latimes--2020-07-04--Want to exercise your freedom? Join in to stem the spread of coronavirus

I keep hearing people all over our country talk of their freedom and independence and rights when asked why they are not personally participating in our fight to slow the spread of the coronavirus .
They are independent and free to do what they like , they say .
No one has the right to make them wear masks , maintain physical distance or avoid congregating en masse — to take the sensible steps that might help us all be free to go about our lives again .
On this Independence Day , I ’ d rather focus on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on so many fronts depends on our acting as one to help stem a global pandemic that has already killed more than 516,000 humans , more than 130,000 Americans , more than 6,100 Californians and more than 3,400 residents of Los Angeles County .
These numbers are real .
They represent real people , real lives lost .
Among them are many of our elders , our poorest and most vulnerable and people of color , who a growing number of us now are coming to understand we have been failing as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far longer than we ’ ve all been alive .
More than 26,000 Black people have died of coronavirus in our country — 23 % of all deaths in which the race is known , which is close to double their 13 % share of the population , according to a project tracking racial data .
It ’ s evidence of the systemic racism and resulting inequities in areas such as healthcare , housing and employment that drove people to the streets in protest , even in the face of the virus risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to take steps for our collective safety , by the way , see others ’ participation in those protests as equivalent to their own decisions to go out in crowds at beaches , at pool parties and the like .
The risk of spreading the virus is great in both cases .
We have yet to see a surge in infections from protests .
But I think standing up for an end to police brutality and for justice and the rights of all is far different and more urgent than standing up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s pleasures .
I also worry that the deep societal inequities many of us are now pushing to correct will all take far longer to chip away at if the coronavirus rages on and leaves more people unemployed , more people desperate , more people homeless , more government coffers depleted by loss of tax revenue and pandemic costs , fewer financial resources to support the sorts of efforts that try to create a safety net for those who most need one .
Last week , in hopes of convincing some stubborn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about protecting themselves and one another , I brought you the straightforward scientific reasoning of Lucy Jones , who has been studying the coronavirus closely .
I told you her simple , clear safety message : Don ’ t share your air .
Jones spoke of the pandemic as a catastrophic disaster on a scale not previously known because it is happening everywhere .
She also spoke of the challenge of trying to convince people to take steps to protect not just themselves but everyone else .
People have to have empathy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been on my mind a lot lately .
Our worlds are now global .
So many of our borders are porous .
In our own country , even now people are on the move from neighborhood to neighborhood , city to city , state to state .
There ’ s no real way at the moment with our current resources to contain the virus in its hot spots if we don ’ t all accept our duty to act collectively to protect each other .
Our leaders thought we could start to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long as we continued to act responsibly .
But that clearly didn ’ t work .
Santa Monica and West Hollywood have vowed to enforce safe behavior by fining those out without masks .
But that shouldn ’ t have to happen .
We ’ re in a tough spot now .
We need everyone doing the right thing .
L.A. just unveiled a color-coded system — red , orange , yellow , green — to tell us the current coronavirus threat level .
Last I looked , we were at orange , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is very high , high enough to “ assume you and everyone around you is infectious.
” I know there are a variety of reasons why people may not practice coronavirus safety precautions .
Some , of course , take a defiant , rights-focused partisan stand .
Some may not be able to sustain fear for too long .
But I think many more may have grown so overwhelmed by the news that they stopped paying attention and blocked it out .
A lot of young people no doubt simply are feeling invulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along that makes them realize that they ’ re not .
I have a neighbor I have to dodge because he likes to stand very close .
He wears a mask only occasionally — and even when he does , it ’ s not fully on .
He says he doesn ’ t believe in asymptomatic carriers .
He feels fine so he ’ s fine .
He doesn ’ t know anyone who ’ s had the virus .
When I see people out and about in busy places not bothering with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our numbers of cases and hospitalizations spike , I find myself wondering how far their empathy extends .
Across national borders ?
Across state and city lines ?
Across their own communities to those they don ’ t know ?
Or are they unmoved by strangers , even those working in essential jobs who put themselves at daily risk for their benefit ?
Will their empathy and sense of shared purpose kick in only when suffering invades their own inner circles , when it climbs into the branches of their family trees , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their homes ?
And by then will it be of any use ?

I keep hearing people all over our country talk of their freedom and independence and rights when asked why they are not personally participating in our fight to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
They are independent and free to do what they like, they say. No one has the right to make them wear masks, maintain physical distance or avoid congregating en masse — to take the sensible steps that might help us all be free to go about our lives again.
On this Independence Day, I’d rather focus on our extreme interdependence, on how our future on so many fronts depends on our acting as one to help stem a global pandemic that has already killed more than 516,000 humans, more than 130,000 Americans, more than 6,100 Californians and more than 3,400 residents of Los Angeles County.
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These numbers are real. They represent real people, real lives lost. Among them are many of our elders, our poorest and most vulnerable and people of color, who a growing number of us now are coming to understand we have been failing as a society to adequately protect for far, far longer than we’ve all been alive.
More than 26,000 Black people have died of coronavirus in our country — 23% of all deaths in which the race is known, which is close to double their 13% share of the population, according to a project tracking racial data.
It’s evidence of the systemic racism and resulting inequities in areas such as healthcare, housing and employment that drove people to the streets in protest, even in the face of the virus risk.
Some people who don’t want to take steps for our collective safety, by the way, see others’ participation in those protests as equivalent to their own decisions to go out in crowds at beaches, at pool parties and the like.
The risk of spreading the virus is great in both cases. We have yet to see a surge in infections from protests. But I think standing up for an end to police brutality and for justice and the rights of all is far different and more urgent than standing up for one’s right to life’s pleasures.
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I also worry that the deep societal inequities many of us are now pushing to correct will all take far longer to chip away at if the coronavirus rages on and leaves more people unemployed, more people desperate, more people homeless, more government coffers depleted by loss of tax revenue and pandemic costs, fewer financial resources to support the sorts of efforts that try to create a safety net for those who most need one.
Last week, in hopes of convincing some stubborn holdouts among us to be more vigilant about protecting themselves and one another, I brought you the straightforward scientific reasoning of Lucy Jones, who has been studying the coronavirus closely. I told you her simple, clear safety message: Don’t share your air.
Jones spoke of the pandemic as a catastrophic disaster on a scale not previously known because it is happening everywhere. She also spoke of the challenge of trying to convince people to take steps to protect not just themselves but everyone else.
People have to have empathy to respond to such a message. Empathy has been on my mind a lot lately.
Our worlds are now global. So many of our borders are porous. In our own country, even now people are on the move from neighborhood to neighborhood, city to city, state to state. There’s no real way at the moment with our current resources to contain the virus in its hot spots if we don’t all accept our duty to act collectively to protect each other.
Our leaders thought we could start to open up our lives a little as long as we continued to act responsibly. But that clearly didn’t work.
Santa Monica and West Hollywood have vowed to enforce safe behavior by fining those out without masks. But that shouldn’t have to happen.
We’re in a tough spot now. We need everyone doing the right thing. L.A. just unveiled a color-coded system — red, orange, yellow, green — to tell us the current coronavirus threat level. Last I looked, we were at orange, which apparently means the threat of infection is very high, high enough to “assume you and everyone around you is infectious.”
I know there are a variety of reasons why people may not practice coronavirus safety precautions. Some, of course, take a defiant, rights-focused partisan stand. Some may not be able to sustain fear for too long. But I think many more may have grown so overwhelmed by the news that they stopped paying attention and blocked it out. A lot of young people no doubt simply are feeling invulnerable as young people do until something comes along that makes them realize that they’re not.
I have a neighbor I have to dodge because he likes to stand very close. He wears a mask only occasionally — and even when he does, it’s not fully on. He says he doesn’t believe in asymptomatic carriers. He feels fine so he’s fine. He doesn’t know anyone who’s had the virus.
When I see people out and about in busy places not bothering with the most basic coronavirus safety measures as our numbers of cases and hospitalizations spike, I find myself wondering how far their empathy extends. Across national borders? Across state and city lines? Across their own communities to those they don’t know?
Or are they unmoved by strangers, even those working in essential jobs who put themselves at daily risk for their benefit? Will their empathy and sense of shared purpose kick in only when suffering invades their own inner circles, when it climbs into the branches of their family trees, moves down their blocks, breaks into their homes?
And by then will it be of any use?


latimes--2020-07-04--Lancaster set to defy L.A. County's ban on Fourth of July fireworks

