A standoff is underway right now in Oakland. The fuzz claims that a robbery suspect is holed up inside studio apartment, near 32nd and Telegraph Avenue. Due to the nail-biting action, police have closed Telegraph Avenue between 30th and 34th....

This would have been even more awesome if it had been on top of a moving train. The police in Berkeley used a hook-and-ladder truck to conduct a manhunt on Telegraph Avenue rooftops after the robbery of a Noah's Bagels at around 6 a.m. Monday morning. After what was described as a tense "building-by-building, rooftop-by-rooftop search," the man was located on top of a building and arrested without further incident. Ah, the Stanford police blotter,......

Was it something we said? First there was the dispiriting news about Clean Well-Lighted's sale, and now the Chron reports that the flagship Cody's Books on Telegraph is closing, after 43 years. NO!!! Andy Ross, who owns Cody's, says that the store has lost over $1 million/year trying to keep the store open and that they just can't support it anymore. Foot traffic is down, maybe because older readers don't like going to Telegraph Avenue,......

75 Oakland PD officers were called in to assist a party on a Blue and Gold Ferry that got a little out of control on Sunday. The boat made an emergency docking to break up the several fights that had broken out among the 650+ passengers, and to get medical attention for another passenger that had passed out. UC Berkeley has confirmed that its chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi frat was involved and is investigating. A previous Kappa Alpha Psi party in 2000 led to a riot on Telegraph Avenue of overflow attendees denied entry. Also on Sunday, a sewer exploded in San Jose. Four manhole covers blew off after someone put something explosive into the system. Beans, beans, the magical fruit. ...

We're a little late on this, but mazel tov to newly-affianced Mayor Jerry Brown of Oakland and his girlfriend of 15 years, Gap executive Anne Gust! (We apologize for using the picture of Jerry Brown with ex Linda Ronstadt, but Linda is apparently getting an invitation to the wedding so we figure it's all good.) Brown proposed on Gust's birthday two weeks ago, in their loft on Telegraph Avenue, after he cooked her a romantic dinner of BBQ chicken and peas. He was so excited he hadn't even bought a ring yet! Awwwwwww. It's a first wedding for them both. They're tentatively planning for a June 2005 wedding. Guess if you're the mayor, you don't have to worry so much about the year-long wait lists at popular Oaktown wedding spots like the rest of us. Sen. Dianne Feinstein will officiate (here's hoping she doesn't accidentally sell Brown and Gust out to the right wing in the process). And no registry -- all gifts should be sent to the Oakland School of the Arts. Cynics may say that this may have something to do with the fact that Jerry's planning on running for attorney general next year -- but we're choosing to see it solely as a move for love! Most importantly, though, Jerry! Are you going to go the route of all engaged bloggers and fill up your blogspot account with long accounts of trying on shoes and cake tastings and ofotos of fabric swatches? We can't wait! ...

Andrew Krucoff, who used to be Mr. Intervista at Gothamist, apparently has a fetish for Berkeley punk. Hence he's gone and provided the innerweb with free downloads of this sweet compilation tape [Thanks, BoingBoing]. Breeders will know that they can't possibly keep up with the coolness factor of their tweeners. So it's all about CDRs, a faster internet connection and legal counsel. A trip to Amoeba or Rasputin for blank media and mashup equipment may......