Actor and singer Lena Horne died Sunday in New York. She was "was the first black performer to be signed to a long-term contract by a major Hollywood studio and who went on to achieve international fame as a singer," according to the New York Times. She was 92. more ›

Dark news here, folks. A sick Placerville man, according to Associated Press, "delivered his own obituary to a newspaper then hanged himself from a nearby bridge." The body of Allan Leo Peters II, 64, was found Wednesday dangling from "a yellow rope from an old bridge." Struggling with emphysema, Peters had delivered his obit to Mountain Democrat prior to hanging himself -- a brief excerpt reading,"Yes, I have hanged myself (At least I hope I did)" -- paying the $90 publishing cost. more ›

Senator Edward Kennedy, noted blue blood brother, passed away at home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts late last night. He was 77. His family said, "We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever... He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it’s hard to imagine any of them without him." more ›

After some debate on the authenticity of Dolores Aguilar's obit in the Vallejo Times-Herald, which if you recall was shockingly brutal, we got to the bottom of it all. more ›

Warms the heart, doesn't it? more ›

Here's todays wrap up of the news more ›

Phillyist co-editor Star C. Foster, passed away early in the week. Her wit, intelligence, and good nature shone through the site, making Phillyist an immensely fun read. She was loved by many and will be missed by all. more ›

We saw the saddest obituary last week in the Chron, for the death of Sarah Tucker, a 26-year-old Mission resident who was killed in a hit-and-run bicycle accident on Polk and Geary Street on Thursday January 12. Witnesses reported seeing a black Honda CRV run a yellow light, and heard Tucker loudly shout "Hey!" before she was struck. The driver, reported to be an African-American man in his 40s, then turned off his headlights to hinder the reading of his license plate and drove away. Tucker, who was wearing her helmet, suffered severe head injuries and died shortly afterwards. Tucker, as she was known, was returning home from the Tango, Tango dance party when she was killed. Tucker was a fundraiser for the Cal Academy of Sciences by day and a filmmaker/DJ at night, volunteering for the SF Film Society, screening movies for the SF Int'l Film Fest, and running the Pretty Young Thing dance party at the Make-Out Room, among many other activities. As the obit says, "Sarah loved pugs, soul music, dancing, acronyms, sticky buns, fashion and aesthetics." If you see a black Honda CR-V with a large dent in its side on the passenger door, call SFPD Inspector Pat Tobin of the hit-and-run division at (415) 553-1641 or the confidential tip line (415) 575-4444. There's a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Please, folks, ride and drive safely out there. You probably love pugs and sticky buns too. more ›

We don't know that it'll necessarily have any bearing on the discussion over the landmarking of San Francisco's Doggie Diner sign, but SFist wanted to note the passing of the sign's designer last weekend. more ›