A $25,000 reward has been approved for information leading to an arrest of the ecoterrorists who attacked several sports utility vehicles in the San Gabriel Valley.
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.
April 12, 2016 municipal election divides the community. The big issues are mansions (over-building) in Arcadia and Measure A, the repeal of the Utility Users Tax (UUT).
Arcadia City Council approved the first of a projected series of ten annual 5% increases in the city water rate. Sewer and trash rates will also increase.
Arcadia gets new power provider Clean Power Alliance. Arcadia has selected lean power as the default for all customers. Lean power provides 36% renewable energy at a 1-2% discount. Southern California Edison will continue to provide billing and customer support.
Arcadia joins Clean Power Alliance of Southern California (formerly Los Angeles Community Choice Energy Authority). The alliance is made up of 31 member jurisdictions in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties that will purchase electricity for sale to their communities. Clean Power Alliance intends to purchase cleaner, more renewable electricity.
Arcadians: "No" on Measure A, the repeal of Utility Users Tax (UUT) by Joan Schmidt. The utility tax is 12.5% of the city's $54.9 billion General Fund.
Arcadia's energy efficient street lighting program to start next month. Southern California Edison (SCE) is replacing SCE-owned inefficient High Pressure Sodium (HPS) street lights with energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights. Conversion to LED technology will help reduce energy usage and cost by approximately $11,500 annually.
Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) has proposed legislation to improve emergency and disaster preparedness by California's public utilities. Recent windstorm disaster highlighted the need to be better prepared.
Attorney Michael Mayock, representing convicted client Billy Cottrell, seeks a verdict reversal for the 2003 fire-bombing of sport utility vehicles (SUV) at a San Gabriel Valley automobile dealership. He says the jury did not know about Cottrell's Asperger's Syndrome, a neurological disorder. Cottrell's prison situation is 'nightmarish.'
Authorities are seeking second suspect seen on the dealership tapes. ELF says arrest won't stop them. Related story talks about co-op where suspect Joshua Connole lived.
Authorities have released Joshua Connole of Pomona, a suspect in the August 22 vehicle vandalisms labeled by FBI as acts of ecoterrorism. More than $2 million in damage was caused by vandals claiming affiliation with the Earth Liberation Front. High-end sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and other vehicles at the Rusnak Mercedes Benz dealership in Arcadia, Advantage Ford in Monrovia, Clippinger Chevrolet in West Covina, and Duarte Mitsubishi were torched and spray painted.
Authorities say an E-mail unlocked a door into a string of vandalism and arson cases at SUV dealerships and led to the arrest of William Jensen Cottrell.
Ballot measure aims to repeal Arcadia's utility tax. The current tax adds 7% to bills for water, electricity and natural gas and 5% for telecommunications for both residential and commercial customers. If approved, city services will be downgraded significantly. It would eliminate 12.5% of Arcadia's budget.
Billy Cottrell, a Cal Tech graduate student who took part in a fire bombing spree that caused millions of dollars in damage to SUV dealerships in the San Gabriel Valley, was sentenced to more than 8 years in prison. See inset for chronology of ecoterror events.
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) blasts Southern California Edison (SCE) for poor handling of windstorm (November 30, 2011-December 1, 2011) in a 42-page report. Report cites serious safety violations and restoration time was inadequate. Among the hardest hit cities affected by power outages were Temple City, Arcadia, and South Pasadena.