Berkeley students aiming to prevent fentanyl overdoses say don't do drugs' won't cut it
Berkeley High students roam the halls between classes during the first day of school, Aug 15, 2022.Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight A student group is spearheading an effort to educate their Berkeley High peers about drug use, focusing on overdose prevention and fentanyl.Called the Harm Education and Reduction Organization, or HERO, the club gives presentations in ninth-grade classrooms with the mission of making sure that if students are doing drugs, they have the resources to do so safely.
Where March 5 election results stand in Berkeley and Alameda County
Votes are still being counted in Berkeley primary elections with two measures passing. Mayor Jesse Arreguin advances to November election for District 7 Senate race. Nikki Fortunato Bas leads in Alameda County Supervisor race. [ more ]
Recall campaign against District Attorney Pamela Price has spent $2.2M
Critics of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price have spent approximately $2.2 million since launching a campaign seeking her recall six months ago.
Recall proponents have received contributions from some notable sources, including former Alameda County District Attorneys Nancy O'Malley and Thomas Orloff, who each contributed $5,000 to the campaign. [ more ]
9 candidates will vie for Alameda County's District 5 supervisor seat
Longtime Alameda County District 5 Supervisor Keith Carson will not seek reelection, opening up a highly contested race for his seat.
Nine candidates, including Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, Emeryville Councilmember John Bauters, and Berkeley Councilmember Ben Bartlett, have filed papers to run for the supervisor position. [ more ]
Food insecurity remains high in Berkeley. Here's where to find food banks and what they need
Food banks in Alameda County and Berkeley are experiencing high demand for food services, with longer lines and fewer federal resources.
The Alameda County Community Food Bank distributed over 60 million pounds of food between July and September, surpassing pandemic years.
Federal programs like the child tax credit and food assistance programs expired or were rolled back in 2022, leading to increased food insecurity. [ more ]
Teen girls arrested after allegedly riding scooters into San Francisco pedestrians
Two teenage girls rode their electric scooters into two San Francisco pedestrians and then punched them, an attack that caused broken bones, police said.The assault was reported at 3:54 p.m. on Feb. 12, a Sunday, at 18th and Dolores streets.Two people told officers that they were walking on 18th near Mission Dolores Park when the two teens rode into them, then got off the scooters and punched them.
Mission mass shooting: One in critical condition, five discharged
One patient remains in critical condition following the mass shooting that took place in the Mission Friday night, according to San Francisco General Hospital.Nine people were struck by gunfire while attending an outdoor party on 24th Street.Five of the nine have been discharged from the hospital completely, and three others are in "fair condition," according to the hospital.
Rural California schools, hit hard by flood damage, dread what snowmelt could bring
(Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)
In early April, students in Planada, Calif., finally returned to their classrooms.It had been three months since the early January flood that sent putrid brown water - filled with floating rodents and sewage - crashing into Planada Elementary School, destroying 27 classrooms, ruining thousands of books, and causing more than $12 million in damage.
Survey says looks at various rankings and scorecards judging geographic locations while noting these grades are best seen as a mix of artful interpretation and data.Buzz: California rents have increased three straight months after dropping in the previous five months.Source: My trusty spreadsheet looked at ApartmentList's April report on California rents.
Alameda County auction may leave one of Oakland's last pro teams without a home
When the Oakland Raiders decamped for Las Vegas in 2020, they left behind a state-of-the-art training facility.That complex, which is co-owned by the Oakland and Alameda County, has been used for the past two years by the Oakland Roots, the city's newest soccer team.But soon, that arrangement may be ending.
A collective failing': Bay Area mourns hundreds who died this year with nowhere to call home
They succumbed to heart disease, hypothermia and COVID-19.They were hit by trains and cars.They overdosed aboard BART and in a storage unit.One man had been dead long enough that by the time he was found at a homeless encampment in Los Gatos, his body was so decomposed that no one could tell how he died.
Marin median home price falls to $1.535 million, even with prior year
After ascending to new heights during 2022, Marin County home prices have tumbled back to where they were a year ago.The median price for a detached home in the county fell to $1.535 million last month, according to the latest data from the assessor's office.The price was exactly even with the prior November and represented a 27% decline from the $2.12 million peak in April.
