News Briefs

The latest news from around the state includes water rights dispute stunting growth around Lake Arrowhead...U.S. District Court judge has ordered two lawyers to pay up for racketeering lawsuit... belated housewarming for new San Jose City Hall...1907 subdivision map validity upheld...EIR released for high-speed rail and more. >>read more

The latest news from around the state includes a new study of California's water future ... the governor's signing of a Bay Bridge funding bill ... a slow-growth initiative in Santa Paula that has been blocked from the ballot ... San Diego corruption ... and more.

This month's selection of In Brief items includes: Local initiative in Napa County copies Oregon's Measure 37; Fresno County Grand Jury recommends a building moratorium pending the location of proven water sources; Marin County sues the state Department of Corrections over construction of new San Quentin death row; The City of Mission Viejo drops its lawsuit against Rancho Mission Viejo development plan; and more... >>read more

This month's selection of In Brief items includes: California awards $45 million to victims of 1997 Feather River levee break; Dept. of Water Resources releases draft of new California Water Plan; San Jose and Santa Clara County race to build a performing arts hall; Roadless areas in California's national forest will remain roadless; Local Indian Tribe to help Yolo County purchase farmland and habitat; and more...

This month's selection of In Brief items includes: Legislative Analyst's Office suggests the state consider wildfire threats when planning developments near wilderness; Santa Ana voters support plans for Orange County's would-be tallest building; Private investors back away from plans for hotel and convention center; Battle over Bolsa Chica is perhaps over; and much more. >>read more

This month's selection of In Brief items includes: purchase of El Toro Marine Corps base; failed slow-growth initiative in Santee; Malibu land use controversy resolved; Orange County light rail project in trouble; and more...

This month's selection of In Brief items includes: a land use corruption case in Stockton; a recommendation from the Legislative Analyst's Office for state lawmakers to beef up mitigation of coastal development; an ordinance created by the City of Turlock aimed at opposing plans for a Wal-Mart supercenter is upheld in court; farmers sue the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency over water rate increases; and more...

This month's selection of In Brief items includes: a Santa Barbara County jury awards landowner $5.6 million in damages; a Bush administration settlement infuriates enviornmentalists; Riverside County approves revised plan for large subdivision; and more...

This month's selection of In Brief items includes the Governor's action on several important housing bills, an invalidated urban water management plan in Castaic, and a conflict between a condominium tower and a multi-modal transportation depot in downtown San Francisco, among others.

This month's selection of In Brief items includes: surplus state property recommendations, audits of LA City's Community Redevelopment Agency, limits on development in the Santa Monica Mountains, housing shortfalls in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, approval of the Rancho Mission Viejo development in Orange County, uncollected impact fees in Riverside County, and migration to and from the Central Valley

This month's selection of In Brief items includes Nut Tree redevelopment, a shopping center referendum in Glendale, campaign contibution restrictions for Ventura County developers, and competition for a cargo base in the Inland Empire.

The City of Los Angeles will require economic impact studies for proposed Wal-Mart supercenters and certain other big box stores. The studies are intended to determine the effect of a new big box store on a neighborhood's existing jobs, wages and businesses.

Sutter County voters may get to relive the ballot-box growth wars of the early 1990s. In July, county officials began preparing an advisory measure for the November ballot regarding the potential development of at least 8,000 acres in the south end of the mostly rural county, near the Sacramento airport. >>read more

A State Auditor's report questions reserve fund accumulations and spending practices at independent water districts. The auditor also selected eight districts for closer scrutiny and found that five of them "may have trouble defending to their ratepayers and taxpayers the need for some portion of their accumulative resources." >>read more