A lot of Carmel residents worry their homes will be burglarized while they're out of town. For one family on Ocean Avenue, the nightmare came true when they came back from vacation and discovered they'd been cleaned out. Were the perps caught when they tried to sell some of the loot at a pawn shop? Mary Brownfield reports.

If plastic shopping bags were banned, it seems obvious the environment would benefit. But sometimes what seems obvious is wrong, and the California Supreme Court is about to decide whether cities and counties that want to ban plastic bags have to spend a lot of money studying whether paper bags are even worse. I have the topsy-turvy story.

Another slide hit Highway 1 in Big Sur today, closing the road to the south, even as Caltrans announced that the break at Rocky Creek Bridge might be reopened to one-lane traffic by April 25. For Big Sur business owners, it's the ultimate good-news-bad-news story, and Chris Counts has it.

A pit bull offered for adoption by the SPCA attacked a dachshund who happened to be nearby last weekend, seriously injuring the little dog and sending it to UC Davis for surgery. The pit bull will be euthanized. Kelly Nix has the sad details.

The planning commission cracked down on a homeowner who deviated from the plans that were approved for his remodel. The buyer of a Carmel inn wants his money back because of alleged defects that weren't disclosed in escrow. If you're looking for a favor to do for the fire department, they have the answer: Let them demolish your house. A Monterey Peninsula music legend will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his blues band over the next two weeks. If there's a wedding in your future (for yourself or someone you care about), we have a special section to help you make it perfect. And my editorial looks at the advantages of suing yourself for doing a bad job at work ... but only if you're a government employee.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions, comments or concerns. To get this week's complete Pine Cone, please click here. If you have an opinion about one of our stories and would like to submit a letter to the editor, please click here. And if you want to know the truth about whether the rich pay taxes, be sure to visit my hot Internet links.

Paul Miller, Publisher
paul@carmelpinecone.com

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