Huntington Beach’s Sowers Middle School unveils new campus

• February 23, 2024

The Huntington Beach City School District on Thursday, Feb. 22, unveiled its new $72 million campus for Isaac L. Sowers Middle School, giving more than 750 students new classrooms with updated technology to learn in.

The new campus sits next to the old one on Indianapolis Avenue in southeast Huntington Beach. Gone is the hexagonal design of the old campus building, replaced by rows of classrooms, with ample natural lighting, that face a large courtyard.

“This new campus is a dream that I thought could never ever have happened,” said school board president Diana Marks while fighting back tears during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Construction work isn’t entirely done yet. The first construction phase built 27 new classrooms and a science, technology, engineering and mathematics building. The second phase will tear down the old campus and build a new gym, locker rooms and basketball and volleyball courts. That work won’t be done until early next year.

The district’s board approved reconstructing the school back in 2021. Construction was funded by a combination of a local bond measure and money from selling the land where the old Gisler Middle School was.

Before the district came up with the additional funding, it was going to have to try to modernize the existing campus facilities, Marks said. “Not ideal, but affordable.

“It was the sale of Gisler that made the difference in creating the new campus we see here today.”

Extensive work went into securing the land to prevent liquefaction during earthquakes, officials said, with 178 poles, each 90 feet long, drilled into the earth and connected with a network of beams.

The new classrooms have touchscreens, microphones and adjustable natural lighting. Most of the classrooms were built in an off-site factory before being brought over for installation.

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A resident in the area said there has been a problem during pick-up times with people starting to park in the neighborhood, causing frustration for many. District officials said the main parking lot is expected to be completed by summer.

Paul Morrow, a school board member and former principal at Sowers, said the school’s opening signified the beginning of a new era.

“The old Sowers is gone,” Morrow said. “The new Sowers is here.”

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County sheriff’s shooting ranges get $10 million upgrade to save lives

• February 23, 2024

Deputy Tim Ott was given this scenario on Thursday, Feb. 22, inside the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s revamped firearms training center:

A woman called dispatch and said she saw an unknown man rummaging through her trash cans and she believed he had a handgun.

Ott stood 10 yards away from a black partition with a photo of a man’s head peeking above it. Ott identified himself. Seconds later, the target moved to the left side of the barrier, revealing an object in the man’s hand.

Ott, with his service weapon pointed at the man, flinched but did not fire.

The object was a cellphone.

Deputies and other Orange County police officers can practice here when not to shoot and how to de-escalate tense situations with suspects who might be armed.

“My deputies know me, I have one rule: Number one, everyone goes home,” Sheriff Don Barnes said. “That’s not just everyone wearing a uniform, that’s everyone we deal with in the public as well.

“If we all go home, that’s a good day for us.”

The center, which sits along Katella Avenue in Orange across from the Honda Center, has been around since the early 1960s. Over the last three years, it was renovated with $10 million to, among other things, take out individual lanes and booths and create an open space for law enforcement officers to not only practice their aim, but to test in dynamic situations and to train their eyes to watch multiple spots.

“Our deputies face … dynamic and real-world circumstances that we want to train for,” Barnes said.

The facility offers two indoor ranges, one 50 feet in length and a second at 25 feet.

The larger range allows for multiple squad SUVs so deputies can re-enact calls from the moment they get out of their vehicles. Lights can be adjusted to simulate calls to poorly lit areas, and flashing red and blue lights can be brought in overhead to simulate a squad car’s lights. Deputies and officers can now fire in the direction of one wall and part of another — instead of just one like before.

“We’re teaching them to move,” Barnes explained. “Fire and move. Get cover, don’t stand in a door frame, which we taught for many years. We’ve undone all the bad tactics.”

Deputy Darwin Nip demonstrated an ambush call.

He stepped out of a SUV, used it for cover and deployed a flashlight on his service weapon to more clearly see targets in the dim lighting, some of which portrayed suspects with firearms.

Nip maneuvered around the car to get the flashlight on six different targets, firing only at those with firearms, while giving verbal commands to pretend suspects.

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Barnes said the types of training used at the facility paid off when an armed retired Ventura police sergeant showed up on Aug. 23 at Cook’s Corner, a rustic bar and restaurant in south Orange County. The ex-sergeant killed three and injured six. Deputies hustled to the scene and immediately were in a battle with the 59-year-old gunman as he tried to get more weapons from his truck; he was killed.

Barnes said those involved in that call have since thanked the training staff at the training center for preparing them for that call.

In addition to reopening the center, Barnes also dedicated the facility to a late sheriff: Now, it is called the Sandra Hutchens Regional Law Enforcement Training Center.

