San Diego, a semi-arid locale with virtually no water of its own, has been maneuvering for years to get out from under the thumb of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. It looks like they found a way: Eyes in San Diego have turned east, not north.
From the LAT's Tony Perry: "A judge has approved a complex water deal between the farmers of the Imperial Valley and the cities of San Diego County -- hailed as the largest sale of water from farms to cities in the nation."
"Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lloyd Connelly on Wednesday affirmed his tentative ruling from June, which upheld the 2003 deal between the Imperial Irrigation District and the San Diego County Water Authority."
"The deal has never stopped being controversial in the Imperial Valley and has been attacked in court by the county Board of Supervisors, environmentalists and some farmers. But Connelly rejected all arguments against the deal, including that it could damage the Salton Sea, which depends on agricultural runoff from the Imperial Valley."
The 400,000 people who take the BART every day in the Bay Area may have to find some alternatives -- Walking? A-C Transit? Even, heaven forbid, driving? -- if the threatened strike gets under way starting Sunday night. If you think S.F. is a traffic mess now, wait until BART bails.
From the Chronicle's John Wildemuth: ""There's still enough time to come to a commonsense agreement," Jim Allison, a BART spokesman, told reporters at BART's Oakland headquarters. "No one wants a strike."
"But union leaders issued a courtesy 72-hour notice Thursday night that they could walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. Monday, when their 30-day contract extension ends, if progress is not made at the negotiating table. Union officials said that doesn't mean a strike is inevitable and that negotiations will continue."
"We want people to understand we're working hard for an agreement," said Antonette Bryant, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, which represents 945 train operators and station agents."
The courts say same-sex marriage can go forward in California, but a Catholic school in Glendora has other ideas: A teacher with a 17-year-career tied the knot with his partner and was promptly fired, allegedly because of his sexual orientation.
From the San Bernardino Sun's Melissa Pinion-Whitt: "Bencomo, 45, was head of the English department at St. Lucy's Priory High School in Glendora, but also worked as a yearbook moderator and dance coach."
"Students say they were aware of Bencomo's sexual orientation. "He never talked about his personal life to his students, but it's something that students and faculty knew," said former student, Abigail O'Brien, 19, of Upland..."
"In an online petition protesting Bencomo's termination, supporters of the former teacher say a July 2 article in the Daily Bulletin prompted the school to dismiss him. Bencomo and his husband, Christopher Persky, 32, of Rancho Cucamonga were one of the first gay couples to line up at the San Bernardino County Assessor-Recorder's Office to get married July 1 following a Supreme Court decision allowing same-sex marriage."
The saga of Sacramento's downtown sports arena, which has had intrigue and twists on an Elizabethan scale, now includes an Orange County PAC, which arena backers believe is up to mischief.
From the Bee's Tony Bizjak: "Sacramento's arena war flared again Thursday as arena supporters called on an Orange County political action committee and its Sacramento affiliate to reveal who is financing a petition drive to put the city's arena subsidy plan on the ballot."
"In a press statement, Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce President Roger Niello said he wonders if someone from Anaheim is behind the effort to put the $448 million arena deal to a public vote."
"Anaheim officials unsuccessfully attempted to entice the Sacramento Kings to Southern California two years ago. At the time, a group from Sacramento launched a petition drive in that city in an attempt to foil Anaheim's plans."
The costs to small businesses for participating in the new health care reform program have been released, but attention also turned to the resignation of the official who headed the effort, Michael Lujan.
From the Sacramento Business Journal's Christopher Arns: "The state’s new health insurance exchange on Thursday unveiled how much small businesses in the program will pay for insurance starting this fall -- one day after the man tasked with marketing the program to employers announced his resignation."
"Covered California released its rates Thursday for the exchange’s Small Business Health Options Program, known as SHOP. The rates, which vary by region,can be found online at the Covered California website. The exchange, in a news release, said SHOP premiums "are generally comparable to 2013 small-group market rates and, in some cases, can save small businesses money on their premiums."
The exchange also announced Thursday that Blue Shield of California, Chinese Community Health Plan, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, Sharp Health Plan andWestern Health Advantage, have been selected to participate in SHOP. All but Sharp and the Chinese Community Health Plan are providing coverage in the four-county Sacramento region.
