The story about Rex Farrance, the PC World editor shot to death in a home invasion robbery gets more complicated, as his 19-year-old son tells the media that the "drug trade" alluded to by the police was in fact a stash of licensed medicinal marijuana that the son was keeping at the father's house with the father's knowledge. Farrance's wife, who was pistol-whipped in the attack, strongly denies any drug dealing in the house -- and Farrance's stepdaughter said she thinks the family was targeted because her stepfather had guns in the house. Farrance was a fitness buff, and had been profiled in the Chron back in 2001. more ›

You know how Gavin said we were "seconds" away from inking a deal with Earthlink/Google over providing free WiFi to everyone in the city? Well, "seconds" might have been a slight exaggeration but late yesterday, a deal was actually reached, the i's dotted, the t's crossed, and pen was put to paper. Soon the entire city will be a "hot spot." But we knew that already. more ›

In a horrific incident, an 3-year-old bouncing on a set of mattresses eight stories up fell to her death through a screen shielding an open window in the room. The 20-year-old babysitter, who was in charge of watching six or seven kids (including two of her own), had fallen asleep in another room. The babysitter was attacked by angry bystanders, and had to be rescued by authorities. The authorities have ruled the incident an accident, though an investigation is continuing. more ›

-The world's creepiest man, John Mark Karr, was brought in for questioning by the SFPD because on his way to a press conference announcing the dismissal of child pornography charges, he stopped his limo to go stare into the windows of an elementary school. more ›

We urge students in our wine classes to drink sparkling wine with dinner throughout the year. It pairs with a range of foods and transforms any meal into a celebration. But we know that most people think of sparklers as a holiday treat and open more at this time of year than any other. more ›

Did you hear sirens last night? There was a high speed chase starting from Turk and Gough in San Francisco around 12:15 a.m. that went for 30 minutes, reached speeds of up to 90 mph, went over the Bay Bridge, and ended up with the suspects being captured in downtown Oakland (at 16th and Jefferson). No reports on injuries or property damage yet. The Bay Area's scheduled for its first death penalty execution in three years, of a man convicted of murder in San Mateo County in 1981. Donald Beardslee will be only the 11th person executed in California since the death penalty was reinstated in 1978, and the first person executed from a San Mateo County case. Beardslee is scheduled for lethal injection at a minute after midnight tonight (Wed. morning), but his petitions for clemency based on his brain damage are currently pending before the Supreme Court and Schwarzenegger. And Israeli and Palestinian protestors clashed in Berkeley over the display of an Israeli bus destroyed by a suicide bomber. It was mostly verbal altercations across Berkeley's MLK Park, but two men were charged with misdemeanor battery after getting in a brief fistfight when the pro-Palestinian group tried to parade in the park. more ›

renaissance faire in SF this weekend more ›