According to church members and police, the vandalism took place at Saint Anne’s Catholic Church sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. A cross was knocked down and statues of Joseph and Mary were vandalized with spray paint. Walls were also defaced with graffiti, with one message that said “seize the night” in Latin.

“Well, it hurts me and it is very disturbing,” said the Rev. Geoffrey Baraan of Saint Anne’s.

“There’s still a lot of anger, a lot of hatred, a lot of ignorance and arrogance out there,” Baraan added. “And we have also lost the word ‘respect.’”

The vandalism took place as Christians observed Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. The 40-day season of fasting, prayer and charity concludes with the celebration of Easter.

“Sad,” said Breana Marroquin, who was attending Mass at the church on Wednesday. “It does not make me happy, it makes me really sad.”

The vandalism was discovered by Peter Petit, who arrived early Wednesday morning to assist with a Mass.

“Emotionally very disturbing and appalling being that this is a day of repentance,” Petit said.

Baraan had a message for those responsible for the damage.

“I pray for them,” Baraan said. “I hope that they will have a change of heart.”

Police have not named suspects in the case, which has been classified as a hate crime.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Daniel Jordan Dewitt, 23, is scheduled to return to Alameda County Superior Court on Thursday to see if the Public Defender’s Office will represent him on the charge that he killed 67-year-old Peter Cukor outside Cukor’s home at 2 Park Gate Road around 9 p.m. Saturday.

Dewitt is the grandson of the late former Alameda city councilman and interim Alameda Mayor Al Dewitt, who died in 2003. Daniel Dewitt’s father, Al Dewitt Jr., said outside court Wednesday that Dewitt has suffered from mental illness since the age of 18.

KCBS’ Janice Wright Reports:

Al Dewitt Jr. said he and his wife, Candy Dewitt, have been trying to get their son into a permanent treatment program or have him held in custody but court officials always released him after he received brief periods of treatment.

“We always had a fear of him hurting himself or someone else,” Dewitt said.

According to a probable cause statement filed in court by Berkeley police Detective David Marble, Cukor, who owned a logistics consulting firm, called police at 8:45 p.m. Saturday to report that there was a suspicious person in his garage.

Marble said in the statement that the person, later identified as Dewitt, left the property after Cukor told him to, but that Cukor and his wife, Andrea Cukor, later saw Dewitt enter their front gate, which leads to their front door.

Peter Cukor again told Dewitt to get off of his property and Dewitt “said he was a psychic and he was told to go through the front gate to find Zoey,” Marble wrote.

Dewitt then left the property again and Cukor walked across the street to a Berkeley fire station that’s located there, “probably to ask for assistance from the firefighters to help deal with Dewitt,” according to Marble.

However, no one was there because firefighters were out on a call.

Marble said that when Cukor returned to his property, Dewitt “confronted” him in his driveway and “viciously assaulted” Cukor, hitting him in the head.

The charge filed against Dewitt alleges that he used a ceramic planter to kill Cukor.

Andrea Cukor witnessed part of the assault and called 911, according to Marble. Peter Cukor was then taken to a hospital, where he died.

Berkeley police officers who responded to the scene saw a person nearby who matched the suspect’s description and arrested Dewitt, who had fresh blood on his hands, sweatshirt, pants and shoes, Marble said.

In addition, the knuckles on Dewitt’s right hand appeared to be swollen and Andrea Cukor identified him as the person who had assaulted her husband, according to Marble.

After he was arrested, Dewitt admitted that he was on the Cukors’ property and had looked through their windows, Marble said.

Dewitt described the interior of the Cukors’ house and “admitted that he was looking for his fiancee Zoey,” Marble wrote.

The detective said he believes that DNA testing will prove that the blood on Dewitt’s clothing will match the blood of Peter Cukor.

Al Dewitt Jr. said his son doesn’t have a girlfriend named “Zoey” and that Zoey is only a figment of his imagination.

“Zoey is a fictitious girlfriend that he’s had for about a year now,” Dewitt said.

Dewitt said his son “has been in and out of the system many times” but he didn’t specify if he meant his son has been in jail or in mental institutions.

A spokeswoman for the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office said Daniel Dewitt was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of making annoying phone calls in 2010 to a woman who was a former classmate and he has a pending misdemeanor battery case for allegedly punching and kicking a nurse at the John George Psychiatric Pavilion in San Leandro in 2010.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Channing Frye’s 3-point attempt rolled off the back of the rim at the buzzer, giving the Warriors their first win in Phoenix since March 18, 2005.

Ellis finished with a game-high 26 points, Dorell Wright had 23 and David Lee added 22 for the Warriors, who squandered a 21-point lead before rallying in the final 2:16.