A painting of Hutchens hangs just inside the front door, and there’s a bust of her, several photos and a video display of rotating photos of the former sheriff, who died in January 2021 from cancer. Hutchens served as sheriff from 2008 to 2019.

“What she focused on, first and foremost, and why I think it’s so apt this facility is named after her, is training,” Barnes said. “Preparing our personnel and preparing our teams for the inevitable. Giving them the tools, the training and trusting them to do their jobs.”

The department plans more construction on the grounds.

The sheriff said the Sheriff’s Advisory Council was attempting to fundraise $15 million for an addition that would help create “the most dynamic training environment west of the Mississippi, if not the United States.”

To date, Barnes said, $6.3 million had been raised and he hoped the rest would be collected by the end of summer for a 7,400-square-foot, two-story building with an interior that could be reconstructed in a matter of minutes to create six different settings, including a school, a church, a motel, and a business park.

“It’ll be the most instrumental and valuable tool to make sure our people train the right way and to bring them home safely at the end of their shift,” Barnes said.

​ Orange County Register 

CSUF alumna honored for her work creating low-income housing

• February 23, 2024

In honor of their accomplishments in their respective fields and their service and support of the university, Cal State Fullerton is recognizing four Distinguished Alumni and two Honorary Alumni on Feb. 24 as the 2024 CSUF Vision & Visionaries Award recipients. Established in 1994, the biennial awards are the highest honors presented by CSUF to alumni and community supporters. 

As a freshman at Cal State Fullerton, Laura Archuleta came in with an undeclared major, unsure of which career path she should take.

She credits her time at CSUF and the guidance of her professors for helping her discover a passion for serving some of the most vulnerable around us.

And now, for more than 30 years, Archuleta has worked to bring housing, resources and hope to lower-income residents in California.

In recognition of her commitment to helping improve the lives of many in our communities, including those at CSUF, Archuleta has been named a 2024 CSUF Vision & Visionaries Distinguished Alumni Award winner.

Growing up in Whittier, Archuleta knew she wanted to attend college, and she was the first in her family to do so. Although she had several options coming out of high school, CSUF was the best financial fit for her family and allowed her to commute from home.

Archuleta’s first exposure to the Titan community beyond academics was when she pledged a sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, a decision that had a significant impact on her college career.

“I learned leadership through the sorority,” Archuleta said. “I learned philanthropy … and had just a ton of fun getting to know a lot of young college students.”

In her sophomore year, Archuleta began exploring career options and ended up taking a criminal justice course. At the time, the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program was prominent, and significant attention and focus was on Southern California youth gangs. She chose to pursue a degree in criminal justice and developed a strong interest in wanting to help people improve their lives, although at the time, she was not sure how she would put this into action.

She connected with one of her undergraduate professors, Jill Rosenbaum, who provided Archuleta the opportunity to conduct research with her on females and crime through what is now known as the California Division of Juvenile Justice.

“Doing research with (Rosenbaum), I got exposed to a whole other world of where education could take you,” Archuleta said.

Not only did Archuleta earn her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 1986, but Rosenbaum encouraged her to pursue her master’s degree in public administration, which she completed in 1991.

Her education took Archuleta on a career trajectory that first landed her an internship with Garden Grove’s Housing and Neighborhood Improvement Department. This was the start of a 12-year career working for cities in the affordable housing sector, including stops in Cypress, Palmdale and Anaheim.

Archuleta then took a step back from city government and began consulting work when she came upon Jamboree Housing, a local nonprofit with the mission of delivering, “high-quality affordable housing and services that transform lives and strengthen communities.”

She joined Jamboree Housing as the company’s assistant executive director, and within one year, she moved into her current role as president and CEO, a position she has held for nearly 25 years.

Along with her team and a volunteer board of directors, Jamboree Housing has over 10,000 units of affordable housing throughout the state, with more than 24,000 Californians calling one of their properties home. Through development and construction, and by working with various affordable housing financing entities, Jamboree Housing makes finding a place to live possible for many low-income families. The organization also provides support services for their residents who are dealing with mental health issues or special needs.

“It was just an incredible opportunity to bring together my background and passion for improving communities and neighborhoods, along with giving kids, those with special needs, veterans and seniors, hope that they could live in high-quality housing that they can actually afford,” Archuleta said. “It’s been an incredible journey, and it absolutely would never have happened without me going to Cal State Fullerton.”

Archuleta is now giving back to the Titan community, having recently joined the CSUF Board of Governors. Being selected as a 2024 Vision and Visionaries Award honoree leaves her “speechless” and with a heart full of gratitude, as she feels the education that she and so many other first-generation students received from Cal State Fullerton has opened doors and provided opportunities she never could have imagined.

