IOUs from California are on their way
SACRAMENTO — With its bank balance careening toward zero, California began sending tens of thousands of IOUs to its creditors on Thursday, the latest black eye for the state and its broken budget system.
by mzapler@mercurynews.com (

By Mike Zapler

Mercury News Sacramento Bureau)
2 Jul 2009 at 7:43pm

Lane closings could slow I-80 drive to Reno
Caltrans warns that 21-mile drive from Truckee to Nevada state line could take two hours this weekend.
by grichards@mercurynews.com (

By Gary Richards

Mercury News)
2 Jul 2009 at 6:54pm

Santa Clara County supervisors name new chief legal adviser
A champion of small schools, a prominent voice in Latino legal circles and a former student body co-president at Stanford University is Santa Clara County's new chief legal adviser.
by lernandez@mercurynews.com (

By Lisa Fernandez

Mercury News)
2 Jul 2009 at 6:22pm

Girls get an invitation into 'Brandi's World'
Brandi Chastain is on a mission. In three long-legged strides, she covers the distance to the chair next to the one in which Los Gatos podiatrist Dr.
by editor@mercurynews.com (

By Marianne L. Hamilton

Los Gatos Weekly-Times)
2 Jul 2009 at 5:56pm

Court upholds death sentence of man who killed seven in Sunnyvale
The California Supreme Court today upheld the 1992 death sentence of Richard Wade Farley, convicted of killing seven co-workers and wounding others in an infamous mass shooting spree at a Sunnyvale high tech company.
by hmintz@mercurynews.com (

By Howard Mintz

Mercury News)
2 Jul 2009 at 5:37pm

Retail 3.0: We're ready to celebrate on the Fourth
More Americans are feeling the need to get into a celebratory spirit and the Fourth of July is the day they're planning to do so.
by dkato@mercurynews.com (

By Donna Kato

Mercury News)
2 Jul 2009 at 5:18pm

Santa Clara County sheriffs bust secret pot garden near San Jose
Santa Clara County Sheriff's deputies arrested one man and are searching for at least one other in connection with a secret pot garden bust that netted 6,100 marijuana plants with a street value of $18 million.

  Crime: Interactive map | Forum | More

Mercury News)
2 Jul 2009 at 4:52pm

State board sets 3.75 percent interest rate on California IOUs
California will begin to print and send out tens of thousands of IOUs to pay its bills, the latest black eye for the state and its broken budget system.

  More on the California budget crisis

Mercury News Sacramento Bureau)
2 Jul 2009 at 4:39pm

Police re-issue urgent alert for missing Campbell man
Campbell police have issued an updated urgent alert regarding a missing Campbell man with severe dementia who has not been seen for more than a day and who is likely wandering around without his medications.
by lernandez@mercurynews.com (

By Lisa Fernandez

Mercury News)
2 Jul 2009 at 1:55pm

Driver extracted from overturned SUV on Highway 101 in Palo Alto
Emergency workers had to use the Jaws of Life Wednesday night to extract a 30-year-old man from his vehicle when in crashed off U.
by editor@mercurynews.com ( /

Bay City News Service

Hotel bookings up following Phish rumor
Hotels in Indio are reporting today that they are sold out for Halloween weekend following rumors that folk band Phish is planning a three-day music festival at one of the city's polo clubs.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090702/LIFESTYLES0101/90702025/-1/RSS01
2 Jul 2009 at 3:39pm

ALTA spared flood-control improvements
The developer of a south Palm Springs housing project will no longer be obligated to make flood-control improvements, and the Community Redevelopment Agency will be clear of spending $2 million to help that developer, Palm Springs city leaders decided Wednesday.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090702/NEWS01/907020323/1143/RSS27
2 Jul 2009 at 2:21am

Report: Jackson's ex may seek custody of older kids
Deborah Rowe, the ex-wife of Michael Jackson and the mother of two of his children, has not reached a final decision on whether to seek custody of the children.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090702/NEWS11/90702035/-1/RSS01
2 Jul 2009 at 5:09pm

Tram offers ride, dinner for $29.95 for summer
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will offer a “Summer Ride 'n' Dine Special” through August 31.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090702/LIFESTYLES02/907020340/1143/RSS27
2 Jul 2009 at 2:53am

