• On Christmas Eve, two hikers had to be rescued by a helicopter after descending from a cliff to a beach in the Marin Headlands and getting stuck when the tide started to rise, according to California Highway Patrol’s Air Operations unit. CHP said on Facebook that its helicopter picked up and dropped a male and a female off — unharmed — with firefighters nearby. [KRON4]
  • The pilot of a small plane suffered serious injuries after the plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Livermore late Saturday afternoon, fire officials said. Only the pilot, whose condition is unknown presently, was aboard the plane at time, and the cause of the crash is also unknown at this time. [Chronicle]
  • Merry Christmas to all, especially the eight-year-old San Jose boy whose dancing went viral after a video of him during his school's winter concert received thousands of views. Thanks to that, elementary schooler Jaden Williams was invited to perform at yesterday’s Christmas Eve 49ers game — and maybe was a good luck charm too, because he not only wowed the crowd, but the 49ers also won once again, extending their win streak to eight games. [ABC7 / SFist]
  • All of the members of local Bay Area thrash metal band, Hemorage, are set to make a full recovery after a reckless driver slammed into their tour bus in SF’s SOMA district in the wee hours of Christmas Eve. The group has set up a GoFundMe to seek community help to cover bills, as band members say their bus is totaled and gear is damaged. [ABC7]
  • As the year ends, Gov. Gavin Newsom granted 10 pardons Friday, several of which granted clemency for those convicted of drug crimes more than two decades ago. In his tenure since 2019, Newsom has granted a total of 140 pardons, 123 commutations and 35 reprieves. [AP News]
  • The monster storm sweeping across most of the United States has reportedly claimed more than 30 lives. After a weekend of relatively mild weather in the Bay Area, an atmospheric river is set to track through the region starting Dec. 27, potentially bringing up to 4 inches. [Mercury News / ABC7]

Image of SF City Hall via Flickr/zoxcleb under Creative Commons.