Latest news with #Vallejo
CBS News
6 hours ago
- Health
- CBS News
Bay Area duo create custom wigs for alopecia, cancer patients; form nonprofit to cover expense
Two East Bay women are bringing comfort and confidence to women who've lost hair due to cancer treatment and alopecia. Morgan Moore and her sister-in-law, Lee Hoff, put their heads together to make a difference in women's lives. Moore, a licensed cosmetologist and Hoff, an oncology nurse practitioner, started Morgan and Moore in 2022 to help women who have lost their hair regain their self-esteem. "It's important that we use the gifts we've been given by God to bless the people around us," said Moore. "I see it as a way to give them their power back and control back in a very challenging time," said Hoff. Their Vallejo-based company creates custom medical wigs and also fills a gap. While most wigs are synthetic and with straight hair, Morgan and Hoff offer a variety of human hair. "There were a huge number of women who weren't being helped, whether they had kinky, curly hair or extremely wavy hair, and with the Bay Area being so diverse, there were a lot of women not being served," said Moore. However, they also found that not everyone who needed a custom medical wig could afford it, and it's not always covered by medical insurance. So, the pair formed a nonprofit in 2024 called Inclusive Crowns, and raise money to give the wigs away. The first recipient was Kayla Betorina, a mother and special needs educator who has dealt with alopecia all her life. During her pregnancy last year, she lost all of her hair and cut herself off from the world. "I didn't leave my house last year," said Betorina. "She had canceled her wedding. She stopped taking her kids to school," said Hoff. "She was feeling embarrassed and a little bit of shame around that." A custom wig with human hair costs between $1,500 and $10,000, depending on texture and length. When Betorina's insurance would not pay, Moore and Hoff gave her a free wig. That brush of generosity changed Betorina's life. "They gave me a lot of my life back, just with that confidence," she said. "And having a lack of confidence, then having it rebuilt back really affects your life a lot." Betorina eventually rescheduled her wedding for July. So far, Inclusive Crowns has provided free medical wigs to several women in need. Hoff and Moore also find joy partnering with other nonprofits to teach women how to care for them. "To be able to offer these women the opportunity to get a piece of themselves back so they don't have to look sick, so they can feel and look better is huge," said Hoff. "It's important to us that people know that they matter on a deep level," Moore said. Inclusive Crowns takes donations of money and hair. The custom wigs are currently made in Florida, but Moore and Lee want to fund a program to train young women to start their own businesses making the wigs. So, for providing free customized wigs for women with medical hair loss, this week's CBS News Bay Area Icon Award goes to Lee Hoff and Morgan Moore.
CBS News
10 hours ago
- CBS News
Residents in Vallejo neighborhood urged to shelter in place amid police activity
Police in Vallejo urged residents of a neighborhood Wednesday afternoon to shelter in place because of police activity. In a social media post just after noon, the Vallejo Police Department said people in the area bordered south of Nebraska Street, west of Broadway, north of Tennessee Street, and east of Sonoma Boulevard/Highway 29 to stay indoors. People outside the perimeter were told to stay out of the area. There was no immediate word on the nature of the police activity. This is a breaking news update. More information to be added as available.
