Hey there, San Francisco. 

Happy Tuesday, and happy International Women’s Day! 

Gas prices are high, and probably not dropping anytime soon. As KRON4 writes, people who typically drive into San Francisco might start to consider taking BART, especially in cases where it’s cheaper to take the train.

For Lafayette commuters, for instance, the $5.30 BART ticket to the Embarcadero now costs less than the gallon of gas it would take to drive there.  

And with that…onto the news… 

Top story: SFPD officer found not guilty 

On Monday, a jury found SFPD officer Terrance Stangel not guilty on three counts of assault and battery in what’s believed to be the city’s first case against an officer for allegedly using excessive force while on duty.

The charges resulted from a 2019 incident in which officer Stangel, responding to a 911 domestic violence call, struck a man, Dacari Spiers, several times with his baton. Spiers, who was never charged for any crimes that night against his then-girlfriend Breonna Richard, suffered a broken leg and wrist.

The landmark case was one of the first tests for District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s pledge to hold police officers accountable for misconduct. 

• In a statement on Monday, Boudin said: “We respect the jury process, although we remain disappointed that police accountability remains so elusive and difficult to achieve.” 

• Stangel’s defense attorney Nicole Pifari called the case politically motivated and said in a statement: “We are thankful that the jury was able to see through the dishonesty of the DA’s office in this case and see it for what it was—unjust and unsupported.” 

Currently, as the Chronicle’s Megan Cassidy notes, Boudin’s office is prosecuting five other SFPD officers in excessive force cases, but none have reached the jury stage yet. 

Quick bits: News to know

• 🏘 San Francisco’s first experiment to house people in tiny homes has opened at 33 Gough Street in a lot previously used as a city-sponsored tent village. When completed this spring, the site will have 70 units, each costing $15,000 to build. (Chronicle) 

• 👀 The San Francisco Planning Department is reviewing a proposal for a 12-story, 400 unit housing complex at 2700 Sloat Blvd, where Sloat Garden Center is currently located. Final approvals could take months (if not years), but as Sunset Beacon reporter Thomas Pendergast writes: “The sheer scale of the proposed building already has people buzzing.” (Sunset Beacon) 

• 🥐 The team behind Le Marais Bakery is opening a new creperie in the Ferry Building on Wednesday called Grande Crêperie. Buckwheat crepes, croissants, and Wrecking Ball coffee will be served. (Eater) 

What else I’m reading: Links to browse

Dennis Richards, city reach $1.8M proposed settlement in retaliation suit (Mission Local) 

Demolitions, speculation—and maybe not that much new housing anyway (48hills) 

Durian, avocado and pineapple lattes? This new S.F. cafe is betting on the rise of fruit in coffee (Chronicle) 

And finally… An SF must-follow

If you love San Francisco Victorian homes and other, colorful dwellings, consider checking out the Instagram account of local photographer Julie Gebhardt, who SFGATE recently wrote about. 

Gebhardt has a knack for finding vintage cars as well. 

"Sometimes I drive until I see one thing I want to shoot, and that becomes the starting point for a walk,” Gebhardt told SFGATE. “The key is that I head out with the purpose to walk and look."

Currently, Gebhardt’s favorite neighborhood to photograph is Bernal Heights. 

"There's a great community feeling there and plenty of quirky expressive details and bold colors,” she said. 

That’s all for today! Thanks so much for reading y’all and I’ll see you back here tomorrow. - Nick B.