Imperial Valley Press Quick News

Imperial County's opening brief of Proposition 8 appeal filed

Attorney's representing Imperial County assert the county has standing to file an appeal of California's Proposition 8 because no other governmental entity will, according to briefs filed Friday night.

"This case presents the truly extraordinary situation of a constitutional provision without a single governmental defender, because the Attorney General, Governor, and all other Government defendants are either not defending Proposition 8 or are taking an active position against Proposition 8, coupled with their subsequent refusals to appeal the decision of the district court declaring it unconstitutional," according to the brief.

Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot measure that banned gay marriage in California, was ruled unconstitutional in early August. The county had filed to intervene in the case December 2009 to ensure a party would be able to file an appeal should the proposition be overturned.

U.S. Federal District Chief Judge Vaughn Walker, while ruling Proposition 8 unconstitutional, also denied the county's request to intervene.

The brief filed Friday night is the appeal of both decisions.

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

-- Elizabeth Varin, staff writer

Death of unidentified man under investigation, Calexico police official says

CALEXICO --- An investigation into the death of an unidentified man is underway after he was brought in to local outpatient clinic Thursday by a pair of men, a Calexico Police official said today.

The men dropped off the man who was initially unresponsive at the Calexico Health Clinic on Birch Street at about 3:22 p.m. before Calexico firefighters took him to El Centro Regional Medical Center, said Calexico Police Sgt. Armando Marquez.

The man, a Latino who was five feet, four inches tall and appeared to be in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the hospital. He had no signs of trauma and did not carry any identification, said Imperial County Deputy Coroner Eric Frazier in an e-mailed press statement. An autopsy for the man is scheduled Tuesday, Frazier said.

Anyone with information about this case can call the Calexico Police Department at 760 768-2140.

By SILVIO J. PANTA, staff writer

Imperial County unemployment down in August, still above 30 percent

Imperial County's unemployment rate went down slightly in August, according to data released Friday from the state's Employment Development Department.

The unemployment rate for August was 30.4 percent, which compares to a 32.1 percent unemployment rate in July, according to the data. There was also a decrease from last year, where unemployment hit near-record numbers at 31.3 percent.

The highest unemployment rate for the county in the last decade was in July 2010, according to the data.

Imperial County also retained the highest unemployment rate in the state as no other county was above 20 percent unemployment, according to the data. The second highest rate was in Yuba County with 18.9 percent.

The lowest unemployment rate for August was in Marin County with 8.4 percent, according to the data.

The state's unemployment rate increased to 12.4 percent, according to the data. It was at 12.3 percent in July.

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

-- Elizabeth Varin, staff writer

No one hurt in El Centro collision involving school bus

A crash involving an El Centro Elmentary School District bus is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol after a compact vehicle driven by an 18-year-old motorist broadsided the bus carrying five school age children, a press release read.

No injuries were reported during the 7:42 a.m. collision that occurred Wednesday at 7th Street and Olive Avenue in El Centro, said Highway Patrol Officer Humbert Gonzalez in the statement. The bus was heading south on 7th Street when it was struck by the vehicle driven by Brett Hillix, of El Centro, who was traveling east on Olive Avenue, Gonzalez said.

By SILVIO J. PANTA, staff writer

Verbal threats at Imperial County Office of Education brings in County Sheriff's Office

A verbal dispute erupted yesterday at the Imperial County Office of Education from a disgruntled child care provider due to her not receiving pay from the ICOE, said Superintendent Anne Mallory.

"One of the child care providers that said some threatening comments," she said. "She was unhappy and was speaking from an emotional standpoint from what was reported to me.

I think that the sheriff had a long talk with her," Mallory continued. "She said I was just teasing and we let her know that such threats are to be taken seriously and we will continue to take them seriously."

The Imperial County Sheriff's Office did not release the name of the persons involved in the dispute but a report was taken, Sgt. Manuel DeLeon said.

 

Sunrise Powerlink to start construction tomorrow

Construction for the Sunrise Powerlink transmission line will begin tomorrow.

San Diego Gas and Electric’s senior public relations manager Jennifer Ramp said the first four notices necessary to move forward with the renewable energy project were granted yesterday by the California Public Utilities Commission. 

Alpine residents will start seeing construction today for the Alpine Construction Staging Yard, which will receive all equipment for the project. Ramp said the yard should be completed by mid-October.

SDG&E’s 120-mile, 500-kilovolt Powerlink will transport Valley-produced renewable energy to the San Diego area by 2012. It has the capacity of powering 650,000 homes.

-Staff Writer Sarah Horne

 

Storage reservoir named after Imperial Valley farmer

It was announced today that the Drop 2 Storage Reservoir will be officially named after late farmer Warren H. Brock, who farmed the property where the reservoir is located for decades. 

Lorri-Gray Lee, Director of the Bureau of Reclamation's Lower Colorado Region, said that Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar approved the Imperial Irrigation District's request to change the name.

Brock led the experimental farming beginning in 1958, which tested the feasibility of growing crops in the East Mesa's sandy soil.

The IID will operate the reservoir that is set to be completed later this month, about 25 miles east of El Centro. It will capture around 70,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water that currently flows past Imperial Dam each year because of its limited capacity.

-Staff Writer Sarah Horne

Border Patrol hosts open house this weekend

IMPERIAL --- The U.S. Border Patrol is hosting an open house Saturday as a part of a nationwide campaign recruitment effort. The event will take place at the El Centro Sector headquarters in Imperial from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Border Patrol representatives will be on hand to answer questions or about the hiring process. The El Centro Sector Headquarters is located at 211 W. Aten Road.

By SILVIO J. PANTA, staff writer

California Department of Education releases accountabilty reports released for state, Imperial County

The California Department of Education has released the growth academic performance index and adequate yearly progress reports for 2010.

The reports can be viewed at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ar/

For Imperial County reports click "County Level API Reports" and pick "13 IMPERIAL" from the drop down list, then select "2010 Growth API Report."

For the "AYP County List of Schools" click the corresponding tab on the upper right section of that page.

For direct links to these pages to go: http://bit.ly/2010APIgrowth-ImperialCounty and http://bit.ly/2010AYP-ImperialCounty

Read more about the significance of these scores in Thursday's edition of the Imperial Valley Press in print or online.

- ROMAN FLORES, Staff Writer

 

Ex-Imperial Valley College Foundation official ordered back in court

A preliminary hearing of Oct. 19 was set today in jail court for the former Imperial Valley College Foundation official charged with embezzling more than $60,000.

A pre-trial hearing of Oct. 14 was also set for Christine Hisel, who is out of custody on bond and did not appear for the brief court session. Prosecutors allege Hisel embezzled from her former employer during a two-year period.

By SILVIO J. PANTA, staff writer