County eet center $5.1M construction deal awarded, will be ... · Posted...

By Staff reportsPosted Dec 27, 2017 at 10:43 AMUpdated Dec 27, 2017 at 10:45 AM

VICTORVILLE — The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors recently awardeda $5.1 million construction contract for build-out of a fleet service center in the city toreplace a leased facility in Hesperia, board documents show.

The 23,643-square-foot High Desert Fleet Service Center will consist of eight lightservice bays and three large drive-through truck service bays on roughly 4.8 acres witha concrete masonry block perimeter wall, according to a county staff report.

The contract to Murrieta-based Hamel Contracting, Inc. was approved Dec. 19. Theywere the lowest of 15 bids received Oct. 11.

The project’s overall budget, including construction, land acquisition, project designand contingency costs, is $8 million, but officials said it’s expected to come in morethan $1 million under budget “due to the construction bids being lower than originallyestimated.”

The surplus will be incorporated into the project’s contingency budget. Overall costsare funded from Fleet Management Internal Service Funds Retained Earnings and citedin the county’s Capital Improvement Plan for this fiscal year.

The High Desert Fleet Service Center will be located at 15000 Tokay St., prompted bythe leased Hesperia location no longer meeting the county’s requirements.

“The Fleet Management Department currently operates out of a leased facility locatedin Hesperia which is inadequate for their operational needs,” the staff report said. “Thenew service center will consolidate functions, decrease travel time, and reduce costs ...”

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County eet center $5.1M construction dealawarded, will be built in Victorville

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By Paola Baker Staff Writer Posted Dec 27, 2017 at 10:19 AMUpdated Dec 27, 2017 at 4:21 PM

APPLE VALLEY — San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputies here areparticipating in a body-worn camera pilot program approved by County Supervisorslast spring.

The $122,000 contract with Georgia-based Utility Associates Inc., approved on March7, provided 70 cameras for the Apple Valley and Highland sheriff’s stations.

The cameras were officially rolled out here Sept. 17, according to Capt. Frank Bell. Thepilot program is expected to continue until September 2018.

“Apple Valley has deployed 35 cameras, which covers all of patrol and investigations,”Bell said. The remaining 35 cameras were deployed at the Highland station.

The cameras are worn inside the uniform and snapped into place, with a hole cut in thecenter of the chest, according to previous Daily Press reports. Deputies can activatetheir camera with three taps — four taps and they’re off. A Bluetooth wristband alsoprovides additional control.

Captured footage is sent to Amazon cloud storage and can then be replayed by stationcaptains, watch commanders or any other authorized personnel, or the footage can bewatched in real time, providing authorities with a unique ability to see on-the-groundincidents as they occur.

The Sheriff’s Department previously equipped deputies in Victorville and RanchoCucamonga with cameras between February 2012 and May 2013, but the experimentwas met with mixed results.

Calls to revisit a pilot program grew louder after a television news camera captureddeputies beating Apple Valley resident Francis Pusok following a wild horseback chasein April 2015.

O cial snapshot: Apple Valley Sheri ’s deputiesroll out body-worn camera program

It’s apparently too early to tell assess the results of the current program. Bell said thestation hasn’t yet received any feedback from the public, but personnel using thecameras seem pleased.

“The deputies seem to like them,” Bell said by email Dec. 21.

The contract spans 18 months to allow for groundwork to be laid before the cameraswere deployed, and includes a post-deployment evaluation process, according toprevious Daily Press reports.

Paola Baker may be reached at 760-955-5332 or [email protected]. Follow her on

Twitter at @DP_PaolaBaker.



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By BRIAN WHITEHEAD | [email protected] | San Bernardino SunPUBLISHED: December 18, 2017 at 5:19 pm | UPDATED: December 18, 2017 at 5:23 pm

The grand opening of Olive Meadow at Arrowhead Grove, the housing project formerly known as Waterman Gardens in San Bernardino onThursday, Sept. 28, 2017. The community provides 62 high-quality, affordable apartment homes for low- and moderate-income families. (Photo byWatchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Five federally-funded projects and a $1.5 million commitment to the second and third phases of another could be added to San

Bernardino’s scal 2017-18 Action Plan this week.

A public hearing on the reallocation of $4 million in federal funding is scheduled for r Wednesday’s City Council meetingg.

In May, the city submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development its one-year business plan for Community

Development Block Grantt, Neighborhood Stabilization Program and Emergency Solutions Grant funds.

These new projects were not contemplated at that time, a staff report states. At least two are being proposed now in preparation for next

summer.

The city’s general fund will not be impacted by any additions to the plan.

City staffers suggest allocating $195,000 to install a new shade structure at the Jerry Lewis Family Swim Center; $300,000 to install a new

chiller at the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library; $307,775 for street and sidewalk improvements; and $900,000 to demolish vacant

housing units within the Arrowhead Grove community that have become targets for vandals.

More than $200,000 would go to Step Up on Second, a nonpro t that serves and helps house area homeless. The city would require Step Up

to house a minimum of 20 homeless people over the course of its contract.

Lastly, $1.5 million could be committed to Phase 2 and 3 of the Arrowhead Grove project, a complete revamp of the Waterman Gardens

neighborhoodd.

LOCAL NEWS

San Bernardino could add several communityydevelopment, housing projects to 2017-18 plan

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The two phases include constructing 184 mixed-income units, on-site amenities and myriad transportation improvements through the

Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program.

National CORE, the Rancho Cucamonga-based nonpro t group leading the revitalization, is working with city and county of cials on the

AHSC application, due January 16, a staff report states. The application is to include all funding commitments, thus the $1.5 million pledge.

To be removed from San Bernardino’s scal 2017-18 Action Plan is the Veterans Housing Project, a $300,000 undertaking.

The council meets at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20, at Council Chambers, 201 N. E St.

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High and Cal State Fullerton. For seven years, he covered high school and college sports for The Orange County Register. Before landingat The Sun, he was the city beat reporter for Buena Park, Fullerton and La Palma.

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By RICHARD K. DE ATLEY | [email protected] | The Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: November 8, 2017 at 1:38 am | UPDATED: November 8, 2017 at 11:47 pm

The grand opening of Olive Meadow at Arrowhead Grove, the housing project formerly known as Waterman Gardens in San Bernardino onThursday, Sept. 28, 2017. The community provides 62 high-quality, affordable apartment homes for low- and moderate-income families. (Photo byWatchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Developer Jeff Burum resumes his chairmanship of the affordable housing development non-pro t he co-founded just as California faces a

tight inventory in new living spaces that has rent devouring apartment dweller’s paychecks and puts home prices out of reach of middle-

class wage earners.

And it’s affordable housing that has drawn the most attention in the state Legislature, with the cost of housing going up, while the number

of housing starts in California has slipped from 200,000 annually from 1955 to 1989 to an average of 80,000 annually in the past decadee.

“The big picture is not very complicated,” Steve PonTell, president and chief executive of cer of National Community Renaissance, the

rm Burum and Andrew Wright started a quarter-century ago, said in a telephone interview Monday. “It’s supply and demand.”

California of cials estimate the de cit of affordable housing across the state is at 1.5 million units. Affordable housing means units

accessible to those whose wages are below the local area median income.

BUSINESS

Why affordable housing is such a big challenge for theyInland Empire

In Riverside Countyy, there were 58,620 extremely low-income renter households in 2014, but only 14,784 affordable apartments available to

them, leaving a de cit of 43,836; in San Bernardino County it was 65,000 extremely low-income households at the end of the same year,

with 13,014 affordable units available — a de cit of 51,986 units, of according to a study by the Urban Institute’s Housing Assistance Matters

Initiative.

When California eliminated redevelopment agencies in 2011, it took $1 billion a year out of affordable housing aid, PonTell said.

“Sixty percent of all the money in the state of California for affordable housing got taken away,” PonTell said in an interview during a

National Community Renaissance gala fundraiser Thursday at the Fairplex Conference Center in Pomona to raise funds for the Hope

Through Housing Foundation, a non-pro t that funds projects such onsite preschool to help low-income residents living in affordable

housing.

“They’ve just now started to put it back. The Legislature nally passed a bill that will allow about $250 million a yearr” toward affordable

housing, he said.

“I do think there is a more leadership awareness of the consequence of an inadequate supply of housing,” PonTell said.

Slow post-Great Recession wage increases and higher prices for rentals and homes boosted by lack of new building have widened the

number of people who fall into the category of “cost burdened” — paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

California and the Inland area have been hard-hit by the convergence of the high costs and low inventory. The Harvard Joint Center for

Housing Studies concluded a 56.7 percent share of renter households in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area are cost-

burdenedd, and a 30.6 percent share are severely cost burdened — paying more than 50 percent of income on housing, based on 2015 data.

The area was ranked 13th in the nation for cost-burdened housing in the Joint Center study.

California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, who attended the gala, said the housing crisis has a cascading effect.

“We know there’s a huge imbalance, a crisis in housing. Our teachers can’t even afford to live in the districts they teach in,” he said

Thursday in an interview. “This isn’t healthy. Teachers traditionally have been able to be part of the community a er school. They coach

sports, they volunteer with the drama club,” he said.

Burum said National Community Renaissance — also called National CORE — has longtime experience in providing affordable housing

that puts it in a good position to help with the crisis.

“We’re now a recognized thought leader,” Burum said. “People are looking toward this organization to nd solutions. And that’s what our

job is. … Give solutions to both governments and social workers to nd the best way to spend the scarce resources, because we don’t have

enough money to solve this problem. So it’s how you allocate it that will make the difference.”

Burum also has resumed chairmanship of the Hope Through Housing Foundation following his acquittal in the Colonies bribery case. He

voluntarily le the chairmanship of both eight years ago.

National CORE says it has helped 250,000 people over that time and overseen development of 9,000 housing units in California, Arkansas,

Texas and Florida, although PonTell said 80 percent of the organization’s portfolio is in California.

One of local projects for National CORE has been the transformation of Waterman Gardens housing project in San Bernardino into

Arrowhead Grove — not only for the quality of the buildings but the quality of life in the neighborhood, PonTell said.

The total cost of Arrowhead Grove was estimated in 2014 at $150 million to $200 million, and it aims to eventually provide 411 units. PonTell

said the National CORE is organizing nancing now for projects in Rialto, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga.

National CORE is a public-private partnership, PonTell said.

“When you look at the funding for our projects, there can be 12 different sources of funding,” PonTell said. That can include tax credit

equity in which private institutions buy tax credits and invest that money in the project, leaving it there for years for the institution, such as

a bank, to gain the bene t of the investment. There can be special needs funding, foundation funding, and funding by private

corporations, he said.

