Home › Blogs › Ventura County Star
Main | March 2005 »
February 28, 2005
Afternoon update
Your choices in department stores may -- or may not -- be shrinking. Federated isn't talking about the eventual fallout of its purchase of May Department Stores. And mall managers in Ventura County aren't talking either. But customers and economists tell us what they think about the survivability of both Macy's and Robinsons-May in the same mall with the same owner.
The other local story planned for Page One tomorrow is the examination of the scholarship and financial aid scam that is a growing problem in the United States. Millions of high school seniors get solicited by companies each year, asking for money to do what the students can do themselves for free.
Off the wires, we will have the latest on the Iraq suicide bombing from this morning and on the resignation of Lebanon's pro-Syrian prime minister.
Another possible story for Page One is coverage of the opening arguments of the Michael Jackson trial in Santa Maria.
The planned local story on the impact of flooding on farm workers in the county is being held a day.
Inside, you will find a story on a setback to the Santa Paula Airport's hope to reopen its damaged facility. Caltrans told the airport today that it would have to lengthen the runway before it could safely reopen.
Posted by John Moore at 03:18 PM
Focus returns to Iraq
The news focus today returns to Iraq. A suicide car bomber has killed more than 115 people and wounded 132 in an attack outside a medical clinic near Baghdad. It is the single deadliest attack in the two-year insurgency. Look for stories tomorrow that will detail the attack and will also put the insurgency into perspective for us.
Local news is our raison d'etre, but we know that stories outside our county lines -- like today's bomb blast, or the health of the pope, for instance -- are of concern for all of us and will always be a critical part of our news coverage.
Here are the local news stories we're working on to start the week.
The merger announced today of Federated Department Stores and May Department Stores could have an impact on the malls in the county, particular the new Simi Valley mall under construction and the expansion of The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks. The question for us, of course, is whether Macy's and Robinson-May will continue to co-exist in malls under the same ownership. Business writer Jim McClain (jmclain@VenturaCountyStar.com) is reporting that story today.
We will follow up on the recent storms, as Marjorie Hernandez (mhernandez@VenturaCountyStar.com) will assess how the flooding in the fields has affected local farm workers.
Stephanie Hoops (shoops@VenturaCountyStar.com) exposes some of the scams that are out there targeting high school students seeking college financial aid. Companies are charging money for information on financial aid that is free and easy to obtain. Other wire stories that might make it to Page One tomorrow: the Bush administration idea of offering Iran economic incentives to give up it nuclear fuel program; and opening arguments in the Michael Jackson trial up the road in Santa Maria.
Posted by John Moore at 09:35 AM
February 25, 2005
Afternoon update
Look for more on the tiger on tomorrow's Page One of the Star. Reporter Stephanie Hoops (shoops@VenturaCountyStar.com) got the first interview with the Hedengrans, whom officials believe may have been the owners of the tiger on the loose. We'll also report on the talks with state and federal officials over the handling of the incident and cover tonight's candlelight vigil at Miller Park for the tiger.
Also on Page One tomorrow will be an update on the Santa Paula Airport. Reporter Tamara Koehler (tkoehler@VenturaCountyStar.com) says airport officials got good news today from both federal and state officials and hope to re-open the airport to limited use on a shortened runway next week.
Simi Valley is moving to become the second city in California to limit its response to burglar alarms. Reporter Teresa Rochester (trochester@VenturaCountyStar.com) will have a story tomorrow that says Simi Valley is looking to an ordinance that would require a confirmation of problems at the address before police are dispatched in an effort to lessen the responses to false alarms.
Off the wire will be an update on the health of the pope. Another possible wire story on the page will be an update on bombings in Iraq.
