Imperial County

BRAWLEY - On Thursday, at precisely 10:18 a.m., every kindergarten through 12th-grade student across Imperial County crouched under their desks for one minute in participation of this year's Great California ShakeOut drill. At Phil D. Swing Elementary School, teacher Micaela Fletes' fifth-grade class was reviewing language arts when a long bell marked the start of the drill. “OK boys and girls, carefully get under your desks and cover your heads like you would during a real earthquake” said Fletes to the students.

The first step to get funding for bicycle lanes and improvements started Wednesday with the Imperial County bicycle master plan workshop. To read the rest of this story see today's print or E-edition of the Imperial Valley Press.

Road projects halted this year by the burrowing owls' nesting season are back on schedule, so drivers should be aware of restricted traffic and road closure possibilities, officials say. The paving of Pitzer Road, the Keystone Road overlay and three FEMA-related projects were halted because of the burrowing owl, Veronica Atondo, county senior engineer said. The Pitzer Road project, between McCabe and Correll roads, is already under construction and it will pave an existing gravel road, Atondo said.

Imperial Valley native Gina Rodriguez Vargas has been hired to serve as district representative for Sen. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, at his Imperial County office. Gina Vargas will appear on the senator's behalf at community and civic meetings throughout the Valley's portion of the 40th Senate District, a press release stated. She is also expected to assist local constituents seeking assistance from state agencies. Prior to joining the senator's office, Vargas had worked as grants coordinator for the city of Brawley.

Depending on whom one asks, Imperial County's air quality is either greatly improving or failing. The American Lung Association put out its annual State of the Air report Wednesday, and Imperial County got a failing grade, according to the organization. The area was even ranked as having the 13th worst ozone levels in the nation. The region's ozone levels received an “F,” while particle pollution during a 24-hour period received a “D” grade, according to the report. The annual level of particle pollution, which is made of tiny particles in the air that come from things like dust storms, burning and gas emissions, passed with a “B” grade.

Here are four things that happened at Tuesday's Imperial County Board of Supervisors meeting: 1. The first phase of a major road rehabilitation was awarded to Pyramid Construction and Aggregates Inc. The contract is worth about $2.9 million and will cover some 20 miles of county roads. 2. The county librarian was cleared to pursuit the California Emerging Technology Get Connected Grant. If won, this $220,000 grant would provide subsidized Internet connectivity to eligible residents, as well as computers and computer classes.

A local emergency was declared for Imperial County today after a major storm hit Imperial County on Monday. Imperial County Fire Chief Tony Rouhotas, the incident commander at the Office of Emergency Services, said in a press release that, “the local office of Emergency Services is aware that the damage from the recent storm has affected local families and staff and is working closely with county agencies and local cities to respond quickly to...

State senate and assembly seat are being led by democrats in Imperial County with 42% of the precincts counted, according to preliminary results. For state senate, democrat Juan Vargas has 54% of the vote over republican Brian Hendry. Similarly, democratic incumbent V. Manuel Perez has almost 57% of the vote over challenger republican Steve Sanchez. Both counts only include Imperial County, not Riverside or San Diego counties.

A 4.0-magnitude earthquake shook south Imperial County at 3:56 p.m. Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey Web site. The epicenter of the quake was 9 miles southeast of Ocotillo. The tremor was followed shortly after by two smaller ones, according to the Web site.

Continuing the drive to rebuild the state's infrastructure, the California Transportation Commission this week allocated $1 billion in funding for 153 transportation projects across the state, including $1.95 million in Imperial County, according to a press release. The California Department of Transportation announced that nearly $2 million has been awarded to construct bicycle and pedestrian facilities at the Andrade International Border Crossing in Andrade in eastern Imperial County.  “We're building transportation improvements that will benefit the state for decades to come and boost job growth in every region of California,” Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty said of the statewide projects.

EL CENTRO - A man was arrested this week on suspicion of agriculture equipment theft after an estimated $6,000 worth of property was taken from local harvesting companies. Marco Andres Gutierrez-Perez, 33, of Mexicali was arrested Tuesday and is being held at the Yuma County Sheriff's Jail awaiting extradition to Imperial County, according to a press release from the Sheriff's Office. He was identified after the Imperial County Sheriff's Office increased patrols near El Centro due to recent agricultural thefts in that area.

We in the Imperial County jail, well, most of us, are doing our sentences under P.C. 1170 (b). We are doing prison time in county jail. Our question is, why are San Diego and Riverside County inmates under P.C. 1170 (b) only doing 35 percent of their time, and Imperial County inmates are doing 50 percent of our sentences? - Locked Up, Imperial County P.C. 1170 (b) apparently has nothing to do with what the inmate is writing to us about. What we think he meant to refer to was P.C. 1170 (H)

Imperial is one of five counties receiving funding for renewable energy planning, the California Energy Commission announced. Imperial County will use the awarded $700,000 to update and amend the geothermal/alternative energy element of its general plan, according to the press release. The project calls for revising ordinances, maps and other required environmental documents involved. “The (California) Energy Commission awarded more than $3 million to five California counties with some of the best renewable energy resources in the state,” said Energy Commission Vice Chair Karen Douglas.

> > 50 Years Ago   - EL CENTRO - Meeting in the county courthouse a group of “loyal Californians” read telegrams from Governor Edmund G. Brown and Assemblyman Victor Veysey last night and heard a resolution from the Quechan Indians. Governor Brown said the state was not going to let Imperial County join Arizona because it meant so much to California. Assemblyman Veysey urged the Valley to further efforts to try to endure abuses of the past, and hope for better treatment in the future.

Imperial County Sheriff's Office investigators arrested an El Centro man for allegedly stealing property from Naval Air Facility El Centro. Martin Alberto Gonzalez, 46, of El Centro was arrested and booked into the Imperial County Jail for possession of stolen property, according to a press release from the Sheriff's Office. His bail is set at $20,000. Imperial County Sheriff's investigators first received information of a person in possession of stolen military property last week.

Imperial County Superior Court Judge Christopher Plourd on Wednesday sentenced former California Highway Patrol Lt. John Swaim to 10 years in state prison after being convicted of four counts of child molestation in February. In issuing his ruling, Plourd cited the seriousness and circumstances of the crimes, which took place over 10 years ago. Swaim had been denied probation precisely because the crimes for which he was convicted were part of a decades long pattern of alleged child molestation.

Maria Elvira Giusti de Gutierrez of Calexico said she believes it is important and necessary to send all three of her children to Catholic school for the academic excellence and morals they receive. Tuition for that excellence and those morals come at a hefty price, but it is a financial sacrifice the Gutierrez family deems necessary for their children. “My husband stayed with his car for 15 years, and when one of my daughters graduated from (Our Lady of Guadalupe Academy) my husband told her he would buy her a car, but he wouldn't be able to afford (to send her to)

> > 50 Years Ago   - IMPERIAL - The first bank in Imperial since the 1930s will open for business   Monday, June 17 , when Bank of America's new Imperial branch begins operation, it was announced today by Ellis F. Carter, head of the new branch. “Bank of America has been a factor in the growth of the Imperial Valley since the earliest days and now will be able to offer its many friends in the area direct banking service,” Carter said.   > > 40 Years Ago   - a citizen's fight to save the present “looks” of the Brawley Plaza went down to apparent defeat when the city council voted to reaffirm its position on the controversial street widening project.