>>Fan Shop: Get Warriors Gear Here

Golden State played all but 1 minute of the final three quarters and the entire second half without Stephen Curry, who strained a tendon in his right foot with 2:19 to play in the first quarter.

Frye had 22 points, Marcin Gortat scored 21 and Jared Dudley finished with 17 for the Suns, whose two-game winning streak was snapped.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Police said Monday that an officer shot an armed suspect in the 2000 block of 62^nd Street after he left a car suspected of being involved with a robbery in the area.

Police said they recovered a firearm at the scene.

Photo Gallery: The Shooting Of Oscar Grant

But Tony Jones’s attorney, Waukeen McCoy, said that his client was the man shot that night and that Jones denies he was armed and said Wednesday afternoon that Jones had not yet been booked on any robbery charges.

“They don’t have any evidence that he committed a robbery anywhere,” McCoy said.

Oakland police spokeswoman Officer Johnna Watson said that Jones was placed under arrest late Wednesday afternoon under suspicion of four felony charges and that those charges would be sent to the district attorney’s office.

Watson said the charges are armed robbery, an ex-felon in possession of a firearm, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle and carrying a loaded firearm on a person.

“We did recover a gun at the scene, there’s no dispute about that,” Watson said. She said that if Jones is not well enough to appear in court a judge will arraign him in the hospital.

Grant, a 22-year-old Hayward man who worked as a butcher at an Oakland grocery, was a father to a 4-year-old girl. (CBS)

Jones, whose cousin was Oscar Grant III, the man shot and killed by a BART police officer in 2009, was seriously injured in the shooting and was left unable to walk, McCoy said.

McCoy said that after the traffic stop, Jones left the vehicle he was in and started walking away. The vehicle sped off, and Jones ran across the street.

“When he ran across the street they shot him in the back,” McCoy said.

“The officers could not believe they were in immediate danger because he didn’t brandish a weapon or anything. In fact, he was running away from them so I don’t know why they shot him,” McCoy said.

He said that Jones underwent surgery on Monday afternoon, and is now in stable condition. But, McCoy said, “he has pain everywhere, he can’t walk, he can move his legs but he hasn’t been able to walk or urinate by himself.”

McCoy said that the family hired him to represent Jones on Tuesday, but that when he attempted to visit his client at Highland Hospital, Oakland police and Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies would not allow him to see Jones.

“They wouldn’t let me see him for seven hours yesterday,” McCoy said. “I was dealing with the police department and the sheriff’s department and they prevented me from seeing him.”

He said that during this time Jones was interrogated by Oakland police inspectors despite asking to see an attorney.

Watson said that while police may have initially denied McCoy access to Jones, it was only to verify who McCoy was and whether the family had hired him.

“We just don’t allow anyone to walk in because they say something, we have to take our time to fact-check and verify,” Watson said.

She also said that while Jones was interrogated in the hospital, if at any point he asked for an attorney, “all questioning would cease until he had legal representation there.”

McCoy said that he intends to file a lawsuit against the city of Oakland unless the city settles the case with Jones.

“We’re planning to file a claim against the city of Oakland for unnecessary and unreasonable use of force,” McCoy said.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Last week, several supervisors complained that the tentative agreement they approved last year had been altered, giving organizers new development rights at Pier 29 along with other financial benefits.

KCBS’ Barbara Taylor Reports:

Supervisor David Chiu went from a supporter to a no vote. “At this moment, there is absolutely zero support for event authority development at Pier 29,” said Chiu.

PHOTOS: Oracle AC 45′s Practice

He was not the only one that soured on the plan as Supervisor John Avalos said that the contract was no longer a fair deal.

“I think that we can have that win-win situation,” he said. “But the finances have to do a lot better for the city and I’m hoping we can all come to agree.”

Last weekend, event organizers tweaked the agreement, taking Pier 29 out along with some other provisions that had been deemed unacceptable.

Time is of the essence for the races to take place as scheduled as the Budget and Finance Committee needs to send the revised contract to the full Board of Supervisors for a vote by next week.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The six companies, Amazon, Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Research in Motion, make up over 95 percent of the market.

Harris said the tech giants will now be required to redesign their app stores so privacy policies are displayed.

KCBS’ Anna Duckworth Reports:

“Part of what we hope to do with these privacy policies is give the consumer that kind of information so they understand what might be at risk,” said Harris. “And require the app developer to inform the consumer about what information they’re going to take from the consumer when that user downloads that app, be it Angry Birds or NASA.”

Harris said existing California privacy laws will be enforced against the companies so a person’s email information or contact list isn’t taken and used without them being aware.

“Consumers should know what privacy information is collected, how it is used and with whom it is shared,” she said.

Harris and the six companies will convene in six months to see how the agreement is working out.

There are currently about a million apps on the market.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Julie Burford and her volunteers tailor their menus to make sure nutrition it a top priority, as we found out during a recent afternoon in the San Rafael kitchen.

