Fremont

By Joseph Geha | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group October 10, 2018 at 10:01 am The Fremont City Council is about to join the growing list of cities banning restaurants, bars and cafes from offering plastic straws to patrons. The council voted 4-0 to direct staff to draft an ordinance that would regulate the distribution of straws and possibly other “single-use” plastics such as drink stirrers. Councilman Rick Jones was absent. The draft ordinance is to be presented to the City Council for consideration in about six months, city staff said. Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law last month that will prohibit full-service restaurants from automatically handing out plastic straws unless requested by the customer. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2019. Called AB 1884, the law would affect about 130 restaurants in Fremont, according to Ken Pianin, the city’s solid waste manager. While city staff recommended the council enact the same restrictions as the … [Read more...] about Plastic straw ban could be coming to Fremont

NOVI Energy’s Fremont Community Digester occurred on October 10. The project, which will convert 100,000 tons of organic waste to electricity annually, will sell 3 MW of electricity to Consumers Energy. The levelized price for the electricity will be 14.08 cents/kWh. The $22 million project secured a loan guaranty through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Biorefinery Assistance Program. This will be the first large-scale anaerobic digester in the U.S. to take organic waste from multiple waste streams. It will produce biogas as fuel for two reciprocating engine generators. … [Read more...] about Start-up for Biodigester in Fremont

Afghan Americans Were Targeted for Name Calling and Threats, Agency ChargedFremont,  Calif., car dealership Fremont Toyota agreed to pay $400,000 and implement training for the dealership’s  management staff to settle a federal  discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity  Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today. The EEOC’s lawsuit charged that Fremont Toyota’s general manager singled out four Afghan American  salesmen during a staff meeting, calling them “terrorists” and threatening them  with violence.  After the men reported  the harassment, they faced retaliation by the car dealership, such as  additional verbal harass­ment and extra job scrutiny.  Finally, the salesmen felt they had no option  but to resign.  An Afghan-American  manager was also fired from his job after he spoke up for the four salesmen.  "The irony of this matter … [Read more...] about Fremont Toyota Pays $400,000 to Settle EEOC’s Harassment and Retaliation Lawsuit

A bull rider was injured Saturday evening during a competition in Fremont, one of the show’s organizers said.The rider appeared to have been kicked or stepped on when the bull bucked him off near the chutes at Christensen Field Indoor Arena about 8:10 p.m., said Lt. Kyle Woodgate of the North Bend Volunteer Fire Department, which was on duty at the Fremont Bull Riding Classic.The rider, believed to be 19 years old, was taken by medical helicopter to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. His condition at the hospital was not immediately available. He was conscious and talking at the arena, Woodgate said. The man’s injuries included cuts and scrapes to his face and upper body and possibly more serious injuries, the fire lieutenant said. The rider had been wearing a helmet and face guard.The two-night bull riding event, which has been held annually in Fremont for 24 years, concluded Saturday. The contest paused for about 20 minutes Saturday after the injury, while paramedics … [Read more...] about Bull rider injured during competition in Fremont, taken to Omaha hospital

Faron Wickett feared that his son had broken his neck when he was bucked off a 1,500-pound bull that then stomped on the young man’s head.Fortunately his neck was not injured, but Austin Wickett, 19, did break his jaw Saturday during the last day of the Fremont Bull Riding Classic, his father said. He was flown by medical helicopter to an Omaha hospital.Austin, who graduated last year from Pierce (Nebraska) High School, underwent jaw surgery Sunday at the Nebraska Medical Center and was released Monday, his father said. Faron Wickett said doctors told him his son was fortunate that his injuries weren’t more severe.“It was a very close call,” he said.His son’s sinus cavity was fractured, but it did not require surgery and will heal on its own, the father said. The 19-year-old also received stitches for a gash on his chin.Wickett credits the rodeo helmet and face guard his son was wearing for reducing his injuries. Doctors said his son did not suffer a … [Read more...] about Bull rider, 19, undergoes surgery after 1,500-pound bull stomps on his head at Fremont competition