Shipping Container Kills Cyclist
CARSON — On Oct. 27, 51-year-old Long Beach resident Robert Castorena was killed in Carson when a big rig’s container came loose and slid off its trailer, crushing the cyclists, officials said.
The incident took place at about 5 p.m. near Santa Fe Avenue and Warnock Way. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at the Carson Station officials are investigating the incident.
Investigators noted that it seemed that the truck, Western Pride Inc. in Cedar City, Utah, did not squarely strike the vertical surface of the 14 feet and 5 inches tall bridge. Containers are about 12 to 14 feet high on a chassis.
Details about whether the truck exceeded the posted height of the railroad bridge, or what other factors may have contributed to the container toppling off the truck onto the passing bicyclist are unclear. It has not been determined whether the driver was an independent contractor, who determines his own route, or a company employee.
Man Stabbed to Death
LONG BEACH — Long Beach Police Department officers found 22-year-old Jesus Pimentel of Long Beach stabbed at 1000 block of Maine Avenue.
The incident took place at about 7:45 p.m. Oct. 25. Pimental was found stabbed in the torso, lying on the sidewalk. Long Beach Fire Department paramedics transported Pimental to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
The motive for the incident does not appear to be gang-related and the investigation remains ongoing. No suspect information is available at this time.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact to call (562) 570-7355 or visitwww.lacrimestoppers.org.
Long Beach Human Trafficker Arrested
LONG BEACH — On Oct. 21, Long Beach Police Department officers arrested 38-year-old Long Beach resident Jeff Floyd Beadle for trafficking a 17-year-old girl, officials said.
Charges were filed against Beadle on Oct. 23 for human trafficking of a minor and pimping and pandering a minor.
According to a release issued by the LBPD today, officials discovered the victim in the online advertisement. They later learned she was being forced to provide sex for money, and found her living in a motor home with the suspect, who was on parole for previously committing a “lewd and lascivious act.”
The victim was rescued and services will be provided to her through the Los Angeles County First Responder Protocol for Sexually Exploited Children.
Beadle is currently being held in Los Angeles County Men’s Jail without bail. Beadle was charged this afternoon.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to call (562) 570-7219.
Port Awarded EPA Grant for Zero-Emission Tractors
LONG BEACH — The Port of Long Beach has been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help Long Beach Container Terminal replace diesel-fueled tractors with electric, zero-emission vehicles.
The Diesel Emission Reduction Act grant will help Long Beach Container Terminal to buy eight cargo-handling electric-powered yard tractors for $5.4 million, replacing a matching number of diesel-powered yard tractors and reducing the associated air pollution.
The electric vehicles are critical components of the port’s $1.3 billion Middle Harbor project, which when opened early next year will be the world’s greenest shipping terminal, and one of the most technologically advanced — a virtually all-electric and zero emissions facility.
The project is expected to reduce emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxides by 40 tons and diesel particulate matter by two tons during the lifecycle of the equipment. Vehicles are scheduled for delivery by the spring or summer of 2017.
The Diesel Emission Reduction Act was created in 2005 and provides grants to state, local and tribal governments for programs to reduce emissions from diesel engines. It is estimated every $1 allocated by the legislation’s grants results in about $13 worth of health and environmental benefits. Since 2005, the Port has received about $10.5 million in grants from the EPA to reduce emissions in the Harbor Area.
Garcetti Announces Goal to Double Affordable Housing Production
LOS ANGELES — On Oct. 23, Mayor Garcetti announced that Los Angeles is well on its way to meet his goal of building 100,000 new housing units by 2021, reaching almost 30,000 new permitted units as of September 2015.
Speaking at the Mayoral Housing, Jobs, and Transportation Summit hosted by the Los Angeles Business Council, Garcetti detailed a bold package of strategies to double the production of affordable housing, including his support of a “linkage fee” on market rate development that would create local, flexible funding for affordable housing. To incentivize production, he also signed Executive Directive No. 13, directing city departments to expedite case processing for housing development projects with more than 20 percent of units dedicated as affordable.
At this past year’s Los Angeles Business Council summit, the Mayor announced his goal of permitting 100,000 new units of housing by 2021 to help meet the city’s growing demand. As of September, the city is exceeding its timeline to meet that goal with 29,750 units permitted. This strong progress is set to continue with about 37,000 units in the Department of City Planning’s entitlement pipeline.
Garcetti also set a target of building or preserving at least 15,000 units of affordable housing from 2013 through 2021. To reach this, he announced his support for launching a housing linkage fee study that would create a new, dedicated local source of funding for affordable housing activities which, according to the most recent study done by the city in 2011, could raise between $37 and $112 million annually. Garcetti also called for the city to continue contributing at least $10 million annually from its general fund for affordable housing activities.
The linkage fee study would be handled by a new housing policy unit within the City’s Planning Department that would also lead the development of new zoning initiatives to encourage the development of mixed-income housing around transit. This is one of several development reforms Garcetti for in his executive directive. In the past year, Garcetti has also implemented several efforts to reduce barriers to development by launching parallel design permitting, which gets shovels in the ground while plans are finalized; introducing Saturday building inspection service, so homeowners don’t have to take time off to wait for permit clearances; creating a concierge service at the city’s development service centers, to guide applicants through the permitting process; and expanding counter plan check services, where engineers are available for walk-in, face-to-face, building plan check review.
IBEW Local 11 Endorses Jeannine Pearce for Long Beach City Council
LONG BEACH — On Oct. 26, the Jeannine Pearce for Long Beach City Council Campaign announced the endorsement of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 11.
Jeannine Pearce is a 2nd District resident and is running for the Long Beach City Council to fill Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal’s seat.
Pearce’s priorities include supporting a thriving and growing local economy, building a clean and safe environment for residents to flourish and a commitment to collaboration with all stakeholders.
