| Beverly Hills threatens legal action over subway extension |
| A special hearing Thursday about the proposed route for the Westside Subway Extension was dominated by science, with geologists and engineers pointing to maps and the existence -- or lack thereof -- of earthquake faults and decrying the way Los Angeles County transportation researchers have gone about their work. [Article] |
| by ARI BLOOMEKATZ, Los Angeles Times - Orange County Edition. 2012-05-18 |
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| New fight takes shape over term limits |
| SACRAMENTO — Twenty-two years after California became one of the first states to limit legislators' terms in office, voters are about to decide whether the rules should be changed.
In 1990, voters limited lawmakers to three two-year terms in the Assembly and two four-year stints in the Senate, for a total of 14 years in the Legislature. Proposition 28, on the June 5 ballot, would limit lawmakers to 12 years in the Legislature but allow all of those to be served in one house. [Article] |
| by PATRICK MCGREEVY, Los Angeles Times - Orange County Edition. 2012-05-18 |
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| Video could damage Ross Mirkarimi's efforts |
| A 55-second video showing Eliana Lopez, the wife of suspended San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, crying over her rocky marriage and displaying a bruise Mirkarimi allegedly inflicted during an argument continues to drive a vigorous legal battle the couple have waged to keep it from public release.
The contents of the video are well known - the transcript and images were released and have been widely shown by the media. But watching that emotional video, political and legal experts say, could severely damage Mirkarimi's effort to get his job back. [Article] |
| by Rachel Gordon & John Coté, San Francisco Chronicle. 2012-05-18 |
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| Contra Costa Clean Water Program’s 2012 Community Clean Water Initiative Fails |
| The Contra Costa Clean Water Program (CCCWP) “2012 Community Clean Water Initiative” failed to achieve the necessary votes by property owners in Contra Costa County. [Article] |
| by Tom Dalziel, Program Manager Contra Costa Clean Water Program, San Francisco Chronicle. 2012-05-18 |
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| S.F. to replace lost federal AIDS/HIV funds |
| Mayor Ed Lee announced Thursday morning that he will use city money to backfill $6.6 million in federal cuts to AIDS and HIV care in the city for the new fiscal year that starts July 1.
"Despite continuing local budget issues, we remain committed to funding critical care services for people living with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco," Lee said. [Article] |
| by Rachel Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle. 2012-05-18 |
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| Farm jobs help shrink Fresno County jobless rate |
| A seasonal surge in farm jobs, along with more modest gains in other industries, combined to drive down Fresno County's unemployment rate by more than 1˝ percentage points between March and April.
The county's jobless rate was 15.8% last month, according to information released today by the state Employment Development Department. That was down from the March figure of 17.4%, and also was down from the 16.8% reported in April 2011. [Article] |
| by TIM SHEEHAN, Fresno Bee. 2012-05-18 |
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| Task force may seek extension of CCSPCA animal shelter contract |
| A task force charged with developing a new animal-control process and facility for Fresno and Fresno County will ask the Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals if the nonprofit can continue providing the services through December.
The Central California SPCA, under a barrage of criticism from local officials and animal rescue groups for its high euthanasia rates, lack of responsiveness and refusal to open its meetings to the public, announced its intention to sever its animal-control contracts with the city and county after Sept. 30. [Article] |
| by TIM SHEEHAN, Fresno Bee. 2012-05-18 |
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| Merced County to cut service range of Dial-a-Ride |
| GUSTINE -- Margaret Buchmann-Garcia is among those who could be affected by the elimination of Dial-a-Ride service in certain unincorporated areas of Merced County.
"I won't have a way to come to work," said the 58-year-old. She works in Merced and lives in the McSwain area, where the service is set to be eliminated.
Despite such concerns, the Merced County Association of Governments during its Thursday meeting approved a Short Range Transit Plan that cuts back on Dial-a-Ride service, but also calls for improvements in its fixed-route bus system. [Article] |
| by YESENIA AMARO, Merced Sun-Star. 2012-05-18 |
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| San Mateo County leads area in home sales hike |
| San Mateo County had the highest sales volume increase than any of the nine Bay Area counties in April 2012 compared to the same month last year at 34.1 percent but the median sales price was virtually unchanged, according to San Diego-based DataQuick. [Article] |
| by Bill Silverfarb, San Mateo Daily Journal. 2012-05-18 |
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| West Valley Community Services hosting affordable housing fair in Cupertino |
| West Valley Community Services is hosting an affordable housing fair on May 21, when more than 20 housing-related organizations will share resources and information with participants at Cupertino Community Hall, 10350 Torre Ave.
The free informational fair will run from 5 to 7 p.m. and will have more than 20 housing organizations on hand to share insight into housing resources in Santa Clara County. Event organizers say the event is much needed during a time when housing construction is slow and redevelopment agency funding for affordable housing is dwindling. [Article] |
| by MATT WILSON, San Jose Mercury News. 2012-05-18 |
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| San Mateo County budget struggles and other issues called him out of retirement to run for supervisor, Warren Slocum says |
| Warren Slocum says he didn't plan to run for the District 4 seat on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors when he retired back in January 2011 from another elected job -- that of chief elections officer-assessor-clerk-recorder.
