City News

California taxpayers awaiting refunds could receive IOUs rather than checks this year if state lawmakers are unable to balance the budget soon. The state is projected to run out of cash sometime in February if no agreement can be reached regardinghowbest to balance the budget,say finance experts.

The Recording Industry Association of America announced last month that it would no longer file mass lawsuits against illegal file sharers. Instead, the RIAA said it would work with individual internet service providers to stem the flow of illegal music downloads on the internet.

Thousands of swans and geese migrating from the frozen far north have touched down and chosen to winter at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area,and local birding experts will host a guided tour of the area tomorrow morning.

Back in my day,we had manual skateboards Two electric skateboards were stolen on Alvarado Avenue.

Sparks, an energy drink made by MillerCoors, is an alcoholic energy drink that combines beer and caffeine into a drink with 6 percent alcohol by volume. MillerCoors recently came under fire by several state attorneys general because of what they say are the adverse health effects caused by drinking alcohol together with caffeine. The attorneys also expressed concerns about MillerCoors’ marketing of the product, claiming it was targeted towards a young and potentially underage crowd.

Dozens of Davis residents have been fuming lately over reports that the city of Davis is considering banning fireplaces in the name of clean air. Though some discussions of possible wood burning restrictions have included a total ban on traditional fireplaces and wood stoves,the Davis City Council on Tuesday made clear that they were not interested in any immediate ban.

Many college students are using prescription ADHD medication such as Ritalin or Adderall to improve their academic performance, according to a new study. “The study was prompted by anecdotal reports from students about usage,” said coauthor Scott Swartzwelder, a Duke University professor. “My understanding is that the trend is relatively new and escalating.”

Fundraisers such as the Dollar-A-Day campaign and Schoolapalooza, as well as the passage of PropositionW in November (a parcel tax specifically aimed at maintaining school programs), have helped to maintain funding for teachers, librarians and science programs.

Mike Genest, director of the California Department of Finance, calls this the most challenging fiscal crisis California has ever faced. The California State Controller is projecting that California will be out of cash by February and the California Department of Finance is estimating a $40 billion budget deficit through the fiscal year of 2009-2010.

If all goes according to plan,the Davis Joint Unified School District may soon sell its surplus property at the Grande School Site in North Davis. After decades of ownership,DJUSD has finally achieved a tenable design for the8.83acre property in collaboration with City Council and surrounding neighbors.

JAN.3 Santa came late A purse was dumped on a rooftop onValdora Street. Reforesting Davis Four male teenagers were placing Christmas trees in the middle of the road on J Street andDrexel Drive.

With extremely limited on-campus housing at UC Davis,the Office of Student Housing keeps an eyeonthe local rental market.Student Housing’s33rdannual survey of the state of the rental market was released late last month. In the city of Davis,the vacancy rate increased slightly from0.7to0.8percent and the average cost of rentincreased4.36percent in2008.