Was he a hero or villain? Or both? A jury will now make that call in the case of embattled Army veteran Ashley Viola, who allegedly whipped out a gun in downtown San Mateo last year — causing quite a scare — in defense of a woman. On Monday, a San Mateo County judge scheduled a trial date of Oct. 15 for the 24-year-old. Prosecutors say Viola went from good Samaritan to crazed gunman when he confronted a man who rudely bumped into a woman on the sidewalk. Read More

This Stanford graduate might have been better off at a school of higher yearning. Erin Umberg, a 29-year-old who has graduate degrees in molecular physiology and psychology from Tufts and Stanford universities, respectively, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to multiple felony counts for allegedly revenge-stalking her ex-boyfriend after hacking into his computer five years ago. Read More

School Bonds Measure S Voters in the Cabrillo Unified School District serving Half Moon Bay approved Measure S, an $81 million bond issue that will allow the district to repair deteriorating school buildings. The district, which is facing a $2 million deficit this year, expects to issue 40-year bonds, which would be paid back by taxes estimated to cost property owners $45 per year for each $100,000 of assessed value. Read More

The San Francisco June ballot promises to be drab, featuring elections for the Democratic and Republican parties’ central committees and two ballot measures — one involving whether to have competitive bids for The City’s trash disposal services. As one Democratic County Central Committee candidate told me, “It’s humbling to run for an office that no one has heard of and is down-ballot from the garbage proposal.” Read More