“Greens are really good for cancer because they give that chlorophyl and they help build those good cells in our body,” chef Trudy Schafer added.

Schafer’s menu looked more like a five-star restaurant than a community non-profit—and that’s exactly what Burford and Ann Wathen had in mind when they started the The Ceres Community Project of Marin.

“It’s based on the idea of bringing youth into a professional kitchen, connecting them with real, wholesome, organic food, and teaching them how to prepare it themselves,” Burford explained. “(Also) how easy it is to provide community service by bringing it to other people who really need it.”

Burford’s long been interested in the connection between nutrition and health. She collaborated with author Rebecca Katz for her book “Cancer Fighting Kitchen.”

Wathen, an experienced youth volunteer, liked the idea of teaching kids to fill a critical need.

“What I’ve seen is the joy of youth in the kitchen, the relationships that they are building with one another, the passion that they show towards the food, and also the compassion that they experience and express in regards to the clientele,” Wathen said. “It’s truly a wonderful circle.”

Wathen coordinates the student part of the program, training kitchen and delivery volunteers. Burford handles the donations, from securing fresh food from local growers to the details of sending more than 3,500 meals a year to families who truly need them.

“Eighty percent of cancer patients going through treatment are malnourished,” Burford said. “Cancer makes it very difficult for people to eat when they’re going through treatment.”

When Dawn Stranee’s husband Brett got cancer, the quality of the Ceres meals made a real difference.

“It really mattered to have the nutrition. And it mattered for it to be delicious,” Stranee remembered. “If you have pancreatic cancer, you don’t want to eat a lot and boy, my husband would eat that!”

Stranee’s husband lost his battle with cancer, but she took a message back to the young volunteers who served up so much more than just food.

“You want people to enjoy this delicious food,” she told them. “But understand that you are feeding peoples’ souls with the love that you put into it. So I just want to say thank you, thank you.”

So for guiding young people to feed and truly nourish those battling illness this week’s Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Julie Burford and Ann Wathen.

*Note: The Ceres Project of Marin may be losing its rented kitchen space. If you can help or want to get involved, use this link: www.ceresproject.org/marin

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Mirkarimi has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of domestic violence battery, child endangerment and dissuading a witness in connection with a Dec. 31 incident in which he allegedly bruised the arm of his wife, Eliana Lopez, during an argument in which his 2-year-old son Theo was present.

Mirkarimi appeared in court for a brief pre-trial conference in advance of his trial date Friday, when the case will be likely be sent to a trial judge. However, actual trial proceedings will not begin until next week.

The trial judge, who has not been determined, will have to consider a motion filed by Mirkarimi’s attorney Lidia Stiglich Wednesday in which she argued that statements Lopez made to neighbors Ivory Madison and Callie Williams in the days after the New Year’s Eve incident should not be admissible in court.

Stiglich argued in the filing that exceptions that allow for out-of-court statements by a victim—such as spontaneous statements made under duress—do not apply to Mirkarimi’s case since Lopez’s statements were made many hours after the alleged incident.

KCBS’ Doug Sovern Reports:

Stiglich also argued that a 45-second video recorded by Madison of Lopez talking about the incident should be inadmissible because the video was meant to be used in a custody battle, not to prove she was criminally abused.

In the video, Lopez pointed to her arm and said, “This happened yesterday, um, the end of 2011, and this is the second time this is happening. And I tell Ross I want to work on the marriage, we need help, I have been telling him we need help, and I am going to use this just in case he wants to take Theo away from me. Because he did, he said that, that he’s very powerful, and he can, he can do it,” according to the filing.

Madison told police that Lopez only made the video to be used in case the couple divorced and had to go through custody proceedings, Stiglich wrote.

“I really thought that we would never have to use this video, uh, unless, (Mirkarimi) got nasty in the divorce proceedings,” Madison said, according to the filing.

Stiglich wrote, “Lopez’s stated fear that she would lose her son in a custody battle … is clearly not a case where the declarant had ‘no motive to deceive.’”

Stiglich also argued that Madison’s statements about the case should not be admitted in the trial because she admitted to not listening closely during her conversation with Lopez.

She told police she “may be getting some of the details wrong because I certainly wasn’t paying very close attention,” Stiglich wrote.

She added that Madison also claimed Mirkarimi had taken Lopez to Monterey on Jan. 2 to isolate her after the incident, while the trip had in fact been planned a week earlier.

As for Lopez’s statements to her other neighbor, Williams, which included a mention of another possible incident last March, Stiglich wrote that Williams told police that Lopez did not seem frightened and that her “main concern is her son,” and that Lopez later texted her to say her previous statements were “too dramatic.”