“These are the most complicated real-estate deals, not only because of the population we serve, but putting the funds together,” he said.

“We bring private capital leveraging public money into areas where the market is not going to work,” PonTell said. “A lot of people talk

about, ‘the market should solve it’ — but we’ve succeeded in distorting the market in California so much, by making development so hard,

that the market can’t solve it.”

The two-part approach — affordable housing through National CORE and support of residents through organizations such as Hope

Through Housing that helps families get ahead and eventually move into market-rate housing — can bring good results, PonTell said.

But getting people’s foot in the door via affordable housing remains on social as well as a political challenge, Pontell said.

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“What I nd fascinating is that from the most liberal neighborhoods in California, to the most conservative, they oppose affordable

housing equally,” PonTell said. “A lot of it has to do with fear-based reaction. They oppose regular development and then affordable

housing, even more.”

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richard-deatley Richard K. De Atleyy

A journalist since 1975 for City News Service in Los Angeles, The Associated Press in Los Angeles and New York, and ThePress-Enterprise, Richard K. De Atley has been Entertainment Editor and a features writer. He has also reported on trials and breakingnews. He is currently a business reporter for The P-E. De Atley is a Cal State Long Beach graduate, a lifelong Southern Californian(except for that time in New York -- which was great!) and has been in Riverside since 1992.

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By Matthew Cabe Staff Writer Posted Dec 27, 2017 at 12:01 AMUpdated Dec 27, 2017 at 10:26 PM

RANCHO CUCAMONGA — The attorney for Marc Puckett, while fielding questionsrelated to a court ruling that kept the Apple Valley finance director out of custody, saidhis client’s standing in Town Hall did not provide the defense a “leg up” in successfullymotioning for the decision.

Daniel L. Greenberg told the Daily Press that Puckett’s background, not his job, wasconsidered when San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Kyle S. Brodie orderedhis release during a Dec. 14 arraignment that also saw the town executive plead notguilty to a felony hit-and-run charge.

The Riverside-based attorney noted he would have argued similarly for any client inPuckett’s position with the same “track record” of good standing in the community. Headded the own-recognizance release came with stipulations that limit Puckett’s drivingprivileges.

“It’s not like Mr. Puckett has carte blanche and can disregard the court’s orders. He’s ona conditional OR,” Greenberg said. “Obviously he can only drive from home to workand back ... The judge basically felt that while the case is pending, he’s certainly not adanger to the public at this point.”

Puckett, 56, of Aliso Viejo, has been on paid personal leave since requesting it Dec.7, two days after the San Bernardino County District Attorney filed the felony charge

related to a July 20 crash on southbound Interstate 15 first reported by the DailyPress.

Puckett is accused of fleeing the scene and not rendering aid after rear-ending LolaEspinoza’s Toyota Prius near Foothill Boulevard shortly before midnight, an incidentthat sent his Cadillac CTS down a dirt embankment and Espinoza to an area hospitalfor treatment of multiple injuries.

Town Hall position not a factor in Puckett’s custodystatus, attorney says

Espinoza has since filed a claim with the Town of Apple Valley seeking $2million in damages. The Town Council rejected the claim during its Dec. 12 meeting.

Town officials, including Mayor Emeritus Scott Nassif, have maintained the crashoccurred “outside of the town’s employment.”

Puckett previously confirmed he was “in an accident,” but denied the involvement ofanother vehicle, telling the Daily Press he left his Cadillac to search for someone with acellphone.

His education, ties to the local community and absence of past criminal activity were allconsidered before Brodie issued the release ruling, according to Greenberg, who saidbail is set primarily to ensure defendants appear at future court hearings.

He noted that Puckett’s driver’s license was valid at the time of the crash, adding thathis client, if ordered to do so, is financially capable of posting bail.

District Attorney spokesperson Chris Lee said he could not comment on Greenberg’sinterpretation of the ruling due to the case’s pending status; however, San BernardinoCounty Deputy District Attorney Nikki Agravante did argue for bail to be set asscheduled “based on the crime itself” during Puckett’s arraignment.

Meanwhile, Greenberg said he was not aware of the nine traffic citations (six forspeeding, four of which were dismissed) Puckett collected in San BernardinoCounty between 2011 and 2014 that resulted in fines totaling $3,172.

Nor was the attorney privy to an October speeding citation, which came fewer thanthree months after the July 20 crash, that could result in Puckett paying an additional$417 fine; however, he said he doubted those infractions would factor into the hit-and-run case.

“Unless any previous violation had anything related to the type of charge, I would notexpect it to be allowed into evidence,” Greenberg said. “In other words, if I have aspeeding ticket, and I get arrested for drunk driving ... that is not tangentially related tothe crime charged.”

Neither the DA’s complaint nor a California Highway Patrol report taken after the

crash directly address speeding, but the CHP report does state the Cadillac wastraveling “at a speed greater than 60” miles per hour as it approached the rear ofEspinoza’s Prius in the No. 2 lane.

Espinoza was driving at 60 mph, five miles per hour below the posted speed limit,according to the report, which listed the Cadillac’s speed as “unsafe.”

It should be noted that the aforementioned report was completed Aug. 2, weeks priorto CHP officials confirming they had identified Puckett as the driver. In it, he is

listed only as the owner of the Cadillac.

If convicted as charged, Puckett could face up to three years in state prison. He is dueback in court Thursday for a bail-review hearing, and Greenberg said a scenario stillexists in which Brodie’s ruling might be altered.

“If there is a change in circumstances that the DA feels would override what theprevious judge decided,” he said, “the new judge we’re in front of can always entertain amotion to require him to post bail.”

Matthew Cabe can be reached at [email protected] or at 760-951-6254. Follow him on

Twitter @DP_MatthewCabe.




By Rene Ray De La Cruz Staff Writer Posted Dec 27, 2017 at 8:26 AMUpdated Dec 27, 2017 at 8:29 AM

HESPERIA — Paul Russ’ wife has announced that her husband’s kidney and livertransplant was a success.

The 57-year-old Hesperia councilman endured a nearly 10-hour surgery at OchsnerMedical Center in New Orleans, where doctors replaced his cancerous liver, and solekidney, which was failing.

Lu Russ took to Facebook Tuesday afternoon to announce that her husband was fine,out of surgery and on pain medication. She added that he would be in the ICU onTuesday and in a room on Wednesday.

“I’m elated to hear the good news about the Council member Russ’ successfultransplant,” said fellow Councilman Larry Bird. “He’s definitely a fighter and I’mexpecting continued progress. Our thoughts and prayers are with Paul, Lu and theirfamily.”

Paul Russ told the Daily Press early Christmas morning that he received news that he’dbe undergoing a double-organ transplant some time that day. He added that he was“real excited” about the surgery, which he called, God’s “will.”

Earlier this year, Russ was diagnosed with a cancerous liver and failing kidney, whichwas donated to him by his late brother 30 years ago.

Russ moved to a studio apartment in Harahan, Louisiana, in November to be nearOchsner Medical Center. He said the possibility of receiving an organ in the Louisianaregion was greater than in the Western region because of the demand for organs.

Last week, doctors designated Russ as an organ surgery “backup” for a possible double-organ transplant if the primary patient could not receive the organs. Doctors canceledthe surgery for the primary patient because one organ was diseased.

Hesperia Councilman Paul Russ recovering afterkidney, liver transplant

Doctors also passed on the offer of a liver earlier this month because they could notobtain a kidney and wanted to perform a double transplant on Russ.

Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227, [email protected],

Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz and Instagram @reneraydelacruz




By DAVID DOWNEY | [email protected] | The Press-EnterprisePUBLISHED: December 26, 2017 at 4:46 pm | UPDATED: December 26, 2017 at 9:23pm

Dr. Cynthia Kinney, Director of Medical Services, gives Spot a kiss after changing herbandages during a checkup and followup treatment at the inland Valley HumaneSociety in Pomona, CA., Monday, December 18, 2017. There has been a recent surgein animal cruelty incidents, including a few weeks ago in Ontario when a teen throughSpot the cat 25 feet up into the air and the cat suffered multiple broken bones.(Photoby James Carbone for The Press Enterprise)

LOCAL NEWS

Nine lives or not, attack on catspotlights disturbing animalcruelty trend

Like a football

Spot, a 3.8-pound calico kitten with black and brown markings, squirmed and

meowed as Dr. Cynthia Kinney changed the cushioned bandage on her fractured

right front leg.

Moments later, the new bandage was in place and the 4 1/2-month-old cat was

snuggling against Kinney’s face.

“She’s so adorable,” said Silvia Lemus, an animal cruelty investigator for the

Inland Valley Humane Society and S.P.C.A. in Pomonaa, which serves about a

dozen communities in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. “She’s so active

and playful.”

It’s hard to believe, Lemus said, this is the same kitten who was hurled 75 feet

through the air in one of the most heartbreaking examples of animal cruelty in

recent years before crash-landing on an Ontario street. A video was posted on

social media earlier this month and it immediately went viral.

“This is one of the worst,” Kinney said. “I just can’t believe she survived.”

The attack has highlighted the problem of animal cruelty, one that doesn’t seem to

be increasing across Southern California, according to statistics, but one that

continues to stubbornly persist.

The case also underscores the prominent role social media can play, both for

good and ill, experts say. For good, in terms of quickly enabling authorities to

track down people suspected of harming an animal. For bad, in that the exposure

could be a motivation for carrying out an attack.

It could be a way of saying, “Look at what I did,” said Dr. Michele Nelson, an

assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the UC Riverside School of Medicine.

“Social media has changed a lot of things,” Nelson said.

In the shocking Dec. 1 video, a teen-age boy kisses Spot, as if to kiss the kitten

goodbye, then leans back and hurls her high and far into the air as if throwing a

long pass in a football game. The mostly white cat bounces on the asphalt

pavement like a rag doll and cries.

Gary Naranjo, the Ontario police detective investigating the case, estimated Spot

was thrown approximately 75 feet horizontally and 25 feet high.

Boiling water and a golf club

Naranjo said the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Of ce led a charge of

felony animal cruelty against the 16-year old suspect. Authorities did not release

his name because he’s a minor.

Naranjo said via email that the motivation for the crime was unclear, as “he

refused to speak to me.”

Police also sought another teenage boy who was believed to have videotaped the

incident, he added.

“I have been inundated with calls to my of ce from throughout the country in

reference to this case,” Naranjo said. “Most of the callers are demanding justice.”