Posted by John Moore at 03:39 PM
Tiger ... and the price of housing
The tiger story continues. Officials are still looking for the owners of the tiger killed Wednesday. Assemblywoman Audra Strickland is holding meetings on the handling of the incident, but she's closing the doors to those talks (the legislature is generally immune from the state's open meetings laws) and then talking about them later. And residents plan a candlelight vigil for the tiger at the park next to where it was slain this evening. We'll wrap all that up in tomorrow's story.
The monthly home sale figures are out this morning. The median sales price of a single-family house in Ventura County hit a record in January, $638.130.
We also return to Santa Paula Airport today to listen to what state inspectors suggest about the options for re-opening the heavily used private facility that was damaged in this week's storm, and how they plan to get the planes out that are now on the ground.
One other local story we're covering, although it might not make Page One, is the death of Shady, the cat adopted by the city of Port Hueneme who lived at City Hall for more than 18 years. It became famous a few years back when CNN ran a feature story on the Town Cat.
Wire stories we're watching today are the health of the pope and continuing violence in Iraq. Both could make it to the front, depending on developments during the day.
Posted by John Moore at 09:52 AM
February 24, 2005
"Why do you print death?"
In the fascinating, on-going comments accompanying our coverage of yesterday's shooting of the tiger in Moorpark, one reader asked that question about running the photographs of the tiger.
"Can you try to not print such awful pictures?" the reader asked. "Why do you print death?"
Photos of death cause the greatest conversations in our newsroom.
I'll admit there was no opposition in our office yesterday when we previewed the photos of the tiger. Most of the photos were taken from a distance, with the tiger being hoisted in the catch-net by the sheriff's helicopter. The photos were not graphic, they were not bloody, they were not gruesome. So they passed all those tests for us. And we probably do unconsiously have different standards for photos of animals than of people.
We have long, emotional conversations at times over other photos that show the reality of death, particularly those of local incidents. Our basic policy is not to show the bodies of dead people. We do break the rule, when the photo might be so overpowering as to tell a story by itself.
But we work hard to find photos that can portray the reality of the situation -- a car accident, a bombing in Iraq, a tsunami in Thailand -- that does not cross that invisible line.
We're conscious of the impact of our photos. But we're also conscious of our responsibility to "tell it like it is" and sometimes that means writing, or showing, graphic material.
Death is news.
But we tread lightly when we enter that territory.
Does that help answer the question?
Posted by John Moore at 04:10 PM
Afternoon update
The tiger remains our top local story of the day. Jean Ortiz (jortiz@VenturaCountyStar.com) is following the story on many fronts: policymakers looking ahead to make sure this doesn't happen again; officials trying to determine the tiger's owner and hoping to file charges; and the continuing outrage from the community on the shooting of the animal. It will all be wrapped up in her story tomorrow.
Our other local Page One story will be by Jean Moore (jcmoore@VenturaCountyStar.com) on the increase in college freshmen who believe racial discrimination is no longer a problem in this country. Jean talks to local students who have seen and felt discrimination.
Three big stories dominate the wires today and will be on Page One tomorrow: Pope John Paul II is hospitalized and undergoes a tracheotomy operation; President Bush and Russian President Putin meet in Slovakia and disagree over the direction of Russia's democracy; and bombings take more than 30 lives in Iraq.
Posted by John Moore at 03:34 PM
The Tiger Story, Day 2
9:30 a.m.
We will continue to follow the tiger story today. Jean Ortiz (jortiz@VenturaCountyStar.com) is scheduled to be the lead writer. We'll look for developments in the identification of the tiger's owner and possible charges being filed, plus your continued outrage over the incident. Comments continue on the website ... and you're welcome to join the conversation. Just click on the "comments" link at the bottom of the story.
Today we plan to run the story held from yesterday regarding the inevitable next phase of Southern California diasters: rain, mudslides, cleanup, mounting bills and then ... lawsuits. Zeke Barlow (zbarlow@VenturaCountyStar.com) and Tamara Koehler (tkoehler@VenturaCountyStar.com) tackle the story about the expected legal action for placing blame on storm damage.