The motions were not discussed during Wednesday afternoon’s brief hearing, at which Stiglich handed over some evidence to the prosecution for discovery.

Mirkarimi, who faces up to a year in jail and three years’ probation if convicted of all charges, was initially ordered to stay away from Lopez and Theo when the charges were filed last month, although a family court judge ruled on Feb. 8 that he could have visits with his son.

Mirkarimi told reporters in court before the hearing that he is enjoying his visits with his son.

“He’s my BFF,” he said, adding that he hopes “this ends soon so we can get back to some semblance of normalcy.”

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

<strong>KCBS’ Doug Sovern Reports:</strong>

A CBS hidden-camera investigation conducted between November 2011 and January 2012 found items marked up as much as $100 from earlier prices, and then put on sale.

Pattie Woody recently came home thinking she got 50 percent off a $209.99 sheet set from Kohl’s.

But inside the packaging, she found another price tag — this one listed at $169.99 — $40 cheaper than the outside sticker.

“It really surprised me,” she said.

She still believed she had gotten a good deal, but peeling back three layers of price stickers, she found her sheet set had been marked up three times, she said.

“You always expect to see the price tag stuck on top of another one is the cheaper price,” said Woody. “Actually, it was more expensive.”

CBS hidden cameras went inside several Kohl’s stores, checking the printed price tags of some items currently on sale.

A CBS producer found clothes, luggage, kitchen, bath and bedding products — 15 items in all — marked up.  Some of the items were as much as $100 more expensive.

Other items have different price tags on different areas of the product.

One twin sheet set was listed at 50 percent off the original price of $89.99. But inside the plastic zipper, the earlier price tag shows $49.99, indicating the current sale is only $5 savings from the original tag.

A 10″ skillet was listed on sale for $34.99, with a regular price of $39.99, but underneath that sticker, the earlier price tag was marked $29.99 — meaning Kohl’s current price on sale is $5 more than the originally marked price.

Consumer attorney Stuart Talley thinks if Kohl’s is marking up prices to mark them down. If so, the company is breaking California State law, which bans companies from “making false or misleading statements” about the “amounts of price reductions.”

“That’s illegal in California,” Talley said. “You just can’t do it.”

When CBS reached out to Kohl’s, the company denied any wrongdoing, saying, “Kohl’s does not raise “off-sale” prices on a short-term basis just for purposes of a future sales event.”

“As is common in the retail industry, from time to time, product prices are increased due to production and raw material cost increases,” the statement said. “When these types of price increases are implemented, our stores are instructed to re-ticket all items currently in our inventory to match the prices on the tags for all in-coming merchandise.”

Read Kohl’s full statements to CBS (PDF).

Kohl’s claimed the price of Woody’s sheets went up because of the rising cost of cotton, and admitted the prices on the 15 items a CBS producer found marked up were raised in the late summer or early fall — well before the current sale.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The burglars fled after the resident walked in on them at his home on the 4300 block of Stanley Avenue, according to Fremont Police.

As the intruders escaped, there was a brief scuffle with the homeowner, who suffered minor injuries, Detective Bill Veteran said.

Veteran also said that the homeowner saw at least one of the intruders with a gun, but it was unclear whether the suspect had threatened the homeowner with it.

The neighborhood search prompted lockdowns at three schools in the area, police said. There were initial reports of shots being fired, but police found no evidence of a shooting.

Irvington High School, Robertson High  School and Millard Elementary School were all in lockdown mode, according to the Fremont Unified School District.

The three suspected burglars were taken into custody separately around 12:30 p.m. One suspect was reportedly bitten by a police dog and required medical attention.

Veteran said the three suspects were caught at different locations.

“They got about a half-mile from there — they made good time — but we caught them with the help of the East Bay Regional Parks helicopter,” Veteran said.

Veteran said the three suspects are all male, and at least one is an adult. He did not yet have more information on the suspects.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

He understands it—and he doesn’t much care anymore. He doesn’t take any of the comments directed at his girth personally, either.

“It’s part of my work, everybody wants to know what I weigh,” said Sandoval, who is set for a formal date with the scale Thursday. “I’m fine with that. I just keep working hard to maintain my weight and play hard. That’s what I’m focused on right now—playing hard baseball and that’s it. I block that out. I don’t pay too much attention. I just play my game and that’s it.”

This is a guy who’s never going to be called slim. And that hardly matters to the San Francisco slugger coming off an All-Star, comeback season. He hopes his rebound year in 2011 gives him momentum moving into this season. He has a hefty new $17.15 million, three-year contract to motivate him as well.

The Giants seem confident their happy-go-lucky third baseman’s weight will no longer be an issue. The 25-year-old Sandoval lost about 40 pounds through a rigorous regimen during the winter before last season to bring him down to about 240, then batted .315 with 23 home runs and 70 RBIs in 2011.