The Hill
16 hours ago
- The Hill
‘This is a tragedy': Two found dead in Kansas home after alleged child abduction
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Two people are dead and a man is in custody after an AMBER Alert was issued for a young child Tuesday morning. Initially, police in Topeka, Kansas, said the toddler had been abducted last week by an unknown suspect and was believed to be in 'imminent danger.' A later update from authorities said the vehicle belonging to the boy's mother was also missing. Early Tuesday afternoon, authorities said the missing child had been found safe, roughly 400 miles away in Illinois with the suspect. Christopher Barnshaw, 32, was arrested by police in Mattoon, Illinois, in connection with the toddler's reported abduction. As of Tuesday, he was being held for alleged aggravated kidnapping and unlawful use of a weapon. Preliminary autopsy results released for 9-year-old in AMBER Alert turned homicide investigation Nexstar's WCIA reports the toddler was found safe in the backseat of the vehicle Barnshaw was driving, which matched the description of the car missing from the child's Topeka home. During a press conference shortly after the child was found, Topeka Police said a homicide investigation had been launched in connection with the AMBER Alert. Police Chief Chris Vallejo explained that officers were called to a welfare check at a Topeka home Tuesday morning. There, a man and a woman were found dead. The 2-year-old child who lived at the home was not located, prompting the AMBER Alert. According to Vallejo, police are still investigating the cause of death for the two individuals, whose identities have not been released. 'This is a tragedy, and I know the residents around this area are concerned about this, about this event,' Vallejo said. 'It's not something that happens every day, and I feel for them. I just want them to know that we are going to bring this investigation to its full conclusion and we will bring justice for the victims with whatever information we found out and there is no ongoing threat and the Topeka Police Department and supporting departments are on this case.' What relationship Barnshaw has with the victims, if any, was not shared by police on Tuesday. Authorities said late Tuesday they were working to reunite the child with a family member.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Woman shot dead in Vallejo identified
(KRON) — An unconscious woman suffering from at least one gunshot wound was found on the 400 block of Admiral Callaghan Lane in Vallejo at 1:36 a.m. Saturday, according to the Vallejo Police Department. The woman was taken to the hospital where she later died of her injuries. Shooting leaves one dead in Bay Point 'Despite the ongoing life-saving efforts by medical staff, the victim ultimately succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased at 12:32 p.m.,' the Vallejo Police Department said. Vallejo PD is investigating the woman's death as a homicide. The case is Vallejo's eighth homicide of 2025. 'The motive and circumstances surrounding this shooting are currently under investigation,' Vallejo PD said. 1 dead, 4 injured in Bayview District shooting The Solano County Coroner's Office identified the victim as 45-year-old Vallejo resident Courtney Whitney. Whitney's loved ones told KRON4 Monday that they believe Whitney was hit by a stray bullet. Vallejo PD has not confirmed this information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Man arrested in Vallejo murder case: PD
(KRON) — A 42-year-old man from San Jose has been charged with second-degree murder for the death of a woman who was shot and killed in Vallejo on July 5. A woman suffering from at least one gunshot wound was found unconscious on the 400 block of Admiral Callaghan Lane in Vallejo around 1:36 a.m. She was taken to the hospital where she later died of her injuries. Woman shot dead in Vallejo identified The Vallejo Police Department announced on July 18 that it had arrested the 'primary suspect' in the case. The suspected killer, Jose Guadalupe Castillo, now faces multiple felony charges, including second-degree murder, shooting at an inhabited dwelling, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and committing a felony while out on bail. 'A records check revealed that Castillo was currently out on bail for a previous arrest made by the Vallejo Police Department on May 3, 2025, for willfully discharging a firearm in a grossly negligent manner and for being a felon in possession of a firearm,' the Vallejo Police Department said. Castillo was initially arrested on July 16 following a brief foot chase near Admiral Callaghan Lane, according to VPD. 'When the officers attempted to contact Castillo, he tried to evade them and quickly walked into a convenience store,' VPD said. 'The officers entered the store and arrested Castillo without incident.' Woman killed in overnight San Leandro shooting During his arrest, officers allegedly found a gun with an extended magazine in the aisle where he had been standing. Castillo was initially booked into the Solano County Jail for a felon in possession of a firearm. However, two days later, the Solano County District Attorney's Office reviewed the evidence submitted by VPD detectives and subsequently charged him with second-degree murder. Based on the time, location and circumstances of the victim's death, the arrest is seemingly related to the homicide of 45-year-old Vallejo resident Courtney Whitney. KRON4 contacted VPD and the Solano County District Attorney's Office in an attempt to confirm the connection between Whitney's death and Castillo's arrest. However, as of 5 p.m. Friday, the agencies have not responded. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
