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Rivers Has Declined Contract Proposals: LT

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One of the most well-known Chargers alums has joined in on the discussion of the team’s future with quarterback Philip Rivers.

Rivers has one more year left in his current contract with the team and it appears there are no negotiations going on.

That may be Rivers’ choice according to his former teammate who spoke Monday night on NFL Network's NFL Total Access.

“I really think this is a situation where Philip Rivers wants to move on,” LaDainian Tomlinson said. “The Chargers have already approached Philip about doing another contract and he declined.”

Rivers took part in day one of voluntary workouts at Chargers Park on Monday.

GM Tom Telesco is expected to talk with local media about the team’s plans for the upcoming NFL draft.

There’s no doubt the team’s quarterback position will come up in that discussion.
 



Photo Credit: AP

Man With Saudi Royal Family Ties Accused of Trying to Flee U.S.

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A man with ties to the royal family in Saudi Arabia was arrested in San Diego, accused of attempting to flee the U.S. to avoid prosecution in a date rape case.

Monsour Alshammari, 27, is accused of raping a woman while on a date in February in Orem, Utah. He pleaded not guilty and was released March 31 on $100,000 bail.

Once Alshammari made bail, Utah County detectives contacted U.S. Department of Homeland officials, asking them to watch for him at all border crossings.

Just days before his next scheduled court appearance, Alshammari was found hundreds of miles away.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees apprehended Alshammari Friday as he tried to enter Mexico through Tijuana.

“If he had been successful, then there is no way for us to extradite him back here, especially with his ties to the royal family,” said Deputy Utah County Attorney Craig Johnson. “Under the circumstances, this was very fortuitous that customs was able to pick him up.”

He is now in the process of being extradited from San Diego to Utah, where he faces charges of first-degree felony rape and second-degree felony obstructing justice. The process could take several weeks, according to Orem police Lt. Craig Martinez.

The Associated Press reports that police did not offer details about Alshammari's royal connection, but they did say he is related to royalty and has family connections within the Saudi Arabian government.

According to court documents, Alshammari is in the U.S. on a Saudi government student sponsorship.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Timken Museum Celebrates 50 Years

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The Timken Museum of Art in Balboa Park celebrated its 50th anniversary Monday night with a fashionable fundraiser featuring the work of student designers.

The museum held its 8th annual “Art of Fashion” fundraiser with a goal of $100,000 in mind. The event showcased costumes created by 10 graduate student designers from University of California Los Angeles. Many of those costumes were inspired by French artworks.

According to Lori M. Walton of the Timken Museum, the money raised at Monday’s event will fund the museum’s education and outreach programs.

“Many schools no longer have art classes, so for quite a few young children, the Timken Museum is their only opportunity to learn about art,” she said.

The winning designer at the “Art of Fashion” event received a $5,000 scholarship. The costumes will be displayed at the museum for the next week.

Known as San Diego’s “jewel box” of fine art, the Timken Museum of Art is home to the Putnam Foundation’s significant collection of European old masters, 19th century American art and Russian icons. The collection also includes the only Rembrandt painting on public display in San Diego.

The Timken Museum of Art is always free and open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. It’s closed on Mondays. For more info on this Balboa Park gem, visit the museum website.
 



Photo Credit: Timken Museum of Art/Facebook

Local AM Station to Host Padres Wednesdays

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A local radio station will began hosting Padres Wednesdays, where players will come in to the station to discuss the game.

AM radio station Mighty 1090 will begin hosting Padres Wednesdays starting April 22.

The Padres' flagship radio station will have a wide range of Padres key players who will talk with radio hosts every Wednesday throughout regular programming.

“From this programming, our fans can expect regular, comprehensive updates from all areas of the club,” Padres SVP/Chief Marketing Officer Wayne Partello said in a statement.

Mighty 1090 President Mike Glickenhaus said the station is always keeping in mind how to provide their audience with more behind-the-scenes insight, and that Padres Wednesday will be the perfect destination for fans to have that.

The launch of the series will kick-off with the Executive Report on The Dan Sileo Show. This show will start at 7:35 a.m. and will rotate between guests, which include Padres Executive Chairman Ron Fowler and Padres President and CEO Mike Dee.

The Darren Smith Show will follow with the Lunch with the Manager segment at 2:00 p.m. During this special broadcast, listeners will have the opportunity to hear Padres Manager Bud Black give details on the team during The Darren Smith Show.