Playing so much lighter, Sandoval exhibited improved agility on defense and better timing at the plate. He ran the bases with even more gusto than usual.

And he made the All-Star team as a late addition, selected by manager Bruce Bochy—the NL skipper based on the team’s World Series win in 2010 — subbing in as an injury replacement.

In 2009, Sandoval was one of the last players left off the team by Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.

“Kung Fu Panda,” as he’s known, is eager to begin and prove himself again for any of the skeptics out there who spend their time criticizing his ever-changing midsection.

“I have to start getting ready for the season. I’ve been working hard. I have more muscle mass, I feel great,” Sandoval said.

During FanFest earlier this month, Bochy said Sandoval still had some weight to lose to get back to his ideal number heading into the year.

“Pablo looks good,” Bochy said. “He is (lighter than Feb. 4 at FanFest). That’s important for him and for us. We’ve still got two or three days here before we crank up those guys, but he’s here early getting some work in and that’s always a good sign. Feels good, looks good.”

Now, even the tiniest of fans are watching Sandoval’s every move.

“Who’s that?” backup catcher candidate Chris Stewart asked 3-year-old son, Sebastian, on Wednesday in the clubhouse cafeteria.

“Panda!” the boy said with glee.

“His favorite player,” Stewart noted.

Sandoval wants nothing more than to establish some consistency again and show that last year was no fluke. In his first full major league season in 2009, the switch hitter demonstrated his potential by hitting .330 with 25 homers and 90 RBIs in 153 games.

“That happens in your career, you have up and down years,” Sandoval said. “So, you have to focus and pay more attention to things. Last year was a lesson for me. Now, I know what I can do.  Now, I know what I have to do. For me last year was great. It’s the kind of season you want to have in your career. I got it and I’m happy to be here again—ready for it to happen again.”

The Giants don’t seem worried about their star player a year after they helped him learn better eating and training habits while challenging him to improve his fitness and lifestyle or risk being sent to the minor leagues. He shaped up, all right, and saved his job.

“He looks good,” athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said. “We will get a weight on him this week. He is getting close to where he needs to be.”

Among the latest position players to arrive ahead of Saturday’s first full-squad workout was first baseman and left fielder Aubrey Huff, fit and trim after a winter of pilates work—the same routine he did before his stellar 2010 season. Huff, never one to be modest, announced he soon would walk through the clubhouse sans clothes so everyone could see his fine offseason work for themselves.

“Huff Daddy’s here!” Bochy joked as Huff signed autographs, “playing third base and batting third.”

Huff, rewarded with a $22 million, two-year contract in the fall of 2010 after hitting .290 with a team-leading 26 home runs and 86 RBIs for the World Series champions, batted .246 with 12 homers and 59 RBIs last season. Like Sandoval before him, he’s the latest player called to task by the team brass.

“I’m coming in with a positive mind frame,” Huff said. “Ready to go.”

Notes: Ace Tim Lincecum will throw a bullpen session Thursday as long as his stiff back cooperates. He was scratched Tuesday with the back problem, which isn’t considered serious for the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner and projected opening day starter. Closer Brian Wilson and LHP reliever Dan Runzler also are slated to pitch bullpens Thursday if all goes well. … Former Giants manager Felipe Alou said he had his best winter yet as a fisherman. In fact, he caught 17 blackfin tuna on Dec. 25. He went out fishing solo on Christmas Day, “when everybody was hung over.” “I brought home so many fish I had to give them away,” he said with a smile. The 76-year-old Alou now works as a special assistant to general manager Brian Sabean. … New INF Ryan Theriot also is now in camp.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The high-scoring Knicks newcomer is on the cover of SI for the second week in a row. He’s the first New York-based team athlete to be given such treatment since the magazine started in 1954 — not even Mickey Mantle, Joe Namath or Eli Manning made two straight.

Lin became a global star after getting a chance to start for the Knicks. The unheralded point guard from Harvard is playing with a flair that has revitalized the team and the fans.

Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni was asked if all the attention on Lin could become a negative.

“It might, who knows. You never know, but we’re not afraid of it. He’s a great kid and he deserves it,” D’Antoni said. “It’s an unbelievable story, it’s fun, people are excited and we’ll see where it goes.

“Will it be a storybook ending? Everybody hopes so and that’s what we’re going to work for. But I do know he’s a heck of a basketball player, so we’ll just ride it and see where it goes.”

Lin is the 12th athlete to appear on the SI cover at least two weeks in a row since 1990. Dirk Nowitzki did it during last season’s NBA finals. Michael Jordan holds the SI cover record with three in row.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Even as HP blamed weak consumer demand and supply shortages due to flooding in Thailand for lost revenue opportunities in the latest quarter, Whitman said years of underinvestment in systems and procedures made those problems worse.

