48K gallons sewage spilled into Bay Area lagoon

Redwood City officials say about 48,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into a residential lagoon last week - nearly 10 times more than initially estimated. The city estimated the spill at 5,000 gallons on Friday, but revised that number Monday after crews discovered a pipe had broken underground, sending far more sewage into the water. The lagoon was polluted with high levels of E.coli and other harmful bacteria.

Shepherd Courage has more than doubled weight

Five months ago, caretakers worried that Courage the German shepherd might die because his diet of dirt had reduced him to 37 pounds and he was so emaciated he could barely lift his head. Thanks to blood transfusions, IV fluids and a high-calorie diet, Courage is up to 85 pounds and is living with a new family and a canine companion.

Calif. lawmakers take up competing budget plans

California lawmakers began to air their opinions Tuesday about how to close the state's $19 billion budget deficit, although neither party expected a breakthrough that would end the summer-long stalemate. California is two months into its 2010-11 fiscal year and still has no budget. Payments to schools and counties are being deferred, while some health clinics that serve Medi-Cal patients are struggling to pay their bills.

VMware buys software makers Integrien, TriCipher

VMware Inc., a maker of computer virtualization software, said Tuesday it has bought two smaller companies - Integrien and TriCipher. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Unidentified body found in burning car in LA

Los Angeles police say a body has been found in the trunk of a burning car near Studio City. Sgt. Joseph Quinn says the car was found burning under a freeway overpass shortly after 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Campground searched for body of missing Calif wife

Investigators searched the ashes in a mountain fire pit Tuesday for the remains of an Orange County woman whose husband is suspected of killing her six months ago. Sheriff's homicide detectives carefully brushed debris from the pit in Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County and placed it in a sifting screen.

Calif. woman held for ice-pick attack at church

Police have arrested an Orange County woman they say stabbed her ex-boyfriend with an ice pick as he left a church meeting. Police say Elizabeth Villanueva hid in the back seat of the victim's Mercedes-Benz convertible Monday night and attacked after he got in the driver's seat outside Messiah Lutheran Church in Yorba Linda.

Obama: End of Iraq combat mission not victory lap

Hours before addressing the nation, President Barack Obama told U.S. troops just back from Iraq that his speech outlining the withdrawal of combat forces is not going to be a victory lap nor a cause for celebration. Theres still a lot of work that weve...

5 more American troops die in Afghan fighting

Five more American troops were killed in action in Afghanistan on Tuesday, ending the month with a spike in bloodshed that has claimed the lives of 19 U.S. service members in only four days. The U.S. death toll for August stood at 55 _ three-quarters of them...

747 makes it back to SFO after engine fails

A Qantas Airways flight made an emergency landing at San Francisco International Airport early today after an engine failure in midair punched a hole in the external casing, an incident that one expert called extremely rare. Qantas Flight 74, a Boeing 747...

Cops: Calif doctor gets stuck in chimney, dies

Police say a California doctor apparently tried to get into the home of the man she had been dating by sliding down the chimney. Her decomposing body was found there days later. Police Sgt. Mary DeGeare says investigators do not suspect foul play in the death...

Earl could force US evacuations ahead of Labor Day

A powerful Hurricane Earl threatened to sideswipe much of the East Coast just ahead of Labor Day, worrying countless vacationers who planned to spend the traditional last week of summer at the beach. The Federal Emergency Management Agency warned people along...

Developer: Gettysburg, casino can work together

A divisive plan to build a casino near the site of the Civil Wars tide-turning Battle of Gettysburg is in the mold of many other communities that have successfully meshed gambling with historical tourist destinations, the developer told state regulators...

Schwarzenegger chides lawmakers on budget
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used a San Francisco visit to chide statehouse Democrats, saying they were holding up California’s already overdue budget.

BankServ buys Zions’ NetDeposit
San Francisco-based BankServ moved deeper into one of the fastest-growing areas of financial services with Tuesday’s acquisition of NetDeposit from Zions Bancorp. (ZION) (JPM)

Berkeley Rep snaps up $6M industrial building in West Berkeley
Berkeley Repertory Theater bought a warehouse and office building in West Berkeley for $6 million. Theater company plans to use the 62,700-square-foot building for rehearsal, administrative operations and production work.

University of California $21 billion short on retirement funds
The University of California has a $21 billion deficit in its retirement and pension fund, and that could double in five years.

SVB Financial names president
SVB Financial, parent of Silicon Valley Bank, said Tuesday that it named Greg Becker president of the company. (SIVB)

Digg hires Amazon vet as CEO
Digg has hired Amazon executive Matt Williams to be their new CEO, TechCrunch has reported.

Fremont Officer Improving; New Surgery Set
The condition of a Fremont police officer who was shot while attempting to arrest a man in Oakland on Friday has improved slightly, Fremont police spokesman Detective Bill Veteran said Tuesday.

Suspect, Vehicle Sought In Vallejo Homicide
Police are asking the public for help in identifying a person of interest linked to the Aug. 24 shooting death of 39-year-old Vallejo resident Corey D. Dunn.

Suspect Arrested In Santa Rosa Bank Robbery
The suspect in a robbery at an Exchange Bank branch in Santa Rosa last week surrendered to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office on Monday night, Santa Rosa police said Tuesday morning.

Great White Sighting Prompts Warnings In Pacifica
Police posted warning signs on a popular Pacifica beach Monday after several witnesses said they saw a great white shark attacking a sea lion close to shore.

Man Tries To Grab Child From Mother In Napa
A man tried to grab a 3-year-old boy from his mother's arms as they walked on the Old Sonoma Road overpass Monday afternoon, Napa police said.

Oakland Schools Try 8am-5pm School Day
Sixth-graders at two Oakland middle schools have new hours that are making the school day look more like a full-time job.