Centennial Livestock is missing approximately 200 head of Mexican feeder steers from the Idler Ranch in San Benito County, according to a press statement released today by the San Benito County Sheriff's Office.

The cattle were last seen on April 5 and were discovered missing the last week of May. The cattle are branded with a running capital letter "W" over a capital letter "L" on the left shoulder.

A reward of $10,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the theft of these cattle.

Anyone with information can call the California Cattlemen's Association Tip Line at (800) 671-4327. Informants may remain anonymous.

Residents away as July 4 blaze destroys much of duplex

A duplex sustained major damage from a fire Saturday with an unknown cause to this point, while at least one dog was killed and two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion, Fire Chief Fred Cheshire said today.

The fire started about 4:15 p.m. Saturday in the 1600 block of Highland Drive in a garage of one of the units, Cheshire said. It spread into the attic and destroyed both units' garages, along with a car in each of the structures. There was significant fire, water and smoke damage throughout the duplex, with some harm to both sides' living spaces as well, the chief said.

Residents of the two units were not home at the time of the fire and eventually arrived later to see the destruction. Cheshire noted the two firefighters who had heat exhaustion were transported to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital for treatment. He said he knows at least one dog and possibly another died in the blaze.

"It had burned really well in the attic space, and we had to deploy interior firefighting units in both units of the duplex," Cheshire said.

He went on: "The fire in the attic - it came down into each of the units."

Though the investigation into a cause continues, Cheshire did dispel the possibility of fireworks by replying, "not at all" to any potential of it.

"That's exactly what I was thinking , too," the chief said, referring to when he got the call while barbecuing on the Fourth of July.

Cheshire noted how all city and county stations were deployed to fight the blaze, while they were on scene for about four and a half hours. San Juan Bautista's volunteer department was called in to stage in Hollister during the fire, he said.

"One San Juan Bautista unit was the only fire coverage for the whole county during that four hours," he said.