Ex-corrections officer latest charged in sex abuse scandal at California women's prison
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
A former correctional officer at a troubled federal women's prison in California was arrested Friday in Florida and charged with sexually abusing three inmates, according to federal prosecutors.Darrell Wayne Smith, who was employed at Federal Correctional Institution Dublin in the Bay Area, was charged with repeatedly abusing the women between 2019 and 2021 in their cells and in the prison laundry room, prosecutors said.
Slew of child sexual abuse lawsuits could bankrupt the Diocese of Sacramento, bishop says
Hundreds of recently filed sexual abuse lawsuits could lead to the bankruptcy of the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, the diocese's bishop said this week in a letter to the congregation.The diocese's financial predicament stems from a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019 that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations regarding child sexual abuse lawsuits.
Submit your letter to the editor via this form.Read more Letters to the Editor.Ample ways to makeelectric cars accessible Re: State hits ambitious goal for electric cars (Page B1, April 21).It's exciting to see that California now makes up 40% of all new electric vehicle sales nationwide and surpassed a bold electric vehicle goal two years sooner than expected.
Suspect in Stockton serial killings is charged in 4 more fatal shootings
The man accused in a series of killings in Northern California that spanned more than a year was charged with four additional murders and an attempted murder this week by the San Joaquin County district attorney.Wesley Brownlee, 43, had been charged in October with the murders of Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez on Aug. 30, Juan Cruz on Sept. 21, and Lawrence Lopez Sr. on Sept. 27.
4 more slayings are tied to the suspect in the Stockton serial killings
Wesley Brownlee stands with public defender Allison Nobert during his arraignment in San Joaquin County Superior Court on Oct. 18.Brownlee has been charged this week in four additional slayings.Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP, File STOCKTON, Calif.A man suspected in Northern California serial killings has been charged in four additional slayings this week, bringing the total to seven deaths since April 2021, authorities said.
6 Bodies and Remains of 154 People Found in Suspended Crematorium's Warehouse
California officials are working to find the families of more than 150 people whose remains were discovered in a warehouse used by a cremation company that had its license suspended, the authorities said.Six bodies and the cremated remains of 154 other people were recovered on March 1 at the warehouse in Hayward, Calif., just southeast of San Francisco in Alameda County, the county coroner's bureau said.
Oakland School Board Reverses Course, Won't Shut Down Six Schools That Were On the Chopping Block
Many of the Oakland schools that were ordered to close last year will now remain open, thanks to the new school board's reversal of that decision, though the few schools already closed will remain shuttered.There is still definitely unresolved drama with the Oakland school board, considering there's an election recount on that could unseat one board member who's already been sworn in.
AUSD Notes: Alameda schools' open enrollment ongoing now till Jan. 20
All Alameda Unified School District campuses are on fall break this week, the first real break that students and staff have had since mid-August.We know everyone can use the rest and relaxation!In his Thanksgiving message to the AUSD community, Superintendent Scuderi made a point of expressing gratitude to staff and families and especially to students.
How two student journalists exposed their high school teacher's racist views
SAN RAMON A Dougherty High School teacher was removed from the classroom after he expressed disturbing and distressing perspectives on race during an interview with student journalists, according to an email the school's principal sent out this month.
Berkeley Unified to raise teacher pay in new union contract
Carrie Johnston, a first grade teacher at John Muir Elementary, explains the class schedule to her students earlier this year while Ms. Neesa interprets in sign language.
Measure to lower voting age to 16 is on the ropes in Culver City in early returns
A youth-driven push for a ballot measure to lower the voting age will likely fall short in Culver City after months of advocacy on both sides.The ballot initiative, known as Measure VY, would allow Culver City residents as young as 16 to vote in city and school board elections.No other municipality in the country put such a proposition before voters this election cycle.
Man who blamed girlfriend's killing on anti-Asian hate was behind murder-for-hire scheme, police say
A man who allegedly orchestrated his girlfriend's murder in Oakland stood to gain millions from her death, according to court documents released Monday.Nelson Chia, 73, was arrested Friday in connection with the Aug. 21 killing of his longtime girlfriend, 60-year-old Lili Xu.Chia killed himself in Santa Rita Jail a few hours after he was arrested, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office said.
Correctional officer sexually abused three inmates at FCI Dublin, federal prosecutors say
A former corrections officer at one of the only federal women's prisons in the country sexually abused three inmates,United States prosecutors said this week in a new indictment.
Counties with the most super commuters in California
There are more than 283 million vehicles on the road in the United States, and many of those cars, trucks, vans, and motorcycles are used to ferry people to and from their homes and jobs during their daily commutes.