In a high desert showdown , Lancaster city officials Saturday are gearing up to defy a Los Angeles countywide ban on fireworks displays over the Fourth of July holiday weekend and approve plans for the show to go on .
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said that council members will meet in an emergency meeting Saturday to consider his request for authority to issue a permit and sign a contract with a fireworks vendor for the show , which is scheduled for 9 p.m. Saturday .
Los Angeles County announced a fireworks ban , along with the closure of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent what officials feared would be “ dangerous crowding ” as new cases of the novel coronavirus continue to surge .
“ Closing the beaches and prohibiting fireworks displays during this important summer holiday weekend was an incredibly difficult decision to make , but it ’ s the responsible decision to protect public health and protect our residents from a deadly virus , ” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in issuing the order this week .
“ The Fourth of July holiday weekend typically means large crowds and gatherings to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19.
” But Parris said Lancaster city officials had considered all risks and were confident they could safely host a show .
After consulting with medical experts , he said , officials had planned to use the fairgrounds for the fireworks display , requiring people to wears masks and watch from their cars .
From the beginning of the pandemic , he said , Lancaster has led the way with safety measures as one of the first locales to ask churches not to allow handshakes during services in February .
The city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , weeks before the county did likewise in May .
“ It ’ s not like we ’ re local yokels , ” Parris said in an interview Friday .
“ We know what we ’ re doing .
We really have gone to extremes to be safe.
” But he said county officials refused to consider Lancaster ’ s safety plans .
After the county public health department issued its fireworks ban , he said , the planned vendor dropped out , the fairgrounds pulled back permission to use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s permit for a fireworks show .
“ They made the decision for us , without our consent .
We will not let them , ” Parris said about state and county officials in a post this week on the Lancaster city ’ s Facebook page .
“ Fourth of July is such an important holiday for our nation and it deserves to be celebrated.
” Parris said the city has lined up another vendor , who plans to set off high-altitude pyrotechnics visible across the Antelope Valley from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be allowed on the premises , he said , but can watch the show from their homes , cars or streets — and anyone not wearing a face covering outside will be issued a citation .
The mayor said he would have considered obeying the fireworks ban if it had been issued by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors but he did not believe unelected bureaucrats had the authority to force cities to comply .
Parris acknowledged he faces possible arrest for violating a county health order , a misdemeanor punishable by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year in jail .
But he said he is willing to take that risk in defense of liberty on Independence Day in the example of the nation ’ s Founding Fathers .
“ Benjamin Franklin , Thomas Jefferson , John Adams were going to be hung , ” he said .
“ I can afford to be arrested.
” L.A. County spokeswoman Kristin Friedrich said Friday that officials were disappointed by the cancellation of city fireworks displays but that the coronavirus surge required “ an abundance of caution this year to avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk.
” “ We are hoping that all of our municipalities will heed the health officer orders and keep us moving ahead toward recovery , instead of continuing to move in the wrong direction with increased infections and death , ” she said in a statement .
She added that the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department would seek voluntary compliance with the health orders but that failure to do so could lead to a citation “ with hefty fines .
”

The city of Lancaster is gearing up to defy a Los Angeles County ban on Fourth of July fireworks displays.
In a high desert showdown, Lancaster city officials Saturday are gearing up to defy a Los Angeles countywide ban on fireworks displays over the Fourth of July holiday weekend and approve plans for the show to go on.
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said that council members will meet in an emergency meeting Saturday to consider his request for authority to issue a permit and sign a contract with a fireworks vendor for the show, which is scheduled for 9 p.m. Saturday.
Los Angeles County announced a fireworks ban, along with the closure of all area beaches, earlier this week to prevent what officials feared would be “dangerous crowding” as new cases of the novel coronavirus continue to surge.
“Closing the beaches and prohibiting fireworks displays during this important summer holiday weekend was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but it’s the responsible decision to protect public health and protect our residents from a deadly virus,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in issuing the order this week. “The Fourth of July holiday weekend typically means large crowds and gatherings to celebrate, a recipe for increased transmission of COVID-19.”
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But Parris said Lancaster city officials had considered all risks and were confident they could safely host a show. After consulting with medical experts, he said, officials had planned to use the fairgrounds for the fireworks display, requiring people to wears masks and watch from their cars.
From the beginning of the pandemic, he said, Lancaster has led the way with safety measures as one of the first locales to ask churches not to allow handshakes during services in February. The city began requiring face coverings in March, he said, weeks before the county did likewise in May.
“It’s not like we’re local yokels,” Parris said in an interview Friday. “We know what we’re doing. We really have gone to extremes to be safe.”
But he said county officials refused to consider Lancaster’s safety plans. After the county public health department issued its fireworks ban, he said, the planned vendor dropped out, the fairgrounds pulled back permission to use the site and the state fire marshal revoked the city’s permit for a fireworks show.
“They made the decision for us, without our consent. We will not let them,” Parris said about state and county officials in a post this week on the Lancaster city’s Facebook page. “Fourth of July is such an important holiday for our nation and it deserves to be celebrated.”
Parris said the city has lined up another vendor, who plans to set off high-altitude pyrotechnics visible across the Antelope Valley from the Lancaster Soccer Center. Spectators will not be allowed on the premises, he said, but can watch the show from their homes, cars or streets — and anyone not wearing a face covering outside will be issued a citation.
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The mayor said he would have considered obeying the fireworks ban if it had been issued by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors but he did not believe unelected bureaucrats had the authority to force cities to comply.
Parris acknowledged he faces possible arrest for violating a county health order, a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail. But he said he is willing to take that risk in defense of liberty on Independence Day in the example of the nation’s Founding Fathers.
“Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams were going to be hung,” he said. “I can afford to be arrested.”
L.A. County spokeswoman Kristin Friedrich said Friday that officials were disappointed by the cancellation of city fireworks displays but that the coronavirus surge required “an abundance of caution this year to avoid gatherings that increase the public’s risk.”
“We are hoping that all of our municipalities will heed the health officer orders and keep us moving ahead toward recovery, instead of continuing to move in the wrong direction with increased infections and death,” she said in a statement.
She added that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department would seek voluntary compliance with the health orders but that failure to do so could lead to a citation “with hefty fines.”


latimes--2020-07-04--Indigenous groups, Black Lives Matters join forces to decry historical 'sins' on July Fourth

Members of indigenous groups joined forces with Black Lives Matters organizers and other demonstrators Saturday afternoon near Olvera Street in a peaceful , masked protest and march that called for several actions , such as unity among minorities and an acknowledgment of the nation ’ s many sins on its birthday .
Some burned incense , tobacco and sage , others spoke of the “ Farce of July , ” and many marched to Grant Park and beyond with signs calling for the abolishment of ICE , the “ defunding of the police ” and justice for Andrés Guardado , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slain by law enforcement .
Indigenous leader Shannon Rivers of the Akimel O ’ otham people called on about 400 gatherers to “ decolonize ” their minds .
He said the current coronavirus spread , which has caused more than 125,000 deaths , wasn ’ t the first plague to visit this continent .
The Europeans “ brought many pandemics ” to the peoples of the Americas , Rivers said , drawing the applause of a largely socially distanced crowd .
Instead of celebrating with fireworks , he said , it would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” taught to American youth that prop up white supremacy at the cost of all native peoples and minorities .
One falsehood referenced was the Declaration of Independence , which provided freedom to “ white men ” at the cost of everyone else , Rivers said .
He he also noted the American military failed to protect Vanessa Guillén , a Latina soldier killed at Ft .
Hood , who signed up to defend this country .
Rivers also called on Black Lives Matter to join the indigenous movement before saying forcefully , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set of people began to congregate near the grassy patch of land adjacent to Father Serra Park , where a statute of the field ’ s namesake was ripped down June 20 by a group of protesters that included many indigenous people .
There were blessings and prayers said before the march , along with chants from indigenous groups , performances by Mejicas dancers , drumming and song from Capoeiristas for Black Lives Matters and speeches from Black Lives Matters members and backers .
A young woman claiming to be from the Palestinian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , free Palestine.
” As people gathered , there was little social distancing , though the vast majority of participants were masked .
Organizer Jessa Calderon of the Tongva Nation quickly asked for the growing group to maintain six feet of distancing , which was generally followed except for sections of the march along Alameda Street where some corridors were tight .
Marchers momentarily blocked traffic along Alameda and later on Spring Street , causing brief traffic delays .
Calderon also spoke passionately about justice for Guillén , saying “ my heart extends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her and is marching for answers .
Throughout the march , Calderon pointed out historic portions of the Tongva homeland , including what she said was a native graveyard near Olvera Street that had been paved over to make room for a parking lot .
One of the Tongva ’ s biggest communities was a settlement called Yagna , which is believed to be near the Civic Center .
Lakota Tribe member George Funmaker , 37 , made the short trip from Long Beach in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said “ protesters ” was the wrong designation for those who gathered for social justice , preferring instead to use the term “ protectors.
” “ We ’ ve come in peace to say we stand with our brothers and sisters from Black Lives Matters and other indigenous movements throughout the nation , ” Funmaker said .
“ Our goal is a safe society where our children and grandchildren can live peacefully.
” Funmaker wore a black bandana that draped over his face and the upper portion of a black T-shirt with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cleveland Indians baseball team known as “ Chief Wahoo.
” Normally , depictions of Chief Wahoo represent a red-faced Indian with a giant , toothy smile and a feather attached to the back of his head .
Funmaker ’ s version had blacked-out eyes , a cut off nose and cracked teeth with the words “ mis-rep ” underneath .
He called on American professional and collegiate sports teams to drop all Native American references , such as Cleveland , the Atlanta Braves , Florida State Seminoles and perhaps the most notorious of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We are not mascots , ” Funmaker said .
He also expressed his disappointment with the main street media ’ s attention of President Trump ’ s speech at Mt .
Rushmore on Friday on how little attention focused on Lakota-led protests earlier in the day .
“ The Black Hills , where Mt .
Rushmore is located , is sacred to the Lakota , ” Funmaker said .
“ That ’ s where the attention should be on .
”