“To me, being a Titan means that you can do anything,” Archuleta said. “We have Titans all over the world doing amazing things, and here at Jamboree (Housing), we are full of Titans. They are super-smart folks who come out of CSUF ready to get their hands dirty and dive into some of the most difficult and pressing issues facing California. Cal State Fullerton gets them ready to be a full-fledged Titan by the time they graduate.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Long Beach State tops Cal State Bakersfield for 5th straight win

• February 23, 2024

LONG BEACH — Long Beach State has been stacking up wins lately, looking more and more like the kind of team that intends to be a serious threat in next month’s Big West Tournament.

AJ George provided a spark with 18 points and seven rebounds off the bench Thursday night to lead a gritty effort as Long Beach defeated Cal State Bakersfield, 79-66, at the Walter Pyramid for its fifth consecutive win.

LBSU (18-9 overall, 10-5 Big West) scored 25 points off of Bakersfield turnovers, scored 30 points in the paint and shot 25 for 28 from the free-throw line to remain a half-game behind third-place UC Davis (16-11, 11-5) in the conference standings with five games left in the regular season.

Bakersfield (10-17, 5-11) took a 15-8 lead early, but LBSU chipped away, first tying the score at 23-all and then taking the lead at 26-25 on a 3-pointer from Messiah Thompson.

The Roadrunners regained a 35-32 edge in the second half, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Jadon Jones and Thompson gave Long Beach the lead for good. Two straight baskets from George extended the lead to 50-43, but Bakersfield made one more push and got within 56-55 with 6:45 left.

Lassina Traore answered with a timely three-point play and Long Beach quickly pushed the advantage to 11 points at 70-59 with 2:40 remaining and closed out the win at the foul line.

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Lassina Traore finished with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists. Marcus Tsohonis also had 15 points, and Aboubacar Traore scored all 11 of his points on free throws. Jones had seven points, five rebounds and five assists.

Kaleb Higgins paced the Roadrunners with 23 points and four assists, and Corey Stephenson added 10 points.

UP NEXT

Long Beach plays at Hawaii on Saturday at 9 p.m. PT.

​ Orange County Register 

Cal State Fullerton tops Cal Poly to end 5-game skid

• February 23, 2024

FULLERTON — DJ Brewton and Tory San Antonio scored 20 points apiece to lead Cal State Fullerton to a 68-50 victory over Cal Poly on Thursday night at Titan Gym, ending the Titans’ five-game losing streak.

“I thought our group came out focused tonight,” Fullerton coach Dedrique Taylor said. “We set the tone the way we played defense. We guarded well, we rebounded and were able to get out and score in transition.”

Brewton shot 9 for 14 from the field to go with four rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals, while San Antonio shot 7 for 15, making a career-high five 3-pointers, to go with six rebounds. Antwan Robinson added 10 points and seven rebounds for Fullerton (12-15 overall, 5-10 Big West).

The Titans shot 40.3% from the floor and went 12 for 27 from 3-point range (44.4%) while holding the Mustangs (4-23, 0-15) to 34.7% shooting. Fullerton scored 14 points off of 14 Cal Poly turnovers and outscored the Mustangs 31-5 in bench points.

The Titans held a four-point lead before Grayson Carper hit a pair of 3-pointers, including one following an emphatic John Mikey Square blocked shot, to kickstart an 11-3 Fullerton run to close the first half. Zachary Visentin completed a three-point play and Brewton added a jumper as the Titans took a 31-19 lead into the locker room.

Fullerton continued to cruise in the second half, with San Antonio hitting a 3-pointer while being fouled and Brewton scoring from the baseline to extend the lead to 43-24. Brewton later converted a driving layup before San Antonio added another 3-pointer off a Square assist. Square then stole a Cal Poly pass and raced up the court for a one-handed dunk while being fouled, giving Fullerton a 53-38 lead.

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San Antonio hit two more 3-pointers late before Robinson added one of his own for a 65-50 lead. Brewton added one last 3-pointer to close the scoring and send the Mustangs to their 15th consecutive loss.

Quentin Jones paced Cal Poly with 14 points and two steals. Kobe Sanders added 10 points and seven rebounds, while Justin Page had nine points.

UP NEXT

Fullerton hosts Cal State Northridge on Saturday at 6 p.m.

​ Orange County Register 

UC Irvine dispatches UCSB ahead of Big West showdown with UC San Diego

• February 23, 2024

IRVINE — UC Irvine beat UC Santa Barbara to the punch on Thursday night.