The cat’s owner has declined to be interviewed or named, according to Lemus.

Spot is brought to the Inland Valley Humane Society veterinary facility every week

for treatment.

There have been many other disturbing attacks on animals around Southern

California. Here are a few examples:

A cry for help?

In November, 22-year-old Seth Estrada of Hawthorne was charged with

animal cruelty a er allegedly stomping a 9-pound white Maltese dog to

death.

Also in November, authorities arrested 22-year-old Enping Qu of Chino Hills

on suspicion of animal cruelty. He was later charged with pouring boiling

water on his girlfriend’s caged dog.

In February, Anthony Thomas Colacino, 33, of Moreno Valley, was sentenced

to 4 years, 4 months in prison for felony animal cruelty and other charges in

connection with an Aug. 11, 2014 incident in which his estranged wife’s

house was broken into and her dog was shot and killedd, according to court

documents.

In April 2016, Christian Andrew Najera, then 48, of Los Angeles, pleaded no

contest to a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge a er earlier being recorded

by surveillance cameras kicking and violently swinging his 2-year-old

Chihuahua, Daisy, from a leash in the lobby of the South Pasadena police

station.

In June 2015, Efren Rodriguez Martinez, then 53, of Whitewater, was

arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty a er beating a 3-year-old terrier mix

dog to death with a shovel. In December 2016, he pleaded guilty and was

sentenced to ve years in state prison in connection with the incident.

In January 2012, a then-58-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of animal

cruelty a er hitting a Chihuahua with a golf club as if driving a golf ball off

of a tee, sending his neighbor’s tiny dog ying through the air and killing it.

In October of that year, Larry Edward Jaurequi, a retired school

administrator, pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty and was sentenced to

60 days in custody and three years’ probation.

“These are the kinds of cases that shock and horrify people, and shake up people

not only in the Inland Empire but all across the world,” said John Welsh, a

spokesman for the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.

The reasons for carrying out attacks on animals are complex and vary from one

case to another, said Janine Moore, behavioral health services administrator for

Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health.

“If it was so straightforward we would eliminate it (animal cruelty) immediately,”

she said.

Moore said when children are involved, there is o en a correlation between the

animal abuse and the personal abuse the kids may be experiencing.

Stopping the cycle

“It’s o en a way of regaining control of either themselves or their environment,”

she said.

There is also sometimes, though not always, a correlation between animal abuse

early in life and violence toward human beings later, Moore said.

“But you can’t necessarily predict with it,” she said, and one shouldn’t leap to the

conclusion that a person who hurts an animal is destined to become violent.

Nelson, who is a child psychiatrist, said such a person o en has been

abused either physically or sexually.

Other times, peer pressure is at play when someone in icts abuse on an animal,

Nelson said.

“Other peers will say, ‘You need to do this for your initiation,’ maybe into a gang or

something like that,” she said.

And when social media is involved, Nelson said, “It could be a way to get

attention. … Or it could be a cry for help.”

On the other hand, cellphones and social media have been a sort of godsend for

investigators, said Lemus, because people are quick to videotape abuse and report

it.

Experts say it is dif cult to prevent animal abuse, but it helps to promptly report

incidents.

Lemus said more educational programs in schools about the proper handling of

animals are needed. Moore said it is important for adults to seek out professional

help for children whom they believe are undergoing some type of abuse.

Aggressive enforcement is key, said Leighann Lassiter,

animal cruelty policy director for the Humane Society of the United States, in

commending the Ontario Police Department.

“It is imperative for animal cruelty crimes to be taken seriously and punished,”

Lassiter said. “Especially with children, it’s an opportunity for the judicial system

to intervene and, hopefully, stop the cycle of violence before they harm another

animal or a human.”

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People with information about the incident involving Spot the cat are urged to

contact Ontario police

Who: Gary Naranjo, detective, Ontario Police Department

Contact information: 909-395-2764 or [email protected]

DaveDowney David Downey

Dave is a general assignment reporter based in Riverside,writing about a wide variety of topics ranging from drones and El Nino to trainsand wild res. He has worked for ve newspapers in four states: Wyoming,Colorado, Arizona and California. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalismfrom Colorado State University in 1981. Loves hiking, tennis, baseball, thebeach, the Lakers and golden retrievers. He is from the Denver area.

Follow David Downey @DavidDowneySCNG

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Detectives Search for Leads After Woman’s Body Found in Dirt Field in Yucca ValleyPOSTED 11:12 AM, DECEMBER 27, 2017, BY ERIKA MARTIN, UPDATED AT 11:14AM, DECEMBER 27, 2017

Investigators are seeking the public’s help after a woman’s lifeless body was discovered in a vacant eld in Yucca Valley, of cials announced Wednesday.

The area near the 55000 block of the Santa Fe Trailin Yucca Valley, where a woman’s body was found,is seen in a Google Maps Street View image fromMay 2012.

The grisly discovery was made last Thursday, Dec. 21, in a dirt lot off the 55000 block of the Santa Fe Trail around 9:40 a.m., the San Bernardino County Sheriff’sDepartment said in a press release.

The woman was rst reported to be unresponsive and was declared dead by deputies once they arrived on scene.

A cause of death has not yet been determined and coroner’s of cials had not yet performed an autopsy.

The woman’s identity is being withheld, pending noti cation of her next of kin.

The circumstances surrounding her death are now being investigated by the Sheriff’s Department. No further details were immediately available.

Detectives are seeking any information on the incident that members of the public may have. Those with information can the San Bernardino County Sheriff’sDepartment at 760-366-4175 or submit a tip anonymously via 888-782-7463.

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behavior with Irish-German star Michael

...

By STEPHEN RAMIREZ | [email protected] | Inland Valley Daily BulletinDecember 28, 2017 at 2:13 am

Authorities are looking for three suspects who they say stole guitars valued at $15,000 Saturday, Dec. 23, but le the loot behind during

their getaway, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said.

Deputies were alerted to the scene at about 5 a.m. The alarm company noti ed deputies a er video surveillance showed individuals taking

guitars from inside a Guitar Center on the 12400 block of Foothill Boulevard in Rancho Cucamonga.

The suspects ed the scene with the items toward a dirt eld a er an employee arrived at the business, the release said. Deputies were

able to recover the items.

The suspects concealed their faces and wore gloves, the release said. They also ransacked the business, causing an estimated $6,500

damage.

Anyone with information about the incident can call the Rancho Station at 909-477-2800. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the

We-Tip hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME or visitt www.wetip.comm.

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Stephen RamirezpSteve Ramirez writes about public safety issues including criminal justice and res in Inland Southern California. Hepreviously covered high schools, college football and motor sports for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune since 1989. He's abig fan of Buddy Holly and loves World War II movies.

Follow Stephen Ramirez @SteveRRamirez

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Guitars worth $15,000 recovered after foiled RanchoCucamonga burglary attempt; suspects at large

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By STEPHEN RAMIREZ | [email protected] | Inland Valley Daily BulletinDecember 28, 2017 at 2:13 am

Authorities are looking for a man who led deputies on a short pursuit a er he allegedly tried to steal a package from a Rancho Cucamonga

home last week, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday.

Deputies responded to a call Dec. 21 in the 6900 block of Verdet Court of a suspicious vehicle with paper plates driven by an unknown

white or Hispanic man, a sheriff’s news release said. The man and a female passenger — later identi ed as Serena Lee Castro, 25, of

Thousand Oaks — were attempting to pick up a package being delivered to a vacant home in the area, according to the release.

The man reportedly gave false identi cation and when asked to get out of the gray Dodge Charger, ed the scene, the release said.

The suspect then drove through city streets reaching up to 80 mph before deputies lost sight of the vehicle when it got on the 210 Freeway,

according to the release.

Castro, who was talking with a UPS driver when the man drove away from the scene, was arrested on suspicion of attempted petty the

and obstructing a police of cer, according to the release and jail records. She was cited and released.

Anyone with further information is asked to call the sheriff’s Rancho Cucamonga Station at 909-477-2800. Anonymous can tips can also be

le at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or www.wetip.comm.

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Stephen RamirezpSteve Ramirez writes about public safety issues including criminal justice and res in Inland Southern California. He previouslycovered high schools, college football and motor sports for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune since 1989. He's a big fan of Buddy Holly andloves World War II movies.

NEWSCRIME

Authorities seek man who fled following botchedpackage theft in Rancho Cucamonga

Tags: theftt, Top Stories IVDBB, Top Stories PEE, Top Stories Sun

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By BEATRIZ E. VALENZUELA | [email protected] | San Bernardino SunDecember 27, 2017 at 12:12 pm


San Bernardino County sheriff’s homicide detectives arrested a 69-year-old Big Bear Lake man Tuesday night on suspicion of fatally

shooting a 22-year-old man in a mobile home, according to authorities.

Lawrence Eugene Blakee called authorities around 12:30 p.m. and told dispatchers he’d shot the mann, according to initial sheriff’s reports.

However, a motive for the shooting was not released Wednesday. Initial reports indicate Blakee said the wounded man was a family

member.

Deputies and paramedics arrived at the home in the 41100 block of Lahontan Drive but the wounded man — Brandon Holmes of Big Bear

Lake — was pronounced dead, according to a sheriff’s new release.

Detectives interviewed Blakee at the Big Bear sheriff’s station and arrested him later Tuesday night, according to authorities.

Blakee was booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga around 9:15 p.m. He is being held without bail, according to

booking records.

Detectives ask anyone who may have more information on the shooting to call Detective Marc Goodwin or Sgt. Jerry Davenport at 909-387-

3589. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or go to www.wetip.comm.

VALENZUELA_BEATRIZA BEATRIZAABeatriz E. ValenzuelaA_BEATRIZABeatriz E. Valenzuela is an award-winning journalist who’s covered breaking news in Southern California since 2006 and

has been on the front lines of several national and international news events. She’s worked for media outlets serving SouthernCalifornia readers covering education, local government, entertainment and all things nerd including comic book culture and videogames. She’s an amateur obstacle course racer, constant fact-checker, mother of three and lover of all things adorable.

Follow Beatriz E. Valenzuela @BeatrizVNews

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Big Bear Lake man, 69, accused of killing 22-year-old

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T

Stabbing victim found off Angeles Crest HighwayChristmas Eve was reported missing from SanBernardino in 2012

By Sara Cardine

DECEMBER 27, 2017, 3:15 PM

he identity of a woman whose body was discovered Sunday afternoon near Angeles Crest Highway

about 4 miles north of La Cañada Flintridge has been identified as 21-year-old Raylynn Josephine-

Deanne Hernandez, a coroner’s spokesman confirmed Wednesday.

