Longtime Malibu resident and businesswoman Olicvia Newton John has died … of cancer … at age 73.

The megastar singer and movie star lost her long battle with breast cancer.

In the 80s and 90s … Olivia Newton John owned a small clothing store in Malibu.

She worked as a volunteer at Webster Elementary … crafting an award-winning garden there.

She had reportedly moved to a ranch in Santa Barbara County a few years ago.

Newton John was a Malibu star.

=====

City Council Candidate Allegedly Busted Kid’s Surfboard In Surf Rage Incident Caught On Video

City council candidate Andy Lyon has apparently been caught on video … hurtling a giant rock onto a surfboard … in a fit of surf rage … in front of a woman and a child on Surfsider beach.

Te incident was recorded last Friday.

There is no independent confirmation that the man hurtling the rock over head … smashing into the surfboard … is in fact Andy Lyon.

A social media campaign was started to publicly shame the prominent Malibu surfer … and get him fired from his job.

And that apparently has been successful.

His employer … an elite Malibu real estate company called “The Agency” … has apparently posted a notice that it has “separated” Lyon from its employ.

We’ve asked Lyon for comment … no response early this morning.

Lyon is one of five candidates to have pulled petitions to run for city council.

He’s run twice before.

==========

1/2 Cent Sales tax Hike To Go Before Malibu Voters

Malibu voters will get to decide on a half percent increase in the sales tax.

The city council last night voted to put the question to the voters this fall … it will have to pass by a 55 percent yes vote.

It was a unanimous vote.

Here are the opinions of four council members… 

NEWSCART A75533 TAX UHRING 

“I was going to be interested to see if the chamber was gonna show up tonight and say something about this.  And the fact that they haven’t gives me some level of comfort that there’s not a lot of concerned about this out there.”

NEWSCART A73534 TAX SILVERSTEIN 

My impressions that most of our businesses aren’t owned by Malibu residents.  And I don’t have a lot of sympathy for outside owners of businesses here.  They are not what this town is all about.  This is a rural residential community.. We clearly have financial needs that we are not dealing with.

NEWSCART A73532 TAX MIKKE 

People are screaming for more public safety not less. And our sheriff’s station is not going to come cheap.  I know some people aren’t fans of the beach team but the reality is those officers are not just on the beach …. They’re everywhere.

NEWSCART A73531 TAX GRISANTI

I am also in favor of it.  I think if anything this will make our sales tax equivalent to what I see in the surrounding communities.

City Council woman Karen Farrer did not make a public statement last night… Although she sponsored the proposal to put the matter on the agenda.

======

Gas Stations Get Slight Reprieve On Dark Skies Ordinance

Malibu’s gas stations will be allowed to shed a little light out onto Pacific Coast Highway … as the city’s new Dark Skies Ordinance was amended last night.

The city will allow gas stations to spread a little light onto surrounding roads … which are already lit be streetlights in most cases. 

The city’s lighting consultant says the current dark skies rules are impossible for gas stations to meet … because they prohibit gas station lights from spilling out onto the highway … which is already lit by much-brighter street lights. 

Dark skies activist Cami Winikoff urged the city council last night to pass the loosened rules. 

NEWSCART 73530 LIGHTS WINIKOFF

“These gas stations will be at the forefront of what can be done and will be an inspiration to many many other communities. Let’s make it feasible for them to achieve.

“I therefore respectfully ask that you approve staff’s recommendation. Otherwise it will be infeasible for the gas stations to comply and the city will be derailing with many variations requests one by one which will take many more years and will potentially have many more lighting variances than what is right now being recommended.”

The revised rules passed on a 4 to 1 vote … with BruceSilverstein casting the lone dissent. 

Grand Jury Investigating Deputy With Knee On Inmate’s Throat, And The Alleged Coverup By Alex Villanueva

A criminal grand jury is investigating the alleged cover up attempts by Sheriff Alex Villanueva … the coverup of the deputy who planted his knee on the neck of a county jail inmate for three minutes … two weeks after tyheGeorge Floyd murder roiled American politics.

The altercation was captured on a video recording … and there are allegations from former command staff that Villanueva lied about having allegedly seeing the video three days after it happened … but covering it up due to ongoing riots and protests about the George Floyd crime.

In a statement late Monday, the embattled sheriff acknowledged the grand jury investigation, and said his office is fully cooperating.

Yesterday … Villanueva accused the allegations of misconduct “indicates that the allegation of misconduct was orchestrated by involved department executives to falsely portray themselves as whistleblowers in order to avoid discipline, up to and including termination.”

The Los Angeles Times first reported the grand jury probe, reported Monday that several subpoenas have been served directing department officials to testify beginning later this week.

Security video of the altercation, first obtained by The Times, shows Johnson keeping his knee on Escalante’s head for three minutes after he was handcuffed and did not appear to be resisting.

After the Times published the story and video, Villanueva held a news conference and denied any effort to cover up the incident.

Villanueva has stuck with that timeline, even after some department executives have challenged his assertions, contending that the sheriff actually saw the video shortly after the altercation occurred but worked to cover up the incident to avoid bad press for the agency.