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]]> Sonoma County unemployment hit 10.1 percent in October, with little sign that retailers are hiring for the holiday season, according to state figures released Friday. The jobless rate was up slightly from a revised 10 percent in September. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:54:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/articles/911209974 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911209998
]]> Along McDonald Avenue in Santa Rosa Friday morning rain caused bright liquid amber leaves to drop their leaves, making for a colorful stroll home. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:54:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911209998 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/articles/911209961
]]> A two-car collision that blocked all lanes of southbound Highway north of Rohnert Park late Friday morning was among more than a dozen crashes scattered around the North Coast as rain settled over the region. The story was the same throughout the Bay Area, where vehicles overturned and other minor injury crashes were called in. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:33:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/articles/911209961 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911209986
]]> A 19-year-old Santa Rosa man caught on tape as he pedaled away from Maria Carrillo High School on an allegedly stolen bicycle was spotted and arrested Thurday afternoon, six days after the suspected theft. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:55:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911209986 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911209980
]]> A Lakeport man killed in a Wednesday morning vehicle crash on the Highway 20 overcrossing of Highway 101 in Redwood Valley has been identified as Paul Brown, 49, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:27:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911209980 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911209982
]]> An Mendocino coast resident was badly injured when she drove a pickup truck off Highway 128 and into a redwood tree west of Philo on Thursday afternoon, trapping her legs in the crumpled front end of the vehicle, authorities said. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:22:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911209982 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911209996
]]> A Santa Rosa man suspected in an armed residential robbery three weeks ago is being held without bail at the Sonoma County Jail after his apprehension and arrest by Santa Rosa Police. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:09:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911209996 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911201028
]]> A Swedish woman who had been serving a life sentence for the 1981 murders of a Lake County sheriff's deputy and a Stockton restaurateur will be released in 2011, a Swedish court ruled Monday. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911201028 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911201060
]]> The government watchdog overseeing economic stimulus spending said Thursday that, in its rush to take credit for saving hundreds of thousands of jobs, the Obama administration was overly confident in its job-counting and did not acknowledge significant errors in the figures. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:03:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091120/news/911201060 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199859
]]> Sonoma State University faculty members are demanding that administrators explain discrepancies in their public statements about an SSU Academic Foundation loan to former board member Clem Carinalli. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:54:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199859 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199860
]]> Despite a paltry market for costly poultry, slow-food advocates say free-range birds are better - on the palate and for the environment. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:51:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199860 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199885
]]> Kaiser Permanente, which provides health care to 170,000 Sonoma County residents, has all but run out of swine flu vaccine and officials say they don't know when they'll be getting more. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:25:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199885 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911189917
]]> With its hip scooter vibe and emphasis on alternative transportation, Revolution Moto was viewed by many as the type of business downtown Santa Rosa needs. But a dispute with the city means the shop will move to another location. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:44:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911189917 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199869
]]> Andrew Pike, a wounded Iraq war veteran, and Yazmin, a 2-year-old black Labrador, will graduate Saturday along with 11 other disabled person-and-dog teams trained at Canine Companions for Independence in Santa Rosa. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:55:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199869 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199972
]]> Artist Jeanne-Claude, who created the 1976 Sonoma County installation 'Running Fence' and other large scale 'wrapping' projects with her husband Christo, has died. She was 74. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:56:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199972 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/news/911199977
]]> A motorcyclist who came upon stopped traffic in front of him on Santa Rosa’s Fourth Street early Thursday abandoned his bike rather than smash into the vehicle in front of him, police said. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:45:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/news/911199977 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/news/911199986
]]> A Petaluma man remained in critical condition Thursday after driving his pickup truck into a ditch off Bodega Avenue, apparently as the result of a heart attack, fire and law enforcement officials said. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:16:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/news/911199986 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199962
]]> A third Petaluma council member, David Rabbitt, has filed for election to the south Sonoma County supervisor’s seat held by Mike Kerns. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:31:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199962 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199964
]]> After two jam-packed board meetings, the Santa Rosa school district is holding two town halls - on Nov. 30 and Dec. 7 - to get more public input on how to cut spending by $5.6 million. A decision is expected in January. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:42:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199964 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199889
]]> With Santa Rosa City Manager Jeff Kolin set to leave for his Beverly Hills job in mid-January, Santa Rosa’s City Council is scrambling to find someone to take the city’s reigns until Kolin’s permanent replacement can be found. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199889 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199988
]]> Temperatures dropped to below freezing for the second day of the week as the march toward winter continues. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:46:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091119/articles/911199988 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189883
]]> More than 300 people packed Elsie Allen High School’s performing arts center Wednesday for nearly three hours of public testimony. More than 50 speakers urged the board to pare back proposed budget cuts. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:54:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189883 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/video/911182000
]]> Inch by inch, crews finally remove a massive crane which fell into a Santa Rosa home during an oak tree removal. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:27:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/video/911182000 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189918
]]> North Coast physicians, breast cancer survivors and patient nurse advocates are responding with skepticism to guidelines issued Monday by a task force that recommend against mammograms for women under 50. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:25:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189918 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189929
]]> The harvest of olives, a niche crop prized for its quality but dwarfed by winegrapes in Sonoma County, is under way. And the crop appears to be light. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:31:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189929 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189879
]]> A divided Windsor Town Council approved a proposed “drive through” pharmacy Wednesday night, overriding qualms about the traffic and exhaust emissions such curbside businesses generate. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:31:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189879 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189919
]]> The man arrested on suspicion of trying to rape a pregnant woman in southern Sebastopol will appear in Sonoma Superior Court Friday. Odalis Solano Rosario, 27, was arrested on suspicion of using a weapon, resisting arrest, attempted rape, penetration with a foreign object, kidnapping, sexual battery and assault with a deadly weapon. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:30:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189919 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189953
]]> Santa Rosa City Manager Jeff Kolin is heading to Beverly Hills. The Beverly Hills City Council Tuesday approved a five-year employment contract that will initially pay Kolin $291,500 a year in base pay and deferred compensation to take the leadership reigns of California's highest-end city. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:13:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189953 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189975
]]> Sebastopol City Council members said they want to know what their options are in dealing with the noise generated by gas-engined leaf blowers before making any move to ban the machines. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:17:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/articles/911189975 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/news/911189985
]]> Rain wet the region Tuesday night but Wednesday dawned bright and clear, with frost and ice reported in some areas. Rainfall totals around Sonoma County by 7 a.m. Wednesday showed several areas getting from one-fifth- to about one-fourth of an inch since Tuesday. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:55:00 -0500 http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091118/news/911189985