While the victim’s city of residence has yet to be confirmed, Hernandez’s name and date of birth have been

confirmed as matching a missing person’s report issued by San Bernardino Police Department in 2012.

The report indicates the then-16-year-old Hernandez had last been seen on May 25, 2012. She was described as

having brown eyes and dyed red hair, in addition to star tattoos on her left wrist and the name ‘Leyla’ with two

hearts tattooed on her right forearm.

The body of 21-year-old Raylynn Josephine-Deanne Hernandez was found near Angeles Crest Highway's Mile Marker 30.45 around 1:30p.m. Sunday, according to a press release. (La Cañada Valley Sun)

Lt. Mike Madden, a spokesman for the San Bernardino Police Department, said the missing person’s report was

last issued on Sept. 8, 2013.

“On Dec. 30, 2014, we were notified by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department that she’d been located and, by

that point, she had been declared an emancipated minor,” Madden said Wednesday. “We removed her from the

missing person’s system. That was our last communication.”

According to a release issued Sunday night by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau, a

hiker was walking near Angeles Crest Highway at around 1:30 p.m. Sunday and saw Hernandez’s body near

Mile Marker 30.45.

Investigators said the victim had sustained multiple stab wounds and had been apparently dumped off a steep

hillside just off the road.

Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter confirmed Wednesday the body was that of Hernandez.

She was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 2:23 p.m. An autopsy indicating the official cause of

death was still pending as of press time, Winter said.

Hernandez would have turned 22 on Jan. 10.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

[email protected]

Twitter: @SaraCardine

Copyright © 2017, La Cañada Valley Sun

This article is related to: Law Enforcement

By BEATRIZ E. VALENZUELA | [email protected] | San Bernardino SunDecember 28, 2017 at 7:07 am

First responders work the scene of a crash at the intersection of University Pkwy. and Kendall Dr. in San Bernardino on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017.The driver was listed in serious condition. The passenger died at the scene. (Stan Lim, San Bernardino Sun/SCNG)

The 22-year-old passenger who was killed in a crash near Cal State San Bernardino in early December has been identi ed as Daniel

Gonzalez, 22, of Apple Valley, the San Bernardino County Coroner’s of ce announced Wednesday.

The driver of the vehicle, which slammed into a light pole near University Parkway and Kendall Drive around 1 a.m. on Dec. 6, was taken to

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and died Dec. 16. He was later identi ed as Daniel Ochoa, 20, of Rialto.

It wasn’t immediately clear why it took so long to publicly identify Gonzalez as the passenger.

Ochoa was driving at a high rate of speed eastbound on Kendall Drive when he attempted to make a le turn onto northbound University

Avenue and struck a light pole at 1:12 a.m., according to San Bernardino police.

His 2017 Honda Civic was engulfed in ames and passers-by pulled Ochoa out, but were not able to reach Gonzalez.

LOCAL NEWS

Passenger killed in San Bernardino crash in earlygDecember identified

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Several friends and family members have said the men were in the Cal State San Bernardino nursing program. Gonzalez was a member of

the Kappa Sigma fraternity.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, but police initially noted alcohol was a factor.

Authorities ask anyone who may have additional information about the incident is asked to contact police at 909-384-5791.

Beatriz E. ValenzuelaBeatriz E. Valenzuela is an award-winning journalist who’s covered breaking news in Southern California since 2006 and hasbeen on the front lines of several national and international news events. She’s worked for media outlets serving SouthernCalifornia readers covering education, local government, entertainment and all things nerd including comic book culture and

video games. She’s an amateur obstacle course racer, constant fact-checker, mother of three and lover of all things adorable. Follow Beatriz E. Valenzuela @BeatrizVNews

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Tags: crashh, Top Stories PEE, Top Stories Sun

T

CHP arrests marijuana delivery workers, sparking debate over laws

By Associated Press

DECEMBER 27, 2017, 6:30 PM

he confusing rollout of marijuana regulations in California has been underscored in Mendocino County, where local authorities licensed a company to deliver

pot only to have state police arrest two employees who were trying to do just that with nearly a ton of weed.

The workers for Old Kai Distribution were transporting the marijuana from a farm when they were pulled over Friday afternoon by a California Highway

Patrol officer on Highway 101 near Ukiah, according to Joe Rogoway, an attorney for the company. They were driving an unmarked van and were stopped for a traffic

violation.

The workers showed the officer the company’s county license and a manifest for the marijuana, but the officer insisted it was illegal, called for backup and arrested the

men.

The company argues it can transport marijuana within the county with its local license, and county spokeswoman Sarah Dukett backed that interpretation. She said Old

Kai was issued a distribution license last week that allows it to legally transport marijuana under two local ordinances passed earlier this year.

The workers were cited for unlawful transportation of marijuana and unlawful possession for sale. Investigators also seized all of the marijuana and the company’s van.

“It is incomprehensible that this has occurred,” said Rogoway, who sent a letter to the CHP demanding that the charges be dropped and the marijuana returned to Old

Kai.

Acting California Highway Patrol Commissioner Warren Stanley said the arrest was appropriate because a state license also is required for legal transport and those

permits don’t take effect until Monday, when broad legalization arrives in California.

“They are following the laws that are in place now,” Stanley said Wednesday, referring to his officers. “And when Jan. 1, 2018, comes they’ll start following the laws that

come into effect on that date.”

The officer who made the Ukiah stop was not targeting the business, said Stanley, who is not aware of any other arrests of a locally licensed marijuana operation. The

CHP primarily is concerned with drivers who could be high behind the wheel, and the agency has trained 97% of its officers and sergeants in advanced drugged driving

recognition skills, he said.

Stanley commented after a ceremony for CHP Officer Andrew Camilleri, who was killed on Christmas Eve by a driver believed to be drunk and high.

Old Kai Distribution workers arrested by CHP officers. (Associated Press)

California has had legal medical marijuana for two decades. In 2016 voters approved broad legalization, and the state and communities that want such “adult use”

marijuana businesses spent the last year writing complex regulations.

Some didn’t get their regulations finalized in time to start issuing local licenses by Jan. 1; others decided to outlaw recreational pot altogether. Meanwhile, all forms of

pot remain illegal under federal law.

The marijuana that was seized in Mendocino County, about 115 miles north of San Francisco, had been collected from a family-owned farm and was being brought to a

distribution center to be sorted and tested.

“This was basically their entire harvest,” Rogoway said. “Their entire year was in the back of this vehicle. If that cannabis is destroyed, it really puts at risk the safety and

well-being of their family.”

He worried the arrest could have a chilling effect as the state and local governments encourage marijuana businesses to come out of the shadows and adhere to

regulations to ensure a level playing field for all.

“This incident highlights the fear that many people have,” he said. “It takes a lot to be a compliant operator. Even if they follow through with the whole process,

something bad can happen. This is a perfect example.”

Copyright © 2017, Los Angeles Times

This article is related to: Drug Trafficking, California Highway Patrol, Medical Marijuana

By JONATHAN LANSNER |December 27, 2017 at 1:19 pm

Traffic comes to a complete standstill on the southbound 55 freeway just north of the 22 freeway as California Highway patrol officers created atraffic break to remove a four-vehicle collision from lanes at about 7:15 a.m. ///ADDITIONAL INFO: – Photo by BRUCE CHAMBERS, THEORANGE COUNTY REGISTER – photos taken 04/01/09 – ORANGE � Four vehicles have crashed at the southbound 55 freeway just north of the22 freeway, one vehicle apparently has caught fire, and the wreckage has two lanes blocked, the California Highway Patrol says. At 6:26 a.m., theCHP got reports that a solo vehicle had spun out and was facing the wrong way, blocking the No. 1 lane. The CHP now says at least two vehiclesare disabled in the center divider, blocking the carpool and No. 1 lane. Two other vehicles are involved and police say smoke is coming from one.An ambulance and tow trucks have been called to the scene. The CHP issued a SigAlert to clean up the mess. Traffic is backed up to near the 91freeway.

Your hunch is correct: Southern California is more crowded, as the region’s population has passed 18 million with the fastest growth rate

since 2014.

Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties as of July 1 had added a combined 128,552 residents to 18.03 million,

according to new data from the state Department of Finance. That’s up from 94,828 new neighbors in the previous year.

According to my trusty spreadsheet, it was a year that saw Los Angeles County add the most people while an ongoing trend continued to

the east as the Inland Empire experienced the fastest growth. Meanwhile, fewer departed the region and foreign immigration cooled

modestly.

BUSINESS

Is Southern California feeling crowded? Populationg pfigures say yes as region grows at fastest pace sinceg2014

Look at the comings and goings of locals in percentage-point terms: Last year’s four-county population increase was 0.72 percent higher

than 2016. That growth rate was an improvement from the 0.53 percent increase in the previous year. Still, the region’s population growth

has been in a long-running deceleration.

Recent additions are historically slow, running below the annual average expansion rate of 0.83 percent seen since 2000. And four-county

growth has trailed the statewide pace for 12 consecutive years. In the past year, California added 300,816 residents — 0.77 percent growth —

to 39.61 million as of July 1.

Plus, there’s a painful reality in the numbers. A key force behind the past year’s regional population increase is part of an overarching

challenge: As fewer people leave, the shortage of housing deepens.

Southern California combined for 64,953 of “net domestic outmigration.” That’s demographer talk for the number of people leaving a

geographic region — whether it be to elsewhere in California or to another state — vs. the number of folks moving in. That’s down

from 86,367 similar relocations the year before.

Despite all the tough talk about curtailing immigration from the Trump administration, 85,339 foreigners relocated to the four-county

region in the past year, down slightly from 86,367 in 2016, but above the 74,000 average in ow seen since 2010.

It’s worth noting that the four-county region we here at the Southern California News Group call Southern California is home to four of the

state’s ve most populous counties.

Los Angeles County was tops at 10.27 million; Orange County ranked No. 3 with 3.2 million; Riverside County, at 2.39 million, ranked No. 4;

and San Bernardino County at 2.16 million was h. (FYI: Just down the freeway San Diego ranked No. 2 at 3.3 million.)

In 2017, Los Angeles County added the most residents — 56,689 — in the region. But while L.A.’s growth rate (0.55 percent) was its best in

three years, it ranked 14th among the state’s 15 most-populous counties.

