safe access to all entheogenic plants, with a focus on cannabis and magic mushrooms.

Pastor Dave Hodges said in a statement that he expects thousands of people to be there Saturday.

The church said, along with nonprofit groups, it will provide a basic "safety net" of necessary services such as water, medical aid, portable toilets, trash pickup, and more.

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BART will run its legacy fleet of rail cars for the last time on Saturday.

According to the transit agency, there will be a celebration event at MacArthur station in Oakland that will open to the public starting around noon. There will be a raffle of memorabilia, BART merchandise sales, food trucks, activity tables, and more.

The event will be followed by the last runs of the legacy cars along the original stretch of BART tracks connecting MacArthur station in Oakland to the Fremont station. Attendees will need to pay the regular BART fare for their ride.

There will be three trains for the event. The first train to depart will be an express train for VIPs and others who want a faster ride. It will run from MacArthur station to Bay Fair station and back without any stops.

The other two trains will run from MacArthur Station to Fremont Station and will make all stops.

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Traffic safety improvements could be coming soon to San Francisco's busy West Portal transit hub in the wake of a collision that killed a family of four in March.

The family -- Diego Cardoso de Oliveira and Matilde Ramos Pinto, their 2-year-old son Joaquin and infant Caue Ramos Pinto de Oliveira -- all died after being struck by an SUV while waiting at a bus stop at Ulloa Street and Lenox Way on March 16.

On Thursday, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency director Jeffrey Tumlin, San Francisco Supervisor Myrna Melgar and project supervisor Liz Brisson announced the proposed improvements to the area.

A key aspect of the project is the elimination of all left turns in the intersections defined by West Portal Avenue, Ulloa Street, Lenox Way and Claremont Boulevard in order to protect pedestrians since about 40 percent of the city's traffic deaths are a result of drivers turning left and hitting people trying to cross the street, according to the SFMTA.

Planners hope to bring the project to the SFMTA board for consideration in May or early June and initial improvements could be built out by the end of this summer.

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