Catch Me Up: Daily news roundup for June 2, 2025

This Daily News Roundup for the 24 hours from 4:00 PM Sunday 6/1 to 4:00 PM Monday 6/2 is based on news articles created by Bay City News reporters and editors. We prompted ChatGPT to analyze the articles produced by our staff and to choose 5 stories to highlight. Then we used ElevenLabs and other tools to help us convert the text into audio based on the voice of Leslie Katz, one of our Bay City News editors. This content was verified by a human editor.

Hello, and welcome to Bay City News for Monday, June 2nd, 2025. Here is a look at some of the top stories from across the region.

San Jose authorities announced Monday that they have identified the suspected killer in the 1978 cold case death of teacher Diane Peterson. The suspect, Harry “Nicky” Nickerson, was a student at Branham High School where Peterson taught. A relative told San Jose police earlier this year that Nickerson confessed to the killing on June 16, 1978, just minutes after it occurred. Peterson was found stabbed in the chest near her classroom the day after school recessed for summer. A witness had previously told police Nickerson, who was 16 at the time, confessed and had a knife inscribed with “Teacher Dear,” though this claim could not be corroborated at the time. Nickerson was an initial suspect and was booked into jail four days after the killing, with his booking photo strongly resembling a composite sketch. Investigators made the breakthrough after meeting with Nickerson’s family member. Nickerson died by suicide in 1993.

In other news, residents of Santa Clara’s celebrated Agrihood Sustainable Community, designed for low-income and homeless older adults, are reporting health issues less than two years after its grand opening. The complex, located at 76 North Winchester Boulevard, was promised an urban farm, which residents say they haven’t been allowed to use. According to San Jose Spotlight, multiple residents have experienced respiratory problems requiring hospitalization, with some attributing their symptoms to a fire caused by an e-bike battery explosion last October. Residents have shared photos of exposed walls and unfinished repairs, and some claim air filters were removed before air quality assessments. The building is managed by the John Stewart Company, with the owner being Core Affordable, under The Core Companies umbrella. The city of Santa Clara said it takes all complaints seriously and has conducted nine compliance reviews since leasing began in June 2023.

Shifting our focus to regional conditions, the Bay Area is under an air quality advisory for Monday and Tuesday due to wildfire smoke drifting from Canadian wildfires. The Bay Area Air District warns that smoky and hazy skies are expected, and air quality may become unhealthy. The smoke originates from wildfires burning in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba provinces. Officials advise residents to stay indoors with windows and doors closed if possible, and to use indoor air filtration. While smoke can irritate eyes and airways, a Spare the Air advisory has not been issued, as pollutant levels are not expected to exceed the national 24-hour health standard. Real-time smoke pollution levels are available on the U.S. EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map.

Meanwhile, travelers across the Bay Area are facing several traffic disruptions. In eastern Contra Costa County, Highway 4 is closed at the Old River Bridge near Discovery Bay due to a mechanical issue, with no estimated time for reopening, according to Caltrans. In San Mateo, an overturned big rig that spilled metal debris on Monday morning is still blocking the connector from the San Mateo Bridge to southbound U.S. Highway 101. The California Highway Patrol expects the roadway to remain closed until early afternoon. Additionally, in Santa Cruz County, a sinkhole that formed Sunday on State Highway 1 near Watsonville continues to impact traffic, with the left lane remaining closed in the southbound direction at Buena Vista Drive for ongoing repairs.

In San Joaquin County, three people were arrested Sunday on suspicion of stealing cherries for a string of produce stands. The San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office stated that Wei Guo, Jian Huang, and Ling Li were caught “red-handed” in the act of stealing cherries, totaling approximately four thousand dollars worth of produce and property damage. Deputies allegedly discovered ledgers tying the suspects to similar thefts across multiple counties, indicating they have been selling stolen fruit at various stands. All three were booked into jail on suspicion of vandalism, grand theft, and conspiracy to commit a crime, each held on one hundred fifty thousand dollars bail.

Finally, some news on a successful rescue. A hiker was safely rescued by helicopter Sunday after falling over a cliff on San Francisco’s Battery Crosby Trail. The San Francisco Fire Department responded to a distress call reporting an adult victim stuck on an edge of the trail in the Presidio. A firefighter made contact with the individual, who had sustained minor injuries. A California Highway Patrol helicopter, staffed with an SFFD Helicopter Rescue Technician, was dispatched to airlift the hiker to safety. The victim was evaluated by paramedics but did not require hospitalization.

And those are some of the top stories we’re following. Thank you for joining us for Bay City News.