L.A. saw fewer exits: Its 58,489 net domestic move-outs were down from 80,494 in 2016. Still, that loss exceeded the 55,783 who arrived via

foreign immigration. More births than deaths also helped grow the population.

Riverside County ranked second in Southern California for new residents: up 30,135 or 1.28 percent. That was the second-fastest growth

among California’s large counties and Riverside’s best since 2014.

Riverside also was the only county in the region to enjoy a domestic in ux — a net 9,813 arrived from elsewhere in the U.S., up from 7,117

in 2016. Immigration added a net 6,285 vs. 6,361 more foreigners in 2016.

The 2017 population trends also follow another long-running trend: Folks are moving eastward to cheaper, newer housing. In the 1970s

and 1980s, the Inland Empire accounted for one-third of the region’s new residents. Since then, Riverside and San Bernardino counties

have been home to nearly half of the population growth in Southern California.

In the past year, Orange County added 21,626 people or 0.68 percent. Yes, it’s a bounce up from 2016’s nine-year low, but it ranked just 11th

among the state’s 15 big counties and is roughly three-quarters of the average post-recession growth rate. This slowdown is likely linked to

the county’s high cost-of-living.

Fewer people exited the county, too, as its 13,972 net domestic exits were down from 18,977 in 2016. Foreign net immigration also fell to

17,568 vs. 17,779 in 2016.

And San Bernardino County added 20,102, a 0.94 percent jump — its best since 2011 and sixth fastest among the big counties. Move-outs

dropped considerably: 2,305 vs. net domestic outmigration of 7,505 in 2016 while foreign arrivals of 5,703 were virtually unchanged from

2016.

This relatively slow population growth helps explains how the region’s job market ended up short of workers.

In the three years ended July 1, state jobs gures show bosses in the four-county region added 539,000 jobs. Yet population only grew by

347,000. So, the region’s jobless rate fell to just above 4 percent from roughly 7 percent in the period.

Slowing population growth isn’t just a regional trend. U.S. population growth hasn’t been above 1 percent a year since 2001, and its growth

was similar to Southern California, up 0.7 percent at last reading. Basically, the nation is aging and kids aren’t having as many kids as they

used to. Controversial immigration is helping ll in the shortfall.

Now, a critic of the local economic climate could complain that not too long ago — around the turn of the century — the combined

population of the four counties grew at nearly twice the pace as it did in the last four years. And Southern California’s 2.3 percent-a-year

population growth pace of the 1980s, or 1.3 percent average of the 1990s, are distant memories.

A pragmatist — perhaps a commuter who is regularly stuck on Southern California’s congested roadways or a frustrated house hunter —

might counter that logic with a simple retort: “If the region could grow faster, where would we put all those extra people?”

Food, showers, tents: Does

helping the homeless help?

A homeless man, who declined to give his name, is dwarfed by skyscrapers Monday, Dec. 4, 2017, in Los Angeles. JAE C. HONG/AP Amy Taxin and Geoff Mulvihill | AP | December 28, 2017

Mohammed Aly does not see why he shouldn't try to ease the lives of Orange County's homeless. But the authorities — and many of his neighbors — disagree.

Aly, a 28-year-old lawyer and activist, has been arrested three times as he

campaigned on behalf of street people. Recently, he was denied permission to install portable toilets on a dried-up riverbed, site of an encampment of

roughly 400 homeless.

"It is a question of basic empathy," he said.

But his detractors are engaged in a debate up and down the West Coast as the region struggles to cope with a rising tide of homelessness. They say Aly and other well-meaning residents who provide the homeless with tents, toilets and hot meals are enabling them to remain unsheltered.

A homeless encampment near the Santa Ana River, April 21, 2017. JILL REPLOGLE/KPCC And they note, nuisances like trash and unsanitary conditions fester and aberrant behavior continues.

In California, the San Diego County community of El Cajon passed a measure that curtails feeding the homeless, citing health concerns. Los Angeles city

officials have closed and re-opened restrooms for those on Skid Row amid similar controversies.

The issue is hotly debated in Orange County. In the seaside enclave of Dana

Point, neighbors fear a nightly meal is drawing homeless to a state beach where teens play beach volleyball and families picnic and surf. And on the

riverbed 30 miles north, a van fitted with shower stalls pulls up to help those living in the trash-strewn encampment, which neighbors worry is becoming more entrenched in an area where they once jogged and biked.

Verna Vasbinder prepares her her new bunk in the city's new Temporary Bridge Shelter for the homeless as her dog, Lucy Lui, looks on Friday, Dec. 1, 2017, in San Diego. The first of three shelters opened Friday, which will eventually provide beds for up to 700 people, as the city struggles to control a homeless crisis gripping the region. GREGORY BULL/AP

"There's no doubt that giving them stuff there prevents them from a desire to move," said Shaun Dove, a 46-year-old soon-to-be retired policeman who

lives less than a mile away.

The number of homeless living in Orange County has climbed 8 percent over the last two years. In the United States, homelessness rose slightly in the last year to nearly 554,000, pushed up largely by increases on the West Coast, federal data shows. The increase is driven by soaring housing costs, as well as a drug crisis and need for mental health services.

Advocates say the homeless have become more visible as police have cracked down on rules barring camping, driving people to spots like the riverbed, which is county property.

Tents line an underpass along the Santa Ana River near Angel Stadium. JILL REPLOGLE Everybody knows the solution is more housing; there aren't enough beds available in a county with a median home price near $700,000.

In Dana Point, the nightly meals began more than two decades ago at local churches but were moved to the beach parking lot after a late night stabbing between two homeless residents.

The homeless say as much as they appreciate the hot meals, the food isn't

keeping them on the streets.

"It doesn't help me tomorrow. It doesn't," said a 55-year-old man who refused to give his name. "But it helps me today."

Volunteers say the homeless are drawn to beaches because of the open

space and access to water and restrooms and that feeding people can build trust and lead them to additional services.

Sitting on the lawn at Doheny State Beach, Gholamreza Hagihgih, a 59-year-old Iranian immigrant who has been homeless for 20 years, eats his meal provided by a nonprofit organization Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017, in Dana Point, Calif. Goodhearted neighbors heartbroken over the rising number of homeless in their communities are dishing out hot meals, providing mobile showers and handing out sandwiches to those in need, hoping they can make a difference. JAE C. HONG/AP But Brian Brandt, a 55-year-old lawyer, doesn't let his six children go down to the beach alone after seeing volatile outbursts among the homeless and

frequent police calls.

"I don't want to be seen as a bad guy — 'OK, look at this heartless dude,'" he said. "I don't feel safe. I don't feel like my kids are safe."

Toni Nelson, who co-founded a neighborhood group, is also critical of the meals. She has joined with housing advocates to try to raise money to house the homeless with ties to the community, figuring if about a third of the city's

residents chip in $68 they can cover much of the need for a year.

So far, dozens have signed up to give. But they still have a long way to go.

Homeless Junior Sanchez, 29, carries a tarp he found in a pile of trash in a homeless encampment on the Santa Ana River trail near Angel Stadium Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. "Toughest part being homeless is getting a plate of food and a shower," said Sanchez who said he became homeless after losing his job as cook. JAE C. HONG/AP

Robert Marbut, a consultant on homelessness, believes it's misguided to provide housing or other services without heavy incentives for recipients to be in treatment programs for mental health problems, addiction or other issues.

"Anytime you give out services without treatment," Marbut said, "that's enabling, period. ... You've got to serve the food in a place where mental

health is being provided."

People say they ended up at the riverbed encampment for different reasons ranging from drug addiction to a lost job.

Many nearby residents said their neighborhoods have suffered since the camp has grown. Hypodermic needles have been found in the park and shopping carts rattle on otherwise quiet streets.

Anaheim officials said any aid should be part of a broader effort to help people

find a way out of the riverbed. "The goal shouldn't be to make it slightly more

comfortable there to live that way but rather, how can we get those folks to a better place?" said city spokesman Mike Lyster.

Amy Potter, left, and Victoria Pena, who are both homeless, pray for each other while holding donuts and coffee donated by local church members in a homeless encampment on the Santa Ana River trail Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. Goodhearted neighbors heartbroken over the rising number of homeless in their communities are dishing out hot meals, providing mobile showers and handing out sandwiches to those in need. JAE C. HONG/AP Orange County has shelter beds but they largely fill up. And many homeless said they don't like a shelter curfew or rules barring pets and prefer their privacy, even outdoors.

County authorities say they want to clear the riverbed and have provided

those living there with showers and case management services to help those who want it.

Larry Ford, a 53-year-old veteran, said he appreciates the assistance but food and showers don't tether him to the string of tents.

"Look at this," he said, pointing to garbage by his feet. "What is this enabling here?"

Mulvihill reported from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

https://nyti.ms/2pHLTpf

BUSINESS DAY

Prepaying Your Property Tax? I.R.S.Cautions It Might Not Pay OffBy BEN CASSELMAN DEC. 27, 2017

The Internal Revenue Service has a message for the homeowners rushing to prepaytheir property taxes before new rules take effect on New Year’s Day: Not so fast.

The tax bill that President Trump signed into law last week sharply limited theitemized deductions for state and local taxes while raising the standard deduction forindividuals and couples. Those rules do not take effect until 2018, however. That hasled some homeowners, particularly in high-tax, affluent areas, to try to prepay their2018 property taxes before the deduction disappears.

In an advisory notice posted to its website on Wednesday, the I.R.S. said thatmaneuver could work, but only under limited circumstances. To qualify for thededuction, property taxes not only need to be paid in 2017, they must also beassessed in 2017 — meaning that homeowners who prepaid their taxes based onestimated assessments, or who tried to pay several years’ worth of taxes at once, willprobably be out of luck.

“Those individuals now are not getting the benefits of those prepayments,”Nicole Kaeding, an economist at the Tax Foundation, said of people who paid taxesthat had not yet been assessed. “All that you’ve done is provided an interest-free loanto your municipal government.”

It is not clear how many people have tried to prepay their taxes. In Fairfax, Va.,hundreds of people lined up to prepay taxes on Tuesday, according to local mediareports, and communities in New York, New Jersey and other states have likewisereported a rush of prepayments.

Some states have encouraged residents to try to skirt the new cap on state and localtax deductions. Last week, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York signed an executiveorder paving the way for residents to prepay their property taxes.

“We’re doing this to circumvent the bill the president just signed?” Mr. Cuomoasked at a Friday news conference. “You’re damn right I am.”

Those efforts could still succeed. The I.R.S. guidance is advice to taxpayers andtax preparers, not a legal ruling. And the agency did not define what it means for atax to be “assessed.”

