Hundreds of Thousands of People in California Are Downriver of a Dam That 'Could Fail' - CNN

11/4/2019 Hundreds of thousands of people in California are downriver of a dam that 'could fail' - CNN

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Hundreds of thousands of people in California are downriver of a dam that 'could fail' By Hollie Silverman and Amanda Watts, CNN

Updated 8:33 AM EST, Mon November 04, 2019

(CNN) — Hundreds of thousands of people live downriver from a dam in California that recently had its risk characterization changed "from low to high urgency of action" by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Those communities, which include Hesperia, Barstow, Apple Valley and Victorville, could ﬂood if the Mojave River Dam fails, a statement from the agency said.

More than 315,000 residents in those four communities in San Bernardino County, about 70 miles north east of Los Angeles, are in the path should ﬂoodwaters overtake the dam, according to US Census data. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/11/04/us/california-dam-danger/index.html 1/7 11/4/2019 Hundreds of thousands of people in California are downriver of a dam that 'could fail' - CNN

The Mojave River Dam is an ungated ﬂood control structure built in 1971 that is located at the northern side of the San Bernardino Mountains.

Southwest of the dam, on the other side of the mountains, residents are fleeing wildfires in the region. The dam is located on the "desert" side of the mountains, so the current wildfires don't add any risk to the flood threat, CNN meteorologist Haley Brink said.

In ﬁscal year 2018, an assessment showed that the dam "could fail should water ﬂow over the top of it," a statement from USACOE said.

"The change was the result of recent risk assessment ﬁndings that during an extreme ﬂood event, water could exceed the design capacity of the dam and overtop it," the statement said. "This could potentially result in dam failure."

Flood waters could even reach Baker, which is more than 140 miles downstream of the dam, the statement said.

But it's unlikely a storm of that magnitude would occur, Col. Aaron Barta, commander of the Corps' Los Angeles District said. "The dam has never experienced spillway flow or a flood event that has loaded the dam significantly," Barta said. "This is a storm that is unlikely to occur, but it is nonetheless a real possibility and one we must be prepared for."

No rain is expected in California for the next seven days, Brink said, and this particular region doesn't get a lot of rain anyway. The rainy season, which runs from December through February, normally only brings less than 2 inches of precipitation during those three months.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/11/04/us/california-dam-danger/index.html 2/7 11/4/2019 Hundreds of thousands of people in California are downriver of a dam that 'could fail' - CNN The Army Corps says the agency is working with local governments to help improve ﬂood-risk awareness and emergency preparedness so that anyone in the communities threatened by the potential breach have the tools they need to survive.

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https://www.sbsun.com/...e-math-fields/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_content=tw-sbsun&utm_source=twitter.com[11/1/2019 3:46:02 PM] Housing crisis leads The Blessing Center in Redlands to shift its focus – Redlands Daily Facts

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LOCAL NEWS Housing crisis leads The Blessing Center in Redlands to shift its focus Nonprofit has expanded its transitional housing programs for women and children

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A pair of silhouetted residents, who asked not to be identified, stand near the front window at Deborah’s House of Hope in Redlands Monday Oct. 28, 2019. Deborah’s House of Hope is transitional housing for homeless children and their mothers opened up a few weeks ago in Redlands. The Blessing Center, which runs the program, plans to open a few more such programs in the city. The group already runs Hannah’s House of Hope, which opened a decade ago. The programs aim to help some of the 3,000 children in the Redlands Unified School District who are considered “sheltered homeless” which means they would otherwise live in cars, motel rooms, friend’s couches, etc. The programs aim to get the families into more permanent housing. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

By JENNIFER IYER | [email protected] | Redlands Daily Facts  PUBLISHED: November 3, 2019 at 2:00 pm | UPDATED: November 3, 2019 at 2:00 pm https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2019/11/03/housing-crisis-leads-the-blessing-center-in-redlands-to-shift-its-focus/[11/4/2019 7:36:40 AM] Housing crisis leads The Blessing Center in Redlands to shift its focus – Redlands Daily Facts

A red poster board taped to a door in a tidy three-bedroom home at the end of a Redlands cul-de-sac gives a glimpse of the woman and her child who live in that room. She is 42 and vegetarian. Interests include finance and real estate, hiking, cooking and bowling. The column next to it is also a list: 4 months, laughs, cries, observant, loves things that rotate, grasping hair and being caressed.

The poster was put up for a weekend house-warming party for the transitional housing program dubbed Deborah’s House of Hope which helps homeless children and their mothers.

Craig Turley, founder of The Blessing Center, the nonprofit that runs the program, said the need is great with more than 3,000 students in the Redlands Unified School District considered “sheltered homeless” – meaning they sleep in cars, motel rooms or on friends’ couches.

With numbers like those, “it just means we need to ramp up” efforts to help, Turley said.

“If we had 10 homes we could fill them up in 10 weeks, easily, that’s how much we’re turning away,” he added.

Redlands Unified was not immediately available to confirm its current number of homeless students, but kidsdata.org, a website maintained by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, reports that 3,611, or 17%, of Redlands Unified’s students were considered “sheltered homeless” in 2016, the last year data is available. That same year, the nonprofit reports, 9.3% of all students in San Bernardino County were considered “sheltered homeless,” compared to 4.4% of all students statewide.

