San Bernardino Press MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014 - JULY 6, 2014
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Two men found dead in apparent murder-suicide by Vickie Vértiz In a simple, single-story building, investigators say that two men died from gunshot wounds at a San Bernardino board and care home for disabled adults on Tuesday, June 24. The Police call the incident a murder-suicide, likely prompted by a fight the previous night, although the exact motive is still not clear. Police recently identified one of the two men found dead. In a written statement released by the police the man named as the suspect in the murder-suicide is Ephraim Lincoln, 49, of Fontana. A handgun belonging to Lincoln was found near one of the bodies, while the home also belonged to him and his wife. The Press Enterprise confirmed that Lincoln suffered a gunshot wound in the head, he said, which is consistent with suicide. The other man was shot three times in the back. Authorities do not know why Lincoln would turn the gun on himself. “I don’t know
1100 block of North Hancock Street -Photo by Jennifer Schlueter
what sparked him to take his own life,” the homicide sergeant conceded. An article in the San Bernardino Sun reported that of-
ficials believe the motive for the shooting “appears to stem from a physical altercation that Please see page 4
Kids can avoid summer brain drain at the county museum A series of informal programs at the San Bernardino County Museum will help kids “Avoid Summer Brain Drain” this July. Activities are included with paid museum admission. No reservations are required, and the whole family is invited. “The museum is sponsoring Avoid Summer Brain Drain to make summer fun and productive for all ages,” said Jolene Redvale, the museum’s curator of education. “When children participate in summer activities that engage
their brains through creativity and active thinking, they retain more of what they learn in school and are better prepared for the new school year.” Programs are scheduled every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday in July from 11 am to 3 pm except July 4, when the museum will be closed. Museum education staff and volunteers select the activities on the day of the program. Among the activities are family games to play together, crafts, painting with watercolors, building
with wooden blocks, making flip books, folding origami creations, and more. Visitors can call the museum at (909) 3072669 after 10:30 a.m. to find out the activity of the day. “Keep your brain active!” said Redvale. “Find personal talents, enjoy fun and creative activities, make memories, and learn something new. Activities are appropriate for all ages, and families find that playing, creating and learning together Please see page 2
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Family of Merlin Factor files wrongful death lawsuit against County of San Bernardino On Tuesday, June 24, 2014, Cassandra Hudson, Mara Malone, and their family’s attorney, Dale K. Galipo, filed a lawsuit against the County of San Bernardino in federal court. Cassandra Hudson is the sister of 26-year-old Merlin Factor, who was shot and killed by San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies on June 29, 2013. Mara Malone is Mr. Factor’s mother. The fatal shooting of Mr. Factor was clearly unjustified, especially because he was unarmed at the time of the shooting and posed no immediate threat to the life of any officer or individual. The independent autopsy obtained supports that Mr. Factor was shot in the back, further evidencing that the shooting was excessive and unreasonable. Mr. Factor was the second Yucaipa resident fatally shot by law enforcement in less than two weeks. Further, there is information that one of the officers involved in Mr. Factor’s shooting was involved two prior shootings in the nearby area, including a recent case that settled for $4.25 million.
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Recycling industry launches website dedicated to helping stop metals theft The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) recently announced the launch of StopMetalsTheft.org, a new website designed to assist in the fight against the crime of metals theft. The site serves as an online resource for law enforcement, prosecutors, and the recycling industry by providing practical tools, success stories, news, legal resources, FAQs, and background on fighting metals theft. "The recycling industry is fully committed to being part of the solution when it comes to preventing metals theft," said Robin Wiener, president of ISRI. "StopMetalsTheft.org provides law enforcement,
prosecutors, the recycling industry, and other community stakeholders with key information and techniques that can be used to help prevent metals theft, as well as build cases and prosecute crimes when they do occur. Through our continued outreach efforts, we hope to strengthen our existing partnerships while building new ones." The many benefits available through StopMetalsTheft. org include: -- The ability to send theft alerts to local recyclers; -- Success stories as submitted by law enforcement across the country; -- Tools geared towards law enforcement, prosecutors
and recyclers; -- A comprehensive glossary of terms on stolen commodities; and -- Industry insight and knowledge provided by an ISRI team of experts. StopMetalsTheft.org is part of an expansive approach by the recycling industry to tackle the issue of metals theft. In March, ISRI upgraded ScrapTheftAlert. com, an online alert system to notify scrap yards of nearby metals theft. Also this year, ISRI announced the creation of the Law Enforcement Advisory Council comprised of experienced law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and security personnel from around the
country who are tasked with the development of a multilayered training program to assist law enforcement in metals theft prevention and prosecution. Brady Mills, a retired U.S. Secret Service agent, was hired to serve as the director of law enforcement outreach to work closely with the law enforcement community. Any questions about StopMetalsTheft.org or any of ISRI's other efforts to stop metals theft can be directed to Danielle Waterfield, ISRI's director of government relations and assistant counsel at (202) 662-8516, or Brady Mills, ISRI's director of law enforcement outreach at (202) 6628526.
