YOLO COUNTY NEWS
Port of W. Sacramento opens rail extension
The Port of West Sacramento has opened a nearly 5,000-foot rail track extension linking the port and a Cemex cement/aggregate import facility.
Officers chase stolen van from W. Sac to Stockton
A chase that began about 6 p.m. Tuesday in West Sacramento ended more than 90 minutes later near Stockton when the driver of a stolen box truck finally surrendered to California Highway Patrol officers, authorities said.
Yolo program for seniors hauls away household...
For people ages 65 and older who no longer drive, Yolo County has a special household hazardous waste program that collects antifreeze, old household batteries, paint and other waste materials from seniors' houses.
West Sacramento's Miyamoto International acquires...
Miyamoto International, the West Sacramento-based structural, earthquake and risk engineering firm, said it has acquired two Southern California structural engineering firms.
Yolo County tribal chairman wins re-election to...
The chairman of a Yolo County tribe that operates the Cache Creek Casino Resort has won election to a third consecutive term.
Man, 21, fatally struck in hit-and-run incident in...
A 21-year-old man was killed when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver on Highway 113 in Woodland early Saturday, the California Highway Patrol reported.
River City football coach arrested on molestation...
River City High School's head football coach was arrested Friday morning, accused of molesting four female students over the course of a year, according to West Sacramento police. Arturo Bustamante, River City High's head coach, was arrested Friday morning.
W. Sac's chamber to give out honors
West Sacramento's Chamber of Commerce will honor its business- person, business and volunteer of the year at its annual awards dinner on Thursday.
Yolo judge delays sentencing of cop-killer Topete
Dozens of family, friends, jurors and sheriff's deputies yet again made their way to the Yolo Superior courthouse Thursday morning, hoping after a five-month trial for final word whether convicted cop killer Marco Antonio Topete would be sentenced to death for his crime. José Luis Villegas Bee file, 2008Marco Antonio Topete was convicted of a deputy's murder.
Coroner's Office names victim of rollover accident
The Yolo County Coroner's Office has released the name of a man killed Friday when a car he was riding in overturned on a Woodland offramp.
Did Yolo judge err in removing juror in death...
Later this week, Yolo Superior Court Judge Paul K. Richardson will make a life-or-death decision when he sentences convicted cop killer Marco Antonio Topete. Marco Antonio Topete, accused of murdering a Yolo County deputy in 2009, leaves the Woodland courthouse Monday after final arguments. His attorney admits Topete fired the fatal shots but says it was just to scare away the pursuing lawman.
Dismissal of juror in Yolo deputy killer's case...
Lawyers for convicted cop killer Marco Antonio Topete have produced a statement from a Yolo County juror challenging assertions that a juror dismissed from death-penalty deliberations in the case for her limited understanding of English had any problems with the language. Marco Antonio Topete may get the death penalty for gunning down Yolo Sheriff's Deputy Jose Antonio Diaz in 2008.
Car overturns on offramp – 1 killed, 3...
A single-car crash killed one person and injured three others Friday after an automobile overturned on a Woodland offramp, California Highway Patrol officials reported.
$5 million crane to help launch West Sacramento...
The Port of West Sacramento took delivery Tuesday on a towering investment in its future: a $5 million crane that officials hope will help lift the port from years of economic doldrums. A Port of Sacramento worker watches as a new $5 million harbor crane is unloaded Tuesday in West Sacramento. Purchased with a federal grant, the 10-story crane will be used to put more containers on barges, which will cut some truck freeway traffic. A new harbor crane from Nenzing, Austria, is lifted off a...
Raley's Landing stripped
Demolition crews spent Tuesday tearing down the boat dock at Raley's Landing on the West Sacramento side of the Sacramento River. Jeramy Gillen, right, and Steven Meeks pry up boards with the California State Teachers' Retirement System building behind them. Workers use a boat Tuesday to help them remove two floating gangways from the Sacramento River as historic but crumbling Raley's Landing is disassembled in West Sacramento. The city has plans for a publicly owned dock on the...
Woodland students knit hats and scarves for the...
Students from the Woodland Polytechnic Academy knitted more than 40 hats and scarves for the needy this holiday season.
