CSU system may implement 6% annual tuition hikes to cover a $1.5 billion budget gap

• July 10, 2023

More than 460,000 students at the 23 California State University campuses could see annual tuition increases in coming years — for the first time in nearly a decade.

The CSU Board of Trustees’s Committee on Finance will weigh a proposal on Tuesday, July 11, that would implement 6% tuition hikes every year starting in the fall 2024 and ending in the spring 2029 semesters. The potential move, university officials say, is necessary to cover $1.5 billion of unfunded operational costs in the system’s budget, though students and others say it could financially harm students — and further hurt enrollment.

The proposal will require full board approval, which would likely happen sometime in September.

A CSU workgroup first identified the massive funding gap in a nearly 70-page report released in May. It found that the system only has enough money to pay for about 85% of the actual costs of education, institutional and academic support, and student services at all of its campuses.

That’s largely because the CSU’s two primary revenue sources — funding from California’s budget and tuition — haven’t kept up with the ever-increasing costs of operating the nation’s largest state univeristy system, the report said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, in 2022, proposed an agreement with both the CSU and University of California systems to  increase state funding to both by 5% annually for five years.

Officials from both systems hailed the funding compact, saying it would bring much-needed stability to their budgets and support long-term educational investments.

Despite problems within its own budget — including a 2023-24 shortfall of about $31.5 billion dollars — the state still set aside the agreed upon 5%, or $227.3 million, for the CSU’s base budget this fiscal year.

That compact with the state, according a CSU finance committee report for the Tuesday meeting, is expected to add $1.3 billion in new funding to the CSU’s budget by 2028-29, if the agreement continues beyond the originally proposed five years.

But still, CSU officials said, it’s not nearly enough to cover the growing operational budget gap.

“The state general fund — the CSU’s largest revenue source — is volatile and wholly dependent on California’s economy,” CSU Chancellor’s Office spokesperson Hazel Kelly said in a Friday, July 7, statement. “If the CSU were to continue to over-rely on the state general fund, it could jeopardize the university’s financial situation and its ability to serve students.”

Another problem is that the CSU’s secondary source of funding, tuition revenues, has been stagnant for nearly a decade. The last tuition hike — which was 5%, or $270 a semester — came during the 2011-12 academic year.

“The absence of a tuition increase has also prevented the CSU from having sufficient resources to keep up with rising costs,” the report said. “Implementing the multi-year tuition proposal would provide the CSU with an additional $840 million in tuition revenue by 2028-2029.”

The CSU system also has seveal unfunded mandates it will eventually have to pay for in order to maintain compliance with federal and state educational regulations, the report said.

Those include up to $1 billion for employee raises, $18.7 million to institute Title IX regulations, and another $5.8 billion to upgrade decades-old campus facilities that have fallen into despair because of deferred maintenance, the report said.

“Financial sustainability and predictability are critically important for the CSU to accomplish its mission and overcome its challenges,” the report said. “A strategic, multi-year increase to tuition would provide additional resources to better ensure that Californians have opportunities to earn lifelong, life-transforming benefits through CSU educational programs.”

Without developing a stable budget with revenues that match the increased costs of operating 23 universities, the report said, the CSU would have to redirect funding to where it’s most needed — which could result in fewer course selections, less student services and a limited capacity for the system to invest in updated learning environments or give pay raises to its employees.

As it stands, undergraduate tuition — not including other costly fees, such as housing, food and academic supplies — is around $5,742 per year. The tuition rate increase, if approved, would add an additional $342 to undergrad tuition starting in the fall 2024 semester, the report said, bringing the total to $6,084.

From there, tuition would go up another 6% annually for the next five years. By the spring 2029 semester, full-time undergrads would be required to pay $7,682 for the academic year, while higher-level programs, such as a doctorate in public health would total about $25,000 per year.

The CSU, in its report, said that the proposed tuition increases wouldn’t change it status as among the most affordable higher education systems in the country. It also added that about 60% of its student population would be unaffected by the change because of grants or fee waivers.

Cal State Fullerton officials agreed with CSU representatives, saying on Friday that 60% of its students with the greatest financial need will be supported with aid from various sources. A Cal State Dominguez Hills representative said much the same, noting that low-income students will have their aid amounts adjusted to cover the additional costs.

Even so, CSUF plans to streamline its scholarship application process in response to student complaints about the potential tuition increase.

That university will form a new scholarship office, housed within the Office of Financial Aid, to oversee all financial aid and scholarship opportunities, according to CSUF spokesperson Ellen Treanor. That office will allow students to apply for multiple tuition assistance options at the same time.

Cal State Northridge didn’t respond to requests for comment on Friday, while representatives from CSU campuses in Long Beach and Los Angeles declined to comment.

But for some students — those who don’t qualify for full tuition coverage, but aren’t in a position to pay for college out-of-pocket — the reality isn’t so simple.

Oliver Solares, for example, is a graduate student at Cal State Fullerton studying chemistry. His education is partly funded by a private grant, and he currently works at the university as a teaching associate — but he’s worried about how the potential change will impact his day-to-day life.