At 3:35 p.m. during the Scott and BR show, there will be the Front Office Report. This segment will feature a rotation of guests from the front office of the Padres, including EVP and General Manager A.J. Preller.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Historic Trail in Santee to Open Thursday

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The city is opening the longest segment of the San Diego River Trail in Santee, a historic landmark in the city of San Diego.

The property first started as farm, which was tended by the Walker family from 1926 all the way to the 1960’s. Before the city purchased the park back in 2012, it was used for sand extraction.

Now, attendees of the park will be able to see a giant dredge bucket that was left being from the sand mining era and the original horse-drawn plow that was used at the Walker family dairy farm.

A brief ceremony will be held on Thursday at 3 p.m. that will feature members of the Walker family, as well as their historical family buggy and vintage photos.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Calif. Bill Would Mandate Teens Take CPR Training

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A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would mandate that high school students receive CPR training before they graduate.

AB 319 will be heard in a committee hearing on Wednesday. Assemblyman Freddie Rodriguez, D-Chino, introduced the bill in February.

The bill calls for statewide school districts and charter schools to implement a curriculum on how to perform CPR and using an automated external defibrillator.

This training would be offered in physical education classes or another course needed for students to graduate.

The program would be developed by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.

In emphasizing the reason for a law, the bill notes that only 10 percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest survive.

“If no CPR is provided or no defibrillation occurs within three to five minutes of collapse, the chances of survival drop,” the bill states.

Two students died in 2006 and 2014 in the Placentia-Yorba Linda School District to sudden cardiac arrest, leading that school district to become the first in the state to implement “hands only” CPR training.



Photo Credit: Friso Gentsch/picture-alliance/d

San Diego City Leaders' Water Usage

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Half of City of San Diego council members have decreased their water usage between 2013 and 2014, while the other half have used more water, according to billing records provided by the City.

NBC 7 Investigates obtained water records for San Diego City Council members and Mayor Kevin Faulkner. The usage shows almost all use less than what the water department says is a typical amount.

Earlier this month, San Diego city leaders announced new water fines for excessive water use as California faces a severe drought. They also asked San Diegans to cut back.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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Why Millennials Should Have a Roth IRA

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You are never too young to invest in your retirement, but many Millennials are passing up on the chance.

Certified Financial Planner Mary Beth Storjohann said that's a big mistake.

"The earlier you start, the better," she said. "If you have a job and can put away $50 or $60 a month, I'd say get started as early as possible."

Storjohann with Workable Wealth said she recommends people as young as 18 with a part-time job should start saving by putting money in a Roth IRA. A Roth has far more advantages for a young investor.

With a Roth IRA, contributions are made with after-tax money, but there are no taxes paid on retirement on the interest.

But Storjohann told NBC 7 the key is to start putting money away for retirement at an early age.

"So if you are 25 and you are not retiring until 65, that is 40 years worth of contributions that you have growing right there," said Storjohann.

Nathan Jarman is 26-years-old and works with his father, Doug, at Financial Planning Consultants. He said many Millennials put off saving for their future.

"People my age are making a lot less than they'll probably make later in life," said Jarman.

That also means their income is taxed at a smaller rate. So it is a good time to take after-tax money and invest in a Roth IRA to benefit from the compound interest.

"Growth is not a straight line," said Jarman. "Growth is an exponential line. It's a curve, and the sooner that you are able to jump on that curve the better."

Again, contributing to a Roth IRA or 401(k) does not give you a tax break, but you'll earn tax-free growth throughout your career. And while young investors may not have much money to put into a retirement account, it is important to start making regular monthly payments.

The habit of investing may be more important than the money going into the account.


Man Rescued From Metro Tracks

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Washington, D.C., Metro riders rushed to the rescue of a man who drove his motorized wheelchair onto the tracks at the U Street station Tuesday afternoon.

Two men jumped down after him and hoisted him back up to the platform in about 30 seconds as other riders also went to the edge of the platform to help. They also retrieved the wheelchair.

The closest train was three stations away, but the third rail was hot.

While Metro acknowledged the heroics of the good Samaritans, they reminded that it’s best to wait for the station manager to cut power to the third rail.

Emergency workers said the man was conscious and breathing with some cuts to his face.

“He’s a regular down here as well,” said an employee of the & Pizza by the 13th Street entrance. “We see him all the time. He comes to & Pizza. He’s a good guy so I’m glad they rescued him, took care of him.”

2 San Ysidro School District Admins Under Investigation

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Two San Ysidro School District administrators are at the center of an internal investigation, according to Interim Superintendent Edward Velasquez.

The superintendent did not release their identies but said they are on paid leave until the investigation, which is in the preliminary stages, is completed.

No outside law enforcement agencies are involved, Velasquez said.

No futher details are being released at this time.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Supervisor Speaks About Shake-up Inside Office

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One San Diego County Supervisor said there is not much he can say about key personnel leaving his office and closed-door meetings about a possible settlement with a former employee.

County sources have confirmed with NBC 7 Investigates there have been talks about giving one former employee in Supervisor Dave Roberts' office a $75,000 settlement.

“There is nothing I can share on this,” Roberts said in an interview Tuesday. “It's just one of those allegations that is floating out there."

Last week, NBC 7 Investigates was there when Roberts and his colleagues adjourned a public meeting to talk in private about how to handle what was referenced as a potential lawsuit.

It was the second closed-door meeting prompted by the departure of Glynnis Vaughan, Roberts' former chief of staff. In that meeting, the board did not reach an agreement on a settlement with Vaughan.

A former Roberts staffer and other sources told NBC 7 Investigates Vaughan strongly disagreed with Roberts' decision to hire and promote Harold Meza, a former Starbucks barista.

According to documents and county sources, Meza first worked as Roberts' driver. He now serves in Roberts' office as a staff assistant.

Roberts said Meza interned with his office for 11 months and joined the staff last July.

“He’s responsible for the Mira Mesa community and he has other staff duties,” Roberts said. “He also spends a lot of time out in the field district.”

Neither Vaughan nor Meza have responded to our attempts to reach them.

Roberts said the county has rules in place to deal with situations like this.

“If there are any allegations anyone wants to make, they go through a process,” Roberts said. “The allegations are reviewed, and if there is substance to them, actions are taken, and if there is no substance, the case is closed out.”

Documents obtained by NBC 7 Investigates through the California Public Records Act show what appears to be an excessive amount of staff turnover in Roberts office.

Since the beginning of this year, seven of Roberts' 11 staff members are no longer working in his office. In the last three weeks, Roberts has also had three different people in his chief of staff position: Vaughan, Lindsey Masukawa and Melvin Millstein.

According to a memo obtained from the county, Millstein will receive an annual salary of $151,008 and began serving as Roberts' chief of staff on April 15.

“I think he (Millstein) will be a great chief of staff,” Roberts said. “All my staff is doing a phenomenal job, and I’m just really pleased they’re doing a phenomenal job.”

The closed session meetings are closed to the public because they involve “exposure to significant liability” to the county and taxpayers. The county’s five supervisors, county attorney and CAO are allowed to be present at the closed-door meetings. The public learns about the results only if action is taken, which usually consists of an agreement to pay money to settle an existing or threatened lawsuit.

County spokesman Michael Workman said the county will not be commenting because it is a personnel matter. It has been responding to and answering our requests for documents, emails and other records through state open record requests.

NBC 7 Investigates is working for you. If you have more information about this or other story tips, contact us: (619) 578-0393, NBC7Investigates@nbcuni.com. To receive the latest NBC 7 Investigates stories subscribe to our newsletter.

Poway Teachers Rally to Keep Negotiating Process

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When it comes to negotiating their contract, teachers in the Poway Unified School District want to continue to collaborate as they have for nearly two decades.

"Collaboration is better than conflict” was their motto as they gathered Monday to “celebrate the academic successes” of the district.

Hundreds of teachers packed a board meeting Monday night to send their message to the board: don’t want to change what works.

Teachers said for 17 years, they have used a process called Interest Based Problem Solving. Given their students’ success, they say it works well.

But some members of a new school board want to take a closer look.

School Board President Kimberley Beatty said the process leaves out the public, which should weigh in on issues through its elected officials.

Under the current process, by the time the contract deal comes before the board, it is a done deal, according to Beatty. She would like to tweak the process by making it more inclusive.

President of the teacher's union Candy Smiley told NBC 7 the Poway school board can be updated anytime it wants during the ongoing, yearlong negotiations, which include the school superintendent.

Smiley said the new board members need to be "educated" about the process.

Victim's Friend Wants U.S. Trial

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A trusted friend of a woman who was killed at a posh Indonesian resort and stuffed inside a suitcase said he hopes her killers are tried in United States court.

Elliot Jacobson told NBC Chicago he's handed over evidence to the FBI that he says shows Heather Mack and Tommy Schaefer planned to kill Mack's mother, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, while they were all still in Chicago and prior to leaving for Bali.

