News 24/7

Charity hockey tournament nets cash for Children's Hospital in Loma Linda

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:27:16 -0800

Loma Linda University Children's Hospital scored a goal on Sunday.

The inaugural Ice Town Charity Hockey Tournament in Riverside netted $15,500 for the 277-bed hospital, which treats more than 100,000 sick and injured children every year.

A National Hockey League alumni team, consisting of Los Angeles Kings alumni and current TV and radio personalities, defeated a team of amateur champions, 11-10.

The money was raised from an auction of autographed jerseys after an Ontario Reign-Phoenix Roadrunners game in March. The Ontario Reign are the ECHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings.

stephen.wall@inlandnewspapers.com

Mountain View bridge widening almost done

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:30:38 -0800

From Loma Linda Now:

Crews are almost finished with the widening of the Mountain View Avenue bridge over San Timoteo Creek.

Construction is expected to be done in August.

Work began about a year ago on the project, which involves adding a lane to the east side of Mountain View Avenue over the creek.

stephen.wall@inlandnewspapers.com

Loma Linda inks sister city accord with Russian city

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:52:13 -0800

Loma Linda has signed a sister-city agreement with Bucha, Russia.

Bucha has about 38,500 people and is 12 miles east of Kiev.

The Bucha College of Arts and Sciences is operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which founded Loma Linda University Medical Center.

The City Council approved the agreement last week.

There will be no cost to the city for the agreement.

stephen.wall@inlandnewspapers.com

Statue approved for Loma Linda park

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:00:59 -0800

The Loma Linda City Council voted 4-1 this week to put up a statue of Hulda Crooks at the entrance to Hulda Crooks Park.

San Bernardino artist Patrick Jewett will be paid $34,350 to create a life-size bronze sculpture of Crooks. The council also approved an additional $3,400 contingency.

Councilman Ovidiu Popescu voted against the contract. Popescu said even though he greatly admired Hulda Crooks, he wasn't sure it was a wise expense given the city's financial condition.

Hulda Crooks, who died in 1997 at age 101, was affectionately known as "Grandma Whitney." She made 23 successful ascents of Mount Whitney, the last in 1987 at age 91.

stephen.wall@inlandnewspapers.com

Details emerge in SB fatal double shooting

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:30:04 -0800

The investigation continued today in the slaying of a man and woman, who both suffered gunshot wounds in an Olive Street house.

Police said a 40-year-old Bellflower man and a 33-year-old Rialto woman were found wounded in the house in the 700 block of West Olive Street at 7:15 p.m. Their names were not available.

The woman died at the scene and paramedics took the man to Loma Linda University Medical Center where he died shortly after arrival, police said.

There were no suspects in custody and no further details released on the case this morning.

Anyone with information may call Detective Glen O'Neal, (909) 384-5745 or the police hotline, (909) 384-5656.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Motorcyclist killed in SB crash identified

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:00:22 -0800

A motorcyclist killed in a crash Sunday night has been identified as 39-year-old Marvin Lawrence Brantley of San Bernardino.

Brantley was speeding on a 2006 Suzuki motorcycle south on E Street about 7:30 p.m. when he crashed into a 1996 Ford Explorer near the corner of E and 16th Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene, San Bernardino County coroner's officials said.

Police said a 23-year-old woman who was riding on the bike received serious injuries and was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center for treatment.

The 55-year-old man driving Explorer received minor injuries and was taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Loma Linda man captured driving stolen car

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:22:46 -0800

A Loma Linda man arrested early this morning driving a stolen car is believed to be responsible for several other thefts in the city, authorities said.

Ion Negoescu, 32, was booked at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of grand theft auto and possession of stolen property. The vehicle has been returned to its owner.

A San Bernardino County sheriff's deputy about 2:45 a.m. spotted the stolen vehicle on Waterman Avenue near Redlands Boulevard and tried to stop the driver. Negoescu was captured after a short foot pursuit, and deputies said they founf evidence in the stolen car linking him to other thefts.

No other details were released.

Anyone with information on the thefts is asked to call sheriff's deputies at (909) 387-3545.

Just one arrested at Loma Linda sobriety checkpoint

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:28:42 -0800

A sobriety checkpoint in Loma Linda on Saturday resulted in one arrest and 18 tickets, officials said.

The checkpoint at Barton Road and Mountain View Road was operated by San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies, who said 171 vehicles passed through from 6 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday.

A single motorist was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs for sale.

Loma Linda former union officials charged with hiding money they paid themselves

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:11:15 -0800

A Loma Linda father and son who were union officials pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of filing a false annual financial report by not including payments from a secret fund to themselves and one of the men's daughters, officials said.

