11/8/2017 Adelanto mayor pro tem arrested, facing federal charges

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By Shea Johnson Staff Writer Posted Nov 7, 2017 at 12:01 AMUpdated Nov 7, 2017 at 10:03 PM

Wright faces two federal charges: bribery of programsreceiving federal funds and attempted arson of a buildingaffecting interstate commerce.

ADELANTO — Mayor Pro Tem Jermaine Wright faces federal charges hesolicited and accepted a $10,000 bribe from an undercover FBI agent in exchangefor using his political influence to assist and shield a supposed commercialmarijuana transportation business, the Daily Press has learned.

Wright, 41, is also accused of seeking the aid of an FBI informant to burn downhis restaurant, Fat Boyz Grill, in order to collect $300,000 in insurance money,according to a sworn affidavit obtained by this newspaper.

Arrested Tuesday, Wright is expected to appear in a federal court in Riversideon Wednesday, but is not anticipated to enter a plea, Thom Mrozek, spokesmanfor the U.S. Attorney’s Office, told the Daily Press.

Wright faces two federal charges: bribery of programs receiving federal fundsand attempted arson of a building affecting interstate commerce.

The bribery charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison,according to Mrozek, while the attempted arson charge yields a mandatoryminimum sentence of five years and statutory maximum sentence of 20 years.

Mayor Rich Kerr initially offered a tempered response, saying the city would notimmediately presume Wright had done anything wrong, but he also hinted at afar stronger reaction.

Adelanto mayor pro tem arrested, facingfederal charges

11/8/2017 Adelanto mayor pro tem arrested, facing federal charges

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“It’s still in its infancy stage. Until we get more information, we’re going to sittight and listen to the authorities,” Kerr said by phone, then: “We will takedecisive action, probably tomorrow sometime.”

The criminal complaint and Wright’s arrest stem from an official FBI probe,launched in June, into public corruption in the city.

“This is part of an ongoing investigation,” Mrozek said by phone.

Earlier this year, federal agents received information that Wright “may havereceived bribe payments in return for official acts,” according to the affidavit.“The official acts allegedly concerned rezoning of land for use in the developingmedical marijuana industry in Adelanto.”

Conversations between Wright, who at times was under surveillance, and anundercover agent and FBI informant were either recorded or reported by thoseinvolved in the probe.

It started on June 15, when an informant introduced an undercover agent toWright at his restaurant, located in the 11600 block of Rancho Road. Theoperative told Wright he was interested in purchasing commercial propertyoutside of the marijuana cultivation zone, at a reduced price, and then seeking tohave the Council re-zone the land in question for cannabis use in order to bolsterits value.

Wright allegedly responded that his vote must be purchased in a cash donationthrough a person who Wright identified, but who was not named in theaffidavit. It was the first time of several in which Wright and the undercoveragent would talk bribes, according to the FBI.

Ultimately, the two would come to terms on a deal that Wright allegedly vowedwould be accompanied by his assistance on accommodating the bogus businesson future zone expansions and protection from code enforcement.

The agent “then placed $10,000 dollars on a box being used as a table, made up oftwo stacks of $50 bills, and told Wright, ‘that’s for you, or your non-profit,whatever,’” according to the affidavit. “Wright responded, ‘my non-profit, yessir, thank you sir.’ Wright eventually placed the $10,000 in his pocket.”

11/8/2017 Adelanto mayor pro tem arrested, facing federal charges

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Wright also allegedly sought a “stack” from the operative for each occasion hewere to curtail code enforcement.

The mayor pro tem left the meeting location with the bribe and drove directlyback to his restaurant, the FBI said.

Then in August, the FBI informant told agents that Wright had suggested a ploy:Get someone to burn down Fat Boyz Grill in order to collect on $300,000 ininsurance money.

The incident would, of course, have to appear to be an accident so Wrightrequested it be made to look like there had been an electrical problem, the FBIsaid.

Wright was also allegedly willing to pay for such a service.

A second undercover agent, acting as the “electrician” — Wright’s purportednickname for the arsonist-for-hire — met with Wright and was escorted aroundthe mayor pro tem’s restaurant building, which had three suites, two of whichwere under his control, according to the affidavit.

During this tour, the FBI said the mayor pro tem made notes of the sprinklersystem, electrical outlets and the fire station down the street.

“From the time (the fire) starts to the time they get here, it’s probably about fiveminutes,” he said, according to the affidavit.

The undercover agent agreed to perform the job, telling Wright it would cost$1,500. Three days later, on Oct. 6, Wright proved he was serious, flashing ablack wristband with a small zipper. The band, the FBI said, contained $1,500.The operative told Wright the job required another week to which thepolicymaker responded: ”(Expletive), I don’t have no excuse to be gone nextweek.”

After securing a federal search warrant, two FBI agents visited Wright on Oct.17 at his restaurant, where Wright purportedly confessed to the arson plot and“agreed to cooperate with the FBI’s investigation into corruption in the city ofAdelanto.”

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Wright also denied ever taking a bribe. But he did believe the second undercoveragent, who he understood to have told the FBI about the arson plot, was likelythe “snitch.”

It was the notion of a canary in the midst, according to the affidavit, which thensparked a seemingly threatening demand from Wright to an informant:“Whatever you do, don’t come back to you, and doesn’t come back to me, and Idon’t give a (expletive) what happens. I really don’t, but this (expletive) needs tobe cleaned up.”

Shea Johnson can be reached at 760-955-5368 or SJohnson@VVDailyPress.com. Follow

him on Twitter at @DP_Shea.

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11/8/2017 As FBI pressure intensified, so did Adelanto mayor pro tem's desperation

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By Shea Johnson Staff Writer Posted at 12:59 AMUpdated at 8:32 AM

At St. Joseph Health, St. Mary’s hospital in Apple Valley,a somber Wright sat on a hospital bed in a hallway wherehe didn’t appear to be getting treated at the moment. Hedidn’t look an agent in the eye, spoke quietly and tooklonger than usual to answer questions.

ADELANTO — Weeks before he was arrested to face two federal charges,Mayor Pro Tem Jermaine Wright began, the FBI said, to contrive a strange plot:Hire someone to rough him up to the point where he loses his memory.

“So, how much is it going to cost to get my ass beat?” Wright, 41, reportedly toldan FBI informant during a recorded Oct. 23 conversation. ”(A)nd it needs tohappen quickly though. Beat to the point where I have memory loss, all the restof the stuff, they have to let me go ... I have a good-ass attorney.”

The unusual inquiry came six days after two FBI agents served a federal searchwarrant at Wright’s restaurant off Highway 395, Fat Boyz Grill, and confrontedthe policymaker over his alleged solicitation of an undercover agent to burn theplace down so he could collect on the insurance money.

As the heat on Wright intensified since June, the mayor pro tem appeared togrow more desperate, purportedly telling an FBI agent he even had put ashotgun in his mouth. According to a sworn FBI affidavit, he believed a plannedattack that would cause memory loss could shield him from pending criminalcharges.

As FBI pressure intensi�ed, so did Adelantomayor pro tem’s desperation

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“What am I supposed to do?” he reportedly told an FBI informant with a lengthycriminal history dating back to 1995. “I am still underneath this federal bull[expletive].”

The assault would take place outside his restaurant in the pre-dawn hours; a ratwould be placed next to him to make it seem as if the assailant had been angeredhe talked to the FBI; $500 or $600 would be put in his pocket as compensation tothe paid attacker and to show signs of a robbery; and ”(t)hey gotta hit me in thehead.”

“I am going to lose at least three months of memory or more,” Wright told theinformant, according to the affidavit.

But might a staged assault be dangerous?

“I am not asking you to kill me,” Wright responded. “I am not asking you to beatme within an inch of my life.”

In the early morning of Nov. 3, a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputy andCounty Fire personnel responded to the restaurant. Wright was lying on theground near a barbecue in the parking lot without visible injuries.

He’d tell authorities his assailant tried to steal an audio recording device on him,now broken, which agents provided to record conversations “in furtherance ofFBI’s public corruption investigation in Adelanto,” the affidavit said.

The suspect was a taller man who hit Wright over the right eye multiple timeswith an unknown object, he told an FBI agent who he requested, through thedeputy, come to the scene.

At St. Joseph Health, St. Mary’s hospital in Apple Valley, a somber Wright sat ona hospital bed in a hallway where he didn’t appear to be getting treated at themoment. He didn’t look an agent in the eye, spoke quietly and took longer thanusual to answer questions.

He told the agent he had been lying on the ground for two to three hours in thefreezing cold before help arrived at 7 a.m. and wondered why FBI surveillanceteams didn’t stop to intervene, although agents said there were none in the areaat the time.

11/8/2017 As FBI pressure intensified, so did Adelanto mayor pro tem's desperation

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He was also robbed of $2,000 to $3,000 cash out of his pocket, according to theaffidavit. He always paid his employees in cash, he told an agent, and he routinelykept significant quantities of it around — apparently a habit he had learned fromhis mother.

Wright has told agents he did not accept a $10,000 cash bribe in return for

political favor.

He isn’t expected to enter a plea during an anticipated appearance in federal courtWednesday. He remained in custody Wednesday morning at West ValleyDetention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, jail records show.

Shea Johnson can be reached at 760-955-5368 or SJohnson@VVDailyPress.com. Follow

him on Twitter at @DP_Shea.

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11/8/2017 San Manuel to build new hotel, event venue, parking structure next to Highland casino – Daily Bulletin

http://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/11/07/san-manuel-to-build-new-hotel-event-venue-parking-structure-next-to-highland-casino/?utm_source… 1/4

By BRIAN WHITEHEAD | bwhitehead@scng.com | San Bernardino Sun

PUBLISHED: November 7, 2017 at 12:00 pm | UPDATED: November 7, 2017 at 5:45 pm

An artist rendering of San Manuel’s coming 500-room hotel, 4,000-seat entertainment venue, expanded casino space and 2,200-stall parkingstructure. The expansion is expected to conclude in 2020. (Photo courtesy of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians)

San Manuel Casino will soon have new neighbors.

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians on Tuesday, Nov. 7, announced plans to build a 500-room hotel, a 4,000-seat entertainment venue and

a 2,200-stall parking structure on 795,000 square feet of property adjacent to the existing casino.

Tribe of cials did not provide projected costs for the project, as it is still in the environmental and preliminary design phase.

Construction could begin as early as next year with a completion date in 2020.

The two-year project is expected to create approximately 1,400 construction jobs, San Manuel of cials said. About 1,200 will be hired to work

at the new sites.

“This is an opportunity for the Tribe to continue to remain vibrant in this market space,” San Manuel CEO Jerry Paresa said. “It’s a win-win for

the community. Not a lot of investment is going on in San Bernardino, and we have the opportunity to move the needle.

