Busy Days for Christmas Tree Recycling
With the holidays behind us, now it's time to put away the decorations and take down the tree. Getting rid of you're holiday waste may be easier than you think.
http://www.KESQ.com/global/story.asp?s=9612473

Obama warns of dire consequences without stimulus
President-elect Barack Obama warned of dire and long-lasting consequences if Congress doesn't pump unprecedented dollars into the national economy, making an urgent pitch Thursday for his mammoth spending proposal in his first speech since the election.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090108/NEWS11/90108010/-1/RSS01
8 Jan 2009 at 10:30am

Palm Springs OKs draft pot ordinance
The city of Palm Springs is poised to become the first and only place in Riverside County to allow medical marijuana collectives and cooperatives. The city has six dispensaries operating illegally and another was waiting for the council's vote.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090108/NEWS01/901080308/1143/RSS27
8 Jan 2009 at 12:54am

New Year Boosts Gym Business
At the start of the new year, one of the most popular resolutions is to lose weight. Gym business gets a huge boost as people promise to tip the scale in their favor.
http://www.KESQ.com/global/story.asp?s=9609660

Wait for Jackalope Ranch is over
The highly anticipated Jackalope Ranch restaurant, which cost in excess of $36 million to build, opens today in Indio. “There's nothing like it in the desert,” said Indio City Manager Glenn Southard.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090108/BUSINESS/901080307/-1/RSS01
8 Jan 2009 at 12:55am

Hundreds seeking jobs turn out for hotel work
When economists talk about unemployment figures inching toward the double-digit mark in this corner of Southern California, they describe the situation like a disaster zone — the “epicenter of the economic crisis in this country.”
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090108/NEWS06/901080314/1143/RSS27
8 Jan 2009 at 1:14am

Students Learn From Film Festival Screenings
Coachella Valley students are getting involved in the Palm Springs International Film Festival, taking some time away from the classroom to learn about the world and filmmaking.
http://www.KESQ.com/global/story.asp?s=9635281

Valley Subway robberies may be linked
A series of Subway restaurant robberies across the Coachella Valley may be linked and has prompted increased police attention on other Subways in the valley, investigators say.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090108/NEWS0801/901080306/-1/RSS01
8 Jan 2009 at 7:31am

Ballroom dancing, lessons at Pavilion
Ballroom dances will be offered each Wednesday night through March 25 at the Palm Springs Pavilion at Sunrise Park, 401 S. Pavilion Way.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090108/LIFESTYLES01/901080326/1143/RSS27
8 Jan 2009 at 1:42am

Nude Art...in a Hardware Store?
One local artist is skipping out on art museums and putting his exposed mannequins on display at a Palm Springs hardware store, trying to pass on a message about society today.
http://www.KESQ.com/global/story.asp?s=9627738

Hoffman, Thompson make ‘Harvey' shine
“Last Chance Harvey,” tonight's Opening Night Gala presentation at the Palm Springs High School auditorium, is the “Before Sunrise” for the over-45 set.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090108/EVENTS01/901080302/-1/RSS01
8 Jan 2009 at 12:17am

Artist Steve Maloney is showing his pop art pieces at True Value
Only $19.95. Buy now and the second is free. Only available for a limited time. “We are bombarded with infomercials,” Palm Springs artist Steve Maloney says.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090107/NEWS01/901070302/1143/RSS27
7 Jan 2009 at 12:20pm

Travolta Death Bringing Kawasaki Disease to Light
Jett's passing is bringing more information to light about a rare disease, the Travolta family said on what contributed to their sons' death.
http://www.KESQ.com/global/story.asp?s=9620825

Sarah Silverman to perform Saturday in Indio
As female comics go, Sarah Silverman doesn't fit the mold.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090108/LIFESTYLES01/90108013/-1/RSS01
8 Jan 2009 at 12:32pm

SF Gate

Analyst has worries over Schwarzenegger plan to close budget gap
The non-partisan Legislative Analyst Office today said while Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest budget proposal reflects a good faith effort to close the state's colossal deficit, the plan could be improved with less borrowing and more strategic spending...



by myi@sfchronicle.com (Matthew Yi)
8 Jan 2009 at 1:46pm

Body found ablaze in bin identified
A man whose body was found stuffed inside a container and then set ablaze along a busy frontage road in Berkeley was identified today as 48-year-old Peter Whigham of Richmond. Whigham's body was found Dec. 30 at the head of a hiking trail in Eastshore State...



