=.  Nothing new this morning in the strange and suspicious death of the overnight security guard at Trancas Country Market.

=.  It may be viewed as troll elimination … the city council votes to end meeting via Zoom.

=.  Bruce Silverstein threatens Mikke Pierson with an age discrimination investigation … over Pierson’s firing of a political appointee.

=.  Sheriff Alex Villanueva admits to a major screwup within his command staff …

=.  But he spends most of a disorganized news conference attacking the LA Times for revealing it.

=.  The major supply of natural gas for your emergency electricity generator may get shut down … if Malibu’s Henry Stern has his way.

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

No Public Info Released After Yesterday, Into The  Trancas Security Guard’s Bloody Death

We don not know if the death of the night security guard at Trancas Country Market was a murder.

Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau detectives have the case … there were in the parking lot near the nursery into the evening last night.

The body of the 58 year old man was discovered just after 7 … about 30 yards north of the loading dock at the grocery store. 

His head and upper body had significant body trauma.  There was a lot of blood… And the victims flashlight sat in the blood near his feet.

As of last night … no weapon had been located. 

Deputies say they have evidence … but no weapon.

KBUU News has learned that there are no security cameras at the shopping center.

But nearby homes … and the gas station on Trancas Canyon Road … do have cameras.

Those are being examined. 

Sheriff’s homicide Lieutenant Vincent Ursine … yesterday afternoon.

HOMICIDE 111

“We’re canvassing the area for any video that may have captured the incident or any witnesses that may have seen or have some sort of information.

“But we are in the early stages and we’re processing the crime scene.

“The early indications are there hasn’t been any weapon recovered.”

The investigation is being undertaken in what … by necessity … in a veil of secrecy.

About 12 years ago … a man was found dead … knifed to death … in the foliage along Morning View Drive.

It took six months to get a statement from the sheriff’;s Homicide Bureau.

Their painstaking investigation had to be conducted in secret…. They determined that the assailant was probably a worker in Malibu … who had fled back to Central America … outside the reach of US law. 

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Support for KBUU radio… For eight years now… Has come from Rancho Del Cielo. Perched high above the Pacific Ocean and overlooking Paradise Cove… Rancho Del Cielo is a partner bringing public radio to the Malibu.

Zoom Meeting End, As City Council Says ‘Too Much’ Comment Is Not Productive

Malibu’s city council will go back to in person meetings in one month.

City commission too. 

And there will be no more Zooming in to make comments.

That will significantly reduce the amount of live public comment … obviously.

That will put an end to this … from Monday night… a heckler from Texas.

NEWSCART 73228 PANDEMIC TROLL

“You know, Karen, I was just looking at my Instagram and you are one of the most beautiful brides I’ve ever seen in my entire life.  I mean I’ve been told .. I mean but she had to be told I may just wait Paul I mean it has to do with I mean Paul don’t give me that Paul attitude I mean yeah I know it’s about 3-B-5 you mean I’m trying to talk to the city councilwoman you know so that’s probably you know I got Paulie Paulie  I got it I mean if you were cool I mean Pauly Shore you would have a cooler attitude but of course you’re not.”

That will deprive the stage being given to out of state hecklers … unless they drive out from Dallas or wherever to attend meetings in person.

NEWSCART A 73237 PANDEMIC FARRER

“I am not in favor of hybrid meetings. We are short-staffed already.

“I think it’s … it’s a burdem … and it offers disadvantages without advantages. I would rather  see us consider going back 100% in person like we were before the pandemic.”

It was a unanimous vote.

Councilman Bruce Silverstein agreed that it might be a good idea to make it a little more difficult to speak … from afar … like some hecklers have been doing recently.

NEWSCART A73238 PANDEMIC SILVERSTEIN 

“I don’t know that we should be making things too easy … because it actually invites a lot of people to participate that wouldn’t otherwise participate in anything but for the fact …

“As Karen noted earlier … there are people that are calling in and being disruptive -which I did not solocit.  They won’t have that opportunity to call in from other states border from from other areas around here.”

It was a unanimous vote to end Zoom meetings.

Te first in-person city council meeting will be May 9th.

City commission meetings will be back in city hall as of that date … May 9th.

Silverstein Threatens Pierson With A Civil Rights Investigation, As Politics Consume City Hall

Just when you think political maneuvering at Malibu City Hall could not sink further … it did.

Late Monday night … councilman Bruce Silverstein threatened an age discrimination investigation against fellow councilman Mikke Pierson.

This … because Pierson fired a his political appointee to the city parks commission … and replaced her with another person.

Pierson removed Georgia Goldfarb as his parks commissioner …. He said because she was pressing for an agenda that was different than his … and he wanted to go a different direction.

Goldfarb was fired shortly after she publicly opposed Pierson’s vote against Silverstein to be mayor…. And that was an unusual move for a person to oppose her political sponsor like that.

Two political allies of Bruce Silverstein wrote letters to the city council … alleging that Pierson was discriminating against Goldfarb because of her age or sex or the fact that Goldfarb does not have young children at home.

The letters claimed that Pierosn was violating federal antidiscrimination laws by replacing her … they said … for a younger person.

Monday night … Pierson rejected that …angrily.

NEWSCART A 73231 threat 111 PIERSON

“Some of the letters I seen a common name in my opinion are absolutely horrendous and I completely untrue.  Have today it freaks early campaigning for the next election but no time in anyway anything to do with age sex race religion at all I don’t think that way and I don’t act that way.”

Payback time … city councilman Bruce Silverstein.

He and his supporters are still furious that Silverstein was denied the custodial honor of being the rotating mayor.

Monday night… Silverstein supporters mentioned that.

And Silverstein threatened to bring age or sex or some other discrimination charges against fellow councilman Mikke Pierson.

