Federal prosecutors honed in Tuesday on the two remaining defendants in the criminal case filed last year against Berkeley landlord Lakireddy Bali Reddy and four family members, alleging for the first time that Reddy’s two adult sons raped seven teenage girls from India between 1992 and 1999, and that Reddy’s older son later tried to dissuade one of the alleged victims from communicating with police. -more-

Wednesday, April 11

Time for nay-sayers to accept Beth El project -more-

Producing new plays is a gamble that most theater companies shy away from. At best, established theaters stage only the occasional world premiere. -more-

Stephen Goldstone, interim superintendent of the Berkeley School district since Feb. 1, said Tuesday that he has applied to become the district’s permanent superintendent. -more-

City officials have decided to expand a Harrison Field air study, originally planned to measure particulate matter from auto emissions on Interstate 80, to include chrome 6 testing. -more-

Figurative painter Wendy Sussman, a professor of art practice at the University of California, Berkeley, died of cancer on March 29 near her home in Oakland. She was 51. -more-

A demonstration will be held Thursday on the steps of the Berkeley courthouse asking city officials not to enforce a California law that makes it a crime to sleep outdoors. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — For nearly 30 years, Rhett Jackson owned one of the small, independent bookstores now embroiled in a lawsuit with Barnes & Noble Inc. and Borders Group Inc. -more-

SAN DIEGO — Neurosurgeons have injected genetically modified cells into the brain of an Alzheimer’s patient in a pioneering procedure that holds the hope of halting or reversing brain cell loss caused by the disease. -more-

A federal judge appeared to take a dim view of efforts to amplify Napster Inc.’s legal troubles, but didn’t immediately rule Tuesday on requests to allow thousands of music publishers, songwriters and other artists to join the case. -more-

SACRAMENTO — California and federal energy regulators took turns blaming each other for the state’s power crisis Tuesday during the first of three days of a House subcommittee’s hearings. -more-

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines — Saying there will be no let up in a military operation, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Tuesday told Muslim rebels who are holding a pair of hostages to surrender or die. -more-

To the mother of one Navy specialist held in China, a U.S. apology – even an insincere one – is worth making if it gets the 24 Americans home. To the father of another, nothing that happened merits an apology. -more-

NEW YORK — A rebound in technology stocks set off another big rally on Wall Street Tuesday, lifting the Dow Jones industrials more than 250 points to their first close above 10,000 in nearly a month. -more-

It’s just past 11 a.m. on Friday, March 30, when Balinda Floyd, secretary to Berkeley High School Principal Frank Lynch, announces to the people clustered around her desk that there’s been yet another school shooting — this time in Gary, Indiana. -more-

Monday, April 9

Army’s campus visit was enlightening -more-

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Panthers win boys, girls titles; ’Jackets stung by injuries -more-

Once Californians see their whopping utility bill increase as soon as next month, consumer activists say more people will get involved in the struggle to take over Pacific Gas and Electric through eminent domain. -more-

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Six national champions were crowned Saturday night in the individual event finals of the 2001 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio, including one competitor from Cal. -more-

The Housing Advisory Commission considered loan requests Thursday for two housing projects that would increase the affordable housing stock by 43 units. -more-

University of California at Berkeley researchers have created the world's smallest-of-its-kind engine, which they say could one day be used as an efficient power source for mobile electronics. -more-

There will be closures on Interstate 80 tonight due to work on a bicycle/pedestrian bridge set to connect the city with the marina. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO – As a reward for “staying the course” the parent company of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. awarded about 6,000 bonuses and raises to midlevel managers and other employees hours before the utility filed for bankruptcy, a newspaper reported. -more-

Small cryptographers’ meeting turns into a huge affair in S.F. -more-

It’s the first Wednesday of the month and the Youth Speaks open mike poetry slam is in full swing at South Berkeley’s La Peña Cafe. -more-

Saturday, April 7

Turning terrible 2 today -more-

Habitot Children’s Museum “Back to the Farm.”An interactive exhibit gives children the chance to wiggle through tunnels like an earthworm, look into a mirrored fish pond, don farm animal costumes, ride on a John Deere tractor and more. $4 adults; $6 children age 7 and under; $3 for each additional child age 7 and under. Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kittredge Street and Shattuck Avenue 647-1111 or www.habitot.org -more-

Berkeley will play host to Northern California’s top prep track & field event on Saturday, as the Oakland Invitational takes place at Edwards Stadium on the UC Berkeley campus. Both Berkeley high schools, Berkeley High and St. Mary’s College Prep, will have athletes competing. -more-

