By Kate Brumback | Associated Press

ATLANTA — The Georgia judge overseeing the election subversion case against former President Donald Trump and others declined a request to revoke the bond of one of the defendants but did impose stricter bond conditions after prosecutors complained about his social media posts that mentioned witnesses and co-defendants.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis made a rare appearance in the courtroom to argue for the revocation of the bond of Harrison Floyd, who was a leader in the organization Black Voices for Trump. Floyd was one of 18 people accused along with the former president of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally try to overturn the 2020 election.

Willis filed a motion last week asking Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to revoke Floyd’s bond. In her first in-person appearance in this case since the indictment, she argued in court that Floyd has been attempting to intimidate and contact likely witnesses and his co-defendants in violation of the terms of his release.

Floyd’s lawyers argued that his social media posts are constitutionally protected speech and that he was in no way trying communicate with or intimidate any witness or co-defendant.

McAfee said there is no constitutional right to bail and that bond orders can contain conditions that curtail a defendant’s rights, but he also noted that people are generally allowed to publicly criticize the merits of the case but cannot cross a line. He said Floyd appears “very boldly willing to explore where that line is” in this case.

McAfee said he did believe there had been a “technical violation” of Floyd’s bond conditions but that not all violations merit revocation.

McAfee said he didn’t believe that Floyd’s posts amounted to intimidation, pointing out that they didn’t include posting of personal information or any explicit wording that something should be done about the people he mentioned. But he said the question was much closer when it comes to whether Floyd was trying to directly or directly communicate with witnesses or codefendants, noting that the people did end up seeing his posts.

“I think the public safety interests raised as a result of today’s hearing indicate that his actions have a consequence,” the judge said.

After discussion with the lawyers, and over some objections from Floyd’s attorneys, McAfee signed a modified bond order proposed by prosecutors.

The new bond conditions say Floyd shall have “no contact” with or do anything to intimidate any co-defendant, witness or person named in the indictment. They also prohibit him from making any public statement about any of those people and from posting anything about them or contacting them in any way on social media. That includes not interacting with a post by any other user that would violate the order if he had been the one who posted it.

Floyd attorney Chris Kachouroff complained that the order would effectively “muzzle” his client. McAfee said rushing to modify the order while sitting there could cause problems but that he was open to modifying the terms in the coming weeks.

“I think what the judge did was fair,” Kachouroff said after the hearing. “I don’t like it, but he’s within the realm of reason.”

The charges against Floyd relate to allegations of harassment toward Ruby Freeman, a Fulton County election worker who had been falsely accused of election fraud by Trump and his Republican supporters. Floyd took part in a Jan. 4, 2021, conversation in which Freeman was told she “needed protection” and was pressured to lie and say she had participated in election fraud, the indictment says.

Floyd was among 18 people charged along with Trump and accused of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally try to keep the Republican incumbent in power even after he lost the presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden.

Four defendants have pleaded guilty after reaching a deal with prosecutors that includes a promise to testify in any trials in the case. Trump and the others have pleaded not guilty. No trial date has been set, but Willis last week asked McAfee to set it for Aug. 5, 2024.

Floyd was the only defendant in the case who spent time in jail after his indictment because he’s the only one who didn’t have a lawyer reach an agreement on bond conditions before he turned himself in at the Fulton County Jail. The conditions of his release include not communicating directly or indirectly about the facts of the case with any of his co-defendants or any known witnesses.

Willis stressed that her concern was protecting witnesses and making sure the defendants get a fair trial.

“He can publicly criticize me all he wants. I don’t value his opinion. It doesn’t matter,” Willis said. “But what he may not do is publicly do things that intimidate witnesses, and so that needs to be clear.”

She called three witnesses during Tuesday’s hearing — an investigator in her office, a high-ranking official in the Georgia secretary of state’s office and an attorney for Freeman. She walked them through numerous posts Floyd had made on social media.

The investigator testified that he had communicated with a lawyer for Jenna Ellis, a co-defendant who pleaded guilty last month. The lawyer said Ellis had seen Floyd’s post accusing her of lying and believed that it was meant to harass or intimidate her or to encourage others to do so.

Gabriel Sterling, a top secretary of state’s office official who strenuously defended the legitimacy of the state’s 2020 vote count against Trump’s false claims that he won said he had seen Floyd’s posts insulting him and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. But he said posts like that are “par for the course” for a public official.

