SHERIFF’S SHOOT AND KILL SUSPECT AFTER LANDERS STAND-OFF
LOCAL BUSINESS FACES LEGAL ACTION FOR NO WORKMAN’S COMP.
BILL TO KEEP SEX OFFENDERS FROM ICE CREAM TRUCKS IN DOUBT
SIERRA CLUB GREEN PATH HIKE FIND MARKERS GONE, 2ND PLANNED
2 EVENTS THIS WEEKEND AT 29 PALMS ART GALLERY
JOSHUA BASIN WATER DISTRICT WANTS PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES CRIMINAL HISTORIES
BIGHORN DESERT VIEW WATER AGENCY ATTORNEY DENIES DIRECTORS MEETING COMPENSATION
57TH ANNUAL DAY OF PRAYER TOMORROW
LOCAL SCHOOLS GETTING HIGH MARKS TEACHING ENGLISH
FUND-RAISER FOR YUCCA VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCIENCE CAMP SATURDAY
YUCCA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL SWIM TEAM IN BEAUMONT TOMORROW

 

SHERIFF’S SHOOT AND KILL SUSPECT AFTER LANDERS STAND-OFF
ONE MAN WAS SHOT DEAD AFTER SHOOTING AT DEPUTIES IN LANDERS LAST NIGHT AFTER A 3 HOUR STANDOFF. SHERIFF’S SPOKESWOMAN ARDEN WILTSHIRE SAID SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES HAD RESPONDED TO A DOMESTIC DISPUTE AT ABOUT 4:30 P.M. AT A HOME ON NEW DIXIE MINE RD., JUST OFF S.R.247. NEIGHBORS SAY A HUSBAND AND WIFE WHO LIVED THERE ARE AN ELDERLY COUPLE. AS DEPUTIES APPROACHED THE RESIDENCE SHOTS WERE FIRED AT THEM, NONE OF THE DEPUTIES WERE HIT. DEPUTIES SAY THE TWO PEOPLE IN THE HOME THEN BARRICADED THEMSELVES IN AND THE SHERIFF’S SWAT TEAM WAS CALLED IN WITH HELICOPTER SUPPORT. Z107-7 REPORTER KARL GARDNER ON SCENE SAID THE SWAT TEAM BROUGHT IN AN ARMORED TRUCK AND AN ARMORED BOB-CAT TYPE TRACTOR SURVEILLANCE VEHICLE AS WELL AS A NEGOTIATOR. 6 HOMES IN THE AREA WERE EVACUATED. NEIGHBORS SAID SWAT SNIPERS TOOK POSITIONS ON THEIR ROOF. TRAFFIC ON NEARBY STATE ROUTE 247 WAS REROUTED AROUND THE AREA BY THE CHP. AT ABOUT 7:35 P.M., ABOUT 3 HOURS LATER, ONE MAN CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE, GUNS BLAZING, SHOOTING AT DEPUTIES, KARL GARDNER HEARD THE SHOTS. WILTSHIRE SAID THE MAN REFUSED TO OBEY COMMANDS AND WAS SHOT AND KILLED WITH SNIPER FIRE. AFTER AN INTENSIVE SEARCH OF OUTBUILDINGS ON THE PROPERTY, ONE WOMAN INSIDE THE HOME WAS ARRESTED AROUND 9:00 P.M. FOR QUESTIONING. SWAT TEAMS CAUTIOUSLY PROBED THE AREA FOR FURTHER EVIDENCE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS THIS MORNING. THE IDENTITY OF THE MAN KILLED AND THE WOMAN DETAINED HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED.

LOCAL BUSINESS FACES LEGAL ACTION FOR NO WORKMAN’S COMP
A YUCCA VALLEY BUSINESSMAN IS LOOKING AT SERIOUS LEGAL ACTION BY THE STATE AND POSSIBLE CIVIL SUITS. REPORTER KARL GARDNER SAYS THE YUCCA INN HAS APPARENTLY BEEN VIOLATING STATE LABOR LAWS... A LOCAL BUSINESS IS FACING LEGAL ACTION FOR NOT HAVING WORKER’S COMPENSATION INSURANCE. DONNY KIM, OWNER OF THE HISTORIC YUCCA INN ADMITTED DURING A LABOR HEARING THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED INSURANCE, FOLLOWING A CLAIM FILED BY AN EMPLOYEE. LABOR ATTORNEY MARSHA CINELLO-BRISLIN CONFIRMED THE FACT, AND ADDED SINCE KIM DIDN’T HAVE WORKER’S COMP COVERAGE, PAYMENTS TO THE EMPLOYEE WOULD BE MADE BY THE STATE VIA A SPECIAL FUND, MONEY THAT KIM WOULD HAVE TO PAY BACK. ALLEGATIONS THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS FIRED AFTER MAKING THE CLAIM WERE NOT SUBSTANTIATED BY CINELLO-BRISLIN, OTHER THAN TO SAY, THERE ARE WAYS TO INCLUDE PENALTIES FOR BEING TERMINATED AFTER FILING A WORKER’S COMP DEMAND, BUT ADDED THAT IT’S A VERY RARE OCCURRENCE. OTHER EMPLOYEES AT THE INN TOLD Z107.7 THEY HAVE FILED GRIEVANCES OVER PAY DISPUTES WITH THE STATE. RESULTS OF THOSE COMPLAINTS ARE PENDING.

