News

A former Albany High School wrestling coach and a longtime youth sports volunteer was sentenced today to more than two decades in prison for molesting three teenage boys. -more-

The Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society has raised more than $115,000 since a fire destroyed parts of its facility late Wednesday night, according to a spokeswoman for the organization. -more-

A suspicious fire broke out today behind 1246 and 1248 Ashby. -more-

Three University of California at Berkeley graduates who have been detained in Iran for more than nine months had a "very emotional" reunion with their mothers today at a hotel in Tehran, a family member said. -more-

A man and woman were shot in south Berkeley this morning, a police spokeswoman said. -more-

In the news today: The City of Berkeley approves fee increases for various city programs to combat deficit; fire at the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society kills 15 cats and Berkeley’s Reel Video threatened by closure. -more-

The Alameda County coroner's bureau has identified a 35-year-old man who was struck and killed by an Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District bus after being knocked from his bike into traffic in Oakland Wednesday afternoon. -more-

At least a dozen cats were killed in an overnight fire at the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society, but the actions of an animal living in an apartment above the shelter gave the sad story a silver lining. -more-

A 35-year-old man was struck and killed by an Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District bus after being knocked from his bike into traffic on a busy Oakland street this afternoon, police said. -more-

The Safeway Store on 1444 Shattuck Avenue, located in the heart of our wonderful Gourmet Ghetto, is planning to remodel their store. At the most recent meeting Safeway revealed that their plan for renovation calls for the removal of every single tree on the property! This includes the stately old grove of trees standing on the south edge of the property facing Henry Street.

There is a meeting of the Design and Review Committee on Thursday, May 20, at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Avenue, at the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard. This meeting begins at 7:00 pm. Please attend and let your feelings be known. -more-

With a rambling and multifaceted motion, the actual details of which are still being debated, Maria Viramontes emerged last night as the new champion of the controversial Point Molate mega casino and leader of the “Casino Four.” Joined by Bates, Rogers and Lopez, the “Casino Four” gave Upstream Point Molate nearly another year’s extension of the Land Disposition Agreement (LDA) that expired in January of this year without specifically attaching any of the conditions that have been the subject of intense negotiation over the last several months. -more-

Police are looking for a man who robbed a Safeway supermarket in El Cerrito at gunpoint Tuesday night, El Cerrito police Sgt. Peter Statton said today. -more-

The mothers of three University of California at Berkeley graduates who have been detained in Iran for more than nine months arrived today in Tehran, the country's capital city, according to their spokeswoman. -more-

In the news today: The Berkeley City Council agrees to Arizona sanctions and decides not to fine large family day care centers for retroactive penalties; Berkeley sets a limit for CO2 emissions; police warn of robberies; UC Berkeley freshmen get DNA swabs as welcome presents and Berkeley High School reopens the search for a new principal. -more-

As the current school year winds down at Berkeley High, it’s time to finalize plans for the new one, including the allocation of resources. It’s time as well to evaluate the year now coming to an end, and both of these tasks were on the agenda of the most recent governance council meeting this past Tuesday. -more-

In the news today: Bayer Pharmaceutical’s announcement of a new Innovation Center will not change anything for its Berkeley campus, the Berkeley City Council tonight (Tuesday) will consider an Arizona travel ban and a request for continuation for reconsideration of the Berkeley Iceland landmark designation. -more-

Berkeley police are seeking four suspects believed to be responsible for at least two robberies just south of the University of California at Berkeley campus in the past few weeks. -more-

A three-alarm fire that destroyed a home and damaged two others in North Berkeley on Thursday afternoon was apparently caused by a faulty lamp switch, an assistant fire chief said today. -more-

Margaret Regan has been covering immigration for over a decade for the Tucson Weekly and other publications. Her book is “The Death of Josseline: Immigration Stories from the Arizona-Mexico Borderlands.” She talked to NAM editor, Sandip Roy. -more-

PG&E on Monday issued an apology along with 45 reports dating back to August 2006 detailing reviews, monitoring, testing, and corrections identified in the company's SmartMeter program. -more-

Jurors this morning convicted Andrew Hoeft-Edenfield of second-degree murder for the stabbing death of University of California at Berkeley senior Christopher Wootton near campus two years ago. -more-

Protesters ended a 10-day hunger strike yesterday on the University of California at Berkeley campus during a meeting with the university chancellor and top administrators that both sides called productive. -more-

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Verismo Opera, Northern California’s mobile opera theater, will be back in Berkeley with the double bill of Suor Angelica and Cavelleria Rusticana next Saturday, May 22, at 7:30 pm at the Berkeley Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar. -more-

PG&E on Monday issued an apology along with 45 reports dating back to August 2006 detailing reviews, monitoring, testing, and corrections identified in the company's SmartMeter program. -more-

Every Friday at noon: catch pianist Jerry Kuderna’s Friday Lunch Concerts, -more-