The Lost Coast Outpost published a blog in the The EcoNews Report series October 23, 2023 in which Cal Poly Humboldt Assistant Professor Jennifer Marlow and Graduate Research Assistant Alec Brown join Jen Kalt of Humboldt Waterkeeper to talk about the future risk of climate and coastal hazards to Humboldt Bay. The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury made recommendations for improving disaster planning and emergency response.

Hear the entire blog here:

https://lostcoastoutpost.com/podcasts/econews-report/nuclear-waste-storage/

On Oct. 17, 2023, Patti Orr, of the Mojave Desert News, reported that the Kern County Grand Jury investigated a citizen’s “compound complaint” regarding how the city has been managed by city managers, finance officers, public works directors and city council members. The complaint detailed 46 areas of concern including water and sewer issues. The grand jury’s findings were discussed at the Oct. 10 city council meeting.

Read the full article at:

http://www.desertnews.com/news/article_4a027d82-6c2a-11ee-95c6-f79b704524f2.html

A recent story that ran on Channel 7 San Diego, by reporter Kelvin Henry reported on a June 2023 San Diego Grand Jury Report. The years-long investigation reveals a lack of funding as a major reason for the “deplorable” road conditions referring to a report dating back as far as 2006.

Read the full story here:

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/a-deplorable-situation-grand-jury-report-reveals-street-paving-challenges-in-the-city-of-san-diego/3330325/

Richard Halstead wrote in The Marin Independent Journal on October 15, 2023 that “Marin County has reconfigured its Office of Emergency Services with the aim of enhancing its preparedness for the next crisis. A report by the Marin County Civil Grand Jury last year urged officials to consider reorganizing OES’s management structure.”

Read the full article here

https://www.marinij.com/2023/10/15/marin-county-emergency-services-division-gets-makeover/

The San Joaquin County Grand Jury released a report on school safety during its 2022-2023 term. The report contained recommendations to raise the level of school safety at each of the county’s school districts. The district’s responses to those recommendations are described in the article linked below:

https://www.recordnet.com/staff/6995462001/hannah-workman/

Natalie Hanson reported in The Courthouse News Service on October 3, 2023 that “City leaders in Oakland, California, say they may soon dedicate millions to support an overwhelmed 911 call center, amid a growing political crisis over public safety….The city council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve recommendations…from the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury, following a report released June 23.”

Read the full article here:

https://www.courthousenews.com/oakland-leaders-take-heat-over-civil-grand-jury-report-criticizing-emergency-staffing-crisis/

Peter Tokofsky of the Pacifica Tribune reported on October 3, 3023 that the Jefferson Union High School District agreed with many of the recommendations made by the San Mateo Grand Jury in its report issued in June of 2023. The report, titled “Education is Everyone’s Business: School-Business Partnerships Make an Impact in County’s High Schools,” “identified various ways that…partnerships enhance the educational experience, improve college readiness and increase career prospects for students.”

Read the full article here:

https://www.pacificatribune.com/news/jefferson-district-responds-generally-agrees-with-grand-jury/article_90b96398-623f-11ee-96a2-1b3e3b93a9bf.html

Barry Eberling wrote an article in The Napa Valley Register on September 18, 2023 noting that “County officials, while not always agreeing with the jury, expressed appreciation for the effort….In recent weeks, the Board of Supervisors approved the county’s answers.

Read the full article here:

https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/napa-grand-jury-wells-water-wildfires-reentry-juvenile-hall/article_1ea11f7a-5408-11ee-8609-5f040d55bca8.html

Isabella Vanderheiden wrote an article in the Lost Coast Outpost on September 12, 2023 noting that the Board of Supervisors “reviewed three recent reports from the 2022-2023 Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury…. Public Information Specialist Cati Gallardo went over the recommendations listed in each report and explained staff’s recommendation to adopt some, but not all, of the Grand Jury’s suggestions.”

Read the full article here:

https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2023/sep/12/today-supes-board-chair-steve-madrone-apologizes-c/

 Allyson Aleksey wrote in The San Francisco Examiner on September 17, 2023: “In response to a San Francisco civil grand jury report … criticizing the district for its inability to retain qualified teachers, the district stated that ‘the teacher shortage crisis does not belong to SFUSD alone.’ However, San Francisco is faring worse than even the largest public school districts in the state. 

Read the full story here:

https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/education/sfusd-teacher-shortage-is-far-worse-than-peer-districts-data-shows/article_199735b2-5414-11ee-980c-1ff5f7d4fbe8.html