Sheriff's log

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department reported the following incidents in the south county area:

Suspect arrested in bank robbery

A man was arrested June 21 for allegedly robbing several banks in the East Bay, and subsequently was linked to the recent robbery of the Bank of America in the Plaza North shopping center, said Lt. Danny Fish of the Petaluma Police Department.

What to do with 1,000 rats?

"Wanted: Prospective rat owners to adopt cute, furry creatures from Petaluma Animal Shelter. Must be kind to animals and willing to care for pets. Must be satisfied with only one rat at a time."

Police log

Here are some of the cases Petaluma police responded to last week. Information on some cases was not available by press time and is indicated by the acronym INA (information not available). The Argus-Courier publishes the names of people arrested for serious crimes, such as those involving physical injury, property loss or damage of property -- and including burglary, battery, vandalism and drunken driving. People who are later found innocent or who have charges dropped may contact the Argus-Courier to have follow-up information published.

Meth is biggest drug problem in Petaluma

(Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series examining methamphetamine use in the Petaluma area.)

Hardware store will be rebuilt

As a fatigued Jeff Tomasini stood in front of the remains of his beloved hardware store Monday morning, drivers and pedestrians stopped virtually every minute to offer their sympathy and help.

Community may be asked to vote on hospital bond

It's a bustling, growing hospital that has received a huge shot of adrenaline with the hiring last year of an ambitious, buoyant new chief.

Fire calls

The Petaluma Fire Department received 63 medical calls and 46 fire or other emergency calls from June 19 to 25. These are some of the incidents the department responded to.

Fairgoers enjoy attractions amid heat

Powder-sugared hands pushed down on the safety bar of rides as the same song kept repeating itself in the ears of the young and old, handy workers bustled to satisfy adrenaline cravings and sweet teeth, and sweltering heat kept vendors close to their own ice and water.

Changes ahead for City Council

Keith Cane-varo bid fare-well to his City Council colleagues last week, stepping down be-cause he is leaving Peta-luma. What will happen with the remaining six months of his term is one of a number of questions surfacing this summer about the city's future leadership.

Document: Tribe 'intends to develop' casino

A resolution passed by the Indian tribe that owns 277 acres south of Petaluma's city limits declares that the tribe "intends to develop a class III gaming facility and related amenities in Petaluma, CA."

Petaluma author suing AT&T

Carolyn Jewel of Petaluma is a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation against AT&T, alleging that the telecommunications company is unlawfully giving records of her personal communication, along with that of many others, to the National Security Agency.