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San Bernardino County concludes 4 years of anti-blight work in Trona By Staff
an Bernardino County has completed a fouryear effort to address blighted, abandoned and hazardous structures in Trona, officials announced last week. The Code Enforcement Division's Trona Project has led to significant visible improvements, according to the county. During the 2024-25 fiscal year that ended June 30, Code Enforcement's Nuisance Abatement Unit removed unsafe and deteriorated structures throughout the community in an attempt to improve public safety. Code Enforcement Officers Angie Sanchez and Christina Castlebury led the NAU in completing 11 "abatements," which refers to clearing properties of piled debris, and eight structure demolitions, officials said. Three additional properties were cleared voluntarily by property owners. The project cost the county $245,303, with the voluntary abatements saving the taxpayers $77,348, offi-
cials reported. It wasn't immediately clear if the property totals and funding amounts were for this past fiscal year or the entire four-year project. “This was a great accomplishment,” Sanchez said in a statement. “As we entered the final year of the Trona Project, we remained dedicated to ensuring residents felt satisfied and could see noticeable improvements in the cleanliness and safety of their community.” Although this was a new experience for both officers, they adapted quickly, according to the county. “We had to learn the process and ensure the project stayed on track,” Sanchez said. “That meant coordinating closely with San Bernardino County Counsel and the county budget analyst to confirm contractor approvals and making sure the asbestos survey company was cleared to perform their assessments.” To determine which properties to clear, Sanchez and
Castlebury reviewed open code enforcement cases and inspected various sites. “We posted 11 properties that were found to be dilapidated, fire-damaged, structurally unsound, abandoned and dangerous," Sanchez said. "Many of them were considered attractive nuisance and posed serious safety concerns. Our goal was to help improve the community and make it safer and more livable for residents.” Officials said public engagement throughout the project played a key role. “When a community comes together to request change, we make sure to show them that we hear their concerns and that we’re here to support them,” said Sanchez. “The feedback we’ve received has been overwhelmingly positive.” Demolition sites were managed with a focus on safety, as county contractors secured the properties designated for cleanup, and safety briefings took place before each demolition operation,
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Trump administration sues state over trans athletes in girls sports By City News Service
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As part of the Trona Project's final phase, San Bernardino County Code Enforcement removed this collapsed structure. | Photo courtesy of San Bernardino County
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officials said. Residents were also notified in advance of the scheduled demolition and cleanup work. Now that the Trona Project has concluded, the Nuisance Abatement Unit will continue serving unincorporated communities countywide. “We’ll continue to focus on improving safety, protecting property values and addressing the needs of residents,” Sanchez said. The Trona Communities include Trona, Searles Valley, Argus and Pioneer Point. They are remote desert locales in the Greater Mojave Desert on the northwest boarder of the San Bernardino County and Inyo County line. A popular destination is the Trona Pinnacles, which are more than 500 tufa spires of calcium carbonate rock that rise up to 140 feet from the Searles Dry Lake basin. The area's population is between 1,800 and 2,000 residents, according to census data.
he U.S. Department of Justice Wednesday sued the state of California, warning that by allowing transgender athletes to compete against biological females in high-school sports, the state was putting billions of dollars in federal educational funding at risk in continuing a practice the Trump administration contends is discriminatory, demeaning and violates civil rights law. According to the complaint, filed in federal court in Santa Ana, California's policies and practices "ignore undeniable biological differences between boys and girls, in favor of an amorphous 'gender identity.' The results of these illegal policies are stark: girls are displaced from podiums, denied awards, and miss out on critical visibility for college scholarships and recognition." The suit accuses the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation of engaging in illegal sex discrimination against female student athletes by allowing males to compete against them. The DOJ alleges the state's policies deprive girls of the equal education See Trans athletes Page 24
San Bernardino County gets $5.8M for transitional housing project By Joe Taglieri joet@beaconmedianews.com
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he state has provided San Bernardino County with $5.8 million for 22 housing units for homeless youth, officials announced Thursday. Family Assistance Program, a nonprofit that provides housing and supportive services in the High Desert region, will run the facility “This critical funding will enable us to increase access to safe housing and supportive services for young adults who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness,” Carrie Harmon, director of the San Bernardino County Community Development and Housing Department, said in a statement. “I’m deeply grateful to the Family Assistance Program for their partnership and tireless efforts to fund this important project.” The state funding will support the expansion of the Transition-Age Youth, or TAY Tiny Home Village in Victorville at 15075 Seventh St. The campus currently has 14 tiny homes for local youth ages 18-24, bathroom and shower facilities, a commercial kitchen, computer lab and recreation room, See Housing project Page 24