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August 22, 2005
The Tomcat lands
An F-14 Tomcat landed on a Simi Valley mountaintop today.
And we'll have the story in tomorrow's Ventura County Star.
The plane was attached to a big crane and was brought in for the permanent display at the Air Force One Pavillion begin built at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Stephanie Hoops (shoops@VenturaCountyStar.com) will have the story for us.
Also for page one tomorrow, we'll have an advance from staff writer Zeke Barlow (zbarlow@VenturaCountyStar.com) on this week's decision in Washington on base closing and realignment. Naval Base Ventura County may lose up to 6,000 jobs -- many of them to China Lake -- under realignment.
Also for Page One tomorrow, we'll have wire stories on Connecticut's decision to sue the federal government over No Child Left Behind; California Supreme Court's ruling today on the rights of same-sex cuples; Iraq's delay on its constitution; and the break-through on stem cell research.
Posted by John Moore at 03:35 PM
August 15, 2005
High school exit exam
California releases the high school exit exam scores today. The upcoming high senior class, the Class of 2006, is the first that will be required to have passed the exam in order to receive a diploma ... even if they've achieved all the rest of the high school graduation requirements. For Page One tomorrow Jean Moore (jcmoore@VenturaCountyStar.com) will give us the results and tell us what it means. We'll also have the breakdown school by school.
Also for Page One tomorrow, we're going through the papers being released today at the Reagan library in Simi Valley related to Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Today we see about 5,000 of the more than 50,000 pages stored at the library.
Off the wire, we'll be following developments today in Iraq with the constitutional convention and in Gaza Strip with the evacuation of Israeli settlers.
Posted by John Moore at 10:13 AM
August 11, 2005
Crisis in Niger
The famine in Niger has become almost the "crisis du jour" in recent weeks. But it is nothing new, or faddish, for Leslie Clark of Ojai. Staff writer Stephanie Hoops (shoops@VenturaCountyStar.com) profiles the Ojai artist and her Nomad Foundation, which for eight years has supported the people of Niger through new scools and new jobs. Clark spreads the word of their culture by selling Niger jewelry in her Ojai gallery. Now she is going back, after having collected $40,000 to buy grain and goats and cows to help them stave starvation.
Also for Page One tomorrow, we'll report on the decision today by the California Coastal Commission to fight the federal government over extending the offshore oil leases off the Ventura and Santa Barbara coasts. Sacramento bureau chief Timm Herdt (therdt@VenturaCountStar.com) is reporting that story.
Off the wire, we'll report on President Bush's discussion of the Iraq situation and the continuing protests outside his Crawford ranch; what the world community is doing regarding the situation in Iran; and a story about women who become attracted to inmates ... in the wake of the Tennessee inmate breakout this week.
Posted by John Moore at 03:25 PM
August 10, 2005
Closing railroad crossings
Union Pacific is joining a chorus to push for closure of private railroad crossings. Last week's accident in Ventura County between an Amtrak train and a dump truck happened at one of those crossings. Union Pacific is pushing to close at least one of the county's 13 privately owned crossing and would like them all shut down. Staff writer Angie Martinez (amartinez@VenturaCountyStar.com) will have that story tomorrow on Page One.
We're going back to the Fair tomorrow for another Page One story. Staff writer Kevin Clerici (kclerici@VenturaCountyStar.com) is trying to figure out how to do the fair for cheap. He'll give you what he learned tomorrow.
Off the wire, we're looking to follow on the situations in Iran and Iraq.
And then there's the story of the artist who finally returned to Livermore, Calif., to fix the misspellings on the mosaic she created outside the town's public library. The city had to pay her an extra $6,000 to correctly spell the historical names she included in the mural ... names like Einstein and Shakespeare. But you won't see any pictures of her. She threated to throw a rock at a photographer who approached her and said she'd sue if they published her picture.
Posted by John Moore at 10:53 AM
August 08, 2005
Summer is for reading
Of course, that's not what many of us said during our summer breaks of years gone by. But librarians and educators say summer is the prime time to get us into the reading habit. Marjorie Hernandez (mhernandez@VenturaCountyStar.com) takes a look at the summer reading programs in the county and the benefit for the kids ... in addition to giving them time in the cool of a library on a hot summer day.