She described a company in transition and said HP needed to improve internal procedures and reduce costs to free up money for investments in growing areas. She said HP, which now makes much of its revenue from computers and printers, sees opportunities in security services, information management and Internet-based systems known as cloud computing.

Whitman described her turnaround plan as a “multiyear journey.”

“I feel very good that we know the challenges,” she said. “We know what we’re going to do about them, and we’re headed in the right direction.”

HP’s sales to consumers fared the worst in the November-January period, the first full quarter under Whitman. Revenue from consumer products and services fell 23 percent worldwide from a year earlier.

HP is the world’s largest maker of PCs, but it’s been performing poorly as buyers in the industrialized world turn their attention to Apple’s iPads and Macs. Meanwhile, the company has been unable to properly capitalize on the growing appetite for PCs in emerging markets.

Whitman said HP also had to battle cautious spending by some business customers in the U.S. Worldwide, revenue in the company’s commercial businesses fell 4 percent.

The company said it remained guarded about prospects in Europe, although some of the markets elsewhere in the world appear to be stabilizing.

HP earned $1.47 billion, or 73 cents per share, in the fiscal first quarter, down 44 percent from $2.6 billion, or $1.17 a share, a year earlier. Adjusted for one-time items, the company earned 92 cents per share, above the 87 cents expected by analysts surveyed by FactSet.

Revenue was $30 billion, down 7 percent from $32.3 billion and slightly below expectations of $30.7 billion. The revenue drop was even steeper, 8 percent, when taking out the effect of changes in currency exchange rates. It was the fastest revenue decline for the company since the recession hit 2009 results.

HP blamed flooding in Thailand for more than half of its revenue drop. The floods last year disrupted manufacturing of storage drives, a key component in PCs. HP said it decided to divert resources to higher-margin products, but it didn’t do as well as it expected because of ongoing operational problems.

“We were not as effective as we needed to be in matching that supply with that demand,” Whitman said during a conference call with analysts.

Whitman said the company will focus first on stabilizing its finances and improving its operations. She said the company needs to do better, for instance, at turning orders into products faster than its rivals.

And while she described HP as “world class” in buying components, “I’m not sure I’d say we were world class in terms of how we think end to end about supply chain.”

Whitman replaced Leo Apotheker in September after a short and stormy reign. Apotheker announced that HP was looking to jettison its PC unit, which has large volume but small profits. That scared off some buyers, who may not have come back when Whitman decided to keep the division.

For the current quarter, the Palo Alto-based company said it expects earnings of 88 cents to 91 cents per share. Analysts were expecting 95 cents per share.

HP shares fell 37 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $28.60 in extended trading, after the release of the results. Earlier, it fell 41 cents, or 1.4 percent, to close at $28.94.

Results were buoyed by HP’s business of providing information technology services to corporations. The company’s second-largest division, after PCs, saw a revenue increase of 1 percent from a year ago.

Sales from the printing division, HP’s third-largest, were down 7 percent, and its profitability continued to sag. Sales of printers fell faster than ink and toner sales.

Just ask Donna Floridia. She said her daughter Faith was living her dream at the time that she lost her life. Faith was 20 years old and living a full and happy life when it came to a tragic end.

She was a student and a dancer and was working as a waitress when she began having difficulty breathing.

Her throat closed and she went into anaphylactic shock.

“They had her on life support and the question was what could this be?” Floridia said, “and they said it was the shrimp and crabmeat she was eating and I said we constantly ate shrimp how could this be? And they said she had a sudden onset of allergies.”

Faith died a week later.

Allergy specialist Beth Corn said while this case is unfortunate and tragic, adult onset tragedies are on the rise.

“You can be 60 and develop and allergy, it can come out of nowhere,” said Dr. Corn, who has seen allergies develop in adults of any age.

“You’re almost better off if you know you’re allergic to something at least you’re equipped,” explained Dr. Corn. “The doctor gives you an epi pen, you walk around with an antihistamine. But when it just comes out of nowhere and it’s the big attack, that’s really frightening.”

It happened to 20-year-old Johanna Trupp as well. She now carries an epi pen – a syringe of epinephrine to inject in case of a severe allergic reaction.

Her symptoms developed in only the last 2 years.

“When I was eating apples, I felt nauseous, I couldn’t stop salivating, I had this pain up by my ear and I was itching around my mouth,” said Trupp.

Regular medication didn’t help. “I was feeling out of breath when I wasn’t doing much exercise at all, so they kept pushing me on the inhalers,” said Trupp.

Trupp eventually found Dr. Corn, and after a series of tests, they determined she was allergic to a variety of things.

Doctors are not sure why more adults developing allergies. But one theory is that doctors are just a lot better at diagnosing the problem – -that chronic cough could actually be an allergy.

