Probation Officer Charged (And Other Headlines)

By now, you’re likely aware of the mounting problems plaguing the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

More problems

The department recently transferred around 300 incarcerated youth to the Los Padrinos juvenile facility in Downey after the state earlier this year closed two other juvenile halls for being out of compliance and for poor conditions. But just days after announcing the move was complete, department officials last Friday reported finding a gun on the premises. No one was hurt but a lockdown followed for hours; parents and guardians have since voiced their outrage.

Then late yesterday afternoon, L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón announced felony charges against probation officer Oscar Cross for allegedly assaulting a minor at a juvenile detention camp in Malibu in 2020.

My colleague Robert Garrova has been following all the developments going on within L.A. County’s juvenile justice system and writes that this latest charge is just one of many challenges the probation department has had to confront in recent years. Read his story for more details on the latest controversies and to read what one mother of an incarcerated youth has to say about what’s going on in these facilities.

Stay safe and cool, L.A. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

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(After you stop hitting snooze)

• Former University of Southern California Dean Marilyn Flynn has been sentenced to three years probation for her role in a bribery scheme involving former Los Angeles City Council member Mark Ridley-Thomas. She was also ordered to pay a $150,000 fine. 
• The Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strike continues to have a ripple effect on businesses throughout L.A. My colleague Josie Huang followed up with Burbank business owners to see how they are adapting two-and-a-half months after Hollywood writers started picketing. 
• A Brooksville, Florida man named Xavier Batten was arrested and charged by the FBI last Friday for firebombing a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa last year. 
• The number of silicosis cases statewide has increased to 77 from 52 in just one year. Jim Morris from Public Health Watch wrote about what health experts have learned about the initial cases of this fatal lung disease that has heavily impacted men in L.A. who’ve worked as countertop fabricators. 
• California is trying something new when it comes to helping people who are struggling with meth addiction: rewarding them with gift cards when they stay sober. CalMatters’ Marisa Kendall shares more about the state’s “contingency management” model and how officials are expanding it through a Medicaid waiver. 
• California community colleges have fallen short on their goal to transfer as many students as possible to four-year colleges or universities within the state. CalMatters’ Adam Echelman and Erica Yee explore the many reasons why certain groups of students aren’t able to transfer. 
• Extremely hot temperatures can be deadly. NPR’s Maria Godoy wrote about the ways heat can kill and what you can do to stay safe.

Wait! One more thing...

The valuable experience that is the Solar Car Challenge

Aleyssa Coleman, 18, middle, a senior at Palmdale Highschool, sits in the driving seat acting as the team's automotive lead and driver of the solar car on Friday, July 21, 2023.

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Julie Leopo

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LAist

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In California, we’re familiar with seeing solar panels on roofs to help power homes. But there are some young people in our state who are using solar panels to put cars in motion.

For 30 years, the nationwide Solar Car Challenge has given students who are interested in science and engineering the space to use their hands and brains to figure out environment-friendly solutions to real world issues.

This year some 20 high schools participated in the weeklong solar-powered race from Texas to California but it was sadly cut short due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Despite such challenges, my colleague Mariana Dale has learned that students have gained a lot from participating in the event over the years.

Aleyssa Coleman, 18, a senior at Palmdale Highschool, is the team's automotive lead and driver.

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Julie Leopo

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LAist

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She spoke with alumni from Palmdale High School’s Engineering Academy who shared their stories. Like Oscar Guzman, who said learning the intricate mathematical details to cool a solar car’s battery really opened his eyes as a student.

“It really helped me understand, ‘Hey, like, this is how math is used in the real world to solve real problems,” Guzman said, who went to study computer science at Cal State Northridge.

From left, Diego Munoz Diaz, junior; Mathew Adeleke, sophomore; Anthony Sananes, junior; Jennie Perez Armenta, senior; Alejandro Rodriguez, senior; EJ Dela Cruz, senior; Hannah Valdez, junior; Tania Campos, senior; Aleyssa Coleman, senior; Top right: Joseph Jones, sophomore; Cannon Garriga, sophomore, stand next to their Solar car: Helios Falcon in the parking lot of their Palmdale High School on Friday, July 21, 2023.

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Julie Leopo

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LAist

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Read the rest of Mariana’s story to learn more about this program and where former students ended up in their professional careers.