Non-citizens could be jurors under Calif. bill

SACRAMENTO . (AP) - California would become the first state to allow non-citizens who are in the country legally to serve as jurors under a bill that cleared the Assembly on Thursday and heads to Gov. Jerry Brown's desk.

Will San Diego mayor leave office?

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A deal aimed at resolving the sexual harassment scandal involving Bob Filner hit a snag Thursday when the attorney suing the mayor over such allegations said she was not party to the tentative agreement between city officials and Filner.

San Francisco sues to block college sanctions

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - San Francisco's city attorney took legal action Thursday to stop the agency that certifies two-year colleges in the western U.S. from revoking the accreditation of the city's community college, a sanction likely to force California's largest school to close.

Wells Fargo to lay off 2,300 mortgage workers

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Wells Fargo is laying off workers from its mortgage unit, the latest sign that the mortgage refinancing boom has cooled.

Wildfire surges to 84 square miles

BUCK MEADOWS (AP) - A wildfire outside Yosemite National Park more than tripled in size Thursday, shutting down businesses in surrounding communities and leading scores of tourists to leave the area during peak season.

State news briefs

YOSEMITE SMOKE FUELS AIR QUALITY ALERT IN RENO: RENO, Nev. (AP) - Heavy smoke from a wildfire burning near Yosemite National Park has triggered an air quality alert in Reno and surrounding areas more than 150 miles away.

State news briefs

TRAVELERS TOLD TO MAKE TIME FOR CLOSED BAY BRIDGE: OAKLAND (AP) - State transportation officials are warning travelers to find alternate routes around the San Francisco Bay Area next week through Labor Day weekend while workers ready the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Judges: PG&E improperly declared two pipelines safe near San Bruno explosion

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Pacific Gas and Electric Co. could be fined for improperly declaring two natural-gas pipelines safe and using misleading filings to minimize the problem, state utilities regulators said.

School gunman had 500 bullets

LITHONIA, Ga. (AP) - A man who allegedly exchanged gunfire with police at an Atlanta-area school didn't seem to have any friends and rarely talked about his family or past during the months he lived with a couple who serve as pastors at a small church.

Panel passes bill on sex abuse lawsuits

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Some victims of childhood sexual abuse would have one more year to file civil lawsuits against private or nonprofit organizations that employed their alleged abusers under a bill that passed a key legislative committee Wednesday.

17th woman tells of harassment by mayor

17th woman tells of harassment by mayor

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A San Diego businesswoman stepped forward on Wednesday to say the leader of the nation's eighth largest city had made unwanted sexual advances toward her, the latest woman to accuse Mayor Bob Filner of sexual harassment.

Suspect's family wants DNA test on Hannah Anderson

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The family of a man suspected of kidnapping a 16-year-old girl and killing her mother and younger brother wants paternity tests to determine if the suspect fathered the children, a spokesman said Wednesday, a suggestion that was quickly rebutted by the victims' family.

DHM pre-surgical admitting clerk lauded for her patient concerns

Estrella Rodriguez is a "people person" who has been handling surgical admissions at Doctors Hospital's front desk for the past eight years.

State news briefs

PERRIS MAN HELD FOR DATING WEBSITE HOLDUPS: PERRIS (AP) - A Southern California man has been arrested on suspicion of robbing men he lured through a dating website.

NEWS FROM ACROSS CALIFORNIA

LAWYER FOR WOMAN PUNCHED BY CHP OFFICER JAILED FOR CONTEMPT: LOS ANGELES (AP) - The lawyer for a bipolar woman who was beaten by a California Highway Patrol officer has been declared in contempt of court and sent to jail until she answers questions from a federal judge.

Sierra snowpack far below normal

SACRAMENTO (AP) - California received a double dose of bad drought news on Tuesday, with state officials saying the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada is far below normal and that residents again aren't coming close to meeting Gov. Jerry Brown's call for a 20 percent cut in water use.

UC capping non-resident enrollment

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Non-resident enrollment will be capped at the University of California's Berkeley and Los Angeles campuses next year to address concerns that California students are being displaced, but the system also does not plan to admit more residents to any of its campuses unless it gets more state funding, university President Janet Napolitano said Tuesday.

Teachers charged with giving cocaine to students

SANTA ANA (AP) - Two teachers have been charged with having sex with students and providing alcohol and cocaine to them during an overnight beach camping trip in Southern California.

Family of girl declared brain- dead sues hospital

OAKLAND (AP) - The family of a 13-year-old girl who was declared brain-dead after her sleep apnea operation went awry filed a medical malpractice lawsuit on Tuesday detailing the emotional, chaotic hospital drama that included a court battle over ending life support.

Man killed by LA police was wanted

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A homeless ex-convict killed on Skid Row by Los Angeles police had an active warrant for violating probation in a bank robbery case, a U.S. marshal said Tuesday.

Agents target industry helping Chinese women have US babies

IRVINE (AP) - Federal agents searched three dozen homes Tuesday in California during a crackdown on so-called maternity tourism operators who arrange for pregnant Chinese women to give birth in the U.S., where their babies automatically become American citizens.

California shuts down oil wells to protect ground water

FRESNO (AP) - A dozen wells used to pump oil-and-gas in California's Central Valley have been ordered to stop production to protect underground drinking-water from contamination, officials said Tuesday.

State sues Gallo over hazardous wine bottle waste

MODESTO (AP) - California's Department of Toxic Substances Control says it is suing a glass company for violating recycling laws after it added hazardous waste dust to wine bottles made at its Modesto plant.

Beachgoers toss ‘hail’ snowballs

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The beach at Southern California's "Surf City" turned white with hail as a storm roared ashore Monday behind a late-season winter blast that dropped snow and rain across the drought-stricken region this weekend.

Budget standoff leaves California college hopefuls in financial limbo

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - University of California admissions officers are sifting through a record number of applications, but they have no idea how many new students they can enroll.

LA police chief: Man killed on Skid Row reached for gun

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Police fatally shot a homeless man on Skid Row during a "brutal" videotaped struggle in which a rookie officer cried out that the man had grabbed his gun, the Los Angeles police chief said Monday.

California to supply just 20% of water

FRESNO (AP) - Water districts that serve 25 million Californians and vast farmland can expect to receive a fraction of the supplies sought from the state during the fourth year of the drought, officials announced Monday.

4 people killed, 4 others injured in Santa Cruz crash

FREEDOM (AP) - A head-on crash has left four people dead and four others seriously injured when a car packed with teens collided with a pickup truck in rural Santa Cruz County

Well-liked photo teacher found dead in classroom

PLACENTIA (AP) - A Southern California teacher who committed suicide by hanging herself in her classroom was a well-liked 31-year-old photography instructor, authorities said Monday.