Open enrollment starts Jan. 17 in Woodland for 7th...
The Woodland Joint Unified School District will accept applications for intradistrict open enrollment for middle and high school students Jan. 17 to 27.
Liberian refugees hope to rebuild after fire on...
An extended family of Liberian refugees who suffered a devastating fire earlier this month at their Capay Valley farm are celebrating Christmas with a sense of hope, thanks to the support of friends and strangers. The Rev. Roosevelt Tarlesson, a Liberian refugee, cleans up after a Dec. 4 fire in an outbuilding of his Capay Valley farm destroyed 100,000 books awaiting shipment to war-torn Liberia. The fire also claimed most of the clothing of his extended family, who used the building as a...
Soccer coach's bail set at $12 million in Yolo...
Yolo County prosecutors charged a foster parent and youth soccer coach from Esparto with 48 felonies and six misdemeanors for allegedly molesting or endangering two children over a period of more than four years. Cristan J. Rooms, a foster parent and youth soccer coach in Esparto, has had bail set at $12 million while he faces charges of child molestation.
Yolo tops annual farm bureau county awards
The Yolo County Farm Bureau was named "County of the Year" in its membership category by the California Farm Bureau Federation.

View vernal pools Sunday at Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area
The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area on Sunday will offer a chance for the public to experience the wild and subtle wonders of vernal pools. The free event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Glide Tule Ranch in the southern section of the wildlife area. To reach the area from Interstate 80 in Davis, exit south on Mace Boulevard, which becomes County Road 104, then turn left (east) on Road 35. Next, turn right (south) on Road 106 and go about three miles to County Road 38A, where there will be signs for driving into the wildlife area. Visitors should bring cameras, binoculars, guide books, mosquito repellent, sunscreen and sturdy shoes. Dogs are not allowed. Reservations are not required. For more information, call the Yolo Basin Foundation at (530) 757-4828. – Matt Weiser
Yolo health officials fear outbreak of Norovirus...
Yolo County health officials are working to contain a suspected outbreak of the gastrointestinal virus they believe has already infected more than 70 Davis seniors. So far only one case of the Norovirus has been confirmed, but officials believe that lab results will reveal that the other seniors with similar symptoms also have the Norovirus. Rather than wait for further confirmation, they decided to sound the alarm now. The 70 suspected cases occurred at two separate Davis senior care...
RV dealer hopeful as it reopens in Davis
Citing "some positive signs of economic recovery," San Diego-based La Mesa RV Center has reopened its recreational vehicle outlet in Davis. The company closed the Davis RV store at 5200 Chiles Road – near the Mace Boulevard exit off Interstate 80 – in the fourth quarter last year, pointing to "a dramatic reduction in customer traffic and sales during the first half of 2008." In a release that accompanied the reopening of the Davis store last week, La Mesa said the current RV...
Dog kennel reports exposure to illness at farmers...
Yolo County health experts say dogs from a kennel that regularly takes dogs to the Davis farmers market for adoption have tested positive for a parasite that can cause diarrhea, cramps and upset stomach. A recent inspection of the Dog Spot Rescue, Rehabilitation & Rehoming Center kennel west of Davis found several sick dogs, including four that tested positive for the giardia parasite. Infected dogs can pass the parasite to humans and other animals through their feces. Bruce Sarazin,...
Yolo officials warn of intestinal parasite
Yolo County health experts say dogs from a kennel that regularly brings canines to the Davis farmer's market for adoption have tested positive for a parasite that can cause diarrhea, cramps and upset stomach. A recent inspection of the Dog Spot Rescue, Rehabilitation & Rehoming Center kennel west of Davis found several sick dogs, including four that tested positive for the giardia parasite, which lives in the intestines of infected humans and animals. Infected dogs can pass the parasite to...
Robots face challenges in competition at UC Davis
High school science whizzes are gearing up this week for a two-day competition to test their robotics resourcefulness at University of California, Davis. Forty-four high school teams from California, Oregon and Idaho are scheduled to compete in the annual Sacramento Regional FIRST -- For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology -- robotics competition Friday and Saturday. Participating from the region are students from Sacramento, Elk Grove and Davis. Students work with...
