SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A Sacramento mother escaped unharmed from a fire at her home thanks to her son.

The fire broke out early Wednesday morning at the home on Grand Avenue near Interstate 80.

The mother says she was in the garage when she heard her son yelling from the street that the house was on fire.

“Everything’s gone.  The house is burned now we don’t have no place to live and the sad thing is today is my son’s birthday,” Denise said outside the charred remains of her home.

Everyone got out safely but many of their possessions were destroyed.

Fire officials say their crews were delayed getting to the fire because the nearest fire station was on a rotating closure due to budget cuts.

“It’s not a step forward or backward. It’s just another game,” Lincecum said. “I put myself in tough situations and I couldn’t put a stop to it. I’ve been known to get out of jams like that. I feel bad I couldn’t pick the guys up and keep the score where it was. I don’t want to put any more pressure on the guys to have to pick me up.”

Scutaro smacked a 92 mph fastball from Casilla (0-2) just over the left-field wall for his first home run of the season after Colorado blew a three-run lead in the eighth.

Troy Tulowitzki, Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Gonzalez and Jordan Pacheco each drove in a run as the Rockies took advantage of San Francisco’s errors to snap a four-game losing streak.

Rex Brothers (2-2) struck out Brandon Belt and Melky Cabrera with the bases loaded in the eighth. Rafael Betancourt struck out Nate Schierholtz looking with two on in the ninth – following a questionable check swing a pitch earlier that had Rockies manager Jim Tracy infuriated – for his seventh save in eight chances.

“Stuff like that,” Brothers said, “it hasn’t been easy yet.”

Colorado’s Jeremy Guthrie – a former Stanford standout – allowed four hits and one unearned run in 5 1-3 innings in his first start since April 22. He had gone on the disabled list after falling off his bicycle on the way to the ballpark last month.

Lincecum lasted seven innings, striking out seven and walking three for the Giants. At the very least, Lincecum’s lethargic starts this season finally disappeared.

Not much else about the final result did.

Gregor Blanco singled leading off the third, stole second and advanced to third on catcher Pacheco’s throwing error. He scored on Brandon Belt’s fly out to give San Francisco a 1-0 lead.

A night after taking a foul ball from teammate Dexter Fowler off his left leg, Tulowitzki played through soreness and singled in the fourth to score Gonzalez from second for the tying run. Gonzalez’s one-out double that landed inches inside the left-field chalk was the first hit off Lincecum, who gave up little on a cold, foggy night under the lights in San Francisco’s windy waterfront ballpark.

“Frustrations will happen,” Lincecum said. “I have to do my best to take care of the things I can control.”

What Lincecum couldn’t control cost him – and San Francisco – a win.

Giants third baseman Joaquin Arias left in the fourth after a pitch hit his left forearm. X-rays showed no break, and the team diagnosed Arias with a bruise. Charlie Culberson replaced him at second, moving Emmanuel Burriss to third.

Burriss blew an infield pop by Tyler Colvin for what should’ve been the final out of Colorado’s fifth. He was charged with an error, but San Francisco caught a break when Pacheco – who had reached on a double – only advanced to third on the play. Jonathan Herrera flied out to center to end the inning.

The Rockies refused to let another gift go unwrapped.

Tulowitzki’s line-drive single to center in the sixth rolled under the glove of a charging Angel Pagan, allowing the slow-footed Tulowitzki – who might’ve scored if healthy – to easily jog to third on the error when the ball rolled all the way to the 399-foot sign. Cuddyer followed with an RBI double and Pacheco’s sacrifice fly put the Rockies ahead 3-1.

“I want these guys to go all out,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “That’s always a tough play – a ball coming right at you. He was trying to make a great catch and it got by him. I would have felt worse if he backed off and caught it on one hop.”

The Giants added another error when catcher Buster Posey threw behind shortstop Brandon Crawford trying to nab Colvin at second. Gonzalez drove in Colvin from third with two outs.