Jean Moore (jcmoore@VenturaCountyStar.com)follows an interesting study that shows 22.7 percent of college freshmen don't see racism as a problem, nearly double what it was 12 years ago. She finds racism at our local schools and talks to those who have faced it.
Several stories we're following off the wire today as possible Page One candidates. Obviously a major story is the pope's health. He was hospitalized again this morning. Also, President Bush and Russian President Putin held a press conference this morning. And the latest bombing in Iraq may come out to the front page tomorrow.
Posted by John Moore at 09:28 AM
February 23, 2005
Afternoon update
The big story on Page One tomorrow will continue to be the shooting of the tiger in Moorpark. We'll have complete coverage of the incident, with photos, and an overview of public comment, taken from our website. For those interested in more, the Star podcast tomorrow morning will include an interview with reporter Jean Ortiz, who was on the scene, and has been following the story for more than a week.
Page One will include a couple more storm-related stories. Kathleen Wilson (kwilson@VenturaCountyStar.com) has been out at Santa Paula Airport most of the day reporting on efforts to shore it up. She'll also look at ideas to rebuild this major private-plan facility. We'll also wrap up the nearly week of wetness and look ahead to a few days of no rain before rain returns Sunday.
Off the wire, we will have the Supreme Court ruling banning the segregation of inmates in California prisons; and the latest Field Poll showing a drop in support for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Posted by John Moore at 03:31 PM
Death of the tiger
With the storm moving out, the big story of the day for us is the shooting of the tiger in Moorpark this morning. Zeke Barlow (zbarlow@VenturaCountyStar.com) will be the lead writer on the story along with Jean Ortiz (jortiz@VenturaCountyStar.com) who has been covering the tiger since the cat's tracks were first spotted more than a week ago. Many of you have already chimed in with your reaction to the shooting on the comments section of the story online. We expect to cover that part of the story in print tomorrow, too.
We haven't forgotten about the weather, though. The storm is expected to finally move through the area by tomorrow. In the meantime, we're still watching the Santa Paula Airport as well as other high impact areas of the county (La Conchita, Casitas Springs, etc.) for damage. We also have available an interesting story looking at what will follow all these storms and the damages they wrought: lawsuits.
And if we get better numbers on the impact on agriculture, we'll also have that story available.
And there are several stories off the wire that might make it to Page One tomorrow:
President Bush is in Russia; the latest Field Poll in California shows Gov. Schwarzenegger's popularity slipping; and the Supreme Court hands down a ruling that could have profound impacts on the California prison system.
Posted by John Moore at 10:44 AM
February 22, 2005
Afternoon update
There's lots of news today. The Star tomorrow will include a large package of continuing storm coverage, including some more outstanding photos. All those local stories and photos, plus a wire story on what's happening storm-wise in the rest of Southern California, was too much to fit into the scheduled size of the paper. So we bumped it up by two pages to handle the news.
The coverage will include:
A main weather story by Zeke Barlow (zbarlow@VenturaCountyStar.com). It will include a roundup of the latest storm news plus the forecast.
Kathleen Wilson (kwilson@VenturaCountyStar.com) will cover the story of the damage to the Santa Paula Airport. We have a number of compellng photos of what happened at the airport by Gary Phelps, James Glover and Dave Gertzschman.
County officials don't know how much damage the latest storm has done to the county's crops, reports Jim McLain (jmclain@VenturaCountyStar.com) because it's too wet to get into the fields yet to assess the damage. But they know it will hurt, particularly coming on top of the $52 million storm damage in January.
Dani Dodge (ddodge@VenturaCountyStar.com) will follow on the water pouring over the dams in the county, increasing the water flow in the rivers and streams.
And John Scheibe (jscheibe@VenturaCountyStar.com) will answer these questions you have: how much did it rain and is this the rainiest year ever in Ventura County? Here's a sneak peek at the answer: it depends.
