CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : MOUNTAIN VIEW : Santa Clara County Ending Medfly War

Santa Clara County is moving into the final stage of its yearlong fight against an infestation of Mediterranean fruit flies. The last of nearly 800 million sterile Medflies were released from the Mountain View area last Friday, and about 1,200 new traps have been hung throughout the 65-square-mile quarantine area. If no fertile Medflies are trapped in the next few weeks, the quarantine that has blocked the shipment of fruits and vegetables from the area could be lifted by mid-September, said Greg Van Wassenhove, the county’s agricultural commissioner.