Bono Mack's vote sparks GOP outrage
Rep. Mary Bono Mack's support of a sweeping climate change bill has unleashed a wave of criticism from her constituents and party activists, with some threatening to withdraw their support of the Republican congresswoman.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090702/NEWS01/907020326/-1/RSS01
2 Jul 2009 at 3:01am

Valley band back from distant shore
The Spirit of the Sands returned home to Palm Springs Tuesday after a two-week performance tour in South Africa.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090701/NEWS01/907010309/1143/RSS27
1 Jul 2009 at 8:46am

The theme for this summer is FUN
When it comes to theme parks, summer is the time and Southern California is the place. With everyone pinching pennies these days, many parks are offering deals and discounts. Here's a rundown of what's hot ...
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090702/LIFESTYLES01/907010360/-1/RSS01
2 Jul 2009 at 1:38am

Cause of garage blaze under investigation
Fire officials are trying to determine what caused a blaze that destroyed a garage in Palm Springs on Tuesday.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090701/NEWS01/907010324/1143/RSS27
1 Jul 2009 at 8:46am

Homeowners could see property tax savings
More than 300,000 Riverside County homeowners could see a $1,600 savings on their property taxes, county official said today.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090702/NEWS01/90702021/-1/RSS01
2 Jul 2009 at 3:28pm

Palm Springs Fire Department reminds public: Fireworks illegal
The Palm Springs Fire Department has issued a reminder that all fireworks are illegal within the city limits of Palm Springs.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090701/NEWS01/907010325/1143/RSS27
1 Jul 2009 at 8:46am

Eisenhower therapeutic pool shutting down
An Eisenhower Medical Center therapeutic pool is shutting down this month to make room for a medical lab, and a lot of patients are upset about it.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090702/NEWS01/90702017/-1/RSS01
2 Jul 2009 at 2:09pm

Nudists eyeing Guinness record
The Terra Cotta Inn, a clothing-optional resort and spa in Palm Springs, plans to be among more than 150 hotels and clubs across the country collectively trying to set the world skinny dipping record July 11.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090630/NEWS01/906300307/1143/RSS27
30 Jun 2009 at 11:31am

467K jobs cut in June; jobless rate at 9.5 percent
Employers cut a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate climbed to a 26-year high of 9.5 percent. Workers also saw weekly wages fall, suggesting Americans will have little appetite to spend and the economy's road to recovery will be bumpy.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090702/NEWS11/90702005/-1/RSS01
2 Jul 2009 at 11:34am

Palm Springs authorities to public: Fireworks are illegal
The Palm Springs Fire Department is reminding the public that all fireworks, including those dubbed “Safe and Sane,” are illegal in Palm Springs.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090630/NEWS08/906300326/1143/RSS27
30 Jun 2009 at 2:35am

SF Gate

Man arrested in dragging death of Army vet
A suspect has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the dragging death of a 69-year-old man during an attempted carjacking, authorities said today. Cordero Kelly, 19, of Rodeo is being held at the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez in...



by hlee@sfchronicle.com (Henry K. Lee)
2 Jul 2009 at 5:04pm

$50K reward in Hayward man's slaying
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger offered a $50,000 reward today for tips leading to the conviction of the assailants in the shooting death of a man in unincorporated Hayward. Marco Velasquez, 27, of Hayward was found shot to death on the 300 block of Smalley...



by hlee@sfchronicle.com (Henry K. Lee)
2 Jul 2009 at 3:19pm

Two parolees arrested after ramming cop car
Two parolees were arrested early today after they rammed a Martinez police sergeant moments after stealing an SUV, authorities said. The incident began shortly after 3 a.m. when residents on Wildflower Drive reported seeing two people wearing dark clothing...



by hlee@sfchronicle.com (Henry K. Lee)
2 Jul 2009 at 9:38am

California's budget crisis too costly to ignore
The California Legislature's failure to solve a $24.3 billion budget shortfall by Wednesday's start of the fiscal year was not just a maddening display of ineptitude and irresponsibility. It was expensive, adding billions to a problem our elected leaders seem...