Mack and Schaefer on Tuesday were convicted of murder in connection with the Aug. 12, 2014 slaying. While they both faced the death penalty, the three-judge Indonesian panel was lenient because Mack is a new mother and Schaefer was well-mannered. 

Mack, 19, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The Denpasar District Court sentenced 21-year-old Schaefer to 18 years.

"The sentence was completely unjust," Jacobson said Tuesday. "This sentence was nowhere near commensurate with the crime that was committed."

Jacobson has previously shared with NBC Chicago emails he traded with von Wiese-Mack in which she expressed concerns about her daughter and of her own safety.

He said Mack's relationship with her newborn, Stella, should be severed.

"That baby should be brought to the United States. Her identity should be completely erased, a new identity established, and a home -- a proper home -- found for her," he said. 

Baby Stella will live with Mack in prison for two years, officials said. 

Chargers Schedule Announced

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The Chargers have released their 2015 schedule. All home games are in bold

Preseason: 

  • Aug. 13: Dallas Cowboys at 7 p.m.
  • Aug. 22: at Arizona Cardinals at 7 p.m.
  • Aug. 29: Seattle Seahawks at 5 p.m.
  • Sept. 3: at San Francisco 49ers at 7 p.m.

Regular Season:

  • Sept. 13: Detroit Lions at 1:05 p.m.
  • Sept. 20: at Cincinnati Bengals at 10 a.m.
  • Sept. 27: at Minnesota Vikings at 10 a.m.
  • Oct. 4: Cleveland Browns at 1:05  p.m.
  • Oct. 12: Pittsburgh Steelers at 5:30 p.m.
  • Oct. 18: at Green Bay Packers at 1:25 p.m.
  • Oct. 25: Oakland Raiders at 1:05 p.m.
  • Nov. 1: at Baltimore Ravens at 10 a.m.
  • Nov. 9: Chicago Bears at 5:30 p.m.
  • Nov. 22: Kansas City Chiefs at 5:30 p.m.
  • Nov. 29: at Jacksonville Jaguars at 10 a.m.
  • Dec. 6: Denver Broncos at 1:05 p.m.
  • Dec. 13: at Kansas City Chiefs at 10 a.m.
  • Dec. 20: Miami Dolphins at 1:25 p.m.
  • Dec. 24 at Oakland Raiders at 5:25 p.m.
  • Jan. 3: at Denver Broncos at 1:25 p.m.

 

You can get more details here.


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Tentative Settlement Reached in School Bathroom Assault

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The family of a kindergartner allegedly molested by another kindergartner in a school bathroom has reached a tentative settlement with the San Diego Unified School District.

The girl said she was molested in a bathroom stall at Hamilton Elementary School in the City Heights area by a 6-year-old in 2013, according to a lawsuit filed by the girl’s family.

The lawsuit accused the school district of negligent supervision after the father reported the incident in March 2013 to school officials. Officials assured him that steps would be taken to protect his daughter.

But, according to the lawsuit, in July 2013, the 5-year-old said she continued to be molested by the same fellow student.

“It’s very difficult to hear your daughter saying something like this,” the father told NBC 7 San Diego in October 2013. “This other girl was putting her hands in her panties in the bathroom and just doing inappropriate things to her.”

The family’s attorney, Anna Yum, said the incident had escalated from bullying.

“She was molesting my client’s daughter and my client’s daughter felt barricaded in this bathroom stall where she felt she couldn’t get out because this other student was bigger than her,” Yum said.

On Tuesday, school district officials confirmed they’ve reached a tentative settlement with the family, which still needs to be approved by the school board.

School officials denied further comment.


DA Honors Courageous Citizens

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Seven San Diego citizens were honored by the District Attorney Tuesday for their bravery in the face of some scary situations at the annual Citizens of Courage awards luncheon.

As part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, San Diego County DA Bonnie Dumanis hosted the event at the Westin Horton Plaza Hotel in downtown San Diego.

Dumanis gave courage awards to recipients like Nicholas Raheja and Oscar Lama, Army and Navy Academy cadets, respectively, who started an anti-bullying club on their campus. The pair hopes their club inspires other campuses to create similar groups.

Also honored was Will Barton, a man shot in the head during a random crime spree by Phillip Hernandez and teen Cindy Garcia. Barton’s doctors didn’t expect him to live, but he somehow survived. Today, he continues to recover with a positive attitude and is now helping others with head injuries.

