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Berkeley is home to many aspiring musicians and provides opportunity for the amateur performer to get onstage nearly every night of the week. Here’s what the Daily Planet found in a typical week of talent-spotting. -more-

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State education consultants said the Berkeley Unified School District’s transition to a new data processing system has been “very smooth,” despite a pair of high-profile payroll problems in late July. Errors are unavoidable in a transition, they said. -more-

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Gov. Gray Davis announced approval of more than $20 million by the California Transportation Commission to upgrade service on BART. -more-

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SACRAMENTO — California’s budget impasse is on course to break records as it heads into the ninth week and the Legislature prepares for the final marathon week of its 2002 session. -more-

LOS ANGELES — Low interest rates, strong demand and tight supply kept California’s real estate market red hot in July, with home prices soaring 16.5 percent over the same period last year. -more-

SAN FRANCISCO — A former business executive was sentenced to 30 months in prison Friday for insider trading. -more-

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gray Davis unveiled a new statewide advertising campaign Thursday to encourage consumers to purchase California-grown produce to help boost the state’s largest industry. -more-