UC Davis names new orchestra conductor
Christian Baldini will become the first new director of the UC Davis orchestra in 30 years.For the first time in 30 years, UC Davis announces a new conductor for the university's orchestra. Christian Baldini, conductor and music director of the Symphony Orchestra of the State University of New York at Buffalo, will replace UCD's outgoing conductor Kern D. Holoman in June. Holoman has been conductor of the university orchestra since 1979. The orchestra was founded in 1959 and boasts 96...
Agency is given $425,000 to restore wetlands...
The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area has received $425,000 to restore 700 acres of wetlands habitat, Department of Fish and Game officials announced Tuesday. The restoration project is scheduled to begin this summer and is to be completed by fall, transforming hundreds of acres of agricultural land in the Yolo Bypass to seasonal and tidal wetlands habitat, a department news release states. The project involves recontouring agricultural fields to create tidal channels, islands and shallow flooded...
Funding given for Yolo Bypass wetlands restoration
The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area has received $425,000 to restore 700 acres of wetlands habitat, Department of Fish and Game officials announced Tuesday. The restoration project is scheduled to begin this summer and be completed by fall, transforming hundreds of acres of agricultural land in the Yolo Bypass to seasonal and tidal wetlands habitat, a department news release states. The project involves re-contouring agricultural fields to create tidal channels, islands and shallow flooded...
Train wipes out flipped BMW in Davis
Two men are safe, but a new BMW automobile is not after it flipped onto the train tracks in Davis and an Amtrak train totaled it. The crash occurred about 9:24 p.m. Tuesday near the intersection of L and 2nd streets on the east side of downtown Davis, said Davis police Sgt. Rod Rifredi. Aaron Singerenglar, 25, of Redwood City was driving the 2008 BMW 1 Series and failed to negotiate the "very sharp 90 degree turn," according to Rifredi who also said crashes are not uncommon at the site. ...
Man arrested in sex attack in Davis
Davis police have arrested a 33-year-old man for reaching under a woman's skirt as she walked in the downtown area. Police say he is a suspect in two similar sexual assaults last week. Mario Reynosa, a Yolo County resident, was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of sexual battery in connection with an incident that took place early that morning, Davis Police Sgt. Paul Doroshov said Tuesday. At 1:40 a.m. Sunday, Reynosa allegedly went up to a 23-year-old woman at 2nd and G streets from behind....
Police seek sexual assault suspect in Davis
Davis police are seeking a man who allegedly sexually assaulted two women in separate incidents Thursday. Both victims were college-age women. The first reported incident took place at 2:30 a.m. in the 300 block of G Street. A woman was standing in a parking lot talking with a friend when a man approached from behind. He reached under her skirt and sexually assaulted her, Lt. Thomas Waltz said in a news release. The man fled after the victim's acquaintance confronted him. The second...
Rape case jury doesn't buy birth-defect defense
A Sacramento man was found guilty of having sex with a minor despite his defense that a birth defect prevented him from having sex without pain. Henry James Fluker Jr., 35, was convicted Feb. 13 by a Yolo County jury of multiple offenses that included statutory rape. The victim was identified as a 17-year-old developmentally disabled girl. At trial, the jury heard evidence that Fluker met the teen in Sacramento, according to a press release from the Yolo County District Attorney's office. ...
Man convicted of '93 killing in Davis denied...
A 38-year-old man convicted of murdering a man at a Davis park was denied parole for five years. Timothy Wilson was denied after a hearing Tuesday before the Board of Prison Terms at Corcoran State Prison in Corcoran, according to a news release from the Yolo County District Attorney's Office. The five-year denial was done under Proposition 9, which voters approved in November. The proposition allows corrections authorities to put off parole hearings on lifers by up to 15 years in some...
Parents of man killed in struggle sue Woodland,...
Ricardo AbrahamsThe parents of Ricardo Abrahams, a man they say was mentally disturbed, sued the city of Woodland and four of its police officers Wednesday, claiming police killed Abrahams during a struggle. Rosemary and Cecil Abrahams of Davis claim officers killed their son by beating him with batons, shooting him with Tasers and tackling him without cause. Police were called to check on Abrahams after he walked out of a voluntary treatment facility. The officers said he disobeyed...
