I feel sorry for the TC channels. They were all geared up to cover the “storm of the century” with a reporter on every corner. Except, in most cases it never materialized. Ventura had about an inch of rain. The only thing unique about this is that it was in August and not during our rainy season.
They were so desperate that innocuous events became big news. They kept showing a little fender-bender on the freeway and another one avoiding the first one. There will be more serious freeway accidents today. But my favorite was “It was reported that a rock fell on a car in Pt. Mugu.” I’m surprised that they didn’t have a geologist explain what a rock is.
And the TV alerts (couldn’t understand a word they said) warning of flash flood conditions in LA and Ventura counties. That’s like telling us there will be flash flood conditions somewhere in the United States.
This is disturbing. The very basis of our democracy is being threatened by very scary people. Folks on grand jury’s spend hours working each week for very little pay serving their county, county and our freedom. If they now need to be concerned about their physical safety, it’s a sad day for America.
The purported names and addresses of members of the grand jury that indicted Donald Trump and 18 of his co-defendants on state racketeering charges this week have been posted on a fringe website that often features violent rhetoric, according to NBC News. Must they now be concerned for their lives? Do their homes need to be guarded by law enforcement?
Recently, FBI agents fatally shot a 74-year-old Utah man who threatened to assassinate President Joe Biden. This was just the latest example of how violent rhetoric has created a more perilous political environment across the U.S.
Six days earlier, a 52-year-old Texas man was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for threatening to kill Arizona election workers. Four days before that, prosecutors charged a 56-year-old Michigan woman with lying trying to buy guns for her mentally ill adult son, who threatened to use them against Biden and that state’s Democratic governor.
Threats against public officials have been steadily climbing in recent years, creating new challenges for law enforcement, civil rights and the health of American democracy.
In our last issue, I commented on how good it was that some community colleges could offer bachelor’s degrees. Apparently, the idea isn’t welcomed by all. For over a year, the California Community College and the California State University systems have clashed over their respective roles. Who should be granting bachelor’s degrees?
Community colleges were designed to award two-year associate degrees and provide career training, while the Cal State system would offer four-year bachelor’s and master’s degrees and the University of California system would prioritize research and doctoral programs. Some career training, however, takes more than a 2-year degree to complete.
New law allows the community college system to approve up to 30 new bachelor’s degree programs each year at any one of the state’s 116 community colleges. Moorpark College is one of those community colleges and will offer bachelor’s degree under a new biotechnology program that launches in fall 2024.
Community colleges can only offer bachelor’s degrees in unique fields that no other public four-year campuses currently offer.
Congratulations to Jeff Lambert who is returning to Ventura. We just can’t get rid of him – kidding. The Board of Commissioners for the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB) announced the appointment of Jeffrey “Jeff” Lambert as the new Chief Executive Officer for the HACSB. Lambert brings a wealth of experience and expertise in housing planning, policy development, and community engagement. Jeff served as head of Ventura’s community development department for many years and I always found him to be very approachable and easy to work with.
