Bay Area/ San Francisco/ Community & Society
Published on April 16, 2019
Top SF news: Teen struck by truck, critically injured; swastikas scrawled in parkPhoto by Omer Rana on Unsplash

Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in San Francisco.

Teen pedestrian struck by big rig, critically injured

A 19-year-old pedestrian has been hospitalized after she was struck by a tractor-trailer near the Balboa Park BART station on Monday.

Police were called to the scene at Seneca and San Jose avenues around 8:45 a.m., and the critically injured teen was transferred to the hospital. The driver of the big rig stayed on the scene and is cooperating with police. [ABC7 News; SF Chron]

Driving down Lombard may soon require reservation, fee

A fix may be in for Lombard Street, a local tourist magnet that sees an estimated 6,000 visitors per day in the summer months, creating congestion and aggravating local residents.

An announcement was expected Monday on a proposal by city transportation officials that would require visitors to make a reservation and pay $5 for each vehicle, and $10 on weekends and holidays. [CBS13 CBS Sacramento]

Swastikas appear at Buena Vista Park

Dozens of swastikas were spotted in Buena Vista Park on Monday morning, and police are now looking for a suspect in the vandalism incident. The symbols were scrawled in white paint near the park's walkway. 

City crews quickly eliminated the symbols by power washing and painting, but no suspects have yet been identified. Police are asking for anyone with security cameras in the area to check footage to see if the vandal was caught on tape. [KTVU Fox 2]

Controversial high school murals caught in debate

A controversial collection of 13 Depression-era frescoes at George Washington High School are under debate, with some groups calling for their removal. The murals, which depict vignettes from the life of George Washington, have disturbed some students: one panel shows the founding father pointing over the body of a dead Native America; another depicts black slaves laboring in the background. 

Though the artist, Victor Arnautoff, intended these depictions as criticisms of Washington, some feel the painter's intent no longer matters, while others argue that the potential destruction of the murals would be an erasure of a difficult but relevant history. [The New York Times]

Floating bikes on the Bay?

A fleet of 25 electrically assisted water bikes will soon be available for use in crossing from Oakland's Jack London Square to either Mariner Square or the Grand Street dock in Alameda. The bikes are the brainchild of local entrepreneur Jessica Schiller, who one day envisions water bikes traversing across the Bay.

For now, commuters will be able to use a mobile app to book a bike on either side of the estuary, and pay by the minute to ride across the water, starting in July. The bikes are equipped with inflatable pontoons that lend stability, and a propeller to aid in pedaling. [SFGATE]


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