Members of indigenous groups joined forces with Black Lives Matter organizers and other demonstrators Saturday afternoon near Olvera Street in a peaceful, masked protest and march that called for several actions, such as unity among minorities and an acknowledgment of the nation’s many sins on its birthday.
Some burned incense, tobacco and sage, others spoke of the “Farce of July,” and many marched to Grand Park and beyond with signs calling for the abolishment of ICE, the “defunding of the police” and justice for Andrés Guardado, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and others slain by law enforcement.
Indigenous leader Shannon Rivers of the Akimel O’otham people called on about 400 gatherers to “decolonize” their minds. He said the current coronavirus spread, which has caused more than 125,000 deaths, wasn’t the first plague to visit this continent.
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The Europeans “brought many pandemics” to the peoples of the Americas, Rivers said, drawing the applause of a largely socially distanced crowd. Instead of celebrating with fireworks, he said, it would be best to understand “the many lies” taught to American youth that prop up white supremacy at the cost of all native peoples and minorities.
One falsehood referenced was the Declaration of Independence, which provided freedom to “white men” at the cost of everyone else, Rivers said. He also noted the American military failed to protect Vanessa Guillén, a Latina soldier killed at Ft. Hood, who signed up to defend this country.
Rivers also called on Black Lives Matter to join the indigenous movement before saying forcefully, “Black lives matter.”
The first set of people began to congregate near the grassy patch of land adjacent to Father Serra Park, where a statute of the field’s namesake was ripped down June 20 by a group of protesters that included many indigenous people.
There were blessings and prayers said before the march, along with chants from indigenous groups, performances by Mejicas dancers, drumming and song from Capoeiristas for Black Lives Matter and speeches from Black Lives Matter members and backers. A young woman claiming to be from the Palestinian Youth Movement called for a “free, free Palestine.”
As people gathered, there was little social distancing, though the vast majority of participants were masked. Organizer Jessa Calderon of the Tongva Nation quickly asked for the growing group to maintain six feet of distancing, which was generally followed except for sections of the march along Arcadia Street where some corridors were tight.
Marchers momentarily blocked traffic along Alameda and later on Spring Street, causing brief traffic delays. Calderon also spoke passionately about justice for Guillén, saying “my heart extends to her family and everyone who loves her and is marching for answers.
Throughout the march, Calderon pointed out historic portions of the Tongva homeland, including what she said was a native graveyard near Olvera Street that had been paved over to make room for a parking lot.
One of the Tongva’s biggest communities was a settlement called Yagna, which is believed to be near the Civic Center.
Dakota/Ho-Chunk Tribe member George Funmaker, 37, made the short trip from Long Beach in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and to set the record straight.
Funmaker said “protesters” was the wrong designation for those who gathered for social justice, preferring instead to use the term “protectors.”
“We’ve come in peace to say we stand with our brothers and sisters from Black Lives Matter and other indigenous movements throughout the nation,” Funmaker said. “Our goal is a safe society where our children and grandchildren can live peacefully.”
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Funmaker wore a black bandana that draped over his face and the upper portion of a black T-shirt with a deformed version of the mascot of the Cleveland Indians baseball team known as “Chief Wahoo.”
Normally, depictions of Chief Wahoo represent a red-faced Indian with a giant, toothy smile and a feather attached to the back of his head. Funmaker’s version had blacked-out eyes, a cut off nose and cracked teeth with the words “mis-rep” underneath.
He called on American professional and collegiate sports teams to drop all Native American references, such as Cleveland, the Atlanta Braves, Florida State Seminoles and perhaps the most notorious of all, the Washington Redskins football team.
“We are not mascots,” Funmaker said. He also expressed his disappointment with the mainstream media’s attention of President Trump’s speech at Mt. Rushmore on Friday on how little attention focused on Lakota-led protests earlier in the day.
“The Black Hills, where Mt. Rushmore is located, is sacred to the Lakota,” Funmaker said. “That’s where the attention should be on.”


latimes--2020-07-04--Death row inmate Scott Erskine, who murdered two boys in San Diego, dies of COVID-19

Scott Erskine , who was on death row for the gruesome 1993 abduction and murder of 13-year-old Charlie Keever and his 9-year-old friend Jonathan Sellers — in a case that haunted the county for almost a decade before it was solved — died this week from what prison officials said appear to be complications from COVID-19 .
Erskine was 57 and died Friday morning at an outside hospital , according to a statement by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation .
The mothers of the two boys , Maria Keever and Milena ( Phillips ) Sellers , said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning informing them of the death .
Erskine had been on death row in San Quentin State Prison since 2004 but was in prison far longer for other crimes .
In 2001 he was serving a 70-year sentence for raping a woman when he was charged in the murder of the boys , eight years after their bodies were found in a makeshift fort in heavy brush on a bank of the Otay River .
The children had been bound and gagged , and there were signs of violent sexual assault and torture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left their homes for a bike ride when Erskine intercepted them .
Many details of their deaths were revealed later in court , but it remains a mystery how Erskine lured the boys to the secluded spot .
Their bodies were not found for two days , and the crime went unsolved for years .
Detectives who worked the case later said it was the worst case they had ever worked that went unsolved for so long .
In 2001 , amid advances in DNA forensics , evidence taken from the crime scene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was found in a cotton swab taken from the body of one of the boys and on two cigarette butts found in the fort .
Erskine went on trial in 2002 for the murders , and after two penalty phases — the first jury could not decide on death or life with no parole — he was sent to death row in September 2004 .
Both mothers grimly sat through years of hearings , listening to details of how their children died .
On Friday Maria Keever said she was shocked when she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death from a corrections official in the morning .
She said she cried but did not know exactly why .
“ Some mixed feelings now , ” she said .
Keever said she long had hoped to be able to speak with Erskine , to ask him details about what had happened and why .
She said he refused .
Now she won ’ t be able to have that conversation , she said .
“ I hoped he would change his mind , but he did not want to talk to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It seems so final .
“ I ’ m never going to know now.
” Phillips said she also cried at first , in shock and as a kind of release .
“ It is over , that part is over , ” she said .
“ He ’ s gone .
I don ’ t have to think of him .
I don ’ t have to go to trials or any courts .
“ I have a lot of emotions going through me because of this , ” she said later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like we can breathe , finally I can exhale a little bit , let the boys rest , let them down to rest and move on from that.
” The boys were not forgotten by their community .
In 2012 a park at the southern end of San Diego Bay along Bayshore Bikeway was dedicated in their names .
The mothers started the Jonathan Sellers and Charlie Keever Foundation , which is dedicated to promoting child safety and well-being , preventing child abduction and exploitation , and providing support to families who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last year the state Supreme Court upheld Erskine ’ s death sentence , but he had years more of appeals ahead .
At that time his lawyer said he had been hospitalized with heart and lung problems .
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began many people who have died from the disease are known to have had underlying medical conditions that contributed to their death .
Another death row inmate , Manuel Alvarez , 59 , also died Thursday at an outside hospital of what appeared to be COVID-19 complications , corrections officials said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and rape during a four-day rampage in Sacramento County in 1987 .
Erskine and Alvarez are the third and fourth death row prisoners in the past 10 days to die .
On June 24 Richard Stitely , 71 , was found unresponsive in his cell .
A death row inmate since 1992 after the rape and murder of a woman in Los Angeles County in 1990 , Stitely was found to have tested positive for the coronavirus .
On Wednesday 75-year-old Joseph Cordova also was found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 2007 , after being convicted of raping and murdering an 8-year-old girl in Contra Costa County in 1979 .
The cause of death and his COVID-19 status have not been determined .
San Quentin , where the state ’ s 723 death row inmates are housed , is in the midst of a raging outbreak of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus .
As of Thursday there were 1,383 active cases in the prison , which houses about 3,400 inmates , officials said .
The bulk of those cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past two weeks , according to the department ’ s COVID-19 tracker .
All of the prison ’ s cases began in June after the May 30 transfer of 100 prisoners from the state prison in Chino , which at the time had one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections in the state system .

Scott Erskine, who was on death row for the gruesome 1993 abduction and murder of 13-year-old Charlie Keever and his 9-year-old friend Jonathan Sellers, died from what prison officials said appear to be complications from COVID-19.
Scott Erskine, who was on death row for the gruesome 1993 abduction and murder of 13-year-old Charlie Keever and his 9-year-old friend Jonathan Sellers — in a case that haunted the county for almost a decade before it was solved — died this week from what prison officials said appear to be complications from COVID-19.
Erskine was 57 and died Friday morning at an outside hospital, according to a statement by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The mothers of the two boys, Maria Keever and Milena (Phillips) Sellers, said they received phone calls from prison officials Friday morning informing them of the death.
Erskine had been on death row in San Quentin State Prison since 2004 but was in prison far longer for other crimes. In 2001 he was serving a 70-year sentence for raping a woman when he was charged in the murder of the boys, eight years after their bodies were found in a makeshift fort in heavy brush on a bank of the Otay River.
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The children had been bound and gagged, and there were signs of violent sexual assault and torture.
The boys were friends who had left their homes for a bike ride when Erskine intercepted them. Many details of their deaths were revealed later in court, but it remains a mystery how Erskine lured the boys to the secluded spot.
Their bodies were not found for two days, and the crime went unsolved for years. Detectives who worked the case later said it was the worst case they had ever worked that went unsolved for so long.
In 2001, amid advances in DNA forensics, evidence taken from the crime scene was tested. Erskine’s DNA was found in a cotton swab taken from the body of one of the boys and on two cigarette butts found in the fort.
Erskine went on trial in 2002 for the murders, and after two penalty phases — the first jury could not decide on death or life with no parole — he was sent to death row in September 2004.
Both mothers grimly sat through years of hearings, listening to details of how their children died. On Friday Maria Keever said she was shocked when she first heard the news of Erskine’s death from a corrections official in the morning.
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She said she cried but did not know exactly why. “Some mixed feelings now,” she said.
Keever said she long had hoped to be able to speak with Erskine, to ask him details about what had happened and why. She said he refused. Now she won’t be able to have that conversation, she said.
“I hoped he would change his mind, but he did not want to talk to me,” she said. “It seems so final.
“I’m never going to know now.”
Phillips said she also cried at first, in shock and as a kind of release.
“It is over, that part is over,” she said. “He’s gone. I don’t have to think of him. I don’t have to go to trials or any courts.
“I have a lot of emotions going through me because of this,” she said later. “In a way I feel like we can breathe, finally I can exhale a little bit, let the boys rest, let them down to rest and move on from that.”
The boys were not forgotten by their community. In 2012 a park at the southern end of San Diego Bay along Bayshore Bikeway was dedicated in their names.
The mothers started the Jonathan Sellers and Charlie Keever Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting child safety and well-being, preventing child abduction and exploitation, and providing support to families who have lost a loved one to violence.
Last year the state Supreme Court upheld Erskine’s death sentence, but he had years more of appeals ahead. At that time his lawyer said he had been hospitalized with heart and lung problems.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began many people who have died from the disease are known to have had underlying medical conditions that contributed to their death.
Another death row inmate, Manuel Alvarez, 59, also died Thursday at an outside hospital of what appeared to be COVID-19 complications, corrections officials said. He was convicted of committing murder and rape during a four-day rampage in Sacramento County in 1987.
Erskine and Alvarez are the third and fourth death row prisoners in the past 10 days to die.
On June 24 Richard Stitely, 71, was found unresponsive in his cell. A death row inmate since 1992 after the rape and murder of a woman in Los Angeles County in 1990, Stitely was found to have tested positive for the coronavirus.
On Wednesday 75-year-old Joseph Cordova also was found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead. He had been on death row since 2007, after being convicted of raping and murdering an 8-year-old girl in Contra Costa County in 1979. The cause of death and his COVID-19 status have not been determined.
San Quentin, where the state’s 723 death row inmates are housed, is in the midst of a raging outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. As of Thursday there were 1,383 active cases in the prison, which houses about 3,400 inmates, officials said. The bulk of those cases, 944, have come in the past two weeks, according to the department’s COVID-19 tracker.
All of the prison’s cases began in June after the May 30 transfer of 100 prisoners from the state prison in Chino, which at the time had one of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections in the state system.
Moran writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.