The Anteaters shot 60% from the floor in the first half to build a double-digit lead and then held off a second-half push from the Gauchos to win, 81-69, in a Big West Conference basketball game at the Bren Events Center.

UCSB came into the game ninth in NCAA Division I in field goal percentage (49.5%), but the Anteaters held the visitors to 42.1%.

Justin Hohn scored 19 points, Derin Saran contributed 16 points off the bench and Andre Henry finished with 15 points for UCI (20-7 overall, 13-2 Big West), which improved to 11-0 at home this season and remains a game ahead of UC San Diego (18-9, 12-3) for first place in conference play.

The Anteaters will try for a season sweep of UCSD when the teams square off on Saturday afternoon at UCSD.

“We know we’ve set up a championship-type game for Saturday,” UCI coach Russell Turner said.

Yohan Traore scored 22 points to lead the Gauchos (14-12, 7-9), who were picked to finish first in the Big West by nine of the 11 conference coaches after finishing second or better in five of the past six seasons.

“They’re a team that hasn’t performed as well as a lot of people thought, but they are a talented team, they are a prideful team,” Turner said of UCSB. “I thought they played that way tonight.”

Ajay Mitchell, the reigning Big West Player of the Year, picked up two fouls in the first 90 seconds and went to the bench shortly afterward before playing sparingly the rest of the first half.

He stayed on the court in the second half, however, scoring 15 of his 17 points.

UCI beat the Gauchos by 15 points on Feb. 8 in Santa Barbara, outscoring them 27-4 in bench points, 44-24 in the paint and 14-2 in second-chance points.

In the rematch, the Anteaters owned a 27-14 advantage in bench points, 36-28 in the paint and 10-6 in second-chance points. The biggest margin was in fast-break points, where UCI owned a 19-6 edge.

“Pleased with the overall performance tonight,” Turner said. “I thought we were really ready. All 12 guys who hit the rectangle, I thought had the right level of competitiveness and intensity and focus. It was good to see. That’s what I expected tonight.”

UCSB stayed close for the first 12 minutes, even while Mitchell was on and off the floor.

The Anteaters made their first run with seven straight points that extended their lead to 31-22 with 6:40 remaining in the half.

Mitchell scored his first basket with 4:20 left to cut the lead to 33-27, but UCI came back with an 11-0 run that included a four-point play by Hohn, pushing the advantage to 44-27 with 1:32 to go.

Traore helped pick up the scoring slack for Mitchell in the first half by scoring 14 points.

UCI cooled off in the second half, shooting 36%, but the Anteaters still managed to extend their lead to 22 on two occasions in the first four minutes.

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A 13-0 run pulled the Gauchos back within single digits at 56-47 with 12:24 left, however.

Saran followed with four straight points for UCI and UCSB couldn’t get any closer than eight until Mitchell hit a 3-pointer with 47 seconds remaining to cut it to 75-69.

The Anteaters shut the door by making four of six free throws, and Henry capped the scoring with a dunk with three seconds left.

“When a game gets spread like that in a 22-point range, like it did, it makes some sense that there’s a natural drop in intensity,” Turner said. “We’ve seen that with this team a lot, but we were able to maintain control and assert ourselves when we needed to.”

​ Orange County Register 

Orange Lutheran softball dazzles in season-opening victory against Roosevelt

• February 23, 2024

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CHINO HILLS  — Orange Lutheran didn’t hold back Thursday night against the opposition, or the outfield fence, when it finally got the chance to open its season at the SoCal’s Best Softball Showcase.

The Lancers produced a highlight reel-worthy effort in center field, belted three home runs and followed ace Brianne Weiss to a 9-1 victory against Roosevelt on Big League Dreams’ Crosley Field.

“We were so eager (to play) because of the rain delaying all of our games,” said Weiss, who fired a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts. “We just wanted to play because we’ve been practicing for so long.”

Weiss, a Notre Dame signee and reigning Orange County pitcher of the year, was sharp in the mercy-rule shortened game that ended with Orange Lutheran (1-0) batting with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The senior retired the first nine batters she faced, including eight on strikeouts.

The Lancers’ defense supported Weiss with a slick double-play in the fourth. In the fifth, Orange Lutheran center fielder Kai Minor delivered the best effort of the game, leaping over the mesh fencing to grab a towering drive by Breanna Aguilar. The Oklahoma-committed junior held onto the ball but the umpire ruled the drive a home run.

“(The umpire) said (home run) because (Minor) landed on the other side of the fence,” said Lancers coach Steve Miklos, who spoke to both umpires about the play. “It was a great effort.”

