BERKELEY Berkeley District 4 Councilmember Kate Harrison resigned Feb. 23, and voters will select her replacement in a special May 28 election. U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years old and live in District 4 — which includes areas of downtown and central Berkeley — have until 8 p.m. May 28 to register and vote for their new councilmember. Related Articles Local News | San Pablo appoints its first Asian American police chief Local News | In brief: Berkeley group seeks donations for emergency aid to Gaza Local News | In brief: Piedmont venue to present Berkeley Symphony’s ‘Play on Words ..read more

California’s population grew for the first time in three years as legal immigration rebounded and the great California exodus during the COVID pandemic dramatically slowed as remote workers returned to the office, according to a state report released Tuesday. The overall population gains were relatively small — a net increase of some 67,000 people to raise California’s population to 39.1 million people in 2023, according to the California Department of Finance. Some Bay Area counties lost population, including Alameda and San Mateo, as layoffs took hold last year and residents continued to see ..read more

”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: Californians are increasingly worried about the economy, with their collective optimism falling to nearly a two-year low. Source: My trusty spreadsheet analyzed the Conference Board’s monthly consumer confidence indexes for the state, which are based on regular polling of shoppers. We also peeked at the national results and optimism scores for two California economic rivals: Texas and Florida. Topline California’s co ..read more

Meet Dolphin! This super-duper, handsome 4-month-old pup is ready to show off his adorable personality! Although a bit timid at first, Dolphin warms up quickly with treats and gentle pets. He loves snuggles and playtime to work off his youngster energy! A primarily calm home and a dash of patience will be the perfect match for this cutie. If you’re ready for a sidekick to bring joy into your life, Dolphin is the one for you! Visit the website of the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society at berkeleyhumane.org to learn more and schedule a meeting with me. — Berkeley Humane One-year-old cuddle bug Lol ..read more

We live in a ranking age with lists of “best” and “worst” and “in-between” touching every slice of life, industry and geography. Some of these scorecards are based on polling. Others are data-based, trying to decipher government or business stats. And some are simply opinions – individual or consensus. Yes, these rankings can be discussion starters – whether for policy debate or just plain fun. Before the chats get too intense, be aware that the creation of these grades is far more art than statistical science. I’m bemused at the wave of state-vs.-state rankings that flow into my inbox at work ..read more

RICHMOND — Ivan Gutzalenko was struggling to breathe in March 2021 as two Richmond police officers restrained him after stopping him for allegedly being intoxicated and bleeding from his hand. Gutzalenko told the officers they were hurting him and bucked to try to get one of them off his back. A paramedic viewed Gutzalenko’s action as aggression and went to his ambulance to get a 5-milligram dose of midazolam, a sedative. When he returned three minutes later, Gutzalenko lay motionless. “He’s faking like he’s unconscious,” an officer said, according to footage of the incident. The medic plunged ..read more

By RYAN J. FOLEY, CARLA K. JOHNSON and SHELBY LUM | Associated Press Demetrio Jackson was desperate for medical help when the paramedics arrived. The 43-year-old was surrounded by police who arrested him after responding to a trespassing call in a Wisconsin parking lot. Officers had shocked him with a Taser and pinned him as he pleaded that he couldn’t breathe. Now he sat on the ground with hands cuffed behind his back and took in oxygen through a mask. Then, officers moved Jackson to his side so a medic could inject him with a potent knockout drug. “It’s just going to calm you down,” an offic ..read more

U.S. health officials are closely monitoring the recent leap of avian flu from birds to cattle — and earlier this month, to a Texas dairy farmer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stresses the current public health risk is low — the virus isn’t known to spread among people or through the food supply, is rarely caught from exposure to infected animals, and where human infections have occurred, is often mild and manageable. But the leap of the H5N1 influenza strain, widespread among wild fowl and a regular threat to domestic poultry, into cattle was unexpected, and a worrisome devel ..read more

RICHMOND — Albert Engel Sr. can only stare at the Richmond Rail Connector in his backyard with dread, fearing that the overgrown vegetation, homeless encampments and pools of water that at times accumulate around the nearly decade-old berm foreshadow a train derailment along that track. The three acres of land abutting the small industrial yard he owns on Giant Road are wedged between BNSF Railway tracks to the east and a Union Pacific Railroad line to the west. While those railroad lines date back to at least 1915, Engel said his problems began nearly a century later — culminating in an arduo ..read more

RICHMOND — Top city officials and elected leaders here have visions of overhauling operations and improving conditions for residents, but before those goals can be achieved they first needed to set clear ground rules around collaboration and expectations. At a special meeting this week, they discussed having more effective communication — or being more thoughtful to each other — a discussion that comes on the heels of tense council discussions. “There was clearly an inherited dynamic,” Richmond Councilmember Doria Robinson said of historically contentious relationships between leadership. “I d ..read more