Statement on Approval of Bill to Protect Students
Long Beach Office 3780 Kilroy Airport Way Suite 360 Long Beach, CA 90806 Ph. (562) 472-0071 Fx. (562) 689-0071 Los Angeles Office 5701 South Eastern Avenue Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90040 Ph. (323) 727-1144 Fx. (323) 727-9198 www.heger-industrial.com Lic. #00814086
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today issued the following statement after Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. signed into law Assembly Bill 215 (Buchanan), which streamlines the dismissal process for teachers, especially those accused of egregious misconduct: “The safety and well-being of students is at the heart of what we do as educa-
tors,” Torlakson said. “That’s why AB 215 has gained such a broad consensus, and why I support it. The measure saves time and money, preserves due process rights, and—most importantly—gives schools an important tool to help keep children safe.” For more information on AB 215, visit the California Legislative Information Assembly Bill 215 Web page.
Avoid Summer Brain Drain Continued from page 1
is especially fun.” The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 am to 5pm. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information,
visit www.sb countymuseum. org. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-3072669 ext. 229 or (TDD) 909792-1462.
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USC Scientists create new battery that’s cheap, clean, rechargeable… and organic Scientists at USC have developed a water-based organic battery that is long lasting, built from cheap, eco-friendly components. The new battery – which uses no metals or toxic materials – is intended for use in power plants, where it can make the energy grid more resilient and efficient by creating a large-scale means to store energy for use as needed. “The batteries last for about 5,000 recharge cycles, giving them an estimated 15year lifespan,” said Sri Narayan, professor of chemistry at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and corresponding author of a paper describing the new batteries that was published online by the Journal of the Electrochemical Society on June 20. “Lithium ion batteries degrade after around 1,000 cycles, and cost 10 times more to manufacture.” Narayan collaborated with Surya Prakash, Prakash, professor of chemistry and director of the USC Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute, as well as USC’s Bo Yang, Lena HooberBurkhardt, and Fang Wang. “Such organic flow batteries will be game-changers for grid electrical energy storage in terms of simplicity, cost, reliability and sustainability,” said Prakash. The batteries could pave the way for renewable energy sources to make up a greater share of the nation’s energy generation. Solar panels can only generate power when the sun’s shining, and wind turbines can only generate power when the wind blows. That inherent unreliability makes it difficult for power companies to rely on them to meet customer demand. With batteries to store surplus energy and then dole it out as needed, that sporadic unreliability could cease to be
such an issue. “‘Mega-scale’ energy storage is a critical problem in the future of the renewable energy, requiring inexpensive and ecofriendly solutions,” Narayan said. The new battery is based on a redox flow design – similar in design to a fuel cell, with two tanks of electroactive materials dissolved in water. The solutions are pumped into a cell containing a membrane between the two fluids with electrodes on either side, releasing energy. The design has the advantage of decoupling power from energy. The tanks of electroactive materials can be made as large as needed – increasing total amount of energy the system can store – or the central cell can be tweaked to release that energy faster or slower, altering the amount of power (energy released over time) that the system can generate. The team’s breakthrough centered around the electroactive materials. While previous battery designs have used metals or toxic chemicals, Narayan and Prakash wanted to find an organic compound that could be dissolved in water. Such a system would create a minimal impact on the environment, and would likely be cheap, they figured. Through a combination of
USC professor Sri Narayan -Courtesy Photo of USC by Gus Ruelas
molecule design and trial-anderror, they found that certain naturally occurring quinones – oxidized organic compounds – fit the bill. Quinones are found in plants, fungi, bacteria, and some animals, and are involved in photosynthesis and cellular respiration. “These are the types of molecules that nature uses for energy transfer,” Narayan said. Currently, the quinones needed for the batteries are manufactured from naturally occurring hydrocarbons. In the future, the potential exists to derive them from carbon dioxide, Narayan said. The team has filed several patents in regards to design of the battery, and next plans to build a larger scale version. This research was funded by the ARPA-E Open-FOA program (DE-AR0000337), the University of Southern California, and the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute.