“We’re really excited about the opportunity.”

The yet-to-be-named hotel will have between 15 and 17 oors, of cials said. Also, a resort-style spa and pool, high-end restaurants and retail

space. Some 55,000 square feet is being carved out for expanded gaming.

A new performance venue will offer an alternative to San Bernardino’s National Orange Show Events Center and Devore’s Glen Helen

Amphitheater.

BUSINESS

San Manuel to build new hotel, event venue, parkingstructure next to Highland casino

11/8/2017 San Manuel to build new hotel, event venue, parking structure next to Highland casino – Daily Bulletin

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San Manuel expansion by the numbers

San Manuel previously used its old bingo hall for entertainment.

“San Manuel has been such a wonderful community partner over the many, many years they’ve been here,” said Deborah Barmack, president of

the nonpro t InlandAction, a coalition of local businesses and entities dedicated to bettering the community. “We’ve been waiting for the day

that we would have an entertainment venue, and especially a big, beautiful hotel, in this portion of our county.

“This investment does not come along every day.”

The economic bene ts of San Manuel’s expansion near Highland will manifest subtly, said John Husing, an area economist. By spending money

at local businesses, San Manuel employees, both temporary and permanent, will create jobs within those walls.

“For every new job, another is created,” Husing said. “If San Manuel is estimating creating 1,400 construction jobs, the total overall impact

would be 2,800 jobs, with half of them not knowing that they’re employed because of the project.”

Moreover, if the hotel, performance venue and extended gaming space attract dollars from outside the Inland Empire – as the casino does – the

region will reap additional bene ts, he said.

“And when (San Manuel) in turn puts that money into the community,” Husing added, “whether they buy dry cleaning or they donate it to

scholarships or other sorts of investments, there’s a huge effect in that way.”

A 2016 study found that San Manuel paid more than $200 million in wages and bene ts to its 4,000-plus employees – 3,200 of whom call San

Bernardino County home. The Tribe generated nearly $1 billion of annual direct, indirect and induced economic impact in the county, according

to the report, and has donated more than $80 million to county organizations.

“The whole gaming industry … has been quite a boom in terms of creating jobs that allow people to get into the hotel, entertainment and

gaming industries,” Husing said, “therefore creating an income that wouldn’t otherwise be there.”

Judi Penman, San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce president, commended San Manuel for bringing thousands of jobs to the region, and

lauded the Tribe for transforming its land into a destination for all.

“They’re not doing this just for themselves,” she said of the expansion. “They’re doing this to enhance this community. They’re rooted here, and

they believe in this community.

“We’re so lucky to have them. I see nothing but good coming out of this.”

With the announcement, San Manuel began a public review process; county residents have 30 days to comment on such off-reservation issues

as aesthetics, noise and traf c. San Manuel will then draft a Tribal Environment Impact Report to issue to the state.

The public will have another 45 days to review the draft and comment further.

San Manuel of cials expect the public input process to conclude in the spring.

“The Tribe has been a key and critical partner with the region economically, socially, and culturally, certainly,” said Jacob Coin, San Manuel

executive director of public affairs. “We’re proud of that record, and proud to continue with these kinds of investments that bene t the entire

region.”

San Manuel is the latest Southern California tribal casino to announce plans for expansion.

Pechanga Resort & Casino is wrapping up its $285 million expansion, to include a new hotel wing, a resort-style pool complex, new ballroom

and two new restaurants. Likewise, Soboba Casino is building a new casino and hotel complex.

And, Pala Casino Spa & Resort recently broke ground on a $170 million project that includes a new hotel.

“The Tribe is not like a corporation in that it can pick up and move to another county, another state,” Paresa said. “The Tribe is very anchored

here, and it’s a very important part of their values to give back to the community and invest in the community.”

Casino square footage: 55,000

Hotel rooms: Approximately 500

Restaurants: To be determined

Pools and spas: To be determined

Employees: As many as 1,200 between the new sites

Source: San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

11/8/2017 San Manuel announces new 500-room hotel - Highland Community News: Entertainment

http://www.highlandnews.net/entertainment/san-manuel-announces-new--room-hotel/article_eff823be-c423-11e7-a2b5-a7a73f195074.html?mode=print 1/1

San Manuel announces new 500-room hotelPosted: Tuesday, November 7, 2017 5:27 pm

Meeting in a conference room at the San Manuel CommunityCenter on the reservation, San Manuel executives unveiledplans for a new 500-room hotel with additional casino,shopping and other amenities.

The addition will include a 4,000-seat performance centerwhere top entertainment will be featured.

The 2,200-space parking structure will serve the hotel,restaurant and entertainment venue.

CEO Jerry Paresa said there will be about 1,400 constructionjobs on the project, and about 1,200 permanent jobs upon completion, expected in 2020.

The Tribe is putting out a Tribal Environmental Impact Report (EIR), inviting comments from thesurrounding area, to be followed by the Draft EIR before construction begins.

“We have our own Tribal requirements for construction,” Paresa said. “They are similar to those for citiesand counties.”

The Tribal Environmental Impact report many be reviewed and comments made at .SanManuelTEIR.com

New hotel, parking structure

Marilyn Manson Defends Pointing a Fake Rifle at San Bernardino Crowd Following

Texas Massacre B Y K A R E N M I Z O G U C H I

POSTED ON NOVEMBER 7, 2017 AT 12:54AM EST

Marilyn Manson is defending his use of a fake rifle during a recent concert, calling

the act a part of his “theater.”

The singer, 48, performed a show at Knotfest Meets Ozzfest in San Bernardino, California, on Sunday, just hours after at least 26 people were killed during a morning service at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, when a gunman walked into the sanctuary and opened fire.

San Bernardino is also still healing after a mass shooting in December 2015, left 14 people dead.

“In an era where mass shootings have become a nearly daily occurrence, this was an act of theater in an attempt to make a statement about how easily accessible semi-automatic weapons are and how seeing them has become normalized,” Manson said in a statement to Variety.

RONIN 47/SPLASH “My art has always been a reaction to popular culture and my way to make people think about the horrible things that happen in this world. My performance was not meant to be disrespectful or show any insensitivity,” he continued.

MAURICIO SANTANA/GETTY Manson, who was confined to a wheelchair due to injuring his leg in an onstage accident in September, pointed the prop rifle rigged as a microphone toward the audience while singing his song “We Know Where You F—ing Live.” The prop rifle featured a bright orange cap marking it as fake.

He concluded his statement: “The prop microphone I used on stage was handed to me with the approval of a police officer. My empathy goes out to anyone who has been affected by the irresponsible and reprehensible misuse of REAL guns.”

Manson’s Knotfest gig was the artist’s first concert since he was hospitalized and had to cancel nine shows after a stage prop crushed him mid-show.

http://people.com/music/marilyn-manson-explains-fake-rifle-at-san-bernardino-concert/

11/8/2017 89 adoptions finalized at special event in Ontario | abc7.com

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FAMILY & PARENTING

89 adoptions finalized at special event in Ontario

EMBED </> MORE VIDEOS

It's not often that anyone is excited to be sworn in before a judge, but the Ramos family was crying tears of joy before the hearing even began. (KABC)

By Rob McMillan

Tuesday, November 07, 2017 08:19PM

It's not often that anyone is excited to be sworn in before a judge, but the Ramos family was crying tears of joy before the hearing evenbegan.

"It means the world," said Gena Joy Ramos, standing next to her husband Sergio moments after their adoption of three siblings was madeofficial before a judge.

The hearing took place Tuesday inside a makeshift courtroom at the Ontario Convention Center.

"I've been waiting for the day to be called mom, and he's been waiting for the day to be called dad," said Joy Ramos. "And now we aremom and dad!"

But their family isn't the only one that got bigger on this day.

"It's definitely been a long journey, but worth it," said Vanessa Jones-Oyefeso, standing next to her husband Babtunde, holding herdaughter in her arms. "I can't really even put it into words, it's a really exciting thing. We're very thankful that she's part of our foreverfamily."

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FROM AROUND THE WEB MORE FROM ABC7

In all, 89 adoptions were finalized at an event called A Royal Celebration. It was the 20th year that San Bernardino County Children andFamily Services hosted the event.

After lunch, each family went before a judge in a makeshift courtroom. They were sworn in, and after answering three questions, theadoptions were finalized.

"By the end of the process, they're a family," said social service practitioner Patricia Santiago. "And it's a joyous thing to see."

Santiago was especially pleased to see so many adoptions of school-age children.

"We've always had a need for older children. Especially in this age, we always have more children than there are families," she added.

It worked out perfectly for the Ramos family.

"Well, we're not 20," joked Joy Ramos. "And I don't want to be 60 playing with a football."

Their three children are all siblings. The oldest is Priscilla, 8. When asked why she felt so happy, her answer was brief, but to the point.

"Because I'm being adopted."

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Related Topics: family adoption children feel good Ontario San Bernardino County

(Copyright ©2017 KABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.)

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11/8/2017 Measure K can't muster two-thirds majority vote

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By Paola Baker Staff Writer Posted Nov 7, 2017 at 8:28 PMUpdated at 12:15 AM

VICTORVILLE — Measure K looks to be short of the two-thirds majority vote needed to pass asales tax hike meant to bolster fire and public safety services here.

Unofficial election night results showed 2,042 voters said “No” on Measure K, a half-cent salestax measure expected to raise $8.5 million yearly in revenue to supplement the city’s generalfund dollars. The funds would be used specifically for public safety services.

Over 62 percent of the 5,393 votes counted, so far, leaned towards the measure, but theyweren’t enough to close the gap and reach the two-thirds majority needed.

“We are pleased that Victorville residents will be spared the additional burden of an increasedsales tax, particularly given the recent jump in gas prices due to misplaced priorities by ourleaders in Sacramento,” Inland Empire Taxpayers Association (IETA) president Chris Mannsaid.

The organization — along with the San Bernardino County Firefighters union, or Local 935 —spearheaded the measure’s opposition campaign. City officials promised funds generated by themeasure would be used to bolster fire services, but union president Jim Grigoli said there wereno guarantees of this.

“This could have easily been solved if (the city) signed a long-term contract with us, but theydidn’t,” Grigoli previously said. “And now we’re at the point that we can’t support somethingthat will leave our guys without jobs.”

But Mayor Pro Tem Jim Cox strongly denied this, stating the ordinance drafted by the city toput the measure on the ballot specifically stated the funds would be directly used to hire morefirefighters and replace aging equipment.

“I was pretty shocked when the County Fire union opposed us, because they provided us withthe list of things they needed. We complied, and to have them oppose it was just very shockingto me,” Cox said. “I still don’t understand it. It hurts.”

