Imperial Valley Press Quick News

Court hearing set Monday in Fresno County for Richard Horn, officials say

A court hearing to revoke the conditional release of violent sexual predator Richard Horn is set Monday in Fresno County Superior Court, officials said Monday.

Assistant Imperial County District Attorney Joe Beard is expected to appear at the hearing where Judge Donald Black could decide if Horn is to remain in Coalinga State Hospital as an in-patient and receive treatment.

Horn was sent to the facility earlier this month after he was found to have violated the terms of his release, which Beard has said were minor in nature.

Please read Saturday's issue of the Imperial Valley Press for more information on this story.

By SILVIO J. PANTA 

Shooting of El Centro teen in Mexicali the result of a drive-by, officer says

CALEXICO --- The gunshot wound a 16-year-old El Centro boy suffered to his head last weekend in Mexicali is believed to have been the result of a drive-by shooting, a Calexico Police officer said today.

The teen was wounded on the right side of his head when he was brought in to the Port of Entry by ambulance Sunday morning but was conscious, said Calexico Police Officer Mario Salinas. Calexico Police Chief Jim Neujahr said the weekend incident did not appear to have been reported to authorities in Mexicali.

The boy was taken to a San Diego area hospital but Salinas said he was not certain where. No other information was available as to where the shooting occurred in Mexicali or who the boy was with at the time it broke out.

By SILVIO J. PANTA, staff writer

Portion of El Centro's Dogwood Road closing next week for construction work

All lanes on El Centro's Dogwood Road from Main Street to Ross Avenue will be closed August 24 and 25, announced the city of El Centro today. It will be closed all day both days, with limited access on Thursday.

Dogwood Road must be closed on these dates for improvements to the road, according to a press release from the city.

-- Elizabeth Varin, staff writer

BLM to have increased presence at off-road races

The Bureau of Land Management will increase their presence at off-road racing events, announced Director Bob Abbey today.

This comes in addition to reviewing each race permit request on a case-by-case basis, he said in a press release.

“We will not tolerate any deviation from permit requirements,” Abbey said.  “In addition, we are reviewing our Special Recreation Permit program in all Western field offices.”

The changes stem from a racing accident Saturday where eight spectators of the California 200 were killed and a dozen more injured.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy in the California Johnson Valley OHV open area,” Abbey said.  “We have launched an internal review of the tragedy and we will be taking a very close look at all approved permits and pending requests and determine whether they are appropriate on a case-by-case basis."

This year the bureau has issued more than one hundred special recreation permits for motorized racing and thousands of people have participated, according to the press statement. The first priority at the events is public and employee safety and health.

"We will look at these requests carefully and consider the safety record of the individual or organization requesting a permit,” Abbey said.

One race has been given approval for this weekend, according to the press release. Approval for the American Motorcycle Association race in the Johnson Valley Open Area came after a detailed review of the special recreation permit, along with an assessment of public safety and crowd control requirements.

Additional safety measures will be take, like more safeguards at the start and finish line and the pit row areas, as well as increased security and medical presence, according to the press release.

For more information read Saturday's edition online or in print.

-- Elizabeth Varin, staff writer

Imperial County unemployment hits 30 percent

Imperial County topped state numbers for unemployment hitting more than 30 percent in July, according to data released by the state's Employment Development Department.

The county's unemployment rate rose from 28.9 percent in June to 30.3 percent in July, according to the data.

Imperial County was the only county in the state with an unemployment rate more than 20 percent. The second highest rate in the state was Yuba County with 19.6 percent unemployment.

The lowest unemployment rate in the state was Marin County with 8.6 percent, and the state's average for July was 12.8 percent, which is the same as the June unemployment rate.

In Imperial County, about 3,000 fewer people were employed in July. One thousand of those jobs were in the farming industry and 2,000 were non-farm related.

The biggest shift in non-farm jobs was in government, where 1,900 fewer people were employed. The only industry that gained jobs from June to July was trade, transportation and utility.

