Berkeley's city council sent a landmark decision back to the drawing board last week after the building's owner said the structure was designed by a friend of Bernard Maybeck's, not Maybeck himself. The council voted 6-2 to return the issue to the Landmark... Full Story »
A 14-year-old boy was charged Monday with raping a 12-year-old girl in the stairwell of an El Cerrito middle school, and the principal and vice principal have been placed on administrative leave while police and school officials investigate the alleged crime.... Full Story »
A former San Francisco city engineer accused of hijacking the computer network he built went on trial Monday, with prosecutors portraying Terry Childs as a power-mad techie and the defense calling him a misunderstood workaholic obsessed with system security.... Full Story »
Courts on two fronts looked for boundaries Monday on an important question of federal immigration law: What crimes are so serious that they require deportation for any noncitizen who commits them? A federal appeals court ruled in a case from Solano County... Full Story »
A Santa Cruz County man has been convicted of animal abuse for neglecting more than four dozen dogs at his home where canine parts were found, a prosecutor said Monday. Robert Brunette, 46, of Boulder Creek was convicted Friday of two felony counts and seven... Full Story »
A body of a woman found in a car outside Milpitas has been identified as 68-year-old Donna Dowell, a nurse whose family reported her missing nearly a year ago, authorities said today. A hiker came across a Honda Accord near Calaveras and Felter roads in an... Full Story »
A signed pilot's cap belonging to Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger was sold Monday for $5,800, which will be donated to three East Bay public schools. A weeklong auction for the cap on eBay drew 68 bids from people hoping to win a souvenir from the Bay... Full Story »
A driver was struck and killed by a light-rail train after turning into its path in Milpitas on Saturday evening, authorities said. The collision occurred about 7 p.m. Saturday when the motorist made a left turn into the train near Tasman Drive and Interstate... Full Story »
While the poor economy has slowed the ambitious redevelopment of Oakland's Jack London Square, questions remain about whether the waterfront district can become a regional food and entertainment mecca even in good times. The premiere of Jack London Market,... Full Story »
A car filled with the personal possessions of a woman who was moving was found ablaze in Richmond early Monday, in what could be the latest in a series of vehicle arsons in west Contra Costa County. The Toyota Camry was found on fire on the 200 block of... Full Story »
Democratic Assemblyman John Pérez emerged as the winner last week after a bruising battle for leadership of the state Assembly, a fight that had no shortage of contestants. But as the state heads into another year of staggering budget deficits and difficult... Full Story »
There is one consolation for Mayor Gavin Newsom now that he's dropped out of the governor's race - he won't have to take a $72,477-a-year pay cut. Newsom, who earns $246,464 as mayor of San Francisco, would have seen his pay drop to $173,987 if he had won the... Full Story »
Rose Kaufman, an accomplished film writer, died Monday in San Francisco after a four-year struggle with cancer. She was 70. Her death ended a unique family collaboration in the film business. Her husband, Philip, is a writer and director ("The Unbearable... Full Story »
Oakland has become the latest city to allow residents to finance solar panels, insulation, new refrigerators and other efficiency improvements through their property tax bills. "This is a dream way to do solar," City Council President Jane Brunner said. "The... Full Story »
The storm that soaked the Bay Area over the weekend brought a welcome sight to Tahoe resort operators, skiers and snowboarders - a thick blanket of fresh snow. According to forecasts, more is on the way. Major ski resorts reported Sunday that more than 4... Full Story »
Fewer college graduates are becoming teachers in California, and those who do often lack the increasingly demanding skills needed when they get to the classroom, according to the newest research out of the Center on the Future of Teaching and Learning. About... Full Story »
GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner - aiming to stop the momentum of a wealthy competitor, Meg Whitman - will put an additional $15 million of his own money into his campaign, his spokesman said Sunday. The move by Poizner, the state insurance... Full Story »
San Francisco's police chief, George Gascón, says he loves his work and the newly adopted home city he serves. His newlywed wife will soon be quitting her job at Los Angeles Spanish-language news station Univision and will come up and join the ranks of the... Full Story »
Measuring just 20 feet wide and 10 stories high, pressed tight by larger rivals, this building should disappear into the masonry forest of the old Financial District. Instead, the architects made every thin inch count by running a Gothic bay up the facade,... Full Story »
The much-photographed Christmas tree in Civic Center Plaza, across the street from City Hall, got an early holiday gift: new strands of lights that came with a $13,500 price tag. Nothing was wrong with the old lights - they were simply the wrong color. The... Full Story »
It's a good thing the health care debate has moved on to the Senate, because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has completely lost her voice. Her vocal cords have shut down, her husband, Paul, told me when I ran into him at Ron Cowan's holiday party at Teatro... Full Story »
Santarchy Santarchy hits the streets of San Francisco on Saturday. The annual event started here in... Full Story »
Eight people were in custody Saturday after a crowd of angry protesters broke windows and threw burning torches at UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau's campus residence in protest of fee hikes and budget cuts, authorities said. As many as 75 people -... Full Story »
The handwriting was on the wall from the moment Jason Hodge launched a petition drive in the fifth grade to get the principal of his school, Sobrante Park Elementary of Oakland, fired. The 30 signatures didn't dislodge the principal, but Mr. Hodge had made... Full Story »
Mayor Gavin Newsom didn't have to look far to find a new spokesman, snagging Tony Winnicker, communications director for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. It was an early birthday present of sorts for Winnicker, who turns 39 today. We say "of... Full Story »
A 6-day-old sheep relaxes with its mother at a zoo in Tokyo, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)
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