- A judge has ruled that Alameda County DA Pamela Price's office can not prosecute former prosecutor and frequent critic of hers Butch Ford, due to "significant conflict of interest" — and it will be handled by the state AG's office. Ford was charged last year with a misdemeanor for violating a statute of the state’s business and professions code, and Price has notably sent out a string of press releases about the case because it seems kinda personal. [East Bay Times]
- People's Park in Berkeley may once again become the site of protest after the UC Berkeley student newspaper reported on plans by the administration to block off the park using shipping containers, ahead of planned — and controversial — construction there. [Chronicle]
- SFMTA data appears to show a 50% drop in the use of the Valencia bike lanes after they were controversially moved to the center of the street. [Streetsblog]
- An arrest has been made in a string of Christmas arsons in Morgan Hill. [Bay Area News Group]
- An Amtrak passenger was fatally shot by a police officer in Mount Shasta on Christmas Day in after reportedly acting ‘erratically’ and scuffling with the officer during a train stop on the southbound Coast Starlight. [Bay Area News Group]
- Scammers are reportedly posing as the Marin County Sheriff's Office, calling Marin residents and claiming they owe a fine for missing jury duty, and demanding to be paid in gift cards. [KRON4]
- Some Sonoma County teens got caught Tuesday night after their pickup truck got stuck in some mud, and after they were allegedly sawing off street signs — like one cow-crossing sign that CHP found them with, which they admitted to stealing because it was "fun." [CHP Santa Rosa/Facebook]
- A $700K Mega Millions ticket was sold at a gas station in Lafayette. [KTVU]
Top photo via CHP Santa Rosa
