Freelancer Catherine "Kate" Rauch has been contributing to Berkeleyside for several years, and also happens to live in Berkeley, near downtown. Her work as a journalist has encompassed everything from 10 years as a daily news reporter for the East Bay Times, based in Richmond, to freelancing for a range of news sources including the Washington Post, Newsday, the Seattle Times, SF Chronicle and Oakland Magazine. Kate likes general assignment work and jumping into a variety of topics and stories, but has a background as a health writer, which includes writing for WebMD, Babycenter.com, Caring.com, UC San Francisco Medical Center, Kaiser and Sutter Health. Her awards include a first place in health and science writing from the Washington State Press Association, a first place in spot news from the Peninsula Press Club, and a second place in feature writing from the California Association of Newspaper Publishers. She's also worked as an anthropologist in rural Alaska. She has an MS degree from the Columbia School of Journalism and a BS from UC Berkeley in cultural geography.
The city of Berkeley put up signs last week saying the unauthorized mountain bike course would be removed, but the demolition has since been postponed at the request of Councilmember Susan Wengraf.
As California virus rates improve, lockdown restrictions are easing in group living settings.
The city of Berkeley is soliciting ideas on how to make Hopkins Street available to all, but the process has not been smooth.
Curative, the private company running the site, is concerned about the liability of using volunteers at the Golden Gate Fields site.
Charles Herring has raised hundreds of succulents over the years, but some residents believe they are attracting mice and want them gone.
The developer will build 10 townhouses at 1915 Berryman St. after it was determined it didn’t warrant landmark status.
Three campaigns raised the most money in 2020: for Moe’s Books, Rialto Theaters and a West Berkeley metal shop making plastic face shields for health workers.
An Amtrak train hit and killed a 30-year-old man in Berkeley on Nov. 22.
Masks may be the only constant from past years for fall celebrations upended by COVID-19.
A group of activists believes that the proliferation of 4G and 5G sites will increase radiation output and increase cancer cases. Widely accepted science does not back them up.
The public health division uses contact tracers to figure out who has become exposed to the novel coronavirus. Then those people are asked to self-isolate to stop further spread.
Unions want to be able to continue building and argue their workers can follow social distancing rules.
Individuals and groups have set up systems to connect volunteers with people who need help. So far there are more volunteers than people seeking assistance.
Theaters are selling fewer tickets, museums are seeing fewer visitors, and restaurants are seeing a significant drop in business.
Berkeley’s parking meters get cleaned once a week, including by Marlonn Wright who says his work is getting noticed more due to the heightened awareness about preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Hand sanitizers now abound in senior residences. Friends and family members who are sick are being asked to stay away and to communicate through Skype or other electronic means.
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