BILL TO KEEP SEX OFFENDERS FROM ICE CREAM TRUCKS IN DOUBT
A BILL TO BY ASSEMBLYMAN PAUL COOK, OF YUCCA VALLEY TO PROHIBIT SEX OFFENDERS FROM OPERATING ICE-CREAM TRUCKS IS IN DOUBT AFTER A CONTENTIOUS COMMITTEE HEARING TUESDAY. THE BILL WAS INSPIRED BY THE JULY 2007 DISCOVERY OF A SEX OFFENDER DRIVING AN ICE-CREAM TRUCK IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY. COOK'S BILL ORIGINALLY ORDERED CITIES AND COUNTIES TO REJECT ICE-CREAM-TRUCK BUSINESS LICENSE APPLICATIONS FROM REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS. DEMOCRATS ON THE ASSEMBLY BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS COMMITTEE PUSHED THROUGH CHANGES TO COOK'S LEGISLATION TUESDAY THAT WOULD MAKE IT A STUDY OF THE SITUATION AND NOTHING ELSE. THE HOSTILE AMENDMENT MEANS THE BILL WOULD COST MONEY IN A YEAR WHEN THE STATE FACES A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR SHORTFALL. IT WAS UNCLEAR TUESDAY IF COOK WOULD CONTINUE TO PURSUE THE LEGISLATION.

SIERRA CLUB GREEN PATH HIKE FIND MARKERS GONE, 2ND PLANNED
WITH ONE HIKE ON THE PROPOSED AND CONTROVERSIAL GREEN PATH FINDING LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER SURVEY MARKERS GONE, ANOTHER IS PLANNED. THE SO-CALLED GREEN PATH, VIOLENTLY OPPOSED BY HI-DESERT RESIDENTS AND AREA POLITICIANS, WOULD SEE HUGE METAL HIGH POWER LINES RUN THROUGH AREAS OF MORONGO VALLEY AND PIONEERTOWN. REPORTER DAN STORK HAS MORE... THE SIERRA CLUB HAS SCHEDULED TWO HIKES ALONG THE SUPPOSED ROUTE OF THE GREEN PATH POWER TRANSMISSION LINE. HIKERS IN THE FIRST OUTING, ON APRIL 26^TH, FOUND THAT THE SURVEY MARKERS PLACED BY THE LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER HAD BEEN REMOVED. THE LADWP HAD ORIGINALLY DENIED THAT THEY HAD PLACED THE MARKERS, UNTIL CONFRONTED WITH CLEAR EVIDENCE. LADWP CEO AND GENERAL MANAGER DAVID NAHAI WROTE TO LOCAL RESIDENTS ON WHOSE PROPERTY SOME OF THE MARKERS HAD BEEN FOUND THAT IT WAS HARD TO DISTINGUISH PRIVATE FROM PUBLIC LAND. THE CALIFORNIA DESERT COALITION, WHICH OPPOSES THE ROUTE, IS SKEPTICAL THAT THIS WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE. NAHAI HAS ALSO WRITTEN THAT "… NO ROUTE … HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED FOR THIS PROPOSED TRANSMISSION SYSTEM." THE COALITION HAS MATCHED THESE WORDS AGAINST A SEQUENCE OF APPLICATIONS GOING BACK 2 YEARS TO THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT AND DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SEEKING PERMISSION TO USE THE ROUTE THAT TRAVERSES CONSERVATION AREAS BETWEEN DESERT HOT SPRINGS AND HESPERIA. THE SECOND SIERRA CLUB HIKE IN THE POTENTIALLY-AFFECTED AREA WILL BE ON SATURDAY MAY 3^RD, AND WILL VISIT TWO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HIKE AND ABOUT THE LADWP GREEN PATH NORTH PROJECT, VISIT CADESERTCO.ORG.

