We will continue to give away prizes each week for the month of May. Three winners have already received a beach cruiser and circus tickets. Our next prizes to give away include gift certificates and even an IPAD!

 This week, we will be giving away a $50 gift certificate to Mandarin Taste Restaurant! Mandarin Taste is a Gourmet Chinese Cuisine & Cocktails restaurant. It is located at 23391 E. Golden Springs Dr. in Diamond bar.

 To enter, here’s what you do: First search the “Weekly News” on Facebook and “LIKE” our Facebook page. Then press “JOIN” on the “Facebook Giveaway! May 22nd” event page and you will be entered to win!

 If you do not “Like” our Facebook page, you will not be eligible to win, even if you pressed “Join”. You MUST do both before May 22nd. The winner will be picked and announced on May 22nd on Facebook and published in the Weekly News that weekend. Winner does not need to be present.

 To be eligible to win each prize, you must go back to our page every week and “JOIN” the event for that week. If you have any questions, please check our Facebook page or contact Sarah at (909) 464-1200.

Walnut – Students of Mt. SAC voice their concerns regarding the education funding cuts and tuition hikes by protesting on the quad outside of the library and then later throughout campus.

On Wed. May 16, 2012, somewhere around 50 Mt. SAC students rallied across campus, by holding up signs with their concerns of the state budget crisis. Students are upset by the increase in fees and cuts to classes. 

On Monday May 14, 2012, Governor Jerry Brown released his revised budget cut plan, which included a cut of $8.3 billion in effort to recover a $16 billion deficit.  Although, around Brown’s revised plan did not mention budget cuts for community colleges, his plan does include cutting education spending if his future tax proposal does not get voter approval, which will be in Nov,.2012. 

The students are not the only ones concerned about class enrollment, but the professors also recognize how tough it is to get into classes.  As soon as enrollment opens, most classes fill up in less than a week and the waiting list is usually full within three or four days.

The purpose of the rally was to encourage students to become involved and to take a stand for what they believe, as well as to help them recognize the importance of becoming informed regarding the budget cuts at a State level.

West Covina – By the signs popping up all over West Covina Neighborhoods, it would make one think that this is an election year. Wait a minute, it is an election year. However, the signs are not to encourage votes for specific candidates, rather, the signs popping up are calling for a recall election.

Former Councilwoman Kathy Howard and others were out in force over the weekend speaking to West Covina residents asking for their support and signatures in order to recall Council Members Mike Touhey, Shelley Sanderson and Steve Herfert. Sanderson and Touhey are in their sights because of their vote of approval to sell the Civic Center property and Herfert may be on the chopping block for his alleged contribution to the cities fiscal woes. The organizers will not reveal what they have collected up to this point, as they hold the total number of signatures collected close to the vest. If the group is successful, a recall election could cost West Covina quite a chunk of money, up to $258,000, not to mention an election to fill the seats after the recall. Recall efforts must yield 10,000 votes per council member, then signatures must be certified, and within 14 days an election must be called.

Pomona – Pomona officers responded to a shooting inside a local Walgreens.

On Sunday May 13, 2012 around 10 am officers responded to a call regarding a shooting inside the Walgreens store, located at 495 East Holt Ave., according to Sergeant Hector Rodriguez from the Pomona Police Department.

“The officers found two victims, ages 17 and 27 that were wounded from the shooting.  They were transported to a local hospital and are listed in stable condition,” said Sergeant Rodriguez. 

   “The suspect fled on foot and got into a vehicle.  No description of the vehicle was described, added,” Sergeant Rodriguez. 

Authorities have not released any other information on the suspect or victims, according to Officer Rodriguez. Detectives are actively pursuing the shooter.

If you have any information please contact the Pomona Police Department at (909) 620 – 2095.

Santa Ana – Last week, a married couple was convicted and sentenced for stealing over $413,000 in death benefits over a 7-year period by faking the husband’s death. Santiago Carrasco, 52, and Rosa Carrasco, 54, both of Santa Ana, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of grand theft with sentencing enhancements for a aggravated white collar crime of over $100,000 and property loss over $200,000. They were each sentenced to two years in custody, two years of mandatory supervision upon release, and ordered to pay over $413,000 in restitution, plus an additional 10% in interest.

 Prior to 2004, Santiago Carrasco lived with his wife, Rosa Carrasco, for approximately two decades under the assumed name Lucio Rodriguez.

