People: Selleck bought water legally, official says
Water from a public hydrant that Tom Selleck has been accused of stealing from in dry California was legally purchased, an official said.
The Calleguas Municipal Water District in Ventura County sued the “Magnum, P.I.” star, alleging that a tanker truck filled up at the hydrant and took it to Selleck’s 60-acre ranch more than a dozen times in the past two years.
The district announced a tentative settlement with Selleck on Thursday.
Jay Spurgin, public works director for Thousand Oaks, said a construction company paid a fee to secure the rights to draw water from the city hydrant two years ago. About 1.4 million gallons of water were taken from the hydrant during that period.
“There was water used during that time, and it was paid for,” he said.
Construction firms and contractors can obtain special meters that allow them to haul water from hydrants for large projects. Companies can draw as much water as they need or sell it to a third party as long as they pay the monthly service charge and water bill, Spurgin said.
It’s unclear if Selleck or his employees bought the water from the company or another source.
California is grappling with a persistent drought, and the community where Selleck has his land is under mandatory cutbacks as high as 36 percent.
Richards to release Stones-less album
With just a few days left on the Rolling Stones’ 2015 ZIP CODE tour, guitarist and songwriter Keith Richards has announced he’ll release his first solo album in more than 20 years in September.
“Crosseyed Heart” will be just the third studio album effort from Richards, following 1988’s “Talk Is Cheap” and 1992’s “Main Offender.” He also put out a live album, “Live at the Palladium,” in 1988.
Guests on various tracks include Norah Jones, Aaron Neville, Ivan Neville and the man Richards often described as his musical soulmate, saxophonist Bobby Keys, who died in December.
The Stones’ ZIP CODE tour continues with a stop today in Buffalo, New York, and wraps up July 15 in Quebec.
Ringo’s ‘Help!’ jacket up for auction
The dapper double-breasted jacket that Ringo Starr wore in the 1965 Beatles movie “Help!” is going on the auction block.
Boston-based RR Auctions said online bidding for the black woolen jacket featured in the Beatles’ second film will run Thursday through July 23.
The jacket is among nearly 500 items for sale in a “Marvels of Modern Music” auction. Also going up for auction are a 1971 letter that Doors singer Jim Morrison wrote from Paris to a couple in Beverly Hills, California, and a 1980 custom-designed Hamer electric guitar used by Johnny Ramone.
The birthday bunch
Actor Tab Hunter is 84. Actress Susan Seaforth Hayes is 72. Actor Bruce McGill is 65. Singer Bonnie Pointer is 65. Actress Sela Ward is 59. Singer Suzanne Vega is 56. Rock guitarist Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) is 56. Rapper Lil’ Kim is 40. Rock singer Ben Gibbard is 39.