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Former Orange County Chef Charged With Raping Member of the Military Page 2
Corona Fire Dept. is transforming how it delivers intelligence to first responders Page 7
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VOLUME 23, NO. 41
LOS ANGELES COUNTY MAKING AN IMPACT ON HOMELESSNESS AMONG VETERANS
DR. EDWARD C. ORTELL CITRUS COLLEGE GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER
H
omeless veterans—a term that is not unfamiliar, but one that will receive little recognition or fanfare this Veterans Day. In spite of the growing crisis of homelessness in our state and nation, this Veterans Day we will celebrate our country’s veterans— those who fought in wars around the world and served at home in times of peace—with little consideration that 11 percent of the adult homeless population are veterans.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that more than 40,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. And that number is growing. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, about 1.4 million other veterans are considered at risk of homelessness. It is a sobering fact that in 2010, approximately 12,700 veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn were homeless. A complex set of factors have been attributed to homelessness among veterans. Many mirror those of the larger homeless population. However, a significant number of
homeless veterans also deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as a lack of family and social support networks. In addition, military occupations and training are frequently not transferable to the civilian workplace. Providing specialized veterans programs that include social support networks and benefit services while addressing veterans’ skills gap are where community colleges are making an impact. In 2007, Citrus College became the first college in the nation to offer a transitional course for veterans
SEE PAGE 4 - Courtesy photo
FORMER ORANGE COUNTY OFFICER CHARGED WITH STEALING A veteran Irvine Police Officer has been charged with 36 felonies for stealing more than $68,000 in state grant funds by submitting time cards falsely claiming he worked overtime that he never worked. Matthew Christian August, 47, of Aliso Viejo, has been charged with 34 felony counts of presenting a false claim and two felony counts of grand theft by an employee. He is facing a maximum
sentence of 25 years in state prison if convicted on all counts. August joined the Irvine Police Department in November 2005. As a traffic sergeant, August authored the Irvine Police Department’s annual grant application from California’s Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), which funds law enforcement operations
SEE PAGE 2
Riverside County Tops in Nation For Providing Good Experience for Public The City of Riverside finished first in the nation in the recent Government Experience Awards, which recognize state, county and local governments for their efforts to use technology to improve how residents interact with their government. The awards were announced by the Center for Digital Government (CDG). They recognize the achievements and best practices of states, cities and counties
that are radically improving the experience of government and pushing the boundaries of how citizen services are delivered. Riverside finished ahead of San Diego; Mesa, Arizona; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Gilbert, Arizona; and Roseville. Other finalists included Detroit, Indianapolis/Marion County, Miami Springs, St. Peters-
SEE PAGE 11
- Courtesy photo
SAN BERNARDINO FIRE/ POLICE MOTORCROSS Congratulations to the officers who participated in this years Fire/Police Motocross. SBPD officers finished a respectable 3rd and 4th in the series. Congratulations to one of the officers daughter, who participated in the final race and she finished 3rd overall for the day. Way to go SBPD!