A JUVENILE COURT JUDGE FOUND A GIRL GUILTY TODAY OF 2ND DEGREE MURDER, AND GROSS VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER. THE 17-YEAR-OLD WAS CHARGED ON 9 COUNTS, FOR CAUSING A FATAL CRASH AT LAKE SAN ANTONIO ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. THE CRASH KILLED HER FRIEND HALEY BETTENCOURT AS WELL AS JADA BENGE, A MOTHER OF 3. WITNESSES AT THE TRIAL, TESTIFIED THEY SAW THE TEEN DRINKING VODKA AND DRIVING ERRATICALLY BEFORE THE CRASH. SHE COULD BE HELD AT THE CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY UNTIL THE AGE OF 25.

A SAN JOSE POLICE OFFICER (WHO HAS BEEN WITH THE FORCE FOR 22 YEARS) WAS ARRAIGNED ON 2 FELONY COUNTS OF COMMITTING LEWD ACTS WITH AN 11 MONTH-OLD BABY GIRL. 49 YEAR-OLD STEPHEN GALLAGHER WAS ARRESTED LAST WEEK IN CONNECTION WITH AN INCIDENT THAT THE NIGHT BEFORE, JUST OUTSIDE THE MORGAN HILL CITY LIMITS. GALLAGHER IS CURRENTLY BEING HELD WITHOUT BAIL, ALTHOUGH A BAIL HEARING HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW MORNING IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT.

GALLAGHER WAS REPORTEDLY OFF-DUTY, AND LEGALLY AT THE INFANT?S HOME, DURING THE TIME OF THE ALLEGED INCIDENT.

IF CONVICTED OF BOTH CHARGES, GALLAGHER COULD BE SENTENCED UP TO 10 YEARS IN STATE PRISON , AND THEN HE WOULD BE COMPELLED TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER. CONVICTION ON BOTH CHARGES WOULD COUNT AS 2 STRIKES.

THE ELKHORN SLOUGH, AND MORRO BAY WILL BE STUDIED IN DETAIL, SO THAT WHAT WETLANDS ARE LEFT CAN BE PRESERVED. THAT AFTER 90 PERCENT OF THE STATE?S WETLANDS HAVE DISAPPEARED IN THE LAST 225 YEARS. SCIENTISTS HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE COMPLEX HABITATS, WHICH ARE VITAL TO THE PROCESS OF PURIFYING GROUNDWATER SUPPLIES (AND ARE ALSO HOME TO MANY SPECIES OF ENDANGERED WILDLIFE) NEED TO BE PROTECTED. SCIENTISTS HOPE TO MANAGE THESE 2 WETLANDS AREAS, TO ENSURE THAT THEY REMAIN FUNCTIONAL. THE HOPE IS TO STANDARDIZE, AND EXPAND, WETLAND MONITORING AND RESTORATION ALONG THE CENTRAL COAST.

SOME GREENFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE RAISED ABOUT 400 DOLLARS TO HELP THE VICTIMS OF THE SOUTHERN ASIAN TSUNAMI. THE VISTA VERDE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS HELD A FLEA-MARKET-STYLE FUNDRAISER ON SATURDAY. MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE EVENT, AND THE MONEY WAS DONATED TO THE AMERICAN RED CROSS TSUNAMI RELIEF FUND.