“It’s a lack of affordable housing that’s forcing people out on the street or into their cars,” Turley said. “That’s the larger conversation.”

The Blessing Center formed in 2008 when Turley added programs to his Joseph’s Storehouse Food Bank. They gave out five to six tons of food per week, provided medical and dental services, offered clothing, job training, AIDS outreach and a re-entry program for parolees.

Turley called it a “one-stop shop under one roof,” but in 2017 the center itself became homeless.

https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2019/11/03/housing-crisis-leads-the-blessing-center-in-redlands-to-shift-its-focus/[11/4/2019 7:36:40 AM] Housing crisis leads The Blessing Center in Redlands to shift its focus – Redlands Daily Facts The Blessing Center still offers a free clinic, food distribution, a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway and more at temporary locations.

“We’re still operational, we’re just not in a permanent office location,” Turley said. Now, he added, “we’re investing our money in these homes.”

Ten years ago, the center opened its first transitional housing facility, Hannah’s House of Hope. The program there supports women and children for one year and is more intensive than the six-month program at Deborah’s House, the nonprofit’s second home.

Turley said his group wants to open another three transitional homes in the spring.

When Deborah’s House opened recently, it was filled up in two weeks. One family stays in each of the three bedrooms.

One resident, who did not want to be identified, said she works for Amazon, and on most nights slept in her car with her two children, ages 18 and 5.

The week before she came to the program, “somebody tried to smash the window in while they were sleeping,” in a parking lot on Orange Street, Turley said.

She got the keys in the ignition and sped off, but “it only takes one event like somebody trying to break into their car, or RELATED LINKS accost them, to really put a child in trauma or PTSD, that will affect them the rest of their life,” Turley said.

Still without a new site, The Blessing Getting residents into permanent supportive housing or independent living “is the ultimate goal,” he added. Center in Redlands closes temporarily Marcella Hardy-Peterson, a longtime volunteer with The Blessing Center, said some of the women come from abusive High rents in Riverside, San Bernardino relationships, some not, but “they’re all in crisis.” counties contribute to ‘homelessness crisis’ The transitional housing programs help clients get paperwork such as identification, build resumes, develop interviewing skills, and they provide guidance in court proceedings and action plans for their future. Homelessness in San Bernardino County jumps 23% in 2019 It’s about “trying to get them back on their feet, help them get jobs,” Hardy-Peterson said, or better jobs in some cases, “so they can afford a place to live on their own.” Homelessness in San Bernardino County jumps 23% in 2019 Information: TheBlessingCenterRedlands.org Redlands, Yucaipa colleges offer help to hungry students

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https://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/2019/11/03/housing-crisis-leads-the-blessing-center-in-redlands-to-shift-its-focus/[11/4/2019 7:36:40 AM] 11/4/2019 Lawsuit alleges harassment, mistreatment at detention center - News - vvdailypress.com - Victorville, CA

Lawsuit alleges harassment, mistreatment at detention center By Larry Altman For the Daily Press Posted Nov 3, 2019 at 8:05 AM It didn’t take long, Ashly Broussard contends, for the racism, discrimination and harassment to begin.

On her first shift at the Adelanto Detention Facility, also known as the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, the former detention officer alleges her supervisor used obscene language and a racist slur toward blacks held in the facility. As the days passed, Broussard charges, her lieutenant exposed himself to her, sexually harassed her and, when she complained to the warden, nearly ran her down with his speeding car.

In a civil trial scheduled to begin in December in San Bernardino County Superior Court in San Bernardino, Broussard is set to tell jurors that a hostile work environment in the for-profit prison, where co-workers called her a rat, a bitch and a snitch, resulted in panic attacks that eventually caused her to suffer a miscarriage.

Her attorney, Raymond Babaian, called Broussard’s case one of the most horrifying he had seen of a company’s managers targeting and harassing a female employee who complained about treatment in the workplace.

“An atrocity and inhumane,” said Babaian, of Valiant Law in Ontario. “Under California law, employees are protected from retaliation when they voice their complaints of illegal activity and harassment. Here, not only was Ms. Broussard not protected, she suffered extreme and outrageous retaliation after voicing her complaints.”

Once hoping her job in the institution would lead to a career as a police officer, Broussard is “attempting to recover from this,” Babaian said. Broussard, who worked at the facility for about a year, is in her late 20s and lives in the High Desert. https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20191103/lawsuit-alleges-harassment-mistreatment-at-detention-center 1/4 11/4/2019 Lawsuit alleges harassment, mistreatment at detention center - News - vvdailypress.com - Victorville, CA

In her lawsuit filed April 3, 2018, Broussard alleges that the facility’s detainees were kept handcuffed in cells against training procedures. Guards, she said, told her where they could assault the detainees out of camera views.

An attorney for the Geo Group, the Florida-based private firm that owns and operates the for-profit prison facility that can hold more than 1,900 detainees for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, declined comment. In a court document, however, attorney Mario Ortega rejected Broussard’s claims against the company.

“Geo Group denies, generally and specifically, each and every material allegation in the complaint,” Ortega wrote.