City officials have said current tax revenues can’t keep pace with rising contract costs — largelyattributed to Victorville’s agreement with the sheriff’s department — and that fire equipment isin need of upgrades or replacement.

Measure K can’t muster two-thirds majority vote

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“We really tried our best, and I think we did a good job at telling the public what Measure Kwas and how it would restrict what the funds would be used for,” Cox said.

With the measure apparently failing to gain the votes needed to pass, annexation into CountyFire’s service zone seems almost inevitable. Such a move would be accompanied by a $153yearly parcel tax on nearly 38,000 parcels in the city.

The parcel tax is subjected to a yearly 3 percent cost-of-living increase, which has equated to$36 in extra tax since 2008 when it was only $117.

Parcel tax revenue would be collected by County Fire, which would also assume assets andliabilities from the city including fire apparatus and facilities, as well as be responsible for capitalimprovements and service expansions.

The next round of results are expected to be released Wednesday afternoon.

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11/8/2017 UPDATE: Measure J narrowly misses two-thirds majority

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20171107/update-measure-j-narrowly-misses-two-thirds-majority 1/2

By Paola Baker Staff Writer Posted Nov 7, 2017 at 8:35 PMUpdated Nov 7, 2017 at 11:47 PM

BARSTOW — Voters here appeared to have decided against a sales tax hikemeant to bolster the city’s fire district services.

Measure J, a half-cent sales tax, was short of its two-thirds majority by a narrowmargin at the end of the unofficial election night results, with 609 residentsvoting “No” on Tuesday.

The last of Tuesday’s preliminary results released at 10 p.m. showed a slight edgeof voters backing Measure J, with 633 “Yes” votes tallied thus far.

“It’s a nailbiter, for sure,” Barstow Fire Protection District Fire Chief JamieWilliams said after the first results were released at 8 p.m. “We knew it would betight with mail-in ballots, but so far the vibe is really good.”

However, in a close race, the measure apparently failed to reach the thresholdneeded to pass: Out of 1,711 total votes and all precincts reporting, almost 65percent of voters approved the measure, in contrast to the 35 percent opposingit.

The measure would have imposed a half-cent sales tax throughout the city that’sexpected to generate an estimated $3.8 million a year, with residents paying anaverage of $47 a year, according to city officials.

The funds were meant to be earmarked for the Barstow Fire Protection District,which has been financially struggling for some time.

The measure was put to the ballot after the City Council approved a resolutionto do so in mid-April. The move came after several workshops were held in thehopes of finding solutions to the Barstow Fire Protection District’s bleeding

UPDATE: Measure J narrowly misses two-thirdsmajority

11/8/2017 UPDATE: Measure J narrowly misses two-thirds majority

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finances.

The measure was touted as a way for residents to maintain local accountability.City and fire officials both stated the measure would allow the BFPD to staylocal, while allowing residents to have their voice heard.

“We can’t necessarily rely on the county to make the best decisions for us,”Council member Rich Harpole said. “Measure J is the best solution for ourcommunity and it’s what we need to do to keep Barstow safe and strong.”

With Measure J seemingly defeated as of Tuesday night, city officials will now belooking at a limited set of alternatives to maintain fire services. The most likelyoption would be the City Council annexing the BFPD into the San BernardinoCounty Fire Department.

The region would then fall under the umbrella of County Fire’s FP-5 parcel tax,estimated to be about $150 for every parcel in the city. That tax would increase 3percent each year thereafter.

The San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters Union, or Local 935, wasopenly opposed to the sales hike, based on what union president Jim Grigolicharacterized as “derogatory comments” from Barstow firefighters againstCounty Fire.

“We are opposing it because the comments on the parcel tax makes us looks verybad,” Grigoli said.

City and fire officials have previously opposed a parcel tax, stressing howdifficult it could be to residents with a low or fixed income.

“We wanted to look at it as objectively as possible,” city spokesman AnthonyRiley said. “The city felt like this was the most equitable option.”

The next set of results are expected to be announced on Wednesday afternoon.

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11/8/2017 How did chunks of ice fall through a Chino homeowner’s roof? The FAA is checking it out – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/11/07/how-did-chunks-of-ice-fall-through-a-chino-homeowners-roof-the-faa-is-checking-it-out/ 1/4

By BRIAN ROKOS | brokos@scng.com | The Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: November 7, 2017 at 5:34 pm | UPDATED: November 7, 2017 at 6:07pm

.

LOCAL NEWS

How did chunks of ice fallthrough a Chino homeowner’sroof? The FAA is checking it out

11/8/2017 How did chunks of ice fall through a Chino homeowner’s roof? The FAA is checking it out – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/11/07/how-did-chunks-of-ice-fall-through-a-chino-homeowners-roof-the-faa-is-checking-it-out/ 2/4

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a Chino homeowner’s report

that large chunks of ice crashed through his roof on Saturday, Nov. 4.

The incident happened on Harrington Court, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said.

“Incidents such as this are extremely rare, but not unheard of,” Gregor wrote in an

email Tuesday.

The agency has not yet concluded whether the ice came from an airliner. He said

that the ice was clear, not blue, meaning that it could have formed on the outside

of an airliner from a leak in its galley. Blue ice would have come from an airliner’s

lavatory, he said.

“We are running radar replays to see which, if any, aircra� were �ying over the

area for a period of time before and a�er the homeowner says the incident

occurred,” Gregor said. “If we �nd aircra� were in the area, we will contact the

operators to advise them to check their planes for possible water leaks.”

A National Weather Service spokesman said it is unlikely that the ice was a result

of a weather phenomenon.

Meteorologist Brett Albright said large quantities of ice could form only if there

were an “intense updra�” of air capable of holding the ice alo�.

“That would be exceptionally rare in Southern California,” Albright said.

Such an updra� forms during thunderstorms, and there was no such weather in

the area at the time of the incident, he said.

Brian RokosBrian Rokos writes about public safety issues such as policing,criminal justice, scams, how law affects public safety,�re�ghting tactics and wildland �re danger. He has also coveredthe cities of San Bernardino, Corona, Norco, Lake Elsinore,

Tags:  investigation, Top Stories IVDB, Top Stories PE,Top Stories Sun

11/8/2017 KCDZ 107.7 FM - YUCCA VALLEY TO PUT COMMERCIAL CANNABIS PROPOSAL TO A VOTE

http://z1077fm.com/yucca-valley-to-put-commercial-cannabis-proposal-to-a-vote/ 1/1

« SIX MEN ARRESTED IN LOCAL ILLEGAL MARIJUANA GROW RAIDS TERRIER MIX FOUND IN 29 PALMS »

YUCCA VALLEY TO PUT COMMERCIAL CANNABIS PROPOSAL TO A VOTEBy Z107.7 News, on November 8th, 2017

More than 40 people got up before the Yucca Valley Town Council last night to give their opinions on what the town should do concerning a citizens’petition to permit commercial cannabis operations in town limits. Managing editor Tami Roleff was there during the marathon meeting and saysresidents will have the chance to vote on it themselves…

After listening to two hours of public comment on commercial cannabis operations last night, the Yucca Valley Town Council unanimously voted toorder an impact report and to hold an election next year to let the residents decide whether the businesses should be permitted in town limits.Speakers for the grow operations spoke about the jobs and revenue the grow operations bring. Raymond Navis who has written about 100 articles oncannabis cultivation, quoted the CEO of the Canndescent marijuana cultivation and manufacturing operation in Desert Hot Springs: “We have about35 jobs in our Desert Hot Springs facility, that number will grow to 75 by March. All have health benefits and stock options. Our current payroll is$100,000 per month and we anticipate it will double in the next three to four months.”

Other supporters said property values in areas with grow operations have skyrocketed, crime has decreased, and the investors use local residents andbusinesses to build and staff the operations.

Opponents countered that marijuana is still illegal under federal law, the operations would use too much water, and that Yucca Valley residents shoulddecide if the businesses should be permitted in town limits.

Council member Merl Abel summed up the feelings of the council. “As a council member, I have a real problem representing the community when Idon’t know what our marching orders are.”

The impact report will be presented to the council at the December 5 meeting, at which time the council will order a special election. It’s hoped theelection can be combined with the state election in June, 2018.

In other business, the council approved a contract with a company that will ensure that owners of short-term vacation rentals in the town are incompliance with town regulations. The council also set the permit fees for vacation rentals at $434 for the first year, with a slight discount forsubsequent years if there are no complaints.

It was a full house at the Yucca Valley Town Councilmeeting, as the council discussed the citizens’ initiative

to permit commercial cannabis operations in town limits.More than 40 people spoke on the issue at the meeting.

S H A R E T H I S :

November 8th, 2017 | Tags: marijuana, morongo basin, san bernardino county, yucca valley, yucca valley town council | Category: Featured, Local News, Top Story

10

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September 27, 2017In "Featured"

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11/8/2017 Marijuana grow containing 550 plants discovered in Adelanto – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/11/07/marijuana-grown-containing-550-plants-discovered-in-adelanto/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 1/3

By STEPHEN RAMIREZ | stramirez@scng.com | Inland Valley DailyBulletinPUBLISHED: November 7, 2017 at 5:52 pm | UPDATED: November 8, 2017 at 7:04am

A routine call to investigate an open garage door led authorities to discover a

marijuana growing operation containing 550 pot plants Monday in Adelanto, the

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said.

The deputy who responded to the 9:50 a.m. call for the garage door in the 11000

block of Everest Street found items normally used to cultivate marijuana indoors,

a sheriff’s statement said.

Related: Drug houses pose danger to neighbors, homebuyers, police; here’s

how to spot them

Deputies called in the sheriff’s Marijuana Enforcement Team, which served a

search warrant on the property. The team found 550 marijuana plants in various

stages of growth, the release said, as well as several pounds of processed

marijuana.

No suspects were identi�ed, the release said.

NEWSCRIME

Marijuana grow containing 550plants discovered in Adelanto

11/8/2017 Marijuana grow containing 550 plants discovered in Adelanto – San Bernardino Sun

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The marijuana-growing operation used advanced lighting, air conditioning, fans,

exhaust blowers and an air-�ltering system to control the climate inside the

residence — as well as the odor of marijuana, the release said.  The unit also

discovered that modi�cations were made to the residence’s wiring to support an

indoor grow.

There was also evidence of extreme water damage to the residence, which the

release said could have been caused by an electrical short that caused an

explosion or a �re, the release said.

The investigation is ongoing and attempting to identify any suspects responsible

for the grow, the release said. Of�cials are also seeking to contact the property

owner.

Authorities ask that anyone with information on the incident to call the Sheriff’s

Department at 909-387-8400. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the

We-Tip hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME or visit www.wetip.com.

