ARIZ. GROUP ORDERED TO TURN OVER DONATION RECORDS: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California's highest court has ordered an Arizona group to turn over documents related to an $11 million contribution to two California campaigns last month.
Sunday's unanimous decision by the California Supreme Court would allow the state's campaign finance watchdog to learn the source of the donation before Election Day.
Attorney General Kamala Harris and the California Fair Political Practices Commission have been seeking the donation records to determine whether Phoenix-based Americans for Responsible Leadership has improperly shielded the identity of its contributors.
The group gave money to a California political action committee that is campaigning against Gov. Jerry Brown's tax initiative and another initiative that would limit the ability of unions to raise money for political causes.
A spokesman for the Arizona group had no immediate response to the ruling.
GAS PRICES DROP 21 CENTS OVER PAST 2 WEEKS: CAMARILLO (AP) — The average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline has dropped 21 cents over the past two weeks.
That's according to the Lundberg Survey of fuel prices, released Sunday, which puts the price of a gallon of regular at $3.55.
Midgrade costs an average of $3.72 a gallon, and premium is $3.85.
Diesel dipped 7 cents to $4.08 a gallon.
Of the cities surveyed in the lower 48 states, Memphis, Tenn., has the nation's lowest average price for gas at $3.11. San Francisco has the highest at $4.05.
In California, the lowest average price was $3.81 in Sacramento. The average statewide for a gallon of regular was $3.98.
EX-HUSBAND OF CA WOMAN ARRESTED FOR FATAL STABBING: SANTA ANA (AP) — A 71-year-old California woman who once was charged with decades-old murder has been found stabbed to death and her ex-husband has been arrested for investigation of murder.
Police said 74-year-old Kenneth Finefield is suspected of killing his former wife, Macaria Finefield, at her Santa Ana home after he called 911 on Saturday.
The Orange County Register reports that Marcaria Finefield was arrested in 2004 on second-degree murder charges in connection with the death of a pregnant women 30 years earlier.
The newspaper says Finefield unintentionally killed Bertha Hernandez when she took a knife to her belly as she attempted to deliver the baby. Authorities said after fatally stabbing Hernandez, she disposed of the body in Mexico.
Charges against Finefield were dropped after Mexican authorities provided proof that she spent three years in a prison for the death.
DISTRACTED DRIVING BLAMED IN FATAL CRASH: PORTERVILLE (AP) — Authorities say a driver distracted by his cell phone caused a head-on crash that killed an elderly man and seriously injured an elderly woman in central California.
The California Highway Patrol said the couple from Lancaster was riding through Porterville Saturday when the driver of a Cadillac sedan veered his car into their lanes.
Sgt. Joe Vega said the Cadillac driver apparently dropped his ringing cell phone on the floor and was trying to pick it up when the collision occurred.
Four people in the Cadillac, including the driver, were taken to the hospital with moderate injuries.
Vega said alcohol and drugs were not suspected in the crash.
EMAIL ASKS FOR LEGAL FUND HELP FO RLA ASSESSOR: OS ANGELES (AP) — Supporters of Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez are being asked to donate money so he can make bail in his public corruption case.
The Los Angeles Times reports that an email was sent Friday from Noguez's personal account, signed by "Friends of John Noguez," asking for cash to be used for his legal fund. Included in the email was a linked to a private Web page where contributions could be made.
It's unclear whether Noguez orchestrated the email or whether it was sent independently by supporters.
Last month a judge lowered Noguez's bail from $1.4 million to $1.16 million.
Noguez and tax consultant Ramin Salari face dozens of corruption charges. Prosecutors say Noguez took bribes from Salari to lower taxes on clients' properties. Both men deny any wrongdoing.
DISABLED WOMAN RECOVERING AFTER HIT-AND-RUN: BELMONT (AP) — A disabled San Mateo woman is recovering but her wheelchair is out of service after she was hit by a hit-and-run driver last week.
KGO-TV reports that Stephanie Hill was hit by a woman driving a Mercedes-Benz Thursday night in Belmont.
Hill says she was sideswiped when the car turned in front of her. Hill says the driver stopped, got out of her car and asked if she was OK. But then drove off, saying she would return, but never did.
Hill, who was treated for injuries for her foot, is temporarily using a wheelchair on loan.
She says it's not clear if her wheelchair can be repaired, or even if she could afford to pay for the repairs.
Meanwhile, Belmont police are looking for the driver of the car, but say because there were no witnesses, they few leads in the case.
WOMAN ARRESTED IN GOLDBLUM STAY-AWAY CASE: LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 50-year-old California woman has been arrested for allegedly violating a restraining order that required her to be at least 100 yards away from actor Jeff Goldblum.
The Los Angeles Times reports Linda Ransom was arrested Friday near the Ahmanson Theatre after security agents detained her. The restraining order was showed to a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy and Ransom was taken to jail where she's being held on $20,000 bail.
In June, a judge issued the order after Ransom repeatedly went to the home of the "Jurassic Park" and "Independence Day" star. Goldblum wrote in a petition that Ransom had been harassing him for the past decade.
Ransom has claimed one of Goldblum's employees attacked her and she wanted to file a case.
