Crash Damages Gas Main At PCH/Topanga

Traffic is flowing smoothly again this morning … after a late night crash damaged a natural gas pipeline at Topanga Beach.

Fire crews … California Highway Patrol officers … and LA county sheriff’s deputies were at the crash site for three hours … after the 11-45 PM crash.

No one was transported by paramedics to any hospital … but repairs to the gas company pipeline equipment took several hours to repair.

Former Sheriff Appointed LAPD Chief

The former sheriff of Los Angeles County has been appointed the next police chief of the city of Los Angeles.

JimMcDonnell was selected by LA mayor Karen Bass this morning. 

McDonnelll used to be the de facto police chief of Malibu and 44 other small cities … that together hire the LA County sheriff’s office to be the unofficial police chief.

McDonnell was elected LA county sheriff five years ago … but then defeated by Alex Villanueva. 

Villanueva was dumped at the next election … in an overwhelming landslide … by Robert Luna … the current sheriff.

And McDonnell has been working at an institute at USC in the intervening time. 

Speed Camera Locations Released By City, Which Seeks Company To Install

So where will the five speed cameras be installed in Malibu?

The city yesterday released its list … of the five preferred locations along PCH that will get the new speed cameras. 

• Decker Canyon … at the city’s western end.
• Zuma Beach … between Guernsey Avenue and Morning View Drive.
• Latigo Canyon … 
• Just west of the fire station at Carbon Canyon.
• And at the city’s eastern end … at Tuna Canyon.

City public safety director Susan Duenas says they were already getting ready to take quick action as soon as the governor signed the special Malibu speed camera bill into law. 

The city has put out a request for proposals … seeking a design company that can cook uo with acceptable policy language ,,, the equipment .,.. and then install it. 

Under the new state law … the city has to adopt a security policy … to prevent the general public from gaining access to personal data.

And the city also has to come up with proof that the speed cameras are not installed in low-income neighborhoods … under terms of the state law. 

That law also requires the city to study if the speed safety system impacts civil liberties and civil rights … plus any plans to safeguard those public rights.

It’s not clear from the city’s plans … which direction the speed cameras will point.

The state law allows five speed cameras … but it is theoretically possible that one camera could point two directions. 

Politico: Trump Sat On Malibu Fire Disaster Money Until Aides Told Him Republicans Live In California Too

President Donald Trump refused to send federal disaster dollars to Malibu and other California fire areas .,. in the immediate aftermath of the 2018 Woolsey Fire. 

Politico is reporting that two former Trump White House officials show that the former president was flagrantly partisan in response to disasters.

On at least three occasions … Trump delayed disaster aid to areas he considered politically hostile.

And he also ordered preferential treatment for pro-Trump states.

One senior director for resilience policy on the National Security Council tells Politico that Trump initially refused to approve disaster aid for California after deadly wildfires in 2018 because of the state’s Democratic leanings.

California political leaders were calling the White House … begging for help … as Trump refused to sign documents approving aid to California.

White House staff pulled voting results to show Trump that fire damaged Orange County, California had more Trump supporters than the entire state of Iowa.

One former Trump aid told Politico she had to repeatedly enlist former Vice President Mike Pence to apply pressure.

After Vice president Mike Pence applied pressure … Trump quickly scheduled a trip to Malibu … for a photo op to announce his concern.

Last month in Los Angeles … candidate Trump threatened to withhold federal disaster aid from California in the future. 

Trump threatened Newsom to withhold future federal disaster aid if the governor didn’t agree to send more water south to Republican corporate farms in the Central Valley.

It being Trump .. Trump used a silly insult. 

70648 TRUMP NEWSCUM

“Gavin ‘Newscum’ is going to sign those papers. 

“If he doesn’t sign those papers, we won’t give him money to put out all his fires.

“And if we don’t give him the money to put out his fires, he’s got problems.

“He’s a lousy governor”

Four years ago … Trump got 34 percent of the California vote.  Newsom got 59 percent of the vote in California two years ago., 

After Trump made that threat against California  … the president of the state’s firefighters union put out a statement … as voiced by a CBS reporter. 

70649 FIREUNION 

“It is shocking that we have a presidential candidate who is threatening our public safety and who doesn’t even care what the consequences are to firefighters and the public.”