Bay Area sees eviction tsunami' as pandemic renter protections end
Evictions are soaring since state and local pandemic protections lapsed over the past year, with cases across the core five-county Bay Area more than doubling, according to a Bay Area News Group analysis of court data.
Sheriff removes guns and duties from 47 Alameda County deputies deemed 'not suited' for hire
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office has stripped 47 deputies of their firearms and peace officer duties after an internal audit revealed they were never qualified to be hired because they had failed their psychological evaluations, authorities said.
Danville teacher, cheer coach was hired despite criminal background that included prostitution sting. Now he's accused of sexually abusing girls
DANVILLE - A Bay Area middle school teacher and cheer coach accused of sexually abusing two girls was hired despite at least three criminal prosecutions against him since 2009, including one involving charges that he solicited a prostitute in 2015, according to court records.
Five injured when car crashes into Trader Joe's in Northern California
Five people were injured Thursday when a car crashed into a Trader Joe's store in Alameda County, fire officials said.
The incident was reported around 5 p.m. at the market in Castro Valley.
Photos taken at the scene show a silver sedan sitting near the middle of the store, surrounded by the Trader Joe's ephemera and firefighters.
Five people had minor to moderate injuries in the crash.
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The driver, who had accelerated into the store from the parking lot, is cooperating with authorities, California Highway Patrol Officer Dan Jacowitz told the Bay City News wire service.
Investigators do not believe the crash was intentional, and drugs or alcohol are not believed to have played a role, Jacowitz said.
Five injured when car crashes into Trader Joe's in Northern California
Five people were injured Thursday when a car crashed into a Trader Joe's store in Alameda County, fire officials said.
The incident was reported around 5 p.m. at the market in Castro Valley.
Photos taken at the scene show a silver sedan sitting near the middle of the store, surrounded by the Trader Joe's ephemera and firefighters.
Five people had minor to moderate injuries in the crash.
...
The driver, who had accelerated into the store from the parking lot, is cooperating with authorities, California Highway Patrol Officer Dan Jacowitz told the Bay City News wire service.
Investigators do not believe the crash was intentional, and drugs or alcohol are not believed to have played a role, Jacowitz said.
Berkeley man charged with dealing fentanyl, meth, cocaine in San Francisco Tenderloin
Police say they seized substantial amounts of suspected narcotics and more than $18,000 during a search of Cruz's Oregon Street home on Aug. 17, when Cruz and the other man were arrested.
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A Berkeleyside reader who saw the search underway at about 6 p.m. Aug. 17 described it as a "major police action in the apartment building" on the corner of Oregon and California streets: "It looked like an undercover sting operation.
Editorial: Bauters standout of nine candidates for Alameda County supervisor
Supervisor Keith Carson is not seeking reelection, creating an opportunity for change on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.
John Bauters is recommended as the standout candidate to replace Carson in District 5, while no recommendation is made for Supervisor Nate Miley's reelection in District 4. [ more ]
Gov. Gavin Newsom sending DOJ, National Guard attorneys to Alameda County to beef up prosecutions
California Governor Gavin Newsom plans to send state attorneys to Alameda County to boost the prosecution of serious and complex crimes.
The move is aimed at prosecuting violent crimes, drug-related crimes, and property crimes, and targeting major criminal networks in Oakland and the East Bay. [ more ]
Silicon Valley lawmaker says 'missing middle' can't afford housing - San Jose Spotlight
One Silicon Valley lawmaker wants the state to get into the housing market to assist residents who earn too much to qualify for low-income housing, but don't earn enough to afford a market-rate home.To help these residents, known as the "missing middle," Assemblymember Alex Lee introduced Assembly Bill 309 earlier this year.
Day Around the Bay: Now Your (Federal) Taxes Aren't Due Until October 16
Mayor Breed's pick for the homeless oversight commission who's caught up in a scandal over improperly spending taxpayer dollars when he worked for the federal government apparently lacks the votes to be approved to the commission.Commission candidate Vikrum Aiyer needs Board of Supervisors approval, but in the wake of his improper accounting scandal, the Chronicle says six supervisors will not vote to approve him, which would guarantee he can't win majority approval to be seated.
Two 17-Year-Old Girls Arrested In Attack Near Dolores Park
A pair of juveniles, both female, have been arrested in connection with an unprovoked attack on Super Bowl Sunday in SF's Mission District that left one woman with eye injuries.SFist briefly noted the arrests Tuesday evening in the February 12 attack that took place in broad daylight on 18th Street between Dolores and Church streets.