2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Presented By:
2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Grants, land at risk if California parks close
California could lose millions of dollars in federal grants and the National Park Service could seize land in six parks, including Angel Island, if the state goes through with a proposal to close 219 state parks, officials said Wednesday. Gov. Arnold...



by pfimrite@sfchronicle.com (Peter Fimrite)
2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Transit riders ante up on 1st day of fare hikes
It was one of those shrug-your-shoulders-and-sigh days on Bay Area transit Wednesday, the first day of fare increases enacted by four major operators. The San Francisco Municipal Railway, BART, AC Transit and Golden Gate ferry and buses boosted fares to help...



by rgordon@sfchronicle.com (Rachel Gordon)
2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Berkeley: Yellow lines' return helps drivers
Yellow lines return in Berkeley Results, Day 14: The city of Berkeley gave itself a deadline of mid-July to restripe a busy corridor by UC Berkeley's Clark-Kerr campus, and it beat the deadline by two weeks. The corridor is on Piedmont Crescent, just...



by Jonathan Curiel
2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

State rolls out $3.36 billion in IOUs today
California plans to begin issuing billions of dollars in IOUs today to scores of creditors, including private businesses and county governments. The move will not affect many individuals who receive government assistance. Low-income people, the elderly and...



by csaid@sfchronicle.com (Carolyn Said,Nanette Asimov)
2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Fishers give up on plan for Presidio art museum
Gap founder Donald Fisher and his family have decided to abandon their efforts to build a contemporary art museum at the Main Post of San Francisco's Presidio, The Chronicle has learned. In calling off an effort that began with acclaim but turned into the...



by jking@sfchronicle.com (John King)
2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Contra Costa Times: Bay & State

Federal judge fast-tracks lawsuit seeking to overturn same-sex marriage ban
n Lawsuit challenging constitutional validity of measure could wind up in Supreme Court, U.S. district jurist says
by editor@contracostatimes.com (Josh Richman / Oakland Tribune)
2 Jul 2009 at 7:35pm

Rossmoor tries nonlethal woodpecker defenses
Walnut Creek community coats soft building parts, and installs granaries to prevent woodpecker damage
by dcu@cctimes.com (Denis Cuff / Contra Costa Times)
2 Jul 2009 at 6:51pm

State orders audit of Marin family court
Some say system can become incompetent network of people more concerned with fees than helping.
by editor@contracostatimes.com (Gary Klien / MediaNews staff)
2 Jul 2009 at 6:32pm

Daughter held, mother sought in Fremont shoplifting
The older woman went to Fresno after eluding a guard's grasp, police say.
by editor@contracostatimes.com (Ben Aguirre Jr. / The Argus)
2 Jul 2009 at 6:19pm

CHP looking to solve seven-year-old fatal hit-and-run
It happened more than seven years ago, but Susan Sabanal, 54, of Hayward says she remembers it like it was five minutes ago. On June, 15, 2002, her only child, Brian Sabanal, 20, was killed by a hit-and-run driver on Interstate 205 in Tracy. The person responsible for the accident was never identified.
by editor@contracostatimes.com (Mike Martinez / San Joaquin Herald)
2 Jul 2009 at 5:46pm

Volunteer opportunities
Nonprofit organizations seeking volunteers should submit items to vtletters@bayareanewsgroup.com or by mail to, Bay Area News Group-East Bay, P.O. Box 8099, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 or fax to 925-847-2189.
by editor@contracostatimes.com (FROM STAFF REPORTS)
2 Jul 2009 at 2:02pm

Sacramento Bee

Four lakes for the Fourth

Area lakes beckon on a warm holiday weekend. Splashing in Folsom Lake.

For many outdoor enthusiasts, the Fourth of July often turns into a four-day weekend, with the hopes of enjoying a four-pack of fun through different daily adventures.

Though many area lakeside campgrounds are booked solid through the weekend, that shouldn't stop you from enjoying other activities offered at the four lakes we're suggesting for the Fourth.

We decided to focus on nearby Folsom Lake State Recreation ...

by gortiz@sacbee.com (Gamaliel Ortiz)
2 Jul 2009 at 2:45pm

Warm predictions follow another below-average Sacramento rainy season

Though the final three months of the annual rain season brought decent precipitation totals -- like from this May downpour -- the late surge was not enough to push the region's totals above average.