 In the summer of 2004, the defendants plotted to fake “Lucio Rodriguez’s” death so that the couple could collect Social Security and union pension death benefits. In August 2004, Santiago Carrasco traveled to Mexico and bribed authorities in order to obtain a death certificate under his alias using fraudulent information that he had died in Mexico of a heart attack. He then returned to the United States and lived under his real name.

 The couple continued to live together in Santa Ana after the fake death of Lucio Rodriguez. Beginning in September 2004, Rosa Carrasco collected financial death benefits until both defendants were arrested in August 2011.

 While fraudulently collecting death benefits, both defendants were employed. Rosa Carrasco worked in a retail store at South Coast Plaza and Santiago Carrasco worked as a truck driver based out of the City of Fontana.

 In all, the defendants collected over $413,000. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Social Security Administration began investigating this case after receiving information that the defendants had faked Santiago Carrasco’s death.

 Deputy District Attorney Matt Lockhart prosecuted this case.

Eastvale  – The California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) most recent numbers show that in 2009. California only had three days without a traffic fatality. That was not the case in Eastvale on Mother’s Day. On Interstate 15, a driver heading the wrong way crashed head-on and killed three people.  CHP Officer Suk, from the Riverside office of the California Highway Patrol reports that “at 1:42am on Sun. May 13th, a 2001 Jeep Cherokee driven by Nicholas Perez, 23 from Corona, was traveling north on the southbound Interstate 15, just south of 68th street.” At the same time, a 2012 Honda Fit was traveling southbound when the cars were involved in a head-on collision. The couple, not yet identified, in the Honda Fit were pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver of the Cherokee was taken by ambulance to Corona Regional Hospital where he died less than an hour later. The investigation is ongoing.

Walnut – If you’re looking for an effective way to network with local businesses and market your own at the same time, Strategic Alliance is the perfect solution. And it’s free!

“Strategic Alliance is dedicated to providing businesses an opportunity to align synergistically by creating an environment conducive to business development,” Dr. Wolfgang Shane, group leader, said. “We are a nonprofit that is dedicated to providing a profit for all of our members.”

Strategic Alliance was founded in 1997 for the purpose of bringing together like-minded business professionals to increase their business through better customer service. Members meet each week to exchange information, ideas and referrals. Over time, these relationships, built on trust and mutual respect, generate business opportunities.

“Our alliance is unique in several respects. First, we are free. Most similar networking groups cost money,” Shane said. “Second, we have been around for 13 years and have a proven track record. Third, our meetings are fun. Our members have been to too many boring meetings to ever want to attend another one.”

The group meets every Thursday morning at 7 a.m. at the Holiday Inn, 21725 Gateway Center Drive in Diamond Bar off of Golden Springs. Membership for the group is free, but everyone must buy breakfast to reserve the room at the Holiday Inn every week. Guests are invited to enjoy a free breakfast during their first meeting to see if they are a good match for the group.

“We have over 20 members at every meeting,” Shane said. “We generate hundreds of referrals every year and create tens of thousands of dollars worth of business.”

The networking group covers Chino, Fullerton, Pomona, Montclair, Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Brea, Claremont, Ontario, Upland, Walnut, Chino Hills, West Covina, Glendora, Diamond Bar, La Habra, San Dimas, La Puente, La Verne, City of Industry and Rowland Heights.

Anyone interested in joining can call Dr. Shane at (909) 468-4947 or visit www.strategicnetworking.org for more information.

“You won’t regret it,” he said.

 We will continue to give away PRIZES each week for the month of May. These prizes include circus tickets, gift cards, a motocross bike, and even an IPAD!

 This week, we will be giving away 6 CIRCUS TICKETS on May 15th. These tickets are for the Circus Vargas show being held from May 17th – May 21st in City of Industry. 

 To enter, here’s what you do: First search the “Weekly News” on Facebook and “LIKE” our Facebook page. Then press “JOIN” on the “Facebook Giveaway! May 15th” event page and you will be entered to win!

 If you do not “LIKE” our Facebook page, you will not be eligible to win, even if you pressed “JOIN”. You MUST do both before May 15th. The winner will be picked and announced on May 15th on Facebook and in the Weekly News. Winner does not need to be present.

 To be eligible to win each prize, you must go back to our page every week and “JOIN” the event for that week. If you have any questions, please check our Facebook page or contact Sarah at (909) 464-1200.