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City declares fiscal emergency
By REBECCA NEIPP, News Review Staff Writer
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McQuiston addresses local environmental,
economic future
economic future
Thousands in stolen property recovered
Air district proposal rejected
By REBECCA NEIPP,
Council scrambles for footing after state action to eliminate more funding is upheld in the courts
The city of Ridgecrest declared a fiscal emergency at last week’s special meeting, which was called to give city officials a
chance to untangle the snarl left by a surprise court ruling that upheld a devastating action by Gov. Jerry Brown.
After years of state raids on local coffers, apparent attempts by the California legislature to close the structural deficit
between revenue and spending, cities helped voters pass Proposition 22, which definitively forbade the state from taking
any more money from cities. (In the years leading up to successful passage of that initiative in 2010, other less airtight
propositions had been passed, and other court battles had seen rulings split between state and city favor.)
One of the most common targets of state takings was redevelopment. In just two years Ridgecrest alone lost more than
$3 million to the state.
chance to untangle the snarl left by a surprise court ruling that upheld a devastating action by Gov. Jerry Brown.
After years of state raids on local coffers, apparent attempts by the California legislature to close the structural deficit
between revenue and spending, cities helped voters pass Proposition 22, which definitively forbade the state from taking
any more money from cities. (In the years leading up to successful passage of that initiative in 2010, other less airtight
propositions had been passed, and other court battles had seen rulings split between state and city favor.)
One of the most common targets of state takings was redevelopment. In just two years Ridgecrest alone lost more than
$3 million to the state.
Melissa Constant holds the
microphone as 7-year-old Malacai
Washington reads a piece about
Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy.
The celebration was held Monday
at the Historic USO Building
See story. Photo by Laura Austin
microphone as 7-year-old Malacai
Washington reads a piece about
Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy.
The celebration was held Monday
at the Historic USO Building
See story. Photo by Laura Austin
Missing man located safe and sound
By JAMES SIMMONS, News Review Correspondent
No surprise, no doubt and no equivocation colored the proceedings of the
Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District board of directors’ meeting Thursday,
Jan. 12, in Tehachapi as the board took up a contentious issue thrust upon it by a
recent Kern County Grand Jury proposal to consider a consolidation of our district
with the neighboring San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District board of directors’ meeting Thursday,
Jan. 12, in Tehachapi as the board took up a contentious issue thrust upon it by a
recent Kern County Grand Jury proposal to consider a consolidation of our district
with the neighboring San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
Kern County Sheriff’s officials credit the Ready Kern alert system in aiding them
in locating a Ridgecrest man reported missing, but complaints about
effectiveness of that solution. At about 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15, deputies from
effectiveness of that solution. At about 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15, deputies from
the Ridgecrest Substation responded to a report that Phillip Muse, 65, had not
returned after going on a walk at 1 p.m. — a part of his daily routine which typically
took one hour, according to a friend.Muse was also reported as having a
“diminished mental capacity,” as well as suffering from partial blindness and a
limp. According to sheriff’s reports, officials from the substation and volunteers
from search and rescue teams began an active search for the man.
A recorded call from a national alert system went out at 3:13 a.m. to residents of
the Indian Wells Valley, as well as former and traveling residents as far away as
Germany. Many of those contacted reportedly received staggered calls on home
and numerous cell phones.
in locating a Ridgecrest man reported missing, but complaints about
effectiveness of that solution. At about 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15, deputies from
effectiveness of that solution. At about 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 15, deputies from
the Ridgecrest Substation responded to a report that Phillip Muse, 65, had not
returned after going on a walk at 1 p.m. — a part of his daily routine which typically
took one hour, according to a friend.Muse was also reported as having a
“diminished mental capacity,” as well as suffering from partial blindness and a
limp. According to sheriff’s reports, officials from the substation and volunteers
from search and rescue teams began an active search for the man.
A recorded call from a national alert system went out at 3:13 a.m. to residents of
the Indian Wells Valley, as well as former and traveling residents as far away as
Germany. Many of those contacted reportedly received staggered calls on home
and numerous cell phones.
By REBECCA NEIPP, News Review Staff Writer
Public hearing
to address
election process
to address
election process
The Sierra Sands Unified School
District Board of Education will
hold a special meeting and public
hearing Monday, Jan. 23, at 6:30 p.
m. in Conference Room A of the
district office, 113 Felspar.
The board will collect public
testimony on a proposed
resolution to abolish the district’s
trustee residence areas in light of
changes within the district. The
mandate would take effect in time
for the November 2012 election.
District legal council analyzed to
determine whether the residents
within the Sierra Sands area would
best be served by an at-large or
district-based election. The board
determined that the at-large
system best served the students
and voters.
District Board of Education will
hold a special meeting and public
hearing Monday, Jan. 23, at 6:30 p.
m. in Conference Room A of the
district office, 113 Felspar.
The board will collect public
testimony on a proposed
resolution to abolish the district’s
trustee residence areas in light of
changes within the district. The
mandate would take effect in time
for the November 2012 election.
District legal council analyzed to
determine whether the residents
within the Sierra Sands area would
best be served by an at-large or
district-based election. The board
determined that the at-large
system best served the students
and voters.
By KENNETH C. CURNOW, News Review Correspondent
The Ridgecrest Police Depart-ment released two announcements on Jan. 12
regarding four arrests and two burglaries that occurred over the course of as
many days. The two burglaries appear to be unrelated. But during the nearly two
weeks of investigation that followed, some $3,500 worth of stolen goods was
recovered by the police.
On the evening of New Year’s Day, officers responded to a residential burglary on
the 100 block of West Barbara Avenue. By conducting several probation searches
and interviews with potential witnesses, “detectives were able to identify Travis
Lewis and Kaitlin Sutton as suspects who committed the burglary,” alleges the
press release.
regarding four arrests and two burglaries that occurred over the course of as
many days. The two burglaries appear to be unrelated. But during the nearly two
weeks of investigation that followed, some $3,500 worth of stolen goods was
recovered by the police.
On the evening of New Year’s Day, officers responded to a residential burglary on
the 100 block of West Barbara Avenue. By conducting several probation searches
and interviews with potential witnesses, “detectives were able to identify Travis
Lewis and Kaitlin Sutton as suspects who committed the burglary,” alleges the
press release.
By LINDA SAHOLT,
News Review Correspondent
News Review Correspondent
Arzell Hale of Searles Valley Minerals
and Kern County 1st District Supervisor
Jon McQuiston at an SVM management
luncheon. Photo by Linda Saholt
and Kern County 1st District Supervisor
Jon McQuiston at an SVM management
luncheon. Photo by Linda Saholt
Jon McQuiston, who has served as
Kern County 1st District supervisor for
16 years, shared his sense of what lies
ahead for our region when he spoke
Jan. 13 at a Searles Valley Minerals
management luncheon in Trona. About
30 people attended the luncheon.
“The good news is that Kern County is
now the largest wind-power producing
county in the country,” said McQuiston.
“And we have enough solar plants to
equal the entire desert solar power
production of the entire southwest.
Kern County 1st District supervisor for
16 years, shared his sense of what lies
ahead for our region when he spoke
Jan. 13 at a Searles Valley Minerals
management luncheon in Trona. About
30 people attended the luncheon.
“The good news is that Kern County is
now the largest wind-power producing
county in the country,” said McQuiston.
“And we have enough solar plants to
equal the entire desert solar power
production of the entire southwest.