A mother, still grieving over her son’s death in a residential fire, urged the Housing Advisory Commission to require stiffer fire safety regulations for rental property. -more-

Prep of the week -more-

While the hospital workers’ union has signed contracts with some 30 medical centers in Northern California, agreement is yet to be reached with Sutter Health, including Berkeley’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. -more-

Cal freshman swimming standout Natalie Coughlin notched another accolade for her outstanding 2000-01 season as she was named both the Pacific-10 Conference Newcomer of the Year and Swimmer of the Year. It was the first time in Pac-10 history someone has been named to both awards. Coughlin is also the third consecutive Cal swimmer to earn Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year honors (Marylyn Chiang in 1999, Haley Cope in 2000) under head coach Teri McKeever. -more-

Bacon Hall was built in the 1880s. When the campus opened in 1873, there were only two buildings ready for occupancy: North Hall, where the Bancroft Library now stands, and South Hall. Bacon Hall was built a few years later and housed the University Collections and the library. Behind Bacon Hall is the Mechanical Arts Building, which is also no longer standing. -more-

Senior forward Sean Lampley, the 2001 Pac-10 Player of the Year who led the conference in scoring with 19.5 points per game, was named Cal’s Most Valuable Player at the team’s annual banquet Thursday night at Haas Pavilion. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas and Electric, California’s largest utility, voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection Friday despite months of efforts by state officials to bail out the cash-starved company. -more-

MARTINEZ — Three friends accused of killing a retired Concord couple and 22-year-old Selina Bishop, daughter of blues guitarist Elvin Bishop, appeared in court to schedule a preliminary hearing. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County residents are less healthy than other people in California and the rest of the country, a survey released Thursday concludes. -more-

GLENDALE — As much as $4 million will be spent for a study to determine if chromium 6 causes cancer when it is ingested in drinking water, federal officials announced Friday. -more-

MALIBU — The Illinois governor who ordered a moratorium on executions told California law students Thursday that his state isn’t the only one that should re-examine the way it uses the death penalty. -more-

LOS ANGELES — An Algerian man was convicted Friday of terrorism for bringing a car loaded with explosives from Canada to the United States in what authorities said was a global plan to bomb buildings at the time of millennium celebrations. -more-

POUND RIDGE, N.Y. — Some gardeners snub forsythia as too common, but its golden effulgence in early spring taunts them. It seems to be saying, “What else is there around?” -more-

If your lawn has bare patches, early spring is a good time to fix them. Seed that is planted early gets established before hotter, possibly drier weather arrives and before crabgrass and other weeds can get the upper hand. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has decided against giving the Justice Department control of a benefit program for sick nuclear workers, a senator who represents some of the ailing workers said Friday. -more-

Joint commission could resolve dispute as both sides still refuse to budge -more-

Efforts to find hostage from Oakland unsuccessful after delay of beheading -more-

Chicago touts its cosmopolitan lifestyle and Lake Michigan. Dallas boasts of no state corporate or income tax and lots of political clout. Denver points out its breathtaking mountain vistas and highly educated workforce. -more-

WASHINGTON — Drivers could face a new round of surging prices at the gas pump this summer, the government says, citing tight supplies through the year’s heaviest driving season. Last year price spikes reached $2 a gallon. -more-

NEW YORK — One of the greatest fears on Wall Street is that the past few weeks of earnings warnings and triple-digit declines have just been a rehearsal — and that the market is likely to endure more turmoil this month when companies actually issue their first-quarter reports. -more-

NEW YORK — For the purposes of raising or lowering the price of a stock, a rumor is often as good as a fact. And the makeup of the current market makes it a setup for rumors and so-called informed opinions. -more-

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Friday, April 6

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Not parking -more-

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With a big meet this weekend, the St. Mary’s track & field team rested most of its stars, but still managed to wipe up the floor with the opposition in its final league meet on Thursday. -more-

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Friday -more-

The loss of the ComputerWare store at Bonita and University avenues – the Bay Area chain went belly up at the beginning of the week – may be one sign that the high-tech downturn is making its way to the East Bay. -more-

By Erika Fricke -more-

California wildlife regulators took a major step Thursday toward putting the coho salmon north of San Francisco Bay on the state’s endangered species list, but stopped short of ordering an immediate listing. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Uninsured motorists injured in an auto accident caused by a government agency’s negligence cannot collect damages for pain and suffering, a divided California Supreme Court ruled Thursday. -more-

