Westamerica Bank is not planning to close its Springs or Glen Ellen locations, company officials said this week. “It is our intention to keep those branches open,” Christine Coulston, the bank’s market mamnager, said Monday. “We have informed the FDIC of that fact.” There has... Continue

Beth Hadley lights one of the many candles for a vigil honoring victims of a Saturday’s shooting rampage in Arizona. Organizing for America pulled together Monday’s gathering on the Plaza to send its collective hopes and prayers to the victims and their families as well... Continue

[caption id="attachment_22547" align="alignnone" width="420" caption="The Temple Lodge No. 14 officers for 2011 are, from left: Jack Heard, Frank Wiebusch, Ian Kruljac, Richard Smith, Victor E. Hipkiss, Rodney Beck (Master), Gustav Hobel, Karl Hipkiss, Robert Leonard, Christopher Garcia, and Eugene Schulteiss. Photo by David Reber"][/caption] Temple... Continue

With a creation created by designer, baker and culinary architect Rose Fanucchi, Larson Family Winery has been named the annual Sonoma Valley Gingerbread Winery Contest. Kenwood Vineyards took second place, and B.R. Cohn finished third. The contest is determined by votes from tasting-room visitors in... Continue

Dogs walked their people along the bike path near Vallejo House as the sun came out Sunday morning. Similar weather is expected, chilly nights included, until rain clouds move back in on Tuesday. Continue

The use of leaf blowers in Sonoma will be restricted under a tighter noise ordinance, the city council has ruled, but there will be no ban on the machine’s use by city crews. In October the council endorsed a one-year moratorium for public works assignments... Continue

An urban geyser erupted when a 63-year-old Sonoma ran his pickup truck into a hydrant on Broadway near MacArthur last week. The man was not injured in the collision. Photo courtesy of Sonoma Police Department. Continue