Part of the charm of Big Sur is its ruggedness, but there should be a limit, don't you think? Well, there isn't, and Highway 1 proved it again Wednesday afternoon, when a major section of asphalt gave way and tumbled down a cliff just north of the Bixby Bridge. The vital highway will be closed at least a month, Caltrans says. Chris Counts has the latest.

Speaking of roads collapsing: County bulldozers were out the same night Highway 1 was shut down trying to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to Scenic Road. Chris also has that one.

The girl who was paralyzed in a DUI crash off Highway 68 last year has tentatively settled her lawsuit against the driver and the other people she thinks were responsible for $1.3 million, but she's also planning to sue Toyota. Kelly Nix explains why.

The county's $5,000 fee to appeal a permit decision is giving Carmel Valley activists pause about fighting a senior housing project -- something they wouldn't hesitate to do if it didn't cost so much. Police had to use extreme measures to subdue a man Wednesday night who was allegedly threatening his ex-girlfriend. Some downtown businesses have made up their minds the city shouldn't let another business reopen. Planning commissioners really liked a plan for a new house they considered this week, but not so much a few other things on their agenda. Friday's tsunami was a big nothing in Carmel and the rest of the Monterey Peninsula ... whew! And my editorial explains why the tragedy in Japan reminds us that we have a lot to be grateful for, but also some things to regret.

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Paul Miller, Publisher
paul@carmelpinecone.com

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