LOS ANGELES — A political activist organization with ties to the Reform Party said Thursday it will try to get Tuesday’s mayoral election postponed due to alleged campaign finance violations by the state Republican and Democratic parties and two of the leading candidates. -more-

LOS ANGELES — The conspiracy case against an Algerian accused of smuggling explosives into the country went to the jury Thursday after prosecutors accused him of being a determined terrorist and the defense suggested he was an unwitting courier. -more-

Two Earth First! activists were arrested Thursday for trespassing on Humboldt County land owned by Pacific Lumber Co. -more-

SACRAMENTO — About four-fifths of California’s ninth graders took the English half of Gov. Gray Davis’ new state high school graduation test last month, state school officials said Thursday. -more-

SACRAMENTO — The state has taken over the management of three nursing homes where investigators found evidence of patient neglect, health officials announced Thursday. -more-

BIG SUR — Five California condors stepped tentatively into the wilderness and then flew away Thursday, the latest move in a difficult effort to bring the rare birds back from near-extinction. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis for the first time Thursday endorsed rate increases for customers of two strapped utilities, while urging conservation and defending his handling of the state’s energy crisis. -more-

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke Thursday with Israeli and Palestinian leaders after he learned that Israeli soldiers fired on a convoy carrying Palestinian security chiefs. -more-

WASHINGTON — Senate and White House negotiators agreed Wednesday to a plan that takes money from persistently failing schools and gives it to families for tutoring programs. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration backed away from a proposal to ease salmonella testing requirements on meat for school lunches, saying it was overruling lower level Agriculture Department officials. -more-

NEW YORK — Ah, spring. Cool breezes, blue skies, daffodils – it’s so lovely outside. -more-

Did you know you can order art-quality photography at a pittance from the Library of Congress, or that you can turn a flea-market find into a lamp with decorative mountings available at almost any lamp shop? -more-

MANILA, Philippines — In the face of a last-ditch military offensive, Muslim rebels retreated from their threat to kill an American hostage Thursday and send his head to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as a birthday present. -more-

“Border guards and search lights and escape attempts and death in the middle of Berlin,” said a Berliner, remembering the days of the Berlin Wall in “After the Fall.” -more-

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NEW YORK — Stock prices shot higher Thursday, propelling the Dow Jones industrial average up more than 400 points, after Dell Computer and Alcoa gave Wall Street its first really good earnings news in months. -more-

Everything was fine until someone mentioned the towels. -more-

Thursday, April 5

Standardized tests will yield results -more-

The recent downturn of the stock market evidenced the volatility of the new economy, and allowed those without the speed, courage, or resources to make buckets of money on tech stocks to smile smugly at investors with their now droopy portfolios. -more-

The St. Mary’s track & field team had a good day at the Stanford Invitational last weekend, led by Halihl Guy, who was selected as the Athlete of the Meet. -more-

Chocolate factory finally set to open its doors in May -more-

The St. Mary’s baseball team nearly played a great game on Wednesday against BSAL rival Salesian. But one inning of defensive carelessness led to the Panthers going down, 2-1, to the league leaders. -more-

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Harvard University has sent a letter of regret to the widow of a former professor who was forced to resign almost 50 years ago on suspicions he was a Communist. -more-

Young team going through tough ‘rebuilding year’ -more-

The city is hammering out an amendment to the municipal code that will govern development above buried historic resources such as the West Berkeley Shellmound. -more-

David “Tinker” Juarez admitted he doesn’t know what he’ll do after his career as a professional mountain biker is over. But for now, the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team member loves to race and enjoys encouraging younger cyclists. -more-

TRENTON, N.J. — Shares of Lucent Technologies Inc. plunged as much as 30 percent Wednesday to an all-time low before the telecommunications giant strongly denied rumors it plans to file for bankruptcy reorganization. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — Dashboard dining is distracting drivers, San Francisco Department of Public Health officials warn. -more-

Davis became fall guy, insider says -more-

SACRAMENTO — In a move that could raise the state’s power costs, federal regulators ruled Friday that electricity suppliers cannot be forced to sell to the California grid if the utilities getting the emergency power can’t afford to pay for it. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — A Delta flight from Atlanta to Japan was forced back to the United States after Russian air traffic controllers said it didn’t have permission to fly through their airspace. -more-

Faced with a critical shortage of teachers for English as a Second Language classes, adult schools throughout the East Bay are holding a job fair tonight, from 7 to 8:30, at the Contra Costa County Office of Education, 77 Santa Barbara Rd., Pleasant Hill. -more-