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DEAR ABBY: I have led an unusual life. I lived abroad alone in my late teens, spent my early 20s exploring the West, and finished my college degree a year early while working full time. It gave me independence, experience and clarity.

DEAR ABBY: I am a 58-year-old woman who would like your take on a problem I have with several married female friends and my married sister. During the many years I have been close to these couples, the women seem unable to have one-on-one conversations, outings or a lunch date with me without including their husbands.

DEAR ABBY: I'm a 13-year-old girl and I had a big argument with my mom. It's about her drinking. I have tried to get her to stop because most of the money she makes goes straight to her alcohol, but instead of talking it out, she starts yelling. She says it's her life and we can't tell her what to do with her money.

Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and Gilroy Police Department are searching for a missing 10-year-old autistic boy last seen around 5:30 p.m. near the intersection of Leavesley and Monterey roads.

After spending Friday afternoon extinguishing a fire that consumed about 50 acres of vegetation in west Morgan Hill, crews will spend the night “mopping up” the area and making sure all remaining hotspots are out, according to authorities. The fire was reported about 1:50 p.m. Friday in the area of Casa Loma Road and Uvas Road, according to CalFire Battalion Chief Brandon Leitzke. Within minutes, CalFire deployed two air attack craft, four air tankers and two helicopters - in addition to ground resources from nearby agencies - to combat the blaze, Leitzke said. The fire is in San Jose’s jurisdiction, but CalFire, Morgan Hill Fire, and the South County Fire District offered resources to assist, Leitzke said. The fire was reported in the Rancho Canada Del Oro Open Space Preserve. As of 5 p.m., the fire was no longer spreading, Leitzke said. Firefighters were expected to remain at the site overnight to ensure all hotspots, which could reignite the surrounding area if left unattended, are extinguished. “They’re not calling it ‘contained,’ but the spreading has stopped,” Leitzke said. “They want to be nice and sure it stays where it’s at.” The fire only burned vegetation in the rural, sparsely populated area near Calero County Park, Leitzke said. At one point the fire was poised to threaten some nearby structures, but no damage was reported. There is now “no real threat” to any structures in the area of the fire. The cause of the fire is currently undetermined and under investigation, Leitzke said. Check back later for updates to this story. 

Gilroy Police Department Officer Noel Lemus pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest at Merced County Courthouse Wednesday, opting instead to take the case to trial. Officer Lemus will return for his pre-trial hearing at 8:15 a.m. Friday, Aug. 16 at the Merced County Courthouse located at 2260 N-Street in Merced.

Fire crews responded to a report of smoke at T.J. Maxx Friday morning when an electrical box inside a jewelry case caught on fire, authorities said. No injuries and no major property damage were reported, according to the Morgan Hill Fire Department and the store manager. Crews from MHFD, CalFire and South County Fire District responded to the store at 401 Vineyard Town Center about 10 a.m.There was no visible fire when crews arrived, but firefighters located the source of the smoke inside a jewelry box, where a metal light and ballast case had caught on fire, MHFD Battalion Chief Tim Main said. “We were able to quickly isolate the fire under the jewelry case,” Main said. The responding emergency crews were “concerned,” however, to find that store employees had not evacuated the building of customers as soon as they noticed the fire, Main said. “Whenever there’s any smoke, folks need to evacuate,” Main said. The store remained busy with a steady stream of customers entering and exiting after the fire was extinguished, and while firefighters were leaving the area. “The fire department’s response was excellent,” T.J. Maxx manager Leticia Esnaurrizar said.