Wildfire grows, spoiling LA-area holiday plans

GLENDORA (AP) - A wildfire northeast of Los Angeles spoiled the Labor Day plans of thousands of visitors to the Angeles National Forest as firefighters bore down Monday for what figured to be a long fight against the big blaze. A day after the wildfire broke out near a campground and forced the evacuation of thousands of campers and picnickers it had ...

State news briefs

STRANGE COURT CASE FOR BURNING MAN DRUG SUSPECTS: RENO, Nev. (AP) - It wasn't as surreal as Burning Man itself, but the courtroom banter was a bit unorthodox.

New attendance push offers prizes for simply showing up for school

Actor Michael Clarke Duncan dead at 54

Bay Area briefs

Dumbarton Bridge weekend closure ending early SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The California Department of Transportation says the Dumbarton Bridge will reopen early after being closed the bridge for the entire Labor Day weekend. KGO-TV reports that Caltrans said Monday that they will reopen the bridge before midnight, hours ahead of the scheduled 5 a.m. Tuesday reopening. The bridge was ...

Lawmakers abandon teacher evaluation bill

SACRAMENTO (AP) - State lawmakers failed to revive a controversial measure that would rewrite state rules on teacher evaluations, but supporters vowed to bring it up again in the next legislative session.

Promoters' email: Concern over Jackson's stability

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Promoters of Michael Jackson's planned 2009 comeback described in emails how they feared for the megastar's stability, saying he was out of shape and consumed with self-doubt.

'Food hubs' connect schools with farmers

TURLOCK (AP) - The school district in Turlock, surrounded by fields and orchards in one of the nation's richest agricultural regions, used to get much of the produce it served to students from national distributors who shipped fruits and vegetables from outside California.

Hollywood's summer heads south as films fizzle

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Studio executives expected their biggest summer ever this year as they loaded their lineup with huge action movies and superhero franchises.

Students face rocky path to graduation from California public higher education

LOS ANGELES (AP) - With state budget cuts forcing California's public universities to shrink their course offerings, earning a bachelor's degree in four years is becoming even more difficult for many students.

State news briefs

MAN GETS YEAR IN JAIL FOR DEATH OF HIS DOG: SACRAMENTO (AP) - A Sacramento man convicted of dragging his dog down a street while it was tied to the back of his pickup truck has been ordered to serve time in jail.

Pension deal reflects Democratic, union ties

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Union leaders grumbled this week when Gov. Jerry Brown released a compromise deal with Democrats to scale back pension benefits for the state's public employees, but it was far less than a resounding victory for the Democratic governor.

Vigil planned for SJ fireman who had heart attack

SAN JOSE (AP) - A veteran San Jose firefighter who suffered a heart attack while battling a fire at a downtown cathedral last week remained in critical but stable condition, while his fellow firefighters kept a round-the-clock vigil at the hospital where he's being cared for, fire officials said Sunday.

Up to 10,000 Yosemite visitors at risk of virus

YOSEMITE (AP) - Up to 10,000 people who were guests in certain lodging cabins at Yosemite National Park might have been exposed to a deadly mouse-borne virus, park officials confirmed Friday as rangers handled a slew of calls from frightened visitors.

State news briefs

HOSPITAL FINED $50K FOR LEAVING TOWEL IN PATIENT: FRESNO (AP) - California regulators have fined a Fresno hospital $50,000 for leaving a towel in a patient who had abdominal surgery.

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.