MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2014 - JANUARY 4, 2015
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Leondra Kruger Becomes Youngest Supreme Court Judge in 100 Years by JENNIFER SCHLUETER Last Monday, Leondra Kruger was unanimously approved as the youngest justice of the California Supreme Court in almost a century. The 38-yearold, nominated by Governor Jerry Brown in November, will be sworn into office by him on January 5, along with MarianoFlorentino Cuellar, who was confirmed as justice in August. Cuellar will replace retiring Justice Marvin Baxtor and Kruger will fill Justice Joyce Kennard’s seat, who had retired in April. Kruger was appointed by California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Kamala Harris, and Joan Dempsey Klein, “presiding justice of the second appellate district division three,” who rated her “‘exceptionally wellqualified,’ [which is] the highest ranking a judicial candidate can receive,” according to Courthouse News. Patch.com quoted former Assistant U.S. Solicitor General Benjamin Horwich, who had worked with Kruger: “She listens, she thinks, she listens, she thinks and then she listens some more.”
Cantil-Sakauye, chair of the San Francisco-based court, “called Kruger’s credentials ‘truly stellar,’” according the website. Following an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a law degree from Yale University, Kruger worked as an assistant law professor at the University of Chicago, and practiced privately. The website also reported that she then went to Washington, D.C., where she became “assistant to the U.S. solicitor general and acting principal deputy solicitor general,” and later deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. Kruger was born and raised in Glendale; however, has never practiced law in California nor been a judge. Thus, CantilSakauye questioned Kruger about these two lacking fields to which Kruger answered that her work with the Justice Department has exposed her to a variety of legal principles and that she hopes to continue learning and “draw on the expertise of her colleagues on the court,” as
and siren, the suspect backed up and drove away east bound on University Ave causing a vehicle pursuit to ensue. The suspect vehicle reached speeds of over 80 mph before losing control at Eucalyptus and striking a palm tree. Upon impact, the vehicle broke into two pieces and burst into flames. The driver and sole occupant was ejected from the burning vehicle and was on fire. Officers on scene extinguished the flames and summoned medical aid. The driver, a 28 year old
Smart Code Project Delayed by Vickie Vértiz
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Patch notes. According to the LA Times, Kruger told California Attorney General Kamala Harris that she was excited “to have the opportunity to come back home” to California. “It is where I was born and raised and where my family still lives,” she added. On the seven member court, Kruger will be one of three Democrats. Additionally, she will be the only African American member. Her colleague Cuellar, a law Professor at Stanford University, who also went to Harvard and Yale, will be the only Latino justice.
Truck Driver Dies Following Pursuit On December 19, 2014, members of the Riverside Police Department assigned to the Traffic Bureau were conducting DUI enforcement in downtown Riverside. At approximately 0138 hours, a traffic officer observed a full-size truck traveling the wrong way on Lemon Street from Mission inn Ave. The vehicle then turned west on University Ave and collided with a parked car. As the officer reached the scene and activated his overhead lights
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Riverside resident, was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to the injuries suffered in the collision. The identity of the driver is not being released at this time pending the Coroner’s investigation. The department’s Major Accident Investigation Team responded and the collision is currently under investigation. Anyone with information related to this investigation is urged to contact Defective Felix Soria at 951-826-8720.