Attorneys for Broussard’s supervisor, Lt. Laurel Withers, who is also named along with the Geo Group in Broussard’s lawsuit, also denied her allegations in court documents. Tahir Boykins, Withers’ lawyer listed on court documents, did not respond to requests for an interview.

According to the court documents, Broussard said she began work at the facility at 10400 Rancho Road in September 2016. On her first day after her initial training, she “witnessed events and discrimination that have tormented her ever since.”

That day, Broussard alleged, a black detainee spit on her. When she reported the act to Withers, he cussed at the detainee, and referred to blacks with obscenities and a racist slur.

″(Broussard) was shocked and could only shake her head toward Withers in disbelief of his words and actions,” the lawsuit said. “In response, Withers asked (Broussard) in a confrontational manner if she ‘has a problem’ with his approach.”

Withers, Broussard alleged, told her there were no cameras and he would turn around so she could assault the detainee. Uncomfortable, she refused.

Two hours later, Withers forced the detainee in handcuffs to kneel before other supervisors and demanded that he apologize to Broussard.

https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20191103/lawsuit-alleges-harassment-mistreatment-at-detention-center 2/4 11/4/2019 Lawsuit alleges harassment, mistreatment at detention center - News - vvdailypress.com - Victorville, CA

“Broussard learned and observed that many of Geo’s supervisors periodically assaulted and/or threatened the detainees,” the lawsuit charges. “In fact, several of those supervisors showed off the fact, directly to Broussard, that they knew the specific locations of the facility that had no cameras, thereby advising Broussard of the areas that she could assault detainees without fear of being caught on camera.”

In the lawsuit, Broussard made several other allegations against Withers and the facility:

- About a month after her employment began, Withers approached Broussard near a front kiosk, looked around, entered a nearby restroom and left the door open. He pulled down his pants, exposed himself and to expose himself and urinated in front of her.

- Withers muttered a sexual comment toward Broussard in a break room and “unabashedly ogled” her breasts. Broussard fixed her shirt to cover herself, left the room and later wore jackets at work.

- Withers called Broussard into his office and told her he “wants her full time.” Withers accentuated the word “wants” and spread his legs.

The lawsuit alleges Broussard complained about the hostile work environment to her supervisors, the human resources department, and the prison’s assistant warden and warden. The assistant warden allegedly told her she, too, had caught Withers looking at her own breasts, but dismissed it, saying he “can’t focus.”

In January 2017, Withers allegedly sped toward Broussard in his car in the employee parking lot. Broussard leaped behind other cars to hide. Broussard reported the incident to Geo officials, who did nothing, the lawsuit said.

Broussard, who was pregnant at the time, also alleges she was denied rest breaks and was forced to urinate inside a janitor’s closet.

By March 2017, she suffered severe pain, cramping and bleeding at work. Her request to leave early was denied and she was forced to work another six hours while bleeding. She went to a hospital the next day and learned she had miscarried. Broussard, who went on disability leave, “believes that she suffered the miscarriage as a direct result of the workplace environment,” the lawsuit said.

https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20191103/lawsuit-alleges-harassment-mistreatment-at-detention-center 3/4 11/4/2019 Lawsuit alleges harassment, mistreatment at detention center - News - vvdailypress.com - Victorville, CA

Broussard returned to work, but was subjected to taunts from Withers’ colleagues, who called her a “rat” and a “bitch,” and made statements like “Snitches get stitches,” and “when will females ever learn to keep (their expletive) mouths shut.” The lawsuit alleges Broussard filed reports about the comments, but nothing was done.

Broussard was fired on Jan. 18, 2018.

In her lawsuit, Broussard alleges assault and sexual assault; sexual harassment; failure to prevent harassment; discrimination, a hostile work environment, retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination, harassment and retaliation; infliction of emotional distress, wrongful termination; and violations of labor codes, including failure to provide rest periods, meal periods, and overtime wages.

She alleges she suffered financially and physically, including fatigue, depression, pain and suffering, anxiety, embarrassment and humiliation.

The case originally was scheduled to go to trial on Monday, but was postponed Thursday to Dec. 9, Babaian said.

The Adelanto facility’s status as a for-profit prison could soon be over. In March, city officials told Geo Group and ICE that it was ending its contract with them. The decision followed reports of poor medical care, safety violations, a suicide and other attempted suicides at the facility.

In February, the California State Auditor issued a report saying Adelanto officials had failed to properly oversee the running of the facility.

In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that bans private prisons and immigrant detention facilities in California in 2020.

https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20191103/lawsuit-alleges-harassment-mistreatment-at-detention-center 4/4 11/4/2019 Local man aids homeless facing cold weather - News - vvdailypress.com - Victorville, CA

Local man aids homeless facing cold weather By Joselyn Villalobos / For the Daily Press Posted Nov 3, 2019 at 4:09 PM VICTORVILLE — High Desert citizen DJ Barnes, 29, has been sleeping in a tent for the past seven months, but will now at least have a sleeping bag thanks to 52 year-old Charles Waybright.

Waybright, the organizer of a sleeping bag giveaway on Saturday, said he wanted to reach out and help those in need this winter after experiencing homlessness first hand in college

This event was the first of multiple giveaway events Waybright said he has planned, and he was disappointed no other volunteers joined him.