latimes--2020-07-04--First LAPD officer dies of COVID-19

First LAPD officer dies of COVID-19

The Los Angeles Police Department lost its first employee to COVID-19 , department officials announced on Saturday .
Senior Detention Officer Erica McAdoo died from complications of the disease on Friday night , according to a tweet from the department ’ s official account .
Another 287 LAPD employees are currently quarantined at home after having been exposed to the novel coronavirus , according to the tweet .
A department spokesman declined to say how old McAdoo was or whether she had any of the underlying health conditions that are usually present in cases that turn fatal .
COVID-19 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June , leading Chief Michel Moore to attribute at least some of the increase at the time to the “ challenging conditions ” officers faced during protests sparked by the death of George Floyd .
Interviewed by The Times , some protesters who were arrested and spent prolonged periods interacting with police complained that many officers were not wearing masks .
Moore said officers were instructed to wear masks whenever possible while on duty at the protests .
The LAPD ’ s first COVID-19 death arrived on a somber holiday weekend , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the alarming spread of the disease in Los Angeles County , where more than 107,660 cases have been confirmed and more than 3,450 people have died .
The tweet about McAdoo said she is “ survived by her loving family .
Please keep them in your prayers .
”

The Los Angeles Police Department lost its first employee to COVID-19, department officials announced on Saturday.
Senior Detention Officer Erica McAdoo died from complications of the disease on Friday night, according to a tweet from the department’s official account. Another 287 LAPD employees are currently quarantined at home after having been exposed to the novel coronavirus, according to the tweet.
A department spokesman declined to say how old McAdoo was or whether she had any of the underlying health conditions that are usually present in cases that turn fatal.
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COVID-19 cases among department employees spiked dramatically in late June, leading Chief Michel Moore to attribute at least some of the increase at the time to the “challenging conditions” officers faced during protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.
Interviewed by The Times, some protesters who were arrested and spent prolonged periods interacting with police complained that many officers were not wearing masks. Moore said officers were instructed to wear masks whenever possible while on duty at the protests.
The LAPD’s first COVID-19 death arrived on a somber holiday weekend, with restaurants, bars and beaches closed again because of the alarming spread of the disease in Los Angeles County, where more than 107,660 cases have been confirmed and more than 3,450 people have died.
The tweet about McAdoo said she is “survived by her loving family. Please keep them in your prayers.”


latimes--2020-07-04--Woman who went on anti-Asian tirades facing arrest on separate battery charge

A woman , whose racist , anti-Asian tirades last month shocked the public and the city of Torrance , has a warrant out for her arrest in connection to a confrontation separate from those recently captured on cellphone videos at a park .
Lena Hernandez , 54 , was charged Thursday in an alleged case of battery stemming from an incident on Oct. 14 , 2019 , the Torrance city attorney ’ s office said .
The confrontation occurred at Del Amo Fashion Center mall in Torrance , at which police allege that Hernandez , a retired social worker from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and struck another person who tried to intervene .
Detectives had been investigating the alleged incident in addition to the two park incidents in June .
In the June incidents , at Charles H. Wilson Park , a woman later identified as Hernandez was recorded on video hurling profanities at a younger woman exercising at a set of stairs .
“ Go back to whatever ... Asian country you belong in , ” she said .
In a second outburst later that day , a video showed her berating a man in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the video , the woman says , “ You know what , you need to go home , ” while glancing at the man ’ s vehicle , where his two children were sitting .
The unidentified man responds , “ I am home , ” before the woman tells him to stop playing games .
She is then heard using profanity and threatening to kill the man , who turns his camera to record the woman ’ s license plate before she refers to him as a “ Chinaman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaining that his vehicle was parked too close to her Honda .
Video clips of both encounters were posted on Twitter and quickly went viral .
Torrance Mayor Patrick Furey described what he saw on social media as “ nauseating to absolutely anybody in our community , ” in a city that he said is between 30 % to 40 % Asian or Pacific Islander and where 80 languages are spoken .
Torrance officials said Thursday that the city attorney had reviewed the police investigations and concluded that there was insufficient evidence to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her tirades at the park .
“ Currently , there are critical gaps in the evidence regarding how each incident unfolded that result in the lack of necessary certainty required to initiate criminal prosecution against any suspect , ” city officials said .
“ It is a prosecutor ’ s solemn duty to analyze a case based on the evidence and triability and not based on politics or public sentiment unrelated to the likelihood of prevailing before a jury.
” “ If anyone has additional information related to either of these incidents , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are urged to contact the Torrance Police Department.
” As for the battery allegation at the mall , Hernandez is scheduled to be heard at Torrance Superior Court at 8:30 a.m. Monday .

A woman, whose racist, anti-Asian tirades last month shocked the public and the city of Torrance, has a warrant out for her arrest in connection to a confrontation separate from those recently captured on cellphone videos at a park.
Lena Hernandez, 54, was charged Thursday in an alleged case of battery stemming from an incident on Oct. 14, 2019, the Torrance city attorney’s office said.
The confrontation occurred at Del Amo Fashion Center mall in Torrance, at which police allege that Hernandez, a retired social worker from Long Beach, verbally assaulted a custodian and struck another person who tried to intervene. Detectives had been investigating the alleged incident in addition to the two park incidents in June.
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In the June incidents, at Charles H. Wilson Park, a woman later identified as Hernandez was recorded on video hurling profanities at a younger woman exercising at a set of stairs. “Go back to whatever ... Asian country you belong in,” she said.
Our friend and attorney just sent us this video of a very racist and extremely disturbed old lady going off on him while his kids are in the car.... pic.twitter.com/DvkE7oKL5s — brendon mcnerney (@brendonmcnerney) June 11, 2020
In a second outburst later that day, a video showed her berating a man in his car with two of his children present. In the video, the woman says, “You know what, you need to go home,” while glancing at the man’s vehicle, where his two children were sitting.
The unidentified man responds, “I am home,” before the woman tells him to stop playing games.
She is then heard using profanity and threatening to kill the man, who turns his camera to record the woman’s license plate before she refers to him as a “Chinaman,” speaking to him in gibberish and complaining that his vehicle was parked too close to her Honda.
Video clips of both encounters were posted on Twitter and quickly went viral. Torrance Mayor Patrick Furey described what he saw on social media as “nauseating to absolutely anybody in our community,” in a city that he said is between 30% to 40% Asian or Pacific Islander and where 80 languages are spoken.
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Torrance officials said Thursday that the city attorney had reviewed the police investigations and concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support filing criminal charges against Hernandez for her tirades at the park.
“Currently, there are critical gaps in the evidence regarding how each incident unfolded that result in the lack of necessary certainty required to initiate criminal prosecution against any suspect,” city officials said. “It is a prosecutor’s solemn duty to analyze a case based on the evidence and triability and not based on politics or public sentiment unrelated to the likelihood of prevailing before a jury.”
“If anyone has additional information related to either of these incidents,” the statement added, “they are urged to contact the Torrance Police Department.”
As for the battery allegation at the mall, Hernandez is scheduled to be heard at Torrance Superior Court at 8:30 a.m. Monday.


latimes--2020-07-04--Lancaster will defy county ban and hold fireworks display tonight

Lancaster will defy the fireworks ban imposed Monday by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health by holding a public fireworks show Saturday night .
The City Council voted to move forward with the display at an emergency meeting Saturday , granting Mayor R. Rex Parris ’ request for authority to issue a permit and sign a contract with a fireworks vendor for a show set for 9 p.m. “ The city has considered all risks and feels confident in our ability to safely host a show , ” Parris wrote on the city ’ s Facebook page .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year of continuing challenges.
” “ When you look around here , this city is the safest city in Los Angeles County .
If you look at the number of hospital admissions and our death rate — we are the safest city , ” Parris told KTLA-TV Channel 5 .
The mayor said the display would be safe for the public as long as viewers remain in their vehicles or if they wear a mask when outside one .
He added that those who do not wear a face covering would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear your mask , wash your hands , don ’ t touch your face and nobody needs to die .
And nobody needs to shut down America , ” he said .
An earlier vendor that had planned to put on the show at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds pulled out over the county ban .
The show is now planned for the Lancaster Soccer Center .
Officials are not allowing the public to congregate at that location , but say it will be visible from spots throughout the city .