Citizens of Courage also highlighted Chula Vista police officer Richard Deomampo. The officer suffers from PTSD following a massive shootout with three gunmen from the Los Palillos drug cartel during a high-speed chase. Deomampo has taken the stand twice in court to testify against the gunmen.

Law student Steven Babin was also recognized for his work rescuing an 8-year-old boy from a home where his caregivers had chained him to a bed without food.

Two younger recipients of the courage award this year included a South Bay teenager who was attacked by a stranger who was high on drugs and pushed her younger cousin to safety, and a 12-year-old boy who hid in a bathroom and called 911 while his home was being burglarized. He identified the intruder for police during a lineup.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Carson Council Approves Bolts-Raiders Stadium Plan

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NBC 7's Gene Cubbison offers this analysis on the latest moves behind the Chargers stadium scramble.

The Carson City Council approved an NFL stadium proposal ordinance Tuesday evening, bringing them one step closer to getting a stadium than San Diego is.

Many NFL fans crowded council chambers to urge members to fast-track the $1.7 billion plan, which they hope will lure both the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders to the LA area.

In a 3-0 vote, the city council gave its OK, a move backed up by a successful petition campaign delivered to city hall last month.

"We appreciate all of the Carson residents, organized labor representatives, and Los Angeles football fans who came out tonight to support the project," said Chargers special counsel Mark Fabiani in a statement. "We are grateful for the careful consideration and positive vote of the Carson City Council and Mayor, and we look forward to continuing our work with the community."

But does that spell doom for hometown efforts to keep the Chargers?

Not if the San Diego Citizen's Stadium Advisory Group has a say.

"Our focus is on San Diego. There will be a path to a new stadium here. It sounds like there will be one in LA, too. If so, it will be up to Mr. Spanos to decide if he wants a new stadium in San Diego or Los Angeles," said Tony Manolatos, the group's spokesman.

While the NFL's clock apparently is running out, money is a major motivator for “The Shield” — virtually dictating who pays how much to build, and who reaps profits.

Losses aren’t what the Bolts or league bargain for.

Even with a green light from Carson’s City Council, a lot of somebodies have to ‘show the money’ -- hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of personal seat licenses in a new market.

The team’s investment bankers, Goldman Sachs, don't aim to get stuck with downside risks on a project costing $1.7 billion.

Redeveloping on the current Qualcomm stadium site in Mission Valley doesn't appeal to the Chargers.

They claim to have their hearts set on a hybrid stadium-convention facility in downtown's East Village.

"You know, I think that this is high-pressure negotiations,” says National University economist Erik Bruvold, who points out that joint-use sports and convention complexes don't often benefit both business models equally.

"At least right now,” he told NBC 7 in an interview, “the political consensus is that of those two priorities, the first one is enhancing and expanding San Diego's convention business — and bringing in those new dollars that conventioneers bring from out of town."

Meantime, the NFL has signaled there may be an Los Angeles relocation decision made by year's end — accelerating the need for agreement on financing details between the Chargers and city's stadium advisers.

"I would advise any city, any county, any state to get their process done in that window,” NFL Vice President Eric Grubman told reporters here last week, “and not try to wait until after."

Suspicions are widespread among the Chargers’ fan base that the team has dragged its feet and dug in heels, planning all along to wind up in LA.

"If the Chargers are saying there's not enough time to do Mission Valley,” declared Voice of San Diego editor Scott Lewis, “then they're saying there's not enough time to do San Diego."

It may be galling that the Chargers are fronting Carson's stadium efforts while pitting East Village against Mission Valley

But that's life in a league where monopoly money talks loudly.

Each of the local sites presents complications in a race trailing separate stadium plans in the Los Angeles market.

"If they (Carson and Inglewood) move forward,” predicts Bruvold, “I think it's going to be very challenging for San Diego to get a competing offer on the field that will pass taxpayer muster.

May 20th is when the mayor's stadium advisory group is scheduled to release its financing plan for the Mission Valley site.

Even if the Bolts buy into the numbers and location, will voters?

Councilmembers probably dare not make the essential stadium decisions themselves, as Carson's might.



Photo Credit: MANICA ARCHITECTURE

Damage from Music Festival Estimated at $64K

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Repairs to Waterfront Park after a two-day electronic music festival in March are estimated to cost more than $64,000, according to an estimate from the County of San Diego.

