City News

In anticipation of federal stimulus funds,the Sacramento Area Council of Governments board of directors has authorized$76million for transportation projects in Sacramento,Sutter,Yolo and Yuba counties. The board’s decision adds to the$32million they authorized in February for road rehabilitation.SACOG will also work closely with Placer and El Dorado counties to distribute the estimated$120million they will receive as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Obama last month.

Homeowners in Yolo County might want to look into their existing flood insurance plan. Yolo County announced last month that FEMA would be reevaluating the existing flood maps in the area.Due to this restructuring,many Yolo County residents will now be placed in high-risk flood zones.

WEDNESDAY Imaginary bike riding! An elderly individual was walking in the bike lane on Pole Line Road at Loyola Drive.

Yolo County’s unemployment rate reached12percent in February,the second consecutive month in double digits,according to figures released by the Employment Development Department. The number surpasses both the California rate of10.5percent and the national average of8.1percent.In other words,nearly one in eight members of the adult workforce in the county is looking for work.

The smoke has cleared in an argument over whether to crack down on smoke shops in Davis that sell what some say is drug paraphernalia. The Davis City Council decided earlier this month that the city should not pursue a possible ordinance restricting tobacco-related businesses.It was a3-2vote,with councilmembers Stephen Souza,Sue Greenwald and Lamar Heystek opposed to moving forward.

Two special Farmers Market offerings are back along with the warm weather:Picnic in the Park and the East Quad Farmers Market. Held in Central Park every Wednesday evening,Picnic in the Park is similar to the weekend Farmers Market but with a greater emphasis on music and dining.

Davis‘ one and only head shop has a new home in the heart of downtown. The owners of D-Zone Novelties,a gift shop that sells tobacco paraphernalia,have moved their business to a larger location at203GSt.The new place has a new name,too:Illusions.

The phenomenal power of the brain will be in the spotlight this week as part of Brain Awareness Week. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from the Center for Neuroscience at UC Davis will be celebrating the complex organ beginning Mar. 14 with interactive events for Sacramento area residents and local students.

Organizers are hoping that the beauty of the Capay Valley and the chance to get out of the house and get a taste of some regional cuisine will bring local residents out to the 2009 Almond Festival.

In2000,Diana Levine was administered Phenergan,ananti-nauseadrug manufactured by Wyeth,after being treated for migraine headaches with injections of Demerol,a pain medication.

To match what officials say is a recent increase in gang-related crimes,theYolo County Sheriff Department took leadership of the Yolo County Gang Task Force.

With Google Maps’ Street Viewfeature, users can see every detail of a Davis block – but so can terrorists, according to California State Representative Joel Anderson (R-El Cajon).