A murder suspect who led officers on a high-speed chase with his dead girlfriend in the passenger seat is a central figure in the investigation of at least four killings, authorities said Wednesday. Efren Valdemoro, 38, was shot and killed by California Highway Patrol officers Tuesday night after refusing to drop a meat cleaver, CHP spokesman Sgt. Trent Cross said.

Calfire has now fully contained a small grassfire that motorists on I-80 could see near American Canyon. Firefighters got the call at 3:10 p.m. Wednesday from a resident on Palazo Way saying there was a fire burning behind his home.  About 100 firefighters worked on the blaze.  Authorities canceled a call for air tankers.  Crews will remain in the area overnight looking for hot spots.  No buildings were damaged

With light winds and warm temperatures predicted to linger throughout the Bay Area until the end of the week, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District has declared Thursday another Spare the Air day, the fourth of the summer. Air quality officials believe that ground-level ozone pollution will continue to be unhealthy on Thursday and are asking Bay Area residents to consider making adjustments to their driving habits to help prevent producing more smog.

Four years ago, Hamed Mirabdal endured a violent attack that left him permanently injured.  In July, a piece of evidence from the attack was mailed back to his mother, and now police are hoping to find the sender and authenticate the item so it can be introduced at trial. On July 13, Mirabdal's mother received a manila envelope at her Orinda home with no return address.

AC Transit officials are proposing to cut weekend bus service nearly in half and make other reductions to improve the agency's bleak financial outlook. Agency officials will present their proposal at an AC Transit board of directors workshop Wednesday afternoon.

Concord police are asking for the public's help in identifying what appear to be several brass irrigation fixtures that were recovered Thursday at a local recycling center, Concord police Lt. Jim Lardieri said, According to police, the fixtures appear to be new and do not look like they have been installed anywhere, Lardieri said.

A Solano County judge Monday morning sentenced a man convicted of killing Fairfield City Councilman Matt Garcia to 50 years to life in prison.  Several of Garcia's family members and Fairfield Mayor Harry Price addressed the defendant, Henry Don Williams, in the Vallejo courtroom of Judge Robert Bowers at an emotional hearing that lasted about an hour.