Although he appreciated the sleeping bag, Barnes said “there is a very good chance I’m going to give it to somebody who needs it. I have a tent, it got some holes in it, but it is not as bad as sleeping outside with nothing. Some people just have blankets.”

Airforce Veteran Waybright created a Facebook page in October titled the “Mojave Desert Homeless” to begin advertising for the event. The plan was for volunteers to each bring a sleeping bag to distribute to the homeless in the area, Waybright said.

Since creating the page, Waybright said he gained 908 followers, with 71 of them marking “interested” in the event.

“There are a lot of people who say they want to help on Facebook, but look, nobody showed up,” he said.

Barnes, who previously worked in the broadcasting industry as a director and cameraman, shared his concern for keeping warm at night.

“They have enough programs for food and clothing, but it all comes down to if you have enough blankets at night.” Barnes said.

https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20191103/local-man-aids-homeless-facing-cold-weather 1/2 11/4/2019 Local man aids homeless facing cold weather - News - vvdailypress.com - Victorville, CA

Waybright said he is currently working on a solution to help the weather crisis for those living without a home. He said his invention, “Eco Cubes,” will provide enough shelter for two people and will be naturally temperature controlled.

“It will keep them warm in the winter and cool in the summer without electricity,” Waybright said. “I am just waiting to connect with a city who will allow me to build them without being smashed down.”

Waybright plans to hold sleeping bag giveaways annually. The next events are scheduled for 1 p.m. on November 9 at Rosamond Park in Rosamond, November 16 at Owen Memorial Park in Lancaster, November 20 at New Life Fellowship in Barstow and November 23 at Poncitlan Square in Palmdale.

To volunteer and for more information, reach Waybright on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MojaveDesertHomeless/.

https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20191103/local-man-aids-homeless-facing-cold-weather 2/2 Off-duty Ontario police officer killed in San Bernardino crash – San Bernardino Sun

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NEWSCRIME + PUBLIC SAFETY Off-duty Ontario police officer killed in San Bernardino crash Josh Burks was a 20-year veteran of the Ontario Police Department.

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An off-duty Ontario police officer driving an SUV in San Bernardino died after losing control of the vehicle and hitting a tree shortly https://www.sbsun.com/2019/11/02/off-duty-ontario-police-officer-killed-in-san-bernardino-crash-2/[11/4/2019 7:35:07 AM] Off-duty Ontario police officer killed in San Bernardino crash – San Bernardino Sun

after midnight,, officials said. (Photo by ONSCENE.TV)

By EMILY RASMUSSEN | [email protected] | Long Beach Press-Telegram  S PUBLISHED: November 2, 2019 at 10:31 am | UPDATED: November 2, 2019 at 4:57 pm

An off-duty Ontario police detective driving an SUV died after he lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree shortly after midnight on Saturday in San Bernardino, officials said.

Joshua Ray Burks, 40, of San Bernardino, was driving north on University Parkway approaching Kendall Drive when he hit the tree in the center median, San Bernardino police said. He was the only person in the car.

Burks was taken to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries.

“Josh Burks was a dedicated 20-year veteran of the Ontario Police Department,” Ontario police Sgt. Bill Russell said. “He really served his city and community very well. My heart goes out to him and his family during this tragic time.”

Burks’ career in law enforcement began in 1997, when he became a police cadet. About two years later, he was hired as a police recruit and rose through the Ontario Police Department’s ranks, E according to the department. By San Bernardino police said they were still investigating what led to the crash.

Burks, who appeared to be off-duty at the time of the crash, was driving an unmarked Ontario city vehicle, according to San Bernardino police.

https://www.sbsun.com/2019/11/02/off-duty-ontario-police-officer-killed-in-san-bernardino-crash-2/[11/4/2019 7:35:07 AM] Off-duty Ontario police officer killed in San Bernardino crash – San Bernardino Sun

Authorities in San Bernardino were working with the Ontario Police Department in the investigation, officials said.

Anyone with information about the crash was asked to contact Sgt. Equino Thomas or Sgt. Jeff Harvey at 909-384-5792.

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https://www.sbsun.com/2019/11/02/off-duty-ontario-police-officer-killed-in-san-bernardino-crash-2/[11/4/2019 7:35:07 AM] Woman fatally struck by car while jogging along Loma Linda sidewalk – San Bernardino Sun

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NEWSCRIME + PUBLIC SAFETY Woman fatally struck by car while jogging along Loma Linda sidewalk

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By JONAH VALDEZ | [email protected] | San Gabriel Valley Tribune  PUBLISHED: November 2, 2019 at 2:23 pm | UPDATED: November 2, 2019 at 3:38 pm

A Grand Terrace woman died Saturday morning after a suspected DUI collision in Loma Linda, authorities said.

Judith Covarrubias, 65 had been running on a sidewalk along Barton Road near Newport Avenue when a vehicle veered off the road and struck her, said the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in a news release.

