Bust a culmination of several weeks of police surveillance -more-
Dear Mayor Dean, City Officials, Berkeley News Media and Bcc’d Neighbors, -more-
As Avon Kirkland spoke to the Daily Planet on his cell phone from Park City, Utah, he was interrupted by an invitation from a PBS television executive to come have a drink. He told them he would join them in a minute. -more-
Freshman has 17 rebounds and 5 blocks -more-
Superintendent Michele Lawrence met in closed session Tuesday with about 30 teachers from the three major schools-within-a-school at Berkeley High School, where ideas for expanding the autonomy of small schools were discussed. -more-
LAS VEGAS — Would-be contestants answered the call to “come on down” in a big way Thursday, overwhelming “The Price is Right” in hopes of being on the program’s 30th anniversary show. -more-
If you are a car owner tired of orbiting your home and workplace looking for parking, only to return and find a parking ticket that seems to mock you as it flaps in the wind, there may be another option. -more-
PETALUMA— A 19-year-old man’s legs were seriously injured when he fell into a portable cement mixer. -more-
NOVATO — Breast cancer rates in Marin County have jumped 20 percent in one year, increasing the already-high rates for the county, according to a recent study. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Many Californians are concerned government officials will trample on civil liberties in the fight against terrorism, according to a new poll. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Illegal immigrants and other students who qualify will get a big break in University of California tuition under a plan approved Thursday that will allow them to pay the same amount as California residents. -more-
OAKLAND — The man accused of driving into five children and a mother in a crosswalk as they headed to school faces several felony counts, including vehicular manslaughter, Oakland police said Thursday. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Pacific Gas and Electric Co. filed a $4.1 billion breach of contract claim against the state of California Thursday, saying it was prohibited from selling power from its power plants at market rates as promised under the state’s 1996 deregulation law. -more-
TUCSON, Ariz. — Two A-10 attack jets from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base collided and crashed Thursday in a desert area just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, killing one pilot, a military spokesman said. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Nine airport security screeners who could lose their jobs under a new federal law that says only U.S. citizens can work as screeners filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging it is unconstitutional and discriminatory. -more-
We live, work and play in the town where we were born and raised — Pittsburg, Calif. -more-
You either like the look of a tree that has been pollarded, or you do not. It’s not a natural look. This time of year, a pollarded tree presents a trunk capped by a clubbed head, or a trunk with short limbs that are capped by clubbed heads. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge has denounced AT&T’s private system of resolving disputes as an “illegal and unconscionable” attempt to deprive telephone customers of their legal rights. -more-
SAN JOSE — Two days after reporting record profits, eBay Inc. said Thursday it will raise many of the fees it charges to sell items on the site. -more-
TORONTO — Nortel Networks posted a $1.83 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2001, bringing its total loss for 2001 to $27.3 billion, the company announced Thursday. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Hammered by a high-tech bust that shrank incomes and lengthened unemployment lines, Silicon Valley apartment rents dropped 22 percent during 2001, the biggest change in the West, according to a real estate study obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court appeared ready Thursday to pull the plug on two California city ordinances regulating fees that banks can charge ATM users. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — In his first public comments since his release from prison, former Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee quipped Thursday that if he could turn the clock back 20 years, he would go to work for IBM or Intel, develop semiconductors and “make big money.” -more-
SACRAMENTO — The shotgun pressed against Myrna Opsahl’s left side and went off with a loud explosion. Then, fallen flat on the floor of Crocker National Bank, she began to bleed. -more-
The City Council declared Brothers Liquors in south Berkeley a public nuisance and then revoked its operating license Tuesday after hearing contradicting public comments that told a “tale of two Brothers.” -more-
Parras Vega racked up a hat trick and four other St. Mary’s players scored goals in a runaway 7-0 win over John Swett on Wednesday in Berkeley. -more-
Lazarus Ortega, the sometime Berkeley resident who was accused last month of the murder of his adoptive mother, Charlotte Ortega of Berkeley, briefly appeared in court Wednesday morning. -more-
Having broken their road curse with a win at Oregon State last weekend, the Cal men’s basketball team will now tend to their own turf, hosting Washington and Washington State this week. The Bears have yet to lose at Haas Pavilion this season. -more-
Editor: -more-
Berkeley’s public schools had a mixed showing in statewide rankings, based on standardized test scores, released Wednesday by the California Department of Education. -more-
