Former Walnut woman convicted of killing husband and dog

A former Walnut woman was convicted Monday of stabbing to death her husband and the family dog.

A Pomona Superior Court jury on Monday found 46-year-old Socorro Mora guilty of the Oct. 19, 2011 second degree murder of 47-year-old George Mora, cruelty to an animal for killing Snowflake the dog and corporal injury to spouse for attacking her husband on Sept. 13, 2011.

The jurors deadlocked on the charge she tortured her estranged husband.

Mora faces more than 20 years to life in prison when she returns to court June 24.

Deputy District Attorney Taraneh Saba said she can’t say why Mora killed her husband.

“But there was a long history of her being jealous,” Saba said.

At one point, she said Mora thought her husband was having an affair with a co-worker but he wasn’t.

She said Mora called the co-worker who later quit. Mora also called the employer and pretended to be someone else in order to get the woman’s address. Saba said Mora got her husband fired from his job.

“She was totally obsessed,” Saba said.

There was evidence the couple were sleeping in separate rooms by September 2011, she said.

Mora attacked her husband on Sept. 13, 2011, scratched herself and claimed he did it. The prosecution said George Mora’s arms were scratched and bleeding. He later got a restraining order.

Read more in Ruby Gonzalez’s story MURDER

Residents feel Rowland Unified has lost the feeling of family

Rowland Unified has lost the feeling of being a family, of collegial cooperation, according to early results from Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates. The executive search firm has been hired to help the school district find a new superintendent.

HYA & Associates talked to more than two dozen people on Monday to find out what they were looking for in a new executive. The firm is the nation’s largest executive search firm serving public school districts.

Residents and staff made appointments to talk to HYA representatives, who also held a town hall meeting Monday night. Parents may also make appointments from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, or attend another town hall meeting at Alvarado Intermediate School at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

“We heard from a lot that it used to be a like a family and many would like it to go back to that,” explained HYA consultant Pedro Garcia. A professor of clinical education at USC, Garcia is an expert in the area of educational leadership and accountability.

Read more in Rich Irwin’s story SUPERINTENDENT

Community council discusses Athens Services tonight at 8

The County of Los Angeles recently solicited bids from qualified companies to provide trash hauling services for the residents of Rowland Heights. Athens Services was the low bidder and has been awarded the contract.

 James Breitling, the Government Affairs Manager for Athens, will give a presentation 8 p.m. tonight on the provisions of the new contract, including the services to be performed, the fees to be charged, and how and when the switch over to his firm will occur. The meeting will be held by the Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council in the upper building at Pathfinder Park.

 The change in firms handling trash hauling services will affect all homes in Rowland Heights. There will be time for questions and answers following Breitling’s presentation.

 

Caltrans posts 60 freeway closings

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will close portions of SR-60 from the San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) to the Orange Freeway (SR-57) separation, as part of a pavement rehabilitation project.  Closures are as follows and subject to change.

Monday, May 5, through Friday, May 9

Eastbound SR-60

  • ·         10 p.m. to 5 a.m. – Up to three lanes between I-605 & Azusa Avenue
  • ·         11 p.m. to 5 a.m. – High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane CLOSEDbetween I-605 & Azusa Avenue

Westbound SR-60

  • ·         11 p.m. to 5 a.m. – Up to three lanes between southbound SR-57 & Azusa Avenue
  • ·         10 p.m. to 4 a.m. – HOV lane CLOSED between southbound SR-57 & Azusa Avenue

Friday, May 9, through Sunday, May 11

Eastbound SR-60

  • ·         10 p.m. to 8 a.m.   – Up to three lanes between I-605 & Azusa Avenue
  • ·         7 p.m. to 9 a.m.     – Seventh Avenue on-ramp CLOSED
  • ·         12 a.m. to 8 a.m.   – HOV lane CLOSED between Seventh Avenue & Hacienda Boulevard
  • ·         11 p.m. to 11 a.m. – Connector from north- and southbound I-605 to eastbound SR-60 CLOSED

Westbound SR-60

  • ·         12 a.m. to 4 a.m.   – Up to three lanes between southbound SR-57 & Azusa Avenue
  • ·         10 p.m. to 11 a.m. – Fairway Drive and Old Brea Canyon Road on-ramps CLOSED
  • ·         12 a.m. to 8 a.m.   – HOV lane CLOSED between southbound SR-57 & Nogales Street
  • ·         11 p.m. to 10 a.m. – Connector from north- and southbound SR-57 to westbound SR-60 CLOSED
  • ·          Friday 11:59 p.m. to Saturday 5 a.m.  –FULL FREEWAY CLOSUREbetween southbound SR-57 & Azusa Avenue

Detours will be posted. New pavement will improve mobility and enhance safety for motorists.  Flatiron West Inc. is the contractor on this $121.5 million project which is expected to complete fall 2014.

Boy Scouts plan pancake breakfast in Hacienda Heights

Boy Scout Troop 710 of Hacienda Heights will host a pancake breakfast fundraiser on Sunday, May 18, from 8 a.m. to noon at St. Matthews Church, 15653 Newton St. in Hacienda Heights.

The breakfast features pancakes, sausage, eggs, fresh fruit, juice, milk and coffee. Tickets are $5 and will be sold at the door.

The project raises funds for  outings and community projects. It also helps them advance in rank. For more information, call 562-556-5182 or email troop710fundraiser@gmail.com.

Recycled water fights drought in Walnut Valley and Rowland

Drought resistant garden graces roof of recycled water reservoir in Walnut Valley Water District

Drought resistant garden graces roof of recycled water reservoir in Walnut Valley Water District

You can’t drink it and you can’t bathe in it, but recycled water is a vital part of the solution to our ongoing drought.

Walnut Valley and Rowland Water Districts are adding it to their arsenal as they strive to ensure water service at reasonable rates.

“More than 60 percent of our customers’ water usage is outside the home,” explained Mike Holmes, Walnut’s general manager. “Most of that is used for landscaping, and you don’t need potable water for that.”

So the two local water districts have banded together to build recycled water systems to serve large commercial users such as golf courses and cemeteries. It is also used in our city and county parks.

Walnut water officials say they deliver 537 million gallons of this “drought-proof” water every year. That’s a half-billion gallons of water that don’t have to be imported from Northern California.

The two water districts receive recycled water from the County Sanitation Districts’ Pomona Water Reclamation Plant. Recycled water is the name given wastewater that has been treated extensively. After being tested and certified by the Department of Health Services, the recycled water is safe for irrigation purposes.

One of Walnut’s last projects was a new 1 million gallon reservoir for recycled water at the district’s Parker Canyon facility. Even the roof of the semi-submerged reservoir was recycled, holding a garden that helps it blend into the Puente Hills.

And the Rowland Water District installed a new recycled water line along Fullerton Road, running from Industry under the 60 Freeway to the Queen of Heaven cemetery.

“In addition to buying water from the La Habra Heights Water District, recycled water will help us guarantee service to our customers at a reasonable rate,” said Rowland’s General Manager Ken Deck.

Read more in my story RECYCLED