by hlee@sfchronicle.com (Henry K. Lee)
8 Jan 2009 at 11:03am

Mom of rapper killed by police files suit
The mother of a man who was shot and killed by Santa Clara police last year after he stabbed a friend and a police dog has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit. Aziz James, a 24-year-old hip-hop artist, was shot and killed April 5 on the 2500 block of...



by hlee@sfchronicle.com (Henry K. Lee)
8 Jan 2009 at 9:33am

Hedge-fund manager held in fraud
An alleged hedge-fund scam artist being sought by the FBI was arrested at San Francisco International Airport after arriving on a flight from France, authorities said. Alexander James Trabulse, 61, was taken into custody Monday, according to U.S customs and...



by hlee@sfchronicle.com (Henry K. Lee)
8 Jan 2009 at 8:53am

S.F.: Relief from construction noise on the way
HERE'S THE DEAL Street work in S.F.: "Absolutely miserable." That's how ChronicleWatch reader Greg Hinkle describes the situation at Fourth Avenue and Lincoln Way in San Francisco, where a huge construction project has disrupted residents for weeks. Hinkle...



by Jonathan Curiel
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

S.F. Yelp user faces lawsuit over review
In a case that could chill free speech online, a San Francisco chiropractor has sued a local artist over negative reviews published on Yelp, the popular Web site that rates businesses. Christopher Norberg, 26, of San Francisco posted the first review in...



by dgage@sfchronicle.com (Deborah Gage)
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

Protests over BART shooting turn violent
A protest over the fatal shooting by a BART police officer of an unarmed black man mushroomed into several hours of violence Wednesday night as demonstrators smashed storefronts and cars, set several cars ablaze and blocked streets in downtown Oakland. The...



by mkuruvila@sfchronicle.com (Demian Bulwa, Charles Burress, Matthew B. Stannard,Matthai Kuruvila)
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

Governor, legislative leaders to talk budget
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Wednesday he will meet today with Democratic and Republican legislative leaders to restart budget negotiations, using his budget as a template to bridge the state's looming $41.5 billion deficit during the next 18 months. The...



by myi@sfchronicle.com (Matthew Yi)
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

Some arrested in Oakland violence could face felony charges
Police arrested 105 people during a violent protest in downtown Oakland over a fatal BART officer-involved shooting, authorities said today. The suspects were arrested Wednesday night for a variety of offenses, including vandalism, arson, inciting a riot, gun...



by hlee@sfchronicle.com (Henry K. Lee)
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

C-sections best for baby when close to due date
Babies do better after a scheduled Caesarean section if they're born no sooner than seven days before their due date, a new large study of U.S. births shows. Those delivered earlier had more complications, including breathing problems, even though they were...



by By STEPHANIE NANO, Associated Press Writer
7 Jan 2009 at 4:56pm

Bay Area developer Harold Ellis Jr. dies
Harold "Hal" Ellis Jr., an iconic Bay Area developer who dramatically reshaped downtown Oakland, died Tuesday in his Piedmont home after a five-year battle with metastatic melanoma. He was 77. "We have lost a giant in our industry," said James Falaschi, a...



by jtemple@sfchronicle.com (James Temple)
7 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

Oakland's Pardee Home could close down
The Pardee Home, a pristine Italianate mansion in Oakland owned for more than a century by one of California's most powerful political families, is in danger of closing this year due to lack of visitors, volunteers and funds. The nonprofit foundation that...



by carolynjones@sfchronicle.com (Carolyn Jones)
7 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

Pre-birth maternity leave aids babies, moms
Maternity leave before and after giving birth is better for both moms and their babies, a team led by UC Berkeley researchers found in a rare look at how the time off work relates to the health of both mothers and babies. While most new mothers take at least...



by jtucker@sfchronicle.com (Jill Tucker)
7 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

Contra Costa Times: Bay & State

Hundreds gather on Oakland streets to protest BART shooting
Mayor Ron Dellums tried to restore calm after angry protesters rampaged through the streets of downtown Oakland, creating a surreal semi-riot that lasted several hours.

Riot photos: View slideshow
BART police shooter quits job, skips interview | 'Lift up this family,' mourners urged at funeral for BART shooting victim | BART gunshots are heard around the world

Sacramento Bee Local News

Health experts offer advice for flu season

Raquel Villegas asks pharmacist Tom Nelson about her cold medication at Pucci's Leader Pharmacy in midtown Wednesday.

An 8-year-old tested positive for flu Wednesday at UC Davis Medical Group in Sacramento – the clinic's first confirmed pediatric case this season.

