Nurses sue Governor over staffing The California...

Nurses sue Governor

over staffing

The California Nurses Assn. sued Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and

the Department of Health Services Tuesday, after the governor delayed

a proposed staffing increase of the state’s nurses in November.

The lawsuit demanded that the Sacramento Supreme Court overturn

the emergency regulation and mandate that hospitals provide more

nurses for each patient across the state.

Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach is not likely to be affected since

it already meets the higher nurse-to-patient ratio that will be

required in 2008.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Man pleads not guilty to charges

A man who bought a yacht from a couple who have been missing for

more than a month pleaded not guilty to charges he used drug money to

buy the boat.

Long Beach’s Skylar DeLeon, 25, purchased the boat from Tom and

Jackie Hawks on about Nov. 15 for $400,000 cash, police said.

The retired couple have not been seen since, but police suspect

foul play in their disappearance.

Car smashes through store window

A collision on Harbor Boulevard Monday afternoon sent a car flying

inside an electronics store.

Newport Beach resident Earle Ike, 76, was critically injured in

the accident, and a woman in the other car involved in the crash was

slightly injured. Nobody in the store was hurt. Ike is the former

owner of Earle Ike Toyota on Harbor Boulevard, and still runs an auto

leasing business.

Offenders’ website

goes live

People looking for information on convicted sex offenders in their

neighborhoods can click on a new website. Following new legislation

that changes what information about offenders can be made public, the

state Department of Justice set up the website https://www.megans

law.ca.gov.

After acknowledging a waiver, people can view personal information

including, in some cases, photographs and exact addresses of

convicted sex offenders.

COSTA MESA

Council looking at applications

The Costa Mesa City Council will have to decide in January how to

handle the 29 applicants for spots on the city’s parks and recreation

and planning commissions. The deadline to apply was Tuesday. Three

people applied for a spot on either board, 16 requested planning

commission seats, and 10 applied for the parks and recreation

commission.

The council voted Dec. 13 to choose commissioners by a majority

vote, after allowing council members to appoint their own

commissioners for the past two years.

At a Jan. 3 meeting the council will discuss how the applicants

will be vetted and what voting process will be used.

NEWPORT BEACH

‘Gilligan’ winners throw party

Millionaire entrepreneur Glenn Stearns took away a $250,000 prize

Tuesday from “The Real Gilligan’s Island,” the reality show he and

his wife, Mindy appeared in. Glenn Stearns was named the show’s

winner during a bash the couple threw at their Pelican Hill mansion.

As flashbulbs popped and reporters pressed on with questions, he

announced he’ll donate the money, along with a matching check, to the

Stearns Family Foundation.