Also on Page One tomorrow will be continuing coverage of President Bush's European trip, advancing his arrival in Russia. The fifth story will be out of Washington, on the U.S. Supreme Court decision to hear arguments on the legality of Oregon's assisted suicide law.
Posted by John Moore at 03:32 PM
Rain and more rain
The newsroom remains on storm coverage today. The initial focus this morning is on Santa Paula Airport, where the Santa Clara River is eating into the runway. But the rain is expected to continue throughout the day, so there may be other trouble spots before it's all over. A number of reporters and photographers are involved in the coverage. Directing the show today will be County Editor Marty Bonvechio (mbonvechio@VenturaCountyStar.com). We'll continue to update the story on the website all day.
As a companion piece to the overall storm coverage, business writer Jim McLain (jmclain@VenturaCountyStar.com) will examine the agriculture losses from the storms. Row crops, a major player in the county's ag scene, are being greatly affected by the rain. Farmers already lost 10 percent of the year's strawberry crop from prior storms. And strawberries are the number one cash crop in the county. He'll evaluate the potential financial impact, and the impact on us, the consumers.
There are other local stories available for page one tomorrow, but they will probably either be held a day, or moved to the Local news sections to make space available for storm coverage.
One local story we continue to follow is the big cat on the loose in the Simi Valley / Moorpark area. There was another spotting of the cat's prints over near the Santa Rosa Valley, but it's unclear when those prints were found.
Off the wire today, the stories we're looking at for Page One include: President Bush is in Brussels to meet with NATO and the U.S. Supreme Court is holding a hearing today on Oregon's assisted suicide law.
Posted by John Moore at 09:41 AM
February 21, 2005
Afternoon update
Rain caused havoc in isolated parts of Ventura County today. And more rain is expected. The Star's coverage for tomorrow's Page One will include a main story wrapping up the reporting from a number of reporters covering incidents along Highway 126, Highway 33, areas of Thousand Oaks, Santa Paula and upper Ojai. There have been no injuries; no major damage. The sun was even shining brightly in some parts of the county; at the same time showers pelted residents just miles away.
A second local storm story planned for Page One on Tuesday looks at the high water today in the Santa Clara River, caused in part by the release of water from Pyramid Lake and Lake Piru, and an explanation why officials let the water loose from there. Also, look for some great aerial photos taken today by Star photograher Gary Phelps around the Piru area.
The weather package on Page One will also include a roundup of rain impact elsewhere in Southern California. Three deaths have been reported.
President Bush continues his European visit, meeting with French President Jacques Chirac, the harshest critic of U.S. policy in Iraq.
The fifth story out front will be a piece out of Arizona on the formation of a volunteer group called the Minutemen who vow to begin mass patrols of the U.S.-Mexico border between now and April.
Posted by John Moore at 03:28 PM
It's a rain day
Rain ... and all its fallout ... is what is on the newsroom radar today. This morning, reporters and photographers are checking out the impact from four days of heavy rain on La Conchita and Highway 101 north of Ventura, Highway 33 area between Ojai and Ventura and along the Santa Clara River. Ken Maryanski (kmaryanski@VenturaCountyStar.com), our West County bureau chief, is coordinating our coverage today throughout Ventura County. Page One tomorrow looks to be dominated by storm coverage with photos, graphics/maps and at least two stories. We'll also look at the state impact, as at least three people have died in Southern California in storm-related accidents.
There are a couple of other possible local stories that could make it to Page One, but the reality is that they will in all likelihood be held at least a day to make sure we have sufficient space to cover the storm impact.
The big story off the news wire this morning is President Bush's continuing trip to Europe, including remarks made there about Syria and Lebanon.
Posted by John Moore at 09:40 AM
February 18, 2005
3 O'clock update
Here's the lineup for Saturday's Page One:
Attorneys tell a judge there is a "conceptual" settlement of the long-running legal battle over public safety funding in Ventura County. But officials warn, "There isn't an agreement yet."
