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Listen To Your News		Wednesday, March 16, 2011		News Archive

David Jones

MOLESTATION TRIAL STARTS FOR FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER A change of venue ruling and a rejection of a plea deal, topped the motions in the start of former School Board Member and Time Warner General Manager David Jones' child sexual abuse trail. Jones is charged with 4 felony counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child, 1 count each of sexual penetration and continuous sexual abuse of a child, and 2 counts of possession of child pornography. Jones, now 62, was arrested in February 2009 after sheriffs' detectives served a search warrant as part of a weeklong investigation into the child sexual abuse allegations. On August 12 2009 Jones pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to all charges. Jones' trial began February 28 at the Central Court House in San Bernardino. A motion for Change of Venue by the defense was granted. Prosecutors put into the record, that Jones, facing up to 84 years in prison if convicted on all counts, rejected an offer of 24 years. Jones remains in custody on $900,000 bail.

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CRASH CAUSED BY FALLING ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL
Falling asleep at the wheel may have been the cause of a car versus pick-up crash that sent one man to the hospital. California Highway Patrol officials said Monday afternoon about 3:30, Nael Barabin of Twentynine Palms, was driving east on State Route 62 near Sunfair road, when he either fell asleep or suffered some other laps of consciousness. He lost control of his 2004 Dodge Neon, drove into the opposing lane, and sideswiped Leon Beldon, 37 of Yucca Valley driving at Chevy Colorado pick-up. The force of the crash sent both vehicles spiraling out of control. Nael Barabin sustained minor injuries, and was taken to Hi-Desert Medical Center for treatment. The exact cause of the crash is being investigated.

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RIDER HOSPITALIZED AFTER MOTORCYCLE HITS DOG
A Twentynine Palms man was hurt after running into a dog on his motorcycle. Sheriffs' officials said Tuesday morning about 10:15, Eliakim Robles, 23, was riding his 2006 Honda Motorcycle west on State Route 62 near Indian Cove Road, when he hit a dog that ran onto the highway. Robles flipped the bike over, and sustained multiple scrapes and abrasions. The dog was killed. Eliakim Robles was taken to Hi-Desert Medical Center for treatment. Animal Control officers picked up the deceased dog. The animal's owner could not be located.

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Chad Mayes George Huntington Isaac Hagerman Dawn Rowe Frank Luckino

YUCCA VALLEY TOWN COUNCIL HEARS WASTEWATER FINANCE PLAN, TRANSFERS RDA ASSETS The Yucca Valley Town Council met in a busy and complex meeting last night, both as council and as the Town" Redevelopment Agency. Z107.7 reporter Dan Stork was there as they heard a presentation from Town Manger Mark Nuaimi, heard budget concerns, transferred RDA assets, and purchased priority for affordable housing... Town Manager Mark Nuaimi described an alternative plan for financing the wastewater treatment project.

The council was favorably impressed with the presentation, and directed Nuaimi to develop the plan further, so that they could better appreciate its economic assumptions, before seeking community input and putting it before the voters. In other Council business, staffer Curtis Yakimow presented the mid-year budget review. He reported that both revenues and expenses are running a little bit below the amended budget, resulting in little change in projected reserves. Among ongoing concerns for future budgeting, he listed the potential elimination of the Redevelopment Agency. Putting on their RDA hats, the council addressed that issue. First, it approved the transfer of agency properties to be used for public purposes to the town. Mark Nuaimi explained that RDA properties with a private purpose, such as the PFF building, will have to be disposed of separately. Following that, a contract was approved which transfers responsibility for RDA projects, along with $10 million to fund them, to the town. The town is under pressure to act quickly, because elimination of the RDA could happen tomorrow – literally, because a vote in Sacramento is anticipated today. In its final action, the RDA authorized the purchase of the property on Dumosa, to be used for affordable housing, for $940,000. The vote was 3-2, with Frank Luckino and Isaac Hagerman dissenting. If the RDA disappears, the responsibility for low- and moderate-income housing projects will pass to a yet-to-be-created Housing Authority.