The men, 63-year-old John Romero and 45-year-old John J. Romero, were previously president and treasurer, respectively, of the Amalgamated Industrial Workers Union.

They were indicted by a grand jury Thursday and arrested Friday. According to a U.S. Attorney's news release, a 2003 financial report that must be signed by the president and treasurer under penalty of perjury, did not include more than $98,000 in five bank accounts. They didn't disclose payments from those funds to the two men and to John Romero's daughter.

The men face a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Loma Linda University cancels bridge plans

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:30:04 -0800

Loma Linda University has dropped plans for a pedestrian walkway across Stewart Street.

Verlon Strauss, the university's vice president for financial affairs, informed the city of the decision in a letter received Thursday.

The Loma Linda City Council on Tuesday decided not to move forward with hiring a construction manager for the project.

The proposal called for widening Stewart Street from two to four lanes and lowering the street to make way for the pedestrian bridge. The walkway would have linked the main campus to the Centennial Complex now under construction.

Instead of the bridge, there will be a mid-street crosswalk with a traffic signal.

SoCal doctor awarded $5.8 million after surgery

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:58:46 -0800

LOMA LINDA (AP) -- A jury has told Loma Linda University Medical Center to pay $5.8 million to one of its doctors who claimed a botched back operation left him with chronic pain.

A San Bernardino County Superior Court jury awarded damages Wednesday to Mark Macknet and his wife, Michelle, in a medical negligence lawsuit.

Macknet, an anesthesiologist at the hospital, sued over a 2004 back surgery. He claimed surgeons used unsterilized equipment that caused an infection and forced him to undergo five more surgeries, said his attorney, Jeffrey Raynes of Redlands.

At trial, the lawyer presented evidence that Macknet will need to take pain medication for the rest of his life and will have to retire earlier than planned.

The hospital disagreed with the verdict, spokeswoman Katie Ellis said.

"While we respect the jury process, we believe that they came to the wrong conclusion in this case," she said in a statement. "We are going to explore all of our options, including appeal."

Loma Linda approves trails map

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:10:05 -0800

They come with names like Jedi, Shot Gun Ridge and Coal Mine.

They range from easy to very difficult and vary in length.

Culminating many years of work, Loma Linda has given its blessing to public exploration of the vast trails system in the area called the South Hills.

The City Council recently approved a map of trails in the South Hills Preserve, which encompasses nearly 1,700 acres of undeveloped city-owned land.

Loma Linda approves $10 million bond

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:15:29 -0800

The Loma Linda City Council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency board, approved a $10 million housing bond last night.

The city needs the money to pay its $4 milllion share of the cost for a 44-unit affordable housing project on Poplar Street.

A developer is contributing the remaining $10.5 million.

The city has been loaning money from the General Fund and other city accounts to pay for its part of the project.

The bond will allow the city to pay back the funds it has been taking from the General Fund and other accounts.

The remainder of the money can be used for future affordable housing projects.

Read more at Loma Linda Now.

stephen.wall@inlandnewspapers.com

Loma Linda Planning Commission to discuss Stewart Street

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:27:46 -0800

The Loma Linda Planning Commission meets tonight to discuss environmental documentation for the proposed Stewart Street widening project.

The city and Loma Linda University are working jointly on the project, which would widen Stewart Street between Campus and Anderson streets from two to four lanes.

The university also wants to construct a pedestrian walkway across Stewart Street, linking the main campus to the new Centennial Complex now under construction.

Construction is expected to be completed in about a year.

stephen.wall@inlandnewspapers.com

Missing Loma Linda man found safe in San Bernardino

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:00:03 -0800

An 87-year-old man who disappeared Monday after leaving a dentist appointment was found in San Bernardino close to midnight with three flat tires on his car and no idea how he got there.

Ken Arakawa, a Loma Linda resident, was uninjured and authorities returned him to his family, San Bernardino County sheriff's officials said.

Arakawa's wife reported him missing when he didn't return home following his 9 a.m. dentist appointment in the 500 block of Cajon Street in Redlands.

"She said he has a history of dementia and getting lost," said sheriff's spokeswoman Arden Wiltshire.

Relatives became frantic because the man takes hourly medication.

Deputies alerted Redlands police about the missing man and searched for him, but he wasn't found.

Sheriff's officials received a call at 11:51 p.m. from San Bernardino police about a man found in a Buick Century in San Bernardino. The vehicle had three flat tires, but it was not known how that happened.

Police said the man was in good condition and hadn't been the victim of any crime.

"He said he didn't know where he went or how he got there," Wiltshire said.

- melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com, (909) 386-3878