So pay attention to your symptoms. “Chronic runny nose, a post nasal drip that causes you to clear your throat a lot, nasal congestion, sinus pain, itchy watery eyes , an overwhelming sense of fatigue,” said Dr. Corn.

The fatal allergic reaction that Faith Floridia had was devastating.

Now her mother is making it her mission to inform others about symptoms so this won’t happen to anyone else.

It’s given her some small comfort in the most trying time.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ADULT ALLERGIES

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology – aaaai.org

Food Allergies  – foodallergy.com

Beth Corn, M.D. – mountsinai.org/profiles/beth-e-corn

Solyndra, in Fremont, wanted to award bonuses of up to $500,000 to as many as 21 employees but scaled back its request after discussions with its official creditors committee.

The judge approved the revised bonus request following a hearing Wednesday.

Solyndra, which has failed to find a buyer to operate the company as a going concern, said it needs to retain key employees with the expertise needed for an orderly liquidation of its remaining assets.

Attorneys for former Solyndra workers laid off just before bankruptcy filing objected to the proposed bonuses.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The city’s Department of Elections on Feb. 14 certified the measure for the June 5 ballot after members of the Protect Coit Tower Committee had turned in more than 16,000 signatures to the department earlier this month. The committee only needed to gather 9,702 signatures to qualify.

The initiative would strictly limit commercial activities and private events at the landmark atop Telegraph Hill.

Organizers developed the measure in response to San Francisco’s request last October for proposals by contractors to lease and operate the elevator, food and beverage concession stands and gift shop at the tower, which is visited by more than 200,000 people annually.

Along with leasing operations at the tower, the city would also allow contractors to hold private, late-night parties there.

Jon Golinger, chair of the committee, said the committee is worried about the damage such parties could do to the tower and its historic murals.

The initiative would also prioritize the spending of any funds from the building’s concession operations for preserving the murals and maintaining the building.

Golinger said Wednesday that the committee is planning a campaign kickoff event on April 1 for the measure.

He also said that the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods, a citywide group that includes more than 30 neighborhood associations, voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to endorse the initiative.

Golinger said the 19-3 vote shows the desire to preserve the landmark “is important to people that live far from Coit Tower as well as those who live near it.”

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

This nonprofit has been a fixture in the Vallejo community, helping residents deal with crime, drugs and other social problems. Now Fighting Back Partnership has added the new VetCorps program that Army reservist Cpl. Daniel Alander will oversee.

“I know soldiers who used to own their own companies, but with the economy the way that it is, they just needed a helping hand,” said Alander.

KCBS’ Dave Padilla Reports:

Alander is building a program that will provide counseling, substance abuse treatment, and employment resources for veterans.

“Being that it’s brand new, and I’m just getting started at it I’ve got a lot on my plate,” said Alander. “I’m definitely looking forward to helping as many people as possible.”

VetCorps is a new program that was launched nationwide. Fighting Back’s executive director Tony Pearsall said the VetCorps program in Vallejo is the first in California.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

CSU faculty went on strike last November at Cal State East Bay and Cal State Dominguez Hills, shutting down the campuses for a day.

Now, the California Faculty Association has authorized a strike vote in mid-April that if approved, would affect every Cal State campus.

KCBS’ Matt Bigler Reports:

“We are not interested in a strike as a first resort,” said Andy Merrifield, a political science professor at Sonoma State.

Merrifield said that, after 18 months at the bargaining table, they are trying to move the process forward. He said the sticking points are more about quality of education and faculty rights than just about salaries.

“We’re not asking for huge salary increases. Our current demand would be a one percent cost of living increase annually for three years,” he said.

The possible strike is described as a “rolling strike,” where certain schools would be shut down for a few days and then move to other campuses. Pat Lopes Harris, spokesperson for San Jose State University, said that even though the vote has been approved, a strike is in no way imminent.

“Classes are in session and classes will remain in session for the near future, probably through the end of the term and into next term,” she said.

Any strike would require the approval of a majority of faculty.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The FDA panel of outside physicians voted 20-2 in favor of the weight loss drug Qnexa, setting the stage for a potential comeback for a drug that has been plagued by side effects since it was first submitted to the agency in 2010.

In 2010, the FDA rejected this drug amid safety concerns. Vivus developed the drug and presented additional data on the drug to the FDA advisory committee. On Tuesday, CBS 5′s Dr. Kim Mulvihill reported on Onexa, and the ongoing search for get-slim-quick pills.

A majority of panelists ultimately backed the drug due to its impressive weight loss results, with most patients reporting nearly 10 percent weight loss. But the group stressed the importance of confirming the drug’s safety, particularly its effects the heart, by tracking patients in a large, follow-up study. FDA’s decision is expected in April.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Castro Valley resident Edgar James, 32, was charged Friday with six counts of residential robbery, five counts of residential burglary, four counts of carjacking, car theft and evading arrest, among others, according to the district attorney’s office.

