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1 month ago | 
berkeleyscanner.com | Kate Darby Rauch |Emilie Raguso
A driver who said a Tesla struck her Honda was taken to the hospital last week after she crashed through a newly renovated storefront in North Berkeley. Witnesses said the building was vacant but carpenters were working inside. They were not injured in the crash. Writing in a public post on NextDoor, the Honda driver said an EMT who had been out for a walk kept her company until first responders arrived.
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2 months ago | 
berkeleyscanner.com | Kate Darby Rauch |Emilie Raguso
Editor's Note: The Scanner will periodically publish guest essays from community members on issues of interest or concern. Today's piece was submitted by Libby Lee-Egan and Marc Hedlund, Berkeley residents and advocates for bicycle infrastructure improvements across the city. Now that the draft Berkeley Bike Plan has been released, we can expect to hear the same objection that we have heard before to individual bicycle improvements.
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2 months ago | 
berkeleyscanner.com | Frances Dinkelspiel |Kate Darby Rauch |Emilie Raguso
The city of Berkeley pledged Wednesday night to turn its focus and resources to a homeless encampment that's been growing since January in Civic Center Park, right across from Berkeley High and the police station. Parents have been raising concerns about problematic behavior related to the camp, particularly after a man who walked out of the park grabbed a Berkeley High student on her way to school in late January.
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2 months ago | 
berkeleyscanner.com | Frances Dinkelspiel |Kate Darby Rauch |Emilie Raguso
Editor's Note: The Scanner will periodically publish guest essays from community members on issues of concern. Today's piece was submitted by Rebecca Levenson and Diana Gordon, co-chairs of the Gender Equity and Sexual Harassment Advisory Committee for BUSD. The Civic Center homeless encampment across from Berkeley High School is a study in balancing the needs of our citizens, and calls for our leaders to prioritize — fast.
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Feb 10, 2025 | 
berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso |Kate Darby Rauch
Traffic safety On the last morning of her life, Elise Lusk did what she'd loved to do for decades — rigorous laps at Berkeley's King Pool followed by coffee at nearby Espresso Roma, with friends. Her fellow Berkeley Aquatic Masters swimmers, the competitive program for adults. On this Sunday morning, Jan. 26, Lusk stopped at Monterey Market after coffee to pick up a few dinner supplies.
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Feb 7, 2025 | 
berkeleyscanner.com | Kate Darby Rauch |Emilie Raguso |Frances Dinkelspiel
Eighty-four-year-old Lovie McNeal woke up Monday in the early morning hours to find her bedroom on fire. Despite her age and fragility, she managed to escape from her room and wake her daughter and son-in-law. The three fled their longtime home in the 1000 block of Cedar Street in northwest Berkeley. One of McNeal's other daughters, 61-year-old Gwen, who was bedridden, did not escape. BFD arrived quickly and was able to pull her out but she later died at Highland Hospital. A dog, Nico, also perished.
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Feb 5, 2025 | 
berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso |Kate Darby Rauch
A bold plan to significantly tighten Berkeley's wildfire preparation framework is headed for City Council next week, hastened by recent images of Los Angeles neighborhoods falling to fire fueled by severe winds from the east. The Berkeley Fire Department said its push to get the plan before officials was motivated by the devastating Los Angeles fires — though many of the ideas have been discussed for years, said Berkeley Fire Chief David Sprague.
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Feb 3, 2025 | 
berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso |Kate Darby Rauch
Police at UC Berkeley are investigating a sexual battery that occurred adjacent to campus in the Southside neighborhood Sunday night. The incident took place around 9 p.m. near Bancroft Way at Ellsworth Street and began near the Recreational Sports Facility (RSF) at 2301 Bancroft Way, according to preliminary reports. According to the alert, a man in his 20s or 30s approached the victim and groped him while offering to sell him drugs.
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Feb 2, 2025 | 
berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso |Kate Darby Rauch
Berkeley police are investigating a hit-and-run crash that sent a 77-year-old woman to the hospital Saturday night, authorities report. The woman, who lives in Berkeley, was walking her dog at Cedar Street and Shattuck Avenue at about 6:20 p.m. when a driver struck her and kept going, authorities said. The force of the crash left the woman face down in the street, according to preliminary reports. She was able to speak but wasn't moving as first responders arrived, authorities said.
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Jan 29, 2025 | 
berkeleyscanner.com | Emilie Raguso |Kate Darby Rauch
A young man who crashed Tuesday night while riding an electronic skateboard near UC Berkeley was left in critical condition, authorities report. Limited details were available but police said the rider was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, which took place shortly before 9:30 p.m.Berkeley police said the man lost control of the skateboard, fell and hit his head while crossing Ellsworth Street on Blake Street. Read more about traffic safety in Berkeley.