City zoning codes are facing new challenges, or what some might see as opportunity. In 2013, planning officials in the city of Riverside began discussing a plan to rewrite the zoning rules for what can be built on about 10,000 acres in the city. While the city looked for consultants to run the project, no one was hired and currently the project is not a priority because some residents objected to the idea that land which is open space could be sold to developers to even pay for the program, said the Press-Enterprise. Smart code, as the project is known, is still in the works. Some zoning codes are over 20 years old and regulate what can be built in Riverside neighborhoods. Community Development Director Al Zelinka talked to the paper and said that the way the update gets done may change. The program may focus on a smaller area, he told the paper, or it may look at how to balance development with natural resources. While current codes describe in great detail allowable building heights, sidewalk widths, the kinds of businesses allowed, there is no unifying concept for neighborhood development. Zelinka told the paper that this gets shaped “one project at a time, one developer at a time.” According to Zelinka, the smart code program would allow residents, business people, and property owners to tell the Please see page 4
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Over $285,000 in College Scholarships and Multiple On-the-Spot Acceptances at the 1st Latino College Expo In the midst of college application season, the National College Resources Foundation (NCRF) 1st Latino College Expo was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Saturday, December 13, 2014, where some lucky students got some big bucks to go to college. In conjunction with the event sponsors, US Army, US Bank, Toyota and La Opinion, NCRF and US Army/ROTC awarded six lucky students collectively with more than $285,000 in scholarship money for their college education. This money will be used for tuition, books, housing and monthly living expenses. UCLA graduate and US Army/ROTC Cadet Michael Aries, the recipient of a $123,202 scholarship, is planning to use this money to pay for his graduate studies at USC Keck Medical School in his pursuit of becom-
ing an orthopedic doctor. Cadet Will Simmons was also awarded $159,250. U.S. Army Major Badillo and Captain Ortiz presented both scholarships. Other scholarship awardees were Diego Garcia from Desert Hot Springs High School, who won the NCRF scholarship for $1,500.00; Anna Lopez from Firebaugh High School in Lynwood, who won $1,000.00 presented by General Manager Damien Mezzota of La Opinion. A’Lai’ja Moore from Firebaugh High School won $750.00 and Bree Terronez from Clovis North High School in Fresno won $500.00; both from NCRF. This inaugural event brought together a group of education recruiters and professionals knowledgeable about the application process, as well as financial-aid advisors who shared valuable information with parents and stu-
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dents on how to find money to attend college. Wall-to-wall students and parents flooded the LA Convention Center exhibit halls and meeting rooms to attend seminars for a chance to connect one-onone with college representatives and career professionals who shared an array of information on booming majors, hot careers, leadership and finding money to pay for college. It was an opportunity for hundreds of students to get the 411 on how to get accepted to the college of their choice and how the DREAM ACT could help them pay for their education. There were sessions on how to prepare for college, at a time when many high school students are currently writing essays and filling out applications. Speaking at the Expo on the topic of Booming Careers included Rayna Plummer, Social Media Manager at CodeBlack Films; Lluvia Benitez, Accountant; Rossana Quesada, Entreprenuer; and Dr. Andrew Jones, Former Chancellor of Orange Coast College. On the topic of Hot Careers, panelist included
Quincy Newell, GM/CodeBlack Films; Krystle Corrall, Marketing NBC/Telemundo; Gina Travis, Chiropractor; Dr. Jashana Johnson, Psychologist; Darin Chavez, Attorney; Yesi Ortiz, On-Air Radio Personality and Marc Reyes, Pharmaceutical Sales. Some of the college recruiters were from UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Monterey Bay, Argosy, Tuskegee, Alliant International University, CSU Long Beach, Fisk University, Mt. Sierra College, University of La Verne, Paul Quinn and Biola University to name a few. Radio Hosts, Nautica de la Cruz from 102.3 KJLH and Cynthia Salinas from Mega 96.3 hosted the scholarship presentation and after show, along with Actor Noel G. and Rapper/Actress YoYo from Yo Yo School of Hip-Hop who voted on the talent competition. Students throughout Southern California came from Serra High School, Diamond Ranch, Manual Arts, Foshay, Chino Valley, Pathways, Highland High School, Dominguez High School and many more.
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California Selected for Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Project State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that California has been selected to participate in a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pilot project aimed to provide students more access to fresh fruits and vegetables purchased from local farmers. “This program will give schools more flexibility in how they procure fresh produce directly from local farmers,” said Torlakson. “This is of great benefit to both local economies and local food producers.” California is one of eight states chosen to participate in the USDA’s Pilot Project for Procurement of Unprocessed Fruits and Vegetables. Under this program, participating school districts can use their Food Distribution Program entitlement funds to procure unprocessed fruits and vegetables directly from local farmers and vendors approved for the pilot. Farmers and vendors are then reimbursed by the USDA. California is known as the “world's fruit basket,” producing nearly half of all fruits, nuts, and vegetables consumed in the nation. The state’s agricultural abundance includes more than 400 specialty crops. This program lets students enjoy a large variety of tasty fresh fruits and vegetables including strawberries, peaches, plums, carrots, and avocados. If the USDA deems the project a success, it may expand nationwide. California’s participation in this pilot project furthers Torlakson’s Team California for Healthy Kids initiative designed to encourage children to eat more nutritious food and be more physically active.
