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Livingston Police Chief Bill Eldridge twice tried to get the City Council to revise a law so tow trucks could park on city streets. Both times the council voted 2-2, and the effort stalled.

On Tuesday night, he told the elected leaders he was using his authority to go above their heads.

"We're not requesting your permission," he told the council. "We're informing you."

This issue, which would have otherwise been rather mundane, was covered by a cloud of politics because the person who gained to benefit (I use that loosely) would be Councilman Rodrigo Espinoza, who contracts with the city to haul off vehicles.

A trip to the Merced County Fair is always fun, especially for kids. But don’t just ride the rides or eat all the gooey, yummy food that’s there. Remember what fairs were originally for - the animals.
And at our fair, it’s still all about the animals. And the 4-H and FFAers that bring those animals to the fair. Those kids work hard for sometimes up to two years, and then spend at least 12 hours a day at the fair, watching over their project animals and keeping them safe and happy.

Livingston posted its proposed 2008/2009 budget online today.

At 577 pages and 15 MB, it's one of the more thorough budgets I've seen, touching on the national, state and local economies as it outlines where and how taxpayer money will be spent.

The city has even won an award in 2007 for its great appearance. (Too bad there's no cash prize that goes with that, as the city, like others, is hard up for money.)

This time of the year, agriculture is really heating up, along with the weather. And to get their fields and animals taken care of, many farmers and ranchers are out on the roads on tractors.
Those tractors can be dangerous. Not to the folks who are driving them, but to the people who are sharing the road with them. Tractors don’t go very fast, and a lot of them take up a lot of room on the road. Too many times, I have seen cars passing these tractors on a blind curve, or when visibility is too low.

It’s that time of the year again, when people start worrying about West Nile Virus. It’s a nasty disease for a small percentage of people, and it can kill.
West Nile is spread by mosquitoes, those nasty little insects that bug us all during the summer.
But there are things that you can do to make sure those bugs aren’t too overwhelming.
First, wear long sleeves if it’s not too hot, and if it is, put insect repellant with DEET on. Also, make sure you aren’t unknowingly breeding the little buggers by dumping any standing water you might have around your house. That means check for tires, buckets, anything that can hold even a bit of water. And, if at all possible, don’t go outside when the mosquitoes are out, early in the morning and at dusk.

A coalition of family members of U.S. Penitentiary Atwater correctional officers has launched a Web site to demand safety reforms across the federal prison system.

The group, named Friends and Family of Correctional Officers, formed earlier this month in response to the stabbing death of USP Atwater Correctional Officer Jose Rivera.

The site demands a number of changes that officers say could have prevented Rivera’s death.

The official candidate list for Merced County's Nov. 4 election was finalized this week.

The Sun-Star has reported on most of the bigger races, but if you're interested in the complete list, check it out here.