SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco officials are closing some trails to dogs in Golden Gate Park in response to aggressive behavior from coyotes.

The trails are near JFK Drive and the park's north and middle lakes by the buffalo enclosure. The trails will likely remain closed to dogs until August.

Park Department spokeswoman Sarah Ballard says walkers and joggers in the area will also be cautioned.

One resident told the San Francisco Chronicle  her dogs were on a leash when they were threatened by a coyote. The animal was eventually scared off by a park department truck.

Animal control officials believe the coyotes have a den in the area and are defending their territory during pup season.

San Jose votes to

expand smoking ban

SAN JOSE (AP) — Smokers in San Jose will soon have fewer spots to light up.

The City Council on Tuesday expanded the city's smoking ban to include more outdoor areas. Smoking will be forbidden in outdoor dining areas, outdoor common areas of apartments and condos and outdoor areas where people gather to wait for services such as bus stops.

The San Jose Mercury News reports (http://bit.ly/HIqDR9) that the ordinance passed by an 11-0 vote. It is expected to take effect at the end of May.

The city already bans smoking inside restaurants and public buildings. Smoking is also is banned in outdoor seating areas of stadiums and sports arenas, city parks and within 25 feet of the entrance to a city library or community center.

2 convicted in Contr

a Costa pimping case

MARTINEZ (AP) — A Contra Costa County jury has convicted two men of pimping underage girls and engaging in illegal sex acts with them.

The jury found 33-year-old Duwan Fields and 21-year-old Claudiens Griffin guilty on Tuesday of pimping a minor prostitute. Fields was also convicted of having illegal sex with one of the girls, a 16-year-old.

Griffin was found guilty of rape and lewd acts on the 13-year-old victim.

Authorities say they were among three runaways who were pimped to men by Fields and Griffin from a home in San Ramon over eight days in April 2009.

One of the girls testified that she wasn't aware she would be having sex with other people until she was driven to her first client.

Teacher accused of

 filming girls with spy pen

WATSONVILLE  (AP) — A teacher with a San Jose-based youth chorus has been arrested on suspicion of filming teenaged girls undressing in a hotel bathroom using a spy pen.

Twenty-six-year-old Aldrin Jayson Nicolas was taken into custody on Tuesday. Authorities say Nicolas used the pen camera to film the girls during a weekend trip with the Vivace Youth Chorus in Watsonville.

The alleged victims were between 13 and 17 years old.

Nicolas was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of producing child pornography.

Sheriff's deputies say he has been suspended from the chorus.

He also taught at Salinas High School. He is not suspected of victimizing any students there.