Local News in Brief : Ventura County Now Seeking $100,000 From Comedian Hope

Ventura County is raising the ante to $100,000 in a lawsuit it filed against comedian Bob Hope after a herd of 180 cattle from his ranch allegedly ruined the once-greener grass of Oak Park High School in Agoura.

The suit, filed in February, had sought $35,000 to cover damages, including trampled turf and shattered sprinkler heads.

But County Counsel Jim McBride said Tuesday that further analysis of the campus turf showed that the steers caused a greater problem than officials had thought. “We’re talking with the insurance people and they’re listening,” he said.

Hope spokesman Ken Kantor has said the matter is being handled by an insurance company for the ranch, 33 miles northwest of Los Angeles. He said Hope never stays at the Jordan Ranch, or Hope Ranch, as it is also known, but leased it to rancher Clifford Holmes, 86, also named in the original suit.