A 2-year-old legal battle between the city of Arcadia and Taboo Gentlemen's Club, a strip club, will most likely result in the club being closed or sold off by April, 2009. The federal court case started when the city revoked Taboo Gentlemen's Club's business license for breaking the city's adult business codes. The club's owners Bill Badi Gammoh and Chawkat Jajieh sued in response, claiming city and police had obstructed business and violated their civil rights. The city's adult business ordinance prohibits lap dances, sexual contact, private dance booths and direct tipping. It requires licensed dancers to perform on an elevated stage.
7-year-old Maria Lugo Rocha of Sinaloa, Mexico, is recovering after a surgery to remove a bone tumor from her chin, performed last week at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. LIGA International, a non-profit group of medical experts, pilots and volunteers, helped to bring the girl to Arcadia to have the surgery.
9-year-old Maria Lugo came to Arcadia Arcadia Methodist Hospital from Mexico to have a steel plate removed from her chin. It was a follow-up surgery to a softball-size tumor removal she had in April, 2008, at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. Dr. Jon Tyrell, a member of LIGA International, and Dr. B.S. Chandrasekhar operated on her. LIGA International is a non-profit group of medical experts, pilots and volunteers who travel to clinics in Sinaloa, Mexico several times a year.
A 13-year-old female was critically injured after a motorist lost control of a vehicle and struck her in front of Dana Middle School. A surgical team decided to amputate the lower portion of her right leg 5 inches below knee.
The $16 million Arcadia Police Station building, built with bond money and city and CRA funds, is on target for completion in July. WWM Associates designed the building. Mallcraft of Altadena is the contractor and Construction Control Group is the manager of the project. The station is the first civic project constructed with bond funding.
17-year-old Arcadia High School student Courtney Chou Lee has been named the 91st Rose Queen. Six other young ladies are princesses including another AHS student, Lauren Valenzuela. The Rose Queen and her royal court will reign over the 120th Rose Parade and the 95th Rose Bowl. Article contains some quotes from Courtney Lee's parents, Andrew Lee and Ulanda Lee.
A 19-year-old man who was killed in a house fire in Arcadia was identified as Cheng Ming Dai of San Gabriel. A 16-year-old remains in critical condition and may be arrested and charged with arson. The house was located at 130 West Longden Avenue.
A 22-year-old El Monte man, Daniel Sisneros, is suing the owner and an employee of AM Donuts at 34 E. Las Tunas Drive. He was left partially paralyzed after being shot at AM Donuts. He was pressing buttons on the cash register but not robbing the store.
25 year old Pomona man, Josh Connole, was arrested in connection with the vandalism and arson attacks on high priced SUVs and Hummers at several San Gabriel Valley dealerships.
A 30-year old man was shot in an apparent robbery in the parking lot of 99 Ranch Market on Wednesday, April 13, 2005. He was pronounced dead at Huntington Memorial Hospital. The suspect got away.
A 37-year old Los Angeles man died early Saturday morning after exiting the Foothill Freeway (210) at Baldwin Avenue driving through a perimeter fence and smashing into a concrete wall.
38-year-old Jose Ruiz of San Gabriel was struck by a sport utility vehicle while crossing the street at Huntington Drive and Baldwin Avenue. He remains in critical condition.
A 51-year-old Monrovia man died on Santa Anita Avenue when his pickup truck hit a tree, just south of Colorado Boulevard. His name has not been released yet.
73-year-old Jesus Plasencia Lopez from El Monte has been arrested for a fatal hit-and-run. He allegedly drove a Saturn that hit Guey-Ying Wu and her husband Chia Wu at Santa Anita Avenue and Camino Real Avenue in Arcadia. Lopez is being held at Los Angeles County Jail on $50,000 bail.
81 percent of area schools met their growth targets on the California state Academic Performance Index (API). However, 35 percent of West San Gabriel Valley schools failed to meet the federal accountability targets determined by Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. See chart on page A6 for Arcadia Unified School District progress.
A 1927 bust of Anita Baldwin, hidden away in storage at the Arboretum, is on exhibit at the Arcadia Public Library along with photographs of Anita, examples of her musical scores, poetry and cookbook.
About 25 bird carcasses infected with the West Nile virus have been found in or near Arcadia. Dead crows found along the San Gabriel and Rio Hondo rivers could indicate a major outbreak is on the way.