Authorities responded to the scene of the incident at about 6 a.m. They eventually declared Covarrubias dead, the department said. https://www.sbsun.com/2019/11/02/woman-fatally-struck-by-car-while-jogging-along-loma-linda-sidewalk/[11/4/2019 7:35:20 AM] Woman fatally struck by car while jogging along Loma Linda sidewalk – San Bernardino Sun

Deputies arrested the driver of the car, Isaiah Tamasoaalii, 19, of Redlands, on suspicion of driving under the influence.

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https://www.sbsun.com/2019/11/02/woman-fatally-struck-by-car-while-jogging-along-loma-linda-sidewalk/[11/4/2019 7:35:20 AM] 11/4/2019 Driver killed in collision with semi-truck | Public Safety | highlandnews.net

BREAKING

Driver killed in collision with semi-truck

https://www.highlandnews.net/news/public_safety/driver-killed-in-collision-with-semi-truck/article_e1b4651e- fcc6-11e9-a687-c3ba4d2b170d.html

BREAKING

Police report Driver killed in collision with semi-truck

Nov 1, 2019 Updated Nov 1, 2019

At approximately 10:23 p.m. a driver was killed in a collision with a semi-truck on the 27000 block of Fifth Street.

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According to a sheri’s department press release, Highland deputies and Cal Fire personnel responded to the call and extracted the driver of the vehicle. Medical personnel conducted lifesaving measures on-scene and the driver was transported to Loma Linda Medical Center by ambulance. He was pronounced deceased soon after arrival to the hospital. https://www.highlandnews.net/news/public_safety/driver-killed-in-collision-with-semi-truck/article_e1b4651e-fcc6-11e9-a687-c3ba4d2b170d.html 1/2 11/4/2019 Driver killed in collision with semi-truck | Public Safety | highlandnews.net

The identity of the driver his being withheld pending notication of next of kin and further investigation. The driver of the semi-truck remained at the scene

Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact Deputy M. Kassis from the Highland Police Department at (909) 425-9793 ext 203. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are asked to call the We-Tip Hotline at 1(800) 78-CRIME (27436) or you may leave information on the We- Tip website at wetip.com.

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https://www.highlandnews.net/news/public_safety/driver-killed-in-collision-with-semi-truck/article_e1b4651e-fcc6-11e9-a687-c3ba4d2b170d.html 2/2 Hemet appoints Christopher Lopez as city manager – its 13th since 2000 – Press Enterprise

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LOCAL NEWS Hemet appoints Christopher Lopez as city manager – its 13th since 2000 He had been interim city manager since March, when the Hemet City Council fired Allen Parker

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By BEAU YARBROUGH | [email protected] | The Press-Enterprise  PUBLISHED: November 1, 2019 at 11:19 am | UPDATED: November 1, 2019 at 11:20 am

Once again, Hemet has a new city manager.

Christopher Lopez has been appointed as permanent city manager and becomes the city’s 13th top administrator since 2000.

The unanimous vote came at a special Hemet City Council meeting Friday, Oct. 25.

https://www.pe.com/...-2000/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-pressenterprise[11/1/2019 11:23:46 AM] Hemet appoints Christopher Lopez as city manager – its 13th since 2000 – Press Enterprise

Lopez’s predecessors have lasted an average of eight months. According to a 2005 study published in State and Local Government Review, city managers last an average of 6.9 years in the position.

Hired as deputy city manager in April 2018, he was named interim city manager in March, after City Manager Allen Parker was fired.

On Thursday, Oct. 31, Lopez said he planned to bring stability to Hemet City Hall.

“I’m looking forward to having discussions of how we can solidify the tenure of the upper management and move this city forward,” he said.

Lopez said the council had responded well to things getting done since he was appointed interim city manager. These items include passage of the 2019-20 budget, an “aggressive approach” taken with the city’s five-year capital improvement project plan, street paving work, September’s replacement of the infamous Stetson Bridge and sidewalk improvements.

“I think there’s a pattern of execution of items and moving RELATED LINKS things forward in the city of Hemet,” Lopez said.

Hemet fires City Manager Allen Parker, a week after putting him on paid leave

Hemet puts City Manager Allen Parker on paid leave

Hemet hires former San Bernardino leader as interim city manager M

Hemet expected to hire former San Bernardino leader as interim city manager

SAGE Journals: Your gateway to world- In March, Mayor Bonnie Wright had criticized Parker for not class journal research developing long-term plans or preparing the upcoming budget in a timely fashion. Wright said the budgeting process normally starts in November. The new fiscal year begins each year on July 1.

Lopez praised Hemet employees for keeping the city running, despite high turnover in the top office the past two decades.

Lopez hasn’t yet signed a contract as city manager. Terms remain to be worked out with the city https://www.pe.com/...-2000/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-pressenterprise[11/1/2019 11:23:46 AM] Hemet appoints Christopher Lopez as city manager – its 13th since 2000 – Press Enterprise

council and will be voted on at an upcoming meeting.

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Tags: government, Top Stories PE

Beau Yarbrough Beau Yarbrough wrote his first newspaper article taking on an authority figure (his middle school principal) when he was in 7th grade. He’s been a professional journalist since 1992, working in Virginia, Egypt and California. In that time, he’s covered community news, features, politics, local government, education, the comic book industry and more. He’s covered the war in Bosnia, interviewed presidential candidates, written theatrical reviews, attended a seance, ridden in a blimp and interviewed both Batman and Wonder Woman (Adam West and Lynda Carter). He also cooks a mean pot of chili.

