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California State Senator Dr. Ed Hernandez to speak at Arcadia Chamber
Bill to ease traffic on Los Angeles freeways CAL FIRE and alleviate driver frustration advances arrests Legislation would create a pilot program to Yosemite open carpool lanes during off-peak hours Lakes Park area arson suspects
Dr. Ed Hernandez, O.D. California State Senator, Senate District 24, is the guest speaker at 8am Thursday, July 11, at the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Forum, 388 W. Huntington Drive. A discussion of pending legislation and other updates will be provided by representatives from City, County, and State government offices, the Metro Gold Line Foothill Please see page 3
Supreme Court strikes down part of Voting Rights Act Local democratic legislators express severe dissatisfaction Rep. Adam Schiff (DCA) joined the Democratic chorus Wednesday voicing outrage at the Supreme Court decision that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act cannot be enforced unless Please see page 4
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MONDAY, JULY 1 - JULY 7, 2013 - VOLUME 2, NO. 26
cy vehicle (HOV) lanes during non-peak hours. “Carpool lanes are supposed to provide an
After a rash of suspicious fires, CAL FIRE law enforcement officers Tuesday night arrested a Yosemite Lakes Park couple on suspicion of dozens of arson fires. Kenneth Alan Jackson, 40 and Allison Marie Waterman, 46, both of Coarsegold, were booked into the Madera County Jail for arson. Jackson is being charged with 31 counts of arson, resisting arrest, as well as attempted battery on a peace officer. Waterman was booked on a single charge of arson. “The Yosemite Lakes Park community has been threatened by countless wildfires over the past several months that we believe were a result of arson,” said Chief Nancy Koerperich, CAL FIRE Unit Chief for the Madera-Mariposa-Merced
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Please see page 7
-Photo by Terry Miller
Assemblyman Gatto’s (D-Los Angeles) bill to ease traffic congestion on the Los Angeles freeway system, one of the nation’s most notoriously over-
crowded systems, moved one step closer to becoming law today, passing the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee by a vote of 10-0. The bill, AB
California’s zero tolerance of illegal fireworks CAL FIRE offers fireworks safety this Fourth of July Summer in California is officially underway and the warm temperatures bring increased outdoor activities, with the Fourth of July being no exception. Many Californians and tourists will be celebrating our nation’s independence with fireworks, and CAL FIRE wants to stress the importance of fireworks safety and the
405, addresses the infuriating late-night traffic jams, characteristic of the Los Angeles area, by permitting single-occupancy vehicles to access the high-occupan-
Supreme Court rules DOMA unconstitutional Gay marriages to return in California BY TERRY MILLER
State’s zero tolerance against illegal fireworks. “Every year CAL FIRE and fire departments across California respond to hundreds of fireworksrelated fires that result in millions of dollars in damage,” said State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover, CAL FIRE – Office of the State
Wednesday the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional by violating an individual’s due process and equal protection rights. The Court’s decision to vacate the Ninth Circuit’s ruling on Proposition 8, while not a definitive outcome, will still allow same-sex marriage to continue in the
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DOMA is unconstitutional the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday morning. Years of protests and events such as this one in Arcadia finally tipped the scales in favor of same sex marriage. People throughout the United States are saying this is a major victory for not only gay rights but Human Rights. -Photo by Terry Miller
ballots are here! page 2