=. Santa Anas setting up … 33 mph this morning … 50 or 60 mph tomorrow.

=. Covid hospitalization rates in hospitals surge to near record levels.

=. Murder rates are up 94 percent … the sheriff blames his political enemies.

=. 62 skaters a day … the average summer use of the Malibu Skateboard Park.

=.  A political bigshot from the San Fernando Valley wants to represent Malibu.

=. And there’s a challenge now … to the secret deal that let SCE off the hook for the Woolsey Fire.

====KBUU NEWS 7:15AM THU JAN 20, POSTED 10AM THU JAN 20====

60 MPH Gusts On Peaks Possible Fri, 35 MPH On Beaches

An unusual winter time Santa Ana is setting up over Malibu and all of Southern California. 

We may see peak winds of 60 mph over the tops of the Santa Monica mountains tomorrow night into Saturday. 

Down here on the coast… 35 mile an hour winds are possible today and 40 mile an hour winds possible Friday night and Saturday morning.

By sunrise this morning … peaks winds were already clocked at 33 miles an hour at Camp 8 … the fire station on upper Las Flores Road.

Gale force winds for the coastal water are likely …says the National Weather Service.

The power company is not predicting that it will need to blackout any parts of Southern California due to high winds … but accidental power outages are always a possibility. 

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Covid Hospitalizations May Be Peaking

More Californians are hospitalized with severe Covid 19 disease right now than at any time since the peak of the surge last winter.

But there are indications that this winter’s Omicron surge may have reached its peak. 

As of Tuesday .. there were 15,179 Coronavirus patients hospitalized statewide, the highest since Jan. 29 … according to data analyzed by the Los Angeles times.

California averaged 52,000 people daily in its hospitals for all reasons — more than was seen during any seven-day period during the summer Delta surge. 

California’s pandemic record of 55,000 people hospitalized daily was set last winter, according to state Department of Public Health data reviewed by The L A Times.

Murders Up 94%, Sheriff Suspects The Board Of Supervisors

Murders and auto thefts have gone up dramatically across the areas of L A County patrolled by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

And Sheriff Alex Villanueva says it’s not his fault.

NEWSCART A73038 VILLANUEVA BLAMES 

“I still have a majority of the board that is dead set on defunding the department. And that it does not work because the community is suffering directly as a result of their decisions, not of our actions.”

Villanueva said yesterday that  from 2019 to 2021, homicides increased about 94% and grand theft auto increased 59%.

The elected sheriff also pointed a finger at the elected county attorney … and blamed George Gascon for failing to prosecute people arrested by the sheriff.

County attorney George Gascon fired right back … and said Villanueva is upset that county prosecutors are demanding police accountability by holding law enforcement officers who violate the law accountable for their crimes.

Villanueva faces possible charges for violating state laws that require him to submit to a civilian oversight commission … a commission that was given subpoena powers to look into the sheriff’s office by a landslide vote in the last election.

The sheriff is also refusing to require his deputies to be vaccinated against Covid 19.

That’s another order from the Board of Supervisors that the sheriff is ignoring.

As of yesterday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 618 sworn deputies either on quarantine … or sick with covid 19.

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Westward Ho!  City Commissions Try For Plan B On Beach Access

As we’ve been reporting … the Westward Beach Road promenade has run aground. 

Tonight … two city commission will try to come up with a Plan B … or maybe just abandon any idea of adding a pedestrian walkway and additional parking along Westward beach Road … also known as free Zuma

Seven years the idea was deemed to be a good idea for a city project.

It sailed through all the various commissions… was approved by the City Council… Metro money was spent to design the project and it was almost ready to go out to bid.

But then some people on Point Dume pointed out a rather obvious problem: a portion of Westward Beach Road not far away had fallen into the ocean. 

And the waves are getting closer and closer… eating away beach … and getting very close to where the seawall is supposed to go.

Tonight at five on the zoom computers… To city commissions will try to decide what to do if anything. Options include scaling back the project… Replacing all the cement with a wooden deck walkway… Or maybe even eliminating the angle parking concept. The public safety commission and the public works commission will meet together to try to decide where to go on the westward beach project… Tonight at five on the computers.

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Temporary Skatepark Sees Crowds

If you build it … they will come.

Malibu’s skateboard park at Bluffs Park attracted an average of 62 skaters a day last June … according to figures released by the city yesterday,

In one month last summer … June … 18 hundred 67 skaters used the ramps at Bluffs park.

City community services director Jesse Bobbett. 

NEWSCART A73039 BOBBET

“So our 2021 attendance … we tallied 10,941 skaters using the skate park for the year nitpicking increase in the number obviously we open a temporary skate park halfway through 2020 song was not a very busy time … Covid and having a reservation system limited the number of people we could have in there.”

The skate park at Bluffs is a temporary installation.

It will become a parking lot … when a new … 

Malibu’s parks and recreation comm Alicia Peak as chairwoman. Dane Skophammer as vice chair, 

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Sacramento Big Shot Spies Open Seat In Malibu & SF Valley

A major political force from Sacramento wants to represent Malibu as a county supervisor.

Bob Hertzberg is the California state Senate Majority Leader .

He is the former speaker of the California Assembly … a major political player in Democratic politics and the California power structure.

Hertzberrg has termed out … he can no longer run as a senator or assemblyman,

So now … he wants to become an L A County supervisor.

And Malibu has just been tacked on to the San Fernando Valley Board of Supervisors seat that Hertzberg wants to win.

In an interview with the L A Times … Hertzberg noted that he had represented the sea Fernando Valley in Sacramento for two decades … which makes him a natural to win the seat.

He says … he is the only candidate with an 818 phone number.

That’s probably not true…

Henry Stern … a Malibu native who is also in the race … lives in the Valley and has for years.