Stephen RamirezSteve Ramirez writes about public safety issues includingcriminal justice and �res in Inland Southern California. Hepreviously covered high schools, college football and motorsports for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune since 1989. He's a big

fan of Buddy Holly and loves World War II movies. Follow Stephen Ramirez @SteveRRamirez

Tags:  Top Stories PE, Top Stories Sun

11/8/2017 Open garage door leads to discovery of 550-plant indoor marijuana grow in Adelanto

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20171107/open-garage-door-leads-to-discovery-of-550-plant-indoor-marijuana-grow-in-adelanto 1/2

By Kevin Trudgeon City EditorPosted Nov 7, 2017 at 3:53 PMUpdated Nov 7, 2017 at 3:53 PM

ADELANTO — An open garage door led to the discovery of a large indoormarijuana grow here Monday morning, authorities said.

Deputy C. Porter with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Victor Valley Stationwas investigating an open garage door in the 11000 block of Everest Street atapproximately 9:50 a.m. when he found “items typically used during the indoorcultivation of marijuana,” authorities said.

Deputy Porter requested assistance from the Sheriff’s Gangs/Narcotics Divisionand members of the Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) served a searchwarrant at the residence.

“Over 550 marijuana plants, in various stages of growth, and several pounds ofprocessed marijuana were found inside the residence,” sheriff’s officials said in astatement.

“The grow operation used advanced lighting, air conditioning, fans, exhaustblowers and an air-filtering system to control the climate inside the residence, aswell as the odor of marijuana coming from it.”

Authorities contacted Adelanto Code Enforcement after finding severalunpermitted building additions to the residence, according to authorities, andmodifications that were made to the electrical wiring to support the grow.

“An electrical short caused by the unpermitted electrical wiring most likelywould have resulted in an explosion or fire in the residential community causingpossible injuries to bystanders near the residence,” sheriff’s officials said.

Open garage door leads to discovery of 550-plant indoor marijuana grow in Adelanto

11/8/2017 Open garage door leads to discovery of 550-plant indoor marijuana grow in Adelanto

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20171107/open-garage-door-leads-to-discovery-of-550-plant-indoor-marijuana-grow-in-adelanto 2/2

MET is continuing the investigation and is attempting to identify the suspect(s)responsible for the marijuana grow, as well as locate the property owner.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to contact theSheriff’s Gangs/Narcotics Division at 909-387-8400. Callers wishing to remainanonymous may call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-782-7463 or visitwww.wetip.com.

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11/8/2017 $180,000 in grants helps Inland groups help families, women in need – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/11/07/180000-in-grants-helps-inland-groups-help-families-women-in-need/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tw… 1/3

By STAFF REPORT | |November 7, 2017 at 5:25 pm

$180,000 in grants helps Inland groups help families, women in need

The Guillermo J. Valenzuela Foundation has awarded $180,000 in grants to several

organizations that work to improve the health and well-being of underserved

families and women in the Inland area.

LOCAL NEWS

$180,000 in grants helps Inlandgroups help families, women inneed

11/8/2017 $180,000 in grants helps Inland groups help families, women in need – San Bernardino Sun

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Grants ranging from $15,000 to $25,000 were awarded to: Coachella Valley

Volunteers in Medicine; CompassPoint which offers leadership training; El Sol

Neighborhood Educational Center of San Bernardino which offers depression

screening, counseling and treatment; Inland Behavioral and Health Services,

Inc., of San Bernardino; Planned Parenthood of the Paci�c Southwest in

Coachella for a youth leadership program; Reach Out of Upland which provides

paid internship opportunities for low-income and underserved student; Southern

California Public Radio for its coverage of healthcare issues; and Time for Change

Foundation of San Bernardino to help provide  which provides accessibility to

safe, affordable housing for homeless women and children.

The grants were founded and funded by longtime Inland physician Dr. Guillermo

Valenzuela.

“I am humbled that our Foundation’s grants are being awarded to groups that play

such a critical role in improving the health, spirit and future opportunities of

women and families in need across the Inland Empire,” Valenzuela said in a news

release.  “The support, services and care these organizations provide to the Inland

community are absolutely vital and provide life-changing bene�ts.”

Staff report

Tags:  nonprofits

11/8/2017 Help Highland police identify thief - Highland Community News: Breaking News

http://www.highlandnews.net/news/breaking_news/help-highland-police-identify-thief/article_e798a436-c3f2-11e7-a749-23affd55d062.html?mode=print 1/1

Help Highland police identify thiefHighland PD | Posted: Tuesday, November 7, 2017 11:36 am

On Thursday Oct. 22, 2017 at approximately 2:24 p.m., a Hispanic male entered the McCleaners on BaseLine and Boulder Avenue in Highland and asked to pick up his dry cleaning.

As the clerk was attempting to locate his name, he started to un-plug the credit card machine. The clerkattempted to pull it back but the suspect yanked the cord out of her hand and ran out with it.

The suspect was described as a Hispanic male, thin build with a blue and gray New York Yankee’s baseballcap. The clerk could not describe his tattoos, only the letter “D” on his left hand.

Anyone with information regarding this crime or has had similar crimes of this nature occurring in their city,please contact the Highland Police Station.

11/8/2017 With veteran cop as interim police chief, Upland seeks to regain footing – Daily Bulletin

http://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/11/07/with-veteran-as-interim-police-chief-upland-seeks-to-regain-footing/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_mediu… 1/6

By DAVID ALLEN | dallen@scng.com | Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

PUBLISHED: November 7, 2017 at 3:09 pm | UPDATED: November 7, 2017 at 4:45 pm

Doug Millmore greets well-wishers Monday after an Upland City Council meeting inwhich he was named interim police chief. (Photo by David Allen)

LOCAL NEWS

With veteran cop as interim policechief, Upland seeks to regainfooting

11/8/2017 With veteran cop as interim police chief, Upland seeks to regain footing – Daily Bulletin

http://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/11/07/with-veteran-as-interim-police-chief-upland-seeks-to-regain-footing/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_mediu… 2/6

When I parked outside Upland City Hall on Monday afternoon, who should call out

my name but Councilman Gino Filippi, who was crossing D Street while pushing a

walker.

It was no gag: Filippi told me he recently had knee replacement surgery.

We were both headed to a special City Council meeting about the Police

Department. (I was headed there faster.) The police chief, Brian Johnson, had been

ousted Oct. 27 and a new one, Doug Millmore, was going to be con rmed and

introduced.

Is Filippi’s knee a metaphor for Upland’s police stumble? For its hobbled condition?

That’s a lot of philosophical weight to put on a knee, especially one that hasn’t

healed. But a column has to begin somehow.

This was, startlingly, my rst Upland City Council meeting of 2017. That it was at 1

p.m., lightly attended and about 20 minutes long made it an excellent choice. It’s

been my goal to attend one council meeting in each of our cities this calendar year.

Seven of nine have now been knocked off. Pomona and Rancho Cucamonga, look for

me soon.

But I’m always ready to return to the Upland rathaus — City Hall, in English — when

the city marks a milestone, like gaining its rst woman mayor a year ago, or when it’s

in crisis mode, which is, well, much of the time. People appeared glad to see me.

“I thought you had left us for greener pastures,” a policeman kidded me.

“I did, but Upland seems to have hit a brown patch,” I replied.

“And you’re here to water us?” he asked. I guess so.

About a dozen cops, including a few retirees, were there to see the council approve

Millmore’s contract and watch as he was sworn in.

11/8/2017 With veteran cop as interim police chief, Upland seeks to regain footing – Daily Bulletin

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Lt. Marcelo Blanco takes a photo of Doug Millmore, rst row in suit, with city of cials andother well-wishers after Millmore’s appointment as interim Upland police chief wascon rmed by the City Council. (Photo by David Allen)

Millmore is interim police chief and was hired by the interim city manager, Marty

Thouvenell. Interim is de nitely the way to go in Upland. The two old friends won’t

have much overlap, though: Thouvenell plans to be done before year’s end while

Millmore may be around until spring.

His mission, he told me, is to “stabilize the department through the transition” and

assist in the recruitment and hiring of a new chief. He also wants to ll vacancies in

the depleted ranks and will “review management practices, policies and procedures”

to recommend changes.

Basically, he will right the ship.

Johnson’s departure hasn’t been characterized as a ring or a resignation, but clearly

the relationship wasn’t working out and he had to go.

Hired in March 2015, Johnson had a softer touch with homelessness than many

liked, including Thouvenell, himself a former Upland police chief, who stepped in to

bring some order to Memorial Park. And Johnson had a Jeff Sessions-like approach

to marijuana, with a surprising degree of personal involvement: He led at least two

raids on dispensaries and he con scated pro-marijuana campaign signs.

A ght with members of his senior command staff led to an overwhelming no-

con dence vote by the rank and le.

11/8/2017 With veteran cop as interim police chief, Upland seeks to regain footing – Daily Bulletin

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But don’t take this as beating up on the guy. His heart was in the right place, and he

had 26 years of experience with the LAPD, but for whatever reason, he couldn’t

scale down his big-city policing for Upland. He was the rst Upland chief to be hired

from outside the department in modern times.

Millmore, by contrast, is an old Upland hand, hired on as an of cer fresh out of the

U.S. Army in 1969 and leaving only in 1995 to become chief in Murrieta. After

retiring there in 1998, he’s done security work for NASA.

At 70, the white-haired Millmore is likely more than a decade older than anyone in

the department. Only a handful of people now employed worked under him.

Cliff Mathews, who’s been with the department 26 years, is one. “I remember him as

a very intelligent and strong leader,” Mathews told me. “I think we’re excited to have

him aboard.”

That sentiment was echoed by others in public and private comments. Nick Peelman,

the incoming president of the Upland Police Of cers Association, declined to go into

the recent drama and its effect on morale. “We’re looking forward to him turning it

around for us,” he said of Millmore.

Will the next chief come from inside the department? “That’s been our trend,”

Millmore said, and it’s worked, because the chiefs have understood the culture and,

he said, “re ected the values of the community.” But the position hasn’t been posted

and the search hasn’t begun, he added.

Promoting from within may be dif cult this time: Upland’s upper management ranks

are depleted too.

Yes, you might say Upland has been knee-capped. But while the city has bent, it

hasn’t broken, or snapped in two. And despite the lancing pain, we can expect — OK,

I’m going to stop here before Filippi starts crying.

David Allen writes Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, more to cry about. Email

dallen@scng.com, phone 909-483-9339, visit insidesocal.com/davidallen, like

davidallencolumnist on Facebook, follow @davidallen909 on Twitter and buy “Getting

Started” and “Pomona A to Z.”

