News

Berkeley police Tuesday arrested an already-jailed South Berkeley man for the two Sept. 18 murders in the 1400 block of Derby Street. -more-

A student at Willard Middle School in Berkeley has admitted to starting some of the trash can fires at the school more than three weeks ago and will take part in intervention services. -more-

The AC Transit Board of Directors moved quickly on its two most controversial projects following this month’s electoral victories, scheduling a special board workshop on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for Wednesday afternoon and approving a new round of Van Hool bus purchases. -more-

Cell phone antenna regulations, West Berkeley zoning issues, two condo conversion proposals and the land use chapter of the Downtown Area Plan have all been crammed into Wednesday night’s agenda for the Berkeley Planning Commission. -more-

The UC Police Department is investigating a fight that erupted Thursday evening between a group of current and former UC Berkeley students after a Palestinian flag was hung over a balcony overlooking a pro-Israel concert on campus. -more-

Plans for a $159 million biofuel and alternative energy lab in the Berkeley Hills have been put on hold by UC President Mark Yudoff while the project is sent back to the drawing board. -more-

I didn’t join the street protests against Proposition 8 right after it passed. My gut reaction was: “Where were all these people when we had the chance to defeat it?” But “No on 8” ran a terrible campaign that would not have effectively used more volunteers, and it’s possible that many had tried to get involved. Now the state Supreme Court will decide what to do about Prop 8, and City Attorney Dennis Herrera has put on a strong case to have it overruled. But that doesn’t mean the Court will do the right thing; even the best legal arguments can lose. A mass movement of peaceful protest is crucial at building the political momentum to attain marriage equality – which can convince the Court it’s okay to overturn the “will of the voters.” Social movements rely too much on lawyers and politicians to make progress—without effectively using the masses of people who want to help. Now people are angry, and this weekend we saw mass protests across the country. It’s now time for everyday people to get involved. -more-

An argument over alcohol at the Marina Liquor store on 1265 University Ave. late Thursday night resulted in two Berkeley residents being stabbed, authorities said. -more-

UC Berkeley students joined the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration & Immigrant Rights, and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) Thursday to launch a national campaign urging President-elect Barack Obama to enact the federal Dream Act, which would legalize federal financial aid and open a path of citizenship for undocumented immigrant college students across the nation, who are otherwise entrapped in complicated paperwork. -more-

Authorities served dozens of warrants in the Bay Area this morning as part of a massive California Department of Justice operation targeting a violent Richmond gang known as "Deep C," state officials said. -more-

A battle over the installation of a cluster of cell phone antennas atop a building owned by Patrick Kennedy has revealed a paper trail and testimony focusing on his financial dealings with City Councilmember Linda Maio. -more-

Neighbors worried about cell phone antenna radiation and angry at city officials who have allowed it in their neighborhoods poured out their frustrations at the Berkeley Planning Commis-sion meeting last week. -more-

An out-of-control party at the Gaia Arts Center in downtown Berkeley two weeks ago prompted Berkeley Police to label the venue a public nuisance, leaving its owners susceptible to a fine from the city if a similar incident occurs there in the next four months, authorities said Thursday. -more-

Berkeley’s Long Haul Infoshop finally has its computers back, but its legal battle with UC Berkeley is far from settled. -more-

Berkeley Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who for the last seven years has been advocating for a strong sunshine ordinance to give citizens access to government records and meetings, will put the Berkeley Sunshine Committee’s draft ordinance—crafted as an alternative to one written by the city attorney—on the agenda for the Dec. 8 City Council meeting. -more-

Berkeley City Councilmember Laurie Capitelli can rest easy. Sophie Hahn has decided not to ask for a recount. -more-

Incoming At-Large Oakland City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan said that hard work by volunteers and supporting organizations was the key to her victory in last week’s runoff election. -more-

AC Transit Board President Chris Peeples hit the election trifecta on Tuesday, but by Friday morning, he didn’t sound in the mood for celebration. -more-

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to make additional state education budget cuts to stimulate California’s flagging economy set off alarm bells for school districts last week, many of which had been fearful of mid-year reductions when the governor released a delayed state budget in September. -more-

Community members will get a chance to comment at two scheduled meetings on the Citywide Pools Master Plan, which is being developed by the City of Berkeley and the Berkeley Unified School District over the next six months. -more-

California’s leading newspaper publisher, Dean Singleton’s MediaNews, is shedding eight more jobs in the East Bay. -more-

At the Landmarks Preservation Commission meeting last week, preservationists and architects warned against stripping historic buildings of their original windows, explaining that it could take away character-defining features, and advised homeowners to instead invest in sealing problem areas, weather-stripping and making use of natural ventilation. -more-

Amoeba smash -more-

Flameless fire -more-

There’s still plenty of time to offer comments on Berkeley’s proposed Climate Action Plan. -more-