GANG SHOOTINGS UP… Salinas’ homicide total has reached 19 this year, following a weeklong spike of mostly gang-related shootings. Adrian Carranza, 24, was the latest casualty in a battle that erupted over Labor Day weekend. The most brazen shooting occurred Sept. 4 at about 3 p.m. when two men were shot while stopped at the intersection of Ambrose Drive and Davis Road in south Salinas. City officials, coincidentally, held a press conference addressing recent violence shortly after one of the victims was airlifted to a hospital. [ZS]

THE MOTHS ARE ALRIGHT… The California Department of Food and Agriculture has canceled its plans to spray pheromones over urban areas, but it still plans to battle the invasive light brown apple moth with pheromone-spiked twist ties, sterile moth releases and pesticide bait stations. Now, Rep. Sam Farr announces his intent to petition the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reclassify the moth from the highest threat to the minor pest level. Reclassification could put the screws on the USDA and CDFA’s aggressive and expensive assault on the moth. [KA]

P.G. NATIVE ON CIVIL RIGHTS… Back when he was the new national Director of Amnesty International’s Human Rights Program, Ben Jealous told the Weekly, “The Peninsula is still in many ways a very segregated place. Growing up, Seaside was considered to be a primarily black town, Salinas a Latino town, and P.G. a white town.” On Thursday, Sept. 11, Jealous, the new NAACP president, gives a talk on “The Future of Civil Rights in America” at York School. It’s sold out, but will be webcast, www.york.org. [JL]

PAVING GREENFIELD… The City of Greenfield may hold off on developing more of its green fields. The Planning Commission on Monday, Sept. 8, recommended denying an annexation request for 155 acres on the northwestern edge of the city by Manuel Amaral. Amaral, who is representing several landowners, wants to add 558 homes to the city and pave over 145 acres of prime ag land. The only problem is this development isn’t in the city’s General Plan and was not included in the city’s annexation request last year. The issue now goes to the City Council. [ZS]