Jul 30, 2010 9:42 pm
Eleven people were injured Friday when a car smashed through a plate-glass window at a Santa Rosa Avenue fast-food restaurant, scattering customers and plowing deep into the building. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 8:54 pm
For the past month, Steve Specht, Santa Rosa's most successful horse trainer, has been thinking about the possible scenarios for today's $50,000 Luther Burbank Handicap. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 8:13 pm
Lake County's health department has issued a warning for swimmers and their pets to avoid the waters around the city of Clearlake. A blue-green algae bloom of the same type — Lyngbya — that caused a stink around the lake last year is the culprit, authorities said. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 8:01 pm
Rohnert Park approved a Wal-Mart Supercenter, much like the one in American Canyon. Some shoppers there love the low prices, but worry about the ethics of abandoning local stores. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 7:51 pm
The Oakland Raiders offense never really recovered after starting receiver Chaz Schilens went down with a broken left foot in training camp a year ago. That's why it was mildly concerning when Schilens had to sit out practice Friday because of soreness in that same foot. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 7:25 pm
For clues to a person's political beliefs, you can check out the car that they drive (think Prius versus Hummer) or even observe the kinds of foods that they eat (think tofu versus cheeseburger). But iPhones versus Blackberrys? Can the brand of smartphone that a person uses peg how they are likely to vote? read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 7:08 pm
A national advocacy group for the mentally ill is decrying a Sebastopol musical show that plays on the theme of insanity and encourages guests to dress in straitjackets and hospital gowns. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 6:47 pm
A controversial former Rohnert Park city official said Friday he will run for City Council this November. Carl Leivo, who was forced out as city manager in 2005, said Rohnert Park is in decline and he wants to change that. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 6:12 pm
Although California high school students may have graduated last year, many did not acquire the skills expected of a college student, as Press Democrat reporter Kerry Benefield reported in her July 20 story, “Half of CSU freshmen lack needed skills.” read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 4:42 pm
After nearly a lifetime of spiritual and vocational searching, Philip Charles Zepp found his home in Guerneville, where he volunteered for numerous organizations and was a past-president of the local Rotary Club. Zepp, who never smoked, died July 15 of lung cancer at his home. read more. . .
Jul 27, 2010 5:15 pm
Occidental's Nick Gravenites, a Blues Hall of Fame member, plays close to home this weekend at the Sonoma County Blues Festival. He'll share a stage with Chicago blues alum Charlie Musselwhite. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 9:15 am
An industrial building with a tampered gas line exploded Friday, killing a man who was hurled into the street and another who was electrocuted by a downed power line, officials said. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 2:22 pm
Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties are asking a federal judge to toss out an Alexander Valley Indian tribe's lawsuit seeking federal recognition, arguing the case was filed 40 years too late. The counties are worried that restoration of the Mishewal Wappo tribe will lead to another Indian casino. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 1:57 pm
A Napa County man has pleaded not guilty to charges that he tried to kill his parents by poisoning them with prescription drugs. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 12:43 pm
An ex-Marine and pipefitter already on his way to Nevada's death row death for the murder of a 19-year-old college coed was sentenced to four additional life prison terms on Friday on charges tied to sexual assaults on two other young women. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 12:10 pm
Census figures released this week show a fifth of Californians — some 6.5 million — went without health insurance in 2007. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 11:56 am
Food stamps have arrived at the farmers market. Healdsburg and Petaluma have begun swiping EBT cards for market customers. Santa Rosa and Sebastopol also plan to join. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 7:58 am
A wildfire churned through wilderness north of Los Angeles on Friday, destroying a few buildings and forcing people from about 2,000 homes. Most of the displaced residents were allowed to return as the threat eased. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 10:23 am
Authorities say a man ran into the emergency room of Children's Hospital in Oakland and briefly held a female employee at gunpoint before being subdued by police. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 10:20 am
San Francisco's Transbay Terminal is set for demolition soon, but officials want to give the public a chance to savor the landmark building's history first. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 10:14 am
President Barack Obama on Friday heralded the recent turnaround for U.S. automakers, arguing that thousands of jobs and increased production vindicate his unpopular decision to bailout the industry. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 9:41 am
Petaluma may soon get a bicycle boulevard on East D Street, but the plan has some worried that proposed traffic circles will have unsafe effects on traffic flows. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 8:03 am
BP's new boss says it's time for a "scaleback" in cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Federal officials say there is no way the crude could reach the East Coast. And fishing areas are starting to reopen. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 8:15 am
The White House on Friday implored the website WikiLeaks to stop posting secret Afghanistan war documents as the Pentagon pressed its investigation of the leaks, bringing a soldier charged with handing over classified video back to the U.S. for trial. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 8:09 am