“Oh my God, it was incredible,” Weiss said of Minor’s effort. “Honestly, Kai is so good. I love that about her. She gives her all on the field.”

Roosevelt coach Katrina Pinkowski praised Minor’s effort but thought the correct call was made.

“Her feet were off the ground and she was over (the fence),” the coach said. “It (stinks) for (Minor) but it was a good catch.”

Orange Lutheran’s offense was powered by home runs by sophomore catcher Cate Medvitz, senior designated player Zara Mineo-Schrank and sophomore shortstop Madelyn Armendariz. Mineo-Schrank and Armendariz smashed back-to-back solo home ruins in the third to open a 6-0 lead.

Third baseman Carlyn Snyder belted a long double that almost cleared the fence for another home run in the second.

Miklos projects that his team, slotted fourth in the Orange County preseason rankings, will rely on its speed. But on Thursday, the Lancers flexed their muscles on the field modeled after the former home of the Cincinnati Reds.

“Everyone came out to play today,” Medvitz said of the power display, which included her first varsity home. “I had high expectations of this team since our practices but seeing it on the field first hand was amazing.”

Roosevelt (4-2), champion of the Upland tournament, didn’t pitch either of its top two pitchers due to injuries, Pinkowski said.

Orange Lutheran’s pitching depth with by challenged Friday with games against Los Altos and Murrieta Mesa. Two pitchers behind Weiss in the rotation are dealing with injuries, Miklos said.

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​ Orange County Register 

Kings’ 4-game win streak ends as Predators stifle them

• February 23, 2024

LOS ANGELES — It was pinball hockey on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Neither the Kings nor the Nashville Predators seemed to have a firm grasp of the puck, which careened off skates, sticks and players on a night when teams battling for a playoff spot might have hoped for more.

The Predators (30-25-2, 62 points) inched closer to their hosts in the Western Conference playoff race, besting the Kings (28-17-10, 66 points), 4-1, to take the three-game season series with a pair of wins in L.A. and a home loss at the end of January.

Nashville didn’t get a shot on goal for nearly six minutes.

The Kings, who saw their four-game winning streak end while losing for just the second time in seven games under interim coach Jim Hiller, endured a drought of nearly seven minutes.

With things not clicking on either side, the Predators took advantage of a pass that had been knocked down in the Kings’ zone when Colton Sissons fed the puck to Yakov Trenin, who was well-positioned for a first-time slap shot from the right circle.

Rittich appeared to have the angle covered, so Trenin continued skating across the face of the goal and switched to the backhand for his ninth goal of the season at 8:47 of the first period while Rittich looked stuck in concrete.

The Kings got back into the game late in the period while working a two-man advantage following high stick and tripping penalties against Nashville.

At 19:07, Anze Kopitar’s 29th assist found Kevin Fiala, who snapped off a shot from the high slot to beat Juuse Saros on the glove side for his 15th goal of the season.

Drafted in the first round by Nashville in 2014, the goal marked the 400th NHL point for the Swiss winger.

Nashville continued to hold the Kings down before regaining the lead at 14:46 of the middle period.

From the right boards, Lucas Evangelista threw the puck directly down the goal line. It clanged off the post and settled underneath Rittich, who couldn’t locate it before Mark Jankowski poked in his second goal in seven games this season.

Operating on a penalty kill, the Kings had a great opportunity to level the score with less than two minutes remaining in the second. But Trevor Lewis failed to get off a quality attempt as he appeared to be of two minds while Blake Lizotte, who returned after missing 14 games with a leg injury, trailed nearby in a two-on-none situation.

Coming off a goal-of-the-year candidate in his last game, Quinton Byfield was mostly bottled up by the Predators, yet the young forward, who joined Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Lizotte on the third line, had a good chance midway through the last period. Blocking a shot, Byfield snatched the puck and raced the other way. However Saros snatched it out of the air for one of his 27 saves.

The tight contest slipped away from the Kings after Rittich, who denied 17 of the 19 shots he faced, was pulled with more than three minutes remaining in the third.

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Empty-net goals at 17:00 by Sissons (his 15th of the season) and Jeremy Lauzon (his sixth) at 19:07 made the scoreline look more lopsided than the game actually was.

INJURY UPDATES

The Kings had movement in and out of their forward lines, with center Blake Lizotte returning from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for 14 games and forward Viktor Arvidsson out because of a lower-body injury after he got hurt during a win against Columbus on Tuesday.

Arvidsson was placed on injured reserve, but Hiller did not have an update on how long he might be out. Arvidsson, who missed the first 50 games of the season because of a back injury, had two assists in four games before he was sidelined again.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register