It was also a signal that f...

It started as a simple traffic stop, but by the time authorities figured what they had, the case went high-profile – handled by a special unit that tracks gangs and guns and goes for every year it can get on every gangster.

On Wednesday, Target Team prosecutor Noah Phillips laid out the case ...

Law enforcement officers shot and wounded a Rancho Cordova man and his grandmother early Wednesday after the man allegedly pointed a pellet gun at officers, marking the fourth time in a month that police have fired on suspects in the Sacramento region.

The incident Wednesday began when author...

The once-bustling construction site next to Thunder Valley casino looks like a high-rise ghost town, with pillars and rebar and empty cranes that disappeared into the fog Wednesday. And no workers.

It feels like Placer County's version of the half-built Elk Grove Promenade mall – only taller....

Chu Vue, the Sacramento sheriff's deputy police have linked to the October slaying of a correctional officer who may have been having an affair with his wife, was arrested Wednesday on new charges that he misu...

Even before a casino bus crash caused an air traffic jam at UC Davis Medical Center last fall, medical helicopters had at least two close encounters with other aircraft near Sacramento in 2008, prompting anxious meetings among helicopter operators.

Both encounters required evasive action, alt...

Care to make a wager?

A charitable organization is hoping to tap into people's giving and gambling spirit by raffling off a $1.9 million Sacramento-area home.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern California is selling 33...

Don't expect the rain to clean your car today -- the small amount of rain forecast will probably just smear the dirt around.

Mostly cloudy skies will yield a few sprinkles this afternoon, but the rain is expected to remain fairly light, said George Cline, a National Weather Service forecaster...

A long-debated Delta Greens senior housing project north of Twin Cities Road has been revived in a 3-2 vote of the Galt City Council.

Technically, the Tuesday night vote merely clears the way for city staff and and project backers to outline the application process and cost.

More signific...

Police found the body of Albert T. Cariaga, 39, during a search Tuesday afternoon of Secret Ravine-Miner's Ravine behind Sutter Roseville Medical Center.

Cariaga walked away from the hospital emergency room Dec. 31, clad only in a T-shirt and sweat pants. He had gone to the hospital seeking a...

LA Times: California

Passengers pounce on man who made threats aboard L.A.-bound flight
Musician Chris Llewellyn was among those who sprang into action after a man shoved a flight attendant and tried to open an exit door.

Chris Llewellyn was staring out the window of Delta Airlines Flight 110...
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am


Schwarzenegger proposes 5 fewer school days
Faced with a massive budget deficit, the governor wants to stop state funding for a week of classes. Educators criticize the plan as most harmful to poor students.

A proposal by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger t...
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

Borrowing $23.3 billion for state budget won't be easy, analyst says
Shaky credit markets will make it difficult for the state to access capital for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal, which he intends to submit to the Legislature on Friday.

California may find it hard to...
8 Jan 2009 at 1:33pm


Corruption case against former O.C. sheriff hinges on star witness' credibility
Defense attorneys portray Don Haidl, the wealthy businessman who testified he bribed Michael Carona and lavished him with gifts, as a liar who received a sweet plea deal.

After months of testimony, national...
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

Anaheim police shoot, kill man after traffic stop
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Authorities say Anaheim police shot and killed a man in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven store during a traffic stop.
8 Jan 2009 at 8:14am

Obama takes the best California has to offer
Leon Panetta, who could have reformed Sacramento, will instead retool the CIA.

Thanks a bunch, Mr. President-elect. You've just taken away California's best hope for government and political reform -- refor...
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

San Bernardino County assessor admits abusing drugs
Bill Postmus, 37, apologizes to supervisors and says his drug use did not interfere with his service as a public official. He vows not to seek reelection when his term expires in 2011.

After months of silen...
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

L.A. may restrict outdoor smoking
Lighting up on patios and other areas near restaurants could be illegal by summer if the City Council acts.

Lighting up on the outdoor patios of cafes and coffee shops may soon be a thing of the past in Los...
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

Advanced Placement Italian exam to be suspended
The College Board says the test won't be offered after this spring but could be revived if sufficient money is found. A fundraising effort by Italian Americans fell short.

It's arrivederci after all for Advanced Placement Italian.
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am

Rowland Heights tries again for cityhood
Supporters want more control over local services, development and traffic. The first attempt fell short of the required number of voter signatures.

Advocates in Rowland Heights have launched a second campai...
8 Jan 2009 at 2:00am