Your Ballot Is In The Mail, With 33 Days To Deadline Day

Ballots for this fall’s election were mailed out yesterday to every registered voter in Los Angeles County. 

You can track the location of your specific ballot … all the way until its counted … at the county’s “Where’s My Ballot?” Tool.

That website allows voters a free subscription that sends automatic notifications by text, email, or voicemail about your ballot status. 

Once you fill out the ballot … you can mail it back for free … you can drop if off at any one of 400 locations … or you can take it to a polling center starting October 29th. 

In Malibu … the only ballot drop off location accepting ballots right now is outside the Malibu Library … on Civic Center Way. 

Other voting centers will open October 29th. 

The final day to vote is November 5th. 

Malibu Deputies Win Gold Medal For Pulling Speeder Out Of Burning Car

A sheriff’s deputy and a lieutenant at the Malibu Lost Hills sheriff’s station have been given the department’s Meritorious Conduct Gold Medal.

Deputy Francisco Espinosa and Lieutenant Fray Lupian pulled a man out of a burning car … seconds before it exploded … on Pacific Coast highway in Malibu in 2017. 

Espinoza had spotted a reported stolen vehicle. 

The suspect driver pulled over …  let out a female passenger  …  and sped away.

After a brief chase … Lieutenant Lupian saw the stolen vehicle was endangering the public on PCH … and ordered the chase to stop. 

Moments later … the car hit three parked vehicles and one moving vehicle. 

The stolen car was engulfed in flames.

Sergeant Lupian and Deputy Espinoza tied to put out the fire with fire extinguishers… As the suspect was screaming in agony,

Deputy Espinoza was finally able to open the driver’s door and he and Sergeant Lupian dragged the suspect out of the vehicle. 

Fifteen seconds later … the ca exploded.

Sgt Lupian has since been promoted to Lieutenant.  

And just last winter … Espinoza was one of four deputies credited for rescuing a person who was clinging to brush during a flood in Malibu Creek. 

Parent Company Of Pavilions Admits To Register Overcharges, Again

The parent company of Vons and Pavilions is admitting that it has overcharged customers … short weighted meat and produce … and committed other types of consumer fraud. 

Albertson Companies has settled with county attorneys across there state … including LA County. 

The company did not admit wrongdoing in the civil agreement. 

It has cooperated with the investigation and has taken steps to correct the violations, according to the L.A. County district attorney’s office.

Back ten years ago … the company admitted to the same pattern of mistakes … and made the legal promise to either give questioned items to consumers for free … or give them a five dollar credit. 

The Pavilions store at Point Dume … among others … had not been honoring that legal commitment. 

Marathon Battle Continues: Two Marathons Near Zuma Beach This Fall

The battle between two factions at the Malibu marathon continues.

The dispute has led to two charity footraces.

One … Run Malibu … is a week from Sunday..

And while part of the event will be at Malibu High School … the race itself will be out in ventura County … between Point Mugu and Camarillo. 

The 5K starts at Mugu Lagoon … and turns around near the big sand dune.

The 13 mile half marathon starts at cal State Channel Islands … and goes down las Posas Road to Point Mugu. 

Even though that race is in Ventura county .. the race expo will be at Malibu High School. 

Two weekends later … the Malibu Moves marathon is the one with the city of Malibu permit to be run on PCH at Zuma Beach.

Both races benefit local charities. 

Erica Segal runs the second race … Malibu Moves … and she says people are mistakenly signing up for the Run Malibu race up the coast. 

70650 SEGAL 

“We are basically the same team as before, but it’s a new name of the event. So there is some confusion because obviously the former permit holder has a 15-year reputation for being in Malibu so that has some people thinking it will be at Zuma Beach.”

Again … Run Malibu is one week away … on PCH in Ventura County.

And Malibu Moves is in three weeks … at Zuma Beach. 

Heat Dome Takes Friday Off, Due Back In Mountains This Weekend

After three days of one hundred degree plus temperatures over the hill… 

It was 108 two days ago in Woodland Hills … just 100 degrees yesterday,

Highs today … 69 on the beach, 95 in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Tomorrow … 69 on the beach and 105 in Calabasas.

106 Sunday in them thar hills.