Drunk drivers. They're the scum on the Earth, right? Right. Well, what about if you're a drunk driver who gets in a car with your daughter and then crashes into a fire house? You make for a good news story, that's what. Lasheena Cardona, 36, was behind the wheel of a big ol' GMC Yukon on Monday night "when it slammed into the front of station No. 27 at 1801 DeAnza Blvd." more ›

This just in: a tornado warning has been issued for the San Mateo County Coast. Cool! (Can we say that?) San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services send out the following alerts at around 11:15 a.m.: "The Callifornia Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for the San Mateo County Coast. Tornado Approaching San Mateo County Coast. Please be alert and seek shelter." more ›

A mischievous San Mateo teen tried and failed multiple times to extort local drivers by impersonating a police officer and threatening them with speeding tickets. 19 year old Alex Grabovetsky used a siren and flashing red lights mounted on his mother's teal pickup truck to pull over drivers in Millbrae and on the 101 near SFO in early December. more ›

On Skyline Boulevard in San Mateo County on Sunday, three motorcyclists were shot with pellet guns. Facing blame are a pair of teens -- scary teens! -- "accused of using the motorists for target practice." The two boys had "allegedly been shooting at birds in the area and decided to take aim at drivers from behind a row of trees." The motorized cyclists will be fine. No word yet if the kids will face charges. [CBS 5] more ›

Two unrelated people were killed late Saturday night after being struck by multiple cars, causing all but two lanes of 101 to remain closed most of the day on Sunday. An allegedly intoxicated woman, who had been driving northbound in the southbound lanes of 101 in San Mateo at 3 a.m. Sunday morning, pulled over near the East Poplar Avenue exit and got out of her car. A male driver saw her and stopped to help her (perhaps she was stumbling around), and the two were struck by a limousine and thrown into the northbound lanes where they were struck by several more cars. According to the CHP, the extent of the crash site spanned 3,000 feet. [Chron] more ›

We never had the chance to attend the prom during our halcyon high school days, but wish we had. It turns out, if the post-prom festivities at at the Marriot Hotel on South Amphlett Blvd. are any indication, it's quite the exciting event. See, early Sunday morning, police responded to several reports of multiple stabbings at the San Mateo hotel that hosted the prom and several prom parties. "When police arrived at the hotel’s parking lot, they discovered four males, between 16 and 19- years-old, all with stab wounds." more ›

SFGate (who have recently installed a glorious 'box of alarm' on their homepage similar to CBS 5) alerts us to the fact that Highway 101 has been shut down in both directions "to allow utility workers to repair downed power lines." The highway is expected to be open for traffic any second now. more ›

An Oakland woman sits in jail this morning on suspicion of murdering her 2-year-old daughter. Tiffany Lopez, 19, who is three months pregnant and was arrested on child endangerment charges in December, is alleged to have suffocated "Kamilah in their second-floor apartment on the 2800 block of High Street." Initially telling investigators that she accidentally sat on her daughter, the Mary Jones-esuqe mom went on to tell police that "she had become frustrated with her daughter." more ›

Local kook Stanley Hilton is suing San Francisco International Airport for $15 million for creating noise and smog that led to his divorce. He's also suing the real estate agent for selling him the San Mateo county house in 2003 for $1.4 million, saying that everything went down hill after he and his wife moved there. Hilton is representing himself in the case, and despite being an experienced trial lawyer, he was "deemed ineligible" to practice law back in August, right around the time he sued a building for $20 million after he got stuck in an elevator. Needless to say, 85% of NBC Bay Area readers are laughing at him. more ›

Students and employees at Hillsdale High School at 3115 Del Monte Street in San Mateo were evacuated to nearby Abbot Missle School. According to the CHP, there are reports of a pipe bomb inside the high school. KRON 4 reports that a suspect has been arrested. more ›

The San Mateo area has played host to all sorts of wackiness as of late. Take, for example, the 8-year-old boy who was approached by a strange man in the area of El Camino Real and East Santa Inez Avenue at about 6:15 p.m. on Saturday. See, said strange man "pulled alongside him and asked him to get into the car," but the smart kid said no. According to BCN, "[t]he driver was described as a black man around 30 years old with a medium build and short hair. He was wearing an orange shirt, shorts and a green visor. The vehicle was described as a black compact car, according to police." Know this creep or saw what happened? Please call San Mateo police at 650-522-7676. Also, Sheriff's Deputies in San Mateo County have warned residents to be on the lookout for "suspicious looking soda bottles, after a series of acid bomb explosions." Crude acid bombs, it seems, have been discovered "in three locations in Redwood City and Belmont." more ›

At the risk of sounding like Cathy at the height of her menstruation cycle, we just love us some raw cookie dough. Mmm. It even has its very own ice cream, which should attest to the pre-baked dessert's popularity. But, whenever we reached for the cookie dough bowl in our youth, our mother would gently remind us that raw cookie dough contains raw eggs. Raw eggs that would KILL US DEAD. So, when you eat the stuff, it's at your own risk. more ›

Caltrain has claimed the life of another pedestrian in two weeks. This morning, a man was struck at the San Mateo station. According to reports, "he collision happened at 6:43 a.m. when southbound train No. 206 struck the man who Caltrain characterized as a trespasser on the tracks near 25th Avenue." It is not yet know whether or not this most recent fatality was an accident or suicide. Northbound and southbound trains are operating at normal speed, but you can "expect delays of 45-60 minutes" today. If you recall, a man and a woman, in separate incidents, sat down on the tracks at the San Antonio station earlier this month. more ›