Freeman’s lawyer, Von Dubose, said a service his team pays to monitor threats to Freeman and her daughter had noticed a spike in such activity related to Floyd’s posts. Floyd’s attorneys disputed that the threat activity in that report could be reasonably attributed to his posts.

They also noted that while Trump’s bond order specifically puts limits on certain social media posts as part of his bond conditions, Floyd’s does not. They argued that Floyd’s posts were protected speech and that attempting to communicate with anyone by tagging them on social media is analogous to shouting to someone across a crowded stadium. They also argued that Floyd didn’t attack Freeman and views her as a favorable witness for his defense.

SALINAS – Alvarado on Main, the first-floor dining and drinking establishment in the six-story Art Deco-designed bank-turned-apartment building at 301 Main Street in Oldtown Salinas, is celebrating its first anniversary with the opening of a new lounge on its mezzanine level.

“We felt the mezzanine area was underutilized when the ‘lounge’ setup was originally downstairs near the entrance of the restaurant,” said J.C. Hill, co-founder and head brewer, in an email. “It has such an awesome bird’s eye view of the action below and a unique lens on all the deco-style interior detail of the building.”

Alvarado on Main is the offshoot of Alvarado Street Brewery in Monterey and incorporates original design elements from nearly a century ago that sets an impressive tone to the popular spot with its original frieze-detailed soaring ceilings, wall treatments and reliefs, and grand chandeliers fashioned from lighting found in the original foyer.

The interior plays a big supporting role in the ambiance of Alvarado on Main and moving the lounge from the front of the restaurant to the mezzanine takes it to a new level.

“The vibe is really chill – very quiet and comfortable,” said Hill about the upstairs lounge. “We wanted to curate a more informal experience in the mezz space – one where guests can come up and leisurely control the flow of their food & beverage, so we felt a counter-service setup was appropriate and keeps the atmosphere relaxed.”

The opening of the mezzanine lounge allows for the addition of more tables – about thirty seats – in the bustling 140-seat main dining area which is on full display from the upper lounge space. The mezzanine lounge seats about 20, but there is sit, stand, and mingle room for up to 40 people comfortably, added Hill. The aim is to provide a space to enjoy with friends, a date, or a private event.

“We essentially moved that entire (lounge) area up to the mezzanine, and replaced the downstairs/entrance area with more tables,” said Hill. “We found that on busy days, we’d go on a wait pretty fast. This additional seating helps reduce wait times on busier days.”

The mezzanine lounge features six draught beers from Alvarado Street Brewery, as well as some of its more popular cocktails. A curated menu featuring oysters and small bites keeps it casual, but for private events the options are wide-ranging.

The new mezzanine lounge in Alvarado on Main in Salinas is now open every Thursday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to closing and reservations are not required.

In the year since it first opened, the restaurant-bar has been a hot spot for those looking to sample from its 48 tap-handle custom 8-inch cast iron draft system that serves as the centerpiece of its bar. A modern handcrafted beer selection works with the menu of dishes using local ingredients designed by Chef de Cuisine Jordan Roots that highlights the bounty of the Salinas Valley.

Alvarado Street Brewery was founded by father-son duo John and J.C. Hill in March of 2014 starting as a neighborhood brewery restaurant in Downtown Monterey and evolving into four locations dedicated to serving Monterey county’s locals and visitors.

Its production brewery & tasting room opened in the Spreckels Junction area of Salinas in 2016. In early 2018, it opened its research and development pilot brewery and bistro in Carmel, known as the “Stro.” In 2022, it opened Alvarado on Main in Oldtown Salinas.

Alvarado Street breweries collectively dabble in a little bit of everything, but are best known for brewing progressive, hop forward ales that span the range of hazy and West Coast-style IPAs, according to the company. It also favors some crisp, clean lagers too and heavily fruited sour ales. Its sister brand, Yeast of Eden, is known for mixed culture sour ales – often barrel-aged – employing native microflora and hyper local ingredients to create beers of complexity and nuance, evoking a sense of time and place.

A covered bridge dating back to the 1800s in Pennslyvania will be closed until further notice after a tractor-trailer ran into it on Monday.