Charles Smith insists he has nothing against trees. But when the long-time Berkeley resident pointed toward a set of towering eucalyptus at Indian Rock Park while sitting in his Berkeley hills home, he described the trees’ impending disasters. -more-
On Tuesday, the City Council reworked a five-year-old notice aimed at helping people with multiple chemical sensitivities attend public meetings. -more-
SANTA CLARA — A judge declared on Wednesday that Cathline Repunte, the San Jose school bus driver accused of killing a co-worker and injuring three others, is mentally incompetent to stand trial. -more-
LOS ANGELES — A tight state budget will likely limit raises for faculty and staff members in the University of California system and could lead to tuition increases to fund more competitive salaries, UC officials said Wednesday. -more-
Indian making its own engines
ALAMEDA — Marine safety officials have eliminated raw crude escaping from fissures in the sea floor as a possible source of a mysterious oil spill that is contaminating birds from Monterey up to Point Reyes. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO— Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and California power regulators vented their frustration with one another before a federal bankruptcy judge Wednesday, as the state sought permission to develop an alternative plan under which PG&E would emerge from bankruptcy. -more-
NEW YORK — A murky forecast from Intel sent stocks sharply lower Wednesday on worries that a recovery would take longer than expected and that the market had risen too high, too fast. -more-
SAN JOSE — Fourth-quarter losses narrowed considerably at Yahoo! Inc. and beat Wall Street expectations, and the Internet bellwether said Wednesday it is on track to see its fortunes rebound in 2002. -more-
HOUSTON — Compaq Computer Corp. easily topped Wall Street’s fourth-quarter 2001 earnings expectations, announcing Wednesday that it earned $92 million for the period. -more-
More than 300 students from Emerson School took to the streets Tuesday morning to participate in an annual march honoring the birthday of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., born Jan. 15, 1929. -more-
An Alabama judge’s ruling that an ex-Klansman is competent to stand trial for the murder of four black girls in a church bombing 39 years ago is an important step toward closing the books on the wave of murders that rocked the South during the civil rights era. -more-
Patrick Kennedy, Berkeley’s most controversial builder, is kicking off the new year with a bang. -more-
The City Council met in closed session Tuesday to discuss filing litigation against UC Berkeley for deficiencies in the Final Environmental Impact Report on the university’s proposed development on “the quiet side of campus.” -more-
How about a little lite reading for your pleasure? You might want to start with “Building the Bay Area’s future: a study of the economic impact of the University of California, Berkeley.” -more-
SAN RAFAEL — The parents of John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban who now faces charges that could lead to life in prison, said Tuesday they are eager to be reunited and to “give him the love and support he needs.” -more-
U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer today urged Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman to authorize $14 million in emergency funding to fight Sudden Oak Death Syndrome because scientists recently said the state's redwood trees might be at risk. -more-
OAKLAND — Five children were seriously injured Tuesday when a speeding car struck them and their two mothers in a crosswalk on their way to school. -more-
SAN JOSE — To animal rights groups, Ringling Bros. circus owner Kenneth Feld is a secretly sinister force in the family entertainment business, a man they would love to bring down if they could. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis’ budget plan relies on “overly optimistic” assumptions and could result in a multi-billion dollar deficit in the future, Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill said Tuesday. -more-
GILROY — Americans love garlic, but growers here say illegal Chinese imports, unpredictable weather and soaring land costs are threatening to squeeze the domestic garlic industry right out of its stinky business. -more-
SACRAMENTO — An accounting firm’s destruction of some of energy giant Enron’s financial documents may have violated a state Senate committee’s subpoena, senators investigating the state’s energy crisis said Tuesday. -more-
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration will charge American Taliban John Walker Lindh with conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens in Afghanistan and will ask for life imprisonment rather than the death penalty, Attorney General John Ashcroft said Tuesday. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Critics of the state’s three-strikes law proposed a bill and a statewide initiative to change it Tuesday, but the law’s supporters, including Gov. Gray Davis, said the law should remain as it is. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The turf war over a novel tax-sharing bill proposed for metropolitan Sacramento turned a new direction Tuesday when Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, unveiled a compromise bill to mollify opposition. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — You can drive high in Idaho, as long as you can drive straight. -more-
