City News

The Pepper Peddler, a local sustainable coffee roasting and delivery business, began operation Tuesday.

A company founded three years ago by UC Davis graduate Alex Roth initially roasted peppers, hence the name, but this year converted to coffee bean roasting and delivery. Along with the change of product, in January the Pepper Peddler took on a new partner in UC Davis alumnus Jake Lorber.

The Pepper Peddler is trying to make an impact in the coffee industry by using unconventional and sustainable methods in a town that is conducive to both.

They used to be symbols of the future, but they're about to be a thing of the past.

Some of Davis' fleet of Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) vehicles are on their way out. On Tuesday, the City Council discussed options for the future of its fleet of 27 electric cars, leaving the final decision with the city staff.

Twenty-five of the vehicles were granted to the city in 2002 by Daimler-Chrysler. Two were donated by the National Parks Service. The cars were loaned for free to Davis residents through a program that lasted from 2003 to 2006. They have also been used by different city departments and city councilmembers.

Resolution in support of AB2101, AB2370

Passed resolution in support of AB2101 and AB2370, which provide protections for residents of residential care facilities

Updated General Plan housing element

Adopt negative declaration for updated housing elementDirect staff to submit draft housing element to State of California

The Davis City Council race is in full swing for the June 3 election. Candidates Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald, Sue Greenwald, Rob Roy, Don Saylor, Stephen Souza and Sydney Vergis are running for three available seats.

Familiar candidates include current mayor Greenwald and current councilmembers Souza and Saylor.

Sydney Vergis

Vergis graduated from UC Davis in 2004 with a double major in economics and environmental policy, analysis and planning. She is currently a senior land use planner for Sutter County, where she is responsible for generating a countywide Habitat Conservation Plan and environmental documents.

Vergis said she believes the city General Plan update - a guiding city policy document - is a concept for the election as well as the community.

he Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released a revised version of its rule outlining employers' legal obligations when an employee is identified by the Social Security Administration as a possible illegal immigrant. The revised rule shows few changes from a previous version that was stopped by a Northern California district court judge in 2007.

The rule requires employers to follow a specific set of procedures if they receive a letter from the Social Security Administration(SSA) stating one of their employees' tax forms did not match his or her Social Security records.

The Social Security Administration for years has put in their letters sent to employers that receiving the letter is not meant to make any implication on the immigration status of the employee, said Evelyn Sanchez, advocacy coordinator for Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition.

Over 500 concerned parents, teachers and community members crowded into the auditorium of Emerson Jr. High on Monday night to discuss closing the school with members of the school board.

Davis Joint Unified School District is considering closing the West Davis junior high school as part of an attempt to cut $4 million from the district's budget next year due to California's large budget deficit. The district would save $566,000 by closing Emerson Jr. High. Emerson, which schools seventh through ninth graders, was chosen because it is the only junior high school that has not undergone renovation.

There could soon be a new state prison up Highway 113.

Yolo County has applied to host a new prison facility as part of California's prison reform plan. Known as a re-entry facility, it would be a 150-bed prison for inmates who are near the end of their sentences.

The Yolo County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in March in support of locating the facility in Yolo County. Although a specific location has not yet been determined, it would be at the same site as the county jail in Woodland, said county supervisor Matt Rexroad.

The city of Richmond's planning commission is in the middle of a contentious debate about approving the renovation of a Chevron oil refinery that has sat on the Bay Area city shores for over 100 years.

After hearing over five hours of public comment at its standing-room-only Mar. 20 meeting, the planning commission scheduled a special meeting for Apr. 10 to continue receiving public input. The commission will then vote on whether to approve the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and conditional use permit, allowing the project to proceed.

In April 2005, Chevron applied to Richmond for permission to proceed with its proposed $1 billion equipment upgrade, which includes replacing the existing hydrogen plant, power plant and reformer.

A dollar a day for one year.

That's what the Davis Schools Foundation is asking Davis residents to give to support local K-12 education. Its leaders are hoping to raise enough money to compensate for a $4.25 million cut in the Davis Joint Unified School District's (DJUSD) budget for 2008-2009.

School district trustees are grappling with how to deal with the nearly 6 percent reduction in the budget. They have already voted to shut down Valley Oak Elementary School and are considering closing Emerson Junior High School. They have also notified 112 teachers and administrators that they could lose their jobs.

The Yolo County District Attorney's office re-filed for a July gang injunction although the court overturned it in April 2007.

Jeff Reisig, Yolo County District Attorney, placed a gang injunction to prevent gang activity in West Sacramento in February 2005.

The district attorney is saying that this place is horrible and that there is so much crime and that people are afraid to speak up and get out of their homes, said attorney Josh Kaizuka.