 Follow Beau Yarbrough @LBY3

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https://www.pe.com/...-2000/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_content=tw-pressenterprise[11/1/2019 11:23:46 AM] Nearly 4,000 of Riverside County’s poorest residents now get monthly aid in wake of lawsuit – Press Enterprise

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LOCAL NEWS Nearly 4,000 of Riverside County’s poorest residents now get monthly aid in wake of lawsuit Before a settlement in the suit, the General Assistance program helped about 100 people a month

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By SANDRA EMERSON | [email protected] |  PUBLISHED: November 3, 2019 at 2:30 pm | UPDATED: November 3, 2019 at 2:30 pm

Riverside County is making it easier for adults in need to pay for housing and food after a lawsuit alleged numerous flaws in its program for the destitute.

Before a settlement was reached in the lawsuit, which claimed the county turned away the homeless and helped too few people, 100 clients received what’s known as General Assistance each month and

https://www.pe.com/...lawsuit/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social&utm_content=tw-pressenterprise&utm_source=twitter.com[11/4/2019 7:21:24 AM] Nearly 4,000 of Riverside County’s poorest residents now get monthly aid in wake of lawsuit – Press Enterprise

about 90% of those who applied for aid were denied, said Allison Gonzalez, assistant director of the Department of Public Social Services’ self-sufficiency division.

After the suit, the number of monthly recipients skyrocketed to nearly 4,000.

The policies were in place for years without any concerns, Gonzalez said. Riverside County officials did not realize changes were needed until after the suit was filed, she said.

A settlement reached Friday, Oct. 18, ends the suit filed in May 2018 by three program recipients.

The program, run by the county’s Public Social Services department, offers financial support for housing and food to unemployed or disabled adults without children. The state-mandated program is considered the last resort for its recipients, who have no other means of support. R Isabel Bojorquez, who is disabled and unable to work, had legal assistance applying for the program. Still, she faced many barriers that prevented her from getting benefits, which at the time was less than $200 a month.

“How is it these programs are out there and they’re not getting to the people that are destitute? They just need a little break,” said Bojorquez, 55 of Perris. “That’s all they need is a little break so they can get back up.”

Attorneys with Inland Counties Legal Services Inc., Western Center on Law & Poverty and the Public Interest Law Project sent a demand letter to the county in December 2017 on behalf of Bojorquez, Richard Snodgrass and Reginald Coleman.

“It was through that initial contact that we started to assess our program, but also getting some feedback from the customers themselves and some suggestions from Inland Counties Legal Services,” Gonzalez said. “So we took a holistic approach at looking at the program in its entirety.”

Negotiations led to some changes, but some issues remained so the attorneys filed the lawsuit, said Lauren Hansen, an attorney with the Oakland-based Public Interest Law Project, which provides legal services to low-income people. After several mediation sessions, a settlement was reached, she said.

“The people who are applying and getting this are really in dire straits, so the fact that people are now able to access this program is huge,” Hansen said.

This is the latest legal action taken against the Public Social Services department.

The department settled two lawsuits in October 2018 that accused it of failing to protect a girl who became pregnant by her mother’s boyfriend and a toddler found holding her infant sibling’s mummified corpse. It now faces an Oct. 3 claim that accuses county social worksers of failing to properly investigate alleged abuse of 8-year-old Noah McIntosh, the Corona boy who disappeared in March and has been presumed dead.

According to the May 2018 suit that’s now settled, the county’s General Assistance policies were unlawfully denying aid to homeless people and had a burdensome application process, including requiring people to prove their disability before receiving help.

“We found that the county was denying 90% of people who applied,” Hansen said.

Gonzalez said the county’s 90% denial rate was largely due to applicants withdrawing applications, in part because of some of the requirements.

One of the challenges recipients faced was the county’s requirement that they have a verified landlord before receiving housing payments, Gonzalez said.

Now, housing vouchers are paid directly to the recipient, she said.

“When they came to us under the old policy they had to have a landlord,” Gonzalez said. “It did not provide a great amount of assistance to those who had not obtained that housing yet, so now we’re able to provide them more housing vouchers so they can seek it out on their own.”

The program now averages about 2,500 applications a month, of which 30% are denied for failing to complete the application process or return required forms, Gonzalez said.

Before the lawsuit, social services officials got approval from the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to change outdated and inefficient policies, Gonzalez said.

The program’s budget grew from $2.2 million to $14.4 million at the end of the 2018-19 fiscal year,

Brooke Federico, county spokeswoman, said in an email.

Changes to the program include:

Housing payments will end only if the recipient declines an offer of shelter without a good reason. County employees will be trained on accessibility requirements and new policies. Employable recipients are no longer required to reapply for benefits every month.

As part of the settlement, the county must review applications submitted between December 2017 through May 31, 2018, and issue retroactive payments. The county has raised its maximum payouts to recipients from $291 to $326 a month. It also raised the maximum value of property applicants are allowed to own and still qualify. For vehicles, that valuation limit rose from $750 to $4,650 and for personal property, from $250 to $500.