That could turn out to be a key question. Property tax schedules vary widelyfrom state to state and even county to county. Some states have already sent out taxassessments for part of 2018, even if the payments are not due until next year. Inthose states, tax lawyers said, homeowners who prepay taxes will almost certainly beable to deduct their taxes under the 2017 rules.

Other states have not even begun the 2018 assessment process. In those states,prepayment almost certainly will not help taxpayers.

And in some states, homeowners may have received estimated assessments ortaxes due in 2018 based partly on assessments from earlier years. Similarly, Mr.Cuomo’s executive order allowed local governments to levy taxes ahead of schedule.How the I.R.S. will treat such cases remains uncertain.

“It’s an open question right now,” said David Herzig, a professor of tax law atValparaiso University. “It depends on your state. There’s going to be no uniformanswer.”

Mr. Herzig said the I.R.S. guidance was also based on limited precedents andcould be overturned by a legal challenge. As a result, he said, many taxpayers mightprepay and hope that the courts rule in their favor.

That could be a risky strategy for some taxpayers, however. Andy Grewal, aprofessor of tax law at the University of Iowa, said that homeowners who paid theirtaxes into an escrow account — a common practice — could end up facing an audit ifthey prepay, because the tax payments they report to the I.R.S. will differ from thosereported by their banks.

“I think people should be aware that there could be some administrativeheadaches that come out of this,” Mr. Grewal said.

Follow Ben Casselman on Twitter: @bencasselman.

A version of this article appears in print on December 28, 2017, on Page B4 of the New York edition withthe headline: Prepaying Property Taxes Is a Risk, I.R.S. Cautions.

© 2017 The New York Times Company

F

IRS says it's possible to prepay some property tax this year to save money.Here are the rules

By Andrew Khouri

DECEMBER 27, 2017, 3:25 PM

or households rushing to prepay property taxes before a new cap on deductions takes effect, the IRS released some good news Wednesday: In many cases, it

will allow such a maneuver.

That had been up for debate, because the new tax law was silent on such a scenario, even though it specifically prohibits prepaying 2018 state or local income

taxes this year and claiming them as an itemized deduction for 2017.

By allowing some prepayment of property tax, itemizing households could save money on their 2017 federal income taxes. Starting next year, households will be limited

to an annual combined deduction of no more than $10,000 in state and local income, sales and property taxes.

When can I prepay my property tax and not be subject to the $10,000 cap?

If your county has already assessed your taxes you can pay now and deduct the full amount on your 2017 federal tax return.

For example, property tax bills generally go out in the fall and cover a fiscal year, July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018. Half of the taxes are generally due by early December

and the other half due by April.

The IRS will allow you to pay that second installment before the end of the year and deduct the entire amount, something that has always been possible.

When would I be subject to the $10,000 cap even if I prepay?

If your county has not assessed your property taxes. The IRS gave the following example: If a county was allowing households to prepay their 2018-2019 property taxes

in 2017, but those taxes wouldn’t actually be assessed until 2018, then you can’t deduct those prepayments on your 2017 tax return.

L.A. County residents are not allowed to prepay their 2018-2019 property taxes.

A new home community in Anaheim. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

If I want to prepay, what should I do?

First, talk to your tax adviser. There are complexities to the tax changes to sort out before deciding whether paying early would be a prudent financial move.

Also, if you plan to take the standard deduction in 2017, you can’t deduct property taxes anyway.

If you still want to prepay your property taxes and pay them yourself, contact your county treasurer-tax collector's office.

L.A. County homeowners can visit L.A. County’s Property Tax Portal to pay online or get information on how to pay by mail, in person or over the phone. People with

questions can also call the office of L.A. County’s treasurer and tax collector at (888) 807-2111.

If your mortgage servicer pays your property taxes for you from an escrow account, it might not be possible to pay earlier. In such a case, you should contact your

servicer.

[email protected]

Follow me, @khouriandrew on Twitter

UPDATES:

4:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the standard deduction.

This story was originally published at 3:25 p.m.


This article is related to: Internal Revenue Service

By BRIAN WHITEHEAD | [email protected] | San Bernardino SunDecember 27, 2017 at 11:57 am

Philip Pumerantz founded the school that would become Western University of Health Sciences in 1977. The Pomona university has since becomea hub for health care professionals. Pumerantz died on Tuesday, Dec. 26. He was 85. (Photo courtesy of WesternU)

Philip Pumerantz, founding president of Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, died Tuesday, Dec. 26.

LOCAL NEWS

WesternU founding president, Philip Pumerantz,g p premembered as health care luminary

He was 85.

“This is a tremendous loss,” Daniel R. Wilson, Pumerantz’s successor at WesternUU, said in a release. “Phil was a singular soul – most

congenial yet indomitable and intrepid. His passing will be keenly felt across the university community, throughout health professions

education and the many communities WesternU serves.”

Pumerantz grew up in Connecticut and went on to serve two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was the rst of his family to

attend college and graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1959.

Pumerantz began a career as an educator and earned his Ph.D. from UConn in 1967. He is credited with co-founding the University of

Bridgeport’s College of Continuing Education.

In 1977, Pumerantz founded the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Paci c – the school that would become WesternU. The 45-year-old,

along with a group of osteopathic physicians, converted an abandoned outdoor shopping mall in downtown Pomona into a campus.

“WesternU owes its very existence to the vision, ambition, tenacity and philosophy of Philip Pumerantz,” Wilson said. “He helped resurrect

osteopathic medicine in California, and then – with only ideas and effort – built what is now a university with the broadest array of

graduate and health professions colleges in America, and respected worldwide.

“His is a success story unlike any other in higher education in the past century,” Wilson added.

As WesternU’s top of cer, Pumerantz received myriad accolades.

He was given his alma mater’s 1995 Distinguished Alumni Award; the 1995 Dale Dodson Award for national leadership from the American

Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine; the 2010 Distinguished Educator Award from the Boy Scouts of America; the Ellis Island

Medal of Honor in 2011; and many others.

Pumerantz co-authored four college textbooks on education and penned numerous published papers.

When he retired in 2015, he was the second-longest-serving sitting president of a college or university in the United States, according to a

release.

A son, Andrew Pumerantz, is a professor of internal medicine at WesternU and the founder and executive director of the Western Diabetes

Institute.

In its 40 years, WesternU has become a hub for health care professionals. More than 3,900 students are enrolled in 21 programs between

campuses in Pomona and Lebanon, Oregon.

Upwards of 15,000 call WesternU their alma mater.

Pumerantz and his wife of 57 years, Harriet, live in Upland. They have three children and ve grandchildren.

A private family service and burial are planned. The family asks that in lieu of owers, donations be made to the Pauline Weiss Pumerantz

Scholarship at WesternU.

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whitehead_brianrianBrian WhiteheadrianBrian Whitehead covers San Bernardino for The Sun. Bred in Grand Terrace, he graduated from Riverside Notre Dame

High and Cal State Fullerton. For seven years, he covered high school and college sports for The Orange County Register. Before landingat The Sun, he was the city beat reporter for Buena Park, Fullerton and La Palma.

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An explosive wildfire season drives firefighting costs to record levels

By Bettina Boxall

DECEMBER 28, 2017, 3:00 AM

tate and federal firefighting costs soared to record levels this year as wildfires scorched more than 9.5 million acres across the country, continuing a trend that

is playing havoc with the U.S. Forest Service budget.

The agency spent $2.4 billion battling wildfires in federal fiscal year 2017, which ended Sept. 30. And that doesn’t even include the Forest Service’s share of

the $170-million Thomas fire, which is still burning in Los Padres National Forest.

Only halfway through the state fiscal year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has already spent $699 million fighting wildland blazes that

turned California’s 2017 fire season into the deadliest and most destructive on record.

The rising costs are sucking funds from other Forest Service programs, such as recreation and maintenance. And the longer fire season has pushed state officials to

spend more taxpayer money expanding California’s year-round firefighting staff.

There have been some years of respite, but in general, firefighting costs have been climbing since 2000.

“It’s just getting worse and worse,” Forest Service spokeswoman Jennifer Jones said.

This is the fifth year since 2006 that national burn acreage topped 9 million, with 2015 setting a modern record at 10.1 million acres.

In California, the wind-driven Thomas fire roared to the head of the state’s 85-year-old list of large wildfires. This is the third year in the past decade that flames

charred more than 1 million acres in the state.

At one point, more than 8,600 federal, state and local firefighters were attacking the Thomas blaze. In October, more than 11,000 firefighters battled the Northern

California fire siege, which claimed 45 lives.

“We’re seeing sieges happen more frequently,” and fire seasons are growing longer, said Cal Fire director Ken Pimlott.

Firefighters monitor the Thomas blaze from a staging area near Santa Barbara's Parma Park on Dec. 16. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

That has prompted his department to beef up permanent staffing.

Cal Fire, which is responsible for fire protection in rural areas, traditionally kept 10 fire stations open all year in Southern California and staffed others around the state

during the fire season.

Starting this year, an additional 42 Cal Fire stations throughout the state will remain open year-round, each with an engine that can be dispatched at a moment’s notice.

“This is the state recognizing that conditions are changing,” Pimlott said. “As this becomes the new norm we will continue to look at what it takes to keep pace.”

Cal Fire’s overall budget — $2.1 billion this fiscal year — includes a category for fighting large wildfires. But the actual costs usually exceed the budgeted amount.

With six months left in this fiscal year, the state firefighting bill is already the highest on record and tops the budgeted amount by $272 million.

Some of the state’s firefighting expenses are eventually reimbursed by the federal government. But one way or another, taxpayers pick up the tab.

The legislature in 2011 imposed an annual fee on homeowners in areas protected by Cal Fire, but that paid for fire prevention activities, such as brush clearance

inspections and hazardous fuel reduction, not firefighting operations.

And the $150 per-home fee, which raised about $74 million a year, proved so contentious that lawmakers this year suspended it until 2031.

In its place, Cal Fire is getting prevention money from the state’s cap and trade program, in which companies that emit greenhouse gases buy pollution credits.

The Forest Service, meanwhile, has been forced in many years to borrow money from the agency’s non-fire programs to cover ballooning firefighting expenses. While

those programs are later repaid, the transfers disrupt and postpone work in national forests.

And total fire spending — including firefighting, training, and hazardous fuel reduction — is eating up more and more of the agency’s budget.

A decade ago, it amounted to 42% of the total Forest Service budget. In fiscal year 2017, it consumed 57%. By 2021, Jones said the agency expects fire to amount to

roughly two-thirds of its budget.

