Police arrested an American Canyon man Thursday evening after a loaded gun turned up in a vehicle parked at a north Napa apartment complex.

Fire officials have ordered home evacuations Upvalley due to a large vegetation fire in the area of Deer Park and Sanitarium roads northeast of St. Helena.

Two crashes involving three vehicles traveling on Highway 12 early Friday morning resulted in minor injuries and stopped traffic for approximately 30 minutes.

About 300 acres have burned east of St. Helena in the fire that destroyed two structures on Deer Park Road, CalFire officials said Saturday morning.

Speakers were not afraid to use the “R” word at Friday’s Napa County Economic Outlook conference.

Napa ended its fiscal year on June 30 in good shape, but trouble looms, city Finance Director Carole Wilson told the Napa City Council this week.

Stuart Duncan, a 57-year-old maintenance splicer for the phone company, intended to retire in two years. Now, with the stock market taking a sustained nose dive, he’s not so sure.

Citing his commitment to preserve and protect Napa County agriculture, the Napa County Farm Bureau on Monday announced its endorsement of Keith Caldwell for District 5 supervisor. Caldwell is in a runoff next month with former Napa County Sheriff Gary Simpson.

The arraignment of Stephen Barrios, one of four men charged with the gang-related murder of Ricardo Gonzalez in December, was continued Friday until next week.

A Napa woman’s traffic violation late Wednesday evening led to a series of events which landed her in jail.

Fire crews from throughout Northern California were expected to spend Saturday night Upvalley containing a fire that started Friday afternoon when, according to CalFire, a truck ran off Deer Park Road and struck a stone, sparking the blaze.