The death toll from three days of flooding in Pakistan reached at least 430 on Friday, as rains bloated rivers, submerged villages, and triggered landslides. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 7:36 am
A pickup truck driver reaching for something inside his cab veered off Lakeville Highway early Friday and landed in a creek, suffering moderate injuries in the process, the CHP said. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 6:58 am
Wal-Mart on Thursday won over a majority of the Rohnert Park City Council, which opened the door to Sonoma County's first Supercenter. But opponents threatened legal action to keep it from being built. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 4:04 am
A bid by Wal-Mart to open what would be Sonoma County's first Supercenter by adding a grocery to its Rohnert Park store was hanging in the balance late Thursday night as opponents and supporters argued their case before the City Council. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 4:03 am
The time it takes to reach the toll plaza at the Bay Bridge has fallen almost in half during the peak of the morning commute, and ridership on BART has increased slightly since tolls were raised to $6 in the region's first experiment with congestion pricing. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 4:03 am
NEW YORK -- Toyota is recalling nearly half a million cars, most of them large sedans sold in the U.S., for problems that can cause the steering wheel to lock up. It's the latest indication that the automaker is still struggling with vehicle problems even as it works to overhaul quality control. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 4:03 am
Ceremonies, crafts, dancing, music and historical re-enactments celebrating the Russian settlement of Fort Ross will be held Saturday. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 4:03 am
For fans of espionage thrillers or ticking-time-bomb shows, AMC's "Rubicon" is no "24." It's more cerebral, more deft and obtuse in its depiction of political machinations. It's also a little bit slow, moving at a pace that's far removed from Jack Bauer's near-constant-breakneck intensity. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just a cautionary note... read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 4:03 am
Come November, Time Life will release on DVD the complete series of "The Six Million Dollar Man," never available before. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 4:03 am
Zac Efron puts in a good effort trying to expand his acting range in his latest, 'Charlie St. Cloud,' but the film itself itsn't so good. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 4:03 am
A judge has ordered a former Santa Rosa police captain to pay $32,000 in sanctions to the city for its costs to defend his wrongful termination lawsuit, but the amount is only a third of what the city sought. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 4:03 am
At a time of transition for their industries and careers, veteran musicians like Squeeze (shown), playing in Napa this weekend, are seeking out ways to make something old seem new again. read more. . .
Jul 30, 2010 4:03 am
LOS ANGELES It's not easy being a hard-luck hero. Just ask Seth Rogen, who for the better part of four years has been trying to get "The Green Hornet" feature film off the ground despite changes to the script, the tone, the director and, well, pretty much everything except the hero's cool customized car. read more. . .
Jul 29, 2010 5:40 pm
California has high standards for public education. Too frequently, however, student achievement is subpar. That’s one reason why the state should adopt new national guidelines for English and math. read more. . .
Jul 29, 2010 5:36 pm
EDITOR: I very much appreciated Rick Theis’ comments and information in his Close to Home column regarding Sutter’s proposal to build its hospital next to Wells Fargo Center of the Arts (“Sutter’s misguided hospital proposal, Thursday). read more. . .
Jul 29, 2010 5:34 pm
Remember the state budget? The one that the state constitution says should have been done by June 15 for a fiscal year that began on July 1? Nearly a month later, not only does the state not have a new budget in place, but there are no indications it will emerge from the Capitol anytime soon. read more. . .
Jul 29, 2010 5:31 pm
Christmas came early for demagogues. The court decision putting a hold on the worst provisions of Arizona's new anti-Latino immigration law is a gift-wrapped present to those who delight in turning truth, justice and the American way into political liabilities.read more. . .
Jul 29, 2010 5:30 pm While conducting my never-ending search for cheerful news, I noticed that one of New York’s senators made the Top 10 in a list of the 50 most beautiful people on Capitol Hill. The second piece of good news is that it was not Chuck Schumer.Congratulations, Kirsten Gillibrand!read more. . .
Jul 29, 2010 5:25 pm
Sometime this spring, Democrats stopped calling Sen. Chris Dodd's bill “financial reform” and started calling it “Wall Street reform.” Most of the headlines and news releases on the sweeping legislation focused on the well-heeled, white-collar, upper crust of finance — investment banks, private-equity firms and hedge... read more. . .
Jul 29, 2010 3:36 pm
'Deathsmiles' and 'Sin & Punishment: Star Successor,' two recent Japanese titles, offer arcade action in shoot-‘em-up-style games. read more. . .
Jul 28, 2010 10:24 pm
Preview Artstart's annual weekend auction of functional art. Fetching $150 to $600, 'art chairs' have made their way into homes and offices throughout the North Bay and beyond. read more. . .
Jul 27, 2010 12:39 pm
It’s a chance to learn everything you ever wanted to know about gardening but never took the time to ask. The Sonoma County Master Gardener’s are accepting applications for their next training program starting in January. read more. . .
Jul 27, 2010 12:13 pm
SANTA ROSA Blondie rides wave into Fargo Center The tide is high, as the '70s hit went, and Blondie, led by Deborah Harry, is still riding the crest. The group plays Wells Fargo Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. Thursday (August 4). 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. $25-$80. 546-3600, wellsfargocenterarts.org. ST. HELENA read more. . .
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