Also for page one tomorrow, we're planning a story by Star Washington correspondent Michael Collins (collinsm@shns.com) on the Patient Safety Database, a new tool that will create a national database for reporting and analyzing medical errors. The goal is to improve patient care.
Off the wires, we're following the delay in the landing of Discovery; ongoing developments in Israel and Iraq; and oil prices, which hit a new high today.
Posted by John Moore at 10:38 AM
August 04, 2005
Condors vs. oil?
Environmentalists are raising questions about last week's decision to allow additional drilling for oil and gas in parts of the Los Padres National Forest. One of the points of concern, to them, is how near some of the drilling could come to the condor sanctuary in the Sespe wilderness. Staff writer Zeke Barlow (zbarlow@VenturaCountyStar.com) examines the issue for tomorrow's Page One.
We're also attending a press conference in Sacramento this morning on a "major announcement" regarding funding for California schools. We'll see what's said and whether it's for Page One.
Off the wire, we're following the tape released today by a bin Laden deputy; the follow on the Discovery; North Korea's claims at the nuclear disarmament talks; and, of course, more on the county Fair.
As a side note, there'll be no blog tomorrow. It'll be a day off for me.
Posted by John Moore at 11:37 AM
August 03, 2005
Oxycontin death
Oxycontin was a mystery to Kim and Dave Howe of Simi Valley before their son, 20-year-old Tim, collapsed and died at Challenger Park in Simi on July 9. The family believes it was the firt time he had used the drug that has been linked to hundreds of overdose deaths. The Howes have dedicated themselves to spreadin the word about this new killer. Staff writer Maria Gonzalez (mgonzalez@VenturaCountyStar.com) will have their story tomorrow for Page One.
Also, we'll be at today's opening of the Fair. Staff writer Zeke Barlow (zbarlow@VenturaCountyStar.com) will check in on all those folks who will show up today to see how they fared at the fair ... checking out the various entries to see if they won. Also, Maria Gonzalez (mgonzalez@VenturaCountyStar.com) will be visiting the breeding sheep judging and asking the question that we all ponder when we wander the livestock pens: why is that one a winner and the other one not?
We'll have the latest on the successful shuttle space fix from this morning and more on the deaths of 14 Marines in a single attack in Iraq.
Posted by John Moore at 09:36 AM
August 02, 2005
Getting ready
So, what does it take to gete a county fair up and running? Staff writer Syliva Moore (smoore@VenturaCountyStar.com) takes a look for tomorrow's Page One advance on Wednesday's opening of the fair. We'll check out the frantic last-day activities as everyone gets ready to open the gates at 11 a.m. tomorrow.
Also for Page One tomorrow, we'll have coverage of Gov. Schwarzenegger's announcement today of emergency Cal-OSHA rules protecting workers from extreme heat in the wake of four field worker deaths last month in the Central Valley.
And we will look to follow yesterday's ruling by the California Supreme Court ordering a San Diego golf course to offer the same deal to same-sex couples as to married couples. We'll see if that ruling is to be extended to other businesses and what potential impact that could have.
Off the wires, we're following the deaths of six Marines in Iraq and Discovery's plans for the emergency fix of the shuttle tomorrow.
Posted by John Moore at 09:45 AM
August 01, 2005
The Roberts hunt
Every morning, they're lining up at the Ronald Reagan library in Simi Valley. These aren't tourists. These folks are there to work. Staff writer Stephanie Hoops (shoops@VenturaCountyStar.com) takes a look at the rush in researchers to the library in recent weeks, all of whom are poking into the background of John Roberts Jr., the former Reagan White House legal advisor who has been nominated to the Supreme Court.
There are a number of other local stories we're looking at as possible A1 for tomorrow inlcuding a follow on the devastating fire at the Oxnard swap meet over the weekend and a local reaction to the end of an era: the bankruptcy of the Atkins diet company.
Off the wire, we'll have the story on President Bush's appointment of John Bolton to U.N. ambassador; the latest on the Discovery shuttle mission; Iran's decision to resume nuclear production; riots in Sudan and the latest from Iraq.
Posted by John Moore at 10:33 AM