Even still, San Francisco had its shots.

Cabrera’s two-run double off Josh Outman highlighted a three-run seventh for the Giants. Pagan’s two-out single against Matt Belisle evened the score at 4-all before Culberson struck out with Pagan at third.

“It’s good to win,” Tracy said, “but let’s be mindful of what is still not right.”

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.)

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Frustrated Sacramento firefighters marched to City Hall on Tuesday to protest proposed layoffs. But they’re not just challenging the cuts, they’re also offering a solution.

The Sacramento Area Firefighters union prepared a plan to raise revenue instead of making cuts.

Rallying the troops, union president Brian Rice led nearly 150 Sacramento firefighters to City Hall.

“We cannot fracture. We cannot sell out our own,” he told the members. “We’re going to work this problem out. The fire department will work it out for firefighters.”

There are 64 positions are on the chopping block, representing nearly 10 percent of the department. It totals $4.2 million of cuts and the result would be major – reducing four-man rescue crews to three.

“Why is it essential for the Giants to have nine players instead of six?” firefighter and union spokesman Todd Filbrun asked. “Will they still catch some ground balls? Will they still catch some fly balls? Sure. But are they going to win ball games? No.”

But the reduction wouldn’t be unprecedented. Neighboring cities such as Elk Grove and West Sacramento use three-man fire crews.

“They do have about twice as many stations per capita per square mile than we have,” Filbrun said.

Union representatives on Tuesday told council members that they have made concessions in the past and now are offering an alternative. By adding three ambulances, the union says they could raise $3 million in revenue.

The city is also proposing to cut 119 positions in the police department, including 26 officers, for a savings of $6.1 million.

City Manager John Shirey has said the cuts can be avoided if the departments agree to pay all their employee contributions to their pensions.

Most of the comments at the council meeting were against cuts to public safety.

“Please continue to provide an essential service that I pay for,” one resident said.

Tuesday’s budget discussions were preliminary. The council hopes to adopt a final budget on June 12.

A Sacramento student says her school cost her her financial aid. Miranda Lampson blames WyoTech for not submitting her loan application. But WyoTech says it’s her fault.

Faced with getting kicked out of school, she called Kurtis to investigate.

“This was the chair I made in trim and upholstery, which was my specialty class,” said Lampson as she showed off a car seat she reupholstered in class.

The 21-year-old hopes to one day have her own custom car shop – that is, if she graduates from her automotive program at WyoTech in a few weeks. She’s just been suspended over a financial aid mess. A loan that would pay part of her tuition and living expenses didn’t go through.

“I figured my loan’s been submitted. I have a loan ’cause they’re giving me money, so it must be coming from the loan,” said Lampson.

After WyoTech gave her five $800 checks, Lampson says the school told her she didn’t have the loan. She’d have to reapply for the loan, but it now had a higher interest rate.

“I just think it’s wrong to try to push me into something I didn’t agree to,” said Lampson.

She blames the school for not submitting her paperwork to the lender. But WyoTech claims it tried to get the documentation together nine times, saying: “Ms. Lampson delayed submission of the required documentation and submitted documents with errors. Ultimately, Ms. Lampson’s loan was cancelled by the lender.”

Lampson denies the school’s side of the story.

“I never got called in. I would go back every once in a while and check and she’s like, ‘Yeah, everything’s fine, you’re all good,’” said Lampson.

“There’s certainly questions we want answered,” said Russ Heimerich, spokesperson for the the state’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.

Heimerich says the state agency can help students sort through issues like Lampson’s.

“What the bureau does is try to protect the student consumer by making sure that the schools offer what they say they’re going to offer,” said Heimerich.

Lampson is asking the bureau to look into her situation.

After CBS13 got involved, she was allowed back in class while she reapplies for her loan. WyoTech says the interest rate could be nearly as low as the loan she thought she had.

“I would like for my original rate to be given to me,” said Lampson.

