Mountain biker dies after accident
A 42-year-old man died after crashing his bicycle into a ravine in the Santa Monica Mountains Saturday morning. The victim, who died near Stunt Road and Mulholland Highway, was identified as Willis Veluz-Abraham of Winnetka.
The incident was reported to the California Highway Patrol, which notified Los Angeles County Firefighters, who then responded to the scene. It is currently unknown if there were any witnesses to the accident.
Man sentenced in marijuana smuggling case
A Mexican national who was arrested Jan. 15 in Malibu for allegedly coming ashore with a boat-full of marijuana near Deer Creek was sentenced to nearly six years in prison Monday.
In January, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrested 29-year-old Pedro Lopez and two others while they were unloading more than 45 bales of marijuana from the boat. According to court papers, an investigation found the marijuana originated in the Ensenada area of Mexico.
Lopez later pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana.
The two other men, 47-year-old Rafael Castillo-Juarez and 48-year-old Javier Lizarraga-Calderon, both pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana with an intent to distribute and were each sentenced to one year in prison.
Officials said all three men face deportation when their sentences are completed.
DUI checkpoint planned for Friday
The Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station will conduct at DUI/driver’s license checkpoint in Malibu on Friday between 7:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. Officers will be checking drivers for signs of alcohol or drug impairment and will also be making sure drivers are properly licensed.
EMILY lifesaving pack makes first rescue
A new lifesaving pack named for Emily Shane made its first official rescue off the coast of Oregon last weekend. The EMILY pack, or the Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard, saved two swimmers being pulled out to sea by a rip current, according to a press release from the Depoe Bay Fire District.
After receiving the report that two 10-to-12-year-olds were caught in the rip tide, local lifeguards responded and deployed the EMILY pack. One child had already made it to shore, but the other was stranded on a rock. The device made it to the swimmer and pulled him back to shore.
“She can be deployed quickly from the shoreline and—powered by an electric impeller similar to those used on jet skis—EMILY can travel 12 times as fast as a person, can make tight turns in choppy waters and can run for up to 20 minutes on a single battery charge,” Depoe Bay Fire Chief Joshua Williams said. “We are also pleased that our new shift system allows us to respond immediately to emergencies like this one.”
The EMILY lifesaving device was named after Malibu eighth-grader Emily Shane, who was struck and killed by a car when walking along Pacific Coast Highway in April 2010.
The pack was designed by Anthony Mulligan, whose daughter was good friends with Shane.
Abandoned gas station torn down
Workers last Wednesday began clearing a gas station that had sat vacant for many years adjacent to the Malibu Urgent Care facility near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Webb way. Underground gas tanks were expected to be removed soon. Current plans are to keep the property as an empty lot, workers said. Over the years, many local residents have complained about the gas station, calling it an eyesore and calling for the owners to tear it down.
Rosenthal winery estate listed for $59.5 million
The Rosenthal wine estate in Malibu has been put on the market for $59.5 million by seller George Rosenthal.
The 235-acre estate, which Rosenthal began working on in 1977, includes a 12,000-square-foot hacienda-style house, 25 acres of vineyards and a wine tasting room. Also on the property are two pools near the main residence, horse stables, and two guest houses, including one with an additional pool.
Irene Dazzan-Palmer and Sandro Dazzan of Coldwell Banker Previews International have the listing.
France issues arrest warrant for dictator’s son
French authorities issued an arrest warrant last week for Teodorin Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of the president of Equatorial Guinea, who owns a multimillion dollar mansion in Malibu. Equatorial Guinea is a small, oil-rich country in Africa.
According to French authorities, Teodorin failed to appear at a money-laundering investigation to explain how he spends millions of dollars while only legally earning a modest government salary.
Teodorin’s lavish spending habits have also caught the attention of American authorities. In October 2011, the United States government filed a complaint alleging he laundered vast sums of money that were fraudulently obtained through his position and influence. The Attorney General’s office said Teodorin used the money to purchase his Sweetwater Mesa mansion, along with a wide variety of other items, like luxury vehicles and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Michael Jackson memorabilia.
Teodorin is Equatorial Guinea’s minister of agriculture and forestry and his official salary is listed as about $100,000 per year.
SMMUSD seeking new personnel commissioner
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is accepting applications for an open position on its Personnel Commission. The vacancy becomes available Aug. 1 and the term ends Dec. 1, 2013.
The Personnel Commission is the public group responsible for the administration of a “merit system” for the promotion of non-teaching employees in public schools. It is made up of three members appointed for three-year terms with the term of one member expiring each year.
To qualify, applicants must be registered voters within the SMMUSD boundaries, be familiar with the district’s “merit system” and “support the concept of employment, continuance in employment, in-service promotional opportunities and other related matters on the basis of merit and fitness,” according to a press release.
Employees of the school district are precluded from applying.
Applications are available at the office of the superintendent at 1651 16th St., or online at smmusd.org.
Legacy Park awarded
The City of Malibu has received a Water Quality Improvement Award from the Water Environment Federation for Legacy Park, making it the seventh award the city has received for the park in the past year.
“We thank the Water Environment Federation for recognizing our commitment to environmental stewardship and education,” Malibu Mayor Laura Rosenthal said. “The creation of Legacy Park is one of the many ways the City has proven its dedication to helping create a cleaner environment and to protecting the health of our nearly 13,000 residents and approximately 15 million annual visitors who enjoy Malibu beaches.”
Legacy Park was completed in October 2010 and captures stormwater and urban runoff for treatment and disinfection.
City looking to upgrade website
The City of Malibu is looking for a new design for its website. The city is hoping for the website to be a resourceful information platform that makes it simple to use for both the community and visitors.
All requests and ideas should be submitted by email only to media information officer Olivia Damavandi at odamavandi@malibucity.org. All proposals are due no later than 4 p.m. on Tues., July 31.
On July 9, the City of Malibu issued a request for web groups to submit their ideas for the design of their new website. For more information, call 310.456.2489