KBUU Newswire – Day 125 – Fri Mar 15 – Bullet Found In Corral Bch Victim – City Spends $9.2 Million On Woolsey – Bulldozers Make Fires Worse, Group Claims – With No Permit, Bike Race In Confusion

https://www.radiomalibu.net/kbuu-newswire-day-125-fri-mar15/

This is KBUU News – Day 125 – the Friday Headlines:

• =  Corral Beach murder story changes: he was shot.
• =  The city spends 9.2 million on fire and floods … but the feds will pick up 90 percent.
• =  Bulldozed fire lines do not stop massive fires … is the claim from one group.
• = LA County and Malibu file opposition to utility plans to kill your electric power in winds.
• =  That weekend bike race thru Malibu has no firm plans … and no way to get thru a road closed barricade.
• = And Izzys Place closes today … at the Lumberyard.
• Malibu’s Only Local Daily News … the   ((((  Friday  ))) edition … from Radio Malibu  …. F-M 99 point 1 K B U U. Good morning … I’m Hans Laetz reporting.

Traffic is …

The weather is …. windy with occasional painted lady flurries ….

And the surf is …

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“No foul play” has turned into “he was shot” for a man found dead at Corral Beach.

Deputies tell KBUU that no bullet mark on the clothing or blood was visible … and it was the coroner who discovered a bullet in the man’s upper body. https://www.radiomalibu.net/hidden-bullet-wound-killed-man/

The coroner’s office yesterday identified the man as Miguel Guardado, age 42.

His hometown and any Malibu connection was not immediately known.

Deputies had told reporters Monday night that no foul play was suspected in the death.

There is no suspect information or description, and it is unknown if the incident is gang-related, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said.

And deputies have not revealed if the man was killed next to the highway … or if his remains were merely dumped there.

Either way … it’s the first murder in more than 12 months in the city of Malibu.

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The search for a missing swimmer in Santa Monica continues.

28 divers have been unable to spot the man’s body.

It was Tuesday … when a swimmer was spotted about 110-120 yards offshore at about the California Incline area on Santa Monica beach.

Lifeguards, Coast Guard, Sheriff’s deputies and Santa Monica fire crews spent three days combing the water off the Santa Monica beach … after a lifeguard saw a man disappear below the waves on Tuesday.

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Damages from the Woolsey Fire … and the subsequent flooding caused by debris flows … will cost the city bank account about a half million dollars.

The federal government and the state will reimburse about 94 percent of that.

It cost the city 9 point 2 million dollars … spent on an emergency basis after the fire and floods.

City Manager Reva Feldman said yesterday that the City has submitted  reimbursement requests to FEMA … the Federal Emergency Management Agency … for 90 percent of that … about 7 point 8 million dollars.

If accepted by the Trump Administration … that would cover 90 percent of the city’s emergency response.

State taxpayers will pay nearly 6 percent.

The City would be responsible for the remaining 4 percent … which totals approximately $500,000.

Feldman has already calculated that the city will lose about three quarters of a million in property tax revenue due to fire destruction.

Add it up … and that means a 1 and a quarter million dollar withdrawl from the city bank account.

Malibu has in excess of 26 million dollars in cash reserves … according to the most-recent budget report.

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Using bulldozers to cut fire breaks to stop fires is ineffective and ruins the environment … with no effect in reducing massive firestorms.

That’s the conclusion of a group called “Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.”

This comes as some Malibu residents have organized an effort to carve out better fire breaks above the city …. and to place water lines there to strategically stop fire fronts as they arrive.

The environmental group points to last year’s big fire outside Redding … where bulldozer drivers cut 305 miles of fire lines through scenic forest land in a desperate bid to stop a massive wildfire’s advance.

The report concluded that flying embers driving the fire rendered the bulldozers’ cutting of “catlines” as almost useless.

“Flying embers that were lofted in hot, dry, fast-moving winds that spread flames over the catlines,” the report said.

“Months after the wildfire was over, the damage left behind by the vast network of catlines is now revealing itself.

The bulldozed fire breaks “displace soils and destabilize slopes, denude native vegetation and help spread flammable invasive weeds, degrade water quality and closed canopy forest habitat, destroy Native American artifacts and heritage sites, and despoil the scenery of fire affected wildlands,” the report concluded.

Local activist Don Schmitz says a combination of 85 miles of fire breaks … plus the strategic use of water sprays … could save Malibu from future fire storms.

Schmitz says helicopter and ground crews can use the fire breaks to stop the major front … and then put out the spot fires that jump the bulldozed breaks.

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You are listening to the latest news from Radio Malibu … FM 99.1 KBUU.  It’s (((   time   ))).

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The controversial issue of Southern California Edison turning off electrical power during windy weather has blossomed into a statewide storm of controversy.

You may recall …. last summer the California Public Utilities Commission quietly approved a plan to allow power companies in the state to black out circuits when they were worried about windy weather causing fires.

The only objection to that in the entire state was from Malibu … after a local radio reporter noticed the item in the agenda and alerted the city council.

Zuma Beach FM Broadcasting filed a legal complaint with the CPUC … noting that its FCC license requires it to warn listeners of impending fires … and that it could not do that if Edison cuts the power.

Then came the Woolsey and Paradise fires.

Now .. hundreds of complaints about the PS PS blackout program are emerging.