Tags:  David Allen Column, Top Stories IVDB

11/8/2017 'Bonding Experience': Mother Helps Daughter Deliver Baby at SoCal Gas Station - NBC Southern California

http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?expire=&action=cpt&partnerID=523232&fb=Y&title=%27Bonding+Experience%27%3A+Mother+Helps+Daug… 1/2

Powered by 'Bonding Experience': Mother Helps Daughter Deliver Baby at SoCalGas Station

"It was a bonding experience. It was amazing. I delivered mygrandson!"

By Tony Shin

A mom-to-be realized that she wouldn't make it in time to the hospital and had no choice but to give birth at thegas station. Thankfully, the baby's grandmother was there to help with the delivery. Tony Shin reports for theNBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017. (Published Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017)

An Inland Empire woman gave birth at a SoCal gas station early Monday morning, but instead of panicking, shestayed calm and delivered a healthy baby boy thanks to a lot of help from her mom.

"I think as a mom your job is never done ... you're always protecting your kids," Kaylee Atkins said.

Atkins confirmed that statement on Monday morning, when she went to Kaiser Hospital in Fontana because shethought she was about to deliver her son Rex.

"They told me I wasn't in labor so my mom took me to her house," she said.

Oh, Baby! Newborns Who Couldn't Wait for Hospital

Special Delivery: When Baby's on the Way and Can't Be Stopped

But within an hour of getting back to her mom's Crestline home, things started happening fast.

The pair got back in the car to head back to the hospital, but Atkins knew she "was not going to make it."

Her mom, Tracey Holt, also had a feeling they didn't have much time.

Updates: Download the NBCLA App

"She's telling me she's getting sick so she's opening the car window and screaming out the car window," Holtsaid.

Rex wasn't waiting any longer so Holt pulled over at a Shell gas station, which was closed at the time. It was ascary situation for any pregnant woman, but Atkins says she wasn't worried because her mother is a nurse.

"I had the best qualified person there to help me," Atkins said.

Free or Cheap Things to Do in Los Angeles

Holt went into "nurse mode" and "kept the patient calm."

11/8/2017 'Bonding Experience': Mother Helps Daughter Deliver Baby at SoCal Gas Station - NBC Southern California

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"I got out of the car, I laid down on that ground and started pushing. He was out within seconds of me gettingout of the car," Atkins said.

Holt wiped off Rex's mouth, nose and back and placed him on his daughter's chest. That's when the ambulanceshowed up.

Cindy Crawford Slashes $10M Off Malibu Estate Price Tag

It was Holt's first time helping anyone deliver a baby.

Atkin's 4-year-old son Troy couldn't be more pleased to have little Rex in his life.

"I'm really happy to have a brother," Troy said.

Eyes of the Homeless Reveal Stories of Heartache, Hope

And he's happy to have a mom and grandma who proved that it doesn't matter what age you are, when you're amom you're always protecting your kids.

"It was a bonding experience. It was amazing. I delivered my grandson. It was just awesome!" Holt said.

Published at 4:36 PM PST on Nov 7, 2017 | Updated at 9:33 PM PST on Nov 7, 2017

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11/8/2017 Industrial park area in Victorville sees new development

http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20171107/industrial-park-area-in-victorville-sees-new-development 1/1

By Rene Ray De La Cruz Staff Writer Posted Nov 7, 2017 at 12:11 PMUpdated Nov 7, 2017 at 12:11 PM

VICTORVILLE — After years of no new development in one industrial park district, a multi-tenant office is being constructed.

A crew recently broke ground and began construction on the one-story, 14,000-square-footindustrial flex building that sits on 1-acre on the northwest corner of Tamarack Road and ParkAvenue in Victorville.

The building is comprised of eight units, each 1,700 square feet with the ability to merge twosuites with a removal of the demising wall. The units are primarily designed for warehouse use,with an accessory office and roll-up doors that can be accessed via the alley way.

The new building will be situated across the street from the Boot Barn and B & B Cycle on ParkAvenue, and Desert Star Wholesale on Tamarack Road.

Based in the High Desert, Kursch Group Commercial Real Estate is handling the leasing of ofthe property that is located south of Palmdale Road and east of Amargosa Road.

For more information on the project, call Jeremy Schmidt at 760-983-2383 orwww.kurschgroup.com.

Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227, RDeLa Cruz@VVDailyPress.com, Twitter

@DP_ReneDeLaCruz and Instagram @reneraydelacruz.

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Industrial park area in Victorville sees new development

11/8/2017 Farmer Boys new CFO sees strength in the Riverside-based brand – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/11/07/farmer-boys-new-cfo-sees-strength-in-the-brand/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 1/4

By FIELDING BUCK | fbuck@scng.com | The Press-EnterpriseNovember 7, 2017 at 2:11 pm

Huntley Castner has joined Farmer Boys as chief financial officer.

BUSINESS

Farmer Boys new CFO seesstrength in the Riverside-basedbrand

11/8/2017 Farmer Boys new CFO sees strength in the Riverside-based brand – San Bernardino Sun

http://www.sbsun.com/2017/11/07/farmer-boys-new-cfo-sees-strength-in-the-brand/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 2/4

Farmer Boys has a lot of room to grow in Southern California, according to its

new chief �nancial of�cer.

“Farmer Boys passes the West Covina test,” said Huntley Castner in a phone

interview, using the Los Angeles suburb as a signature that the restaurant’s menu

has appeal just about anywhere.

Castner has a dozen years of experience, leading some very different companies

with very different commutes from his Manhattan Beach home.

He was vice president of �nance and strategy for the Panda Restaurant Group in

San Gabriel, followed by a stint with Yogurtland in Irvine.

His most recent role was CFO for the Lemonade Restaurant Group, which has

several restaurants on the west side of Los Angeles County and serves

adventurous seasonal menus with items such as poke and Tuscan kale and

tangerine salad.

He described Farmer Boys as more mainstream, “good food at good value.”

He came to the Riverside company through Karen Eadon, president and chief

operating of�cer. He said Eadon got him excited about the restaurant business

when she was mentoring him in a graduate program at UCLA and steered him

into a thesis project studying Taco Bell.

“She had an opportunity,” he said of Farmer Boys. “I was interested and what I

learned got me more interested.”

Farmer Boys can succeed in the competitive fast casual market by doing “more of

the same,” emphasizing its fresh produce and reaching a market that wants

“something really tasty and fast.”

The chain is currently running commercials for a chili burger promotion, but

Castner said the salad menu can be just as much of a draw.

Farmer Boys operates 90 restaurants in California and Nevada. Castner said the

chain can expand by building on its reputation in communities where it already

has restaurants.

“We go to the next town over where people are dying to have their Farmer Boys.”

Tags:  Top Stories PE

11/8/2017 How California ranks as a place for veterans to live – Daily Bulletin

http://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/11/08/how-california-ranks-as-a-place-for-veterans-to-live/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 1/6

By KURT SNIBBE | ksnibbe@scng.com | Orange County Register

November 8, 2017 at 8:58 am

How California ranks as a place for veterans to live

Best places to live

More vets live in California than any other state, but that might not be for long. Here’s a look at how California ranks in several categories for

veterans and what the future might hold.

This week the personal nance website WalletHub released its report on the best and worst places for veterans to live. The report compares

the 100 largest U.S. cities, using 17 metrics. California has more than 1.73 million veterans and had 17 cities ranked. Here’s a look:

NEWS

How California ranks as a place for veterans to live

11/8/2017 How California ranks as a place for veterans to live – Daily Bulletin

http://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/11/08/how-california-ranks-as-a-place-for-veterans-to-live/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 2/6

You can see the full report at WalletHub here.

Best cities

11/8/2017 How California ranks as a place for veterans to live – Daily Bulletin

http://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/11/08/how-california-ranks-as-a-place-for-veterans-to-live/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 3/6

How the rankings are calculated:

1. Austin, Texas

2. Colorado Springs, Colo.

3. Virginia Beach, Va.

4. Raleigh, N.C.

5. Plano, Texas

6. Tampa, Fla.

7. Fremont

8. Seattle

9. San Diego

10. Boise, Idaho

Worst cities

91. Cleveland

92. San Bernardino

93. Toledo, Ohio

94. North Las Vegas

95. Birmingham, Ala.

96. Memphis, Tenn.

97. Hialeah, Fla.

98. Baltimore

99. Newark, N.J.

100. Detroit

Total scores are based on rankings for jobs, economy, quality of life and health. Rankings are based on some of the following criteria, with 25

points in each category:

Jobs: Share of military skill-related jobs and veteran unemployment rates.

Economy: Housing affordability, veteran income growth, education opportunity and share of veterans living below the poverty level.

Quality of life: Veteran population levels, family-friendliness and retiree-friendliness.

Health: VA bene ts facilities and quality of the facilities.

Veteran population projections

The Department of Veterans Affairs predicts the total veteran population is predicted to decline from 20 million in 2017 to 13.6 million in

2037.

Veteran population in millions

 

Population projection by generation

11/8/2017 How California ranks as a place for veterans to live – Daily Bulletin

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Where the vets live

Charities for vets

California has the most veterans of any state, with 1.73 million in FY 2016.

VA facilities, California, National

Number of inpatient care sites, 10, 155

Number of outpatient care sites, 60, 1,028

Number of vet centers, 30, 300

Number of VBA regional of ces, 3, 55

Number of cemeteries, 13, 243

Annual percentage change of veteran population by congressional district: 2017-2027

About 25 percent of veterans reside in the California, Texas and Florida. Veterans are moving to the West and South. Texas is projected to have

more veterans than California in 2027, and Florida is projected to have more in 2037.

 

According to CharityWatch, donors who want to make contributions to programs that serve the military and veterans face an almost

overwhelming volume of choices. By some accounts, there are more than 40,000 nonpro t organizations dedicated to serving the military and

veterans.

The 2014 Directory of Veterans and Military Service Organizations published by the VA lists more than 140 national nonpro t organizations.

CharityWatch rates 53 charities for veterans and the military, and unfortunately, 26 of them receive an “F” grade for being nancially

inef cient. There were 16 charities with a grade of “C” or higher.

Everybody gives

11/8/2017 How California ranks as a place for veterans to live – Daily Bulletin

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VIEW COMMENTS

As taxpayers, we all pay for veterans bene ts. The Veterans Affairs Department is the second largest federal agency in the U.S. government,

behind only the Defense Department, with over 340,000 employees and a 2015 budget of almost $164 billion. Included in the budget is over

$95 billion allocated for mandatory programs such as disability compensation and pensions and $56 billion for medical care.

Needs for vets

There are six areas for the needs of veterans and the military highlighted in the 2013 report by Serving Those Who Served: Education,

employment, family and community, legal/ nancial/housing, mental health and physical health.

You can read the whole report here.