The latest storm closes Highway 126 ... again, and causes mudslides and high water under bridges ... again. And the rain isn't going to stop. Until Tuesday.
Game officials poke around Simi Valley and Moorpark in search of a "large cat," who has only been seen in passing, but whose large prints have left the community worried.
And, off the wire: Continuing violence in Iraq and an FDA committee votes to allow major painkillers to be returned to pharmacies, but with warnings.
The story on the impact of the U.S. Department of Education drive for tougher No Child Left Behind law enforcement is being moved to Sunday.
Also coming Sunday will be a look at the bridges over Ventura County and how nearly 30 of them don't meet state standards.
Also Sunday, we'll preview a plan by CSU Channel Islands to establish a four-year nursing program.
Posted by John Moore at 03:28 PM
The rain returns
The rain is back. It's already causing flash flood alerts in parts of the county. A number of reporters, led by Maria Gonzalez (mgonzalez@VenturaCountyStar.com) will be covering the story today. We'll look at all the likely suspects for problems, including La Conchita and the burn areas of Piru and Simi Valley, along with Casitas Springs and those areas along Highway 126, such as Hopper Creek, where problems occurred last month.
We are also following the report from yesterday about a "large cat" loose in the area around the Ronald Reagan library. Jean Ortiz (jortiz@VenturaCountyStar.com) is following that story for us today.
County officials were in court this morning to update the status of the ongoing fight between the supervisors and justice officials over funding. The judge agreed to delay the start of the trial on the lawsuit for two months as talks continue between the two sides. Kevin Clerici (kclerici@venturacountystar.com) is the reporter.
One of our education writers, Erin Hutkin (ehutkin@VenturaCountyStar.com) is taking a look at the push by the U.S. Department of Education to crack down on how California enforces the No Child Left Behind rules. It could mean seven Ventura County school districts -- Fillmore, Hueneme, Ocean View, Ojai, Oxnard Elementary and Oxnard Union High, El Rio and Santa Paula, could be put on a watch list for failing schools. She'll explain what that means.
The big stories off the wire are the three suicide bombings in Baghdad that killed at least 27 people, and the ongoing talks in Washington that gave a hint this morning that Vioxx might someday return to the pharmacy shelves.
Posted by John Moore at 10:44 AM
February 17, 2005
New story added for Page One
This story has just been added to the Page One lineup for tomorrow. It will run in the spot where we had the AP story about the alleged torture death in Iraq at the hands of the CIA. That story will move inside the main news section:
A small claims lawsuit stemming from a non-injury crash last year led to the chance filming of a train crashing into a strawberry truck in Oxnard this week.The powerful images of a train blasting through a truck carrying 37,000 pounds of frozen strawberries on Rose Avenue at Fifth Street have been broadcast nationally. It was a surprising encounter for film owner Gaspar Medina, 30, of Oxnard, who was just looking to tape the intersection’s stop lights when trains cross. “It was just a fluke,” Medina said.
Posted by John Moore at 05:19 PM
3 o'clock update
Here's a look at what's planned for Page One of tomorrow's Ventura County Star:
A report on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's visit to Washington D.C., where he got California Republicans and Democrats in Congress to agree to work together to try to bring more federal dollars to the state.
The announcement out of Sacramento that two members of the state Assembly will introduce a version of Oregon's controversial Death with Dignity bill.
The story from Simi Valley on how police property room employee Lori Tate solved the mystery of the man's ashes, found in an abandoned Simi storage facility and brought to the police department.
President Bush's appointment of John Negroponte to become the nation's first national intelligence director.
A story by The Associated Press that an Iraqi being interrogated by the CIA at Abu Ghraib priosn died after being subjected to a technique widely described as a form of torture.
The story of the debate this morning at the Ventura County Economic Forum regarding proposed LNG facilities off the Oxnard coastline will be run on the Local news pages, and the rest of the coverage of the forum will be on the Business pages.