Social networking tapped to raise money for UC...
Social media such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter have been used for friend-making, dating and political fundraising. Soon they will be tapped for a new purpose: raising money for the University of California, Davis. A UC Davis employee has been awarded a fellowship at the Palo Alto-based Society for New Communications Research to examine how UC Davis can use social media to generate philanthropy for the school. Susanne Rockwell, the Web editor for university communications, will remain in...
Davis High team captures Academic Decathlon title;...
The Winters High School team placed second, behind Davis Senior High School, in Yolo County's regional Academic Decathlon competition Saturday. Last year, the Winters team scored a stunning upset against much larger Davis, and its team members became local heroes in the rural town of 7,000. The community had high hopes for another win this year. But the Winters team made a respectable showing in the contest at Woodland Community College, said coach Marcella Heredia. Each of the nine...
Davis massage-parlor owner busted on prostitution
Davis police on Thursday arrested the 50-year-old owner of a massage parlor on suspicion of prostitution. Ping Li, owner of Spring 360 Massage, was booked and released and cited for the charge. The business is located in a commercial building at 132 E St., said Lt. Thomas Waltz said in a press release. Thursday's operation was done with help from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Waltz said. An undercover officer was sent into the...
Davis tobacco sting yields citations
Authorities in Davis issued citations after under-age decoys were allowed by store employees to purchase tobacco products.
Forum to examine prospects for Israeli-Palestinian...
Davis International House will host a forum from 4-6 p.m. Thursday about tensions between Palestinians and Israelis in the Middle East. The aim, said Hamza El-Nakhal, who serves on the board of the International House, is to provide "a learning opportunity around the Israel-Palestine question, so they can listen to other sides." The free forum, titled, "Peace in the Middle East, Options and Obstacles," will take place at 10 College Park in Davis. There is room for 100 people on a...
Sacramento man gets 27 years for bank robberies
A Sacramento man has been sentenced to 27 years in a federal prison for the bank robberies in Sacramento and Davis, the Yolo County District Attorney's Office reported on Friday. In July, David Bryant, 52, pleaded guilty to the robberies, according to a new release from the DA's office. The release gave this account: On August 1, 2007 at 9 a.m., Bryant walked up to a teller at the Union Bank in Davis and said: "Give me all your money. No funny money." Bryant left the bank with...
Davis police seek robbery suspect
Davis police are searching for a man in connection with an armed robbery this afternoon, according to authorities. A second man was arrested shortly after the 1:50 p.m. robbery, said spokesman Lt. Tom Waltz, who declined to release the suspect's name, saying the investigation is in its early stages. The outstanding suspect is described only as a white or Hispanic male in his mid-20s, Waltz said. The robbery occurred on Sycamore Lane near Cornell Drive, when the robbers drove up to a...
Davis wood-burning rules too hot to adopt without...
The City Council postponed adoption of a wood-burning ordinance late Tuesday night to gather data. Over the next year, an air-quality expert will use smoke-monitoring devices to determine whether more stringent measures are needed to protect residents with breathing problems, including asthma, said Councilman Stephen Souza. A ban of wood-burning fireplaces passed the city's Natural Resources Commission, but it was scaled far back even before Tuesday's meeting, which drew dozens of...
Davis will seek more data on wood-burning issue
DAVIS -- The Davis City Council postponed adoption of a wood-burning ordinance late Tuesday night to allow more time to gather data. Over the next year, an air-quality expert will use smoke-monitoring devices to determine whether more stringent measures are needed to protect residents with breathing problems, including asthma, said Councilman Stephen Souza. A proposal to ban wood-burning fireplaces had been passed and sent to the council by the city's Natural Resources Commission. But that...
Young library scofflaws may work off fines –...
For young people who have been avoiding the library because of lingering fines for overdue books, Yolo County librarians offer a way to erase the penalties without paying. The Yolo County Library system invites library card holders between 5 and 18 years old to "read off" their fines at a local branch during the month of January. For each 15 minutes spent reading a book, $1 in credit is earned to pay down fines. Contact local branches for more information: Clarksburg, (916) 744-1755;...

  Many UC Davis students find affordable housing...
Welcome to YOLONE,
your local news source!