The estimated damage and the cost to repair the park will be paid for by festival organizers, Michael Workman, Director of Communications for the County said. The repair estimate includes the cost of supplies and labor.

The CRSSD Electronic Music Festival took place at Waterfront Park March 14 and 15. Event organizers rented the park for $33,000, nearly one-third of the revenue officials hope to generate this year through private events at the park.

The park that sits on the Embarcadero is popular among those seeking the free fountains, lawn and playground.

The damage from the festival includes:

  • A sign in the playground area that is estimated to cost close to $2,000 to replace.
  • Fountain and hardscape surfacing damaged with food and drink stains and chewing gum.
  • Irrigation heads, valves and leaks, estimated to cost $6,270.
  • More than 500 plants which are expected to cost $35,340 to replace.
  • Depressed turf and granite surfaces, estimated to cost $14,250.

Click here to see the complete list of repairs.

According to the County, festival organizers and the county have agreed to this estimate and work is underway to make the repairs.

Festival organizers paid the county a deposit of just under $7,000, Workman said. According to the rental agreement with the county, since the estimated amount of damage is greater than the deposit, the company will be invoiced for the remainder of the repair costs.

Wrongly Convicted Man's Charges To Be Dismissed

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Charges against a Southern California man are expected to be dismissed Wednesday after he spent 36 years in prison.

In November, a Superior Court judge overturned Michael Hanline's 1978 murder conviction after the San Diego-based California Innocence Project at California Western School of Law filed a petition alleging the prosecution withheld evidence of his innocence. The group has been working on Hanline's case since it was founded 15 years ago.

The Ventura County District Attorney's Office is expected to dismiss Hanline's charges based on a lack of evidence to continue prosecution.

"It is impossible for anyone except Hanline to truly understand what it's like to lose 36 years of your life to the criminal justice system," said Justin Brooks, Director of the California Innocence Project.

Hanline is being called California's longest-serving wrongly convicted inmate.

The Ojai man was convicted of the shooting death of J.T. McGarry in 1980. Prosecutors then argued Hanline was jealous of McGarry because the two were romantically involved with the same woman. Hanline always claimed others were responsible for the crime.

"We are fortunate we got the cooperation of the Ventura County District Attorney's Office on this case," said Alex Simpson, Associate Director of the California Innocence Project and the attorney who argued the petition for Hanline.

"Mistakes were made many years ago, but they were willing to help us and remedy those mistakes," he added.

Brooks and Simpson plan to be at Hanline's court hearing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Wasted Opportunity: Compost Collections Lag Behind Recycling

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Getting food out of the trash: It's what New York City’s former mayor Michael Bloomberg called recycling's last frontier.

But even as more Americans sort paper from cans and bottles, and recycling rates climb, food collection has lagged. Only about 170 communities nationwide pick up homes' scraps to turn them into compost.

Discarded food can return nutrients to the soil and help Americans cut down on pollution and fertilizer use, but in landfills, it takes up space and contributes to pollution.

On Earth Day, here is a look at some wasted opportunities for food composting and why it matters.

— Americans created 251 million tons of garbage in 2012, most of it organic material. Food waste accounted for 28 percent of the total.

— Of the 87 million tons of garbage that was recycled or composted in 2012, only 2 percent was food waste. By contrast, paper represented about 51 percent and yard trimmings about 22 percent.

— Of the 35 millions tons of food that was thrown away in 2012, more than 96 percent went to landfills. By contrast, some 60 percent of yard trimmings was composted.

— About 3,120 community composting programs of all sorts existed in 2012, down from 3,227 in 2002.

— Food discarded in landfills creates methane, a greenhouse gas. Landfills accounted for more than 20 percent of methane emissions in the U.S.

— Since beginning mandatory compost collection in 2007, San Francisco has cut what it sends to landfills in half. Its goal: Zero waste by 2020.

— Seattle, which this year banned food from residential and commercial garbage, had been sending 100,000 tons of waste a year to a landfill in eastern Oregon. It hopes the new law will cut that amount by 38,000.

— New York City has been burying 1.2 million tons of food waste each year at a cost of $80 per ton. Its compost pilot program is now collecting food scraps from 100,000 households and expects to add an additional 40,000 households this spring.

— Parched California and other drought-stricken areas could save water. Studies show that increasing the organic matter on one acre of land by 1 percent saves 16,500 gallons of water a year.

Sources: U.S. EPA, San Francisco Department of Environment, BioCycle magazine, New York City Department of Sanitation, Seattle Public Utilities, Marin Carbon Project

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