News Updates

City Officials Question Both Marina Ferry Sites

By Richard Brenneman

Tuesday January 13, 2009

The regional agency that governs Bay Area ferries gave too little consideration to the impacts of a ferry terminal at Berkeley Marina, city officials say. -more-

Reshaped Helios Building Sparks Further Criticism

By Richard Brenneman

Tuesday January 13, 2009

One after another, Berkeley residents voiced their frustration last Wednesday night with the building that will house a program that is the brainchild of nation’s energy secretary-designate. -more-

Police Arrest Two Suspects in West Berkeley Shooting

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Monday January 12, 2009

Berkeley police have arrested Berkeley residents Rhonda Reid, 47, and Lee Freddy Green, 50, for the attempted murder of William Payton on Sunday night. They are being held without bail, authorities said Monday. -more-

Downtown Building Heights Set for Commission Action

By Richard Brenneman By Richard Brenneman

Monday January 12, 2009

The most-contested chapter of the city’s emerging new Downtown Area Plan comes before planning commissioners Wednesday night. -more-

North Berkeley BART Station Windows Smashed to Protest Grant Death

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Friday January 09, 2009

The North Berkeley BART station was vandalized early Thursday morning as a protest against the killing of Oscar Grant III by a BART police officer, BART authorities said Friday. -more-

Off-Campus Muggings Escalate at Berkeley High

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Friday January 09, 2009

At least two Berkeley High students were arrested and another student was sent to the Berkeley Police Department Youth Services Division for disciplinary action in the weeks before Christmas break for a string of strong arm robberies of Berkeley High School students in and around Martin Luther King Civic Center Park. -more-

Oakland and BART Officials Respond to Killing

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Friday January 09, 2009

City of Oakland officials moved quickly on Thursday to respond to the growing controversy over the investigation of the New Year’s Day shooting death of 22-year-old San Leandro man by a BART police officer, while members of the BART board of directors—which had been accused of dragging its feet on a response—officially heard the public anger over the shooting for the first time. -more-

Dental Records Give ID for Berkeley Burnt Body

By Richard Brenneman

Wednesday January 07, 2009

East Bay Regional Parks District Police Thursday announced their identification of a body found in a burning trash along Interstate 80 along the Berkeley shore. -more-

News

Cops Mum in Case of Walled-Up Cadaver

By Richard Brenneman

Wednesday January 07, 2009

While Berkeley police have identified the body found walled up in a Berkeley apartment building at 2235 Ashby Ave., they aren’t saying anything about how or why he died. -more-

People’s Park Acacias Felled Despite Tree-Sit Protest

By Richard Brenneman

Wednesday January 07, 2009

Berkeley’s latest tree-sit ended almost before it began when the lone remaining branch-percher descended to earth Tuesday morning, followed by two acacias a few hours later. -more-

Brunner Elected Oakland City Council President

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Wednesday January 07, 2009

The era of male-dominated city government ended in Oakland Monday morning—and perhaps the era of a city government dominated by former state Sen. Don Perata as well—when North Oakland Councilmember Jane Brunner was elected to the powerful position of Oakland City Council president, to succeed the outgoing Ignacio De La Fuente. -more-

Local Groups Plan Events For Obama Inauguration

By Rio Bauce Special to the Planet

Wednesday January 07, 2009

While only a select few will actually get to attend the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States on Jan. 20, many Bay Area citizens and organizations are coming together to have their own local celebrations. -more-

Fire Dept. Log

By Richard Brenneman

Wednesday January 07, 2009

Police Blotter

By Rio Bauce

Wednesday January 07, 2009

Top Berkeley Headlines of 2008

Wednesday January 07, 2009

Council 2008:Controversies, Deliberations And Goodbyes

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Wednesday January 07, 2009

Budget Woes Shadowed School District for Much of Year

By Riya Bhattacharjee

Wednesday January 07, 2009

AC Transit in 2008

By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

Wednesday January 07, 2009

News Analysis: 2008 Proved a Dismal Year for an Ailing Fourth Estate

By Richard Brenneman

Wednesday January 07, 2009

Richard Brenneman

UC Berkeley briefly gained a pair of tree-sitters Monday morning in one of two acacias at People’s Park designated for the ax by university officials. The activists and the tree came down a day later.

Editorials

It Was a Wonderful Life

By Becky O’Malley

Wednesday January 07, 2009

Last week, as a cold December was coming to an end, my father, Warren Peters (known to everyone from his Princeton ‘34 classmates to his great-grandchildren as “Pete”) departed from his life on this earth. He’d been around for almost a century: Born in 1912, he enjoyed 93 years of vigorous good humor, and endured three more recent years of much-diminished mobility and mental acuity with good grace, dying at 96. -more-