Victorville Daily Press
A town hall will be held next month in Phelan to allow residents to question elected representatives on “community safety” with a focus on illegal marijuana cultivation.
The Phelan Piñon Hills Community Services District is scheduled to host the event at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, July 10, at Phelan Community Park.
U.S. Rep. Jay Obernolte, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon, Undersheriff Shannon Dicus, District Attorney Jason Anderson, State Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, Assemblyman Thurston “Smitty” Smith and Assemblyman Tom Lackey are all set to attend.
San Bernardino County Supervisor Paul Cook has also been invited, the community services district said.
Guest editorial by San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe
In late 2019 I was notified by the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office about the proposed release and placement of a convicted rapist and child molester in the desert community of Joshua Tree. The offender, who was classified as a sexually violent predator by the state, was ordered by a Ventura County judge to be released into San Bernardino County despite never living nor committing his crimes in this county.
Unsurprisingly, the proposed release of this predator created a groundswell of opposition from local residents and elected officials, including myself. After a community meeting was held with hundreds in attendance, we launched a letter-writing campaign to make the court aware of our concerns. I even travelled to Ventura County to testify on behalf of my constituents during the hearing that would ultimately determine his fate. After listening to testimony and reading the letters submitted by the publ
The court hearing to determine if Lawtis Rhoden, a sexually violent predator, should be located to Twentynine Palms has been delayed a month. The hearing was originally scheduled for Friday, April 16; the new date is Friday, May 21. In March, the Orange County Superior Court tentatively ordered convicted child rapist and violent sexual predator Rhoden, 71, to be released into a residential neighborhood in Twentynine Palms, despite having no ties to the City of Twentynine Palms or the Morongo Basin area. Residents are encouraged to write emails or letters to protest the proposed move of Rhoden to the Morongo Basin.
A statement by County Supervisor Dawn Rowe can be seen here:
Judge rules Victorville Councilwoman Blanca Gomez falsely claimed unemployment benefits in 2020
Victorville Daily Press
Victorville Councilwoman Blanca Gomez falsely claimed she was eligible for unemployment benefits last year, which led to her receiving almost $5,000 despite continuing to receive her monthly stipend from the city, a judge ruled earlier this month.
In a ruling mailed to the city on March 2, state administrative law judge Stephen Tyler said “no break” occurred in Gomez’s payments as a councilwoman since she was elected in 2016.
He added that Gomez’s application for unemployment benefits in 2020 “indicated that she has ceased working, which is not the case.”