Police force tests online chat system

California home prices climb 8% in June

Crews gain ground on Calif. wildfires

FORESTHILL. (AP) - Fire crews aided by cooler temperatures and higher humidity made significant gains Wednesday against California's wildfires. Most of the evacuations ordered in Placer County were lifted by morning, as firefighters made progress overnight against a blaze that has burned for a week and threatened dozens of homes. State fire ...

Slain Marine's wife targeted by sex ring

209 News

STANISLAUS COUNTY GIRL HAS WEST NILE, 3RD CASE IN STATE: MODESTO (AP) - A 6-year-old California girl has the West Nile virus, the third confirmed case in the state this year.

Brown signs Galgiani’s bill allowing death row inmate help find victims

SACRAMENTO . (AP) - California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill to allow a death-row inmate to help authorities search for the remains of his long-dead victims, the governor's office announced Tuesday. The governor signed AB2357 by Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani, D-Tracy, which gives California's corrections secretary the authority to let convicted serial killer Wesley Shermantine help ...

SoCal home prices match 2-year high in June

Restaurants duck weak state foie gras ban

Bay Area briefs

SF MAYOR CLARIFIES STOP-AND-FRISK POLICY COMMENTS: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee is clarifying his comments about a controversial stop-and-frisk policy used to reduce violent crime in other major cities, including New York and Philadelphia.

State news briefs

Man built makeshift home in wildlife sanctuary

State news briefs

EXPANSION OF AMERICAN RIVER ALCOHOL BAN CONSIDERED: SACRAMENTO (AP) - Sacramento officials are mulling whether to expand a holiday ban on alcohol on the American River after a recent event was marred by violence and arrests.

LA prosecutor calls US Bank a slumlord in lawsuit due to condition of foreclosures

CSU mulls fiscal woes, pending deficit, but OKs president pay hikes of 10%

Canadian elephants flying to California

Teen reaches deal in classroom hazing case

SAN BERNARDINO (AP) - An 18-year-old student charged in a brutal California classroom hazing case that allegedly involved sex crimes reached a plea deal Monday and will testify against his teacher, prosecutors said. Fernando Salgado agreed to plead guilty to one count each of attempted sexual penetration by a foreign object and assault with a deadly weapon, said Christopher Lee, a spokesman ...

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