2 EVENTS THIS WEEKEND AT 29 PALMS ART GALLERY
THE TWENTYNINE PALMS ART GALLERY WILL HOST TWO LIVELY ART EVENTS THIS COMING WEEKEND. SATURDAY, FROM 4 TO 8 P.M., A SPRING ART AUCTION AT THE GALLERY WILL FEATURE ORIGINAL PAINTINGS, WATERCOLORS, PHOTOGRAPHY, SCULPTURE AND JEWELRY. ALSO FEATURED AT THE FUND-RAISER WILL BE SEVERAL HISTORIC PAINTINGS FROM PRIVATE COLLECTIONS, AS WELL AS SILENT AUCTION TABLES. DOORS OPEN AT 4 P.M., WITH A SOCIAL HOUR AND SILENT AUCTION FROM 4 TO 5:30 P.M., FOLLOWED BY A LIVE AUCTION FROM 5:30 TO 8 P.M. WITH GUEST AUCTIONEER OWEN GILLICK. ADMISSION IS FREE, AND COMPLIMENTARY WINE, HORS D ‘OEUVRES, AND COFFEE WILL BE SERVED.
ON SUNDAY, FROM 12 TO 3 P.M., THE MORONGO BASIN CULTURAL ARTS COUNCIL WILL HOLD ITS SPRING GATHERING OF ARTISTS AT THE GALLERY, IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN OPENING RECEPTION FOR ITS NEW GROUP SHOWING, TRANSFORMATIONS II. THE EXHIBIT OF MIXED MEDIA ART BY MBCAC MEMBERS WILL FILL BOTH THE EAST AND WEST WINGS OF THE GALLERY. ADMISSION IS FREE AND REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED ON THE GALLERY PATIO DURING THE EVENT. THE EXHIBIT IS ON DISPLAY THROUGH MAY 25. TWENTYNINE PALMS ART GALLERY, IS AT 74055 COTTONWOOD DRIVE (OFF NATIONAL PARK DRIVE), TWENTYNINE PALMS. REGULAR GALLERY HOURS ARE 12 TO 3 P.M. WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

JOSHUA BASIN WATER DISTRICT WANTS PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES CRIMINAL HISTORIES
A MIX OF HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS ARE ON THE AGENDA AT THIS EVENING’S JOSHUA BASIN WATER DISTRICT SPECIAL MEETING, BEING HELD AT DISTRICT OFFICES ON CHOLLITA ROAD, STARTING AT 7. FIRST UP THE BOARD WILL LOOKING AT AN AUTHORIZATION TO ACCESS STATE AND FEDERAL CRIMINAL HISTORY FOR PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, CONSIDER THE ELECTION OF A SPECIAL DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE LOCAL AGENCY FORMATION COMMISSION, AND TO CONDUCT FUTURE SELECTIONS BY MAIL… AN ADOPT A RESOLUTION RATIFYING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE EMPLOYEES’ UNION. GENERAL MANAGERS’ REPORT, DIRECTORS’ COMMENTS AND REPORTS, AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, CLOSES OUT THE REMAINDER OF THE AGENDA.

BIGHORN DESERT VIEW WATER AGENCY ATTORNEY DENIES DIRECTORS MEETING COMPENSATION
THE ATTORNEY FOR THE BIGHORN DESERT VIEW WATER AGENCY SAYS DIRECTORS SEEKING PAYMENTS FOR OUTSIDE MEETINGS ARE ACTING IMPROPERLY. REPORTER KARL GARDNER SAID THEY ATTORNEY WANTS TO WITHHOLD DIRECTORS STIPENDS TO GET THE MONEY BACK... PERCEIVED MALFEASANCE BY MEMBERS OF THE BIGHORN DESERT VIEW WATER AGENCY HAS ADDED MORE TO THE AGENCY’S LEGAL BILLS. IN AN 8 PAGE LETTER OBTAINED BY Z107.7, THE AGENCY’S LAWYER SUSAN TRAGER, PROVIDES ADVICE AND DIRECTION TO THE BOARD ON HOW TO DEAL WITH COMPENSATION PAYMENTS TO DIRECTORS. AT ISSUE ARE PAYMENTS TO BOARD MEMBERS JUDY CORO-LORONO AND TERRY BURKHART, THAT AGENCY CRITICS CONTEND WERE NOT APPROVED. TRAGER’S LETTER OUTLINES WHAT CURRENT AGENCY RULES PROVIDE, WHAT LIMITATIONS THE ORDINANCE PROVIDES, THEN GOES ON TO POINT OUT THAT THE CURRENT ORDINANCE IS INADEQUATE, AND GIVES RISE TO TOO MUCH CONFUSION AS TO WHAT MEETINGS ARE COVERED AND WHAT PROCESS IS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN PAYMENTS. AS TO CORO-LORONO’S AND BURKHART’S PAYMENTS, TRAGER CONCLUDES THEIR PER DIEM PAYMENTS SHOULD BE WITH HELD, BECAUSE APPROVAL WAS NOT OBTAINED BY THE FULL BOARD. TRAGER ALSO PROVIDED A PROPOSED ORDINANCE SETTING DIRECTOR COMPENSATION AND PROPOSED OFFICIAL DUTIES POLICY.


