Downstroke

D.A. TAKES SEARS OFF THE RACK:
Local attorney Kevin Sears won’t be charged in relation to his arrest at a downtown war protest last month. Apparently Sears didn’t hear a police order to disperse, unlike the 23 real protesters who were arrested for intentionally blocking traffic March 20. Those 23 will be arraigned on jaywalking charges May 1, which is kind of ironic seeing as May 1 is International Workers Day everywhere in the world except for the USA, where May 1 is known as Law Day. Nobody celebrates Law Day, except for maybe Sears, this year.

WE HAVE A WINNER—NOT!
As the midnight hour neared on April 17, Associated Students government office hopefuls gathered in Chico State’s BMU, nervously awaiting the results of an election that will be largely ignored by their peers. With a 22.5 percent overall turnout, 2,259 voters sent three races to a runoff, including that of A.S. president, with Michael Dailey and Bob Ray contending. Students may vote on Thursday, April 24. As predicted, Ray split the vote with progressive candidate Fay Roepcke. Voters also shot down by 52 percent a resolution against the war in Iraq but approved by 72 percent an advisory measure advocating the use of renewable energy in campus buildings.

POLICE SKATE:
Boarders beware—the city is putting a 24-hour webcam at the Humboldt Skate Park so police can monitor the shredding over the Internet. Now every time you hurt yourself the cops can laugh at you from afar. Actually, the reason the city is spending $7,000 on the pannable, zoomable camera (along with an extra $41,000 for higher fences around the park) is because there has been some vandalism recently to both the park and a neighboring business. Cops also say there has been illegal drug and alcohol use at the park lately, but since when is it a crime to get wasted and deface public property? Oh. That long? Really?

HOLY HYDROPHOBIA, BATMAN:
Chico Animal Control officers were able to track down a pair of animal rescuers who left a rabid bat in a box in front of the Chico Creek Nature Center, and now the bat-loving couple has to take anti-rabies medications. According to a police press release, employees of the nature center called Animal Control April 10 when they arrived at work and found a towel-covered box containing a bat with a broken wing. A note left with the box said “Sarah” and her boyfriend found the bat downtown and apparently thought the nature center would know what to do with it. Subsequently, the bat tested positive for rabies and had to be destroyed. Animal Control Supervisor Kathy Wintroath would not divulge exactly how the bat couple was tracked down, but she did confirm that they were taking their anti-rabies meds. A Glenn County man died from bat rabies last year.