Downstroke

She’ll be back, lawyer says: The Chico State sorority girl accused of committing infanticide posted $1 million bail last week and was released from Butte County Jail. Her parents reportedly put up as collateral several properties they own in San Francisco that are valued collectively at about $2 million. While the district attorney has argued, for unspecified reasons, that Gina Grinsell is a flight risk, her attorney has asserted that the young woman will show up in court and poses no danger to anybody. She pleaded innocent April 12 to one charge of murder and one charge of assaulting a child with intent to cause death after prosecutors alleged she choked her infant son minutes after secretly giving birth in her bedroom at a Chico sorority house.

Halloween, More of the same, only less: Chico city officials say they’ve “turned the corner” on efforts to tame the Halloween hullabaloo that’s haunted the city in recent years but agree they must not let their guard down.

City Manager Tom Lando, who mentioned the “unbelievable police presence” downtown in the last two years, used the sad story of a Midwestern city as an example of how things can go wrong. For four years in a row, he told the City Council this week, a college town in Illinois (he said it was Champaign, but later Special Projects Coordinator Chet Woods said Lando meant Carbondale, home of Southern Illinois University) banned the sale of alcohol a week before Halloween and pretty much ended the festivities. But once it decided to allow alcohol sales again, the party returned immediately in full force.

That cautionary tale startled downtown property owner Kelly Meagher, who owns the building that houses Duffy’s Tavern. But he was quickly assured that a city in California does not have the power, like a city in Illinois, to ban liquor sales. The dean scene: One Chico State college has found a new dean, while another has placed a longtime administrator in the interim-dean role.

Phyllis Fernlund on Aug. 1 will start work as the new dean of the College of Communication, arriving from a similar position at Sonoma State. She takes over for longtime dean Stephen King [who’s retiring].

Meanwhile, the resignation of Dean Jeanne Thomas to take a job in Michigan leaves an opening in the College of Behavioral and Social Science that will be temporarily filled by Byron Jackson, a professor and department chairman in political science who formerly served as the vice provost for academic affairs.

Psych! No Sloan: Marsh-watchers will just have to cool their heels for while.

Rather than consider issues related to the audit of Marsh Junior High School, and the employment status of Principal Jeff Sloan, at its April 21 meeting as planned, the Chico Unified School District Board of Trustees is putting off the discussion.

Superintendent Scott Brown said more time must be allowed for district staff to respond to Sloan’s statements, for Sloan to review the aforementioned responses, and for the board to see any new documents.

As before, Sloan can choose whether to have part of the discussion open or closed to the public. He’s been accused of mismanaging student body funds under his supervision.

We’ve noticed “We want Sloan” painted on the back of an SUV window and a down-with-Brown sentiment on an Esplanade business, which could indicate that interest in the topic is still high.