‘Other candidates include Rochard Bloom … a state assmeblymember from Santa Monica … and West Hollywood Mayor Lindsay Horveth,

Current county supervisor Sheila Kuehl has endorsed Lindsay Horveth,

Hertz berg’s entry into the race may set up a coast versus valley political race for the very powerful LA County Board of Supervisors seat … with immense implications for Malibu issue like camping in the mountains … and oversight of the MRCA. 

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Watchdog Says SCE Escaped Public Scrutiny In Backdoor Deal For $550 Million Woolsey Fine

You may recall us telling you that Southern California Edison has accepted a plea deal with the California public utilities commission … and agreed to pay 550 million dollars fines for rules violations 

This was for its failure to follow the State’s safety rules for utility operation… f

The SCE fires killed three people in the Malibu mountains in 2018, just after five people burned to death in Ventura County.

Another 23 people were killed when mudflows swept through the seaside city of Montecito.

These mudflows were caused by an SCE-caused fire … that stripped the steep mountains near Santa Barbara of trees and brush. 

Last month … we reported that the $550 million fine appeared to be pretty light … when compared with earlier southern California Edison caused disasters. 

This time … the CPUC took a legal shortcut and did not hold evidentiary hearings on the proposed fine… It simply worked out an agreement between its enforcement office and Southern California Edison behind closed doors. 

That agreement did not mention the 31 dead people.

CPUC rules require an official investigation … with public evidentiary hearings … for a major fire that results in death. 

Utility watchdog groups and the public are supposed to be given public access to the CPUC investigation. 

That’s how we learn exactly what negligent acts happened … how specifically did SCE’s maintenance policies cause the negligence that caused the fire???

That investigation and access did not happen … instead … SCE and state regulators met behind closed doors in confidential settlement communications.

Now … a formal objection has been filed by the state largest consumer utility watchdog group. 

TURN… The Utility Reform Network.

A spokesman for Edison says the 550 million dollar fine is fair and should be the end of this. 

David Eisenhauer is señor manager for corporate communications at SCE.

NEWSCART 73037 EISENHAUER 

SCE: “TURN’s legal challenge to the administrative consent order that Southern California Edison reached with the commission’s Safety and Enforcement Division is meritless and only serves to delay the implementation of an agreement that is fair, in the public’s interest, and is consistent with the commissions rules.

REPORTER: “Of course, it was all done behind closed doors, so there is no way really for anyone to know whether it was fair or proportional.”

SCE:  “Well … TURN and others had the opportunity to comment through a public comment.… And they contributed some changes to the commissions final order …

“Under this agreement that we reached we are prepared to pay $110 million to the general fund, further invest $65 million in safety enhancements including through contributions to safety oriented nonprofit organizations.

“But there was an opportunity for comment … and TURN did.”

Comment .,.. yes.

Participate in the investigation … no.

And that’s the crux of the TURN request for rehearing.

The TURN request is the legal equivalent of filing a lawsuit against the CPUC … for taking the legal shortcut … and depriving Edison customers of learning just how Edison caused the Woolsey Fire … the Thomas Fire … and three other fires that together killed 31 people and damaged billions of dollars in property. 

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You are listening to the latest news from Radio Malibu.

Support for KBUU’s radio covers from Orbit Homes Inc.

Prefabricated homes are the future of construction. Easy to get permits. Fast to build and install. Cost effective … little construction waste.

In Malibu, Orbit Homes has a showroom between City Hall and the Malibu racquet club.

Fire victims can check them out in person … and visit them on the web at www.orbithomes.us .

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Support for KBUU Radio comes from the Malibu Foundation.

The Malibu Foundation underwrote the KBUU solar panels and batteries at the transmitter … which keeps KBUU’s FM transmitting on 99.1 during storms and blackouts… 24 seven… on clean renewable Malibu sunshine.

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Another Day, Another Recall Effort Flops

In news from down the coast … yet another recall effort has failed.

This one was against West LA city councilman Richard Bonin … a favorite whipping post for conservative talk show radio hosts and others. 

The recall was fueled by discontent over Bonin’s approach to homelessness.

Bonin also survived a faulty recall petition over his efforts to calm traffic on major westside streets.

Bonin is running for reelection this fall… making a recall election rather superfluous.

Recall petitions have also failed against two Culver City council members …. also over traffic calming and bike lane issues.

Those also have failed.

Recall petitions against four Santa Monica school board members … fizzled.

Recall petitions against Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks … over her support of Covid quarantines … it flopped.

Recall petitions against County Attorney George Gascon have also failed.

And the big recall failure … the recall election against there governor… which was a massive flop.

One after another … recall effort are announced lately with great fanfare … only to flop.

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This is Malibu’s Only Local Daily News … the day edition … I’m Hans Laetz reporting. 

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Support for KBUU Radio comes from the Malibu Brewing Company.

Malibu Brewing Company is a locally owned craft brewery, proudly supporting our community, and local public radio.

Just released: a limited, holiday-spiced Winter Ale …  a perfect fireside companion.

It makes a special gift for the beer-lovers on your list.

Find Malibu Brewing Company premium craft beer in select retailers, or order direct at brew malibu dot com

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Support for KBUU Radio also comes the the Malibu Association of Realtors.

When choosing someone to represent you when you buy … sell or rent a house … local knowledge is very important.

Malibu zoning rules … Coastal Commission rules …

Members of the Malibu Association of Realtors are local experts.

The Malibu Association of Realtors …  supporters of our local community … and supporters of local radio 99.1 KBUU.

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You can hear the news live every morning until 9:30 on KBUU.

FM 99.1 in western Malibu.  Also: streaming at www.radiomalibu.net

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