Added extras on the Star website tomorrow will include the daily podcast by Bruce McLean, a video of the tour of the Reagan library Air Force One exhibit and a gardening video that accompanies tomorrow's Home and Garden section.
Posted by John Moore at 03:29 PM
Sacramento vs. Washington
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Washington D.C. today and the Star's reporter in D.C., Michael Collins, (collinsm@shns.com), will be tailing the governor as he makes his rounds of federal offices. Expect federal funding for the state, education and base closings to be among the topics to be discussed. And, of course, we'll see if Washington remains starstruck by the star-turned-governor.
Reporter Maria Gonzalez (mgonzalez@venturacountystar.com) is working on a wonderful story about a Simi Valley police property clerk, Lori Tate, who solved a mystery of an unknown urn of ashes that turned up in an abandoned storage locker in town. It's a great yarn.
The UCSB Economic Forecast, which we wrote about in this morning's editions is being discussed this morning at a conference. One of the topics is the plan for development of a liquefied natural gas facility off the coast of Oxnard. Reporter Sylvia Moore (smoore@venturacountystar.com) will cover that part of the discussion and the press conference by environmentalists that will follow. Gretchen Macchiarella (gmacchairella@venturacountystar.com) will report on the rest of today's conference in our Business pages.
Reporter Jean Ortiz (jortiz@VenturaCountyStar.com) gets a preview today of the Air Force One pavillion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. It is set to open this summer.
Sports reporter Bob Buttitta (bbuttitta@VenturaCountyStar.com) is in LA for us today, covering the first round of the Nissan Open golf tournament , featuring Tiger Woods. And our new (second week) Home & Garden section tomorrow will feature a story by Lisa McKinnon (lmckinnon@VenturaCountyStar.com) on what to do today to get your garden ready for spring.
Off the wires, we are looking at the president's appointment of John Negroponte as the first national intelligence director. along with follows on Syria, Iraq and more developments on the massive ID theft from ChoicePoint that has been reported throughout the week.
And then there's this story:
Today was the final hunt in Great Britain. Hundreds of hunters on horseback followed the hounds one more time today.
Beginning Friday, hunting animals with hounds will be banned, ending a 300-year history. Some hunt clubs plan to continue using hounds, but not to chase live animals, just their scents and, "If we happen to catch a fox ... it will just be a nasty accident for that fox because our intention is to hunt the trail, not the fox," said one club spokesman.
Posted by John Moore at 10:10 AM
February 16, 2005
A new Page One story
We just had another story make the cut for Page One for tomorrow. It's out of Thousand Oaks. David Avila, who ran for a seat on the T.O. City Council last fall, has been arrested and charged with felony computer fraud among other things for a scheme he supposedly devised that sent out false cell-phone messages under the name of Mayor Bob Wilson the night before the election urging recipients to vote for Avila. Avila had a misdemeanor arrest last fall for disrupting a candidates' meeting by using a bullhorn to shout obscenities.
Posted by John Moore at 04:36 PM
3 o'clock update
Here is the lineup, at this time, for tomorrow's Page One of the Star:
Economic forecast for Ventura County from UC Santa Barbara Economic Forecast Project: This is the story that, because of the embargo, we can't tell you much about at this time. But it will look at the expected economic development in the county for this year ... and beyond.
Change in civilian Pentagon personnel rules: Reporter Michael Collins (collinsm@shns.com) details the proposed changes in the Department of Defense civilian employment rules. The story is already on the Star website.
And from the wires:
The National Hockey League becomes the first professional sports league to cancel an entire season over a labor dispute. The main story will run tomorrow on page one, with details and comments on the Sports pages.
The Justice Department says it will appeal a federal judge's ruling that declared the federal obscenity laws unconstitutional. The Justice Department claims the ruling has broad societal impacts.
