What have been characterized as long-existent serious problems at the City of Hesperia’s animal shelter have grown even worse in recent weeks, individuals with access to the facility have told the Sentinel.
Those conditions are so bad that the city has instituted measures to prevent citizens or outsiders from coming into the facility in an effort to prevent the public at large from seeing the deteriorating conditions. Nevertheless, photographs that appear to document the accounts of abuse and neglect have been taken and made available to the Sentinel and other media outlets.
The untoward condition of the shelter was a talked-about reality as early as 2013. In 2016, the city commissioned Surprise, Arizona-based Animal Shelters Services, LLC to carry out an examination and evaluation of the shelter. Some of the conditions that Tim Crum, the chief executive officer of Animal Shelter Services, LLC and the company’s other employees encountered were of such a disturbing nature that the report they generated, which was provided to the city in June 2016, was deemed confidential and an attorney/client work product so that the city did not have to release it publicly. Instead, the glimpse the public did get of the conditions documented by Animal Shelter Services, LLC came through a staff report by the city’s then-director of development services, Michael Blay, to the city council that month. The Sentinel, more than seven years later, has obtained a copy of the Animal Shelter Services report. Continue reading →

A heavily intoxicated off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was killed by a fusillade of bullets fired from the guns of at least four Fontana police officers on the grounds of the Sierra Lakes golf course Tuesday afternoon.
Alejandro Diaz, 45, a 19-year Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department veteran and resident of the north Fontana neighborhood immediately adjacent to the Sierra Lakes golf course, discharged his gun inside the home he shared with his family in the 16600 block of Colonial Drive around 3:50 p.m. August 15.
Diaz, who was visibly upset, then left his house. At least two members of his family attempted to restrain him and pull him back into the house’s garage, at which point the three of them tripped or fell on the driveway. Diaz got to his feet and continued walking toward the golf course. A call came into the Fontana Police Department’s dispatch center at 3:55 p.m. from Diaz’s wife, who related that her husband had fired a gun at a wall inside their home. Several others called the police to report a man walking through their neighborhood with a gun in hand. Continue reading →

The National Park Service has selected Jane Rodgers to serve as the superintendent of Joshua Tree National Park.
She began as the head honcho of 140-employee park staff on August 13.
Rodgers is a 1990 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry there before she joined the U.S. Peace Corps and was posted to the Republic of Niger.
After having returned stateside, in January 1994 Rogers went to work for the National Park Service, specializing in restoration ecology and landscape-scale conservation. From 1994 to 2003, she worked as a biologist at Joshua Tree National Park. From February 2003 until October 2008, she was an ecologist at Point Reyes National Seashore. She was the deputy chief for science and resource management at Grand Canyon National Park from October 2008 until October 2016. She returned to Joshua Tree in October 2016 as the chief of science and resource stewardship, remaining in that post until February, when she was made the acting superintendent upon Superintendent David Smith’s departure. Continue reading →

By Mark Gutglueck
(August 16) Pam Williams, San Bernardino County Chief Executive Officer Leonard Hernandez’s mistress whom he installed into the $266,612.23-total annual compensation position of chief of county administration, is now asking the county to grant her whistleblower protection in the aftermath of their office-shattering breakup.
Hernandez was serving as the county librarian when in 2015 he was plucked by then-County Chief Executive Officer Greg Devereaux to serve as a deputy county executive officer overseeing the county’s libraries, its museum, the registrar of voters office, county airports and its agriculture and weights and measures division. His rise continued in 2017 when he was entrusted with the assignment of county chief operating officer. In September 2020, he was promoted to the county’s top staff position, chief executive officer. Almost immediately upon moving officially into the CEO post in October 2020, Hernandez chose Williams, then a principal administrative analyst, to serve as the county’s chief of administration and head of what was termed its strategic initiatives division. In making that promotion, Hernandez advanced Williams by the equivalent of 17 pay grades. Continue reading →

The San Bernardino County Department of Public Works is seeking a $30 million grant to assist it in the rehabilitation of 27 timber bridges that were constructed prior to or in the early stage of the completion of Route 66 through the Mojave Desert.
Department of Public Works Director Brendon Biggs this week was given clearance by the county board of supervisors to make a digital submission of a grant application to the United States Department of Transportation’s Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program.
If successful, the county’s reception of the money would require that it venture at least 20 percent of the estimated $79 million cost toward completing the project.
The 27 timber bridges, all of which are of a length of no more than 20 feet, are located at various spots on the National Trails Highway, between Daggett/Yermo Road and Amboy Road. Continue reading →

After months of clandestine preparation, City of Ontario officials this week publicly unveiled their brazen plan to poach the Quakes minor league baseball club from neighboring Rancho Cucamonga.
So confident are Ontario officials that they can outmaneuver their counterparts in Rancho Cucamonga, they committed Tuesday night to spend $95 million to construct a baseball stadium in less than three years so the to-be-renamed Quakes will have a home field that will be ready for the opening of the 2026 California League season.
While Ontario officials stopped short of outright declaring that they have already sealed a deal with the Quakes and its president Brent Miles, there are multiple giveaways that the Quakes will not remain in Rancho Cucamonga beyond the 2025 season. Continue reading →

Chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors Dawn Rowe put out the following statement to county employees this morning, August 18:

County Family,
I’m reaching out to you this morning to inform you that Leonard Hernandez has resigned as the county’s chief executive officer effective today. County Chief Operating Officer Luther Snoke has been doing a great job filling in for Leonard while Leonard has been on leave. Luther will
continue to do so in close coordination with the board of supervisors while the board determines how to fill the CEO position.
The Board and I are committed to a seamless transition with no interruption in County services or impact on you.
Leonard has asked us to share the following message:
‘It has been an extreme privilege to serve as the chief executive officer of San Bernardino County. I am thankful to the Board of Supervisors for their leadership and the hard-working men and women who do amazing work every day. Due to an urgent family health issue that requires my immediate and undivided attention, I have informed the Board of my resignation. Under the strong leadership of the board of supervisors and the county’s executive team, the county will continue doing great things for the residents of San Bernardino County.’
As chair, I would like to take this opportunity to commend all of you for the dedication and innovation you bring to your jobs each day, and your commitment to our residents and our public service mission. The board is very proud of how you consistently bring us through the difficult crises our county faces , the long hours and time away from your loved ones that are often required, the national accolades you earn, and the everyday tasks you perform to keep our communities safe, healthy, and prosperous.
The board and I appreciate you.
Best Wishes,
Dawn”