SACRAMENTO, 3-9-10 – the legislature passed a democratic bill intended to end furloughs for nearly 80,000 state employees. The bill would apply to workers whose wages are paid outside the general fund. A spokesman for the gov. has said that he will veto the bill. The three-day-a-month are set to expire for 200,000 state employees at the end of June.
SAN FRANCISCO, 3-11-10 – 25 drug cases were dismissed at the Hall of Justice in San Francisco in the continuing fallout over a former technician in the police crime lab suspected of stealing and using drug evidence. The lab has been temporarily shut down while the investigation against Deborah Madden, 60, is continuing.
WORLD NEWS, 3-11-10 – Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim jumped past Americans Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to head the list of the world’s richest men. The son of an immigrant shopkeeper, Slim has a fortune estimated at $53.5 billion. His holdings include a major stake in the New York Times.
IRAQ, 3-11-10 – Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has challenged election results that showed him placing second behind Sunni-backed Ayad Allawi. Maliki has demanded a hand recount of all ballots.
MOSCOW, 3-29-10 – Russia has eliminated 2 of its 11 time zones, leaving a gap of 9 hours difference between the far eastern and western reaches of the vast country.
CORCORAN PRISON, 4-4-10 – imprisoned music producer Phil Spector is recovering from injuries received at the hands of a fellow prisoner. Spector, who is segregated on a sensitive-needs-yard, suffered a black eye, bruised nose and loss of two dental caps in the assault.
PHILIPPINES, 4-7-10 – scientists report the discovery of a Veranus Bitatawa, a cousin of the Komodo dragon. As large as a full-grown man, the fruit-eating lizard has two penises.
ADELANTO, CA, 4-7-10 – officials have arranged the sale of a city-owned 650 bed prison facility to Florida-based The Geo Group, Inc.. The move could put about 100 workers out of work w hile the private corp. seeks to find a tenant for the facility.
SAN FRANCISCO, 4-8-10- the Golden State Warriors handed Coach Don Nelson victory number 1,333, making Nelson the NBA’s career, regular season, winningest coach.
HAITI, 4-8-10 – authorities have recaptured few of the more than 4,500 inmates who escaped Haitian prisons during the Jan. 12 quake. Many of them have begun terrorizing neighborhoods, stealing aid supplies and fighting in gangs over turf.
PELICAN BAY PRISON – the CDCR seized more than $26,000 from the inmate trust account of Danny Roman, a high-ranking Mexican Mafia gang member imprisoned at Pelican Bay since 1988. The Del Norte County District Attorney’s Office has begun asset forfeiture proceedings after an investigation revealed the money allegedly came from gang activity and drug sales.