The city of Lancaster will defy a Los Angeles County ban and host a Fourth of July fireworks display tonight.
Lancaster will defy the fireworks ban imposed Monday by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health by holding a public fireworks show Saturday night.
The City Council voted to move forward with the display at an emergency meeting Saturday, granting Mayor R. Rex Parris’ request for authority to issue a permit and sign a contract with a fireworks vendor for a show set for 9 p.m.
“The city has considered all risks and feels confident in our ability to safely host a show,” Parris wrote on the city’s Facebook page. “A show our residents deserve after a year of continuing challenges.”
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“When you look around here, this city is the safest city in Los Angeles County. If you look at the number of hospital admissions and our death rate — we are the safest city,” Parris told KTLA-TV Channel 5.
The mayor said the display would be safe for the public as long as viewers remain in their vehicles or if they wear a mask when outside one. He added that those who do not wear a face covering would be cited.
“We absolutely know, wear your mask, wash your hands, don’t touch your face and nobody needs to die. And nobody needs to shut down America,” he said.
An earlier vendor that had planned to put on the show at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds pulled out over the county ban. The show is now planned for the Lancaster Soccer Center.
Officials are not allowing the public to congregate at that location, but say it will be visible from spots throughout the city.


latimes--2020-07-04--'Something bad's going to happen': Big surf and high tide hit Balboa Peninsula with flooding

The sun was out in Newport Beach , the skies clear on the eve of July 4 when Bruce Ogilvie plopped down in the sand .
But something , he said , felt off .
A lifeguard had chased him out of his usual spot , which seemed puzzling at the time , but then Ogilvie saw the guard sprint into the water and save two girls caught in a rip tide .
This wasn ’ t the first rescue of the day , Ogilvie realized , and the guard needed the area cleared to run as fast as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hindsight , he said , “ I should ’ ve realized : ‘ Hey , something bad ’ s going to happen.
’ ” By 6 p.m. that evening , huge waves were cresting over Balboa Pier and flooding through Balboa Peninsula , an idyllic oceanfront community in Orange County that has increasingly come face-to-face with sea level rise .
This thin spit of land is all that stands between the ocean and the bay — the first line of defense for the rest of the Newport Beach coast .
There wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place to protect this sudden breach , and residents said there was little warning except for the full moon overhead creating extremely high tides , and an angry surf that kept getting bigger and bigger .
“ It was kind of a triple witching effect , ” said Ogilvie , who noted that because of the high tide , the peninsula ’ s gate and valves were shut and unable to allow any drainage into the bay .
City officials were stunned by the ocean ’ s intensity .
One lifeguard said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tsunami — big waves are not unusual for Newport Beach , known for epic surf spots such as the Wedge , but what surprised him Friday was how each wave did not break nor dissipate .
Each wave seemed to build on top of the next one , moving one large wave farther and farther up the beach until it overtook and eroded the sand berm that had been standing in as protection .
“ It came in unexpectedly early and unexpectedly large .
...
It hit right at high tide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beach Fire Department ’ s chief lifeguard .
His team that day rescued 100 people overall and prevented more than 2,500 other incidents by warning folks who were about to put themselves in danger .
John Pope , the city ’ s public information officer , said extra crews and machines have been deployed to aggressively build a new , larger and taller sand barrier before the next high tide .
“ We expected high surf — the forecast was about 5 to 7 feet , and as much as 20 feet at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such an unusual confluence of ocean activity , ” he said .
The water pooled into the beach parking lot , submerging cars up to their wheels and covering the pavement with mud , trash and foam .
More seawater rushed past the junior lifeguard training station , through the soccer field and onto Ogilvie ’ s street and his neighbors ’ homes and driveways .
Cars and bikers tried to navigate out of the flood as pedestrians waded through calf-high water .
Dramatic news helicopter video showed a 40-foot sailboat battered by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a dog on board had been rescued shortly before the water smashed everything into pieces , according to KABC-TV .
One seasoned lifeguard had been transported to the hospital earlier after making back-to-back rescues , Halphide said .
After the first rescue , the guard immediately went back out and had to take another person through the pier , where waves six to eight feet tall were pounding against the pillars .
“ By the time he got the victim to the shore , he was so exhausted and just about collapsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ folks , please please please be careful around the water this weekend , ” Newport Beach Mayor Will O ’ Neill wrote on Twitter , along with photos of the shattered sailboat washing ashore .
“ We weren ’ t kidding when we said this weekend posed public safety concerns.
” By Saturday morning , sand dozers greeted beachgoers and those who came to gawk at the scene .
A number of cars were still stuck in the mud , and heavy machinery roared and beeped as crews scrambled to build a much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also dumped a large amount of trash and debris that officials said may take up to a week to clean up .
Tita Jaramilla , dressed head to toe in red , white and blue , jogged by with three friends and greeted folks with smiles and a spirited “ Happy Fourth !
” Every year , she and her friends celebrate the holiday somehow , and this year was no different .
With so much going on and large gatherings and events canceled due to COVID-19 concerns , she said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own little parade this year.
” They had planned to run six miles , a Fourth of July 10k , but the flooding had forced them to reroute and run an additional six , almost seven miles .
She was a little out of breath by mile 13 , but said spending the morning this way meant a lot to her .
“ The way our society is , with everything so upside down , I think people have forgotten how much they love our country , ” she said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a military family .
My dad fought in Vietnam and he made sure we have the freedoms that we have now .
… We ’ re not going to not celebrate today.
” As for Ogilvie , he spent much of the Fourth of July searching for sandbags and moving mud and debris out of his yard and driveway .
His house was spared from the water , he said , but his neighbor ’ s home across the street sits on lower ground and had about an inch of water inside .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ come help pump out the flood , as he and his neighbors stayed up late and tried to clean up the mess .
“ The first pump they brought was not big enough , they had to get another pump , and then at some point they just rode it out , praying , hoping that the waves would stop coming and that the tide would go back down and they could open the drains back up so that water would drain to the ocean.
” Ogilvie watched the cleanup and construction crews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ berm will be completed in time .
High tide is expected to peak again at 6.5 feet at 9:06 p.m. Saturday and 6.3 feet at 9:47 p.m. Sunday .
“ They need to pile up sand and create a wall , a barrier , so when the waves crash , and they come in , the water can ’ t breach over and go to the soccer field , ” he said .
“ Once it crosses over and goes to the soccer field , we ’ re hosed .
”

Bruce Ogilvie clears the mud in the street Saturday in front of his house, which was flooded by ocean waves that crashed over the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach.
The sun was out in Newport Beach, the skies clear on the eve of July 4 when Bruce Ogilvie plopped down in the sand. But something, he said, felt off.
A lifeguard had chased him out of his usual spot, which seemed puzzling at the time, but then Ogilvie saw the guard sprint into the water and save two girls caught in a rip tide. This wasn’t the first rescue of the day, Ogilvie realized, and the guard needed the area cleared to run as fast as he could into the churning ocean.
In hindsight, he said, “I should’ve realized: ‘Hey, something bad’s going to happen.’”
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By 6 p.m. that evening, huge waves were cresting over Balboa Pier and flooding through Balboa Peninsula, an idyllic oceanfront community in Orange County that has increasingly come face-to-face with sea level rise. This thin spit of land is all that stands between the ocean and the bay — the first line of defense for the rest of the Newport Beach coast.
There wasn’t a large enough sand berm in place to protect this sudden breach, and residents said there was little warning except for the full moon overhead creating extremely high tides, and an angry surf that kept getting bigger and bigger.
“It was kind of a triple witching effect,” said Ogilvie, who noted that because of the high tide, the peninsula’s gate and valves were shut and unable to allow any drainage into the bay.
City officials were stunned by the ocean’s intensity. One lifeguard said he couldn’t help but think of a tsunami — big waves are not unusual for Newport Beach, known for epic surf spots such as the Wedge, but what surprised him Friday was how each wave did not break nor dissipate. Each wave seemed to build on top of the next one, moving one large wave farther and farther up the beach until it overtook and eroded the sand berm that had been standing in as protection.
“It came in unexpectedly early and unexpectedly large. ... It hit right at high tide,” said Mike Halphide, the Newport Beach Fire Department’s chief lifeguard. His team that day rescued 100 people overall and prevented more than 2,500 other incidents by warning folks who were about to put themselves in danger.
John Pope, the city’s public information officer, said extra crews and machines have been deployed to aggressively build a new, larger and taller sand barrier before the next high tide.
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“We expected high surf — the forecast was about 5 to 7 feet, and as much as 20 feet at the Wedge, but it was just such an unusual confluence of ocean activity,” he said.
Huge surf today, lots of rescues, dangerous conditions, high tides, and some flooding. https://t.co/59551frauI pic.twitter.com/2yecBbOyVj — Mayor Will O'Neill (@MayorONeill) July 4, 2020
The water pooled into the beach parking lot, submerging cars up to their wheels and covering the pavement with mud, trash and foam. More seawater rushed past the junior lifeguard training station, through the soccer field and onto Ogilvie’s street and his neighbors’ homes and driveways.
Cars and bikers tried to navigate out of the flood as pedestrians waded through calf-high water. Dramatic news helicopter video showed a 40-foot sailboat battered by angry surf and whitewash. Several people and a dog on board had been rescued shortly before the water smashed everything into pieces, according to KABC-TV.
One seasoned lifeguard had been transported to the hospital earlier after making back-to-back rescues, Halphide said. After the first rescue, the guard immediately went back out and had to take another person through the pier, where waves six to eight feet tall were pounding against the pillars.
“By the time he got the victim to the shore, he was so exhausted and just about collapsed,” Halphide said.
“Seriously folks, please please please be careful around the water this weekend,” Newport Beach Mayor Will O’Neill wrote on Twitter, along with photos of the shattered sailboat washing ashore. “We weren’t kidding when we said this weekend posed public safety concerns.”
Seriously folks, please please please be careful around the water this weekend. We weren’t kidding when we said this weekend posed public safety concerns. pic.twitter.com/ZQEu1VNhUJ — Mayor Will O'Neill (@MayorONeill) July 4, 2020
By Saturday morning, sand dozers greeted beachgoers and those who came to gawk at the scene. A number of cars were still stuck in the mud, and heavy machinery roared and beeped as crews scrambled to build a much bigger sand berm. The flooding had also dumped a large amount of trash and debris that officials said may take up to a week to clean up.
Tita Jaramilla, dressed head to toe in red, white and blue, jogged by with three friends and greeted folks with smiles and a spirited “Happy Fourth!” Every year, she and her friends celebrate the holiday somehow, and this year was no different.
With so much going on and large gatherings and events canceled due to COVID-19 concerns, she said, “we thought we’d have our own little parade this year.”
On the morning of July 4, Tita Jaramillo runs on Balboa Pier dressed in red, white and blue. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
They had planned to run six miles, a Fourth of July 10k, but the flooding had forced them to reroute and run an additional six, almost seven miles. She was a little out of breath by mile 13, but said spending the morning this way meant a lot to her.
“The way our society is, with everything so upside down, I think people have forgotten how much they love our country,” she said. “I haven’t. I come from a military family. My dad fought in Vietnam and he made sure we have the freedoms that we have now. … We’re not going to not celebrate today.”
As for Ogilvie, he spent much of the Fourth of July searching for sandbags and moving mud and debris out of his yard and driveway. His house was spared from the water, he said, but his neighbor’s home across the street sits on lower ground and had about an inch of water inside.
He recalled waiting for the city to come help pump out the flood, as he and his neighbors stayed up late and tried to clean up the mess. “The first pump they brought was not big enough, they had to get another pump, and then at some point they just rode it out, praying, hoping that the waves would stop coming and that the tide would go back down and they could open the drains back up so that water would drain to the ocean.”
Ogilvie watched the cleanup and construction crews Saturday morning and hoped the bigger sand berm will be completed in time. High tide is expected to peak again at 6.5 feet at 9:06 p.m. Saturday and 6.3 feet at 9:47 p.m. Sunday.
“They need to pile up sand and create a wall, a barrier, so when the waves crash, and they come in, the water can’t breach over and go to the soccer field,” he said. “Once it crosses over and goes to the soccer field, we’re hosed.”


