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- Sheriff Station now taking BB Gun attacks seriously: What was treated just last week as a simple case of vandalism (at least according to The Signal), is now a full investigation into a “several incidents of air gun related vandalism and assaults” in the Canyon Country area. Two weeks ago (!), a 13 year old girl sitting at a bus stop was shot with an air gun; she suffered a puncture wound on her arm. And then on Monday night, five bicyclists stopped into the Sheriff’s station on Magic Mountain parkway to report that “they were riding their bicycles together near Soledad Canyon Road and Camp Plenty when a car pulled up alongside of them and fired at least three shots from a BB gun at them.” A Drive By BB Gun shooting? Indeed, there’s more ; the Sheriff’s website has a map showing the location of at least 24 BB gun shooting incidents in Canyon Country. The cyclists gave a description of the car; you can read about that here. In yesterday’s Signal article, one victim of BB gun violence said the Sheriff’s Station wouldn’t respond when he called them; a spokesperson says there were no Detectives working at the time and other Deputies had been tasked to a higher priority call. KTLA has a report too.
- Wall Street Journal Probes CalPers, mentions Newhall Ranch: The Journal has an in-depth report on the risky real estate investments -including Newhall Ranch- that the giant state employee pension fund invested in in the last few years. The report has perhaps the best reporting on how CalPers partnered with several other companies, investment funds and a timber giant to invest in Newhall Ranch in early 2007. That timing, however, “turned out to be a bad moment to buy land,” according to the Journal, which notes that LandSource -parent of Newhall Land- declared bankruptcy earlier this year. Finally, the Journal confirms what we’ve heard elsewhere; that LandSource “is planning to sell smaller parcels, but preserve the large Newhall Ranch.” WSJ.com report
- Median Housing price for Southern California dips below $300k: So says DataQuick, a reliable real estate data company. The report says the median price for a home in Southern California is (finally?) now $285,000; that’s over 34.5% off from last November and 43.6% off the peak in 2007. LA Land has more.
- Weather outside is frightful: It’s cold and windy this morning with dark ominous clouds overhead, and the snow level may drop really low. The local mountains already have a bunch of the white stuff, and the temp today shouldn’t break 50, according to AccuWeather.com. When did the SCV turn into Buffalo New York?
- Local Prop 8 Protest this Saturday: “Join the Impact” is a nationwide coordination group devoted to protesting Proposition 8, and this Saturday, the group is planning a Candle Light Vigil protest at “local commercial districts” around the country. Here in the SCV, at least two people will be at the end of Town Center Drive, probably in that traffic circle near the entrance to the food court. They will stay silent unless asked a question and their candles will be electronic, so as not to upset the hyper-reactive Town Center Security forces. Anyway, if you want to join them, here’s the details.
- Two Quotes from McKeon: Our Congressman has been in the news recently. Here’s his spokesman on McKeon’s reaction to Obama’s pic for Secretary of Education: “Superintendent Duncan has earned a reputation as a reformer who’s not afraid to shake up the status quo in order to improve student achievement.” And here’s McKeon on the Sci-Fi looking unmanned Navy fighter jet produced by Northrop up in the Antelope Valley: “We have seen unimaginable technology emerge from California’s Antelope Valley and Northrop Grumman. The X-47B UCAS joins a respected legion of exciting military aircraft produced here in the district. While this X-47B is the first of its kind, I believe it is the first in a long line of unmanned combat aircraft that will be produced by the talented men and women of Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale manufacturing center.” That’s right, the Antelope Valley, home of advanced fighter jets and homes without enough water.
- State Road, .edu programs face shutdown: The LA Times has more. I wonder if this will affect the car pool lane planned for I-5 between Highway 14 and Parker Road in Castaic? CalTrans posted a notice in today’s Signal.
- Buck McKeon and Gary Horton have lunch again: The last time they had lunch, I think, was before the Republicans lost the House in November 2006. The Congressman and the Columnist ate together last week though, and Horton reflects on that and some things his pastor has said.