| REGION: Gore takes helm of Sheriff's Department |
| In a brief ceremony, former Undersheriff Bill Gore, 61, officially took over the department for his longtime, retiring friend, Sheriff Bill Kolender, 74, on Thursday morning.
The swear-in ceremony, conducted by Judge William B. Enright at the Sheriff's Department headquarters, was attended by about 300 officials, employees and family members. [Article] |
| by EDWARD SIFUENTES , North County Times. 2009-07-03 |
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| Santa Clara County supervisors name new chief legal adviser |
| A champion of small schools, a prominent voice in Latino legal circles and a former student body co-president at Stanford University is Santa Clara County's new chief legal adviser.
The board of supervisors announced Thursday that they appointed Assistant County Counsel Miguel Márquez as Acting County Counsel. His job begins Monday. [Article] |
| by Lisa Fernandez, San Jose Mercury News. 2009-07-03 |
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| Vector-control tax for SLO County voted down handily |
| San Luis Obispo County property owners voted a resounding “no” on a ballot measure proposing increased taxes to fund a countywide district to control mosquitos and other disease-spreading pests.
Sixty-seven percent of the mail-only ballots cast by county property owners in the election were “no” votes, Health Agency officials said Thursday. [Article] |
| by April Charlton, Santa Maria Times. 2009-07-03 |
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| San Bernardino County treasurer retires |
| Dick Larsen, who was first elected as Treasurer-Tax Collector for San Bernardino County in 1998, celebrated his retirement Thursday.
"I'm going to miss my staff. I have the best staff in the county," he said.
Larsen, 60, lives in Redlands. He said he plans to spend much of his new free time traveling, visiting his second home in Idaho and hitting the links with his wife Theresa and mother Patricia Merrit, who is an avid golfer. [Article] |
| by Andrew Edwards, San Bernardino County Sun. 2009-07-03 |
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| San Bernardino County treasurer-tax collector retires today |
| Dick Larsen is usually up around 5:30 each morning, scanning the financial news for the latest fluctuations in credit ratings and stock prices.
It's part of the responsibility that comes with managing the county's investment pool of about $4.2 billion -- one that the San Bernardino County treasurer-tax collector takes seriously.
"In one day I can bankrupt the county if I make the wrong decision," Larsen said. [Article] |
| by Imran Ghori, Riverside Press-Enterprise. 2009-07-03 |
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| Editorial: Give county workers a voice |
| Our view: The Butte County Grand Jury report is one of many over the years that questions department leadership.
Though grand juries are as old as the 49ers (the gold miners, not the football team), many people still don't understand what a grand jury does.
A grand jury is a public watchdog. Citizens serve a one-year term and study local governments, then produce a year-end report in addition to less-frequent interim reports. [Article] |
| by EDITORIAL , Chico Enterprise-Record. 2009-07-03 |
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| San Bernardino County supervisors are skeptical of Grand Jury reform recommendations |
| Members of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors weighed in Thursday on the Grand Jury's recommendations for limits on campaign contributions and establishment of an ethics commission to help thwart corruption and the perception of it.
The Grand Jury's 2008-2009 report, released Wednesday, included for the first time a special section on proposed governmental reform. [Article] |
| by Joe Nelson, San Bernardino County Sun. 2009-07-03 |
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| Grand jury: Board of Supervisor's raises were 'public, legal' |
| The foreman of the Tulare County grand jury said jurors' investigation of the county Board of Supervisors' 2008 pay raise began and ended with whether it was against the law.
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The investigation found nothing illegal. But the jury's foreman, Gene Mooers, said any further recommendations from the three-month-long investigation would have had to be approved by the county counsel, Kathleen Bales-Lange. [Article] |
| by VALERIE GIBBONS, Tulare Advance-Register. 2009-07-03 |
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| Fewer deputies for county courts |
| Fewer Sheriff's deputies will be assigned to county courthouses as Superior Court administrators manage a mandated $3.4 million cut in security.
The cuts come as local courts look for ways to balance service levels for residents of San Bernardino County with reduced budgets and a bad economy.
Judge James C. McGuire, the presiding judge of San Bernardino Superior Court, said the multi-million dollar cut means 17 sheriff's deputy positions will be eliminated from courthouses across the county. [Article] |
| by Mike Cruz, San Bernardino County Sun. 2009-07-03 |
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| Supervisors appoint county's lawyer as interim administrator |
| The Yolo County Board of Supervisors announced the appointment of Robyn Truitt Drivon as interim county administrator. She will be filling this position upon the retirement of County Administrator Sharon Jensen later this summer. Ms. Drivon will also continue serving as county counsel.