That leaves the agency with less to spend on other forest projects, including road and trail maintenance and recreational activities.

From 1998 to 2016, the number of Forest Service employees working in fire programs more than doubled to 12,000. At the same time, Jones said, staffing for some

other programs declined by 39%.

In 2009, Congress created another firefighting fund, but that failed to solve the Forest Service’s money problems.

The Obama administration subsequently proposed a system of budget adjustments when the agency was hit by major wildfire costs, but that went nowhere.

Now Forest Service officials are trying to come up with a fix that would treat the costliest wildfires like a natural disaster, meaning they would be paid for outside of the

agency’s annual appropriation.

Neither federal nor state officials expect the wildfire threat to diminish, as the forces that drive big burns are escalating.

In California and the West, development continues to push into fire-prone wildlands. Twentieth century policies thwarted the natural fire cycle on public lands, leaving

many forests overgrown and fire-starved. Drought and climate change are extending the fire season.

“We all have to come to the understanding that fire is a part of the landcape in California,” Pimlott said. “We will never be able to stop these 60-mile-an-hour, wind-

driven, intense fires that move the length of a football field in a minute.”

“It’s no different than if you live in a flood zone or a hurricane zone or any place frequented by tornadoes,” he added. “You have to have that same mindset on any given

day, there could be a wildland fire and here’s what I have to do to stay safe.”

[email protected]

Twitter: @boxall


This article is related to: Wildfires

By MONICA RODRIGUEZ | [email protected] | Daily BulletinPUBLISHED: December 27, 2017 at 5:37 pm | UPDATED: December 27, 2017 at 5:41 pm

Pomona City Council members opted not to join the Los Angeles Community Choice Energy program. Council members would like to hear theopinions of the public on the matter before moving ahead with such a green energy program in the future. Photo by Monica Rodriguez/ InlandValley Daily Bulletin.

Pomona city leaders want to provide cheaper and greener energy to those in the city but they want to learn more about what’s available to

provide such a service.

City Council members at their meeting last week rejected a proposal to join the Los Angeles Community Choice Energy programm, or LACCE,

a community choice aggregation program established by Los Angeles County to serve unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

Council members Adriana Robledo, Elizabeth Ontiveros-Cole, Ginna Escobar and Robert Torres voted down the proposal at the Dec. 18

meeting. Council members Rubio Gonzalez, Cristina Carrizosa and Mayor Tim Sandoval voted in support of the proposal.

“Just because we didn’t vote for LACCE today doesn’t mean we can’t join later,” Sandoval said after the vote.

No date was set as to when the City Council will revisit the topic, but Sandoval asked that it be brought back as soon as possible.

Robledo and other members of the council asked that information on other community choice aggregation models in Southern California be

presented to the City Council.

LOCAL NEWS

Pomona says ‘no’ to L.A. County green energy program, fornow

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Community choice aggregation programs provide communities and cities a means to establish joint powers authorities and purchase energy

on the wholesale market and sell it to customers within their jurisdiction, according to a city staff report.

Customers can then purchase electricity at costs lower than available through larger, independently owned utility companies, such as

Southern California Edison.

Los Angeles County personnel began the process more than two years ago that led to the creation of a CAA. By 2016, everything was in place

that would allow it to start distributing energy to customers in January 2017. The program was halted at that time because the L.A.County

Board of Supervisors thought it should be opened up to cities across the county without their own municipal electric utilities.

By mid-December, 20 cities had joined, including Claremontt, and the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, according to an email from

Gary Gero, Los Angeles County’s chief sustainability officer.

During the council’s discussion of the topic, Sandoval said this is a matter that requires a larger community conversation.

“We’ve had no community input,” he said. He also said he’d like to have heard from residents before making a decision.

Council members received some information on the matter earlier in the monthh but asked that a proposed ordinance authorizing the city to

enter the LACCE joint powers authority be brought forward.

Giving initial approval to a proposed ordinance Dec. 18 would have made it possible for the city to join the LACCE program before the Dec.

27 deadline. The final approval would have had to be made in January.

Torres said Wednesday there was little time to step back and review the program and therefore couldn’t support it.

The program is a good one and would offer residents options that don’t currently exist, he said. Still, he would like to give residents an

opportunity to weigh in.

Some said Claremont had conducted community meetings and researched the subject but that’s not enough because “it may not be right for

us,” Torres said.

Pomona city staff did not have enough time to do extensive research, Gonzalez said.

If the program is good enough for Claremont “it’s got to be good enough for us,” Gonzalez said.

Torres said he’s willing to revisit the subject as long as there is time to listen to Pomona residents and a recommendation from city staff.

Gonzalez said he thinks the proposal will come back to the council.

As Gonzalez sees it, it would be wiser for Pomona to join the LACCE program than to pursue the establishment of a smaller CAA, in part

because the city has limited staff and isn’t in a position to take on the responsibilities that would come with creating a smaller CAA.

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By SUSAN ABRAM | [email protected] | Daily NewsPUBLISHED: December 27, 2017 at 5:16 pm | UPDATED: December 27, 2017 at 8:52 pm

Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald via APAccording to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, this year’s flu season is off to a quick startand so far it seems to be dominated by a nasty bug. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald via AP)

With 19 influenza related deaths reported so far in Los Angeles County this season, public health officials offered some advice Wednesday:

“Continue spreading holiday cheer and not the flu.”

NEWS

This season’s flu strain is causing more emergency roomvisits, LA County health officials warn

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The nudge toward urging people to get vaccinated comes as Los Angeles and many other counties are seeing widespread flu, an uptick in

cases and increased visits to emergency rooms. This year’s dominate strain, Influenza A (H3N2) is known to cause severe illness and send

more people to the hospital, said Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, Interim Health Officer for Los Angeles County.

Gunzenhauser said the number of people who have died so far this season is more when compared to the same time last year. He said older

people with underlying health conditions are most at risk.

“Flu activity usually peaks in January and February, but this season we are seeing flu activity earlier than usual so getting vaccinated now is

important,” he said. “Getting vaccinated against flu protects both the person who receives the vaccine and also reduces the chance they will

become ill and spread the flu to family and friends.”

The CDC has said this year’s flu vaccine is a good match for the strains that are going around, Gunzenhauser added.

During the 2016-2017 season, there were 77 deaths confirmed to be caused by influenza in Los Angeles County, public health officials said.

That’s 7 more than the year before.

Influenza is on the rise in L.A. County. Visit https://t.co/ofFbZn83F7or call 2-1-1 to find free flu shot clinics near you#WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/GcTggNPcpI— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 28, 2017

Influenza symptoms include fever or feeling feverish, a cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, chills and fatigue. Most people with the flu

are able to treat themselves at home, health officials say, but in some, the disease can lead to complications including pneumonia, seizures,

and worsening of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and heart or lung disease.

Free flu shots are available throughout Los Angeles County. For more information go to publichealth.lacounty.gov or call 2-1-1.

susan-abram Susan Abram

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

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A Hidden Cost of Sexual Harassment in Sacramento: Expensive Special Elections

Early voting is becoming more popular throughout the country. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The sexual harassment scandal that began enveloping the state Capitol two months ago has cost two state lawmakers their jobs. Andnow their resignations mean more work, and unanticipated costs, for local governments that must hold special elections to fill thosevacant seats.

An April 3 election is scheduled to fill the seat left open when Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra (D-Pacoima) resigned(https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/11/27/l-a-assemblyman-quits-but-denies-sexual-harassment-claims/) in November.

Fellow Los Angeles-area Democrat Matt Dababneh resigned (https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/12/08/assemblyman-matt-dababneh-resigns-following-sexual-assault-allegations/) effective the end of December, and Gov. Jerry Brown will soon announce a date for thatspecial election.

And now added to the bumper crop of Southland special elections: the unexpected resignation of yet another L.A. assemblyman,Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, who said Wednesday he was stepping down for health reasons.

Los Angeles County will have to bear the costs of all three special elections to fill those seats.

THE CALIFORNIA REPORT (HTTPS://WW2.KQED.ORG/NEWS/PROGRAMS/THE-CALIFORNIA-REPORT/)

By Scott Shafer (https://ww2.kqed.org/news/author/scottshafer/)DECEMBER 27, 2017

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In fact, in the past 10 years, Los Angeles County alone has held 20 special elections to fill seats left vacant by resignation or death. Thetotal price tag: tens of millions of dollars for polling places, voter guides — all the machinery of an election has to be cranked up even ifthere’s just one thing on the ballot.

“It makes things more complex, that’s for sure,” said L.A, County’s elections chief, Dean Logan. He’s hoping the three elections can allbe held on the same date, April 3, when the election to fill Bocanegra’s seat is already scheduled.

“That would help with overhead,” Logan said, saying it costs “on average $1 million-$1.2 million to hold voting to fill each vacancy.”While all three seats are in Los Angeles County, Logan notes the districts do not overlap, so each will require its own votingprocedures, ballots and equipment.

Speaking diplomatically, Logan said the growing number of special elections “takes time away from new projects and votinginnovations,” such as a brand-new voting system the county is developing for the 2020 election. “It pulls resources away from that,”Logan said.

And one resignation often sets off a series of others. For example, when Attorney General Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate,Gov. Brown picked Los Angeles congressman Xavier Becerra to replace her. A special election was called to fill Becerra’s seat, and aftera special primary and general election, the winner was Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez. He in turn had to resign to fill out the remainderof Becerra’s term.

That required yet another special election (primary and general) to fill Gomez’s seat in L.A. County. The primary was held Oct. 3,followed by a Dec. 5 runoff.

Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation (http://www.calvoter.org), said it’s an unexpected cost that localgovernment has to eat.

“There had been a law in place in the past that would have reimbursed counties for special election costs, but it sunset,” Alexandersaid, adding the law was never renewed by the Legislature.

In addition to the high cost, Alexander said, voters don’t like to be bothered.

“A lot of times people feel like there’s too many elections going on,” she said.

The result of these oddly timed elections is often lack of interest, with turnout as low as just 8 percent of registered voters. The turnoutfor that Dec. 5 runoff in L.A. was just over 9 percent.

Election officials have tried and failed to get the state to cover the cost of unexpected special elections. But Santa Cruz County electionchief Gail Pellerin isn’t optimistic.

“There’s just no money,” Pellerin noted. “And especially now that the state budget is impacted with all the emergency fires. Who knowswhen elections will ever get paid?”