Effective support

The same report also notes there are three services the government does not provide support for: Bereavement services, connections with

other veterans, emergency funds

Sources: National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, Wallethub.com, The Associated Press, CharityWatch, Charity Navigator,

“Serving Those Who Served: A Wise Giver’s Guide to Assisting Veterans and Military Families, ” by Thomas Meyer, PhilanthropyRoundtable

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

 

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Kurt SnibbeKurt Snibbe is a visual journalist for Southern California News Group. Snibbe has won several medals in internationalgraphics competitions and was a staff cartoonist for ESPN.com. Snibbe began with The Orange County Register in 1997, leftin 2008 and returned in 2013.

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11/8/2017 California’s modified Salton Sea plan won’t stop environmental disaster, Redlands expert says – Daily Bulletin

http://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/11/08/californias-modified-salton-sea-plan-wont-stop-environmental-disaster-redlands-expert-says/?utm_s… 1/4

By JIM STEINBERG | jsteinberg@scng.com | San Bernardino Sun

PUBLISHED: November 8, 2017 at 8:28 am | UPDATED: November 8, 2017 at 8:47 am

File photo by Rodrigo Pena, Contributing Photographer

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-La Quinta, brought up environmental problems stemming from thedecay of the Salton Sea in making the case for legislation he’s co-sponsoring with Sen.Cory Booker, D-N.J.

NEWSCALIFORNIA NEWS

California’s modi�ed Salton Seaplan won’t stop environmentaldisaster, Redlands expert says

11/8/2017 California’s modified Salton Sea plan won’t stop environmental disaster, Redlands expert says – Daily Bulletin

http://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/11/08/californias-modified-salton-sea-plan-wont-stop-environmental-disaster-redlands-expert-says/?utm_s… 2/4

California’s Water Resources Control Board described its new Salton Sea plan as a

landmark agreement, but at least one expert is questioning the modi ed approach,

calling it “band-aids to a very serious environmental disaster.”

With water deliveries from the Colorado River coming to a halt at the end of this

year, the shrinking lake will be reduced at an even faster rate, a development which

the state says poses a public health risk due to particulate air pollution from dust

blown from the exposed lake bed.

Additionally, the rapidly declining water levels will increase the lake’s salinity,

threatening sh which are essential for migrating birds, including several threatened

and endangered species, the state said in a statement.

“To counter these negative developments, the state’s 10-year plan calls for

construction of 29,800 acres of ponds, wetlands and dust-suppression projects on

portions of the exposed lakebed. The plan outlines annual targets for completion,

beginning with 500 acres in 2018 and ramping up to 4,200 acres in 2028. The

agreement further commits the state to create a long-term plan beyond the initial

10 years, the statement said.

But Timothy Krantz, professor of environmental studies at the University of

Redlands, said the construction of nearly 30,000 acres of ponds “are only band-aids

to a very serious environmental disaster.”

“Our models at the Salton Sea Database at the University of Redlands indicate about

90,000 acres (140 square miles) of lake bed exposure over that same period,” said

Krantz, program director for the database.

While the 30,000 acres of wetlands, if strategically located, will mitigate air quality

and habitat somewhat, 60,000 acres of lake bed will remain exposed to the desert

winds, he said.

“And the rest of the Sea will die, converting from a marine sh ecosystem to one

dominated by brine ies, like Mono Lake,” he said. “Not a pretty picture. And a

disaster for most migratory birds, including white pelicans, cormorants, grebes and

other sh-eating birds. We will experience an exponential increase in severe dust

storms, carrying very ne silt to communities from Phoenix to Mexicali to the Inland

Empire, even Los Angeles,”  he said.

In accepting the multi-party agreement this week, the State Water Board also

de ned its own oversight role, the statement said. Every year, the board will hold a

public meeting by March 31 to hear a progress report on the previous year, including

updates on completed projects, amount of acreage, and nancial resources. The plan

identi es steps to be taken if the state fails to achieve those targets.

11/8/2017 California’s modified Salton Sea plan won’t stop environmental disaster, Redlands expert says – Daily Bulletin

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Join the Conversation

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightfulconversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove anyinformation or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive,

“We heard from residents of the Imperial and Coachella valleys, and understand the

urgent need to improve air quality and maintain valuable habitat,” State Water

Board Member Joaquin Esquivel, said in a statement. “We are going to be

monitoring the restoration work closely, and have identi ed cumulative milestones

necessary to protect public health and the environment.”

Kim Del no, California program director for Defenders of Wildlife, called for more

immediate action.

“Certainly, a sense of urgency is good, but we won’t be able to wave a piece of paper

at the dust clouds, or the dead or absent wildlife,” Del no said in a statement.

“Fourteen years ago when the State promised to address the problems at the Sea,

2018 seemed like plenty of time to protect and restore the Sea. Now we’re two

months away from the deadline and impending disaster, and it’s time to get some

shovels in the ground and a lot more money dedicated to the Sea.”

 

 

Jim SteinbergJim Steinberg is a national-award winning environmental writer.He also covers medical and healthcare issues, drones and aviation,military and the cities of Fontana and Rialto.

Follow Jim Steinberg @JamesDSteinberg

Tags:  environment, Top Stories IVDB, Top Stories PE,Top Stories RDF, Top Stories Sun

11/8/2017 California City Proposes Drone Rules After Rash of Incidents

http://www.govtech.com/fs/news/California-City-Proposes-Drone-Rules-After-Rash-of-Incidents.html 1/5

NEWS(/fs/news)

(/fs)

SHUTTERSTOCK

California City Proposes Drone Rules After Rashof IncidentsRecent events involving unmanned aerial vehicles are prompting Oceanside officials toconsider new rules around the devices.

BY PHIL DIEHL, THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE / NOVEMBER 3, 2017

(TNS) -- Oceanside agreed this week to set some rules for flying drones in public places,the result of recent incidents, including one that injured a beachgoer.

“We just want to establish some protocols so we can be sure people are safe,” police Lt.Aaron Doyle told Oceanside City Council members at a meeting Wednesday.

11/8/2017 California City Proposes Drone Rules After Rash of Incidents

http://www.govtech.com/fs/news/California-City-Proposes-Drone-Rules-After-Rash-of-Incidents.html 2/5

The rapid spread of remotely piloted aircraft has some cities looking for ways to controlthem. Poway was one of the first cities in the area to set limits in 2015, and San Diegoadopted its regulations in April. The Federal Aviation Administration also setsregulations for drones, but those rules are administrative and can’t be enforced by localpolice.

Oceanside’s proposal would require operators to get a permit before flying drones overthe beach, the pier and a few other places. Among other restrictions, it would requiredrones to remain within the operator’s line of sight, outside the flight path of anyoccupied aircraft, and only operate during daylight.

Oceanside City Council members unanimously supported the proposal, which would beeffective 30 days after a second presentation to the council expected later this year.

Three incidents over the summer prompted Oceanside police to request the ordinance,Doyle said.

A drone fell onto a beachgoer causing minor injuries in July after the pilot lost sight ofhis flying machine and it crashed into a palm tree near the city pier, he said. Anothernarrowly missed a young girl on the beach in August after the operator lost control.

Perhaps the most serious problem occurred in June, Doyle said. City and countyfirefighters were battling an 85-acre blaze near the border of Oceanside and CampPendleton. Crews in aircraft delivering water drops on the fire spotted a drone in theirflight path, and all aerial operations had to cease for about one hour until it was gone.

Not only does the delay hinder firefighting efforts, but a mid-air collision between aremotely operated drone and an occupied aircraft could have tragic results, withfatalities and extensive property damage, the lieutenant said.

The proposed ordinance also prohibits drones over occupied schools, or to transmitvisual images or audio recordings of anyone who has a reasonable expectation ofprivacy.

Drones must remain within the line of sight of the operator without the use ofbinoculars or other vision-enhancing devices, and cannot approach any closer than 25feet to any person but the operator or an assistant.

11/8/2017 California City Proposes Drone Rules After Rash of Incidents

http://www.govtech.com/fs/news/California-City-Proposes-Drone-Rules-After-Rash-of-Incidents.html 3/5

Drone Impeded California Firefighting Efforts(http://www.govtech.com/public-safety/Drone-Impeded-California-Firefighting-Efforts.html)

Proposed LAPD Drone Policy Draws Public Ire(http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/Proposed-LAPD-Drone-Policy-Draws-Public-Ire.html)

Delivery Drones Get Test Run in Las Vegas(http://www.govtech.com/fs/automation/Delivery-Drones-Get-Test-Run-in-Las-Vegas.html)

Also, the ordinance requires a pre-approved, one-time city permit to operate a droneover the beach, the pier, the City Hall complex or police and fire stations. The cost of thepermit is expected to be about $150, but Councilwoman Esther Sanchez said the amountshould be less.

Some beautiful videos have been made with drones over Oceanside’s pier, mission andbeaches, Sanchez said, and she wants to encourage people to make more of them. Postedon the internet, the videos can boost the city’s image and help attract tourists to thearea.

Councilman Jerry Kern said the cost of the permit should be enough to recover the city’scosts for regulating the activity, and that the amount can be adjusted later, if necessary.

“The technology is moving so rapidly, we’re playing catch-up,” Kern said.

The proposed regulations should not prohibit the average person from flying dronesthey receive as gifts or buy for hobbies, Councilman Jack Feller said.

“This does not prohibit a guy who gets a drone from flying it in his cul de sac,” Fellersaid.

Violators of the ordinance could be subject to fines of $1,000 for each violation, andcould have their drone impounded as evidence.

©2017 The San Diego Union-Tribune Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

RE LATED

11/8/2017 Reform Prop. 13 to increase California’s investment in public education – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/11/07/reform-prop-13-to-increase-californias-investment-in-public-education/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 1/5

By BILL HEDRICK |PUBLISHED: November 7, 2017 at 6:30 pm | UPDATED: November 7, 2017 at 6:34pm

File photo by Stan Lim, The Press-Enterprise/SCNGChildren walks past the classrooms at Central Elementary School in RanchoCucamonga before the start of school on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015.

OPINION

Reform Prop. 13 to increaseCalifornia’s investment in publiceducation

11/8/2017 Reform Prop. 13 to increase California’s investment in public education – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/11/07/reform-prop-13-to-increase-californias-investment-in-public-education/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 2/5

As a result of chronic underfunding, California’s teachers are becoming

increasingly over-burdened and students are not receiving the quality public

education they deserve. Once one of the top states in the nation for public pre-K-

12 education, California now ranks 42nd in the nation for public pre K-12 schools

according to US News. The state rankings were based on several factors including

the percentage of children enrolled in preschool, teacher training, class size,

teacher-to-student ratios, eighth-grader math and reading scores, and college

preparedness.