Bay Area flooding: Where to pick up free sandbags in preparation for first major storm of 2023
Just days after a record-setting storm sent the Bay Area into a frenzy through massive urban flooding, more heavy rain is expected to sock the region this week.To help prepare its residents for more potential flooding, most Bay Area cities are offering sandbags, both unfilled and prefilled, free of charge throughout the week.
San Leandro man sentenced to six years in rape case where victim was taken from SF to Oakland, choked unconscious repeatedly
OAKLAND A San Leandro man was sentenced to six years in state prison after accepting a plea deal in a case where prosecutors accused him of taking a woman from San Francisco to Oakland and sexually assaulting her, court records show.Zachery Rideaux Jr., 30, pleaded no contest to forcible rape and was sentenced in an October court hearing in Alameda County, records show.
Don't let capital-gains tax worries delay your next chapter with the grandchildren
Regarding your May 19, 2023, column titled Homeowner ready to move and help the next generation on The Mercury News and East Bay Times websites: Question: We would like to move to Shasta County near our grandchildren.However, paying all that capital gains tax on our three-bedroom Silicon Valley home of 40 years is off-putting.
Alameda County renter advocates warn of landlord lobby's fake tenant's rights website
When the website AlamedaRentersRights.com launched recently, it seemed innocuous enough.It claimed to be aimed at informing renters in Alameda County about tenant protectionsan issue of increased interest since the county's eviction moratorium expired last week.It even features a video on its homepage featuring two Alameda County supervisors, David Haubert and Lena Tam, encouraging renters to know their rights.
Alameda County's Eviction Moratorium Ends Saturday. What's Next for Renters (and Landlords)? | KQED
"I think we are going to see a lot of displacement, and this is going to affect lower-income community members more than those with higher incomes," said Michelle Starratt, housing director for Alameda County."We looked very closely at what was happening in surrounding communities like Contra Costa and Santa Clara County when their eviction moratoriums ended last fall," she said.
Caltrans OK to Clear Oakland's Largest Homeless Encampment, Federal Judge Rules | KQED
"It's absurd to think that we've gotten this far through this process and we have not had anybody take a survey of who is actually affected by this," McGowan said at the hearing.
Successor trustees need to recognize the value of presale seller inspections
Question: We are getting ready to sell our deceased uncle's Silicon Valley house.The sale of the home's contents and vehicles is complete.My cousin, a co-successor trustee, claims that presale seller inspections are a waste of money.He bluntly ended the group email to relatives, If homebuyers want realty inspectors, let them pay for them.
Bay Area powers to strong job gains in January despite tech layoffs
Downtown Oakland skyline.The Bay Area economy powered to robust job gains in January, an upswing led by the South Bay, the East Bay and the San Francisco-San Mateo metro region, newly released government figures show.In addition, the Bay Area and California have now both reached crucial milestones in what has literally been a years-long quest: to fully recover from the mammoth job losses that occurred during the first two months of the government-mandated business shutdowns to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
49ers gear, Dickies, raincoats & more at new Mission thrift store
Subscribe to our daily newsletter and have the latest stories from Mission Local delivered directly to your inbox.Cesar Avila, 26, started selling clothes at Dolores Park in 2022.He'd break out a table with a stack of folded clothes and yell "$10 a bag of clothes!Fill your bag 'til it breaks!"
Expanding the Vision: Cricket at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum - San Francisco Bay Times
By Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Councilmember At-Large- As the City of Oakland Councilmember At-Large who also serves on the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority (OACCA) Board, I with pleasure share our interest to host cricket games at the Oakland Coliseum.The coliseum is a large and well-located venue, in the heart of a region with a strong and growing cricket fan base.
Submit your letter to the editor via this form.Read more Letters to the Editor.For landlords, relieffrom moratorium coming After many months of delays, the Board of Supervisors will finally hold a hearing on Tuesday to discuss whether to end the eviction moratorium, which I support.Instead of focusing on our most vulnerable residents, the moratorium has been used by many renters who are capable of paying rent as a blanket justification to shirk their responsibility.
Berkeley to close all COVID-19 testing sites this month
People wait in line for COVID-19 tests at the Curative testing site at the Berkeley Adult School on Dec. 21, 2021.Credit: Nico Savidge Credit: Nico Savidge Berkeley is closing its COVID-19 testing sites in February as California's State of Emergency is set to expire by the end of the month.The testing site at Harold Way closed Feb. 1 and the city's second site at San Pablo Park will close Feb.