Bruce Silverstein:

NEWSCART A73239 THREAT BS

“When I was investigated I believe unnecessarily inappropriately I was told if somebody wants to make an allegation of ageism must make an investigation please don’t make us have to have an investigation of you.”

That was clearly viewed as a threat by Pierson.

NEWSCART A73233 THREAT MPIERSON

“You are clearly an experienced litigator is what I’ll say.

“Turning heresay into fact is … I just disagree,

“I have nothing against Georgia .,. I respect Georgia … um … like you I wanted to make a change to my team.

“And I have for awhile, to be honest.”

Two women were appointed to city commissions by the city council Monday. 

Jo Drummond .was appointed as a public works commissioner by Silverstein.

She replaces a man who resigned … to broaden diversity on what had been an all-male panel.

And Kayleigh Jenner was appointed as a parks commissioner by Pierson.

[Correction, 5:33 pm Wed. Drummond was appointed by Silverstein, as was reported on the radio broadcast.   The transcription said Pierson, and that has been corrected,]

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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

Sheriff Admits His Command Staff Blew It On A Deputy’s Knee On An Inmate’s Neck, But Blasts LA Times For Revealing It

Alex Villanueva admits … to a big problem involving how his command staff handled the case of a sheriff’s deputy crunching a jail detainee’s neck … with a knee.

Yesterday .. the sheriff accused members of his own command staff of attempting to cover up an incident in which a deputy knelt on the head of a handcuffed inmate for more than three minutes.

The L A Times revealed last week that commanders at L A County sheriff’s headquarters seriously mishandled that case of deputy misconduct … 

But the sheriff did not thank the free press for exposing the alleged coverup within the sheriff’s command staff… 

No.

Yesterday .,.. sheriff Alex Villanueva called a news conference ….   primarily was to attack the L A Times … 

Only after a rambling … out of breath attack on the newspaper … did Valenzuela address what he admitted was a major screwup within his command staff. 

He has named a new acting assistant sheriff to oversee countywide operations.  

Apparently ..a different assistant sheriff is being reassigned.

That’s just the latest turmoil within the top levels of the sheriff’s office under Villanueva.

At his quickie news conference yesterday … Villanueva rambled against the news media … accusing the LA Times of timing its investigative publishing … to hurt his political campaign.

NEWSCART A73234 SHERIFF TIMING 

“That’s the 25th so my campaign kick off was on the 26th .

“So when all the media shows up on the kick off on the 26th … Spectrum News and primarily (KCBS-TV) Channel 2 … what they asked for was not about the campaign or anything .  They asked about that and that was entirely how the whole thing was set up to be that’s how t

 

.”

But Villanueva himself yesterday admitted that his command staff screwed up … and did not evaluate the video of the deputy’s actions for possible violations of the law. 

NEWSCART A73235 SHERIFF INVESTIGATE

“Along the way – early on – something did not not happen … which was a vetting of this case for a possible criminal investigation. We have an internal criminal investigation bureau. 

“That did not happen when it was supposed to have happened … so this case lingered in through the administrative process .

“But along the way, many people – including senior executives of my administration – saw this.

“And what concerns me is a they actually saw the information and they did not hit the ‘stop’ button – say ‘hey we have to take a look at this in a different light and in the right light and do both a criminal and an administrative investigation.’ “

So … let’s review the sheriff’s own timeline.

There as a coverup in the sheriff’s senior ranks … a procedural mistake that left a crime inal investigation undone. 

Sounds pretty newsworthy.

And this mistake was corrected by the sheriff … he says … when he learned of it.

And he reshuffled his command staff … although no details on that.

Sounds pretty newsworthy.

And this mistake that went undisclosed by the sheriff until the L A Times got the video of the assault by a deputy … and ran it. 

Villanueva … however ,,, yesterday used big graphic display cards produced at taxpayer expense … and called a news conference to go after the LA Times … Spectrum News and Channel 2.

Villanueva is the elected sheriff of L A County …, the agency that is hired by the city of Malibu and 40 other small cities to be the municipal police force. 

And Villanueva is up for re-election.

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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.

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Your Natural Gas Generator May Sputter, If Aliso Canyon Closes, But SF Valley Activists Say It Is An Immediate Hazard

The California Legislature may close down the methane storage area that supplies fuel to Malibu’s natural gas generators and water heaters.

The Aliso Canyon underground storage area … the Southern California Gas Company facility that catastrophically leaked 100 thousand tons of pollutant into the air in the north San Fernando Valley … making dozens of people sick.

State senator Henry Stern .. the Malibu native who also represents the Valley … has a bill to lock in 2027 as the closure date.

Aliso Canyon is viewed as critical by the California Public Utilities Commission … which recently allowed the Gas Company to expand the amount of methane that can be stored there.

In fact …. the CPUC wants to postpone the scheduled closure of Also Canyon by 8 years.

State officials say the storage facility is vital… to accept natural gas coming in from Texas and New Mexico and store it locally until the periods when local demand for electrical generation peaks.

Stern contends that the leaks at Aliso Canyon have had dire impacts on the climate.

He wants the facility to only be used as a last resort, while the process for closing it moves forward.

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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.

=.  Nothing new this morning in the strange and suspicious death of the overnigthrt security guard at Trancas Country Market.

=.  In may be viewed as troll elimination … the city council votes to end meeting via Zoom.

=.  Bruce Silverstein threatens Mikke Pierson with an age discrimination investigation … over Pierson’s firing ion a political appointee.

=.  Sheriff Alex Villanueva admits to a major screwup within his command staff …

=. But he spends most of a disorganized news conference attacking the LA Times for revealing it.

=.  The major supply of natural gas for your emergency electricity generator may get shut down … if Malibu’s Henry Stern has his way.

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