State news briefs

• HAYASHI TO RUN FOR VACANT ALAMEDA COUNTY SEAT: SAN JOSE (AP) - California Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi says she's planning to run for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors seat vacated by Nadia Lockyer.

It could one day cost Bay Area vehicle owners a dime a mile in taxes to drive

OAKLAND (AP) - San Francisco Bay area officials will study a proposal to charge motorists a tax on every mile they drive in the nine-county region as a way to raise money for roads and public transit while reducing traffic and pollution from car emissions. Members of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments approved going forward with ...

California parks director resigns amid scandal; department sat on $54 million

Lawmakers hand out pay raises amid cuts

LA drivers told to prepare for 'Carmageddon II'

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Remember "Carmageddon"? Get ready for the sequel. Southern California drivers were urged Thursday to stay off the roads when a 10-mile section of busy Interstate 405 is closed this fall. Crews will finish tearing down a bridge in the Sepulveda Pass, which links West Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley and carries nearly ...

State news briefs

3 CHARGED IN OAKLAND SHOOTING THAT KILLED INFANT: OAKLAND (AP) - Three members of an infamous Oakland street gang are facing charges for their alleged roles in a shooting during the filming of rap video that left a toddler dead, authorities said Friday.

Homeless loners run risks as LA stabber lurks

Bay Area briefs

Man accidentally shoots self to death at gun range

Travel tax using tracking devices on private vehicles could raise $15M a day

OAKLAND (AP) - San Francisco Bay area officials are mulling the idea of charging motorists a tax on every mile they drive in the nine-county region as a way to raise money for roads and public transit while reducing traffic and pollution from car emissions. <p style="line-height: 18pt; background: ...

LA reopens City Hall park trashed by protests

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Trampled during weeks of anti-Wall Street protests, City Hall Park reopened Thursday after a $1 million makeover that left fences in place to block campers. "We're going to ask Angelenos to respect this park, to respect the native plants, to make sure that when you're walking on the park, that you walk softly and enjoy immensely," Mayor Antonio ...

Service members to march in uniform in gay pride parade for first time ever

Sexual harassment lawsuit roils Silicon Valley

State news briefs

POLITENESS POLICY DIES AMID CITY COUNCIL BICKERING: MENIFEE (AP) - A proposed politeness policy that asked the Menifee City Council to remain civil during meetings died after council members spent 15 minutes arguing about the idea.

Feds OK equipment change at nuke plant

Attorney General Harris endorses illegal immigrant’s bid for California law license

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Sergio Garcia completed law school with the help of odd jobs and proceeds from a self-help book. Then he passed the state law exam on the first try.

Bill would prohibit ticket-buying software

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Music and sports fans would have one less obstacle in buying tickets to popular events under a bill advancing through the California Legislature. Legislation by Democratic Assemblyman Richard Pan of Sacramento would prohibit the use of robotic ticket-buying software. Supporters of AB329 say scalpers use the software to bombard online box offices and then resell tickets at higher prices. Lawmakers previously deleted a provision that would have allowed transfers of paperless event ...

Professor assigns students to make ad for his campaign

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A San Francisco State University professor considering a run for Oakland mayor is drawing scrutiny for a class assignment that asked students to create a political campaign ad and gave them the option of developing it for him. Joe Tuman said he would use the ad if it were good, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Thursday. But ethics experts said any such use of the students' work could run afoul ...

Bay Area briefs

SWALLOWS LAWSUIT MAY DELAY PETALUMA BRIDGE WORK : PETALUMA (AP) - A lawsuit accuses state and federal regulators of causing the death of dozens of migratory cliff swallows by placing nets on a Sonoma County bridge during a highway widening project.

State releases health reform plans, pricing

OC seeks state permission to charge for rescues

OC seeks state permission to charge for rescues

Injured volunteer seeks payment from lost hiker

6 plead not guilty in school embezzlement

Driver impaled by metal rod on I-580 near Livermore.

Snacking deputy's crash costs Santa Clara County $5M

Brown defends California's business climate

State news briefs

POSTAL WORKER SENTENCED IN MAIL THEFT: SAN CARLOS, Calif. (AP) - A San Francisco Bay area postal worker accused of stealing thousands of pieces of mail to obtain credit cards has been sentenced to 18 months in jail.