In addition to the policy changes, Gonzalez said social RELATED LINKS services has worked with other county departments to offer

General Assistance recipients other aid they may need, Riverside County will pay more than $11 including enrolling some into an employment and training million to settle claims against social program. services

The program has helped 91% of its recipients sign up for Riverside County adds $10.4M to social services budget CalFRESH and 80% sign up for Medi-Cal to cover physical

and behavioral health services, Gonzalez said. Riverside County picks Assistant County Executive to oversee Dept. of Public “It’s really more than just a subsidy,” Gonzalez said. “It’s Social Services really providing a pathway to become self-sufficient.” Riverside County’s top social services official leaves; lawsuits allege her office allowed a girl to be raped, another to live with dead baby

‘Extensive review’ of Riverside County social services amid search for new director

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https://www.pe.com/...lawsuit/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social&utm_content=tw-pressenterprise&utm_source=twitter.com[11/4/2019 7:21:24 AM] 11/1/2019 County supervisors reject Registrar of Voter's request for satellite offices in 2020 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

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County supervisors reject Registrar of Voter’s request for satellite offices in 2020

(Reuters)

The registrar hoped to establish four satellite offices to shorten expected long lines in the 2020 election

By CHARLES T. CLARK

OCT. 29, 2019 5 12 PM https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2019-10-29/county-supervisors-reject-registrar-of-voters-request-for-satellite-offices-in-2020 1/14 11/1/2019 County supervisors reject Registrar of Voter's request for satellite offices in 2020 - The San Diego Union-Tribune 5:12 PM

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors rejected a request Tuesday from the County Registrar of Voters to establish four satellite locations of the registrar’s office to alleviate expected long voting lines during the March 2020 primary.

That proposal, which would have required up to $615,000 in county funding, was intended to prevent expected backlogs caused by same-day conditional voter registration.

It was supported by the registrar, the County’s Chief Administrative Officer and County Counsel.

Supervisors Jim Desmond and Kristin Gaspar voted against it.

A state law passed earlier this year made the March 2020 race the first election where people on election day will be able to register to vote or change their party identification at any polling location.

The plan would have created four satellite locations which would have more technology and access to voter registration files, so the county would need fewer provisional ballots, all while providing several new locations for residents hoping to register and vote on the same day.

San Diego Registrar of Voters Michael Vu, other registrars and some researchers said they expect a complex, high-turnout election which will be more difficult than usual to administer and will create long lines at many polling locations.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2019-10-29/county-supervisors-reject-registrar-of-voters-request-for-satellite-offices-in-2020 2/14 11/1/2019 County supervisors reject Registrar of Voter's request for satellite offices in 2020 - The San Diego Union-Tribune “We should not underestimate what this means; those who are registered and not registered are coming,” Vu told the board.

He said a failure to act could render the county unable to certify its election results by the required deadline, which county counsel would be required to go to court to address.

Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer also passionately pleaded for board members to back the proposal, saying the law change “makes a very risky election that much harder.”

“It would be very helpful, and I would even say critical, for us to have the satellite locations,” she said.

The board of supervisors failed to approve the proposal by the required four votes.

Desmond said he rejected it because the state law passed this year requiring conditional voter registration to be an option at all polling locations amounts to an “unfunded mandate,” so he would not support funding satellite locations.

Gaspar — the only supervisor up for re-election in 2020 — said she opposed the satellite offices because she links them to “vote centers,” a new system of voting the board received a feasibility report about Tuesday.

“I think it’s really important that we table budget impacting decisions, especially one that’s a million bucks, a big price tag, until we can reasonably study the outcomes from a jurisdiction that is comparable in size,” Gaspar said.

Vote centers and satellite locations are entirely separate things, Vu said.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob, chairwoman of the board, agreed.

“As I started off I was initially opposed to this item because I thought these satellite locations were vote centers, but it is clear in my mind they are not,” Jacob said at the meeting.

Supervisor Nathan Fletcher also criticized Desmond and Gaspar’s votes. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2019-10-29/county-supervisors-reject-registrar-of-voters-request-for-satellite-offices-in-2020 3/14 11/1/2019 County supervisors reject Registrar of Voter's request for satellite offices in 2020 - The San Diego Union-Tribune “Our democracy works best when the most people participate,” Fletcher said in a statement.

“Satellite locations for voting provide an option to vote in addition to traditional polling locations. I have had this function in my district in the past and will again in the future .... Today, Supervisors Gaspar and Desmond voted to deny that same access and opportunity to voters in other districts for the 2020 election. I only hope this item can be revisited in hopes of creating greater voter access for all.”

The dissension over satellite voting locations overshadowed the presentation of the results of a feasibility study that the Registrar of Voters conducted on the viability of the county switching to a vote center system and away from traditional polling places.

That study found that both systems are feasible in San Diego, though an election under the vote center system is projected to cost $4 million more than an election under a traditional polling system.

Counties are able to adopt a vote center system because of a state law passed in 2016.

In a vote center system, every registered voter is sent a mail-in ballot that the resident can drop off at a secure ballot box or at any all-purpose vote center, which would open multiple days before an election and replace neighborhood polling places.

Under the vote center system the county studied, 179 vote centers, open for up to 11 days, would replace some 1,600 traditional polling places that are open on a single day.