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Native American Day as an official state holiday one step closer Assemblymember Roger Hernández (D – West Covina) announced Assembly Bill 1973 passed the Senate Governmental Organization Committee on a 10-0 bi-partisan vote. AB 1973 elevates the recognition of Native American Day from a proclamation to an official state holiday, recognized annually on the fourth Friday of September. “It is an honor for this bill to move one step closer in recognizing Native Americans in California. As with any recognized holiday, Californians will be able to share, celebrate and honor the contributions of Native Americans across this state. This measure recognizes the significant role of California's native peoples by establishing an official, unpaid state holiday,” stated Hernández. In 1968, California recognized the contributions of Native Americans by establishing Ameri-
can Indian Day. In 1998, the California Legislature passed AB 1953, which changed the name to Native American Day, and authorized public schools to incorporate the contributions of Native American peoples in school curriculum. With the passage of this bill, Native American Day will hold the same status as Lincoln's Birthday and Columbus Day as an unpaid holiday. Currently, the cities of Berkeley, Nevada City, Santa Cruz, and Sebastopol observe Indigenous People Day, to recognize the cultural contributions of Native Americans. “The contributions of the Native American people demonstrate our rich history and add to the diverse ethnic fabric of our great state. This holiday has been long overdue, it is time to honor those individuals who played a major part in our history,” said Hernández.
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Book sale at Feldheym Central Library The Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library are planning a used Book Sale on Saturday July 12, 2014. It will be held in the Friends’ Room located at the rear of the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library, 555 W. 6th Street in San Bernardino. The member’s only sale is from 9 AM to 12 Noon. The public is welcome from 12 noon to 4 PM. The sale will feature all new books, no carryovers. They will have fresh novels, and cookbooks galore. If you are a teacher, be sure to ask about free books for teachers. There will be a follow-
up Bag Sale on Saturday July 19, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Buy a grocery bag for only $2 and fill it up with your choice of books. Memberships to the Friends are available at nominal cost in the library’s administration office before the sale and in the Friends’ room on the day of the sale. “Like” “Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library” on Facebook to get a coupon for the book sale. For more information, please call 909-381-8251 or visit sbpl.org
Murder-Suicide Continued from page 1
occurred between the suspect and victim the night before the shooting.” A neighbor was interviewed by the Press Enterprise said he saw part of that confrontation. “We called the cops about the fighting,” said Ulises Barragan, 19. “One of them — the owner — got knocked out three times. The person he got in a fight with is a worker.” Barragan also said the house where the bodies were found is usually occupied by about six or seven residents and workers. He added that, “There was always cops there (for) people fighting, arguing and stuff.” Unfortunately, the neighborhood is no stranger to gunshots. This year alone in San Bernardino, police records show that 24 people have died, which is one person more than at this time in 2013. In a Press Enterprise article, a resident said that, “Usually when someone gets shot, it’s gangbangers popping off at each other.” The resident, Marcus Adams added, “I’ve never heard of this happening here, though.” Police scanned the area in search for evidence to draw a
clearer picture. The San Bernardino Police Department got a call that Tuesday about blood seeping out from underneath the doorway of a home on the 1100 block of North Hancock Street near Baseline Road. In the same article, San Bernardino police Lieutenant Rich Lawhead said the name of the 38-year old victim has not been released because the investigation is pending nextof-kin notification. Officers had come to the same home at about 10:30 p.m. Monday night because an argument was reported between two people. Reports now confirm that the victim called police to report the fight but decided he did not want them to take any action, Robertson said, and the officers left. Family members were extremely distraught as they waited to speak to detectives. They declined to comment to the press. If anyone has any information about the murder, the public can call Detective Al Tello at 909-384-5747 or Sargeant Gary Robertson at 909-841-5361.