As the Sacramento region settles into its annual stretch of dry summer weather, data from the official rain season that ended Tuesday shows that though it could have been worse, a little more precipitation would not have hurt.

Predictions from the National Weather Service provide no hope that...

by blindelof@sacbee.com (Bill Lindelof)
2 Jul 2009 at 9:37am

DMV offices to close three Fridays

State Department of Motor Vehicle offices will be closed each of the next three Fridays, July 10, 17, and 24, to comply with the governor's furlough order, department officials said.

DMV field offices will remain open Mondays through Thursdays.

Officials urged motorists to make sure all paperwork is in order before coming to a field office, to expedite their visit.

Those who have a registration deadline date that falls on a Friday will be given an extra business day to conclude th...

by tbizjak@sacbee.com (Tony Bizjak)
2 Jul 2009 at 6:31pm

Just destroy class DVD, district tells parents

Elk Grove Unified officials have rescinded a request for parents to return DVDs that included "inappropriate images" they say were inadvertently sent home with students at Isabelle Jackson Elementary.

Now, the district doesn't want the DVDs back.

"Just destroy them," said district spokeswoman Torrey Johnson.

A teacher apparently sent the DVD retrospective of class activity home with her 24 students on the last day of school Friday.

Although the district would not say what sort...

by dlambert@sacbee.com (Diana Lambert and Stan Oklobdzija)
2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Firefighters to vote on plan that would save 68 jobs

After months of bitter negotiations, the city of Sacramento and its fire union have agreed to salary concessions that they say will save the jobs of dozens of firefighters.

Now, it's up to the firefighters to accept the plan – or reject it.

As many as 68 jobs in the Sacramento Fire Department will be eliminated unless the union ratifies a deal approved Wednesday by the City Council in a special closed session.

Under the tentative agreement, firefighter salaries would be frozen for...

by rlillis@sacbee.com (Ryan Lillis)
2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Salmon saved from overheated pool in Sacramento River tributary

Biologists netted 26 spring-run Chinook salmon this week, saving them from a pool in a tributary of the Sacramento River where they trapped themselves in warm water.

The fish, on the federal threatened-species list, would not move from the Butte Creek pool where the water was significantly warmer than the rest of the stream, creating what the state Department of Fish and Game said was a "thermal block."

The warm water in the stream near Chico caused the fish to seek cooler water at th...

by blindelof@sacbee.com (Bill Lindelof)
2 Jul 2009 at 11:43am

Applications for home-buying tax credit to be cut off today

They're almost gone.

The California Franchise Tax Board announced this morning it will pull the plug on its fax machine at midnight tonight, accepting no more applications for a $10,000 tax credit for buyers of new unoccupied homes in California.

Early Wednesday, the FTB said it has received 11,925 applications for the popular tax credit - 75 short of its 12,000-application limit.

The state tax agency said last month it would take 2,000 extra applications for the credit because ma...

by jwasserman@sacbee.com (Jim Wasserman)
2 Jul 2009 at 12:28pm

For seniors, a Wii may be a win-win: Fun and brain-nourishing

Lillian Dow of Folsom, using a Nintendo Wii device, engages in virtual bowling Wednesday at the Folsom Senior Center. Watching her are, from left, Doretta Youngdahl of Pacifica, Elsie Offner of Folsom and Tom Grunwaldt of Folsom.

A dozen or so older adults at the Folsom Senior Center erupt in cheers and clapping as Elsie Offner, a 91-year-old resident of Folsom, bowls a strike.

The senior center doesn't have lanes, but it does have a new bit of gaming technology, a Nintendo Wii. And with...

by ndiakopoulos@sacbee.com (Nicholas Diakopoulos)
2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Sacramento's Urban League chooses new leader

David DeLuz has been chosen president and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Urban League by the organization's board of directors.

James Shelby announced earlier this year that he would retire after 16 years as president and chief executive officer of the League.

DeLuz, who was president of the Sacramento branch of the NAACP from 2002 to 2005, said that he was excited to get to work and honored to follow in Shelby's footsteps.

