Ventura County Star from Ventura, California • 45

the star Thursday March 15 2012 3A CALIFORNIA Pension fund asks contributors to ante up CalPERS to cost state $303M yearly crease contributions a move that could siphon more money from basic services The California Public Retirement System voted to lower its annual return or about 4 percent of the overall general fund budget for the coming fiscal year The action by the CalPERS board marked the first time in a decade it has lowered its projected return The fund which serves 16 million California government workers retirees and their families has an unfunded liability of at least $85 billion Representatives of local agencies said they were concerned the board's ac tion will further hurt their budgets at a time when many are facing deficits Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Chief Kurt Henke acknowledged that the investment rate eventually will need to be lowered even further but warned the board before the vote that have a lot of local governments on the edge" this in one fell swoop would be devastating for he told board members before their vote see the bottom in In taking its action the board directed its staff to examine phasing in the rate adjustment over two years as a way to lessen the immediate budget impact on local governments Henke estimated the reduction would cost his district $25 million and would affect service He said employees previously agreed to $28 million in long-term contract concessions and the district has closed six stations The CalPERS action came amid increasing scrutiny of the cost of providing for government retirees who receive the types of defined-benefit pensions that are unavailable in the vast majority of the private sector Those covered by CalPERS are guaranteed a certain monthly benefit for life no matter how well or how poorly the investments perform ByJudyLki Associated Press from 775 percent to 75 percent The -change will cost the state an extra $303 million per year with about $167 million coming from the general fund It also bumps the overall annual state contribution to CalPERS to $38 billion SACRAMENTO The largest public pension fund lowered its forecast Wednesday for investment returns and asked the state of California school districts and governments to in- College to try 2 sets of classes: cheap and not ASSOCIATED PRESS Dream flight Visitors pose for photos with a flight test version of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as it makes a tour stop at the Boeing plant in Long Beach on Wednesday Questions linger in death of woman Report: Officials lacked coordination how sheriff's officials handled his daughters case than in trying to find out the circumstances ofher death He and cellphone were in her vehicle that was impounded when she was arrested would have allowed the higher-fee programs but it did not pass despite support from 14 colleges and college districts Lawyers for Santa Monica College however researched the issue and concluded that it passed legal muster Smith said feel confident that it will withstand legal he said noting that the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has a similar program a foundation that offers summer high school courses for a $600 fee The issue is being closely watched by other community colleges which are hoping that at the very least it will send a strong message to the state about adequately funding the two-year schools waiting to see the said Alisa Moore spokeswoman for the San Bernardino Community College District hoping the state sees the great One of the largest two-year colleges with an enrollment of 35000 students Santa Monica College has slashed 1100 classes out of 7430 since 2008 As a result students get the courses they need to graduate ByGrasRbllnf Associated Press A report later released by the Office of Independent Review said Richardson told deputies she have any mental health issues even though she had bipolar disorder She declined to remain jailed until daybreak and use telephones in the sheriff's station said the report which concluded deputies followed policy and acted properly The last known sighting of Richardson was by a resident more than six hours after she was released in an area near the site where her remains were later found Richardson was seen sleeping on the steps of the home and ran away when she was startled A second report released Wednesday by the same office said there was a lack of coordination between investigators and officials when remains were found in August 2010' officials had criticized the Department for moving the remains before they could be examined by forensics experts but the report said thecoionert office gave initial approval to remove some of the remains believes his daughter was murdered possibly by one or more deputies who sexually assaulted her want these people before a grand said Richardson who offered no evidence to back up his claim answer one simple question: What happened to Mitrice Richardson that spokesman Steve Whitmore said there is no evidence to back up the allegation about possible involvement by deputies categorically deny Whit-more said Investigators have maintained there were no signs of foul play and the cause of death has remained undetermined The investigation into death remains open and detectives are stiff asking the public for information The county settlement with mother and father last year Deputies released her from custody after determining she drunk badly disabled or a danger to herself or others However her money purse LOS ANGELES- The latest report surrounding the mysterious disappearance of a mentally ill Los Angeles woman provided little comfort to her family Wednesday as questions about her death lingered nearly two years after her remains were found For the second time in as many years a civilian oversight group focused on how the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department handled the case of 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson who had been taken to the Lost Hills Malibu station for failing to pay an $86 restaurant bill and released after midnight without cash or a rpIlphriTV Her remains were found inaravine 11 months later The most recent report said there was a lack of coordination between sheriffs investigators and coroner's officials in handling Richard remains Michael Richardson said more effort has bees put into determining Critics say move will divide students By Christina Hoag Associated ness