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old Cooper. ea ican-Americ in han an death roquadruple The allegeddcuffs and ha New w inmate in ci Cooper’s 1som’s decision could d en Flori t wa making ouda Today reports t Hills famil 985 conviction in lead to the overtu t. y th rn A an e u in th k d g il o li th ri E of ng of a ru has the ti say t nough Of Y eir 11-y our Love”esan Californiapnotential, some polieatir-old house guest. ral Chino da s. The case cal watcher s say, to d Both the C ivide alifornia an and more th d nited S past appeals an a dozen lower U tates suprem courts hav . e rejected Ce courts “I take no p ooper’s osition regar nocence at about the h this time,” Newsodming Mr. Cooper’s g uilt igh-profile said in his terest. N executive oor inse free 2. When you see a photo or ad with the Observer 1.ew Get the appca for by downloading th at Y h o as rk d rder rawn intern Times’ colu Sen. Kamal at m Interactive logo scan over the whole photo with your it from Google Play or The Apple App a io n is H n al t arri Nic in have all ca lled for res -tand reality TV starholas Kristof, U.S.tablet or smartphone. forensic Store technology. esting using curr Kim Kardashian SUL ent, more The ACLU gorilla suitPHUR, La. (AP) – P se n si an ti ve groups hav d other hu mattress befbroke into a Louisiaol man rights e also urged o n a deeper in an C d alifornia st Serving Los Angeles County News ouretl officers arrested ha ves gation ate officialsos cial justice et into Cooper s Gov. Newtiso sp q u o k o for Over 35 Years es te to m Mel E launch ’s con m’s tion issu st in ThSuulphu officers saan by formerorder Friday expandviction. w Jeremie es rsday test four ed s G p co o Moran wal re v. st vious direc ume. They rry Brown kin lowed analpyieces of crime scenJe h ad in so rece D ember n looking in to an orange sts to perform DNe evidence. Brownec to homes.ived calls a ’s E to A o st es prosecutors wel; and the han re-testing on a tan rder al- bo proached bsays Moran ran in dle dies in the say Cooper T-shirt; to u was disco R In this new used in theand sheath of a hat y ch en ar ’s ges inclutdin vered hidain chet Joshua Ryen, the home with a tota murders. investigatio of hair from g re tr sistin y, meth poss lo vic wound on button Co the victims’ hannd, analysts will look his throat.tims’ 8-year-old sofn143 stab wounds. ing in the sion and wg an offic In Louisiaes at strands tack. oper’s attorn s, blood sam , H S su an e ff w B er as tigators pla er ed n th n a, a personearing a m the allegatio ar a e only surv ples and a g ey N in public ca After Coop convicte ns Cooperd’sino County are not ivor of theslash D.A reen n Angeles Co nted at the sceneorman Hile mainta b e m er .’s o su at s’ st at legally stay s jail break rprised abo office. Man . Exception sentenced to th torneys are vestigation unty Superior Couof the crime. A reins inves- al ed , u s ra y in t m ar in ci v o h ak e es al f o allowed for re a ho lidays like H tigat th biases and . so y they tire rt judge wil frequently ing about their relig discriminem alloween an found eviduse next door to thoers found, he il- complaints l oversee thd Los familsa Cooper, 61 co m It at p ’s la io d Mardi G unclear if M ence in the y’s station w in about are handled n in the w e invictims. Th , has main years. His la g an m R g ay . o ag en y ta ey Ju p ra en o th ro t. in n st n ’s eir cases or se tor Mic has a lawy last month that tied C h For some, G by Gov. N wyers hope the resu ed his innocence , a San Ber ooper to thome and in the under presscu hael Selyem ov. Newsom ing in Group ewsom, wh over th lts of the re ure for mak nardino the case Newspapers eCalifornia , m w hel25 ’s e u Volume 35 Number Observer of Southern Thursday, May 7, 2020 h o rd o p pro o rd ic n er -t is h is er s. so es in W b co to ti ci eing met w him. ve their client’s innould take several mong ordered poof the murders Josh ith dismayb. roaden DNA test- chelle Oal media. His insultgscrude and racist anhdite, resigned ua Ryen an nths, will cence and bam ta eted fo rters of the The lone su comments B d rm fi lack shooti a, U,S. Rep. Maxrg In 1 rvivor nally exon ine Waters er First Lady Ming victim. erate they are disappoRinyens and Hughesfaalmily, friends and su on four co9u85, a San Diego Co and an unn “Unfortunat ted with the gov l across the state p- Lo Thomas R. Parker amed 26 and an nts of murder. At unty jury convicte s Angeles o ernor’s decis , el sa a y, fo y fo es th d r o rm ca v C ju e er ti o p er st o ed m ti ic ffi per d m io e of his arre e ep ce cord - inclu prison inm n in e , u . it b ty th el se is h ie ems the vic ead of the This guy is ves Cooper case matte st, he was no District A FBI’s in Pennsylv ding several burglaate. His lengthy crim “Prior DN ttorney Jason Arsnless and less,” Santims’ desire “The evidence w innocent,” he told. ries and the ania – did in al re as A B th d er o not help his te er e p n n Cooper, form rape of a m st la so N ar th in n ew n d te e g icl sa d st