"We have asked our illustrious County Counsel, Robyn Drivon, to assist us in this time of transition as Interim County Administrator," said Yolo County Board of Supervisors Chair Mike McGowan. "We are sorry to see Sharon Jensen go, but wish her well in her retirement and look forward to further recognizing her and many accomplishments in this leadership position later this summer." [Article] |
| by Staff Report, Woodland Daily Democrat. 2009-07-03 |
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| County contractor ordered to repay state almost $200,000 |
| Northern California Emergency Medical Services Inc., whose contract with Shasta County was begrudgingly amended and extended last week, owes the state Emergency Preparedness Office (EPO) nearly $200,000 as the result of an investigation completed by the state Department of Public Health earlier this year. [Article] |
| by Amanda Winters, Redding Record Searchlight. 2009-07-03 |
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| County planners approve San Miguel mixed-use project |
| For decades, land on the undeveloped eastside of downtown San Miguel on Mission Street, formerly owned by Union Pacific Railroad Company, sat vacant and without any plans in the works for future development. [Article] |
| by Josh Petray, San Luis Obispo Tribune. 2009-07-03 |
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| Budget ax spares Calaveras County schools for time being |
| SAN ANDREAS - The economic pain afflicting public schools up and down California won't be felt in classrooms in Calaveras Unified School District. At least not quite yet.
The Calaveras Unified School District Board of Trustees this week approved a $27 million general fund budget for the 2009-10 school year. And while that represents a 10 percent drop from spending in the fiscal year that ended Tuesday, it won't mean any immediate additional layoffs. [Article] |
| by Dana M. Nichols, Stockton Record. 2009-07-03 |
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| Ridge medical pot grower's right to sue Sheriff's Office upheld |
| SACRAMENTO — In a landmark decision, an appeals court has upheld the right of a member of a Paradise medical marijuana collective to sue the county over an order by a sheriff's deputy to uproot most of his plants.
American's For Safe Access, the organization which brought the lawsuit on behalf of David Williams, 56, contends it is the first time a California court in a published opinion has authorized a medical marijuana patient to seek money damages to protect his civil rights. [Article] |
| by Terry Vau Dell, Chico Enterprise-Record. 2009-07-03 |
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| County clamping down on overtime pay |
| As the financial storm buffeting Kern County has intensified, most county departments have responded to a call to sharply reduce a major source of extra cost: overtime pay.
And it saved the county an average of $926,552 each bi-weekly pay period in the first six months of 2009. [Article] |
| by Staff Report, Bakersfield Californian. 2009-07-03 |
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| California counties diverge on dealth penalty |
| Murderers are more likely to be sentenced to death in conservative California counties, particularly in the southern part of the state, according to a Bee analysis of recent data from the state attorney general's office.
From 1998 to 2007, prosecutors obtained about one death penalty conviction for every 100 murders statewide, the figures show. In Orange County, the rate was twice as high; in Riverside County, it was three times as high. [Article] |
| by Phillip Reese, Sacramento Bee. 2009-07-03 |
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| Project pullout leaves SMUD scrambling to fill power needs |
| The Sacramento Municipal Utility District's withdrawal this week from a major Northern California power-transmission project complicates its transition to renewable energy.
SMUD planners foresaw using the new high-voltage lines to carry power to Sacramento from new wind, solar and geothermal energy projects envisioned for Lassen County and northwestern Nevada. SMUD cited financial uncertainties for the pullout. [Article] |
| by Jim Downing, Sacramento Bee. 2009-07-03 |
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| Legislators take weekend off, IOUs bite nonprofits |
| California will pay more of its bills with IOUs today and Monday as state lawmakers likely won't vote on a plan to fix the state's budget until after the holiday weekend.
Legislators were told to stay within four hours of the state Capitol today, Saturday and Sunday, meaning most legislators will go home for Independence Day, aides in Sacramento said. [Article] |
| by James Rufus Koren, Contra Costa Times. 2009-07-03 |
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| TANC powerline project zapped, meeting canceled |
| SACRAMENTO -- The sudden withdrawal of a major Northern California utility company from a controversial high-voltage powerline project has thrown the future of the project into question.
The Transmission Agency of Northern California (TANC) postponed all public outreach meetings -- including one July 9 in Orland -- following the decision of Sacramento Municipal Utility District to pull out of the project. SMUD held a 35-percent interest in the project, making it the largest shareholder. [Article] |
| by Barbara Arrigoni, Chico Enterprise-Record. 2009-07-03 |
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| UPDATE: Sacramento agency pulls support for transmission lines |
| The proposed towering transmission lines through the Mid-Valley appear to be on hold after the Sacramento Municipal Utility District announced plans to withdraw its support for the project.
A spokesman for the Transmission Agency of Northern California said with the district's decision to withdraw, other agency members will re-evaluate the project.
"Obviously, this is a major development, so some things will change," said TANC spokesman Brendan Wonnacott, based in Sacramento. "The bottom line is we believe this line is needed." [Article] |
| by Ben van der Meer, Marysville Appeal-Democrat. 2009-07-03 |
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