Two people were killed and two were injured in a shooting at a Pajaro bar early Tuesday morning.

According to Monterey County Undersheriff Keith Boyd, deputies responded to El Torero Bar at 540 Salinas Road just after 1am for a report of a shooting.

Upon arrival, deputies found a man dead from an apparent gunshot wound. 

Three female victims were also found at the scene who had suffered gunshot wounds. They were taken to Natividad Medical Center, where one of them later died.

The historic building, with a string of apartments across the second floor, was surrounded by strands of yellow crime scene tape and a Sheriff’s deputy was parked outside the building to help secure the crime scene.

Sister Rosa Delores, director of nearby Casa de la Cultura stopped by to talk to the owners of the building.

“We’ve been here for the past 30 years and , and I know the community well and I know the owners,” she said. “This is very sad. I’ve gotten some calls from the relatives. Our community has suffered quite a bit, the flood, the damages; this area right here was flooded. This is a real sadness and it’s been a struggle for the owners of this business. You don’t expect this kind of thing to happen right here in your community. But this community knows how to come together to make a difference. They need to know that we are behind them.”

No further information was released about the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Investigations Division at 755.3700.

Fire officials share what can happen if a turkey is improperly cooked in a deep fryer.

Authorities are scrambling to find the gunman who killed three people and wounded a fourth after an apparent dispute over property lines in rural southern Colorado, the sheriff said.

Pacific Grove Unified School District’s new superintendent Linda Adamson kicked off her first board meeting Thursday by updating the community on the progress she’s already made in the first nine days of her new role.

“When I talked about my meet and greet and my introductory message to everyone, I really spoke about what’s important to me…knowing that my priority in those first few weeks (was) going to be all about listening and learning,” Adamson explained at Thursday’s board meeting. “I’ve had a chance to already start doing that and I’m proud to share that in those nine days, I’ve already met with a total of 22 members in our community. My goal is 100 people in 90 days and I’m hoping to even surpass that.”

The district’s governing board unanimously approved Adamson as Pacific Grove Unified’s new superintendent earlier this month.

The search process began in April 2023 after Ralph Gomez Porras – who served as the district’s superintendent for 16 years – announced his resignation in March. The executive search firm Leadership Associates was selected to conduct the search and the applicant pool consisted of 23 applicants which was narrowed to four finalists, including Adamson.

At Thursday’s meeting, the board approved a $7,500 contract with Leadership Associates for mentoring and executive coaching for Adamson in her first year as superintendent. The contract will run through June 30, 2024.

Adamson explained that the agreement with Leadership Associates was something she had requested as part of her employment contract.

“(Leadership Associates) offer incredible mentorship and leadership for first time superintendents in particular,” Adamson explained. “This contract would allow me to be assigned a mentor. They offer an array of experienced former superintendents who would provide that leadership and mentorship.”

The district’s board was overwhelmingly in support of Adamson’s request.

Trustee Elliot Hazen said he was happy to approve the contract and was impressed with how the firm conducted the district’s superintendent search.

“I’m in full support,” added trustee Brian Swanson. “I think that it’s great that you asked for it and how could we not support that?”

Adamson also noted in her board update that she had the chance to attend a cultural proficiency committee meeting last week as well.

Increasing the district’s cultural proficiency and creating a safe and accessible environment for students has been one of the district’s main goals for the past few years.

The district approved a three-year contract with Praxis Lead Equity LLC in 2021 after the high school’s student president was called out for racist social media posts. In partnership with the organization, the district pledged to carry out a three-year cultural proficiency professional development and implementation plan.

Adamson said the district’s assistant superintendent Joshua Jorn led the meeting and was attended by five or six representatives from each school site.

She also added that while still in development, the district’s team has proposed Dec. 5 as the date for an upcoming community input session which would give the community the chance to provide input on the district’s ongoing goals and progress towards achieving cultural proficiency.

The district previously announced partnerships with Lozano Smith Law Firm for professional development and equity training, as well as Sandy Hook Promise for an anonymous bias and discrimination reporting tool.

Thursday’s board meeting unveiled a new partnership – a $7,800 contract with the National Coalition Building Institute to provide additional cultural proficiency professional development sessions.

The National Coalition Building Institute has chapters in cities and communities around the world. The organization provides training and education in schools and the community to increase understanding, reduce prejudice and create long-lasting institutional and social change.