th aimed ou Y , he was fr and.” case. inor erly named in 1958 ld exoneratat Mr. Cooper sougidh in a statement. amed, theork Times. What has k per’s guilw e him have t, agreed to cops lied t.” months onldear Pittsburgh, PenRichard Goodman, ep t a th fe al e d an eral appella l confirmed case going d nsylvania. was born Y et p During his , he was adopted an te er M an su W ec co r. d as ution and re hen he was urt Cooive argumen C LAKE FOR six monies and iew the ca’ssedecision in 2004 toooper alive - is and he spenchildhood, his par d renamed Kevin ts ased on Gov. Newvso EST ents physica is recoverin w stay his exCooper. reasonable qualeslegations of evidenbce t a good p co it h n fl m ic juvenile det o ti m re n D ’s g sc g after bei,nCalif. (AP) – Offici ar N ll d te ti ie t ta y ec A o n st o m n ab ti is if g te s p fi io at ad u ab st er c en y se n o o in o ev in o rs d ti n le u to g g id o g struck by u t sc h ro , n se co th en im k al en ad in South centers. In a mental d to ail Co ee e ethods low another m ce. ce living in a polic ern nation’s and storiesp raising California Governoes early in the term oper. Threm several attack, and in nsw round of C L ag Californiah. ealth facility in Pen1982, Cooper esca u SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – The n e h in r a ia. av w w o v Beach Policealifornmost eaponsBy f the progre esti e high expec hose suppo orn testimo ped from three attacker nsylvania b thae bit Wanda M. Brown w er O e rt ra u ta ss O er n n se populous state shrank in the second half of last year, iv ti ffi g y, s d o e e on the poli s who were cer Thomas efore movin ns. Jo Duri County Reg in the “DN test yen said hCity meonreleased ticato White. Heshua RInglewood Treasurer g to could have been H ister he init l Lofficial ing should gued that nCg his murder trial, according figures e’s pet wFriday. eft Fso solve the A e saw later testified h is en p o p im an o R ro eb th F p ic m y se u . e er en . ed rt 1 cu ca k Parks and Commissioner Willie Agee transitioned on 9 h of 39.78 million asdofinially th iately take California had a population Ryen, their illed husban t darte case and fi . tors succes er complica that they Chiang sa an sf n p 1 ti d n al 0 la u id n am -y an ll ly ce g y d ea d M th ed D ensure justJanuary, the to restate arsaid, down front r-o w ringcousin e rosecuti April 27th. I will certainly cGuireofsaFinance neighbor C that DNAmiss umy - Department the cawhom ys when residents ice isitsseprevious ons’ claims, mpaignI. had hristopherld daughter Jessica ifane Doug and Peggy belonging toiana Roper came foprw the anim ev id from report of 39.96 million rv en h e got ouin ed “N ce al ,” b a many conversations with as well as occasional visits to his h o Hughes. Po ca d an 11-yea was ut testing in womer former b t only is it ar n help law t to chec loody The r-old inal. She turned lice found July. proven oyfriend wd with bhome. Animal Cobigger than a house enfo th is rc ca cl em o se th annual Doby & Agee Family Reunion was held w en th in the bloodie E h o n o d t g e u v tr estroyed it. solvBut was a violen ld come at en though evidence ov t. o to l o an e Doug Kuczynski of the department’s Demoffi cr ce an im d rs rushed ca imal hospit es, tr isyears no cost to th Nterrific t crim er to the pat my home boldago. ewsomtime! a few He had a We all , h ’s al e au African Am graphic Research Unit said the two numbers aren’t di-the ble , d is o w ec e m li tr h state.” ision in th ce, but they issue th a. eading care er e it w ericans, His erectly diagnose did! Over 80 family and at friends fullhad Coopcomparable Califoattended. because adjustments as and y onbeen Dr. Kof er case panics and rnia votersHe a poatential watchfor ristvarious i Kpoint ingover rause,ina vtime. otherlong ly polarieach sh . He 30 because figure represents a By the driver years afteracsettling here ro e ss ex minohaul th is p et ec zi e k er n p ritiestruck ts ee inarian, tell g bac California olitica spec pin the 11added liv- HeCotraveled his once -poundabout focusyearly. ntinueto trum arereckoning, from Alabama. atgleast k into the w (5comparing on fairnesldepartment’s -kil87,500 d oAlabama ogram) castth n il d residents the last full calendar year, s and justduring af te r M to it He owned timber acreage there. page A2 cG re ic g u ai e ir n e January-to-January thatfigures. if he sees itvisited the bobcast strength. He had lived in the Inglewood for over 52 years and The state has been creeping ag toward oresn Friday ain, h40 million issutops consistently attended city council meetings and many city e a tisecidents without ever quite getting there. Ite’llstill cket for ja. events. Willie truly loved the City of Inglewood! He was ond-place Texas, which has about 30 million people. Even the January-to-January comparison used by chairman of Parks and Recreation under the offices of both the department shows population growth of just 0.2%, Mayors Dorn and Butts. When he rose to speak during which officials