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June 12 2026 LCCN

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LOS CERRITOS

Winner of Nineteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012-2021 Serving Cerritos and ten other surrounding communities since 1985 • June 12, 2026 • Vol. 41, No. 32 • LOSCERRITOSNEWS.NET

Central Basin Litigation Costs Top $870,000 as Legal Bills Continue to Mount Unchecked Alex Rojas and Leticia Vasquez lawsuits generate over $870,000 in legal costs as questions grow over one law firm’s hiring and board authorization. By Brian Hews

SOFI STADIUM IN INGLEWOOD will take center stage during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosting eight matches as Los Angeles welcomes the world’s biggest sporting event. The tournament, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors and billions of television viewers worldwide. Los Cerritos Community News takes an in-depth look at World Cup 2026, the economic impact on Southern California, match schedules and fan experiences in a special double-truck feature on pages 10-11.

Pico Rivera Moves to Revoke Manning Beef Permit, SoFi Stadium Potentially Ending Slaughterhouse Use Permanently Set to Host Eight than six consecutive months. World Cup Matches City officials say slaughterhouse operations were abandoned for more than six months, triggering a move to revoke permits. By Brian Hews

The City of Pico Rivera is taking formal steps to permanently end slaughterhouse operations at the former Manning Beef facility, setting the stage for potential redevelopment of one of the city’s most controversial industrial properties. The Pico Rivera Planning Commission will hold a pub-

City officials cite provisions of the Pico Rivera Municipal Code that allow a legal nonconforming use to lose its protected status when it has been abandoned for an extended period. The action could have significant implications for the future of the property. While the facility ceased operations amid bankruptcy proceedings and growing scrutiny, the existing permits remained tied to the site. If the Planning Commission revokes the permit and associated entitlements, future owners may no longer be able to simply re-

THE MANNING BEEF facility at 9531 Beverly Road in Pico Rivera. City officials are seeking to revoke the property’s conditional use permit after determining the slaughterhouse and meat-processing operation has been abandoned for more than six consecutive months.

lic hearing June 22 to consider revoking Conditional Use Permit No. 92-520 and all related land-use entitlements for the former Manning Beef facility at 9531 Beverly Road. According to a public notice issued by the city, revocation proceedings were initiated after officials determined the slaughterhouse and meat-processing operation had been discontinued and abandoned for more

sume slaughterhouse operations under the previous approvals. Instead, any proposal to reopen a similar use could require an entirely new entitlement process and city approval. The Manning Beef facility, long considered the last major cattle slaughterhouse in Los Angeles County, became the focus of national See MANNING, Page 7

By Brian Hews The world’s biggest sporting event starts today and Los Angeles will take center stage as SoFi Stadium hosts eight matches, including some of the tournament’s most important games. For millions of soccer fans across the globe, Los Angeles will become one of the focal points of a month-long celebration expected to draw billions of viewers and hundreds of thousands of visitors. The tournament, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the largest World Cup in history. For the first time, 48 national teams will compete for soccer’s ultimate prize, bringing more countries, more fans and more excitement than any previous tournament. SoFi Stadium in Inglewood will host five group-stage matches, two knockout-round games and a quarterfinal. The stadium, which opened in 2020 and is home to the NFL’s Rams and Chargers, was selected because of its size, modern design and ability to host major international events. Local officials expect the World Cup to generate billions of dollars in economic activity throughout the region. Hotels, restaurants, attractions, transportation providers and retailers are all expected to benefit from the influx of visitors. Tourism experts anticipate fans from dozens of countries will use Los Angeles as a base while attending matches and exploring Southern California. See Pages 10-11 for our special World Cup 2026 guide.

Central Basin Municipal Water District has spent approximately $870,969 on outside legal costs tied to the Rojas and Vasquez lawsuits through April 2026, according to district records reviewed by Los Cerritos Community News, raising fresh questions about the financial impact of decisions made by district leadership over the past two years. The legal spending traces back to November 2024 when a board majority led by Directors Juan Garza, Nem Ochoa, Joanna Moreno, and then-Director Martha Camacho-Rodriguez voted to remove General Manager Alejandro Rojas and strip then-President Art Chacon of key authority. The actions immediately generated controversy, with critics alleging the board violated district rules and California open meeting laws in the process. Rojas subsequently challenged the actions, alleging the board’s decisions were unlawful and that directors had improperly coordinated outside of public meetings. The dispute quickly expanded into multiple legal battles involving the district, board members, and former executives, forcing Central Basin to retain outside counsel and commit substantial public resources to litigation. Rather than resolving the matter internally, the district turned to outside law firms to defend the board’s actions and pursue claims against Rojas. The legal strategy grew increasingly expensive as litigation expanded, closed-session discussions multiplied, and outside attorneys became heavily involved in personnel, governance, and board-related disputes. District agendas throughout 2025 and 2026 repeatedly listed the Rojas litigation for closed-session discussion. By early 2026, directors themselves appeared concerned about escalating legal expenses, placing a “Legal Services: Cost Reductions” item on a board agenda to discuss mounting attorney costs. According to records reviewed by Los Cerritos Community News, approximately $465,283 of the litigation-related spending was associated with the Rojas matter, while another $405,686 was tied to the ongoing Vasquez litigation, bringing the combined total to approximately $870,969 through April 2026. Questions surrounding the

Rojas litigation extend beyond the amount spent. The firm’s involvement has drawn additional scrutiny because of its past work for Central Basin. In 2019, the district approved a $2.25 million settlement in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by former employee Leticia Vasquez Wilson. The lawsuit alleged retaliation and exposed what critics described as a slush fund operation involving public money. The settlement was largely funded by the district’s insurance carriers. Buchalter later became involved in legal matters connected to the district, a move that critics questioned because of the firm’s previous role in issues arising from the controversy. Opponents have argued that the district should have sought independent outside counsel rather than retaining a firm connected to one of the agency’s most costly and politically charged scandals. According to directors familiar with the matter, most of the approximately $465,283 spent on

See LAWSUIT, Page 20

Bellflower Connect Becomes National Model for Municipal Broadband Network Intel spotlights Bellflower Connect as a national broadband model, offering low-cost internet, smart-city technology and expanded digital access. By Brian Hews

BELLFLOWER — Bellflower’s new municipal broadband initiative is drawing national attention after Intel highlighted the city’s Bellflower Connect network as a model for future deployments across the United States. In a June 9 article published by Intel Newsroom, the technology company described Bellflower Connect as a blueprint for bringing low-cost internet service and smart-city technology to as many as 50 cities with populations under 150,000. The public-private partnership between the City of Bellflower and Tradewinds Networks combines approximately $1 million in municipal funding with $2 million in private investment to construct a wireless broadband network throughout the city. According to Intel, qualifying low-income households can re-

See BELLFLOWER , Page 7


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