SANTAMOMCA- After three years of reducing class offerings one of California's biggest community colleges now plans to start adding them but at quadruple the price Under a new program designed to cope with rising student demand as state funds dwindle Santa Monica College will form a separate nonprofit foundation to offer core courses for about $600 each or about $200 per unit The program approved by the board of trustees last week for a summer launch will be offered in addition to the regular courses that are priced at $108 or $36 per unit but are slated to go up to $138 per course this summer under state law is huge across the said college spokesman Bruce Smith question is can we continue to keep cutting and cutting classes pretty But the move is raising questions about whether it will create two tiers of students in a system designed to make education accessible to everyone and whether even legal under state education law a change in what has historically been the character of community colleges in California" said Patrick Callan president of the Higher Education Policy Institute says one kind of education in California for those with financial resources and another for those without but I understand the pressure under no good Community colleges statewide have lost $809 million in state funding over the past three years causing schools to turn away about 200000 students and drastically cut the number of classes offered Several colleges have inquired about starting programs similar to Santa Monica's but it appeared that the state Education Code prohibited them said Paul Feist vice chancellor of communications for the California Community College office An Assembly bill was introduced last year that Around the state 'SANTA ANA year film studies major at Santa Monica hoping to transfer to a university next year said he was only able to enroll in two of the four classes he needed this semester because they were all foil He tried five different classes of the required English literature course but had no luck Now trying to enroll in an online course been really disheartened been desper-ately trying to get some of these the 20-year-old said The new program could be an answer because he can afford it but he said many students cannot an incredibly large increase in Forgo said hard to find a Smith said the college will offer financial aid and scholarships to needy students and has just received a $250000 donation for that purpose The courses to be offered will be open to everyone and will most likely be the courses most in demand such as the required English and math classes Hution from the courses will pay for faculty and expenses ASSOCIATED PRESS A judge evaluates Yoda during the 2011 World's Ugliest Dog contest In Petaluma The 18-pound female Chinese crested-Chihuahua mix owned by Terry Schumacher of Hanford died in her sleep Saturday She was 15 Reigning ugliest dies in California tellectual property claims and breach of contract allegations LO ANSSLSS Team to investigate officer car crashes Los Angeles police officials say launch an investigation conducted by a team of experts every time an officer is involved in a car crash that results in severe injury or death The Los Angeles Times reports the Lbs Angeles Police Department announced new rules Tuesday in response to a report last month that found officers have caused about 1250 crashes over the last three years In at least two incidents the driver of another car was killed Homeless veterans say lawsuit failing Three homeless Southern California' veterans suing the US Department Veterans Affairs for faffing to provide proper housing say court-ordered media- tion has not worked and are requesting the case be brought to trial in June The veterans say- in court papers filed Wednesday in US District Court in Los Angeles that only one mediation session was held last fall and the case then fell dormant The lawyer David Sapp of the ACLU-Southern California says a trial is needed urgently because the men are mentally disabled and homeless Wire services Records: Defendant neededtokU Court documents show an Iraq War veteran indicted in the murders of six people in Orange County told a police detective after his arrest that he joined the Marine Corps because he needed to kilL A transcript of a secret hearing of the Orange County grand jury obtained by the Orange County Register revealed Itzcoatl Ocampo said he was disappointed when he did not see any combat during a six-month tour of duty in Iraq According to the transcript Ocampo told the detective he planned to continue killing people and hoped to build a kill list with 16 names before he was finished OWANSS daughter sets up new church The daughter of Crystal Cathedral founder Robert Schuller is setting up a temporary church after splitting with the church her father began Sheila Sriuiilw Cnlpitian said Wednesday that her new church called Hope Center OC will hold services on Sunday at the AMC Theaters at the Outlets at Orange Schuller -Coleman left Crystal Cathedral Ministries last Sunday one day after her father and mother quit the board because of a dispute over in- doned behind an apartment building and first mistook her for a rat Contest producer Vicki DeArmon said Yoda will keep the title until a new ugliest dog is crowned in June Positively pays Is a Reverse Mbrtgage Right for You? Call us for a free no obligation consultation at 877-738-6674 1st Reverse Mortgage USA AdMem nt (3im (At Unrtgqp liiipa hr NMLSMWI 2625 Hiwnsgate Road Suite 330 Westlake Village CA91361 Phone Direct (805) 279-3480 11)11 Free 1-877-REV-MORG (1-877-7384674) Fax (805) 435-1690 By The Associated Pins HANFORD- When a beloved pet dies good manners usually dictate saying something nice about the departed companion But for a recently deceased dog named Yoda a compliment to say she sure was ugly The 15-year-old Chinese crested and Chihuahua mix won the 2011 Ugliest Dog contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair for her short tufts of hair protruding tongue and long seemingly hairless legs Owner Terry Schumacher of Hanford told the Hanford Sentinel that Yoda died in her sleep Saturday The i8-pound pooch had come far since Schumacher found her aban SEVERS i MORTGAGE HWM tr camv NCU MIIBAN ca IK Ccpyre HU Chany Ciaat Malaga Cony-ay Inc Adnmaamanl ManM torcanwmOTMtfimCSifanN UearaBby AtDapirBnirtaf CorporafcK Mbs tm Cltnwn naihHlsI Ibrtggi i un to NMLS Otepsiy 10 3001 1b deck 8s kmm sub of yarn eortgigB Mk sl hMpVAnMimw is rut iq.