said continues slow growth trends since the public time to speak, he always began his speech with, the Great Recession. The figures predate the current re“My name is Willie Agree and I live in the beautiful city of cession caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Inglewood!” He would then speak in support of a particular Growth slowed to near zero or declined in most agenda item that was of interest to him. Then again, if prior coastal counties, grew slightly in the San Francisco Bay Area, and remained robust in the Central Valley and speakers made comments during their time to speak that counties east of Los Angeles. he was not in agreement with, he would definitely let it be Los Angeles County lost residents for the second known! He didn’t pull his punches. straight year, but it remains the nation’s most populous Willie took his appointment of Parks Commissioner with more than 10 million residents. very seriously. He was determined to make Inglewood Among other highlights: _ The fastest-growing counties were, in order, parks first rate! He worked very hard to improve all of the Glenn, Yuba, Placer, El Dorado, San Benito, San Joaour parks, and often thanked the staff for their support. He quin and Kern. was particularly very proud of the Inglewood Play House _ The state for the first time added more housing being renamed in his honor, the Willie Agee Playhouse. As units than people. California has been struggling to ada matter of fact he said to me, Wanda, “I am going to leave dress a severe affordable housing and homelessness probmoney in my Will to handle some of the upkeep of the lem. _ Bakersfield had the largest population gain, by playhouse.” I attended a play with him on occasion. He was percentage, among the state’s 10 largest cities. so proud of the playhouse! _ The fastest-growing cities from housing construcI am so thankful that I was able to attend the tion not related to wildfires were, in order, Colma in San luncheon celebrating his 90th birthday several months Mateo County, Calimesa in Riverside County, Lathrop ago. The event was organized by Alisha Smith, Deputy to in San Joaquin County, Wasco in Kern County, and Rio councilman George Dotson. He was very fond of Alisha. Vista in Solano County. Friday’s report did not address migration trends. About 17 family and friends of Willie’s attended the event. But the department in December said more people were Congresswoman Maxine Waters sponsored the luncheon leaving California than moving in, thwarting projecand presented him with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. tions from demographers who have predicted the state Willie could hardly contained himself he was so happy! would top 40 million. Willie was particularly proud of the NFL stadium The department said then that more people left California between July 2018 and July 2019 for the first complex and was looking forward to the grand opening. time since the 2010 census, leading to the state’s slowest He often spoke about it. I spoke to him about a week before recorded growth rate since 1900. he went into the VA hospital. We joked and laughed. He The state’s population had nearly tripled in the last sounded so strong! We talked about his recovery! I had no half of the last century. idea that would be the last time I would be privileged to speak with my cousin. We had some good times. I thank God for that! He knew our Lord, so I know I will see him Inglewood City Treasurer Wanda M. Brown with Willie Agee. (Courtesy Photo) again!
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Inglewood Bids Farewell to Parks Commissioner Willie Agee
Man Arrested Trying to Quarantine on Private Disney Island
Rep. Waters on the Death of Willie Agee, the Honorary Mayor of Inglewood LOS ANGELES – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) issued a statement on the passing of Willie Agee, a beloved and highly engaged resident and advocate for the City of Inglewood who was affectionately known as the honorary ‘Mayor of Inglewood’ and ‘Mr. Inglewood’: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of one of my dear friends and one of the most beloved members of our community, Willie Agee. “Willie Agee was an extraordinary individual who loved the City of Inglewood, loved the people of Inglewood, and loved the elected officials who represent our community. Willie Agee attended Inglewood City Council meetings and community events like no other. He was a constant presence and voice at my community town hall meetings. Though we were on opposite ends of the political spectrum, over the course of many years we developed a close friendship. I will miss our regular meetings at restaurants throughout our community where we discussed a variety of important issues. He never hesitated to tell me about the initiatives that he was taking up on behalf of the City of Inglewood. I am so pleased to have been among his close family and friends as we celebrated his 90th birthday in October of last year.