In January 2017, the California Budget and Policy Center ranked California 41st in

the nation for per student spending. Our state spent $10,291 per student in 2015-

2016, which is drastically lower then the national average of $12,252 per pupil.

Though higher spending does not necessarily equate to higher quality public

schools, it is undeniable that California’s public schools lack the necessary

resources to provide a nationally competitive public education for our students.

Moreover, California community college spending has decreased in recent years

and community colleges will lose a total of $102 million over the next calendar

year. Though California’s community colleges provide access to valuable higher

education alternatives and career and technical training for students, they also

build a stronger economy for the entire state. According to the Public Policy

Institute of California, our state needs to train one million more workers with

middle-skilled credentials over the next 10 years in order to remain competitive in

an ever-changing global economy. Community college is the key to building a

more robust and competitive work force for tomorrow — but many students and

families are unable to afford enrollment today.

For over four decades, we have consistently ignored the sensible solution to the

strain on public pre-K-12 and higher education funding: Closing the $9 billion

commercial property tax loophole in Proposition 13.

Prop. 13 was originally created to protect homeowners by limiting property tax

rates, thus relieving the tax burden on working families and allowing residents to

keep their homes. In reality, this tax initiative fundamentally changed property

tax rates and government revenue sources forever by extending the protections

for homeowners to corporations. Essentially, big corporations in California have

been paying ridiculously low property taxes based on unfair value assessments

made in the 1970’s.

11/8/2017 Reform Prop. 13 to increase California’s investment in public education – Press Enterprise

http://www.pe.com/2017/11/07/reform-prop-13-to-increase-californias-investment-in-public-education/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter 3/5

Corporate property taxes were a substantial portion of our state’s budget prior to

Prop. 13, but now California is losing an estimated $9 billion a year in tax revenue.

Now is the time to add a constitutional amendment to close the commercial

property tax loophole, without eliminating protections for residential properties

and ensuring that Prop. 13 will remain in effect for homeowners and renters.

Since Prop. 13’s inception, California has lacked crucial funding for public

services and investments in infrastructure while local communities absorbed the

cost of educating our young people. Every dollar given to large corporations in

excessive tax breaks is one dollar less we have to rebuild our roads, improve our

health clinics, and ensure that every student has access to the best public

education possible.

In 1978 — the year Prop. 13 passed — California was 14th in per pupil spending.

Over the next forty years, funding per student steadily decreased and we are now

in the bottom 10 states in the nation. As California continues to spend less than

the national average per student, President Trump’s wish list for the 2018

Department of Education budget threatens to cut crucial federal funding for

public education by $9.2 billion nationwide. In the wake of dramatic blows to the

federal Department of Education, closing the commercial property tax loophole

in Prop. 13 could be the saving grace that helps boost California’s funding per

pupil and keeps our students from falling further behind.

While state lawmakers debate how to best utilize state funds, the fact remains,

overall public education funding for both pre K-12 and community college is

inadequate and in desperate need of an increase. California can no longer deprive

our young people of a quality public education and we must prioritize education

over corporate interests. It is time for California to close the commercial property

tax loophole in Prop. 13, and join the rest of the country in reaping the rewards of

annual commercial property assessments for the sake of our young people.

Bill Hedrick is a Riverside Community College District trustee.

Bill Hedrick

Tags:  Guest Commentary

11/8/2017 GOP tax bill would end deduction for wildfire and earthquake victims — but not recent hurricane victims - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-wildfire-tax-deduction-20171107-story.html 1/4

T

GOP tax bill would end deduction for wildfireand earthquake victims — but not recenthurricane victims

By Jim Puzzanghera

NOVEMBER 7, 2017, 2:50 PM | REPORTING FROM WASHINGTON

he House Republican tax bill would eliminate the deduction for personal losses from wildfires,

earthquakes and other natural disasters, but keep the break for victims of the recent severe

hurricanes.

If the bill becomes law, the deduction would disappear next year, but would be available for victims of the

massive wildfires that struck Northern California last month — as long as they can figure out their uninsured

losses and include them on their 2017 tax return.

Santa Rosa resident Mark Sharp sifts through the remains of his charred home in search of his wife's wedding band on Oct. 20. (Luis Sinco/ Los Angeles Times)

11/8/2017 GOP tax bill would end deduction for wildfire and earthquake victims — but not recent hurricane victims - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-wildfire-tax-deduction-20171107-story.html 2/4

The legislation specifically repeals the deduction for personal casualty losses. The Internal Revenue Service

describes casualty losses as including those from “natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and

earthquakes. It can also include losses from fires, accidents, thefts or vandalism.”

In the case of a major disaster, Congress still would be able to pass special legislation offering tax breaks for

victims, as it has done in the past.

But such bills would be difficult to pass for smaller scale incidents that still are devastating to the victims, said

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Porter Ranch).

“Let’s say your home burns down and it isn’t a disaster that CNN covers,” he said. “You’re affected the same

way, whether it’s nine of your neighbors or 900 of your neighbors that lose homes.”

Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) called the elimination of the deduction “cruel” and “heartless.” He planned

to try to amend the bill and restore the deduction on Tuesday, but that amendment was expected to fail.

“There’s never been a fire like this in our country,” Thompson said of the Northern California wildfires.

“Do you really think that we’re going to be able to go in, assess all of the costs, get everything cleaned up, figure

out where people are going to stand in time to do their taxes?” Thompson told colleagues on the House Ways

and Means Committee on Monday night as they began debating the legislation. “It’s not going to happen.”

Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C) said California residents could file amended 2017 returns later. And Rep. Kevin Brady

(R-Texas), the committee’s chairman, said he planned to introduce legislation within the next month offering

special tax relief for wildfire victims.

But Thompson and some California officials are concerned that killing the deduction would hurt people in the

state.

“Eliminating the deduction will place even greater strain on residents of our region at a time when our county is

most in need of assistance,” Shirlee Zane, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, wrote to

Thompson.

The Northern California wildfires last month destroyed nearly 8,800 structures and killed 43 people, she said.

Even more frustrating to some California officials is the decision by Brady to grandfather in losses from

hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Brady’s district is just north of Houston, which was severely damaged by

Hurricane Harvey.

Santa Rosa Mayor Chris Coursey said that move “smacks of political favoritism.”

“Please, let’s not play politics with families who are suffering the very real impacts and challenges of recovering

from this fire disaster,” Coursey wrote to Thompson in urging him to fight the tax change.

11/8/2017 GOP tax bill would end deduction for wildfire and earthquake victims — but not recent hurricane victims - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-wildfire-tax-deduction-20171107-story.html 3/4

The deduction for personal casualty losses is one of many individual breaks that would be eliminated in the

House Republican tax bill in an effort to streamline the tax code and produce more revenue to help offset cuts

to corporate, business and individual rates.

The deduction covers “losses arising from fire, storm, shipwreck or other casualty, or from theft,” according to a

summary of the bill, which was unveiled last week.

The legislation would continue the special disaster relief tax breaks included in legislation in September aimed

at victims of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

That bill, signed into law by President Trump, expanded the personal casualty deduction for those disasters. It

waived the requirements that taxpayers itemize their returns and that losses must exceed 10% of adjusted gross

income.

“So the folks in Texas who lost their homes in a hurricane, you take care of them,” Thompson told Brady.

“But anybody else who gets a disaster, the 9,000 people in California … most of which are in my district, who

just lost their homes to the worst fires we’ve ever seen, you’d take away the ability to benefit from the tax code,”

Thompson said. “Why would you have done that?”

Brady said he hoped to pass a special disaster relief bill similar to the one for the hurricanes that would allow

last month’s California wildfire victims to claim losses even if they don’t itemize their deductions.

“If you’d like to work together to provide relief not just for those who itemize but [for] those who do not in those

wildfires then let’s work together,” Brady told Thompson. Thompson said he would work with Brady on that

legislation.

Sherman, whose district was hit by the Northridge earthquake in 1994, said the tax bill change would leave

Americans dependent on congressional action in the case of a disaster. Such special legislation to allow personal

loss deductions would add to the cost of disaster aid bills and might mean less federal funding for other

recovery assistance, he said.

“Imagine if, God forbid, we have an earthquake and the California delegation is back here trying to fight

simultaneously for disaster relief to rebuild infrastructure on the one hand and fair treatment of individuals on

the other,” he said. “If we have to fight two battles, we might only win one.”

jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com

Twitter: @JimPuzzanghera

UPDATES:

2:50 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Porter Ranch).

11/8/2017 L.A. County leaders don’t want legal pot shops to take over neighborhoods. Here’s what they’re doing – Daily Bulletin

http://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/11/07/la-county-leaders-dont-want-legal-pot-shops-to-take-over-neighborhoods-heres-what-theyre-doing/?… 1/5

By SUSAN ABRAM | sabram@scng.com | Daily News

PUBLISHED: November 7, 2017 at 2:25 pm | UPDATED: November 7, 2017 at 5:24 pm

FILE PHOTO

A room with High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights use for the flower stage of marijuanaplants at The Reefinery in Van Nuys on Thursday, Aug 24, 2017. (Photo by EdCrisostomo, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

NEWS

L.A. County leaders don’t want legalpot shops to take overneighborhoods. Here’s what they’redoing

11/8/2017 L.A. County leaders don’t want legal pot shops to take over neighborhoods. Here’s what they’re doing – Daily Bulletin

http://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/11/07/la-county-leaders-dont-want-legal-pot-shops-to-take-over-neighborhoods-heres-what-theyre-doing/?… 2/5

“So it really is like whack-a-mole,” Solis said, referring to a term that was used earlier

this year when the Board rst heard about the issue.

Concerned about the growth of legal cannabis businesses sprouting up in low-

income areas, Los Angeles County leaders approved Tuesday an effort seeking to

protect communities from any negative impacts on neighborhoods.

The motion, authored by Supervisors Mark Ridley Thomas and Hilda Solis, asks the

county’s Department of Public Health and the Of ce of Cannabis Management to

craft a model that would emphasize “health equity” in those communities where

legal cannabis businesses soon may open.

“Cannabis businesses have continued to multiply in low-income communities of

color, reminiscent of problematic alcohol outlets and compound the deterioration of

the health and vitality of surrounding neighborhoods,” according to their motion.

“How these cannabis businesses are operated, and by whom, greatly affect the

physical and sociocultural environment of these neighborhoods, in uencing norms

and values, social networks and interactions, and social and cultural expression.”

Already, illegal medical marijuana dispensary owners have balked at any attempt at

enforcement. Across unincorporated Los Angeles County, there were 75 illegal

medical marijuana dispensaries in April. Of those, 29 were closed, but 31 opened

soon after, a county of cial told the Board Tuesday.

