=.  The polls show the challenger in the race for sheriff is pulling away from the incumbent.

=.  Sheriff Alex Villanueva has a 44 percent negative rating … and is 10 points behind challenger Robert Luna.

=.  Caltrans will unveil its plans for Pacific Coast Highway through Malibu this week.

=.  The case of the trees that outgrew their welcome lands at City Hall tonight.

=.  And a woman famous for being famous gets slapped by the U-S government …

=.  Kim Kardashian learns  sending an Instagram for shilling a stock is a federal offense. 

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This is Malibu’s Only Local Daily News … the Monday edition … I’m Hans Laetz reporting. 

Support for KBUU Radio comes from Rancho del Cielo.

Perched high above the Pacific Ocean and overlooking Paradise Cove… Rancho Del Cielo is a partner bringing public radio to the Malibu… for eight years now.

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LA Times Poll Shows Villanueva Way Behind Luna As Polls Open In One Week

Incumbent sheriff Alex Villanueva is 10 points behind challenger Robert Luna … in the latest L A Times poll of likely voters for the L A County sheriff’s office race.

And with five weeks until the polls close… 36% of the electorate is still undecided

But retired Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna has a formidable, 10-point lead among likely voters

Luna is at 36% … Villanueva has a one third disadvantage … down at 26 percent.

And undecideds are at 36 percent … according to the poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.

The poll was co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times. 

Poll director Mark DiCamillo tells the Times that Villanueva’s failure “is a significant finding. 

Most incumbents … usually survive reelection unless there’s a major scandal.

Villanueva has already had his share of major scandals … including an office full of command staff that have filed suit against him charging favoritism our discrimination act the highest ranks. 

Also … sending deputies into the homes of his political enemies to search for alleged political corruption on what objectively seems to be very weak evidence. Not to mention gangs of chefs Japanese who have all been taken over to sheriffs stations.

As for Luna… Villanueva accuses him of being a stooge for the LA County Board of Supervisors… And part of a “woke” “defund the police” movement.

Although more than a third of the voters say they are undecided right now … The U C Berkeley poil found 44 percent of likely voters said they view Villanueva unfavorably.

Luna..,.. the retired Long beach police chief … has only a 13 percent unfavorable rating.

And the race is apparently becoming as referendum on Villanueva’s record.

Balloting begins Monday and ends November 8th.

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What is Caltrans planning for Pacific Coast Highway????

There has been a great deal of confusion since last May … when Caltrans officials announced vague plans to install bike lanes and ban parking along 14 miles of PCH.

That plan would have removed 22 hundred parking spaces along P C H between Malibu Pier and Leo Carrillo Beach. 

The proposal was discussed at a public meeting … called by Caltrans in June … that was chaotic … very hard to understand … and that had Malibu’s mayor and others calling it the worst informative meeting they had ever attended.

It turns out the Caltrans bike lane plan was not a plan at all … just an idea that was being sounded out by some lower ranking Caltrans engineers.

No one with any authority was at that meeting.

Back to the drawing board.

The city is bringing in Caltrans representatives this month to answer questions and explain the 13 major construction projects they have in the works for PCH in Malibu.

Things like rebuilding the crash-prone Las Flores/Rambla Pacifico intersections .

Possibly relocating the highway to make way for restoring the Topanga Lagoon.

Putting in traffic signals at crosswalks. 

And the 14-mile long repaving project … the one that might eliminate 2200 parking spaces and install bike lanes in the western 2/3rds of Malibu.

The Caltrans engineers will meet with the 10 members of the city public works and public safety commissions.

That meeting is Thursday afternoon at 3:30 ;… on the Zoom computer platform.

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Point Dume Tree Trimming Case Heads To Planning Commission Tonight

That unusual case of a woman won’t trim her trees is scheduled to go before the Malibu Planning Commission tonight.

Her neighbor … wants to see the ocean.

The unusual view preservation dispute is on Point Dume … 

A woman who lives on Birdview Drive has trees blocking her ocean view. 

She has presented evidence that she has gone through all the steps prior to asking for a city order to trim the trees. 

She’s offered to pay to trim the trees. 

She’s offered to go to binding arbitration. 

And she’s proved to the city that the trees block her primary view from her deck. City staff agrees that the trees need to be trimmed… 

This goes before the planning commission tonight. 

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Everyone Approves Ban On Poison, Council Will Examine Why We Don’t Have One Yet

Almost everyone in Malibu agrees that rat poison is a terrible thing to inflict on the local wildlife.

The links between the use of rat poison on local wildlife … including mountain lions … is well established.

And the city has found a way around the state law … that generally blocks local cities from banning the use of the poison.

Big agribusiness… the chemical manufacturers … and other powerful interests want to maintain the use of rat poison.

Malibu has been using the state Coastal Act … which protects the environment near the ocean … to get around the state law and ban rat poison in Malibu.

But there are all kinds of legal hoops to jump through .. for the city to ban the use of rat poison within city limits.

Although the city and state have amended the coastal plan to ban poison … that was a year ago … and there still is no local ordinance ti implement the change in policy.

Should the city simply pass an ordinance?

