City News

By sunrise on July 4 the streets of Downtown Davis were filling with cars, bikes and people in spandex. Within two hours, bicyclists were speeding through the streets at speeds over 30 mph - so fast that spectators had just enough time to read the race numbers pinned to speeding torsos.

olo County's 2007-2008 Grand Jury released its final report last week, detailing its investigations of the Davis Fire Department and the Woodland Joint Unified School District. The report analyzed and provided recommendations on five instances of wrongdoing or mismanagement by the two agencies.

SATURDAY

Airing dirty laundry

An individual broke into a commercial laundry room on Arthur Street.

When Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a drought in June, Californians were told to take shorter showers and use less water on their lawns. But for farms in California and Yolo County, the challenge of dealing with less water is even greater.

A combination of factors has led to the appearance of West Nile Virus in the Sacramento region.

Six mosquito samples taken in Sacramento County have tested positive for the virus, and 10 infected dead birds have been reported, according to the Sacramento-Yolo Vector Control District.

Davis' Climate Action Team has reached another milestone in its quest to reduce the city's carbon footprint.

The CAT hosted its first community forum Thursday, aimed at gathering feedback and ideas from residents on improving the city's plan for reducing emissions.

Family, friends and law enforcement from all over Northern California gathered at the ARC Pavilion on Friday morning to say goodbye to Sheriff's Deputy Tony Diaz, who was shot and killed in the line of duty on Father's Day.

"Officer down," said Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto. "This is the call every member of the law enforcement community dreads and hopes never to hear. These are the words broadcast by Yolo County Sheriff's Deputy Tony Diaz on Sunday, June 15 at 9:30 p.m."

Though the air is still heavy with the smoke of fires from all over Northern California, the burden got a little lighter this weekend as pledges of support came in from a variety of sources. President Bush declared a state of emergency for California on Saturday, authorizing federal assistance to alleviate the effects of the fires.

SATURDAY

Psst! PSSST!

An individual threw a rock through a bedroom window on University Avenue, resulting in the window shattering.

Public hearing on photovoltaic cells at wastewater treatment site

The agreement under consideration would authorize the installation and operation of solar cells on a portion of the city's wastewater treatment site to provide power for that facility. The agreement also stipulated that the city would purchase all power generated at the site for at least 25 years.The council closed the public hearing and decided not to pursue the agreement at this time.

Supporters of choice voting in city elections will have to continue to wait before they see any progress toward their goal.

Members of the Davis City Council decided Tuesday that it would be best to put off a decision on a city charter and choice voting.

The Yolo County Board of Supervisors voted on June 17 to approve a budget for 2008-2009 that is widely considered to be the most difficult in over a decade.

All county departments will have to tighten their belts, but the most significant cut is the $4.1 million being taken out of the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health department's long unbalanced budget.

In the June 23 issue of The California Aggie, the article "Legally saying 'I do'" had a misspelling of Sharon Hale's last name. The Aggie regrets the error.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced just over two weeks ago that California is facing a drought, warning that the state could be forced into some heavy rationing if the situation does not improve.

In Davis, however, a sense of urgency to change water habits has not quite developed yet. The city has not implemented any rules or restrictions on its residents, but some residents are aware of the issue and feel obligated to make a personal change.

Starting July 1, drivers will have to use a new hands-free approach to talking on their cell phones.

Two laws, SB 1613 and AB 33, will prohibit cell phone use while operating an automobile, unless the driver is using a hands-free or wireless device.