O’Donnell Endorses Malauulu
LONG BEACH – On Oct. 28, Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees candidate
Vivian Malauulu announced that Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell formally
endorsed her campaign for the board’s Area Two seat in next April’s municipal elections.
“I believe Vivian Malauulu will be an excellent trustee and will focus her energy on student success,” O’Donnell said. “As a journalism professor at Long Beach City College and chair of the City of Long Beach’s Commission on Youth and Children, Vivian knows education, the needs of our students, and our community well. I am proud to add my name to her growing list of endorsements.”
In just a few weeks she has raised more than $40,000 in campaign contributions. State Sens. Isadore Hall and Tony Mendoza, former state Sen. Betty Karnette, the Teamsters union, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union also have endorsed Malauulu.
Trustee Irma Archuleta Announces Campaign
LONG BEACH – On Oct. 27, Irma Archuleta announced her campaign to seek a full term representing Trustee Area #2 on the Long Beach Community College District Board.
Archuleta, whose career in post-secondary education has spanned more than 30 years, was appointed to the board this past to fill the unexpired term of former trustee and current Long Beach Councilman Roberto Uranga.
Archuleta’s campaign also released the following list of endorsements:
State Senator Isadore Hall
State Senator Ricardo Lara
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia
Long Beach City Councilmember Lena Gonzalez
Long Beach City Councilmember Steve Neal (Ret.)
Long Beach City Councilmember Tonia Reyes Uranga (Ret.)
Long Beach City Councilmember Roberto Uranga
Long Beach Community College District Trustee Jeff Kellogg
Long Beach Community College District Trustee Patricia Lofland (Ret.)
Long Beach Community College District Trustee Doug Otto
Long Beach Unified School District Boardmember Megan Kerr
Cerritos College Board Trustee Ruth Banda-Ralph (Ret.)
Rancho Santiago Community College Trustee Lawrence Labrado
Long Beach Port Commissioner Carmen Perez (Ret.)
Long Beach Planning Commissioner Erick Verduszco
Long Beach City College Academic Senate President Phyllis Arias (Ret.)
*Titles uses for identification purposes only
“Irma Archuleta is a thoughtful, effective, and experienced advocate for expanding access to higher education in Long Beach,” said Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia in announcing his support. “She is an educator and college administrator who has spent over three decades working to improve the lives of students. From one educator to another, I’m proud to support her.”
Throughout her career, she has served in various administrative roles within both the California Community College and California State University systems. She has worked at Compton College, El Camino College, Cal State Long Beach, and Evergreen Valley College. In addition to serving as an administrator, Irma has taught courses in both Political Science and Ethnic Studies.
Archuleta attended Compton College before studying at both Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Dominguez Hills. She earned a bachelor’s degree in human studies with an emphasis in bilingual education, and she has a master’s degree in public administration.
Hahn Reiterates Call for Scanning at Ports
Washington, D.C. — On Oct. 27, Rep. Janice Hahn called for 100 percent scanning of cargo at U.S. ports in a House of Representatives hearing on the prevention of and response to a dirty bomb attack at a U.S. port.
“When people ask me what keeps me up at night? A dirty bomb at the Port of Los Angeles,” Hahn said in a released statement. “Since 9/11, our nation has strengthened aviation security but our ports have not received the same scrutiny and remain incredible vulnerable to what could be a devastating attack.”
Dirty bombs could be smuggled into ports in cargo containers on ships coming into the port, Hahn has long advocated for requiring scanning of 100 percent of cargo containers at American ports to catch dirty bombs and other dangerous materials. One hundred percent scanning was mandated by Congress in 2006, but today we scan just 3 percent of all cargo.
Although some have insisted that scanning all cargo would slow down port operations, Dr. Gregory Canavan, senior fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratories was a witness at the hearing. He said that technologies could be implemented that would not impede the flow of commerce. Hahn agrees and has introduced the SCAN Act, which would initiate a pilot program for 100 percent scanning and test its practicality at two of our nation’s ports.
Hahn remains concerned that our major ports are vulnerable because they do not have a recovery plan in case of an attack. Without a recovery plan, an attacked port could remain out of commission for an extensive period of time, multiplying the impact on the economy and making a port an even more appealing target for terrorism.
Congresswoman Hahn’s Amendments to Improve Highway Bill Pass Committee
Washington, D.C. — On Oct. 22, members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure passed two of Rep. Janice Hahn’s amendments to improve the long-overdue highway bill.
“By finally moving on from short-term extensions we can give our local governments the ability to plan ahead and make real improvements to our country’s roads, bridges, and highways,” said Hahn in a statement. “Over the life of this bill, this legislation will bring $22 billion to California.”
Hahn’s first amendment will allow federal freight funding to go to roads connecting ports to major highways. The National Freight Network created by the Department of Transportation designates the major roads and highways that goods movement depends on. Unfortunately, it fails to include “last mile” roads, which connect major highways to the ports and airports and prevents specialized freight funding from going to infrastructure projects on these roads. Her amendment will fix this problem and allow those roads to receive some of the $750 million of annual dedicated freight funding.
“Our local ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach handle 40 percent of the freight that enters our country and I know firsthand the importance of these ‘last mile’ roads,” Hahn said. “We know the impact landside congestion has on port congestion and this fix will allow us to better address it.”
Hahn’s second amendment will allow more young people to receive job training in the transportation industry. Hahn has recently met with LA Metro’s new Executive Director Phil Washington about the ongoing problem of youth unemployment and the opportunities young people could have in Metro and other transit programs around the country. Her amendment will make grants available for transportation job training programs for unemployed youth.
This legislation will also include a directive from Hahn drawing attention to the impact associated with cutting bus service to low-income communities.