City News

In business news this week, Renew Denim opens up downtown, Wachovia transitions to PremierWest Bank, mattress store Sleep Center opens downtown, and Cindy’s turns into Thai Dynamite at night.

With less money in their pockets, international wine drinkers turn increasingly to imported U.S. wines. As a result, the U.S. wine industry remains one of the few sectors seemingly immune to the economic crisis.

A recent study funded by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine shows that northwest orca whales are accumulating contaminants from the salmon they eat.

State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) proposed legislation last week that would prevent raises for top executive officers in California public colleges during years of student fee increases.

As newspapers around the country face deep cuts and make their own headlines,local papers are trying to save jobs and trees. This was the second week The Enterprise didn’t show up anyone’s doorstep,instead appearing online only as part of a new circulation policy aimed at saving money.

Grand Theft Auto and similar games are in the spotlight once again.Late last month,the U.S.Court of Appeals ruled against two California laws that banned the sale of violent video games to minors.

California Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, announced legislation on Feb. 23 that would make California the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

In late winter,when rain and finals are real sources of stress for students,a week in Mexico may seem like the perfect salve.But after increased drug and gang violence there led the State Department to issue a travel warning for Mexico,the idea may not seem so attractive.

The “Best Drink Special” feature in The Aggie’s Best of Davis section included two errors due to incorrect information provided by a manager at Café Bernardo.The Wicky Wacky Woo drink is not a dollar off on Wednesdays and it is not free on birthdays.The Aggie regrets the errors.

Though CSI-based television shows often glorify forensic evidence as foolproof,experts say real crime labs may be more prone to errors than previously thought. A recent U.S.National Research Council report called the forensic science system “badly fragmented,” and claims forensic techniques are in dire need of improved reliability.

Sexual assaults reported downtown Two separate sexual assaults were reported in Downtown Davis early Thursday morning. The first victim was speaking with a friend in a parking lot on the300block of G Street when the suspect allegedly approached her from behind,reached under her skirt and sexually assaulted her,said Davis policeLieutenant Tom Waltz in a press release.

A two-month joint investigation into auto insurance fraud by the California Department of Insurance and several Sacramento area district attorneys offices led to 28 arrests, including one Davis man, and several warrants beginning in late January. According to a press release from the Department of Insurance, the cases involved one of three different scenarios.