Voters would be able to go to any vote center.

Instead of needing 8,000 volunteer poll workers at polling sites for a single day, the registrar of voters would need to hire 2,500 seasonal election workers, with more technical skills, and find vote center sites that are available for at least 14 days.

Under the vote center system, all San Diego County voters would receive a mail-in ballot which could be dropped off at locked ballot boxes. Currently 72 percent of voters in San Diego County receive mail-in ballots. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2019-10-29/county-supervisors-reject-registrar-of-voters-request-for-satellite-offices-in-2020 4/14 11/1/2019 County supervisors reject Registrar of Voter's request for satellite offices in 2020 - The San Diego Union-Tribune If San Diego County ultimately adopts a vote center system, it would join a trend in California.

Five counties used the vote center system for the first time in 2018, and at least 10 more California counties — representing more than half of the state’s registered voters — are poised to adopt the system in 2020, including Los Angeles County and Orange County.

Research into the returns of switching to the vote center system are ongoing, but early returns show positive signs.

The five counties that applied the system in 2018 — Sacramento, Madera, Napa, Nevada and San Mateo — saw a greater average increase in voter turnout in 2018 than all other counties. Turnout for the five counties with the new model increased 18% during the general election compared to a 15% average increase for all other counties.

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MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2019-10-29/county-supervisors-reject-registrar-of-voters-request-for-satellite-offices-in-2020 5/14 11/1/2019 San Diego County Supervisors reconsider request to open new satellite offices in 2020 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

POLITICS

San Diego County Supervisors reconsider request to open new satellite offices in 2020

A poll worker places a mail-in ballot into a voting box as voters drop o their ballot in the U.S. presidential primary election in San Diego in 2016. (Reuters)

The registrar’s asked for four satellite offices to head off expected long lines during the March election

By CHARLES T. CLARK

OCT 31 2019 https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2019-10-31/supervisors-to-reconsider-registrar-of-voters-request-for-satellite-offices-in-202… 1/14 11/1/2019 San Diego County Supervisors reconsider request to open new satellite offices in 2020 - The San Diego Union-Tribune OCT. 31, 2019 5:57 PM

County supervisors will reconsider a request from the County Registrar of Voters to establish four new satellite locations of the registrar’s office to alleviate expected long voting lines during the March 2020 primary.

The supervisors will vote again during a special meeting Monday.

A nearly identical a proposal, which was supported by the county’s registrar, Chief Administrative Officer and County Counsel, was rejected Tuesday by the board when Supervisors Kristin Gaspar and Jim Desmond voted against it.

That measure required four votes for approval because it involved a funding source that was not included in the original budget that the board approved earlier this year.

It did receive support from Supervisors Greg Cox, Nathan Fletcher and Dianne Jacob.

Jacob, chairwoman of the board, called for a special meeting to reconsider the revamped measure, which this time will need only three votes to pass, because it calls for using existing funds transferred from the Finance and General Government Group budget.

“It’s critical that the Registrar of Voters be given all the tools he needs to complete a successful election,” said Jacob, chair of the board in a statement. She added that the new satellite locations will be needed to ensure the county follows new state voting laws.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2019-10-31/supervisors-to-reconsider-registrar-of-voters-request-for-satellite-offices-in-202… 2/14 11/1/2019 San Diego County Supervisors reconsider request to open new satellite offices in 2020 - The San Diego Union-Tribune A state law passed earlier this year made the March 2020 race the first election where people on election day will be able to register to vote or change their party identification at any polling location.

The creation of four satellite locations, which would have more technology and access to voter registration files, should reduce the number of provisional ballots issued, all while providing several new locations for residents, county staff said.

The satellites are intended to prevent expected backlogs caused by same-day conditional voter registration, said County Registrar Michael Vu, and to ensure the registrar will be able to certify election results by state deadlines.

It will initially cost $900,000, but county staff expect at least $285,000 in rebates to come back from the state.

Desmond not be reached by phone Thursday afternoon.

Gaspar, who is the lone supervisor up for re-election in 2020 and is in a closely-watched contest, voiced frustration about the board reconsidering the measure on Twitter and in a statement to the Union-Tribune.

“On Tuesday our Board voted down a million dollar proposal that required 4 votes,” she told the U- T. “Today, our Chairwoman called for a special meeting to re-do that vote, which now, miraculously only requires 3 votes. This is exactly the type of closed door, back room deal that people hate about government.”

Some community members, including the local NAACP, criticized her and Desmond’s opposing vote.

“Once again, they’ve proven themselves to be roadblocks to a free and inclusive political process that respects the rights of all,” said Kamaal Martin, NAACP San Diego Branch political action committee chair, and Clovis Honoré in a statement.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2019-10-31/supervisors-to-reconsider-registrar-of-voters-request-for-satellite-offices-in-202… 3/14 11/1/2019 San Diego County Supervisors reconsider request to open new satellite offices in 2020 - The San Diego Union-Tribune The registrar will also seek reimbursement for the remaining amount through the state mandated reimbursement process, Jacobs said in letter to the board.

The board will vote on the measure Monday at 10:30 a.m. at the the Campus Center Chambers at the County Operations Center on 5520 Overland Avenue.

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