latimes--2020-07-04--July 4 celebrations in Southern California look different this year amid coronavirus case spike

Independence Day is looking a little different in the Southland this year .
Californians who hoped the July 4 weekend would bring a return to some semblance of summer fun will instead find closed beaches , restaurants limited to outdoor service in most areas of the state and increased enforcement of the state ’ s order requiring people to wear face masks in public places .
A holiday traditionally marked with the crackle of fireworks in the nighttime sky will see a lot less color as cities postpone or cancel concerts , parades and other festivities following a continuing surge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles County announced a fireworks ban , along with the closure of all area beaches , earlier this week to prevent what officials feared would be “ dangerous crowding.
” But Lancaster city officials appear ready to defy that ban and approve plans for its fireworks show to go on .
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said that council members will meet in an to consider his request for authority to issue a permit and sign a contract with a fireworks vendor for the show , which is scheduled for 9 p.m .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest this Fourth of July .
In Los Angeles , activists plan to launch a “ we want green cards ” campaign aimed at winning congressional support to change U.S. immigration laws to grant legal residency to those here illegally who have worked during the pandemic .
Demonstrators in Leimert Park will rally for justice for Andres Guardado , the 18-year-old fatally shot by Los Angeles County sheriff ’ s deputies last month .
Other protests against police brutality and racism are planned at Olvera Street downtown , Pan Pacific Park near Hancock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have also organized a march called Farce of July to recognize Tongva “ reclamation , guidance and direction in overcoming white supremacy and recovering our interdependence and connection to Mother Earth.
” California officials have begged the public to avoid crowds and keep physical distancing in hopes of preventing more outbreaks that could overwhelm the state ’ s hospitals .
The changes in plans come as the statewide coronavirus death toll has topped 6,300 .
The state has seen a in the last two weeks .
In Big Bear , officials have postponed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spectacular ” — an event that usually draws hundreds of families to the lake ’ s shore , where crowds lounge on beach chairs or take out their boats to watch the colorful show .
Visitors have been asked not to bring their own fireworks , according to the city ’ s tourism website .
Lighting fireworks in a national forest is a federal offense .
Burbank ’ s Starlight Bowl canceled its 2020 summer concert season , including the Fourth of July celebration and fireworks show , “ to ensure the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , volunteers , and our Burbank neighbors.
” To adapt to social distancing guidelines , some events have moved online .
The 27th annual Fourth of July Run , Walk and Kids ’ Dash , normally held in Redondo Beach , will take place virtually .
Participants plan to run their courses separately , at home or in public , while following safety protocols .
Then there is the “ Grand Park + the Music Center ’ s 4th of July Block Party : Home Edition.
” Vocalist San Cha , rapper D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artist Amindi and comedy troupe Filipino AF are among the featured performers in a free , virtual edition of this annual downtown L.A. event .
Also included : profiles of local artists , chefs and others .
7-8 p.m. Saturday at and on L.A. County public access Channel 36 ; it continues 8-10 p.m. Saturday on .
The 94th annual AmericaFest celebration at the Rose Bowl also goes online this year and includes a live flyover by vintage aircraft .
Also planned : a daytime light show and a performance by cellist Cécilia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hosts .
2 p.m. Saturday .
Free .

The Ferris wheel begins to change to patriotic colors at dusk on the Santa Monica Pier for the July 4 holiday weekend.
Independence Day is looking a little different in the Southland this year.
Californians who hoped the July 4 weekend would bring a return to some semblance of summer fun will instead find closed beaches, restaurants limited to outdoor service in most areas of the state and increased enforcement of the state’s order requiring people to wear face masks in public places.
A holiday traditionally marked with the crackle of fireworks in the nighttime sky will see a lot less color as cities postpone or cancel concerts, parades and other festivities following a continuing surge of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations.
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Los Angeles County announced a fireworks ban, along with the closure of all area beaches, earlier this week to prevent what officials feared would be “dangerous crowding.” But Lancaster city officials appear ready to defy that ban and approve plans for its fireworks show to go on.
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said that council members will meet in an emergency meeting Saturday to consider his request for authority to issue a permit and sign a contract with a fireworks vendor for the show, which is scheduled for 9 p.m.
There will also be an element of protest this Fourth of July.
In Los Angeles, activists plan to launch a “we want green cards” campaign aimed at winning congressional support to change U.S. immigration laws to grant legal residency to those here illegally who have worked during the pandemic. Demonstrators in Leimert Park will rally for justice for Andres Guardado, the 18-year-old fatally shot by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies last month.
Other protests against police brutality and racism are planned at Olvera Street downtown, Pan Pacific Park near Hancock Park, Hollywood and elsewhere.
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Protesters have also organized a march called Farce of July to recognize Tongva “reclamation, guidance and direction in overcoming white supremacy and recovering our interdependence and connection to Mother Earth.”
California officials have begged the public to avoid crowds and keep physical distancing in hopes of preventing more outbreaks that could overwhelm the state’s hospitals. The changes in plans come as the statewide coronavirus death toll has topped 6,300. The state has seen a 58% increase in hospitalizations in the last two weeks.
In Big Bear, officials have postponed the city’s famed “fireworks spectacular” — an event that usually draws hundreds of families to the lake’s shore, where crowds lounge on beach chairs or take out their boats to watch the colorful show.
Visitors have been asked not to bring their own fireworks, according to the city’s tourism website. Lighting fireworks in a national forest is a federal offense.
Burbank’s Starlight Bowl canceled its 2020 summer concert season, including the Fourth of July celebration and fireworks show, “to ensure the health and safety of our audiences, staff, volunteers, and our Burbank neighbors.”
To adapt to social distancing guidelines, some events have moved online. The 27th annual Fourth of July Run, Walk and Kids’ Dash, normally held in Redondo Beach, will take place virtually. Participants plan to run their courses separately, at home or in public, while following safety protocols.
Then there is the “Grand Park + the Music Center’s 4th of July Block Party: Home Edition.” Vocalist San Cha, rapper D Smoke, singer Ginger Root, dancehall artist Amindi and comedy troupe Filipino AF are among the featured performers in a free, virtual edition of this annual downtown L.A. event. Also included: profiles of local artists, chefs and others. 7-8 p.m. Saturday at abc7.com and on L.A. County public access Channel 36; it continues 8-10 p.m. Saturday on youtube.com .


latimes--2020-07-04--Border Patrol checkpoints are a risky reality for California cannabis companies