SALT LAKE CITY — Australia’s team won’t be allowed to open mail during the Winter Olympics. Other countries are hastily hiring security people to guard their athletes. -more-
BOISE, Idaho — Pilots and passengers taking private or charter aircraft to Salt Lake City during the Winter Olympics will have to detour through one of four gateway airports for security checks, and pilots must undergo background checks, the Federal Aviation Administration said. -more-
LOS ANGELES – The Olympic flame returned Tuesday to a city that has hosted the Games twice. -more-
With the economy in trouble and the state education budget in question, administrators at Emerson School are fighting to maintain a successful, three-year-old mentoring program that serves almost half the school’s student body. -more-
The call is out for poems about Searching, the theme of the 76th Poets’ Dinner contest. Other poem categories are Beginnings and Endings, Humor, Nature, Love, Spaces and Places, People, and Poets’ Choice. -more-
The City Council will hold a public hearing tonight on Brothers Liquors, deemed by the Zoning Adjustments Board to be a nuisance to its South Berkeley neighborhood. The ZAB placed a number of restrictions on the business, but the owners, appealing the conditions placed on the business, claim the restrictions will ruin the store. -more-
... And they lived happily ever after. -more-
Some of the issues waiting for the City Council upon its return tonight from winter recess include a car-sharing agreement, a residential energy conservation contest and a proposed architectural study of the stately Old City Hall for a possible seismic upgrade, face lift and expansion. -more-
Energy conservation measures in your home or business can save you money, energy and even help to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels as a source of power. The trick is in finding out what measures you should take. Then you can find the right products to help conserve energy. -more-
The Berkeley police arrested 10 adult women and one teen-ager for soliciting for prostitution Saturday. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and its creditors spent hours in bankruptcy court Monday poring over the nitty gritty of the utility’s plan to emerge from bankruptcy. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis on Monday rejected federal efforts to settle a lawsuit over the state’s right to review oil and gas leases off California’s coast. -more-
SUNNYVALE — Tim Koogle, the former chief executive of Yahoo! Inc., made $31.9 million exercising stock options in late November. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — John Walker Lindh bumbled his way through his first trip to the Middle East, unwittingly insulting other Muslims and repeatedly getting into trouble with authorities, say those who encountered the California teen-ager in Yemen. -more-
WASHINGTON — John Walker Lindh, the young Californian caught holed up with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, remains aboard a naval ship at sea, military officials confirmed Monday. -more-
PORTLAND, Ore. — Christian Longo — on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list for allegedly killing his wife and three children and dumping their bodies into coastal waters — was arrested at a grass-hut camp at a beach resort in Mexico, the FBI said Monday. -more-
The East Bay Lesbian/Gay Democratic Club made its endorsements Saturday for the March 5 primaries, which includes casting their approval for the upcoming Governor, Lieutenent Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State races as well as assembly seats in district 14 and 16. -more-
Most coaches would be thrilled with a 21-point win over a solid opponent. But when you’ve got the tradition of excellence of the Berkeley High girls’ program, it simply isn’t enough. -more-
United Nations and American diplomacy have scored a major success by persuading the major Afghan factions to accept a provisional coalition central government, and by inducing neighboring states to accept it. But these initial achievements may soon be lost if there is not a swift and energetic initiative to give the new central government substance. A test will be whether the United States gives priority to the need to coordinate an aid program for the restoration of Afghanistan, or continues to search for a wider war. -more-
Approximately a dozen mental health patients and their advocates picketed a major symposium on mental health and public policy held at the UC Berkeley campus on Saturday, citing a familiar slogan of the disabled community – “nothing about us without us.” -more-
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Joe Shipp scored 14 points, and A.J. Diggs hit the clinching shot with just under 25 seconds left as Cal defeated Oregon State 61-53 Saturday night. -more-
Editor: -more-
A local currency called “bread” is slowly rising even though some worry that it allows for small-scale tax evasion. -more-
Cal turned in an uncharacteristically bad defensive performance in Oregon State’s 80-52 win at Haas Pavilion on Saturday night. -more-
Editor: -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel, the couple accused in last year’s fatal dog mauling of Diane Whipple, will ask a judge Monday to grant them separate trials. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Many of the state’s regions have switched to public transportation powered by alternative fuels, but the San Francisco Bay area has opted to keep the noisier, dirtier diesel-burning buses. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – The battle of the bike coasts into a courtroom Monday as the organizer of the California AIDS Ride and two charities try to settle their differences over a new bike-a-thon planned for this summer. -more-
SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gray Davis won a round of applause in his State of the State speech last week with a flag-waving promise to support the peacekeepers called to duty after last fall’s terrorist attacks. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – After years of ignoring people caught damaging the environment in Northern California, federal prosecutors are cracking down on tree poachers, salmon snatchers, illegal trail cutters, oil dumpers and other polluters. -more-
SAN JOSE – After years of people advocating it, California will finally number its highway exits. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – U.S. poultry growers have a chicken-and-egg dilemma. -more-
LOS ANGELES – The ghostly Hispanic legend of “La Llorona,” Spanish for The Weeping Woman, will be used by California milk producers in an advertising campaign. -more-
Houseboat owners who live at the Berkeley Marina are pushing their landlord – the city – to give them a lease. -more-
Six St. Mary’s players scored in double figures as the Panthers romped to a 94-42 win over Piedmont on Friday night. -more-
Editor: -more-
American playwright Naomi Wallace is the winner of several prestigious literary awards, as well as a 1999 MacArthur “genius” grant. Despite these accolades, however, the 41-year-old writer still has difficulty finding theaters in the United States willing to produce her dark and dense poetical, political plays. -more-
Berkeley nonprofits, which rely heavily on end-of-the-year donations, were fearful that a combination of the Sept. 11 attacks and the economic recession would create the dreaded “perfect storm” scenario. -more-
Despite being outshot 12-3 and playing most of the game in their own half, the St. Mary’s girls’ soccer team nearly managed a tie on Friday against Berean Christian, holding out until the 72nd minute of the game. -more-
Editor: -more-
Thirteen years ago, homeless writer and artist Ace Backwords printed a street art calendar to hand out to friends at Christmastime. Today, the Telegraph Street Calendar is a creative tradition, featuring the work of Berkeley’s homeless artists. -more-
It is one of a parent’s toughest challenges: sibling rivalry. Josette and Ba Luvmour, “holistic educators” who will be running a free seminar at the Berkeley Public Library’s Claremont branch this morning, have some suggestions to help. -more-
Editor: -more-
There are two complexes of romantic “Storybook” cottages on University Avenue designed by Carl Fox and constructed by the Fox Bros. Construction Company. The cottage pictured here is located at 1672 University Ave., and is the cottage which is visible from the street. -more-
The seismic upgrades of the Hearst Memorial Mining Building made a symbolic step forward Friday as UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert M. Berdahl assisted in the removal of provisional foundation support, allowing the building to rest fully on its new base isolators for the first time. -more-
SACRAMENTO — If Gov. Gray Davis has his way, California will become the largest state to borrow from future tobacco settlement revenues to fill gaps in its budget. -more-
WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Friday that there are scattered hopeful signs the recession could be ending, but he warned the American economy still faces “significant risks.” -more-
LOS ANGELES — The first movie scheduled to air on new Spanish-language television network TeleFutura was chosen to send a clear signal about the increasing importance of Hispanic broadcasting — “Back to the Future.” -more-
LOS ANGELES — Gov. Gray Davis unveiled a major initiative Friday to help stem the flow of film and television production out of the state, a practice that drains millions of dollars from the California economy each year. -more-
SAN JOSE — More than one-third of Silicon Valley residents say they are in worse financial shape than they were a year ago, but most people still believe their situation will stabilize or improve in 2002, according to a new survey. -more-
LOS ANGELES — California’s jobless rate showed a slight improvement in December from a month earlier, as the number of unemployed people declined by 21,000, officials said Friday. -more-
BERKELEY — The first question for many people after young American John Walker Lindh was found fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan was: What was he doing there? But the next question was: Where were his parents in all of this? -more-
OAKLAND — A 5-year-old girl died Wednesday after she and four other children, along with two mothers, were struck by a speeding hit-and-run driver in a crosswalk on their way to school. -more-
Add the University of California at Berkeley's extension school to the list of casualties hurt by the downturn in the high tech industry and the sagging economy. -more-
The California Highway Patrol was involved in a two-vehicle crash this morning at the connector ramp between state Highway 24 and eastbound Interstate 580 in Oakland while pursuing a stolen vehicle. The chase started when Vallejo police spotted the vehicle at 2:30 a.m. -more-
SAN BRUNO – Police have arrested a man who holds the lease on a San Bruno apartment, where four men were found dead. -more-
A woman was kidnapped, beaten and sexually assaulted early Wednesday morning, according to Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department. -more-