"I have much respect for Mr. Shelby's legacy, and I am hon...

by blindelof@sacbee.com (Bill Lindelof)
2 Jul 2009 at 12:41pm

Sacramento homeless march to call for a campground

Violet Garcia, a formerly homeless woman, marches Wednesday along Richards Boulevard with supporters of a safe campground in Sacramento. The protest followed closure of a Cal Expo winter shelter, which had remained open after national media reported on a tent city used by the homeless in the capital.

The day after Sacramento's temporary homeless shelter closed for the season at Cal Expo, more than 250 homeless people and advocates marched to promote their latest idea for providing b...

by jjohnson@sacbee.com (Julie Johnson)
2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

LA Times: California

DEA's expertise gives it a role in investigation of Michael Jackson's death
The LAPD's request for the Drug Enforcement Administration to get involved is a sign that the use or abuse of prescription drugs may be suspected, a law enforcement official says.

The Los Angeles Police Department's request for federal drug agents to join the investigation of Michael Jackson's death indicates that illegal activity may be suspected in the dispensing of painkillers, sedatives, antidepress...
3 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

California begins printing IOUs
Nearly 29,000 IOUs worth $53 million will be sent, mostly to residents awaiting tax refunds. Finance officials set the interest rate at 3.75% for banks that accept the vouchers.

Deep in debt and short on cash, California this afternoon started churning out its first batch of IOUs in nearly two decades amid grumbles from bankers, growing public outrage and scant progress in negotiations to solve the stat...
2 Jul 2009 at 4:55pm

Peers admonish Chief Judge Alex Kozinski over Web sex files
A federal judge in California investigated for posting sexually explicit photos and videos on his own Web site has been cleared with an admonishment by fellow judges.

2 Jul 2009 at 1:08pm

Debbie Rowe considers bid for custody of Michael Jackson's 2 older children
Experts say Rowe, the mother of 12-year-old Prince Michael Jr. and 11-year-old Paris Michael Katherine, would have a strong case for custody even though she renounced her parental rights years ago.

Eight years ago, Debbie Rowe, the mother of Michael Jackson's two older children, told a Los Angeles court she wanted to give them up.

2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Villaraigosa says he will focus on economy, environment in second term
L.A. mayor says he is 'determined to find a second wind' as he is sworn in on the steps of City Hall in a ceremony that is sunny but lacks the star power of his first inauguration.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Wednesday unveiled a second-term agenda dominated by plans for shoring up the economy and cleaning the environment as he vowed to complete the work he started four years ago.

2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Autry, Southwest museum feud has echoes of western duel
The Griffith Park facility's desire to borrow Indian artifacts from its smaller Mount Washington partner sparks worries about the Southwest's future.

It could have been a scene right out of a Gene Autry horse opera -- a cowboys-versus-Indians-style faceoff, potshots being fired by both sides, a hero riding to the rescue in the final reel.

2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

L.A. employers face immigration audits
Federal agency targets hiring practices in a nationwide inquiry.

Federal officials Wednesday notified more than 650 businesses around the country, including nearly 50 in Los Angeles, that their records will be audited as part of a widening effort to find companies that hire illegal immigrants.

2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

An unforgettable graduate continues his journey
We need Luis Peñate, a thinker and a fighter, and others going away to college to come back to L.A. to help solve our many problems.

By this time they've taken their graduation tassels and yearbooks and put them away in a box with all the other mementos of high school.

2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Disappointment for fans at Neverland Ranch
Spectators pull up stakes and leave after learning that there will be no public memorial at Jackson's former Santa Barbara County estate and that he will not be buried there.

Desiree Crossley, her two daughters and a friend left Lancaster in their PT Cruiser at 1 a.m. Wednesday to be among the first in line for what they thought would be a public memorial for Michael Jackson at his Neverland Ranch in Sa...
2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am

Court begins weighing Jackson estate's fate
Judge asks lawyers for the singer's mother and his executors to try to reach an accord before a hearing on Monday.

In one corner are Michael Jackson's parents. In the opposite stand a prominent entertainment attorney and a respected music executive. Whether the sides will fight for control of the pop star's lucrative estate or come to an agreement seems likely to be decided in the next four days.

2 Jul 2009 at 2:00am