C,.H.P. OFFICERS WROTE NEARLY 200 SPEEDING TICKETS YESTERDAY ON HIGHWAY 101. MOST OF THOSE TICKETS WERE ISSUED IN THE PRUNEDALE AND SOLEDAD AREAS OF MONTEREY COUNTY. ASIDE FROM THE SPEEDING TICKETS, 3 CARS WERE TOWED, AND 1 PERSON WAS ARRESTED ON A WARRANT.

ABOUT 15 HUNDRED P. G. & E. CUSTOMERS IN SALINAS WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR A SEVERAL HOURS LAST NIGHT. THAT AFTER A POWER LINE WENT DOWN NEAR 3RD AND CURTIS STREETS JUST BEFORE 7:30 P.M. THE POWER WAS RESTORED BEFORE 11 P.M.

A FORMER TEACHER, WHO WORKED WITH 3 AND 4 YEAR-OLDS AT THE GRANARY CHILD CARE CENTER IN SANTA CRUZ, IS NOT ALLOWED TO WORK AT STATE-LICENSED FACILITIES UNTIL AN INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE. AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF SCRATCHING A CHILD, SHE WAS PUT ON PAID LEAVE IN EARLY FEBRUARY, PENDING THE OUTCOME OF AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ALLEGED PHYSICAL ABUSE. SCRATCHES HAVE ALSO BEEN FOUND ON A SECOND CHILD. THE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING, AND MANY PARENTS REPORTEDLY SUPPORT THE TEACHER (AND SAY THEY ARE SURPRISED BY THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HER).

SHIPS MAY HAVE TO HAVE PERMITS TO ALLOW THEM TO DUMP THEIR BALLAST WATER IN COASTAL WATERS IN THE U.S. SOON. THAT AFTER A FEDERAL JUDGE RULED YESTERDAY THAT THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY CAN NO LONGER ALLOWS SHIPS TO DUMP THEIR BALLAST WATER (CONTAINING NON-NATIVE SPECIES) WITHOUT A PERMIT. INVASIVE SPECIES ARE OFTEN KNOWN TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE.