=.  New Covid 19 cases start to decrease … but not the number of deaths, Yet. 

=.  Local schools report just four positive Covid cases on campus.

=.  A week after an epic crime spree on PCH … Henry Stern wants to crack down on street racers.

=.  CHP and local deputies still can’t talk to each other on the radio …, a major failure that may have contributed to the death of a deputy in that mass shooting in TO 3 years ago.

=. Santa Monica will tear down a parking garage at the promenade … after a lawyer screws up.

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

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Dramatic Decline In LA County Covid Count 

Los Angeles County’s daily coronavirus case numbers continue to see a dramatic decline … about 35 percent down from a week ago.

But 40 people in L A County died from Coronavirus ,.. as reported Sunday.  And that is high.

Transmission rates still remain very high.

The death count in Malibu and Santa Monica remains unchanged … at 31. 

Test results from last week at Malibu’s four public schools show very low numbers of infections.

Malibu High School … with 413 enrolled students … had 2 positive cases.

Malibu Middle School … with 269 enrolled students … had zero positive cases.

Malibu Elementary School … on Point Dume … with 207 enrolled students … has 2 positive cases.

And Webster elementary in the Civic Center … with 209 enrolled students … had zero positive cases.

Back at L A County … health officials are encouraging to layer common sense safety precautions at upcoming gatherings, including Lunar New Year celebrations this week … and watching the Super Bowl in 13 days.

Residents should not host or go to gatherings if they are sick. 

When possible, test before gathering indoors with others; this is especially important when getting together with individuals who are unvaccinated or at high risk for severe illness from COVID. 

Hosting activities outdoors is always safer, especially while eating and drinking.  

In crowded indoor settings, wearing a well-fitting, high quality mask adds an important layer of protection.

Henry Stern Remembers 2 MHS Friends Killed, Calls For Crackdown On Madness

Another bill to crack down on illegal street racing and sideshows is being prepared in Sacramento … the author is State Senator Henry Stern.

He wants to augment funding for law enforcement and make penalties more severe.

The bill would increase penalties, funnel more funding to the CHP from the recently announced Federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, increase the amount of time a vehicle can be impounded, and in the most severe cases, seize and demolish vehicles.

At a news conference on a busty street … Stern said it’s time to act.

NEWSCART 73062STERN CHP 111 

“We’re standing here today saying that in that if that’s your attitude and that’s the way you’re going to go about your lives in Los Angeles and recklessly use your car as a weapon then we’re coming for you.”

A man who lost his wife to an out of control car that hit her building … and a Los Angeles woman who lost her daughter to street racing … also spoke.

Lilly Trujillo lost her 16 year old daughter to street racing a decade ago. … and since then had been working in schools to educate generations of kids raised on “Fast and Furious”

NEWSCART 73063 CHP LILLY TRUJILLO 

“As a mother I know what it is to go through this and I’m going to do everything I can to educate the youth. And unfortunately since 2013 it has just gotten worse after the pandemic it’s gotten even worse but I know those hope and I know that we can do something.”

For Stern … a Malibu High graduate … the issue is personal … the impact permanent. 

NEWSCART 73061 STERN CHP 2 

“You know the news cameras will come that day… Like they came for some of my best friends… Tyler and Keith on PCH… I remember it… Right out of high school… And they had a car… or a car hit them will never know.  And they’re gone … it was a tragedy for our community … and then we move on.”

It was on 2005 that Stern’s fellow Malibu High alums … Tyler Love and Keith Naylor, 21, were killed Nov 12 when a car made an illegal U-turn in front of them on PCH near Sunset

Stern is still writing his bill. 

But he wants to increase penalties…  increase the amount of time a vehicle can be impounded, and in the most severe cases, seize and demolish vehicles. 

So … we asked what about the obvious … when a street racer is stopped on a highway … take the car .. crush out into a little cube … and let the driver eventually walk home from jail??

NEWSCART 73060 CHP STERN 3

“CHUCKLE CHUCKLE I sort of laugh but it’s not the craziest idea. When you get into issues about demolition like I said I would just say I don’t want to get into much detail today but all options are on the table.”

Residents of eastern Malibu are still talking about the street takeover and donut cutting of two weeks ago … when PCH in the eastern city was taken over and turned into a drag strip by hundreds of drivers.

The lawless jerks were in control of there road for more than an hour … racing at speeds estimated above 80 … sometimes on the wrong side of the road. 

The impact of 10 Fast And Furious movies cannot be overstated, 

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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 .

Ventura Sheriff’s Deputies Delayed 15 Minutes To Rescue Stricken Officer @ Borderline

Horribvelo communications problems … and outright chaos on the police radios … may have contributed to the death of a sheriff’;s sergeant during the mass shootings in Thousand Oaks three years ago,

That;’s the conclusion shown by radio tapes … released last week and analyzed by the Ventura County Star newspaper.