57TH ANNUAL DAY OF PRAYER TOMORROW
TOMORROW, MAY 1ST OUR NATION WILL CELEBRATE THE 57TH NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER. THE THEME FOR THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER IS "PRAYER! AMERICA’ STRENGTH AND SHIELD". THERE ARE SEVERAL PRAYER EVENTS PLANNED. IN 29 PALMS, PRAYER MEETINGS WILL BE AT 7AM AND 11AM AROUND THE FLAGPOLE AT VETERAN’S PARK ON ADOBE ROAD BETWEEN CITY HALL AND THE LIBRARY. IN THE EVENING THERE WILL BE A PRAISE AND PRAYER SERVICE BEGINNING AT 6:30PM AT THE 29 PALMS CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE LOCATED AT 72603 JUANITA DRIVE. THE 29 PALMS HIGH SCHOOL BIBLE CLUB WILL BE HOSTING A NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER ON CAMPUS DURING LUNCH. IN JOSHUA TREE THE COPPER MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BIBLE CLUB WILL BE HOSTING A NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER MEETING AT THE FLAG POLE ON CAMPUS BEGINNING AT 1PM.

LOCAL SCHOOLS GETTING HIGH MARKS TEACHING ENGLISH
THE MORONGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT IS GETTING HIGH MARKS ON THEIR EFFORTS TO TEACH ENGLISH. REPORTER DAN STORK HAS THE REPORT CARD... ENGLISH LEARNERS IN THE MORONGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE DOING BETTER AS A GROUP THAN ARE THOSE IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY OVER-ALL. COUNTY STUDENTS IN TURN ARE DOING SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN THE STATE AS A WHOLE. THESE GENERALITIES COME FROM ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS OF THE CALIFORNIA ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT TEST FOR THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR. RESULTS WERE RELEASED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ON APRIL 23^RD. THE TESTS ARE TAKEN BY STUDENTS AT ALL GRADE LEVELS WHO HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THEIR PARENTS AND TEACHERS AS LACKING ENGLISH PROFICIENCY. HERE ARE SOME OF THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE SUMMARY: OVER 83,000 COUNTY STUDENTS TOOK THE TEST, AND 38%, OR NEARLY 32,000, WERE SCORED AS PROFICIENT. THE STATE AVERAGE WAS 36%. ACCORDING TO TOM BAUMGARTEN, THE MORONGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR INSTRUCTION, 47% OF ENGLISH LEARNERS IN THE DISTRICT WHO TOOK THE TEST ACHIEVED A PROFICIENT SCORE. IN RAW NUMBERS, THAT’S 122 STUDENTS OUT OF 258 TEST-TAKERS. (THERE ARE ABOUT 10000 STUDENTS TOTAL IN MUSD.) FOR BOTH THE DISTRICT AND THE COUNTY, THE PROFICIENCY PERCENTAGES FOR 2007-2008 REPRESENTED A 3- OR 4-POINT IMPROVEMENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

FUND-RAISER FOR Y.V. ELEMENTARY SCIENCE CAMP SATURDAY
WITH THE DANGER OF AN ANNUAL YUCCA VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE CAMP TRIP TO CATALINA IN DANGER BECAUSE OF A SHORTAGE OF FUNDS, PARENTS ARE RALLYING. REPORTER TAMMI ROLEFF SAYS THEY WILL HAVE A GARAGE SALE AND CAR WASH THIS SATURDAY... AN ANNUAL EVENT FOR SIXTH GRADERS AT YUCCA VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS A WEEK-LONG SCIENCE CAMP HELD ON CATALINA ISLAND. THE STUDENTS ENJOY ACTIVITIES SUCH AS NIGHT SNORKELING, EDUCATIONAL HIKES, AND OTHER LEARNING EXPERIENCES. HOWEVER, THE STUDENTS ARE SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS SHORT OF THE AMOUNT NEEDED TO SEND EVERYONE TO CAMP AND THEREFORE THEY MAY HAVE TO FOREGO THEIR ANNUAL TRIP. IN AN ATTEMPT TO RAISE MONEY FOR SCIENCE CAMP, THE PARENTS AND STUDENTS OF YUCCA VALLEY ELEMENTARY ARE HOLDING A GARAGE SALE AND CAR WASH SATURDAY AT THE SCHOOL. THE GARAGE SALE WILL BEGIN AT 7 AM AND THE CAR WASH WILL BEGIN AT 9 A.M. THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO TURN OUT AND SUPPORT THE STUDENTS AND THEIR EFFORTS TO GET TO SCIENCE CAMP.

YUCCA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL SWIM TEAM IN BEAUMONT TOMORROW
THE YUCCA VALLEY TROJAN SWIM TEAM TRAVELS DOWN THE HILL TO BEAUMONT HIGH SCHOOL COMPETING IN DE ANZA LEAGUE FINALS TOMORROW AFTERNOON WITH HEATS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT NOON.