A look at upcoming news events:

Today

Free HIV tests: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will offer free HIV testing at various locations all week as part of National HIV Testing Week.

Tuesday

Chapman forecast: Chapman University professors Jim Doti and Esmael Adibi present their annual economic forecast.

Superfund hearing: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting to discuss cleanup of contamination at the Omega Chemical Corp. Superfund site in Whittier.

Thursday

Smoking ban: Palm Desert City Council will consider an ordinance regulating and prohibiting smoking in public areas throughout the city.

The Tip

Surf-seeking Californians enjoy more technological tools than ever to check water safety at beaches. Savvy cellphone users can now use text messaging to receive weekly reports of water quality at beaches statewide. The new service is provided by Heal the Bay, a Santa Monica-based environmental group that has published the Beach Report Card since 1990. Details are at https://www.healthe

bay.org/brc/sms/default.asp

BlackBerry users can access weekly reports on the group’s website at https://www.healthe

bay.org/brc/statemap.asp. Monthly grades for Los Angeles County beaches are available from the county Department of Public Health at https://publichealth.lacounty.gov/

phcommon/public/eh/rechlth/

ehrecocdata.cfm

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-- Deborah Schoch

Ask a Reporter

Has there been further action by the U.S. Treasury Department against the owner of a small brewery in Weed, Calif., whose bottle caps read “Try Legal Weed”?

It looks as if the owner of the brewery will have to go to court if he wants to keep using the bottle caps.

Vaune Dillmann, owner of Mt. Shasta Brewing Co., said federal regulators continue to insist that he eliminate or alter the pun he’s using on the caps. They contend it celebrates marijuana use. Dillmann counters that it’s simply a cheeky play on words intended as a marketing ploy for his Weed Ales.

Dillmann said a Los Angeles law firm has offered to take his case to court pro bono as soon as he receives a formal written rejection of the label from the Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

Bureau officials earlier this month indicated to Dillmann that they’re not going to budge, he said.

“They’re digging in,” he said. “They can fight this with Daddy Warbucks money because they’ve got U.S. tax dollars. But the Liberty Bell has to ring on this one. So stay tuned: I will fight it in court.”

-- Eric Bailey