13 people were killed when a gunman … who had expressed hated of college students … short up the Borderline Bar and grill as it hosted Pepperdine University kids for college dance night.

Every police officer in the area responded. .. it was chaotic … there was blood and victims everywhere.

Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus went down … accidentally shot by a CHP officer in the confusion.

The radio tapes showed that the CHP officer called in to CHP dispatch: “Officer down! Officer down!”

But the message didn’t relayed from CHP get to the sheriff’s dispatch center.

CHP officials said they couldn’t get through to the sheriff’s communications unit. 

Busy signals.

And on scene … CHP could not talk to the sheriffs office on the same radio channel./

And the sheriff’s radio channel was jammed swift people shouting on top of each other,.

It would be at least 15 minutes before the word spread among deputies and officers at the scene and a team prepared to rescue Helus.

A deputy tried to broadcast the message … but the transmission was made as a dispatcher spoke on the frequency., 

It would take nearly 20 minutes to rescue the mortally wounded lawman from the Thousand Oaks bar

It took 15 more minutes to get him to a hospital, where he underwent surgery and died.

The Ventura County Star reports that the breakdown in communications has emerged as one of the biggest failures in local law enforcement in recent history.

This story  was based on reporting by the Ventura County Star.

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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

 

Villanueva Accused Of Hiding From Process Server In Defamation Lawsuit

LA County sheriff Alex Villanueva is playing cat and mouse with a process server … trying to serve him with notice of a lawsuit.

The sheriff is accused of hiding in his office and his house … refusing to accept legal service of the lawsuit filed against him by a Covid testing company.

Fulgent Genetics says it was defamed by the elected sheriff last November … when Villanueva went on TV to accuse Fulgent as being connected to the Chinese government.

Fulgent is the company hired by the L A county government to conduct Covid tests for its employees.

The sheriff has been fighting the Board of Supervisors … and he claimed in letter posted on the sheriff’s official internet sites that Fulgent that the FBI warned him against using Fulgent’s COVID-19 testing services.

Villanueva claims the FBI gave him a briefing … during the Thanksgiving holidays break … that  that the company would provide to China the DNA data of county employees.

The FBI will not confirm that.

Fulgent says that charge is false and defamatory.

They’ve filed a lawsuit against the sheriff.

The sheriff refuses to accept being served with notice to appease in court. 

City News Service reports that Fulgent wants a judge to allow it serve the sheriff by publishing it in a newspaper.

Fulgent’s lawyers call that “a rich irony, given that (Villanueva), in his professional capacity as sheriff, oversees the service of court documents on the county’s reluctant defendants,” 

Fulgent lawyers state in their court papers “that Villanueva … the chief law enforcement officer of the county … has been accused of serious wrongdoing, (and) has taken the unfortunate position that he is above the law.”

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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.

 

Lawyer’s Screwup Costs SM Businesses Chance To Block Garage Demolition

Any news from down the coast… A group of downtown Santa Monica businesses that wants to preserve a major parking garage next to the promenade has had its case thrown out of court.

It’s lawyer screwed up.

A judge has tossed out the lawsuit … aimed at preserving Parking garage Three … a facility on Fourth Street near Arizona Avenue.

Judge Mitchell L Beckloff says the plaintiffs — the Santa Monica Bayside Owners Association’s (SMBOA) — failed to meet a mandatory filing deadline.

The Bayside Owners Association missed the deadline by 22 days, the court noted.

Ellia Thompson, an attorney for the Association, said she was responsible for the mistake.

She told the judge that she was working without a secretary during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by the Courthouse News Service.

“In my 17 years of practice, I have never made such a mistake,” Thompson said at the hearing, according to the report. “I have struggled during Covid to stay on top of everything.

Not good … said the judge …

The lawsuit challenging the city’s decision to demolish Parking Garage Three was dismissed.

The city plans to build a transitional housing facility for homeless persons there. 

Business owners in the immediate vicinity are freaked out about that.

The story is based on reporting by Courthouse news service and the santa monica lookout newspaper.

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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.

$421,000,000 SuperLottoPlus Prize On Topanga Cyn Blvd

We normally don’t do lottery stories but this one it’s pretty close to home.

A nationwide mega millions lotto ticket worth $421 million was sold last week just overt the hill.

The winning ticket was sold at the Chevron station on tapanga Canyon Boulevard… Just across the street from the Warner Center Mall.

It was a mega millions ticket… That’s the lottery sold in various states across the country with an approximate odds of winning of one in 10 jillion or so.

Actually … the chance of matching all five numbers and the Mega number is 1 in 302,575,350, 

The numbers drawn Friday were 3, 16, 25, 44, and 55 … and the Mega number was 13. 

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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

Between 10 and 2 … you can hear the newscast playback loop on KBU2. That’s on FM 99.1 HD2 in your car, or streaming at s7.viastreaming.net/6500

If humanly possible, the KBUU NewsScript is usually published at around midday at www.radiomalibu.net