Crafton Hills College Receives $15,000 Grant From Edison International Crafton Hills College recently accepted a check for $15,000 from Edison International for scholarships and instruction. “We are excited to increase the number of scholarships we can provide our students,” said Michelle Riggs, assistant director of resource development. “Textbook costs can be prohibitive to students entering college, especially in the STEM fields, so this is very much appreciated.” The $15,000 grant is earmarked for ten $1,000 scholarships for STEM students, and the remainder to update fire curriculum to meet the State
Fire Training revised certification standards. “We are so thankful to be able to review and update our curriculum to meet the new standards,” said June Yamamoto, dean of career education and human development. “We pride ourselves on providing state-of-the-art instruction in our career education programs. These funds will ensure that our fire cadets are experiencing real-life simulations.” Crafton Hills College is proud to work in partnership with Edison International in support of community needs and priorities.
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FBI Investigation Says North Korea hacked Sony On Friday December 19, the FBI provided the media with an update on the status of their investigation into the cyber attack targeting Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE). In late November, SPE confirmed that it was the victim of a cyber attack that destroyed systems and stole large quantities of personal and commercial data. A group calling itself the “Guardians of Peace” claimed responsibility for the attack and subsequently issued threats against SPE, its employees, and theaters that distribute its movies. The FBI has determined that the intrusion into SPE’s network consisted of the deployment of destructive malware and the theft of proprietary information as well as employees’ personally identifiable information and confidential communications. The attacks also rendered thousands of SPE’s computers inoperable, forced SPE to take its entire computer network offline, and significantly disrupted the
company’s business operations. After discovering the intrusion into its network, SPE requested the FBI’s assistance. Since then, the FBI has been working closely with the company throughout the investigation. Sony has been a great partner in the investigation, and continues to work closely with the FBI. Sony reported this incident within hours, which is what the FBI hopes all companies will do when facing a cyber attack. Sony’s quick reporting facilitated the investigators’ ability to do their jobs, and ultimately to identify the source of these attacks. As a result of the investigation, and in close collaboration with other U.S. Government departments and agencies, the FBI now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions. While the need to protect sensitive sources and methods precludes them from sharing all of this information,
their conclusion is based, in part, on the following: •Technical analysis of the data deletion malware used in this attack revealed links to other malware that the FBI knows North Korean actors previously developed. For example, there were similarities in specific lines of code, encryption algorithms, data deletion methods, and compromised networks. •The FBI also observed significant overlap between the infrastructure used in this attack and other malicious cyber activity the U.S. Government has previously linked directly to North Korea. For example, the FBI discovered that several Internet protocol (IP) addresses associated with known North Korean infrastructure communicated with IP addresses that were hardcoded into the data deletion malware used in this attack. •Separately, the tools used in the SPE attack have similarities to a cyber attack in March of last year against South Ko-
rean banks and media outlets, which was carried out by North Korea. “We are deeply concerned about the destructive nature of this attack on a private sector entity and the ordinary citizens who worked there. Further, North Korea’s attack on SPE reaffirms that cyber threats pose one of the gravest national security dangers to the United States. Though the FBI has seen a wide variety and increasing number of cyber intrusions, the destructive nature of this attack, coupled with its coercive nature, sets it apart. North Korea’s actions were intended to inflict significant harm on a U.S. business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves. Such acts of intimidation fall outside the bounds of acceptable state behavior. The FBI takes seriously any attempt – whether through cyber-enabled means, threats of violence, or otherwise – to undermine the economic and social prosperity of our citizens.”
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city what kinds of buildings, parks and public spaces they want “and then we can build that into the zoning code to make it happen.” Therefore, when someone proposes a
development project, if it was already recommended by the community, the process to get it approved would be speedy. The Enterprise added that people can still propose proj-
ects that are outside of the code and would go through the standard process for approval: the planning commission and City Council, and public opinion, Zelinka said. The project would require the city to hire consultants and two new full-time city planners, costing approximately $4.4 million. One way to pay for the project staff, said Zelinka, would be to borrow “against the possible future sale of some or all of the Ab Brown Sports Complex and the closed Riverside Golf Club, which raised some hackles on the city’s Northside.” Councilman Mike Gardner, who represents the Northside noted: “The council never formally discussed selling the properties and there may have been other ways to pay for the
program, but residents were worried about losing recreation space to development.” The golf course and soccer fields are publicly owned, undeveloped, and hundreds of trees on the golf course property are important to air quality, said Erin Snyder to the paper, a longtime Northside resident and activist. “We want (the properties) to continue for public use,” she told the press. “We do [not] necessarily oppose the smart code in general principle.” Snyder suggested that the golf course land be used for agriculture. In 2015, Snyder and others, including Riverside Public Utilities (RPU), will tell the council their ideas for the land. RPU owns the golf course and Ab Brown properties.