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Staff

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Weed Waffling…A California court of appeals panel failed to settle the question of whether Monterey County cities and others around the state can legally ban medical marijuana facilities. The closely watched Anaheim case was only partially decided Aug. 18. [RU]

Make It Rain…After repeated rejections, on Aug. 17 the local water board unanimously approved a water distribution permit for the proposed "eco-resort" in Sand City. But that’s only one hurdle overcome. Developer Ed Ghandour is challenging the California Coastal Commission’s denial of its development permit; the project can’t move forward without it. [KA]

Guilty!...That was former Salinas police officer Timothy Swanson’s plea Aug. 20 to charges that he negligently fired at an unarmed couple at a traffic stop in February 2009. No one was injured. Swanson will be sentenced next month. [RU]

Party Foul…A lawsuit filed by the state Attorney General's office alleges bounce houses, the castles of kiddie fun all over Peninsula parties, are contaminated with dangerous levels of lead. The Oakland-based Center for Environmental Health found levels hundreds of time greater than the federal limit. [KA]

Downtown Re-Do…Monterey architects Wald, Ruhnke and Dost say their downtown renewal plans recently got a boost. The city’s commercial property owners agreed to fund a market study that will help them identify tenants likely to attract big bucks to a revamped downtown. [RU]

Totally Kriller…The seas were calm and the whales were cruisin' on a recent trip with Monterey Bay Whale Watch. Our blog.montereycountyweekly.com has the lowdown…including a fun fact about the world's biggest penises. [KA]

Better Late than Never…California’s state legislature has issued formal regrets for the treatment of Italian-Americans during WWII. Many in Monterey lost their means of earning a living as they were forced to move from coastal areas, and had fishing boats confiscated by the government. [RU]

Something in the Water…Monterey’s eco-traveler/writer Kelley Calvert is on America's southeast coast, blogging on the ongoing Gulf oil disaster. Follow her journey, and watch a video of wildlife rescue workers scrubbing oiled pelicans, at http://hopeindisenchantment.blogspot.com. [KA]