Victoria Mills joined the organization as the new Monterey County chapter director in May 2022.

“This contract for services speaks directly toward three of the essential elements of cultural proficiency that we’ve been working toward,” explained the district’s director of curriculum Buck Roggeman. “Valuing diversity, managing the dynamics of difference and adapting to diversity.”

Roggeman explained that under the contract, the organization will provide two additional professional development sessions for district staff. One would be conducted with the district’s administrative team to help the team “truly understand the impact of racial and bias trauma that a student experiences when a racist or biased incident happens to that child,” he said. The other would be conducted for all certificated staff and interested classified staff.

The board’s clerk, Jennifer McNary, previously attended a cultural proficiency session and said it was a “moving and powerful experience.”

“This is life work. It’s not just a one-time thing,” McNary explained. “This is the beginning of us having those conversations and sitting down and starting to do the work…We’re fortunate to have (NCBI) in this area.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Three games into Draymond Green’s suspension, the Warriors have mostly gone small in their starting lineup. Rather than insert third-year wing Jonathan Kuminga, coach Steve Kerr has gone with veteran guard Chris Paul into his starting five each of their past two games.

Kuminga, still only 21, has been left to fight for minutes with the rest of the Warriors’ reserves, a rotation Kerr said runs 12 deep.

“Every night is going to be a little bit different. We’re going to go with whoever gives us the best chance to win,” Kerr said. “That’s going to be different guys unless there’s separation within the group. So far I haven’t seen that separation. A lot of guys are playing well but nobody’s separating themselves from the pack.”

Kuminga made his first and only start of the season in the first game of Green’s suspension and put up 21 points in his most efficient shooting performance of the season. Playing a season-high 26 minutes, he also matched his season-high with six rebounds.

But Kuminga’s minutes have only decreased, 20 on Saturday night and 18 on Monday, while he was supplanted in the starting five by Paul.

“I think JK’s doing well. He’s been very responsive to coaching. He’s had a good approach. He’s had some good games for us,” Kerr said. “More than anything, we’ve got a deep team.”

Kuminga is averaging career-highs in points (11.9 per game), field goal attempts (9.7) and trips to the foul line (4.3). But his rebounding, an area the Warriors wanted to see improvement, has stayed flat.

“I’m feeling good. I’m excited every single day. I’m blessed to be here in my third year. It’s actually going (better) than people think,” he said. “Just being around, I feel more comfortable. I feel like I’ve been here for (so) long that I know every play. That just makes me feel comfortable and makes me want to be here even more. …

“I’m not even worried about Draymond coming back because Draymond and I play at the same time and play well.”

Moses Moody, drafted seven picks after Kuminga, has similarly had to fight for playing time despite taking strides in his third year. Before tipoff Monday, Kerr acknowledged that Moody “deserved” more playing time but that there weren’t enough minutes to go around.

Moody, also 21, sounded like a philosopher while providing perspective for their situations.

A fool looks for happiness in the distance, while a wise man grows it under his feet.

“So instead of just saying it’s gonna be better in the future, a wise man is going to look at the situation he’s in and try to make the best out of it,” Moody said. “That’s something I try to live on. … There’s a lot of guys on this team that could be playing more. Me being able to value the 17-20 minutes I get is being able to appreciate those and maximize those is something I can learn from. Rather than sit up here and be mad about my 15 minutes and then I get 30 minutes next year. Well, since I was in here pouting all year, now I’m not ready for those 30 minutes, and now I don’t know how to maximize 30 minutes.”

Payton questionable

The Warriors practiced Tuesday inside their facilities in San Francisco before departing for Phoenix, where Chris Paul and Dario Saric will face off against their former team Wednesday. A day after Kerr noted their need for upcoming practice days, they held a team-wide film session but kept their veterans off the court.

At least one veteran, Gary Payton II, took part in their scrimmages, though.

How the Warriors defensive specialist emerges will determine his status for Wednesday’s game in Phoenix.

“Still call him questionable,” Kerr said after practice. “It’ll depend on how he feels afterward.”

The Warriors have been without Payton, one of their most athletic players, for the past two games after he sprained his foot in their first game against Oklahoma City.

