Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/43818
8A Daily News – Tuesday, October 4, 2011 STATE BRIEFING Effort to repeal gay history law prompts complaint SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California's largest gay rights group is accusing the backers of a ballot mea- sure that would repeal a law requiring gay history to be taught in public schools of deliberately hiding the size and source of their cam- paign contributions. Equality California filed a complaint with the Fair Political practices Commis- sion on Monday alleging that two conservative groups behind the Stop SB 48 cam- paign ''may have engaged in an unlawful scheme'' to vio- late campaign reporting rules. Executive Director Roland Palencia says Capi- tol Resource Institute and Pacific Justice Institute should have registered as campaign committees because they are raising and spending money to qualify the repeal for the June ballot. Capitol Resource Insti- Director tute Executive Karen England says Palen- cia is wrong. She says a new committee formed to report fundraising activity hasn't yet met the $5,000 per donor threshold that would have triggered a mandatory filing. Brown signs commutation limits SACRAMENTO (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown is responding to a controver- sial decision by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger by signing a bill that slows down the governor's ability to grant clemency to con- victed criminals. Just hours before leaving office in January, Schwarzenegger commuted the voluntary manslaughter sentence of Esteban Nunez from 16 years to seven. Nunez is the son of former Assembly speaker Fabian Nunez, a Schwarzenegger ally. On Monday, Brown signed AB648 by Democra- tic Assemblyman Marty Block of San Diego. It requires the governor to give at least 10 days' notice to the district attorney in the juris- diction where the crime occurred before acting on an application for clemency. Such a move would give the district attorney time to notify crime victims and allow them to petition against a sentence reduction. Marine to receive Silver Star CAMP PENDLETON, (AP) — A Camp Pendleton Marine will be awarded the Silver Star for saving the life of a critically wounded Marine in Afghanistan by fending off a mass group of Taliban fighters so a medical helicopter could land and safely evacuate him. Maj. Sgt. David Jarvis of Bremerton, Wash., will receive the military's third- highest award for valor in combat during a ceremony at the base Wednesday. Officials say Jarvis took decisive action shortly after a Marine in his platoon was injured by an explosive device on Oct. 25, 2010. Officials say Jarvis exposed himself to a barrage of heavy machine gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades as he led Marines to hold their position in an hour-long firefight in Afghanistan's Upper Sangin River Valley. San Francisco DogPAC endorses mayoral candidate SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The political action committee devoted to San Francisco dog owners has endorsed mayoral candidate John Avalos in the upcom- ing election. Bruce Wolfe, president of DogPAC, said Monday that city Supervisor Avalos best represented the issues about which the city's 150,000 dog owners are concerned. The key issue that has dog owners on edge is a study by the National Park Service about closing big swaths of land within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area to dogs in an effort to protect native plants and endangered species. Avalos told a mayoral forum on Saturday that, as mayor, he would oppose the proposed dog management plan. There are more dogs than children in San Francisco and their owners are pas- sionate about the city's dog parks. Popular trail closed after 2 giant Sequoias fall SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST (AP) — The pop- ular Trail of 100 Giants is temporarily closed in Sequoia National Forest after two of the towering trees fell side by side over the trail. The Forest Service said the downed trees were reported Friday and no one was injured. Officials are still working to determine the ages of the trees and why they fell. Some of the giant trees in that area are 245 feet tall and have diameters of 18 feet. Photographs showed the unearthed root wads of the fallen trees were about three times as tall as a firefighter standing at the base. Forest Service officials said tourists can still see giant Sequoias at Freeman Creek Grove along Lloyd Meadow Road and other areas of the park. Court to let woman sue over headscarf removal WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will let a Muslim woman sue Southern California jailers for making her take off her head scarf in a courthouse holding cell. The court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from Orange County, Calif., officials, who were sued in 2007 by Souhair Khatib. Khatib had gone to the Orange County Superior Court to ask for more time to complete her community service. But a judge ordered her jailed, and jailers forced Khatib to remove her head scarf. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments that holding cells aren't covered by a federal law protecting the religious practices of prisoners. It also ruled Khatib had the right to wear the scarf unless jailers could show it was a security risk. David Lawrence, an attorney representing Orange County, said he could not comment. Khatib's attorney, Mark Rosenbaum of the Ameri- can Civil Liberties Union, said the case will now go back to district court but he hopes it can be resolved out- side the courtroom. Khatib filed the original lawsuit to get the sheriff's department to end their ban on head scarves in holding cells, he said. ''I think it's a pretty bla- tant example of discrimina- tion against Muslims ... and Orange County can run its facility without this ban,'' he said in a phone interview. Khatib and her husband, both U.S. citizens of Lebanese descent, pleaded guilty in 2006 to a misde- meanor violation of welfare fraud and were sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to complete 30 days of community service with- in 120 days. The two reported to court on Nov. 1, 2006, two days before that term expired, to seek an extension. When the judge learned she had com- pleted only 15 hours of ser- vice and her husband four, he ordered them jailed, according to Khatib's origi- nal lawsuit. She and her husband were released later in the day after the court entered a new judgment ordering them to complete their com- munity service by Jan. 30, 2007. The case was Orange County, Calif., v. Souhair Khatib, 10-1505. Sea lion found on NorCal highway had been shot BURLINGAME (AP) — Veterinarians caring for a sea lion that was rescued after waddling onto a busy Northern California high- way over the weekend say the animal suffered a gun- shot wound. California Highway Patrol officers encountered the sea lion around 7 a.m. Saturday after the agency received reports that it crossed Highway 101 in Burlingame. The animal then headed down an exit ramp, which the CHP closed for two hours until rescuers from The Marine Mammal Center arrived. Veterinarians at the cen- ter initially thought the female, 132-pound sea lion may have been disoriented from toxic algae poisoning. Test results are pending on the possible poisoning, but they also determined that it had been shot in the jaw. Center officials said Monday they're developing a treatment plan for the sea lion, which has been named Saturday, October 22, 2011 "Holiday Fantasy" Floral Design Program & Luncheon Red Bluff Garden Club Presents Carlino's, Rolling Hills Casino Featuring Kate Gliem House of Design Designs for the Holiday Season Vendors – Silent Auction Raffle – Live Auction Kathy, 527-9403 – Diane, 824-5661 House of Design, 527-8844 California Kitchen, 529-2482 Reserved Tickets $25.00 Purchase by October 12, 2011 Tickets: Broadway Bound after the highway exit. Calif. lettuce recall covers 19 states, Canada SALINAS (AP) — A California farm that issued a voluntary lettuce recall over listeria conta- mination concerns said its notice has gone out to 19 states and Canada. True Leaf Farms of Salinas initially announced a recall of 90 cartons of romaine lettuce shipped to an Oregon food service distributor, which shipped the pro- duce to Washington and Idaho. But the chief executive of Church Brothers, which sells and markets the farm's produce, clari- fied Saturday that the recall involved nearly 2,500 cartons. Only 90 cartons went to retail sales, said CEO Steve Church, and those were the ones mentioned in the initial announcement. The rest of the cartons, Church said, went to insti- tutions such as restaurants and cafeterias, which were notified about the recall. The company recalled the 33,000 pounds of let- tuce after a check by fed- eral officials found that a sample from one bag test- ed positive for listeria. No illnesses have reported. been The chopped and bagged lettuce, grown in Watsonville and processed in San Juan Bautista, was shipped Sept. 12 and 13. The recall covers products with a ''use by date'' of Sept. 29. The bag and box code is B256-46438-8. The states covered by the recall include Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, Cali- fornia, Colorado, Con- necticut, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Vermont. Lettuce currently picked at the Salinas farm is safe to eat, Church said. A listeria outbreak linked to cantaloupes from a Colorado farm has caused at least 72 illness- es, including up to 16 deaths, in 18 states. The Salinas Valley is known as the ''Salad Bowl of the World'' for its production of lettuce and numerous other crops. Jr. Livestock Auction Thank you for your support See you next year! MEDICARE SUPPLEMENTS Open Enrollment - to Change SENIORS!! MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT SPECIALIST • Has your current insurance company increased your monthly premium again? • Are you aware that there is a rule whereby "NO ONE" is turned away based on age or health? Why pay more for Plan F than you have to! 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