But when he saw the county continue to wrestle with a budget deficit and overcrowded jails, he jumped into the race in March, becoming the eighth candidate in a field that now stands at seven.
"Some people said I had this planned out since I retired, which is just not true at all," Slocum said. [Article] |
| by BONNIE ESLINGER, San Mateo County Times. 2012-05-18 |
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| Regional water authority wants official role in desal project review |
| Citing its charge to represent local cities' interests in developing a new water supply, a regional water authority is seeking permission to officially weigh in on a state review of California American Water's project.
The move, which would grant the Monterey Peninsula Regional Water Authority official party status in the proceeding before the Public Utilities Commission, comes about three weeks before the PUC's first public session on the project June 6.
Cal Am has applied for permission to pursue a three-pronged water supply project in partnership with the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District and the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency. The project combines a desalination plant, aquifer storage and recovery, and groundwater recharge. [Article] |
| by Jim Johnson, Monterey County Herald. 2012-05-18 |
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| commentary: Mendocino County : The 'buck' stops nowhere |
| How many more public services will be destroyed before Mendocino County officials hold people accountable to do their jobs?
The first major public pension scandal in recent times erupted in the City of San Diego in 2003. In August 2006, an amazing report about what went wrong was published by a committee chaired by Arthur Levitt, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. [Article] |
| by John G. Dickerson / COMMENTARY, Willits News. 2012-05-18 |
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| SDG&E Files Application to Increase Reliability in South Orange County |
| SAN DIEGO, May 18, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) today submitted an application to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for approval of a project designed to increase the reliability of the substation and transmission system in the northern part of SDG&E's service area. The South Orange County Reliability Enhancement project would be located within the cities of San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente and the unincorporated areas of Orange County and is designed to increase reliability in southern Orange County. [Article] |
| by PRESS RELEASE, PR Newswire. 2012-05-18 |
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| Medical marijuana: political and legal battleground |
| BAKERSFIELD, CA (KBAK/KBFX) - The battle over marijuana is heating up, and Kern County is one of the battle grounds. Local voters are set to decide on Measure G, a local rule that would limit where medical marijuana dispensaries can be set up.
Meanwhile, federal authorities have included Kern County in their crackdown. [Article] |
| by CAROL FERGUSON, Bakersfield Now. 2012-05-18 |
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| Hydrophones used to measure sediment transport on Trinity |
| The restoration flows on the Trinity River were joined this year by another significant event, the testing of a piece of leading-edge technology.
During the upcoming peak of the restoration releases in early May, a group of scientists from the Bureau of Reclamation (Denver) and the Center for Physical Acoustics at the University of Mississippi conducted research that involves testing of acoustical hydrophones as a potential emerging technology for monitoring of sediment transport in rivers. [Article] |
| by Staff Report, Trinity Journal. 2012-05-17 |
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| Postal plan would save two Trinity offices, cut hours at many |
| Under a new strategy by the U.S. Postal Service, post offices in Big Bar and Zenia that were slated for possible closure will stay open with reduced hours, and hours will be reduced at seven other post offices in the county as well.
Last week, the Postal Service announced the new strategy proposed to be implemented in rural areas across the country.
In Trinity County, the new plan calls for reduced retail hours at the following locations: [Article] |
| by AMY GITTELSOHN, Trinity Journal. 2012-05-17 |
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| LaMalfa forest fire protection bill passes key committee |
| State Sen. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, announced last week that Senate Bill 1541, which exempts smaller property owners from Timber Harvest Plan requirements and allows them to harvest smaller trees in order to pay for fuel reduction, passed out of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water with unanimous support.
"This exemption has allowed thousands of acres to be made fire-safe at little or no cost to property owners or taxpayers," LaMalfa said. "Cutting red tape and enabling property owners to make their lands fire-safe themselves is a much better approach than simply raising taxes on rural residents." [Article] |
| by Staff Report, Trinity Journal. 2012-05-17 |
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| State mandates business recycling |
| The State of California is issuing yet another mandate to businesses. Beginning July 1, businesses will be required to pitch in to help the state reach its goal of a 75 percent reduction in trash.
On April 24, Mariposa County Solid Waste Manager Greg Ollivier presented information to the board of supervisors about the new mandates. [Article] |
| by JILL BALLINGER, Mariposa Gazette. 2012-05-17 |
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| Pioneer Market helps local CASA program |
| Pioneer Market recently added CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Mariposa County as a beneficiary of their receipt collection program. Pioneer Market donates one percent of the gross receipts collected by CASA, and CASA was happy to receive their first donation in the amount of 309. [Article] |
| by , Mariposa Gazette. 2012-05-17 |
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