This week … both the City of Malibu and County of Los Angeles filed separate complaints with the CPUC about preemptive blackouts.

The county letter says the blackouts shift the responsibility and liability for generating electricity from the utility to thousands of backyard gas powered generators.

Says the county, and we quote:

“The use of small portable generators … may increase the possibility of single point

ignitions within these areas during high risk times.”

The county says the message … to generate your own electricity … “needs to be reviewed by Los Angeles County Fire Department so that they can help

mitigate any unexpected consequences from less reliable … and unmaintained …home-use generators.”

Both the city and the county warn that other blackout consequences that were not considered by the state.

will include lack of 911 phone service, jammed 911 service on the lines that work, medical care devices that need power, evacuation of residents in darkness, and failure of traffic lights and water system pumps that rely on electrical power.

Dozens of public agencies across California are filing similar comments to the CPUC.

But other agencies ar eurging that power blackouts be increased during windstorms … to prevent fire ignitions.

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Total confusion surrounds the for-profit bike race that will come thru Malibu today …tomorrow and Saturday.

The organizer of a for-profit bike race through Malibu is scrambling to come up with a plan … after KB UU radio began questioning her about the race.

Kathleen McCormick is the entrepreneur behind the Malibu Granfondo … and she routed the 600-rider bike race into Malibu this year.

The race course includes Pacific Coast Highway and Latigo Canyon Road …

Oops.

Latigo Canyon is closed to all traffic in its upper reaches.

And lower Latigo Canyon Road is being used by dozens of dumptrucks removing fire debris from the Woolsey Fire disaster scene.

No City of Malibu permit was pulled …. that would be impossible … as the city already has issued all the PCH race closure permits allowable this year.

Sheriff’s deputies say the race organizer pulled permits from the City of Westlake Village … and Caltrans.

But not Malibu.

And the organizer says she pulled the Caltrans permit … which supercedes the city race rules.

Not so…

But even if that were true … she would likely still need a city permit to use other city streets like Civic Center Way and lower Latigo Canyon Road.

Once KBUU began asking the race organizer … the CHP … the sheriff’s department and other officials about these issues …. the race organizer began trying to find another route.

The only possible other route from Malibu back to Westlake Village would eon Kanan Dume Road … and that would mean closing it to northbound traffic at some point. 

Organizers have sold about 600 pricey entry fees … hired gourmet chefs for the snack and meal breaks … et cetera.

The race is supposed to begin this morning.

L A County sheriff’s deputies late last night were scrambling to meet with the Malibu Granfondo organizer … to try to come up with a plan.

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One lane will be closed in each direction of PCH near Malibu Seafood and Cher’s House all day Sunday … as pavement is repaired near that brand-new median just installed by Caltrans.

Overnight lane closures will be on effect tonight … and tomorrow night … and will continue all day Sunday.

Closures will alternate between Lane #1 or Lane #2 in each direction with one lane in each direction remaining open at all times.

The Contractor will be performing asphalt concrete pavement repairs in traffic lanes. 

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Finally today …

and Maggie will kill us if we don’t covert this.

Izzys Place is closing today.

That’s the volunteer-run donation center for gently-used and new clothing … household goods and other things … donated by generous people to Malibu fire victims.

Maggie Luckerath says there are still lots of things to give away … before they close today.

Izzys Place is at the Malibu Lumberyard … second floor … above Cafe Habana.

Luckerath is still seeking a place for a permanent thrift store to help Malibu fire victims … much like the old Artifact Tree was set up after the 1992 fires.

If you know Maggie .. you will follow her order to go there today and select things that might help you after the fire.

And she makes it clear that small loss fire victims are urged to take things as well.

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Gusty Santa Ana winds will continue through tomorrow … says the National Weather Service.

Wind gusts are predicted to hit 45 mph today and tonight in Malibu.

Rain possible Wednesday.

Peak overnight wind gusts include

Boney Mtn 48 mph

Leo Carrillo Beach 28 mph

Paradise Cove area 35 mph

Corral Canyon Rd 29 mph

Upper Las Flores Cyn 37mph

Light to moderate rain is possible Wednesday or so.

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Traffic … in 65 seconds … first …

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Weather for the Malibu ….

((((  Sunny and wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour    )))) … highs  ((((  72   )))) beaches … mountains and canyons.

Occasional painted lady flurries.

Sunset tonight is at   ((((     7   )))).

After that … (((  mostly clear   )))) tonight … low ((((  53  )))) beaches …  ((((  50  )))) mountains and canyons.

Tomorrow should be   ((((    much the same … winds up to 35 miles an hout     )))).

Right now … at Trancas it’s ((((    61    )))) degrees.

Leo Carrillo Beach …   ((((    61   )))).

Upper Malibu Canyon …  ((((    53   )))) .

And at Civic Center Los Angeles … ((((    50   )))).

In the ocean … it’s ((((    55   )))) degrees in the water at Zuma Beach.

((((( Low  tide is at 12:40 this afternoon.

A 3 point 3 foot high tide will top out at 7:38.

Then a low tide at midnight.  ))))

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

Remember…  breaking news always  goes first to the radio …  on F-M 99 point 1 over all of Malibu….

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Navigate to Radio Malibu dot net . … and we’re streaming in your ear anywhere in the world.

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