Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Butte fire evacuation total hits 10,000

Evacuations continue as firefighters try to gain control of a break-away portion of the Butte Lightning Complex fire system that has burned dozens of homes and continues to threaten the town of Paradise in Butte County.
(more)

---

Witness blames inexperienced bartender in Vellanoweth case

The owner of a bar where Roberto P. Vellanoweth was before being involved in a fatal automobile crash, says his wife, an inexperienced bartender, made the drink that Vellanoweth consumed before the accident....(more)

Heat hammers Sacramento, but doesn't impress weather service

In San Francisco, the locals are wilting under temperatures so hot that the National Weather Service declared an "excessive heat watch" Tuesday....(more)

ExpressJet halts service out of Sacramento, elsewhere

ExpressJet Airlines will cease its 13 daily flights out of Sacramento International Airport on Sept. 2....(more)

Cooling centers: Where to go to beat the heat

Agencies in several communities in the region have designated cooling centers where people can go for relief from the heat....(more)

VSP buys Florida optical lab

Vision Service Plan, the Rancho Cordova-based provider of eye-care insurance, said today it has purchased an optical lab in Fort Lauderdale, Fla....(more)

What's the best way to avoid the smoke? Stay indoors, experts say

With the resurgence of smoke in the Valley and foothills, experts recommend you try to stay indoors, in sealed pockets of clean air....(more)

Girls softball team latest arson victim

Just when it looked like Rancho Cordova had bounced back strongly from a senseless assault on its Little League program, the top-notch Cordova Girls Softball was hit by the same kind of arson....(more)

Hurt and scared, missing dog is found on lake's shore

Mia, a Great Pyrenees who was scared from home by lightning, is finally found on the banks of Rollins Lake, tired, scared and hurt - but ultimately safe and sound....(more)

Two home fires extinguished

Firefighters have extinguished fires that damaged two homes in the capital region this morning....(more)

Serene foothill views cut off by the smoke

AUBURN – The 17-mile stretch between Auburn and Foresthill is known for views that are expansive and serene – miles upon miles of century-old ponderosa pine, cedar and Douglas fir crammed into a ravine carved out by the north fork of the American River as it gushes toward Sacramento....(more)

Taking the "stagger" out of the Stagger Inn

The prospects for a project that could launch Rancho Cordova's long-sought transformation of properties along Folsom Boulevard appear to have brightened....(more)

Sheriff beefs up 2-deputy patrols

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department is increasing the number of two-officer patrol cars, hoping the change will increase officer safety and reduce fuel costs....(more)

2 cities "sweep" for felons, other criminal offenders

It was "sweeps" week in Rancho Cordova and Citrus Heights, but felons were nabbed, not TV ratings....(more)

Witness backs defense contention that Vellanoweth wasn't drunk at time of fatal crash

The defense rested in the Roberto P. Vellanoweth trial Tuesday, with one of its paid witnesses providing the longtime community activist and executive state employee with some of his most helpful testimony yet....(more)

Ex-Natomas school official Harding avoids jail time

A disgraced former facilities chief for Natomas public schools will do community service – no jail time – for directing contracts to a company in which he had a financial stake....(more)

El Dorado Irrigation District hastens repairs at two dams

The potential for gate failures at two aging dams has led El Dorado Irrigation District officials to declare emergencies at Caples and Silver lakes....(more)

Pollution monitors go down in Placer

Placer County has had some of the worst air in the region – but no one could say exactly how bad the smoke was Tuesday because the local particle pollution samplers were not working....(more)

Suit expected over casino water

PLACERVILLE - The El Dorado Irrigation District announced it has been informed by attorneys for Voices for Rural Living that the citizens group would file suit seeking to nullify the district's agreement to expand water service to the Red Hawk Casino of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians....(more)

Body in river may be bridge-jumper

SACRAMENTO - A 32-year-old man found Monday in the Sacramento River has been identified by the Sacramento County Coroner's Office as Michael Robert Stoss, no address available....(more)

Davis to probe Fire Department claims

DAVIS - City leaders have hired an independent investigator to examine the Yolo County grand jury's allegations of misconduct in the Fire Department....(more)

Bad air closes public pool in Lincoln

LINCOLN - McBean Pool was closed Tuesday, after Placer County officials issued an updated air quality advisory recommending people delay strenuous outdoor exercise....(more)

Charges tossed in Sheriff's Office fracas

PLACERVILLE - An El Dorado County judge has ended the trial of Kathleen Pastula, tossing out a misdemeanor charge of resisting, delaying or obstructing a peace officer....(more)

Rocklin freezes hiring, cuts budget

ROCKLIN - Expecting a slow economic recovery, city officials have sliced away at the 2008-09 budget, freezing vacant positions and cutting expenses....(more)

I-5 repair work resumes – but heat's a hindrance

SACRAMENTO – Crews closed southbound Interstate 5 through downtown Tuesday night for a week of what is expected to be very tough rehab work in 100-degree-plus heat....(more)

Jail for three in midtown vandalism spree

SACRAMENTO - A trio accused of a midtown vandalism "bombing run" pleaded no contest to vandalism charges, according to a Sacramento County District Attorney's Office press release Tuesday....(more)

South Sacramento may face aerial West Nile spraying

South Sacramento residents face the possibility of aerial spraying as early as next week to combat the spread of the West Nile virus....(more)

Muslim woman's suit claims she was fired because of head scarf

A Muslim woman filed a discrimination suit Tuesday against a Sacramento company, alleging she was fired because she wanted to wear a religious head scarf on the job....(more)

Obituary: Ted Torngren, 84, remembered for work in agriculture, good nature

Ted Torngren lived a full life even after complications from diabetes necessitated the removal of a leg....(more)

---

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

• Defense rests in Vellanoweth case

---

Download Flash 7 to view the videos.