The small van , packed with 10 pounds of California-grown , California-certified cannabis flower , left its home base in Imperial County and headed north .
The delivery was labeled and packaged to be sold in a state-licensed dispensary in the town of Needles .
It didn ’ t get far .
The van was stopped at a Border Patrol highway checkpoint some 20 miles from the actual international border , and the entire load , worth $ 15,000 in wholesale value , was seized by federal agents , according to the distributor , Movocan .
Such is the reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the southernmost reaches of California .
The tension between state and federal stances over marijuana isn ’ t new , but it plays out uniquely in San Diego and Imperial counties because of the proximity of the U.S.-Mexico border and a legal authority that allows Border Patrol checkpoints to extend as far as 100 miles north of the international line .
With marijuana remaining illegal under federal law , the potential for seizure or even arrest at these checkpoints has caused many state-certified cannabis businesses to step lightly in the region — particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk is too great for Infinite Chemical Analysis Lab , one of the region ’ s few state-certified testing labs .
The San Diego-based facility has decided not to make the sampling trips to Imperial County anymore , a move that limits the ability for other state-licensed businesses to sell and distribute from there .
“ It ’ s like they ’ ve trapped a corner of the state , ” Josh Swider , the lab ’ s co-founder and CEO , said of the Border Patrol .
There are at any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positioned as far as 63 miles from the California-Mexico border .
The most well known and well traveled are westbound Interstate 8 in Pine Valley , northbound Interstate 5 in San Clemente and northbound Interstate 15 near Temecula , along with outposts on more rural highways near Campo , Ocotillo , the Salton Sea and Glamis .
The Border Patrol has long used the checkpoints as an additional layer of enforcement to stop northbound unauthorized immigrants who may have made it past the U.S.-Mexico border undetected .
The San Diego region is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cross-border drug trafficking , and these checkpoints are seen as a last line of defense before the illicit loads are funneled to major distribution points north .
Large seizures of methamphetamine , heroin , fentanyl and cocaine , often found hidden in secret compartments or mixed within commercial goods , are common .
The checkpoints have been the subject of intense debate over how far the authority to inspect extends to U.S. citizens , especially those who live in rural areas and must cross through them daily to work , go to school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal challenges over the years , the courts have consistently concluded that the law remains on the government ’ s side .
Since California voters legalized adult-use , recreational marijuana use in 2016 , with sales beginning in 2018 , the federal government has been clear in its official stance .
“ Cannabis , regardless of origin , is classified federally as a Schedule I narcotic and is illegal and subject to forfeiture when traversing through a Border Patrol checkpoint , ” a San Diego Border Patrol spokesman reiterated recently .
In reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being quietly allowed through checkpoints , according to licensed cannabis operators in the region .
These shipments look nothing like the clandestine smuggling loads Border Patrol otherwise encounters .
The state requires licensed distributors to follow strict protocol when transporting cannabis .
For instance , cannabis must be locked in a cage or container secured to the vehicle and not be visible from the exterior .
The vehicle should have a security system .
And the product should be clearly labeled and packaged .
Distributors are quick to have their driver ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manifests on hand when approaching a checkpoint .
It is then up to agents after inspection to determine whether the load appears legitimate .
The agents often ultimately send it through , said Breton Peace , an owner and legal counsel for March and Ash , which has dispensaries in the cities of San Diego , Vista and Imperial .
“ The agents , they are just people too , they live in California , they know the situation , ” Peace said .
Distributors in San Diego say the route north through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is usually hassle-free .
Often the posts aren ’ t open .
When they are , vendors are inspected and frequently allowed to pass , they say .
“ We do it every day , ” said George Sadler , co-founder of Platinum Vape , a San Diego manufacturer and distributor of cannabis vape pens .
“ Eight vans , to NorCal , a few times a week to L.A. and the desert .
We don ’ t ever have a problem.
” Agent discretion plays a large role .
Still , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seized .
That makes it hard for state-licensed operators to predict whether cannabis will be cleared for passage , turning each trip through a checkpoint into a gamble .
Movocan , a state-licensed distribution business and retail dispensary in Imperial County , has experienced the gamut trying to move product outside the region , according to Angel Fernandez , the company ’ s director .
Sometime last year , one Movocan delivery driver encountered a checkpoint on his way to Palm Springs .
A drug-sniffing dog drew attention to his vehicle as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an agent , the driver showed him the paperwork .
“ The driver was upfront with [ the agent ] and [ the agent ] waved him through , ” said Fernandez .
“ He didn ’ t even check the drugs.
” Then in November , a driver was headed to the Needles dispensary when an agent at another checkpoint seized the whole $ 15,000 shipment .
“ It ’ s been mixed signals , ” Fernandez said , “ a lack of clarity.
” Some distribution companies based elsewhere in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing business in Imperial County is worthwhile , Fernandez said .
It ’ s easy to drive shipments into Imperial County — with no checkpoints checking eastbound or southbound traffic — but leaving with cannabis can be problematic .
“ Distributors don ’ t want to come over here , ” Fernandez said .
“ It complicates their whole logistics.
” Many of the vendors come from Los Angeles , and they drop down to Imperial County , unload some product , then continue to San Diego via Interstate 8 west .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run into trouble , according to businesses .
Platinum Vape had $ 60,000 of its product seized there in November when a distributor was driving the loop route .
So Platinum now does what many distributors do : It loads up just what it needs to deliver to Imperial County so it can head back home to San Diego with an empty van .
It uses different routes to deliver elsewhere in the state .
“ We have to be strategic , ” said Sadler .
Hemp , a variety of the cannabis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also come under scrutiny at the checkpoints , even though it is legally regulated under the federal Farm Bill .
The raw material and many of the CBD products manufactured from the plant can be difficult to distinguish from marijuana .
That can be a problem for the expanding hemp industry in Imperial County , where traditional crops have been turning over to meet the high demand for CBD .
“ It ’ s been a big roadblock , ” said Mark Samuels , co-founder and vice president of product and creative for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What distinguishes hemp from marijuana under state and federal law is the level of THC , with hemp containing 0.03 % or less of the psychoactive ingredient .
Growers are required to test hemp crops for THC levels under California law .
At the same time , they often order a battery of other safety tests looking for pesticides , heavy metals and toxins .
In April , a technician from Infinite Chemical Analysis Lab in San Diego drove to Imperial County , took samples from Primordia ’ s hemp crops and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I-8 checkpoint .
Despite having the proper paperwork , the samples of hemp in labeled bags were seized and the driver was threatened with arrest , according to lab CEO Swider .
A similar lengthy investigation occurred again a month later at the same checkpoint , although the driver was eventually allowed to continue on with the hemp samples .
Proving on the spot that the material is hemp can be difficult , since checkpoints don ’ t have the capability to test such minuscule THC levels on-site , Border Patrol officials confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told to notify checkpoints a few hours in advance of an approaching load as a way to avoid unnecessary confusion and confrontation .
That has helped calm some in the hemp industry , but Swider said the Border Patrol also issued him a stern warning : If sampling technicians come through with cannabis , it would be seized and drivers potentially arrested .
The admonition has caused the lab to cut off all cannabis sampling to Imperial County .
Border Patrol officials point to the checkpoints as part of their larger mission — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Additionally , CBP remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting our national and economic security by preventing illegal border crossings and intercepting illegal drugs , illicit currency , weapons , prohibited agricultural items and counterfeit materials — including counterfeit COVID-19 tests , ” officials said in a statement .
But Supervisory Agent Jeff Stephenson also acknowledged the legal tension agents are having to navigate in California .
“ It ’ s a complicated environment in the state and we have to make the best decisions we can at the time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the cannabis coming through checkpoints is state certified .
California has a booming black market of homegrown and Mexican-cultivated marijuana being sold in illicit storefronts that don ’ t have to pay the high cost of meeting state and local regulations .
And there ’ s always the chance that an illicit player is posing as a state-legal one .
The Border Patrol would not say how much marijuana — illicit or state-certified — has been seized at Southern California checkpoints in recent years .
In fact , cannabis entrepreneurs like Peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government involved in regulating the industry , distinguishing the legal actors from the illegal .
“ We don ’ t want the U.S. authorities to stop checking everything coming through , ” Peace said .
“ The line between certain legal players and illegal operators is not as bright as the public may understand .
The legal industry wants law enforcement to find and deal with the illegal product flooding the marketplace.
” Cannabis industry leaders in Southern California have tried to make inroads with federal and state authorities to come up with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through checkpoints .
And while they ’ ve gotten some sympathetic responses , they are ultimately told that nothing can be done on an official level until the issue is handled in Washington , D.C .
The state Bureau of Cannabis Control said as much to Swider in a letter sent after two recent checkpoint incidents .
“ The Bureau understands that this creates challenges for those legally conducting commercial cannabis activity pursuant to state law .
However , the Bureau does not have the authority to change the federal law or border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transport cannabis goods through these checkpoints , ” it stated .
The bureau declined to speak with the Union-Tribune about the issue .
“ We pay a lot of money to have this license , we shouldn ’ t be having these problems , ” Swider said .
“ All we hear is , ‘ It ’ s a federal problem , not our problem .
We can ’ t help you.
’ ” Still , Peace said the Border Patrol is responding to the issue with more nuance than he ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe , are doing a heck of a job on a pragmatic level , living under this layer of federal and state laws that the powers that be don ’ t want to address .
”