Oakland to end COVID mask mandate for large indoor gatherings
The final layer of masking requirements established in Oakland during the COVID-19 pandemic, those for indoor gatherings of 2,500 or more people, will be lifted on Nov. 1, the city announced.That means large crowds that fill some of the city's most popular local venues including Oakland Arena and the Fox Theater will no longer be formally required to mask up, though California and Alameda County health officials still strongly recommend doing so.
Wanted (by scientists): Dead birds and bats, felled by renewables
"This is one of the least smelly carcasses," said Todd Katzner, peering over his lab manager's shoulder as she sliced a bit of flesh from a dead pigeon lying on a steel lab table.The specimens that arrive at this facility in Boise, Idaho, are often long dead, and the bodies smell, he said, like "nothing that you can easily describe, other than yuck."
Multigenerational buyers want a single-family home but their loan officer offers only 2 options
Q: We're trying to buy a single-family house, but our loan officer said our debt-to-income ratio was too high.So they suggested we buy a condo.However, we have three generations in our household, so what we really need is a house.My father-in-law, who is very active, lives with us.On top of that, our eldest child moved back home after college.
This time in eastern Contra Costa, with plans to build a new highway, State Route 239.Caltrans wants more more more Induced demand.Sprawl.Global warming.State transportation officials come to meetings and talk about how they get it now; they can't just keep widening highways and laying more asphalt.
Winter weather brings cold-related deaths to Bay Area, Sacramento
Winter hasn't officially started yet, but already two San Mateo County residents appear to have died while trying to stay warm in a car, and a third person froze to death at a Sacramento homeless encampment highlighting the immense dangers cold, rainy weather can pose to those with nowhere warm to go.
Could expanded ferry service be a reality at Contra Costa's waterfront cities?
Pittsburg is the latest city to get on board with a plan to study the feasibility of expanding ferry service to parts of Contra Costa County's waterfront.The City Council unanimously agreed last week to share in the estimated $200,000 cost to complete the planning work for expanding such service.Pittsburg's $40,000 share will come from the city's waterfront fund.
Contra Costa launches new data sharing, tracking of monkeypox cases
Contra Costa will begin sharing its monkeypox case data with the California Public Health Department to improve the efficiency of surveillance and early detection of the infectious viral disease.The move highlights lessons learned from HIV and the COVID-19 pandemic and the advantage of gathering data quickly and accurately to support the epidemiological understanding of the origins and transmission dynamics of monkeypox.
California Sues Multinationals Over Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' That Taint Water | KQED
A lawsuit filed Thursday (PDF) by the state of California accuses 3M, Dupont and 16 smaller companies of covering up the harm caused to the environment and the public from chemicals manufactured by the firms that have over decades found their way into waterways and human bloodstreams.Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the lawsuit against the manufacturers of compounds that have been used in consumer goods and industry since the 1940s.
Hundreds of homes, including some affordable units, are eyed in downtown Oakland
OAKLAND A housing development with hundreds of homes, many of them affordable, is being eyed in downtown Oakland next to a busy freeway, plans on file with city officials show.An estimated 272 homes and as many as 300 would be built at 430 Broadway in Oakland, according to a proposal by a development alliance that was filed with city planners.
Bay Area the only region in California where homes are selling for less than a year ago
Perhaps it was inevitable what goes up, up, up, must come down eventually.Homes in the Bay Area are now selling for less than they were a year ago, the only part of California where that is true, as rising interest rates continue to throw cold water on the region's once-scorching pandemic real estate market.
Star Chef Takes Her Frustrations With the Restaurant Industry to the Big(ish) Screen
Restaurateur Reem Assil of Reem's Bakery is no stranger to the limelight, getting major shout-outs on television shows like "Ugly Delicious" and various online videos.
The Bay Area's Extreme Heat Is Causing Some Restaurants and Food Trucks to Close
As most of us are already extremely aware, the Bay Area is in the midst of an excessive and record-breaking heat wave that's forcing restaurant and food truck closures in the name of safety - or due to power outages.
Three People Shot In Unsuccessful Robbery Attempt at San Leandro Marijuana Grow
What may or may not have been a legal indoor cannabis grow facility suffered an armed robbery attempt where plenty of gunfire was exchanged Sunday morning, with one of the suspects and two facility workers now hospitalized.