The county's unemployment rate was down from last year, when it was at 31.3 percent in July 2009.

For more information read Saturday's edition online or in print.

-- Elizabeth Varin, staff writer

Permits for some off-road events, including one in Imperial County, canceled following racing deaths

Events for a group that organizes races in Imperial County have been suspended by the Bureau of Land Management after an accident that killed eight and left a dozen injured.

Mojave Desert Racing, which sets up races in Plaster City, Barstow, Lucerne Valley and Ridgecrest, will not be permitted for events during the investigation of Saturday’s night accident in Lucerne Valley, according to a press release from the Bureau of Land Management.

Eight spectators at Saturday’s California 200 off-road race were killed after a truck flipped over onto them. Twelve more were injured in the incident.

The next race was scheduled for Sept. 4 near Plaster City in Imperial County.

MDR was not available for comment, though the group has issued press releases with condolences for those who were hurt or died.

“MDR wishes to emphasize again that we were shocked and saddened by the tragedy at our race in Johnson Valley,” the company wrote. “We grieve over the fact that those who perished or were injured were part of our off-road community and family. A number of the victims were our friends and we all feel a great loss.”

Representatives from the bureau did not immediately return phone calls, but in a press release, the bureau wrote that all future events scheduled, like this weekends American Motorcycle Association race in Johnson Valley, are being reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

“BLM’s ongoing review will be aimed at ensuring the public safety remains our first priority,” according to the statement.

For more information read Friday's edition online or in print.

--Elizabeth Varin, staff writer

Imperial County juvenile correctional officer arrested on suspicion of petty theft

IMPERIAL --- An Imperial County Juvenile correcional officer had been arrested over the weekend for allegedly taking $8 dollars from an am/pm convenience store, an Imperial Police press statement revealed today.

The officer, identified as Francisco Piedra, a 31-year-old Heber man, was arrested early Sunday on a petty theft charge after video survellience footage showed him allegedly taking eight one-dollars bills from the business, according to Imperial Police Cpl. Albert Valenzuela.

No explanation was given as to why the Imperial Police Department released news about the theft incident several days after it occurred.

By SILVIO J. PANTA, staff writer

Layoff notices coming to ICOE; childcare providers payments delayed

A number of employees in the Imperial County Office of Education's Early Care and Education program will receive layoff notices Friday and some childcare providers that receive funding through CalWorks programs will have their payments withheld, according to a press release from ICOE.

The layoff notices will take effect in 45 days if ICOE does not receive state funding that has been delayed or the state adopts the proposed reductions in education spending.

Childcare providers will have their funding delayed because the California State Controller's office has not released it because a state budget has not yet been signed. The budget is supposed to be signed by July 1.

It is currently unknown how many employees will be laid off. 

Read Sunday's edition online or in print for the full story.

-Brooke Ruth, digital media news editor

Checkpoint to conducted this Friday in Brawley

BRAWLEY --- Brawley Police will be conducting a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday at an undisclosed location in the city.

Motorists approaching the checkpoint will see signs alerting them that the checkpoint is coming up and they will be detained while the officer checks for seat belt usage, the status of a driver's license and sobriety, a press statement read.

Anyone with questions can call Brawley Police Cmdr. Brett Houser at 760 351-2650.

By SILVIO J. PANTA, staff writer

Brawley man wanted on charge of attempted murder nabbed by police

BRAWLEY --- Police here arrested today a 20-year-old man suspected of stabbing a man numerous times during a fight almost a year ago, Brawley Police Cmdr. Brett Houser said.

Jesus De La Cruz, of Brawley, was arrested at a location in the 400 block of Eastern Avenue on a warrant for the attempted murder of a 23-year-old man Oct. 21, 2009, Houser said. The man's multiple stab injuries were serious enough to send him to Pioneers Memorial Hospital, authorities said.

The attack De La Cruz was allegedly involved in occurred in the 1400 block of Welcome Street. Police believe that De La Cruz may have fled to Mexico following the stabbing attack, Houser said.

By SILVIO J. PANTA, staff writer