41 arrested in UC Berkeley protest

A daylong occupation of a classroom building at UC Berkeley on Friday ended with the arrests of 41 students who had barricaded themselves inside to protest budget cuts and steep hikes in student fees, university officials said.

Campus police entered Wheeler Hall about 5 p.m., and the demonstrators were taken into custody without incident, campus officials said in a statement. The protesters were charged with trespassing and released, the statement said.

The arrests ended a day of tumult that began before dawn when the students took over classrooms on the second floor and locked four exits. They unfurled a banner that read "32 Percent Hike, 900 Layoffs."

A rally outside Wheeler grew throughout the day, said Maggie Wheeler, a freshman at the campus. By early evening, hundreds of students and union activists were shouting slogans and banging on drums, Wheeler said.

Dozens of campus police in riot helmets were watching the crowds but didn't move against the barricaded students until late in the day, she said.

Campus officials said an attempt at negotiation was made but their efforts "were refused."

Three students were arrested earlier in the day and no injuries were reported, said Emily Strange, a media relations assistant.

Puck Lo, 29, one of the students inside the locked room, disputed the university's contention that the demonstrators refused to negotiate. Students were demanding that 38 custodians who lost their jobs be reinstated and that the protesters be given amnesty, Lo said.

"This is not a slumber party," Lo, a graduate journalism student, said in a phone interview before the arrests. "This strike is really inconvenient. We are looking at finals and an increased workload. But this seems the honorable thing to do for future students."

Student anger erupted earlier this week after a 32% fee increase was approved by the UC Board of Regents on Thursday. The hikes will add $2,500 to undergraduate fees by next fall, bringing basic annual fees to $10,302. Room, board and books can add $16,000.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau canceled classes and advised teachers and students to stay away from the building. In an e-mail to students, he said campus police and administrators were working to resolve the faceoff peacefully.

Student protests have erupted at other UC campuses in recent days. Thousands at UCLA, UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz have held mostly peaceful rallies and demonstrations.

Isabelle Jarka Kelle Jarka!

PHOTO. Here is a picture of Kelle Jarka who tells 20/20 his side of the Isabelle Jarke case tonight. Isabelle Jarka’s husband Kelle Jarka of 19 years was sentenced to life in prison.

The difference - not a single trace of evidence. Says 20/20: “Can a man be sent to prison when there is no hard evidence and just circumstantial evidence? From inside the police interrogation room to an interview with Kelle Jarka, Jim Avila reports on a murder mystery that stunned a Southern California community.”

Moss Brothers Class 3 SCORE Baja 1000 Advance

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- With a 10 point lead, brothers Don and Ken Moss, will lead their team into Baja Mexico on November 18 – 21 for the 42nd SCORE Baja 1000 off road race. The Mosses will have to beat five other entries in the class to the finish line in order to secure a Seventh Class 3 SCORE championship. With over 325 entries combined from 39 states and 14 countries, the 673 mile loop course will be very busy. It will begin in Ensenada on Friday and wind west to San Felipe and then back east to the Pacific Coast just below San Vicente and finally head north back to the finish in Ensenada. Racers will have 31 hours to complete the course. The Baja 1000 is the oldest and most well known of all desert races, and it remains as the single most appealing accomplishment to a driver. Since 1967, the Granddaddy of all desert races has been run over the mysterious Baja California peninsula. Because of the economics and logistics involved, some years it is a peninsula run while most years it is a loop race, starting and finishing in Ensenada.

The Black Bronco crew will once again come together from across the country – 6 chase vehicles and 16 people strong to support/chase the Bronco through the wilds of Baja Mexico. The scheduling ballet of parts, supplies, vehicles and crew is nearly complete as they are now all headed south of the border. At the conclusion of this race, the team will be hoping to celebrate win #32 at the survivor’s party in Ensenada on Saturday night.

At the most recent SCORE Primm 300 race in the series, the Mosses’ ’79 Black Bronco experienced an unusual part failure when the left spindle suddenly sheared off, tearing up brake lines, calipers and more, only 30 miles into the race. Since no chase crews were allowed on course at this race, the team had to wait for another racer to come through the start/finish line pits on their next lap to load up the necessary parts – several hours later. Class 3 racer and competitor Dan Wright came to the rescue and delivered the parts to be replaced. The repairs were made and the team finished in just under the time limit, garnering vital SCORE series finish points. Since then, more repairs and preparations have been made and some new additions also – four more 70 watt KC HiLiTES HID pod lights. With much of this race being in the dark due to the team’s start time, these lights become critical to their ability to navigate safely on course and maintain the speed necessary to stay in the lead. The Bronco will be leading Class 3 off the starting line.

“We have been able, with the dedication and cooperation of many of our friends in Baja California, to develop a race course that will challenge even the most experienced of our great SCORE desert racers,” commented Sal Fish, SCORE President/CEO. “This great, great course presents the competitors with all of the variety of terrain and elevation changes you could possibly hope for, along with the dramatic beauty of Baja.”

Fans can follow the racing action online via onboard tracking systems at www.racetheworld.net. There will also be a live radio relay broadcast on the internet on www.race-dezert.com. For those that can wait and want the visual aspect, this year’s Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race will be televised on a delayed basis as a one-hour NBC Sports special scheduled to air at 2 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, Dec. 19 on the NBC Television Network. It will also air on a delayed basis outside of the U.S. on ESPN International.