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State apple moth appeal dropped
The state has dropped its appeal of Santa Cruz Superior Court Judge Paul Burdick's ruling to stop aerial spraying for the light brown apple moth until an environmental review is complete.
State spokesman Steve Lyle said the state's decision came as the Department of Food and Agriculture "shifts direction" in its attempt to eradicate the moth, an invasive Australian pest. State leaders announced in June that they would stop aerial spraying of residential areas and instead focus on releasing sterile moths that could thwart reproduction.
Lyle said the deputy attorney general submitted the necessary paperwork on Wednesday.
The state faced intense opposition to its aerial spraying plans, after planes released a pheromone over parts of Monterey and Santa Cruz counties last year. Originally, the state planned to expand spraying to San Francisco and other urban areas in an attempt to get rid of the moth.
santa cruz
Casting call for new show
The creators of "American Idol" are holding a casting call for guys between the ages 18 and 24 today.
Production company 19 Entertainment is seeking guys willing to go on road trips, surf and hang out with friends for a new semi-scripted docu-drama. The show will revolve around
The casting call is noon to 6 p.m. at the Cocoanut Grove on 400 Beach St. For information, contact Miriam Hoffman at 310-985-5239.
Santa Cruz
Missing hat returned to owner
The Santa Cruz man who lost a treasured hat when he was involved in a hit-and-run collision on Branciforte Avenue got his chapeau back.
William Hinkle said this week that a friend picked up and returned both his hat and his bike to his house. Hinkle had been riding his bike and was stopped on the side of the road when he was hit by a vehicle. The driver kept going.
The hat -- a special item for Hinkle because it is decorated with patches from his father, sister and close friends -- was misplaced as he was loaded into an ambulance and taken to the hospital.
"I would like to thank the people that sent e-mails expressing their concern and support," Hinkle wrote in an e-mail. "It is nice to know people do care."
Santa Cruz
DUI checkpoint this weekend
Santa Cruz police will conduct a sobriety checkpoint downtown late Saturday and early Sunday.
The checkpoint will be on Water Street near Pacific Avenue from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. The effort aims to take drunken drivers off the road, as well as educate other drivers about the dangers and consequences of getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Funding for this community safety program is provided through a grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety.
