Fire crews battling a 35-acre brush fire west of Calistoga had the blaze 20 percent contained within a few hours.

Every day, millions of California drivers illegally hit the road without car insurance coverage. To help alleviate this problem locally, state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is proposing to bring a state-run reduced cost car insurance program to Napa County.

For the past eight years Father Oscar Diaz, associate pastor at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, has been a familiar face to the church's parishioners. With his gentle, compassionate and soft-spoken manner, he helped form a strong sense of community among church members, no matter what cultural background they came from or language they spoke, parishioners said.

Solage Resort developers in Calistoga were given the green light to open without its affordable workforce housing completed -- but with a series of milestones, and fines of up to $2,500 each day a milestone is missed.

St. Helena Unified School District's replacement of the high school's football field and track has drawn its share of attention, but that project is just the first part of an ambitious master plan to tie together a variety of new facilities at the high school. A second gym, a performing arts center, a new auditorium, an agricultural complex and a revamped public pool are also planned.

The Napa Salvation Army has a dilemma. For some time now, fresh meat donations to the army have been decreasing, but the number of people they serve a hot lunch to has not. Each day, Monday through Friday, workers at the Salvation Army serve about 50-70 meals to Napa's hungry and homeless.