WyoTech tells us it has now received all the documents for Lampson’s new loan application. If everything goes well, she says she’s on track to graduate next month.

Link: WyoTech’s Full Statement

FRENCH CAMP (CBS13) – A woman badly beaten is now in a coma fighting for life after an attack the victim’s mother says it should have never happened.

This mother has been living a nightmare for weeks, her daughter in the hospital, unable to talk or move, all after investigators say the suspect tried to kill her. While this mom blames the suspect, she also blames the state.

Raoul Leyva

Video of Brandy Arreola in the hospital taken just Tuesday morning shows the feeding tube and her inability to speak or practically even move.

“If they would have kept him in there, my daughter would be OK right now,” Diana Munoz said.

Munoz says the suspect, Raoul Leyva, put her daughter in the hospital. She just came out of a coma just two days ago after a beating that nearly killed her.

“She had strangle marks around her neck, she had a black eye, she had bruises on her arms,” Munoz said. “Her arms were just like purple and black.”

She says if the state didn’t make the controversial, cost-saving move to send parolees to county jails when they break the rules, Leyva would have never been able to hurt her daughter.

The two had been dating for a month when Leyva violated his parole by failing to register as a sex offender.

“I said, ‘Mija, I see something bad mija, I see him killing you twice already,’” Munoz said she told her daughter. “I said ‘listen to me.’ She said, ‘Mom, I’m not a baby. I can take care of myself.”

Munoz blames the state, saying had the laws remained the way they were, her daughter might not be this helpless 20-year-old now forced to live life from a hospital bed.

“Why would they let a violent offender out?” she asked. “Why would they even let them do their time in the county jail? You know, county jail here is like a picnic.”

Munoz says he daughter finally just opened her eyes Monday. She’s been told by doctors that this is probably the best it is going to get.

Leyva is charged with attempted murder and several other crimes.

SONORA (CBS13) – Some people are comparing it to the Gold Rush, and the Amgen Tour is indeed proving to be a gold mind for some Sonora businesses.

Spectators on Tuesday were already rolling in for Stage 4 of the world-class bike race and local businesses were gearing up.

Downtown Sonora is rolling out the warmest of welcomes and gaining global recognition by hosting the world’s greatest cyclists on Wednesday.

“We’re showing our love for the Amgen Tour and really appreciate the opportunity,” said stage organizer Darrell Slocum.

Hosting a stage of the Amgen Tour is a first for the Gold Rush town. With a population of 5,000, they’re about to see it not double but triple.

A projected 10,000 visitors is a sweet treat.

“Tourism is a very big deal for us. Being in the foothills, especially downtown, we thrive on tourism, so this is a gift,” The Candy Vault owner Stacey Saler said.

She said the candy store will open at 6 a.m. on Wednesday.

“We are known for our sea salt caramel and bacon chocolate,” she said.

Residents are hoping cycling spectators savor their quaint community.

Shirley Sarno, who fell in love with Sonora and moved here after a few ski trips, owns the historic Gunn House Hotel. She’s hoping first-time visitors appreciate the town like she did.

“Hopefully they will come back and people who never heard of Sonora will go, ‘Oh that’s cute,’” she said.

She and all the other hotels nearby are booked

“Everybody is revved up,” she said.

It’s the aftermath they’re also looking forward to, convinced once people see Sonora firsthand, they’ll be back.

“I’ve been here about half an hour. I like it, small town, never been up this way,” one visitor said Tuesday afternoon.

Amgen fans will no doubt be impressed by the lush views of the Mother Lode. But the cyclists? Maybe not.

“The changes in terrain and elevation on our stage are by far the most extreme of the race,” Slocum said.

Stage 4 from Sonora to Clovis covers 130 miles of grueling climbs and curves.

“Amgen Tour people like to mix it up a little, add a different element,” Slocum said. “This is very unique.”

Cyclists will be taking off from downtown Sonora at 10:30 a.m.