Actor has child endangerment charges dropped
Actor Michael Madsen, who was arrested in his Malibu home last week after an altercation with his teenage son, will not face charges of child endangerment, according to multiple media outlets.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed prosecutors decided to drop the charges against Madsen due to insufficient evidence. The actor’s attorney, Perry Wandler, told TMZ Madsen “found his son smoking pot and they got in an argument when he tried to take it away.” The “Reservoir Dogs” and “Kill Bill Vol. 2” actor has described the ordeal as a “big misunderstanding.”
John Paul Jones crew rescues Filipino mariners
The USS John Paul Jones and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Baranof rescued 24 Filipino mariners in the Arabian Gulf March 15.
At around 2 a.m. local time, the ship responded to a distress call from the Liberian-flagged motor vessel Stolt Valor 48 nautical miles southeast of Farsi Island, Iran. Once they arrived, the crew spotted one of two life rafts signaling with a small light, and discovered and rescued 16 people in the first raft and an additional eight in the second.
“Coming to the aid of fellow mariners in trouble and conducting search and rescues at sea are critical skills that the Navy trains us to get right,” Cmdr. Jon Duffy, commanding officer, John Paul Jones said in a press release. “I couldn’t be more proud of how our crews reacted from the initial distress call to when every survivor was safe on deck.”
The USS John Paul Jones docked for a weekend in Malibu as a part of the Malibu Navy Days celebration last June.
Memorial service for Pepperdine athletic chaplain taking place Sunday
The memorial service for Pepperdine University athletic Chaplain Maurice Hilliard will take place March 25, according to a release from the university. The service will be held at Pepperdine’s Firestone Fieldhouse, 24255 Pacific Coat Highway, at 11 a.m. For more information, visit pepperdinesports.com.
Satellite campus project making progress
The City of Malibu and Santa Monica College continue to work on preliminary plans to build a satellite campus in the Malibu Civic Center area, according to a release from the city.
The preliminary plans for the proposed campus include an educational instruction facility with classrooms such as a science lab, art studio, computer lab, community music and lecture hall, as well as two standard classrooms. The plans also include a sheriff’s substation and a multipurpose room available to the community, which will double as an Emergency Operations Center for the City of Malibu and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“The City is excited to be working with Santa Monica College and Los Angeles County on the advancement of this project,” Malibu Mayor Laura Rosenthal said. “The satellite campus will not only provide new educational opportunities for the Malibu community, but will strengthen law enforcement’s ability to serve Malibu, especially during emergencies.”
The next steps in the project include the completion and review of documents required by the California Environmental Quality Act, site drawings, parking surveys, and utility and telecommunications relocation plans.
City hosting workshops on PCH bike route improvements
The City of Malibu is hosting a series of public input workshops on ways to improve the existing bicycle route from the county line to Busch Drive. The first two workshops will be held Sat., March 31 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Wed., April 4 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Malibu City Hall.
The project is funded primarily through a grant from the Caltrans Highway Safety Improvement Program, along with a contribution from the city’s general funds.
For more information contact Elizabeth Shavelson, Public Works Analyst/Project Manager at 310-456-2489 x254.
City celebrating Earth Month
The City of Malibu is celebrating Earth Month, April, with a variety of different events and activities.
The month-long celebration begins with a shoe drive taking place April 1-30. The city is partnering with nonprofit organization Soles4Souls on the project, a group that collects new shoes to donate to those in need.
The public is encouraged to donate gently worn or new shoes of all types, such as athletic shoes, dress shoes, sandals and boots. Shoes may be dropped off at City Hall (23825 Stuart Ranch Rd.) or Malibu Bluffs Park (24250 Pacific Coast Highway).
Other April events include an Earth Day Celebration April 4 at Pepperdine University, a recycling roundup and expanded polystyrene recycling events April 21 at City Hall, and the Malibu Library Grand Opening, Earth Day Festival at Legacy Park and Beach Clean up at Surfrider Beach on April 22.