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A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TOWN'S SALES TAX PROPOSAL
At last night's Town Council meeting, Town Manger Mark Nuaimi gave a presentation on a plan for the city to step in with financing for the sewer system and infrastructure based on a one-percent sales tax. Reporter Tami Roleff explains how the sales tax plan works
At last night's meeting of the Yucca Valley Town Council, Town Manager Mark Nuaimi presented a proposal to the Council to finance the wastewater system and Town infrastructure. His proposal was a 3-prong effort that would reduce the hook-up costs to homeowners and businesses in the town. Part one of his plan is a one-percent sales tax over either 15 or 30 years. Best case scenario would drop the cost of the lien for sewer hook-ups by 60 percent, from $10,220 to $3,847, which means that the monthly charge on a homeowner's tax bill would drop by more than half, from $51.16 to $22.41. The second part of his proposal was to increase the Transient Occupancy Tax at hotels by five-percent. That increased tax would be credited toward the hotel's cost of hooking up to the new sewer system. And once the hotel's increased TOT revenue has matched its proposed hook-up fees, the excess revenues could go into a pool for low-income or other assistance programs. The 3rd part of his plan is to provide loans and grants to the High Desert Water District that would be repaid over 50 years. The loans would generate, in the best case scenario, $1.7 million to the Town annually. Nuaimi is hoping that the issue of the sales tax could be put on a ballot by late summer or early fall.

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EXPERTS SAY IODINE PILLS ARE NOT NEEDED
A nuclear power plant damaged by Japan's 9.0-magnitude earthquake has caused some hyper-sensitive Americans to buy iodine pills that prevent radiation absorption. Public health officials say that residents should be more concerned with drivers texting than a risk of radiation creeping onto United States soil. There is no reason for residents to purchase potassium iodide nor should they be concerned if the pills are not available at a local pharmacy, said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director and health officer of the county Health Department. "There is no increased risk of harmful levels of radiation exposure in the United States based on the situation to date at the nuclear power complex in Japan," Fielding said. "Residents who ingest potassium iodide out of concern of possible exposure from this situation are doing something which is not only ineffective, but could also cause side effects." Potassium iodide saturates a person's thyroid for 24 hours and helps prevent harmful radioactive iodine from affecting the gland.

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BLUE SKIES COUNTY CLUB PURCHASE ON TONIGHT'S HI-DESERT WATER DISTRICT AGENDA
The Hi-Desert Water District Board meets in regular session tonight. Among items of interest is the controversial purchase of the former Blue Skies Country Club property. Managing Editor Karl Gardner checks the agenda...
Buried as the last item on this evening's Hi-Desert Water District Agenda, the controversial agreement to buy the Blue Skies County Club for $750,000 plus $25,000 in legal fees. Meeting at district offices on the Highway at Inca in Yucca Valley, starting at 6, the board will first hear from Town Manager Mark Nuaimi on opportunities for the Town to assist in the financing of the Yucca Valley Sewage Treatment project. Next the board will set June 15 as the date to hold a public hearing on Standby Fees, then consider purchasing $145,000 in materials for the Yucca Mesa section 12 pipeline replacement project. Moving on the board will look at combining the Wastewater and Public advisory committees into one. Reports and comments from staff and board members, and a call for future agenda items closes out the remainder of the docket.

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COUNTY FIRE CHIEF RESIGNS AFTER LESS THAN A YEAR
San Bernardino County Fire Chief Dan Wurl will retire at the end of the month after serving less than a year as the county's top firefighter. County Fire Department spokeswoman Tracey Martinez said Wurl led the charge in a reorganization of the department, which saw 37 districts consolidated into four. County Chief Executive Officer Greg Devereaux appointed Wurl to succeed Fire Chief Pat Dennen last June after Dennen retired. It came less than a year after both Dennen and Wurl were placed on suspension and each was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution for using a fire department trailer, on county time, to move Wurl's personal belongings from his home in Running Springs to his new home in Yucaipa. A spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office, said the case is still under review.