This was one of the many precious memories we shared throughout our decades-long friendship that I will cherish for the rest of my life. “Willie Agee was a combat veteran of the Korean War and was always in attendance at many events of importance to veterans and members of the community on a variety of issues. For the past 26 years as a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission – 13 of which he spent as Chairman – Willie Agee never hesitated to make his voice heard on behalf of the needs of our community. His consistent involvement in important local matters and his tireless leadership in securing funding to renovate the playhouse at Ed Vincent Park led the city council to rename it ‘The Willie Agee Playhouse’ in his honor. “I join our entire community in thanking Willie Agee for all of the time he dedicated throughout his life to the advancement of the City of Inglewood. It is because of his undying love and commitment to this community that we affectionately referred to him as the honorary ‘Mayor of Inglewood.’ I offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends. Willie Agee is a local hero, and he will truly be missed.”
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Florida deputies arrested a man who had been living out his quarantine on a shuttered Disney World island, telling authorities it felt like a “tropical paradise.” Orange County Sheriff’s deputies found Richard McGuire on Disney’s Discovery Island on Thursday. He said he’d been there since Monday or Tuesday and had planned to camp there for a week, according to an arrest report. The 42-year-old said he didn’t hear numerous deputies searching the private island for him on foot, by boat and by air because he was asleep in a building. He told the deputy he didn’t know it was a restricted area, despite there being numerous “no trespassing” signs. “Richard stated that he was unaware of that and that it looked like a tropical paradise,” according to the arrest report. Orange County Marine deputies on Bay Lake used a public address system to tell McGuire he was not allowed to be on the property, but he remained on the island, anyway, according to the arrest report. A security representative for Disney said she saw McGuire using a company boat Thursday, noting that the area had several “no trespassing” signs and two closed gates. She asked the agency to press charges. McGuire was arrested on a trespassing charge and taken to jail without incident. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment. Previously called Treasure Island, Discovery Island had been the site of a zoological park before the island was closed to the public in 1999.
Shopper Wore KKK Hood at CA Store Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43) and Willie Agee. (Photo courtesy of the office of Rep. Waters)
California Lawsuit Alleges 2 Companies Inflated Gas Prices By CUNEYT DIL Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ California sued two multinational gasoline trading companies Monday, alleging they ran a scheme that jacked up prices at the pump from 2015 to late 2016. Democratic Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the companies took advantage of market volatility following a 2015 explosion at a gasoline refinery complex in Torrance to make about $150 million a year in illegal profits. Consumers paid roughly 1 cent per gallon more under the scheme, Becerra said. The suit accuses gasoline trading firms Vitol Inc. and SK Energy Americas, including its parent South Korean company SK Trading International, of raising gas prices statewide in a highly technical scheme. The lawsuit alleges
the companies engaged in market trades to artificiality inflate the cost of regular and premium gas following the disruption to the state gasoline supply after the 2015 explosion. Vitol, headquartered in Houston, did not immediately return an email seeking comment. SK Energy Americas could not immediately be reached. The allegations involve officials from both companies who knew each other and secretly worked on the arrangement, Becerra said. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers asked Becerra last fall to investigate high gas prices after a report from the California Energy Commission found drivers overpaid an average of 30 cents a gallon. Even accounting for California's strict standards and taxes on gasoline, drivers paid an additional $11.6 billion at the pump over
BobShrinks cat Recov Population e A f t e r Being Hi in California, Still Police Car Most Populous State
the past five years, the California Energy Commission said in its report. The investigation that sparked Monday's lawsuit was underway before that report, Becerra said. But this case is “probably not the only reason for gas prices being higher than they should,” he said, adding that his office is still investigating other reasons for the high prices. “People know in their gut when something isn't right,” Becerra told reporters. “We're here now to prove to court that in this case we nabbed a couple of the bad actors who have caused the exploitation of gas prices in the state of California.” Gas prices in California and elsewhere are down amid the coronavirus pandemic, averaging less than $3 per gallon in California, according to GasBuddy. Still, the state's prices are among the highest in the country.
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Authorities are looking into whether a man who they say wore a Ku Klux Klan hood while grocery shopping in a San Diego suburb over the weekend could face criminal charges, the sheriff’s department said Monday. The unidentified man was photographed with the white hood while pushing a grocery cart at the store in the town of Santee on Saturday, a day after the county required people to wear masks outside to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Store clerks asked him to take off the hood or leave the store, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. He removed the tall, pointed hood that had two small eye holes cut into it, paid for his groceries and left. Deputies were not called to the scene but are investigating to see if he could be charged with a possible hate crime, the department said. “The Sheriff’s Department does not condone hate or any acts of intolerance in our communities,” the department said in a news release. Santee Mayor John Minto issued a statement thanking “all who stepped forward to curtail this sad reminder of intolerance. Santee, its leaders, and I will not tolerate such behavior.”