petaluma news

• Where is Rainier project headed?

  By COREY YOUNG, ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

  Friday November 6, 2009 11:07 am

  

  The Rainier cross-town connector and interchange has a funding plan, a traffic study showing it will relieve future congestion and $10 million allocated to it in the city’s redevelopment budget.

• PHCD board dismisses doc group’s loans

  By DAN JOHNSON, ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

  Friday November 6, 2009 11:13 am

  The Petaluma Health Care District’s Board of Directors has taken the final step to write off more than $100,000 in loans made to the South Sonoma County Medical Group.

• State offices to close Fridays until Jan. 29

  By DEREK J. MOORE, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

  Friday November 6, 2009 10:42 am

  Need to visit the DMV or another state agency anytime soon?

• Fighting flu: Sonoma County hospitals ban visitors under age 14

  By MARTIN ESPINOZA, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

  Friday November 6, 2009 10:45 am

  Children under 14 no longer will be able to visit family and friends at Sonoma County’s hospitals, a move recommended by county public health officials and aimed at fighting the spread of swine flu.

• Drizzle today, clearing for the weekend

  By MARY CALLAHAN, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

  Friday November 6, 2009 10:37 am

  A light rain that dampened the ground and sent drivers sliding along the roadways Friday was expected to persist through the day but clear out by evening, the National Weather Service said.

• City workers face furloughs, deeper cuts

  By COREY YOUNG, ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

  Friday November 6, 2009 3:00 am

  Efforts to bring Petaluma’s budget into balance over the next 18 months will require significant help from city employee unions, through pay cuts or possibly layoffs, officials said Monday.

• Shopping center builder offers to 'pre-pay' sales tax

  By COREY YOUNG, ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

  Friday November 6, 2009 3:00 am

  The developer of a major shopping center on North McDowell Boulevard is offering to inject $1 million into the city’s dwindling budget — if the project is approved within five months.

• Moynihan clashes with mayor at meeting

  By COREY YOUNG, ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

  Friday November 6, 2009 3:00 am

  

  Outspoken former councilman Bryant Moynihan wanted to speak at Monday’s City Council meeting about Petaluma’s budget situation, but Mayor Pamela Torliatt said he didn’t step forward until after she’d closed the public comment period.

• Health center begins swine flu clinics

  By DAN JOHNSON, ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

  Thursday November 5, 2009 2:06 pm

  

  As the number of H1N1 (swine flu) cases continue to mount, the Petaluma Health Center has begun vaccinating its patients on a weekly basis.

• School flu absences return to normal

  By DAN JOHNSON, ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

  Thursday November 5, 2009 2:03 pm

  Absences caused by the H1N1 (swine) flu and other illnesses hit Petaluma schools hard a few weeks ago, but the situation has improved in the past few weeks.

• Cisco leaves Petaluma

  By STEVE HART, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

  Thursday November 5, 2009 12:45 pm

  Cisco Systems has quietly closed its optical networking facility in Petaluma, joining the exodus of giant tech companies that have left Sonoma County’s once-bustling Telecom Valley.

• New planning commissioners OK'd, but lawsuit goes on

  By COREY YOUNG, ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

  Thursday November 5, 2009 3:00 am

  A four-month drama over the City Council’s appointment of a new planning commission wrapped up Monday with a second vote to name new commissioners, but some former members are still pursuing a lawsuit against the city.

• Glass to run for mayor next year

  Thursday November 5, 2009 3:00 am

  

  Councilmember and former mayor David Glass says he will again seek the mayor’s chair, hoping to succeed Pamela Torliatt, who is running for county supervisor.

• Chance of rain this week

  By MARY CALLAHAN, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

  Thursday November 5, 2009 9:23 am

  The golden warmth that’s bathed Northern California over the past several days will be replaced by more seasonally cool and wet weather, bringing a chance of light rain Thursday night and Friday, forecasters say.

• Petaluma prevails in GPS case

  By DEREK J. MOORE, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

  Thursday November 5, 2009 6:42 am

  

  A Sonoma County court commissioner has ruled in favor of Petaluma police in a closely watched traffic case in which a Windsor teen challenged a speeding ticket using data from a global positioning device installed in his car.

• Police log

  Thursday November 5, 2009 3:16 pm

  Here are some of the cases the Petaluma police responded to recently.

• Sheriff's log

  Thursday November 5, 2009 3:18 pm

  The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department responded to the following calls in the south county during the last week.

• Fire log

  Thursday November 5, 2009 3:20 pm

  The Petaluma Fire Department received 63 medical and 33 fire or other emergency calls from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1. Here are some of the incidents the department responded to.

• County's trash will keep being hauled out

  By BLEYS W. ROSE, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

  Thursday November 5, 2009 9:22 am

  Trash generated by Sonoma County residents will continue being trucked out of the county for another three years under plans approved Tuesday by county supervisors.

• Adobe state park expected to close on weekdays

  Wednesday November 4, 2009 2:48 pm

  Although spared from a permanent closure earlier this year, Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park will likely be subject to weekday closures, officials said.

• Library to close for 10 days after holidays

  By GUY KOVNER, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

  Wednesday November 4, 2009 1:59 pm

  Declining property tax revenue has prompted the Sonoma County Library to schedule a 10-day shutdown over the year-ending holidays to help achieve a $1.7 million budget cut.