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JOSHUA BASIN WATER DISTRICT BOARD MEETS TONIGHT, BUDGET INCREASE CONSIDERED
The Joshua Basin Water District Board meets tonight. A budget increase and an assessment for a solar field are on the agenda. Reporter Mike Lipsitz takes a closer look...
The regular meeting of the Joshua Basin Water District Board of Directors comes to order at 7 o'clock tonight at district offices on Chollita Road in Joshua Tree. Right off, directors are expected to vote on a $30,000 budget increase. The adjustment follows a mid-year review. Next, directors will hear engineering reports on the challenges at a water tank site and on matters concerning the replacement booster pump station. Directors will also decide if the District will state its intent to conduct a Water Supply Assessment for the Cascade Solar Project. Following those and other possible actions, General Manager Joe Guzzetta will review the District's Project Priority List. Then after reports from Directors and the General Manager, the board will adjourn to closed session to meet with legal counsel on existing litigation with Dr. Robert Ellis and on another matter of potential litigation.

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JOSHUA TREE KIDS CLUB IS MOVING
The Joshua Tree Kids Club is moving their after-school programs to the Joshua Tree Elementary School and the Friendly Hills Elementary school campuses on April 4. After April 4, Kid's Club programs will no longer be offered at the Joshua Tree Community Center and the morning program will be discontinued. In addition, there will be no summer program in 2011. The Joshua Tree Kids Club has served the youth of Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms and Yucca Valley for almost 30 years. Parents can get more information from the Kids Club staff or Jennifer Nounan, acting executive director, at 760-366-0378.

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Steve Whitten, Bill Easter, Carey Alderson, Greg Mendoza, Christina Benton

TWENTYNINE PALMS PLANNING COMMISSION SETS STUDY SESSION FOR FIREARMS CODE The Twentynine Palms Planning Commission met last night. Both items on the agenda were continued or set for a later date. Reporter Derwood Andrews was there… A detailed review of the site plans for the proposed new barber- shop kicked off the Planning Commission meeting last night. But not quite enough detail.

The Public Hearing was continued until April 5th so the applicant can provide structural engineers seismic reports on the conversion of a residential building to commercial, and some 'face lifting' of the North and South walls. 5 to zero yes to continuance. The first Study Session was also continued, with a suggestion from Staff that they go out and take photos of local accessory structures, good and bad, so that everyone is on the same page. Now the Firearms continuation; it's to be continued until April 19 as a Study Session and a Public Hearing. It was mentioned that Barstow's Firearms code is just one sentence. 'Do we need to re-invent the wheel' it was asked. Maybe so, it was agreed.

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WORKSHOP ON STATE SEPTIC PROHIBITION TOMORROW MORNING
A workshop will be held tomorrow morning on the state's plans to end septic use in Yucca Valley by 2016. Managing Editor Karl Gardner urges you to attend...
A plan by the state that would prohibit septic tank use in Yucca Valley is the topic of a Regional Water Quality Control Board public workshop meeting being held in the Yucca Room of the Valley Community Center, tomorrow morning starting at 11. Based on input from members of the Board and staff, additional time to discuss the prohibition is being offered. During the workshop, the board is expected to discuss all aspects of the proposed prohibition; provide a forum for stakeholders to air concerns, discuss comments received to date with staff responses and update those affected on the status of this proposal.

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A WIN FOR TWENTYNINE PALMS HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
The Twentynine Palms High School Wildcats Boys Tennis Team traveled to Desert Mirage yesterday and defeated the Rams 15-3. Coach Larry Battle said. The next round-robin tournament is at Shadow Hills this Thursday at 3:15.

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