Thinking about going to the Maker Faire? You know, the adult science fair? You should. It's loads of fun. Don't believe us? Check out SFist's partner in binge drinking, the brilliant Nate Halverson over at the Press Democrat, who gives you a glimpse into the DIY science, technology, engineering, arts and crafts fun happening this weekend. So go. Now. more ›

We're a little late to this story, in part because we spent all day yesterday trying to separate out the hilarious comments from the offensive ones on SFGate.com (it looks like the homophobic ones have already been taken out as of today) -- but in a nutshell, last Friday, Lance Farber, the 47-year-old boyfriend of the city's new planning director John Rahaim trashed their temporary apartment, which the city put them up in and which is located in the ceremonial fire chief's house in downtown SF. more ›

State Senator Leland Yee introduced a bill in the State Legislature this morning that, if passed, would see traffic fines double for violations occurring along the deadly strip of San Francisco road known as 19th Avenue. (Shudder.) more ›

By cutting a hole in a fence at the Hillcrest Juvenile Hall in San Mateo, an 17-year-old murder suspect and alleged gang member escaped to sweet freedom this last night. Awaiting trial this May, he is accused of a murder three years ago in Redwood City. more ›

Making her move at juuust the right time, Jackie Speier is a shoo-in to fill Tom Lantos' seat by April 8 if she gathers a majority of votes in a special, pre-primary election. But first, according to the Merc: more ›

Congressman Tom Lantos died this morning from esophageal cancer at the age of 80. He represented most of the Sunset, as well as a big chunk of San Mateo County. He was the only survivor of the Holocaust to be elected to Congress, and worked for years on human rights issues. That said, he ticked off quite a few people locally by supporting the Iraq war, although he had recently been pretty critical of the way things were going Over There. Before he died, he endorsed State Sen. Jackie Speier as his successor - no word yet on whether the Governator will decide to hold a special election (that would be our fourth of the year if he does) to replace him. more ›

Next Thursday is Valentine's Day. And the pressure is on, couples of the Bay Area, especially for those of you approaching the seven-year-itch mark. Really, this Valentine's Day could be a make-or-break kind of day. That fragile house of cards that you call a relationship can come crashing down around you like...that. In just one day. Something to think about, folks. more ›

The body of the TGI Friday's manager--whose was found earlier this week by an employee inside the restaurant, making this San Mateo's first homicide since 2006--was identified as Douglas Castello, 36, "a mild-mannered guy with an infectious laugh." Reports claim that he was bludgeoned to death by a "blunt force type object." He was reportedly heading down the road toward marriage just before his death, "shopping for a promise ring in two weeks and had already bought tickets for an April cruise in Mexico," according to his choked-up girlfriend, Laura Johnson, 45. more ›

• On Friday night at around 11:30 p.m., the intersection of Leavenworth and O'Farrell played host to a shooting. It seems that shots were fired from one car into another, leaving two males seriously injured. No deaths, no arrests. Not to be outdone, Hyde and Turk set the stage for a stabbing on Sunday, 2:20 a.m. The victim was rushed to SFGH. Again: no death, no arrests.
• San Mateo saw its first homicide since 2006. A TGI Friday's employee found the dead body of their manager this morning inside the local chain. Located at 3101 El Camino Real across from the Hillsdale Shopping Center, detectives aren't exactly sure what happened. Although Marji Fields--a regular of the fine-dining establishment--tells the Gate that over the last month they have witnessed "'horrible altercations happening with a lot of the younger crowd...[t]he 20- and 21-year-olds, they come in and they get real stupid." Tell me about it, Marji.
• Speaking of rapscallions, be careful how you answer the next time one of them tries to bum a smoke off you. Over in Contra Costa County this morning, a teenager allegedly shot a Bay Point man twice after the victim refused to give the teen a cancer stick. Charming. The victim, a man in his 40s, is listed in stable condition.

Starting today, eight Bay Area shelters are offering free spaying/neutering to pit bull owners. Although a few shelters, such as the East Bay SPCA offer the free service year-round, the organizers of Bay Area Pit Fix Week are hoping that by offering spaying/neutering this week, the lives of thousands of pit bulls (and the people they otherwise might maul if not for being fixed) will be spared. more ›

Photos of wipeouts only fron the Maverick's Surf Contest more ›

Photos from this year's Maverick's surf contest. more ›

Denied. more ›

News from the non-Nancy Pelosi side of the San Francisco House of Representatives delegation -- Tom Lantos, the fourteen-term representative for the Sunset, along with northern San Mateo County, has announced that he will not be seeking reelection, because he's been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Jackie "Jonestown survivor" Speier is considered the early favorite to fill Lantos's seat, and reliable object of fun Leland Yee is reported to be considering a run as well. more ›

Other than hawking some of the cheapest yet most breakable electronics around, we simply refuse to believe that Walgreen's can do wrong. Just walking thought their aisles of colorful and affordable products makes us giddy. Well, at least we thought that they were affordable. more ›

The Mavericks surf contest waiting period will start soon more ›

The sands of Marin and San Mateo have officially reopened to the public. (We recommend hitting the beach in the fall. There's something luxurious about walking on the beach, bundled up in winter clothing.) What's more, 50 wild birds have been cleaned up and released at Pillar Point Yacht Harbor at Half Moon Bay. But what's worse, "the spill has cost the U.S. government $1.4 million, money spent on operations by the Coast Guard,... more ›