The charges stemmed from James’ daylong crime spree last Tuesday in which he allegedly committed a series of armed home invasion robberies and carjackings in Contra Costa and Solano Counties.

Police arrested James last Tuesday night in Richmond after locating one of the vehicles he stole in the 700 block of 18th Street.

Spotting the officers, James hopped into a parked patrol car and sped off, leading police on a cross-town chase before he was cornered in a cul-de-sac on Reid Court, police said.

Richmond police Lt. Bisa French said James, whose address is listed in Castro Valley but who has ties to Richmond, has a long criminal record and is “very dangerous.”

He was set to appear in court on Monday to enter a plea.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday, police found Rene Garcia with gunshot wounds near the basketball courts in Shields-Reid Park at 1410 Kelsey Street, authorities said.

A ShotSpotter alert that went out around 6:45 p.m. indicated that 15 to 20 shots were fired at the park, Detective Nicole Abetkov said.

Police said at least two shots hit Garcia’s upper body.

He was pronounced dead at the scene at about 7 p.m.

No suspect information was found and police continued to investigate the shooting in the hopes of finding witnesses, Abetkov said.

Garcia’s death marks Richmond’s fourth murder this year, according to the detective.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – A San Francisco woman who was facing eviction from her home Wednesday was thrown a life preserver just hours before sheriff’s deputies were expected to arrive.

“This was not a bad decision to purchase this house,” said Monica Kenney, who added that she wasn’t one of those who bought way beyond her means.

Kenney could afford her 537-square-foot home until she lost her job. Wells Fargo helped out, modifying the loan with a forbearance agreement she signed last year. She even made a payment on it, but the home was still auctioned off to Fannie May. As she waited for the sheriffs deputies to arrive to evict her in a matter of hours, she kept those phone calls going with Wells Fargo.

KCBS’ Janice Wright Reports:

“Essentially, I know from Fannie Mae that they need to be the ones to stop the eviction,” said Kenney,

A group of neighbors, reporters and members of Alliance of Californians of Californians for Community Empowerment gathered at her house in support – a fact that Kenney made sure to mention to Fannie Mae.

About ten minutes later, Kenney got a call from Fannie Mae calling off the dogs.

Kenney now has two weeks to try to work things out.

“I still believe in the American Dream,” said Kenney.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

After talking to unions, San Jose City Manager Debra Figone recommended some changes to the pension reform ballot measure approved by the city council last year. The new proposal would reduce the amount that employees would have to pay to cover pension debt, and make benefits for new hires slightly better.

The changes are supported by Mayor Chuck Reed, who told KCBS that the modified measure will still save the city hundreds of millions of dollars in the first ten years, and likely one billion dollars in the second ten years.

KCBS’ Matt Bigler Reports:

“We’ll save even more in the decade after that because as new employees come into the system they’re covered under a new plan, at a much lower cost to the city,” said Reed.

Union leaders are still not happy about the measure, claiming that the city has inflated its retirement costs to put pressure on employees.

The city council may change the language in the pension reform measure at its March 6th meeting.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The mountain lion was seen in the backyard of a home in the 200 block of 42nd Avenue about 9 p.m., officials said.

The witness reportedly scared off the big cat by making a lot of noise.

Residents who see a mountain lion are advised to never approach the animal.

Anyone who encounters a mountain lion should face the animal, make noise and try to appear larger by waving one’s arms and throwing rocks, emergency officials said.

More information about mountain lions is available at www.keepmewild.org.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

The reality in this neighborhood is high crime, poverty and violence, and executive director of the violence prevention organization Urban Peace Movement, Nicole Lee, calls Queen Deelah a cultural leader, who give cues of acceptable behavior through music.

“Our belief is that we have to do many things to stop the violence, but we can’t do it without the leadership of the young people who are from these communities,” said Lee. “Young people are already listening to these performers, these musicians, and it’s important that we work with the performers to carry a message of peace because we know that’s a direct line to the ear of a lot of these young people.”

KCBS’ Margie Shafer Reports:

“I create conscious music. I create music about what’s going on in our everyday lives,” said Muhyee. “People gravitate towards me because I was going through the same thing. In middle school I was kicked out of school and labeled as a gang leader, but what I got out of that was that wasn’t who I was.”

The 25-year-old Muhyee now splits her time between Austin, Texas and East Oakland. She is the daughter of parents who at one point struggled with crack addition, and has sung in church and San Quentin as well as performing at clubs, theatres, and several Oakland schools.

“Young people are going to have their breakdowns and breakthroughs, but I want to tell them to be willing to go through that and not take a shortcut,” said Muhyee.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)