Gumby News: A Malibu jury has convicted...

Gumby News: A Malibu jury has convicted four Conejo Valley youths of killing an Agoura Hills teen (B1). . . . Prosecutors said the four identified with the suburban Gumbys gang, the existence of which came as disturbing news to the creator of the claymation character. “I’ll be darned,” said Art Clokey from his production company in Marin County. “We are concerned. We would like the Gumbys to be nonviolent.”

Wile E.: Heard some Acme rocket shoes zipping around the neighborhood lately? As the hills turn brown, coyotes are roving farther afield, chasing not only roadrunners but Fido and Fifi as well. . . . County animal regulation director Kathy Jenks says she gets few reports of coyote-mauled pets: “People know they’re not going to get much of a sympathetic ear here.” If you leave a pet outside and it becomes a midnight snack, Jenks says, “what did you expect?”

Little Mayberry: These are heady days for humble Piru, as the town remakes itself and looks to preserve its status as a favorite with film crews (B1). . . . A county-commissioned study quantifies some of Piru’s cinematic je ne sais quoi: It has a barbershop with a pole, a drugstore with a counter and it boasts no palm trees. . . . “Palm trees just make [a place] look like it’s California,” County Administrator Jim Becker says.

Brush Rush: County landowners are rushing to comply with a June 1 deadline for clearing flammable brush. . . . The county fire protection district has sent notices to property owners with a “significant wild-land hazard,” Assistant Chief David Festerling says. If the property isn’t cleared by Saturday, the county will clear it and attach the cost and an administrative fee to the property tax.