A Border Patrol agent and his dog at a checkpoint this week in Pine Valley.
The small van, packed with 10 pounds of California-grown, California-certified cannabis flower, left its home base in Imperial County and headed north.
The delivery was labeled and packaged to be sold in a state-licensed dispensary in the town of Needles.
For the record: This article indicates hemp contains 0.03% or less of THC, distinguishing it from marijuana under state and federal law. The amount is 0.3% or less.
It didn’t get far.
The van was stopped at a Border Patrol highway checkpoint some 20 miles from the actual international border, and the entire load, worth $15,000 in wholesale value, was seized by federal agents, according to the distributor, Movocan.
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Such is the reality of operating a state-licensed cannabis business in the southernmost reaches of California.
The tension between state and federal stances over marijuana isn’t new, but it plays out uniquely in San Diego and Imperial counties because of the proximity of the U.S.-Mexico border and a legal authority that allows Border Patrol checkpoints to extend as far as 100 miles north of the international line.
With marijuana remaining illegal under federal law, the potential for seizure or even arrest at these checkpoints has caused many state-certified cannabis businesses to step lightly in the region — particularly in Imperial County.
For now, the risk is too great for Infinite Chemical Analysis Lab, one of the region’s few state-certified testing labs. The San Diego-based facility has decided not to make the sampling trips to Imperial County anymore, a move that limits the ability for other state-licensed businesses to sell and distribute from there.
“It’s like they’ve trapped a corner of the state,” Josh Swider, the lab’s co-founder and CEO, said of the Border Patrol.
There are at any time as many as nine interior checkpoints positioned as far as 63 miles from the California-Mexico border. The most well known and well traveled are westbound Interstate 8 in Pine Valley, northbound Interstate 5 in San Clemente and northbound Interstate 15 near Temecula, along with outposts on more rural highways near Campo, Ocotillo, the Salton Sea and Glamis.
The Border Patrol has long used the checkpoints as an additional layer of enforcement to stop northbound unauthorized immigrants who may have made it past the U.S.-Mexico border undetected.
Advertisement
The San Diego region is also one of the busiest in terms of cross-border drug trafficking, and these checkpoints are seen as a last line of defense before the illicit loads are funneled to major distribution points north. Large seizures of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and cocaine, often found hidden in secret compartments or mixed within commercial goods, are common.
The checkpoints have been the subject of intense debate over how far the authority to inspect extends to U.S. citizens, especially those who live in rural areas and must cross through them daily to work, go to school or run errands.
But despite several legal challenges over the years, the courts have consistently concluded that the law remains on the government’s side.
Since California voters legalized adult-use, recreational marijuana use in 2016, with sales beginning in 2018, the federal government has been clear in its official stance.
“Cannabis, regardless of origin, is classified federally as a Schedule I narcotic and is illegal and subject to forfeiture when traversing through a Border Patrol checkpoint,” a San Diego Border Patrol spokesman reiterated recently.
In reality, a large amount of state-legal product is being quietly allowed through checkpoints, according to licensed cannabis operators in the region.
These shipments look nothing like the clandestine smuggling loads Border Patrol otherwise encounters.
The state requires licensed distributors to follow strict protocol when transporting cannabis. For instance, cannabis must be locked in a cage or container secured to the vehicle and not be visible from the exterior. The vehicle should have a security system. And the product should be clearly labeled and packaged.
Distributors are quick to have their driver’s licenses, state permits and shipping manifests on hand when approaching a checkpoint. It is then up to agents after inspection to determine whether the load appears legitimate.
The agents often ultimately send it through, said Breton Peace, an owner and legal counsel for March and Ash, which has dispensaries in the cities of San Diego, Vista and Imperial.
“The agents, they are just people too, they live in California, they know the situation,” Peace said.
Distributors in San Diego say the route north through the Interstate 5 and Interstate 15 checkpoints is usually hassle-free. Often the posts aren’t open. When they are, vendors are inspected and frequently allowed to pass, they say.
“We do it every day,” said George Sadler, co-founder of Platinum Vape, a San Diego manufacturer and distributor of cannabis vape pens. “Eight vans, to NorCal, a few times a week to L.A. and the desert. We don’t ever have a problem.”
Agent discretion plays a large role. Still, even shipments with everything in order can be seized.
That makes it hard for state-licensed operators to predict whether cannabis will be cleared for passage, turning each trip through a checkpoint into a gamble.
Movocan, a state-licensed distribution business and retail dispensary in Imperial County, has experienced the gamut trying to move product outside the region, according to Angel Fernandez, the company’s director.
Sometime last year, one Movocan delivery driver encountered a checkpoint on his way to Palm Springs. A drug-sniffing dog drew attention to his vehicle as he idled in line. When questioned by an agent, the driver showed him the paperwork.
“The driver was upfront with [the agent] and [the agent] waved him through,” said Fernandez. “He didn’t even check the drugs.”
Then in November, a driver was headed to the Needles dispensary when an agent at another checkpoint seized the whole $15,000 shipment.
“It’s been mixed signals,” Fernandez said, “a lack of clarity.”
Some distribution companies based elsewhere in the state have questioned if the risk of doing business in Imperial County is worthwhile, Fernandez said. It’s easy to drive shipments into Imperial County — with no checkpoints checking eastbound or southbound traffic — but leaving with cannabis can be problematic.
“Distributors don’t want to come over here,” Fernandez said. “It complicates their whole logistics.”
Many of the vendors come from Los Angeles, and they drop down to Imperial County, unload some product, then continue to San Diego via Interstate 8 west. That’s where many distributors seem to run into trouble, according to businesses.
Platinum Vape had $60,000 of its product seized there in November when a distributor was driving the loop route.
So Platinum now does what many distributors do: It loads up just what it needs to deliver to Imperial County so it can head back home to San Diego with an empty van. It uses different routes to deliver elsewhere in the state.
“We have to be strategic,” said Sadler.
Hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant that has nonintoxicating effects, has also come under scrutiny at the checkpoints, even though it is legally regulated under the federal Farm Bill.
The raw material and many of the CBD products manufactured from the plant can be difficult to distinguish from marijuana. That can be a problem for the expanding hemp industry in Imperial County, where traditional crops have been turning over to meet the high demand for CBD.
“It’s been a big roadblock,” said Mark Samuels, co-founder and vice president of product and creative for Primordia, an Imperial Valley hemp cultivator.
What distinguishes hemp from marijuana under state and federal law is the level of THC, with hemp containing 0.03% or less of the psychoactive ingredient.
Growers are required to test hemp crops for THC levels under California law. At the same time, they often order a battery of other safety tests looking for pesticides, heavy metals and toxins.
In April, a technician from Infinite Chemical Analysis Lab in San Diego drove to Imperial County, took samples from Primordia’s hemp crops and was driving back when he hit the I-8 checkpoint. Despite having the proper paperwork, the samples of hemp in labeled bags were seized and the driver was threatened with arrest, according to lab CEO Swider.
A similar lengthy investigation occurred again a month later at the same checkpoint, although the driver was eventually allowed to continue on with the hemp samples.
Proving on the spot that the material is hemp can be difficult, since checkpoints don’t have the capability to test such minuscule THC levels on-site, Border Patrol officials confirmed.
Recently, hemp distributors have been told to notify checkpoints a few hours in advance of an approaching load as a way to avoid unnecessary confusion and confrontation.
That has helped calm some in the hemp industry, but Swider said the Border Patrol also issued him a stern warning: If sampling technicians come through with cannabis, it would be seized and drivers potentially arrested.
The admonition has caused the lab to cut off all cannabis sampling to Imperial County.
Border Patrol officials point to the checkpoints as part of their larger mission — protecting the American public from harmful threats.
“Additionally, CBP remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting our national and economic security by preventing illegal border crossings and intercepting illegal drugs, illicit currency, weapons, prohibited agricultural items and counterfeit materials — including counterfeit COVID-19 tests,” officials said in a statement.
But Supervisory Agent Jeff Stephenson also acknowledged the legal tension agents are having to navigate in California.
“It’s a complicated environment in the state and we have to make the best decisions we can at the time,” he said.
Certainly not all of the cannabis coming through checkpoints is state certified. California has a booming black market of homegrown and Mexican-cultivated marijuana being sold in illicit storefronts that don’t have to pay the high cost of meeting state and local regulations. And there’s always the chance that an illicit player is posing as a state-legal one.
The Border Patrol would not say how much marijuana — illicit or state-certified — has been seized at Southern California checkpoints in recent years.
In fact, cannabis entrepreneurs like Peace at March and Ash want the federal government involved in regulating the industry, distinguishing the legal actors from the illegal.
“We don’t want the U.S. authorities to stop checking everything coming through,” Peace said. “The line between certain legal players and illegal operators is not as bright as the public may understand. The legal industry wants law enforcement to find and deal with the illegal product flooding the marketplace.”
Cannabis industry leaders in Southern California have tried to make inroads with federal and state authorities to come up with a uniform protocol for moving state-legal product through checkpoints. And while they’ve gotten some sympathetic responses, they are ultimately told that nothing can be done on an official level until the issue is handled in Washington, D.C.
The state Bureau of Cannabis Control said as much to Swider in a letter sent after two recent checkpoint incidents.
“The Bureau understands that this creates challenges for those legally conducting commercial cannabis activity pursuant to state law. However, the Bureau does not have the authority to change the federal law or border patrol checkpoint operations to allow licensees to transport cannabis goods through these checkpoints,” it stated.
The bureau declined to speak with the Union-Tribune about the issue.
“We pay a lot of money to have this license, we shouldn’t be having these problems,” Swider said. “All we hear is, ‘It’s a federal problem, not our problem. We can’t help you.’”
Still, Peace said the Border Patrol is responding to the issue with more nuance than he’d expected.
“The agents, I believe, are doing a heck of a job on a pragmatic level, living under this layer of federal and state laws that the powers that be don’t want to address.”
Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.


latimes--2020-07-04--Flooding hits parts of Newport Beach amid high tide, high surf

Ocean waves crashed over the sand at the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach and into parking lots and streets , @ @ @ @ @ the dangerous combination of high tide and high surf , authorities said .
The tide @ @ @ @ @ 8:25 p.m. Friday , according to US Harbors , an online service provided for boaters @ @ @ @ @ issued a high surf advisory through noon Monday warning that waves and surf of five @ @ @ @ @ to eight feet were likely .
One man told KNBC-TV he helped rescue people from @ @ @ @ @ ashore by the waves and battered to pieces .
There were reports that a lifeguard @ @ @ @ @ while rescuing two teens near the Balboa Pier .
The tide is next expected to @ @ @ @ @ 9:06 p.m. Saturday , 6.3 feet at 9:47 p.m. Sunday and 6 feet at 10:28 @ @ @

Ocean waves crashed over the sand at the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach and into parking lots and streets, destroying a sailboat because of the dangerous combination of high tide and high surf, authorities said.
The tide peaked at 6.5 feet at 8:25 p.m. Friday, according to US Harbors, an online service provided for boaters. The National Weather Service issued a high surf advisory through noon Monday warning that waves and surf of five to seven feet with sets to eight feet were likely.
One man told KNBC-TV he helped rescue people from a sailboat that was pushed ashore by the waves and battered to pieces.
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There were reports that a lifeguard was hospitalized for injuries suffered while rescuing two teens near the Balboa Pier.
The tide is next expected to peak at 6.5 feet at 9:06 p.m. Saturday, 6.3 feet at 9:47 p.m. Sunday and 6 feet at 10:28 p.m. Monday.