The city council will get a report from the city attorney next Monday night.

This comes after yet another dead mountain lion has tested with large amounts of rat poison in her blood. 

P-65 was the first mountain lion found to have died of complications from mange, a highly contagious skin disease caused by a mite parasite that digs into mountain lions who are weakened by rat poison. 

P-65’s case of mange was severe, evidenced by hair loss and crusty skin.

She was also extremely emaciated.

The city council will discuss the issue next week.

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Support for Radio Malibu KBUU comes from the Mark and Grether Real Estate Group.

Combining the talents of Tony Mark and Russell Grether… the Marc and Gregory Group offers concierge-level service… personalized attention… to buyers and sellers… landlords and tenants … here in Malibu.

The Mark and Gregory Group… a top producing team with 35 years of experience… And over $1 billion worth of real estate sold in least… From Malibu’s coastline to the canyons.

Cost To Replace Labor Exchange Trailer Shoots to $585,000

It may cost more than a half million dollars for the City of Malibu to fix the trailer used to house the Malibu Labor Exchange … the hiring center for day workers near the Malibu Library.

The old trailer was worn out … a temporary trailer is being rented … and the city counnow the project has grown into a half million dollar expense.

City staff now says the city needs permits for this work.

And to get permits…. they need to install a permanent pad … a sewer hookup… and pay to connect to the city sewer plant. 

A simple trailer has exploded into a $585,000 project.

This would require an additional appropriation from the City’s General Fund of $391,000.

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Saguaro Technology offers software development and other engineering services across the entire product life cycle…

And across several industries …  including life sciences, automation, and robotics.

Saguaro Technology engineers work side-by-side with a client to extender engineering teams … to create and launch products faster… add more cost effectively.

Saguaro Technology of Malibu can be reached at saguarotech.net

Rouse Gets Unexpected Endorsement

Malibu school board candidate Stacy Rouse has picked up a very unusual endorsement.
The Santa Monica Democratic Club voted last week to endorse Rouse and fellow challenger Alicia Mignano for two of the four seats up for election.

The Democratic Club also voted to back School Board incumbents Laurie Lieberman and Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein.

The largest voter groups in Santa Monica … the renters and the school fundraising group … also endorsed the other three candidates … but did not endorse Rouse … 

After all … she lives in Malibu.

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Support for KBUU Radio comes from the Malibu Brewing Company.

Malibu Brewing Company is a locally owned craft brewery, proudly supporting our community, and local public radio. 

The Malibu Brewing Company Tap Room is now open at Trancas Country Market and they look forward to welcoming you in for an elevated every day dining experience.

A chef-prepared menu … with a wide selection of premium craft beer … on the patio or inside a comfortable table.

Now open … the Malibu Brewing Company Tap Room at Trancas Country Market.

Malibu Brewing Company Malibu California

Marin County Sees Antivax Fever Cured

The similarities between Malibu and Marin County are striking. Both are next to major metropolitan areas… Both are predominantly wealthy… And both were hotbeds of anti-VAX sentiment.

In both Malibu and Marin county… a contingent of liberal parents skeptical of traditional medicine. 

But he San Francisco Chronicle reports that Marin County is no longer an anti-vaccine hotbed.

Given that Marin County is an actual county … its embrace of vaccines can be measured by the state.

And Marin County has embraced vaccines at rates that surpass the vast majority of communities in the nation.

Why?
Kids are campaigning to be vaccinated. 

One pediatrician in San Rafael says “It kind of became the cool thing to do to get vaccinated,” 

The doctor says his own son was “talking about, ‘Can you believe there’s this kid in my class and he’s not vaccinated?’ he said. “You almost become a little bit of an outcast if you’re not vaccinated.”

Among children 5 to 11, 80 percent in Marin County have both of their Covid shots, more than double the statewide or national rates. The rate among those under 5 is more than five times the nation’s.

Now, Marin County’s Covid vaccination rate among all residents is 91 percent, compared with 68 percent nationwide.

Malibu’s rate is likely comparable … but exact figures are not available.

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Support for KBUU Radio comes from the Malibu Foundation.

The Malibu Foundation underwrote the KBUU solar panels and batteries at the transmitter … which keeps KBUU’s FM transmitting on 99.1 during storms and blackouts… 24 seven… on clean renewable Malibu sunshine.

Star Fined $1.26 Million For Duping Her Dupes

Malibu actress Kim Kardashian will pay $1.26 million to the U S Securities and Exchange Commission for plugging a cryptocurrency on social media without disclosing that she had been paid to do so.

The SEC says Kardashian failed to disclose that she was paid $250,000 to post an Instagram message plugging a crypto asset … a security … like a stock.

And it is illegal to shill stocks.

The SEC said this morning … and we quote … “The federal securities laws are clear that any celebrity or other individual who promotes a crypto asset security must disclose the nature, source, and amount of compensation they received in exchange for the promotion.”

Kardashian has recently purchased a house in Malibu.

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You can hear the news live every morning until 9:30 on KBUU.

FM 99.1 in western Malibu.  Also: streaming at www.radiomalibu.net

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