The Scanner Today, Feb. 6

Today we sat in on an interesting Zoom meeting where City Council members and UC Berkeley folks connect on town-gown issues periodically throughout the year.

They were talking about campus safety, including the need for more streetlights, as well as upcoming plans for a major "complete streets" project in the Southside neighborhood that should make it safer for cyclists and pedestrians on Bancroft Way and some connecting roads.

One thing I've noticed over the years is how rare these conversations seem to be where folks from different realms sit down and problem-solve, whether it's BUSD and council members or Cal and the rest of the city. It was an interesting discussion and I will likely write about some of the highlights sooner or later.

We also had quite a few inquiries this afternoon about a rotten egg smell that permeated parts of Berkeley. There were quite a few funny tweets about it.

One person said they believed it was related to some kind of PG&E work; we have an inquiry in to see if we can learn more.

As noted last week, we're still working to wrap up a big-picture story that should be coming together soon. It's taking a lot of time and energy, but it's getting there.

Until then, stay safe and stay tuned!

The latest news

4 arrests after home-invasion robbery of UC Berkeley student
Police say a student in his 20s was confronted by several people with a gun after he arranged to meet a woman through a dating website.
Berkeley man charged in felony animal cruelty case
The dog, a 6-year-old Chihuahua mix named Sushi, will be in the hospital for “an undetermined amount of time,” according to BPD.
UC Berkeley has a new police chief: Yogananda Pittman
This story originally appeared on Berkeley News, UC Berkeley’s official media relations website. It has been reprinted with permission.

In case you missed it

After Berkeley mudslide, 4 households can now go home
The Middlefield Road house, which saw the most damage, is still not clear to reoccupy. But those residents can at least return home for shorter stints.
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