LCCN Stands With Major Dailies After L.A. Press Club Investigative Reporting Nomination The nomination places LCCN as the only weekly alongside some of Southern California’s largest newsroom organizations. LCCN Staff Report
Los Cerritos Community News has earned a nomination for Best Investigative Reporting from the Los Angeles Press Club for its five-part investigative series “High Stakes, Dirty Water, Red Flags,” marking the newspaper’s ninth Press Club nomination in the past 15 years. LCCN was nominated alongside some of Southern California’s largest
news organizations and investigative teams. Other finalists include Jason Henry of the Los Angeles Daily News for “Mold, rats and neglect: a year of inspections at Men’s Central Jail reveals ‘horrific’ conditions,” Semantha Raquel Norris of The San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol Newspaper for the “Silicosis Series,” and Beau Yarbrough of both the San Bernardino Sun for “Why did the 2015 San Bernardino mass shooting happen?” and The Press-Enterprise for “San Jacinto Unified investigates, reports board member to district attorney.” The nomination places Los Cerritos Community News as the only weekly community newspaper recognized in
the category. “High Stakes, Dirty Water, Red Flags” examined whether Central Basin Municipal Water District Director Juan Garza’s simultaneous roles as a Central Basin director and Executive Director of the California Cities for Self-Reliance Joint Powers Authority created incompatible public offices under California Government Code section 1099. Part One focused on the structure and operations of the California Cities for Self-Reliance Joint Powers Authority, a taxpayer-funded agency operated through Garza’s privately owned Bellflower-based firm, Six Heron. The reporting documented how bids, contracts, and agency operations were
routed through Garza’s private infrastructure, including his company email, cellphone, and Bellflower P.O. Box. Part Two examined how those operations intersected with Garza’s public authority at Central Basin. The reporting showed that the JPA represented Bell Gardens, Commerce, Compton, and Hawaiian Gardens — all cities located within Central Basin’s service area — while Garza simultaneously voted on water rates, infrastructure, and regional policy decisions affecting those same cities. Part Three shifted from conflicts to legal consequences, examining Government Code section 1099, California’s incompatible office statute, and See NOMINATION, Page 5
LOS CERRITOS
Winner of Nineteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012-2021 Serving Cerritos and ten other surrounding communities since 1985 • May 15, 2026 • Vol. 41, No. 28 • LOSCERRITOSNEWS.NET
Conflicts of Interest Rife in Sarega Law Contracts Tied to Bellflower, Lynwood Unified By Brian Hews
CITY LEADERS DEMAND BAILOUT OVER CARDROOM CRISIS Mayors, councilmembers, and AFSCME District Council 36 leaders address reporters in Commerce while demanding emergency state funding assistance amid looming cardroom revenue losses tied to proposed California gaming regulations. Officials warned the changes could trigger layoffs and public safety cuts.
Schools Say Phone Bans Are Working, Researchers Say The Results Are Mixed By Brian Hews
New national studies are pouring cold water on the growing belief that banning cellphones in schools will quickly solve classroom distractions, boost grades and improve student behavior. One major study released by researchers from Stanford University, Duke University, the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania found that strict cellphone bans dramatically
reduced student phone use during school hours, but produced little immediate academic improvement. At the same time, a separate RAND Corporation report found that school principals overwhelmingly believe the bans are helping improve school climate and reduce distractions. Together, the reports paint a far more complicated picture as California school districts — including those across Southeast Los Angeles County — continue
See PHONES, Page 4
Last week, Los Cerritos Community News reported on controversy surrounding Sarega Law APC, owned by former La Mirada councilman Andrew Sarega, and a proposed legal services agreement involving the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District, where questions were raised about governance, contracting, and public transparency. The president of the NLMUSD Board, Dr. Robert Cancio, placed a $240,000 Sarega contract on the consent calendar, which is typically reserved for routine matters. However, after reading LCCN’s reporting questioning the amount and process, two board members pulled the item from the consent calendar, effectively stopping the proposed agreement. In the article, LCCN noted that Sarega previously faced Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) issues during his political career, had a rocky history and spotty attendance as a La Mirada City Councilman, and had limited experience in school district law. Now Sarega has surfaced in the middle of another controversy, this time involving the Bellflower Unified School District [BUSD], a regional career technical joint powers authority called CalAPS, and a Bellflower Unified-linked nonprofit foundation where Sarega held multiple officer positions
simultaneously. Records obtained by LCCN reveal that BUSD and CalAPS, during a June 2025 meeting, approved a legal conflict-of-interest waiver involving Sarega Law between BUSD and CalAPS — without publicly explaining what future or potential conflict the waiver was intended to address. CalAPS serves both the Bellflower Uni-
See SAREGA, Page 7
Bellflower Officials Tout Sharp Sharp Drop in Crime, Homelessness By Stepheny Gehrig
Bellflower leaders say the city is seeing one of its most significant public safety improvements in more than a decade, pointing to a sharp decline in serious crime during the first part of 2026. In a newly released public safety video, the City of Bellflower announced that Part I crimes — the FBI category covering major offenses such as robbery, burglary, aggravated assault and auto theft — have dropped approximately 24% to 25% this year. City officials compared Bellflower’s See BELLFLOWER, Page 5