“You can see with our team, we’ve got a lot of skill but we’re not the biggest, most athletic team,” Kerr said. “That’s where JK can really help. That’s where Gary helps. That’s where Wiggs helps. We need all those guys to be effective defenders, on-ball defenders, just give us that speed and pop in different areas of the game.”

Lucic, who was arrested early Saturday morning on a domestic violence charge, declined to answer questions as he entered the courthouse.

Question: We just filed our 2022 tax returns due Nov. 16 with the latest California Disaster Relief extension and we owe the IRS almost $10,000. Unfortunately, we do not have the money to pay this tax. Can we make a deal with the IRS to pay them off over time?

Answer: For a taxpayer with $50,000 or less in combined tax liability, interest and penalties, an interactive Online Payment Agreement application is available on the IRS website for requesting an installment agreement. Otherwise, you can ask the IRS to permit you to make monthly installment payments using Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request. If the IRS approves your request, you will be charged a $225 user fee ($107 if you make your payments by direct debit from your bank account).

Alternatively, the user fee is $149 for a taxpayer who applies for an installment agreement through the OPA application process. The user fee is only $31 for a taxpayer who applies through the OPA process and pays by direct debit. However, you may qualify to pay a reduced fee of $43 if your income is below a certain level even if you do not choose direct debit payments. The IRS will let you know whether you qualify for the reduced fee. The IRS will generally let you know within 30 days after they receive Form 9465 whether it is approved or denied. The IRS may also request various financial information from you (monthly income and expenses, assets and liabilities, etc.).

Before requesting an installment agreement, you should consider other less costly alternatives, such as a bank loan. You will be charged interest and may be charged additional late payment penalties on any tax not paid, even if your request to pay in installments is granted.

Upon approval of your request, the IRS will send you a letter explaining how to pay the processing fee, and how to make your first installment payment. After the IRS receives each payment, they will send you a letter showing the remaining amount you owe, and the due date and amount of your next payment. Obviously, you are entitled to prepay your total obligation at any time. Also, Form 9465 provides for optional authorization of monthly payments by direct debit of your designated bank account.

By approving your request, the IRS agrees to let you pay the tax you owe in monthly installments instead of immediately paying the amount in full. In return, you agree to make your monthly payments on time, and agree to meet all your future tax liabilities. This means that you must have adequate withholding or estimated tax payments so that your tax liability for future years is paid in full when you timely file your return. If you do not make your payments on time or have an outstanding past-due amount in a future year, you will be in default on your agreement and the IRS may take enforcement actions to collect the entire amount you owe.

I hope the above helps and good luck!

Barry Dolowich is a certified public accountant and owner of a full-service accounting and tax practice with offices in Monterey. He can be reached at 831-372-7200. Please address any questions to Barry at PO Box 710 Monterey, CA 93942 or email:bdolowich@gmail.com  

As the days count down to Thanksgiving, one former mall Santa is counting, in years, the reasons he is thankful to still be alive.

Steph Curry played 35 minutes — including the entire fourth quarter — in the Warriors’ win Monday night over the Rockets to snap a six-game losing streak.

It wasn’t until he was told of his latest historical milestone at the end of his postgame radio interview that the 35-year-old guard began begging for an ice bath.

Tim Roye, the longtime voice of the Warriors, told Curry that he had passed Nate Thurmond for the most minutes played in franchise history.

“I’m tired, I gotta go get in the cold tub,” Curry exclaimed in response, “Good gracious. Don’t tell me that — that’s the stuff you don’t tell me.”

Midway through that final quarter, Curry surpassed Thurmond’s total of 30,729 minutes over 11 seasons with Golden State. He now has played 30,735 minutes for the Warriors since being drafted in 2009.

Coach Steve Kerr took Curry out a bit early in the third quarter after a turnover from the two-time MVP and sent him back out to start the fourth with a chance to extend an 11-point lead.

“I was going to try to get him out for a couple minutes in the middle of the quarter but that opportunity didn’t present itself,” Kerr said postgame as the Warriors’ lead topped out at 14. “We needed to get this one obviously, so I stayed with him the whole fourth.”

Curry hinted that he might have welcomed the aggressive fourth-quarter rotation when he was younger and the Warriors were dominating opponents.

“I might have (passed Thurmond) like three years ago had Coach played us a couple more fourth quarters back in the day,” he joked.