(Editor's Note: Normally Thursday is the busiest News Roundup of the week, because the Bee's Placer insert runs, and many of the Gold Country papers run their weekly stories as well.  Due to work time constraints, I am posting only the most important political and public policy items today,  I will catch up some other stories tomorrow.)

Placer grand jury rips district on new schools, blames officials - Sac Bee
A Placer County grand jury report slams Lincoln's Western Placer Unified School District for numerous errors and misjudgments in the design, funding and construction of new schools.

Coffman named mayor - The Union of Grass Valley
A new Nevada City Council started a new tradition Wednesday night when it selected Barbara Coffman to be the mayor and newcomer Reinette Senum the vice mayor.

Eureka district may pick magnet school for enrollment problem - Sac Bee
Granite Bay's Eureka Union School District may opt for a magnet school instead of a district-led charter campus, which was proposed by community members to stop declining enrollment.

Council denies Montserrat appeal, will hear two others - Loomis News
With three appeals on their agenda for their July 8 meeting, the Loomis Town Council voted to deny the Montserrat tree plan appeal made by Councilman Walt Scherer, but voted to hear an appeal on Brace Road Estates and on Morgan Estates.

Fees hiked for road repairs - The Union of Grass Valley
Despite a prolonged economic slump, county supervisors approved a three- to eight-fold increase in traffic mitigation fees this week for all new residential development to help pay for road improvements during the next 22 years.  Only Sue Horne opposed the fees.