The San Bernardino County Sun reports four people were arrested Wednesday in a raid of a weapons and drug cache. Karl Turner, 30, and Stacey Coday, 29, residents of the home on Krantz Road were arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs and stolen property. Albert Kelly, 50, and Larry Benge, 30, were also taken into custody after officers reported finding drugs in their possession.

Chris Pirillo seems to think that laser levels are designed to be used as tools to do productive work. After a day of rain and a night of more rain to follow, it seems there is an alternate use for them (maybe the primary use, who knows). Simply point it at the floor and move in circles. Within moments the cat will be neurotically chasing the red spot around on the floor. It is better than the old "chase your tail" game that was en vogue last week.

As alluded to above the rain is still coming. We just closed out a year of nearly twice the annual rainfall. We're very near the average monthly rainfall for January and there is plenty of this storm to go, not to mention a few more weeks of January. In the desert you never wish for less rain, at the same time it is rare you think that it has been a long time since things were dry.

The Sandy Valley Citizens Advisory Council met last evening in the community center on Quartz Avenue. The standing-room only crowd of seventy plus people was there to hear from the Clark County Fire Department about building codes for new and existing businesses.

A great deal of concern has been raised by the holding up of the business license for Trails End. The store on Quartz has been open since June when its new operators took over the lease. The previous incarnation of a store in the same location closed in October 2003 and the building was vacant for seven months. When the new owners applied for a business license they were informed they'd have to put a sprinkler system in the building in order to bring it up to current code.

Deputy Fire Marshal Joe Noble spoke at the meeting and committed to the residents of the town that he would get responses to them on several issues brought up at the meeting concerning present and past applications. Noble also explained that the uniform fire protection code requires a fire hydrant with fire-flow or alternatives that provide the same protection. Since Sandy Valley does not have a water purveyor and the cost of the system necessary to meet the fire-flow standard would require a 180,000 gallon water tank it is deemed impractical. Instead new construction for general commercial occupancy will likely be accepted with sprinklers and a sufficient water tank to supply them (closer to a 20,000 tank).