Beach Search At Westward – Sharks Drop Final Four Game – SMMUSD Supt Also Says No

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A beach rescue at Westward Beach.

The Malibu High girls volleyball team has a terrific season … but falls out at the state Final Four.

Santa Monica School Superintendent Ben Drati also says nope … on a Malibu School District.

Parents here fire back that Santa Monica would still be a very rich district … after a divorce.

This is Malibu’s only local daily news.

It’s the   ((((  midday  ))) edition of the Wednesday news … from Radio Malibu  …. 97 point 5 K B U.

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Good morning Malibu!

Lifeguards Searching Off Westward Beach

L-A county lifeguards searching for a man … who was reported missing off Westward Beach Road.

The call came in before 8 this morning … in the 72 hundred block of Westward Beach Road … at the Free Zuma Beach.

The Baywatch Zuma boat was brought in first … along with lifeguards and fire paramedics.

Then … helicopters and a dive team.

Dispatchers tell KBUU News that it is not clear if there was even a person in the water.

But they had a report that an elderly man was in the ocean.

Sharks Fall At State Final Four

One of the few visits by Malibu High School students to a state championship ended on the volleyball court last night.

The Malibu girls were in the match all the way … but fell to Capistrano Valley Christian … 3-1.

The team lost the first set … 25-21 … but bounced back to take the second one … 25-22.

Cap Valley took the third set in a tie-breaker … 27 to 25. 

And Malibu finally ran out of gas … falling 25-21 in the final set.

last night at the state final championship game …. on the road in south Orange County.

All of Malibu undoubtedly says congrats to the girls … they had a fabulous season …

School Superintendent Sides With Santa Monica On Divorce

Santa Monica school superintendent Ben Drati is echoing the hard line taken by Santa Monica board members against an independent Malibu School District.

The school superintendent has sent out a letter to the district’s parents and employees ….which pretty much echoes the decision by Santa Monica board members to just say no.

Drati says he understands the strong interest in Malibu to separate.

But … he says the district needs to ensure that both districts have the resources necessary.

Read that as tax money … the property tax money that flows from Malibu to Santa Monica.

Says Drati … and we quote … “at this time, it is clear that the remaining Santa Monica school district will suffer in a separation … so I must balance that with the interests of Malibu to separate.”

End quote.

He doesn’t say no … directly.

But … he says no …

Malibu Parents Say SM Would Be Rich, Alone

Malibu parents are firing back at the district.

They are pointing out how Malibu is functioning as a tax colony for the distant city.

The last two school bind elections … for example … were structured to funnel 83 million dollars in taxes from Malibu to Santa Monica for school construction.

Malibu makes up around 15 percent of the population of the combined school district … but Malibu taxpayers pay more than 30 percent of the construction bond costs.

And Malibu schools get back about 20 percent of the total bond money.

Malibu is willing to pay Santa Monica a divorce fee … of sorts … to the tune of more than 100 million dollars over 12 years … to make up for less money coming from Malibu.

But Santa Monica school board members say that would hurt kids in Santa Monica.

School activists here note that … after the divorce … Santa Monica would still have more money per student … than all but about three percent of California schools.

Divorce Talks Behind Closed Doors Today

Malibu school superintendent Ben Drati will meet with an ad hoc city council committee today .. to feel out if malibu would be comfortable with some sort of limited autonomy plan to be proposed by Santa Monica.

The meeting is closed to the public.

Within the next week … he will meet with the heads of PTAs and other interst groups inMalibu.

The idea of some sort of limited autonomy plan heads back tot he school board for its meeting  … in 8 days … in Santa Monica.

City Kicks Around Undergrounding Utility Lines

We told you yesterday about the  city council … planning to meet next Monday to talk about neighborhood character and mansionization.

That’s not the only major item coming up Monday.

Parking meters … a new city theater … homeless services … and undergrounding power lines in the city … also on the agenda.

The city council asked its staff to investigate the feasibility of putting overhead utilities in the City of Malibu.

The idea is to improve aesthetics …  improve system reliability, and significantly reduce the possibility of fire danger.

Power poles are certainly ugly.

But undergrounding power lines does not necessarily increase reliability.

Underground circuits at Point Dume have ailed repeatedly and spectacularly.

And as for safety … the major fires in the Santa Monica Mountains … that have been caused by powerlines … have all started in the mountains and canyons far north of Malibu.

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You are listening to the latest news from Radio Malibu … 97.5 K B U.  ((( time  ))))

Malibu Congressman Walks Out of House Memorial for Texas

In the U-S House of Representatives Monday evening … Speaker Paul Ryan requested all representatives rise for a 15-second moment of silence.

Members of the Texas delegation gathered near the front . to offer thoughts and prayers for the 26 people killed and 20 people injured during a church service in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

Malibu Congressman Ted Lieu walked out.

Lieu went into a hallway and then went on Facebook live.

He said he was heartbroken by the shooting… and that he respects those inside offering their respects.

But …

LIEU GUNS :21 QQQ: gun safety legislation now.

“But I can’t do this again.

“I’ve been to too many moments of silences.

“In just my short career in Congress, three of the worst shootings in US history have occurred.

“I will not be silent.

“What we need is action, we need to pass gun safety legislation now.”

Malibu-area Congressman Ted Lieu … in a Capitol hallway speaking to his constituents after walking out from the Texas gun slaughter memorial.

The Democratic congressman represents the west side of Los Angeles County.

Wildfire Victims To Lose Tax Writeoff For Loss

In other Washington news … with a Malibu angle … the L-A Times reports that the House Republican tax bill would eliminate the tax deduction for wildfires, earthquakes and other natural disasters….  but keep the break for victims of the recent severe hurricanes.

The chairman of the house Ways And Means Committee … Kevin Brady … is a Republican from the Houston area.

And his tax plan would grandfather in losses to Texas taxpayers from hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria..

California officials are concerned that killing the deduction would hurt people in the state.

If the bill becomes law, the deduction would disappear next year.

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Traffic …

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Weather for the Malibu ….

It will be ((((  Sunny, with a high near 68   )))) today on the beach … ((((   76    )))) in the mountains above Malibu.

Winds will be gentle.

Downcoast winds will be  around  (((   15  )))) miles per hour this afternoon.

Sunset tonight is at   ((((   4:53    )))).

At 9 a-m … expect it to be (((  clear  )))) tonight … a low of  ((((  60   )))) on the beach … down to  ((((   51   )))) in the mountains.

Tomorrow should be   ((((   warmer  )))).

Right now … at Trancas it’s ((((    57   )))) degrees.

In upper Malibu Canyon … ((((    58    )))) .

And at Civic Center Los Angeles … ((((   57   )))).

In the ocean … it’s ((((    61    )))) degrees in the water at Zuma Beach.

The lifeguards say the waves today are   ((((  1 to 2   )))) feet high ….

Those are ((((  poor )))) surfing conditions …. according to the lifeguards.

(((((  High  tide is at  11:31 AM …   5.8 feet.

Low tide is at 7:03 tonight.  ))))

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The KBU Newswire is posted midmornings … at RadioMalibu.net and at the MalibuTimes.com .

Remember…  breaking news  goes first to the radio …  at F-M 97 point 5 in western Malibu….

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And on Facebook … search for Radio Malibu..

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Navigate to k-b-u dot f-m. … and we’re streaming in your ear anywhere in the world.

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