Week in Review: City Sues State, Oakland Men Arrested in Union City Woman's Murder, Drama on Darlene Way

Here's a list of top stories from our coverage in the past week:

Sunday, July 17

We highlighted , an international humanitarian and environmental organization. The local group, comprised of students at Kitayama Elementary School, was recognized in June for its efforts and named National Group of the Month.

Monday, July 18

Oakland police announced that they had and were getting closer to located the suspects responsible for the brutal murder of Monica Rodas, a 21-year-old Union City woman, who was killed and burned on July 14.

Dozens of mutts strutted their stuff at the 13th Annual Niles Dog Show, competing in categories such as Best Costume, Best Veteran (oldest "pup"), Most Unusual Mix, Most Handsome Male, Prettiest Female and Best In Show. Check out the highlights in our photo gallery .

Tuesday, July 19

Police in the case of Monica Rodas, the Union City woman whose body was found burning in Oakland. The men were identified later in the week as Salvador Valasco, 22, and Hector Garcia, 31, both of Oakland and both believed to be gang members.

The City of Union City, along with the League of California Cities, the California Redevelopment Association and the City of San Jose, filed a lawsuit to challenge the state's law to eliminate redevelopment agencies, or require cities to pay millions in "opt-in" dues to continue their operations. The suit alleges that the state mandate is unconstitutional because it violates Prop. 22, an amendment approved by voters last November to prevent the state from taking money from local government, including the tax increments generated by redevelopment agencies. Read the full story .

Columnist Neena Barreto, a mother of three boys and an elementary school teacher, weighs enrollment in her latest column.

Also on Tuesday, we highlighted , which makes it easier to browse and find local events. Take a look and post your own events, too!

Wednesday, July 20

The District 45 Big League All Stars, made up of 16 to 18-year-olds from Southern Alameda County, kicked off a series of beatdowns on the baseball field during the Western States Championships in Washington this week. On Wednesday, they slaughtered Nevada 21-0, then spanked Arizona 7-2 on Thursday and narrowly defeated the Southern California team 2-1 on Friday. They'll advance to the Little League World Series in South Carolina, which begins July 27. Find out more about the team in our story .

The New Haven Teachers Association announced Wednesday that it was in negotiation with the New Haven Unified School District. At the time of our report, negotiations were not finalized but officials hoped .

Thursday, July 21

A daylong manhunt began after an attempted burglary suspect shot at police officers at around 10:15 in the morning. What followed was an intense 15-hour search for the shooter, with SWAT teams and police from multiple agencies blocking off the areas of Jean, Rose, Darlene and adjacent streets and conducting yard-to-yard searches. During the day, police arrested two men, one believed to be the shooter, the other an associate who was found with stolen property, according to police. However, searches continued to ensure no other suspects were in the area, with the area finally cleared at about 1 a.m.

Read the full story of the investigation .

Read the residents' experience .

Friday, July 22

Salvador Valasco and Hector Garcia, the two men arrested on suspicion of murdering Monica Rodas, were arraigned and formally charged of their crimes in court Thursday. According to court documents, Garcia denied all allegations but Valasco admitted his role in the murder, in which he bound Rodas' hands, gagged her mouth and put a sweater over her before the two men killed her and dumped her body. Read the full report .

Union City Mayor Mark Green joined local civic leaders for a rally in Oakland in protest of what they called the state's raid of redevelopment agency dollars. Green, and others, said the reshaping or dismantling of redevelopment agencies will have drastic impact on current projects and future plans for cities. See a video of the rally .

AT&T is expanding its network. During a media tour of a cell tower in Newark, , which include nine cell sites throughout Southern Alameda County, including some in Union City.

Saturday, July 23

Police released the names of the two men arrested Thursday following a burglary turned officer-involved shooting. Police arrested , who police say shot at them while investigating a residential burglary Thursday morning, and Christopher Gaines, 19, on suspicion of stolen property.

The New Haven Unified School District officially announced that it will be who were laid off earlier in the year. The move comes despite uncertainty surrounding the state budget, which could impact K-12 education if the state does not generate at least $2 billion in revenues this year. If revenues fall short, the district will be forced to add furlough days to shorten the school year.

The , up from 10.2 to 10.9 percent. According to the latest from the Economic Development Department, Union City's current unemployment rate is 9.6 percent, with 3,400 residents out of work.