California IN BRIEF : CLEARLAKE : Girl Brings $10,000 to School, Shares It

Candy sales increased suddenly after children got hold of thousands of dollars in cash that a girl brought to school after finding the money buried in a barn. “We’ve got an officer working full-time to get some of the money back,” Clearlake Police Lt. Bob Chalk said Friday of the $7,500 still missing. “But some of the money has already been spent at the Frosty Freeze and the grocery store. They’re buying candy. We really don’t expect to get much more money back, but it might be found yet.” The 10-year-old girl, who police didn’t identify, brought a $10,000 packet of $20, $50 and $100 bills to Oak Hill Middle School on Thursday. The money was part of $40,000 that a 52-year-old Clearlake man had buried in a metal box in his barn, where he’d kept his savings for about 20 years. The man doesn’t plan to press charges against any of the children, according to police, who were keeping his identity a secret. They said he blames himself for his misfortune. Children in town apparently saw the man bury something in his barn and grew curious about what they would find, police said. Sue Daly, principal of the middle school, said students continued turning in money on Friday and things were mostly back to normal on campus. Daly said lunch time was disrupted on Thursday when the money the girl had brought to school began circulating on school grounds and some parents came to campus as cash swirled around.