Posted inBusiness

Downtown Berkeley launches new marketing campaign

A new campaign launched by a number of downtown Berkeley organizations in collaboration with the Downtown Berkeley Association, encourages people to visit downtown. Photo: courtesy DBA Downtown Berkeley Association is hanging 85 colorful double banners from downtown Berkeley’s lampposts to launch a new branding campaign, “Meet Me Downtown.” The campaign is being led by the DBA with […]

Posted inBusiness, City

Berkeley City Council to consider $19 minimum wage

The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce held a meeting Monday for local businesses regarding the minimum wage increase proposal from the Labor Commission that’s set to go before council Tuesday night. Photo: Emilie Raguso The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce held a meeting Monday for local businesses regarding the minimum wage increase proposal from the Labor Commission […]

Posted inCity

Berkeley council open to proposals to end homelessness, but questions how to pay for them

Since Measure S failed in 2012, many say Berkeley’s homeless population has only grown. Photo: Emilie Raguso Since Measure S failed in 2012, many say Berkeley’s homeless population has only grown. Photo: Emilie Raguso By Francesca Paris At a special worksession Tuesday night, the Berkeley City Council expressed interest in a raft of recommendations from an independent citizen […]

Posted inBusiness, City, Community, Housing & Development

Berkeley council says affordable housing, union labor should be priority community benefits

Around 90 people lined up at a May 5 Berkeley City Council meeting to discuss community benefits. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel The Berkeley City Council took its first steps Tuesday to prioritize which community benefits it will require from developers, and affordable housing and local union jobs were the top priorities. Council members said other priorities […]

Posted inCrime

Case dismissed against 2 homeless men after review of Berkeley beating video

Image: Bryan Hamilton The Alameda County district attorney’s office has dismissed the case against two men who pleaded guilty to battery charges last week. The decision came after authorities reviewed a video that showed an interaction, between the men and two Downtown Berkeley Association workers, that began as a verbal altercation and took a violent turn. In the video […]

Posted inCommunity

Activists, homeless demand end to campaign of ‘brutality’

Activists angered by a video that caught a downtown ambassador assaulting a homeless man hold a rally March 27 to protest the violence and proposed new laws regulating homeless behavior. Photo: Ted Friedman One day after a video that showed a Downtown Berkeley Association ambassador assaulting a homeless man went viral, a group of activists held […]

Posted inCrime

2 men take plea deals after 1 is beaten on video

Image: Bryan Hamilton Update, April 1: The Alameda County district attorney’s office has revisited the case, dropped the charges against both men, and had a judge declare them factually innocent. See the update. Original story, March 27: Two homeless men shown on video in a heated interaction that turned violent, when a Downtown Berkeley Association staffer appeared to punch […]