Pine Mountain Club
Los Angeles quietly lists a scraggly shrub with red winter berries right beside its mighty native oaks for protection. Snip the wrong branch on that humble bush, and you could face fines plus a very awkward city visit. Across California, cities and counties write their own tree rules, so neighbors...
The County of Ventura recently agreed to pay $2 million to the family of a man who died in county jail, the third settlement in the last two years of lawsuits alleging that inadequate health care led to an inmate’s death. The most recent settlement, signed by the county on Oct. 10, ended a lawsuit brought in 2023 by the family of Joshua Johnston. He died in 2022 in Ventura County’s main jail, at the age of 46. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the primary cause of his death was a perforated esophageal ulcer. The lawsuit by Johnston’s family was one of three federal civil rights lawsuits filed in 2023 by relatives of people who died in one of the county’s two jails. All three were pre-trial detainees, meaning they hadn't been convicted of any crime. All three lawsuits have now been settled, with the county agreeing to pay a total of $3.5 million. The county did not admit wrongdoing in any of the settlements. In each case, the family of the deceased sued both the County of Ventura and Wellpath, the private company that provides health care in the county jails. Wellpath also settled its portion
A growing number of residents across Ventura County are raising concerns about privacy, surveillance and data collection from the use of automated license plate reader cameras. The systems are used in nearly every city in the county, including areas patrolled by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Ventura is among the latest cities debating the technology, which uses cameras mounted on poles and patrol vehicles to capture license plate information. The Ventura City Council plans to review options for the police department’s use of the cameras on 5 p.m. Nov. 12 at a special meeting , said Police Chief David Dickey. Council members could renew or terminate the existing contract, according to the staff report. Also known as Flock Safety cameras, these devices have drawn national attention following reports of unauthorized access to footage that led to arrests and investigations involving police and sheriff’s officers. Ventura resident and activist Michelle Rosenblum said she opposes the cameras and plans to tell the City Council to cancel the contract with Flock at the meeting. “It is a tremendous violation of our privacy,” she said. “To me, what’s the difference between having Flock cameras on every corner versus us all having to wear ankle
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — California emergency responders are preparing for the possibility of a wetter winter fueled by El Niño, warning residents to take precautions now for potential heavy rain, flooding, mudslides and power outages. On Tuesday, PG&E brought together emergency management officials, CAL FIRE and the American...
CBS LA meteorologists say several low-pressure systems will be moving closer to the region over the next few days, beginning on Thursday night.
It’s a classic piece of kitschy roadside architecture on Chester Avenue in Bakersfield. If you’re driving by it for the first time, you might even do a double-take. The story of Bakersfield’s Big Shoe, today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots. Located at 931 Chester Avenue at...
