Morning News Round-Up -- 3.9.09: Daylight Savings (Excuse) Edition...

This Morning News Round-Up delay is brought to you by Daylight Savings Time...
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In case you haven't listened, read, or watched the news over the past couple of hours, a bad accident happened in Burlingame yesterday where a car ran into a group of Girl Scouts. No word as of yet about the condition of the folks where brought to the hospital.

Now, two stories (fights) that keep on giving:

1. The City of Belmont versus parents/San Carlos/commuters fight over the lane removal near Carlmont continues...in short, it looks like Belmont is caving in...for more details, read the story...and
2. The Everest Charter School versus the Sequoia Union High School District. Today's update has the lawyer for the Charter School saying that the District is 'blatantly violating' state charter school laws...next stop, State Court...
   

Now onto budget cuts, budget shortfalls, increased taxes/fees, etc., etc., etc.:

• Budget cuts coming to San Mateo Community College District, just as enrollment spikes...
• You know it is bad when Stanford starts cutting budgets and instituting hiring freezes...
• San Carlos is looking at a tax to bridge its budget gap...join the club folks...
• Foster City may say the more water you use, the more you pay...perhaps those lawns don't need to be that green after all....
• The City of Belmont's revenue is down...blah blah blah cuts...blah blah blah taxes...

On the plus side, Canada College is getting a big science grant...

Now crime...

• Perhaps the slimy psychic already knows who her cellmate will be for the 6 years in jail she is facing.
• Here is a heartwarming crime story: a Redwood City man tried to blackmail his ex-girlfriend with sex tapes they recorded together. Unlike Paris's ex-boyfriend, this guy is going to jail for 2 years.
• And another sex-tape extortion story for your reading pleasure...
• This heartwarming story isn't about extortion via sex tape, rather about two young fathers being arrested for drugs and child cruelty in HMB...
• Finally, a big crime story: Federal agents switched sides of 101 yesterday and instead of raiding the Palo Alto Utilities Department, they raided an East Palo Alto street gang...actually, throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, the FBI raided homes early Sunday morning arresting 42 gang members calling themselves “The Taliban.” The Feds, working with local police, picked up enough weapons, drugs, and money to fuel a small country. Officials acknowledged that while these bad guys are going away it could make room for others to move in, they vow to remain vigilant.
  

Not taking Jon Mays' advice, local Legislators are getting in on the Legislation Introduction Game in Sacramento: two to help Half Moon Bay pay a legal settlement, some budget rejiggering, and some carbon footprint stuff...Watch Dog will be a lot more interested when/if any of these bills move forward. As Watch Dog readers (and Nathan Solov's email list) know, Jerry Hill's bill writing contest winner were announced last week -- and one of the folks was from HMB...the Review gets in on the action...

Two bad news beach stories from the Half Moon Bay area: rescuers are looking for a teenager who was swept out near Davenport and a body was found floating near Poplar Beach...