A constitutional amendment that would have avoided special elections by giving the governor the authority to appoint a successor tofill out the remainder of a term died two years ago — it needed a two-thirds vote to put it on the ballot, and Republicans worried that aDemocratic governor would name people who were too liberal. There’s talk that it could come up again in the new year.

And Dean Logan said L.A. County will try once again to get state reimbursement for all the unanticipated elections. “This may drawmore attention,” Logan said, “given the nature of what’s behind those vacancies” created by the sexual harassment scandal.

The State WorkerChronicling civil-service life for California state workers

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CHP fought nine years to block an officer with PTSD from returning to work. It lost.

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BY ADAM [email protected]

DECEMBER 27, 2017 10:46 PM

The California Highway Patrol owes hundreds of thousands of dollars to an officer it fought to keep off duty for nine years because she had beendiagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The officer, Sgt. Kerri Hawkins, is back on duty, but still battling the department.

The CHP has not moved to pay her the back wages in the nine months since the State Personnel Board affirmed a 2015 decision that ordered thedepartment to reinstate her. The board also ordered the department to pay Hawkins for the time it spent trying to block her return to the force.

“There was an order to reinstate her with back pay, and that has not happened yet,” said Carrie Lane, chief executive officer of the union thatrepresents CHP officers. The union represented Hawkins in her effort to return to duty.

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The California Highway Patrol would not comment on Hawkins’ case. It referred to her appeal as “pending litigation,” and would not say whatdecisions remain outstanding.

Lane is unaware of a lawsuit. The department may be referring to negotiations over how much it owes Hawkins.

The State Controller’s Office, which manages the state payroll, reached out to the CHP “to expedite payment” to Hawkins after The Sacramento Beecalled, state Controller’s Office spokeswoman Taryn Kinney said.

Hawkins’ long ordeal reflects both the difficulty doctors face in determining whether a behavioral health condition makes someone incapable ofworking, and the sometimes painfully long process of resolving a personnel dispute in California state government.

Hers was one of two almost simultaneous appeals in which female state law enforcement officers sought to return to work after receiving medicalretirements for job-related injuries. In both cases, state-appointed doctors declared the women fit for duty, but the officers’ employers foughtprotracted and failed battles to keep them off the force.

The key decision in the other case took place in October 2015, when the Department of Justice lost its last appeal to prevent special agent AngieResendez from returning to duty. She returned to work in 2016 and earned $709,000 in 2016 through a combination of her salary that year and thefive years of back wages the department owed her for the time it spent fighting her reappointment.

“If you persevere, remain patient and stay focused, justice will prevail,” Resendez said when her union, the California State Law EnforcementAssociation, won that court ruling.

Hawkins, too, received a key decision in her favor in 2015, when an administrative judge rejected arguments from the CHP. Two years later, she’sstill waiting for a final resolution to a case that began in 2008.

Hawkins’ efforts to regain her job are described in records published by the State Personnel Board and the California Public Employees’ RetirementSystem. Hawkins did not respond to messages from The Bee, and Lane declined to communicate with her about this story.

The personnel board displays a redacted version of the case prominently on its website because it considers the case a precedent-setting decisiondefining how public agencies should handle similar disputes in the future.

The ruling centered on a 2008 decision by CalPERS that Hawkins was healthy and fit for duty, allowing CalPERS to discontinue the medicalretirement it awarded her in 2004 and the California Highway Patrol to rehire her as a sergeant. The CHP disputed that decision.

“No law enforcement agency should be required to reinstate a former peace officer who has had a long history of a psychiatric disorder, such asPTSD, and where there is a significant likelihood that the disorder will return should that peace officer resume duties which caused the disorder in thefirst place,” a deputy attorney general representing the CHP wrote in a 2011 filing.

Going forward, the personnel board wrote, law enforcement agencies cannot overrule CalPERS when CalPERS determines that an employee with amedical retirement is capable of working.

“A law enforcement employer has a mandatory duty to reinstate the individual seeking reinstatement after CalPERS has concluded that she is nolonger incapacitated; and, the employing department may not require the individual to undergo any further medical or psychological assessment orscreening before reinstating her,” the personnel board wrote.

Hawkins joined the CHP as a traffic officer in 1987 and earned a promotion to sergeant in 1997. She became a supervisor of a Los Angeles-basedaccident investigation team in 1998, managing officers who responded to fatal accidents, accidents in which CHP officers fired weapons andhazardous spills.

CalPERS’ documents show that Hawkins began to experience anxiety and sleep disorders shortly after she joined the major accident team. Hercondition worsened in 2000, when she was involved in a work-related accident. Depression set in. So did pain in her stomach.

Hawkins in 2001 filed a worker’s compensation claim and was off duty for several months. Three different doctors in 2003 and 2004 diagnosedHawkins with PTSD. Their reports led CalPERS to grant Hawkins a medical retirement in 2004, removing her from duty and guaranteeing her apension for the rest of her life.

The last doctor who met with her wrote, “Because all the work as a peace officer inherently involves dealing with scenes that would evoke post-traumatic memories, it is not possible for (Hawkins) to return to modified work as a peace officer without serious risk of exacerbation of her currentmental and physical disorders,” according to CalPERS documents.

reprints

Those diagnoses and her medical retirement appeared to mark the end of Hawkins’ career as a law enforcement officer, but her next move set her ona road to recovery.

Hawkins moved to Kaui in 2004 and took a low-stress job for a police department. She conducted background checks there from 2005 to 2007.

Her headaches diminished. Her stomach pain eased, too.

Hawkins returned to Los Angeles and asked the state to go back to work. She told CalPERS that she was ready to handle the ugly scenes copsencounter, from fatal accidents to officer-involved shootings.

A psychiatrist appointed by CalPERS interviewed her and reviewed her medical records. The doctor cleared her for reinstatement.

But the CHP was not ready to bring her on the force.

It contested the recommendation from the CalPERS doctor and held up an opinion from a different psychologist who wrote that Hawkins “presentsfavorably,” but should not rejoin a police department. That psychologist, who works regularly for the State Personnel Board, wrote that returning tothe CHP could “retrigger” Hawkins’ PTSD.

That disagreement went back and forth for years with each side bolstering its case with recommendations from additional doctors. Hawkins continuedto collect her pension, and she worked for a private investigator.

Finally, a state administrative judge in July 2015 sided with Hawkins. Matthews Goldsby noted that none of the four doctors who evaluated Hawkinsdescribed her as impaired.

He ordered her back to work, and set the stage for CalPERS and the State Personnel Board to put her back on duty.

Hawkins “is presently capable of performing the usual duties of a CHP sergeant. Under the circumstances, reinstatement is mandatory,” Goldsbywrote.

Adam Ashton: 916-321-1063, @Adam_Ashton. Sign up for state worker news alerts at sacbee.com/newsletters.

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New Year's Eve on Las Vegas Strip will have high security after shootingrampage

By David Montero

DECEMBER 27, 2017, 4:30 PM | REPORTING FROM LAS VEGAS

as Vegas officials are expecting lower-than-normal attendance at the New Year’s Eve celebration on the famed Strip, but in light of October’s mass shooting,

security will be at its highest level in years.

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Wednesday that the Homeland Security Department had raised the New Year’s Eve celebration to the highest

security level under its special events protocols — SEAR level 1. In years past, it was level 3.

The change, he said, will bring snipers with spotters, extra air support, more medical equipment and personnel, and mobile command posts staffed by federal

authorities. The same security classification and measures are afforded to the Super Bowl and political party conventions for presidential nominations.

Lombardo said there would be more than 1,500 local police officers deployed for a three-day window.

Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak said he understood New Year’s Eve revelers might be worried about safety after the Oct. 1 mass shooting, and he

sought to assuage those concerns.

“Nobody puts on a New Year’s Eve show like Las Vegas, and never will it be as safe as it will be this year,” Sisolak said. “The safety measures in place are impressive.”

It’s been three months since 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire from his 32nd floor hotel room at Mandalay Bay into a crowd of more than 20,000 people at the

Route 91 Harvest country music festival on the Strip. He killed 58 people and wounded hundreds of others.

The FBI has revealed little about Paddock’s motives. Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse said in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the FBI would

be issuing a report sometime before the the anniversary of the shooting.

In an interview with the local CBS affiliate in November, Lombardo said Paddock, a gambler who played a lot of video poker, had sustained losses in recent years and

may have been depressed.

Paddock killed himself with a gunshot wound to his mouth, the Clark County coroner said last week.

Tourists in Las Vegas this month. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Officials with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said tourism was down 4.2% for the month of October and that the decline in attendance was

attributable to the shooting.

The visitors authority said it expected New Year’s Eve attendance to be down 1.2% from last year’s total of 334,000 people. But officials said that expected decline was

due to New Year’s Eve falling on a Sunday instead of a Saturday, and a shortage of rooms this year as several casinos are in the middle of renovations.

Officials with the visitors authority said they didn’t have enough data to estimate the shooting’s effect on visits planned for Dec. 31.

New Year’s Eve is a signature event on the Strip and one of the rare times the road is closed to traffic, allowing people to wander along the boulevard and watch

fireworks at midnight.

Adrienne Packer, a spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Transportation, said the 3-mile stretch would be closed to traffic beginning at 5 p.m. and wouldn’t be

open again until about 5 a.m. Jan. 1.

She said her department would spent $350,000 on protective measures — up from $120,000 spent last year. She also said her agency would be getting help from other

departments, and that authorities would be in plainclothes during the festivities. It is a level of security similar to that imposed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, she

said.

“Everybody in the wake of Oct. 1 is very sensitive to safety,” Packer said. “We want to make sure our visitors and local residents feel safe and comfortable.”

Gov. Brian Sandoval authorized 300 National Guard troops to be deployed around the Strip and at McCarran International Airport. That is twice as many as last year.

Mari St. Martin, a spokeswoman for Sandoval, said in a statement that “the horrific tragedy that occurred on Oct. 1 in southern Nevada was cited as a specific reason for

the increased request,” and that the “inter-local and mutual aid agreements are not sufficient in supporting the anticipated needs” for the New Year’s Eve events.

After the shooting, Clark County commissioners approved the installation of bollards — short, stubby posts — along the Strip. Sisolak said nearly 800 bollards had been

installed since the shooting and 7,500 more would go up in 2018. During the New Year’s Eve celebration, there will be more than 4,200 metal barricades along the

Strip.

Officials are prohibiting pedestrians from bringing large bags, strollers, backpacks and coolers onto the Strip.

“I recognize that is an inconvenience, but these restrictions are for everyone’s safety,” Sisolak said.

[email protected]

Twitter: @davemontero


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