Because of the number of graphics that will accompany the economic development package, only four stories will be on Page One tomorrow instead of the usual five.
Posted by John Moore at 03:30 PM
The annual economic forecast for
The annual economic forecast for Ventura County from University of California at Santa Barbara will be released tomorrow morning. Business reporter Gretchen Macchiarella (gmacchiarella@VenturaCountyStar.com) will have highlights of the report in the morning paper. It will be officially presented at the annual Economic Forecast meeting tomorrow. Unfortunately, we can't tell you today what's in the report, even though we have a copy. It's embargoed, which means that we agree not to release the information before tomorrow morning's paper in exchange for getting a copy in advance to do our reporting. But I can tell you that there will be some very interesting projections about Oxnard and Camarillo.
Also tomorrow, Michael Collins (collinsm@shns.com), the Star's reporter in Washington D.C., is going to write a story on the new Department of Defense personnel system that will replace the existing civil service system. Of course, the biggest employer in Ventura County is the Naval Base of Ventura County, so the impact could be major for all those civilian workers.
Star reporters and photographers will be tracking today's rain to see if it warrants taking the story to page one. But the heavy rains aren't expected until later in the week.
The new Culture section in Arts & Living will have an interview by Karen Lindell (klindell@VenturaCountyStar.com) with Dick Van Dyke and a look by Karen at the upcoming New West Symphony performances.
And Time Out will feature the rock ban Collective Soul, which is shooting a concert video at The Majestic Ventura Theatre.
Off the news wire, editors are looking at the continuing situation in Lebanon; the assessment that Iran has emerged as the top threat to U.S. interests in the Middle East; and the initial steps to form the new government of Iraq.
And then there's this:
The Toy Industry Association has yanked a Monopoly-style board game from being shown at the New York Toy Fair.
Manufactured by Bored Games Corp. of Vancouver, British Columbia, the Grow-Op Game has players test their wits in operating a marijuana growing business. The players manuevered through traps like being ratted out by neighbors, having electricity cut off and worrying about fungus, not to mention police raids.
The game maufacturer was surprised by the action. "We see this game as a sort of education: If you’re thinking about starting a grow operation, it’s not going to be easy," said a Bored spokesman
The game, which costs $32.40, was created by someone known only as Rabbit. He invented it while in jail. No word on what he was doing time for.
Posted by John Moore at 10:07 AM
February 15, 2005
3 O'clock update
The Page One lineup for Wednesday looks like this:
Coverage of the memorial service and funeral for John Daniel House, the 28-year-old Simi Valley sailor who was killed in Iraq last month.
A story on Wildhorses in Need, the group that is trying to find homes (and in the meantime figure out how to keep alive) an estimated 500 horses brought into Santa Barbara County by a man who ended up not being able to keep them in feed. Many of the horses are now being kept in Ventura County.
Updated coverage on the situation in Beirut, keyed to the U.S. decision to withdraw its amabassador from Syria because of hints of Syria's involvement in yesterday's massive car bombing.
The decision by the FDA to set up an independent board to monitor medicines once they're on the market.
And a report showing that American Indian casino income is growing 10 percent or more a year and has hit $18.5 billion (with a "b") a year. That's more than Nevada rakes in a year.
The story being worked on regarding the loss in funding by the New West Symphony is going to be printed in the Local news sections tomorrow. It will focus on the symphony's funding situation, in the wake of the Amgen Foundation decision to not fund the symphony again this year.
Posted by John Moore at 03:26 PM
Seeking the foundation dollars
New West Symphony is scrambling to fill an $80,000 hole in its budget, created when an expected sponsorship from the Amgen Foundation failed to materialize. The foundation says it periodically readjusts its giving and reporter Stephanie Hoops (shoops@VenturaCountyStar.com) is looking into reports that the readjustment means fewer dollars for local groups and more money for those outside Ventura County.