RELATED STORY: Keeping LA County’s illegal medical pot shops closed is like a

game of ‘whack-a-mole’

The unincorporated areas include more than 2,600 square miles or 65 percent of Los

Angeles County. About 1 million people live in these areas.

In Solis’ district, which includes vast parts of East Los Angeles, there were 38

dispensaries in April. Of those, 14 were closed by county enforcement, but another

14 opened.

“I’d like to take it a little bit further,” she added, “that it is an environmental justice

concern as well.”

Ridley-Thomas said in his experience as a former Los Angeles City Councilman he

was often confronted with discussions about too many liquor stores in low-income

areas. He said the county needed to act fast on legal cannabis businesses before the

same happens, or else “it is hell to dial it back.”

11/8/2017 L.A. County leaders don’t want legal pot shops to take over neighborhoods. Here’s what they’re doing – Daily Bulletin

http://www.dailybulletin.com/2017/11/07/la-county-leaders-dont-want-legal-pot-shops-to-take-over-neighborhoods-heres-what-theyre-doing/?… 3/5

“That’s a very unsettling thought to me,” Ridley-Thomas said of the proliferation of

liquor stores and the same occurring with cannabis businesses. “This amounts to a

huge setback potentially for communities throughout the county, in particular, those

who are already facing substantial challenge with respect to lack of appropriate

enforcement.”

A set of regulations for legal recreational marijuana is set to be introduced before

the end of the year by the County’s Of ce of Cannabis Management. California

voters approved Proposition 64 in 2016, allowing legalization of recreational

marijuana. The sale of adult use cannabis is set to begin in early 2018.

RELATED STORY: You might pay 70% more in taxes when marijuana becomes legal

to buy in California 

Tuesday’s approval of the motion means that a discretionary hearing process would

take place for cannabis retailers that will assess, among other factors, the impact of

that retailer in that neighborhood. For example, that neighborhood would be

examined for the number of liquor stores there, graduation rates, crime stats and

health outcomes. The community also would be invited to the hearing process.

“The discretionary hearing process should empower the County hearing body to

place conditions on the issuance of a cannabis retail license to mitigate any potential

negative health outcomes, or to deny the issuance of the license if these conditions

will not be suf cient to mitigate the impacts,” according to the motion.

The motion also asks that a grant program be established to “bolster positive youth

development programs, substance use disorder programs, drug prevention

programs and community development in high-need areas”

A report back from several county departments on the feasibility of some elements

of the motion is due back in 60 days.

susan-abram Susan Abram

Susan Abram covers public health and county government for theLos Angeles Daily News and the Southern California News Group.

Follow Susan Abram @sabramLA

Tags:  LA County Board of Supervisors, marijuana,Top Stories Breeze, Top Stories LADN, Top Stories LBPT,Top Stories PSN, Top Stories SGVT

POLITICS

LA County turns attention to

domestic violence

L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl wants the

county to focus more of its resources on domestic violence.

BRIAN WATT/KPCC

Rina Palta | November 7, 2017

Los Angeles County officials are trying to bring more attention

and resources to domestic violence.

A motion passed unanimously Tuesday by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors creates a set

of positions at the Department of Public Health devoted to coordinating the county's response to

the needs of domestic violence victims and domestic violence prevention. It also moves the

county's domestic violence council to the public health department.

Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who co-authored the motion along with Supervisor Hilda Solis, said the

move is meant to bring an issue that often goes overlooked to the forefront of county planning.

"There is no part of our county service that is not touched in some way by domestic violence,"

Kuehl said. "I remember reports from animal welfare of women dropping off animals saying, 'my

husband won't let me have this pet anymore,' and noticing some bruises on the woman."

According to Kuehl, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department has received 8,859 domestic violence

reports so far this year in the area the agency patrols. There were 10,290 last year.

Women in prison and jails have often been victims of abuse, Kuehl said. Homelessness among

women is also linked to domestic violence.

"We have many women on our streets who have a home, but they're not safe to live there," said

Supervisor Janice Hahn.

Though the added resources and move of the current county council on domestic violence to

the public health department was planned some time ago, officials expressed increased

urgency following Sunday's mass shooting at a Texas church.

The suspected murderer of 26 people at the church in Sutherland Springs had been convicted

of domestic violence in 2012 for abusing his then-wife and stepson.

"Things can just absolutely spiral out of control unless those entities responsible step up," said

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. "Domestic violence is often a canary in the coal mine for future

domestic violence."

11/8/2017 Voice of San Diego Sacramento Report: San Diego County Slow to Implement Granny Flat Law - Voice of San Diego

https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/sacramento-report-san-diego-county-slow-implement-granny-flat-law/print 1/4

Image via Shutterstock

- Voice of San Diego - https://www.voiceofsandiego.org -

Sacramento Report: San Diego County Slow to ImplementGranny Flat LawPosted By Sara Libby On November 3, 2017 @ 11:26 am

Granny �ats – small housing units that often exist in

the form of converted garages or freestanding

structures in homeowners’ backyards – were a �xture

throughout San Diego County even before Gov. Jerry

Brown signed a bill [1] last year that made them easier

to build.

The law, written by Sen. Bob Wieckowski, essentially

reduces the authority of local governments over the

granny �at building process.

But so far only seven of the 19 jurisdictions in San

Diego County have updated their granny �at

ordinances, and there is still confusion about what the

law means for cities, architects and homeowners.

Wieckowski and Greg Nickless of the state’s housing

and community development department tried to address some of those concerns at a

conference in San Diego on Monday.

One area of pushback has been parking requirements, Nickless said. For instance, some cities

still want to require homeowners who convert a garage into a granny �at to construct a new

parking garage as a replacement. The law tossed out such requirements.

“It has been 30 years where we deal with local jurisdictions that say, ‘You don’t understand, but

we’ve got a parking problem.’ I understand. I know you have a parking problem, but we have a

housing problem,” Wieckowski said.

California ranks next to last in the country in housing units per capita, according to stats

provided by Wieckowski’s o�ce. State lawmakers are treating the construction of granny �ats –

and lowering other local barriers to construction [2] – as remedies to the housing crisis.

11/8/2017 Voice of San Diego Sacramento Report: San Diego County Slow to Implement Granny Flat Law - Voice of San Diego

https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/sacramento-report-san-diego-county-slow-implement-granny-flat-law/print 2/4

“We’ve heard time and time again that we need to decrease the cost of new housing

production, and we need to create more naturally a�ordable homes for California—[granny

�ats] check both of those boxes at the same time,” said Sen. Toni Atkins, who co-wrote the

granny �at bill.

While the law simpli�ed the process of building a granny �at, onerous fees [3] may be keeping

many homeowners from actually building them.

The fees for building a granny �at in San Diego are comparable to fees required for building a

20,000 square-foot home, said Sarah Jarman, a consultant for the San Diego City Council’s

Smart Growth and Land Use Committee.

On Nov. 8 [4], the committee will vote on whether to waive some granny �at fees, which would

reduce the total from more than $15,000 to about $2,000. That does not include other fees the

city has no control over, such as fees from private water companies.

Though applications for granny �at permits have increased in San Diego from 12 applications

in 2016 to 48 this year, the city is far from its goal of 6,000 new granny �ats in the next decade.

– Jonah Valdez

11/8/2017 FBI unable to break into Texas church gunman's cellphone - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-texas-church-shooting-20171107-story.html 1/2

T

FBI unable to break into Texas church gunman's cellphone

By Matt Pearce and David Pierson

NOVEMBER 7, 2017, 1:55 PM

he FBI has been unable to access the phone of the Texas church gunman, officials said Tuesday, voicing their frustration with the tech industry

as they try to gather evidence about Devin Kelley's motive for killing 26 churchgoers in a small town outside San Antonio.

“With the advance of the technology and the phones and the encryptions, law enforcement — whether that’s at the state, local or federal level —

is increasingly not able to get into these phones,” Christopher Combs, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio bureau, said in a televised news

conference.

Combs declined to say what type of phone Kelley had, “because I don’t want to tell every bad guy out there what phone to buy.”

The revelation came as investigators continued to scour the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, where Kelley fired hundreds of rounds and left

behind 15 empty 30-round ammunition magazines after his attack Sunday.

The FBI’s refusal to identify the manufacturer of the phone stands in contrast to its public feud with Apple in the aftermath of the San Bernardino shooting

in 2015 that left 14 people dead.

In that case, investigators wanted access to gunman Syed Farook’s iPhone 5C, hoping the device would provide information about possible accomplices or

terror networks.

Apple defied a court order to help crack the phone’s pass code, arguing it would set a precedent that would compromise the security of billions of

customers.

The FBI eventually paid a private firm $1 million to circumvent Apple, gaining access to Farook’s phone and dropping its lawsuit against the tech giant.

The tension between law enforcement and the tech industry over encryption remains as high as ever.

Maria Durand, left, and her daughter, Lupita Alcoces visit 26 crosses representing the victims of the massacre at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas. (Larry W. Smith /EPA/Shutterstock)

11/8/2017 FBI unable to break into Texas church gunman's cellphone - LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-texas-church-shooting-20171107-story.html 2/2

FBI Director Christopher Wray said last month that federal agents were still seeking access to 6,900 mobile devices.

“To put it mildly, this is a huge, huge problem,” Wray said. “It impacts investigations across the board -- narcotics, human trafficking, counter-terrorism,

counterintelligence, gangs, organized crime, child exploitation.”

Earlier in the month, Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein called on tech companies to build “responsible encryption” that would allow access only with

judicial authorization.

Tech companies are wary of such requests. The government, particularly the National Security Agency, has proven to be vulnerable to hacking. And if U.S.

law ultimately compels companies to provide so-called backdoors to their devices, fears abound that undemocratic countries such as China will do the

same.

“Even if you solve the trust problem with the government, you then have a problem with where to draw the line” with other countries, said Robert

Cattanach, a former Justice Department attorney who specializes in cybersecurity for the law firm of Dorsey & Whitney.

Cattanach said it was likely the FBI did not name the maker of Kelley’s phone because it appeared unlikely that Kelley had accomplices. There was a

greater sense of urgency with Farook because of concerns he might be acting on behalf of a terrorist group.

“You can’t go to a judge and argue there’s a future threat like in San Bernardino,” he said. “So what are you going to do? Public shaming didn’t work with

Apple.”

matt.pearce@latimes.com

Matt Pearce is a national reporter for The Times. Follow him on Twitter at @mattdpearce.

More national headlines

UPDATES:

1:55 p.m.: This story was updated with background and analysis on the FBI’s past attempts to access data from cellphones of crime suspects.

This story was originally published at 10:55 a.m.

Copyright © 2017, Los Angeles Times

This article is related to: Terrorism, Devin Kelley, Syed Rizwan Farook, Christopher Wray