Reporter Zeke Barlow (zbarlow@VenturaCountyStar.com) is finishing off a story on a drive to find homes for hundreds of horses abandoned in Santa Barbara County when a Buellton man walked away from them. Nearly 100 of the horses are now in Ventura County; the man has been convicted of animal cruelty.
Memorial services are being held today in Simi Valley for Navy Medic John Daniel House. The 28-year-old sailor died Jan. 26 in Iraq in a helicopter crash that also killed 30 Marines.
New housing numbers are out this morning. The price keeps going up in Ventura County (no surprise) but the rate of growth, measured year-to-year, is slowing down a bit. The story is already posted on the VenturaCountyStar.com home page.
Star reporters today are following up on the double homicide/suicide in Oxnard; the train collision that left frozen strawberries all over the tracks; and the release from prison of the Oxnard man who was declared brain dead after being shot in prison.
Off the news wires, stories that may make Page One on Wednesday include further violence in Lebanon and the decision by the FDA to establish a Drug Safety oversight board.
And then there's this story:
Just in case you needed it, there's another reason not to go to prison in Michigan. Next month, the state is going to cut off free coffee for inmates. It will save the state $250,000 a year. The state is trying to cut costs and realized, according to a spokesman, "There is no nutritional value to coffee." Inmates will be allowed to buy instant coffee.
Posted by John Moore at 10:24 AM
February 14, 2005
La Conchita meeting tonight
Here is the Page One lineup for Tuesday, as of 3 o'clock:
FEMA meets with residents of La Conchita to lay out its aid package.
Part 3 of the Leaving Ventura County series, focusing on efforts by county businesses to keep and attract employees in the face of the stratospheric housing prices.
Profile on Assemblywoman Fran Pavley of Agoura Hills and her bill regulating carbon-dioxed emissions, making California the only place in the U.S. that will, in effect, join the Kyoto Protocol which takes effect Wednesday and tries to address global warming.
The death of former Lebanese prime minister in massive car bomb in Beirut.
The failure Monday of a test of the national missile defense system.
Posted by John Moore at 03:22 PM
A busy news day
Mondays are often slow in the "news business," giving us a chance to plan for what's coming this week. Not today. There is a lot of news, both local and off the news wires, that will compete for page one Tuesday morning.
The third, and last, part of the Leaving Ventura County package, will be featured tomorrow morning. In this installment, reporter Charles Levin (clevin@VenturaCountyStar.com) examines the impact of housing price escalation, and flight from the county, on those of us left behind. He looks particularly at what businesses are doing to attract and keep employees.
Timm Herdt (therdt@VenturaCountyStar.com) has a fascinating profile of Assemblywoman Fran Pavley and her bill regulating carbon-dioxide emissions from cars and trucks. It's groundbreaking legislation about global warming.
Some of the local stories we're looking to cover today include the meeting tonight between federal regulators and La Conchita residents about the package of assistance available to them as a result of the January landslide. The Santa Paula City Council will be discussing the controversial Mill project tonight, and the Ventura City Council is expected to finalize its Residential Growth Management Program tonight. There was a double-homicide/suicide in Oxnard and a number of bad accidents over the weekend we're following.
We're not forgetting it's Valentine's Day. Reporter Cheri Carlson (ccarlson@VenturaCountyStar.com) is going to drop by the county clerk's office to see who's getting married on this day for lovers.
In Sports, the CIF playoffs for soccer and girls' water polo will be announced midday and posted on www.VenturaCountyStar.com when available. And in Arts and Living, we'll look at the 10th season of the TV show "Survivor," which features a Ventura man, Jeff Wilson. But he's not talking about the show, yet.
Off the news wires, we'll look for stories on the assassination of the Lebanese former prime minister, the bombings in the Philippines and the bombings in Iraq.
All that's in competition for Page One tomorrow. Five of the stories will make it out front. What would you suggest we put there?
Posted by John Moore at 09:42 AM