“Personally, I’m barely scraping by trying to pay rent, bills and food,” Solares said in a Friday interview. “So, increasing tuition makes trying to live a normal productive life as a student much harder.”

Jensen Walsh, another CSUF student studying for an undergraduate degree in history, said much the same Friday.

He pays around $2,300 per semester as a part-time student to balance a six-unit course load and a part-time job. He is also a recipient of a federal Pell grant — though that only covered about $1,900 of his fees last semester.

“It’s going to exacerbate my financial vulnerability. It’s going to take more money away from me when I already have so little,” Walsh said. “It’s going to be harder for me to get an education.”

Eloy Oritz Oakley, the former chancellor of the California Community Colleges who also had a temporary stint as a U.S. Department of Education adviser with the Biden administration, seemed to agree with the students’ concerns.

“I understand why the trustees are thinking about raising tuition,” Oakley said in a Friday interview. “(But) in an environment like this, with this economy, it will be a challenge for low-income learners in this state to continue to think about the CSU as a place to pursue their higher education. I would be lying if I didn’t say that it is a concern to me.”

Oakley stepped down as community college chancellor last year to serve as president and CEO of the College Futures Foundation, which works on issues related to equity and economic prosperity.

The crux of the issue with tuition increases, Oakley said, boils down to basic needs, such as housing and food security — especially at campuses in or near historically low-income communities, like CSUDH or CSUN.

“It makes it very challenging for learners to afford the total cost of attending college, and certainly tuition is part of it,” Oakley said. “I think one of the challenges that we hear being expressed from students right now is the total cost of attending college, which is why we have significant enrollment decline across the country. Students are questioning the value proposition.”

The CSU system, though, argues that the increased costs of tuition are unlikely to cause further student enrollment declines. Enrollment declines, the CSU says, have myriad reasons, including economic and emotional impacts from the coronavirus pandemic and the volatility of the economy generally.

“The reasons for the overall CSU enrollment decline are varied: strong employment demand, higher entry-level salaries, changes in regional populations and ongoing stressors on mental health are among the factors,” the CSU said on its website. “In addition, approximately one-third of the CSU enrollment decline is due to fewer California Community Colleges transfer students.”

The CSU website further said that it is “very unlikely” tuition played a role in those decreases over the past several years, as its tuition hasn’t been increased since 2011 and the CCC system is effectively free.

Oakley, though, disagreed that raising the cost of education would have no impact on whether students pursue higher learning in the future.

“Costs will always have an impact on enrollment, there’s no doubt about it — particularly for the kinds of students that CSU and community colleges serve,” Oakley said. “It may be the case that they need to raise tuition, but to argue that it wouldn’t impact students — I don’t see how anybody could say that with a straight face.”

Vivian Nguyen, an incoming CSULB senior, said Friday that though tuition costs have been relatively low at her school, things differ between majors.

“I am a biology major, and the more you progress, the more labs you have to take — which is extra tuition cost,” she said. “Every single year, it’s an increase of a couple hundred dollars or sometimes even a thousand dollars, depending on how many labs you take.”

Nguyen said she will pay about $7,000 for her classes this fall and spring. Nguyen said she feels lucky she doesn’t have to currently pay rent or for a dorm because she lives with family near campus. But she said she feels the tuition increase could pose a real hardship for other students with more financial burden.

“It’s difficult to even get money,” Nguyen said. “If they’re increasing (tuition), then they’re decreasing other people’s opportunities to go to college.”

Nguyen also said she doesn’t think the tuition increases are fair — unless the money is used to fund students’ priorities.

The five-year tuition increase proposal is expected to generate about $860 million over its first five years. About $280 million of that — or around one-third — would fund financial aid for students with the most need, according to the report.

The remainder of the funds, the report said, would be used to expand the work of the CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025 — which aims to increase graduation rates for first-time and transfer students — alongside pay raises for the CSU workforce, academic facility and infrastructure upgrades, plans to boost enrollment, and other operational costs.

The CSU board’s finance committee will discuss the proposal and decide whether to send it to the full Board of Trustees for final approval on Tuesday at the CSU Chancellor’s Office in Long Beach, 401 Golden Shore.

The meeting kicks off at 1:30 p.m. in the Dumke Auditorium.

Staff writers Nollyanne Delacruz and Christina Merino contributed to this report.

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​ Orange County Register 

Senior living: How to stay healthy when playing pickleball

• July 10, 2023

By Dr. Andrew Le, guest columnist

Pickleball fever has hit Americans and there is no doubt it’s the fastest growing sport in the United States.

Many seniors have picked up on this sport and made it a part of their daily exercise regimen – which is great. It is important for seniors to continue staying active as they age, and pickleball is the perfect low-impact exercise.

Andrew Le, DO, CAQSM MemorialCare Medical Group. (Photo courtesy of MemorialCare)

But it’s important to note that in a 2021 study found in the National Library of Medicine, data showed pickleball could cost Americans, especially seniors, nearly $377 million in health care costs this year, accounting for 5-10% of total unexpected medical spending.

The study also showed that pickleball-related injuries occur most frequently in older adults. From 2010 to 2019, 86% of emergency department visits occurred in people at least 60 years old. Among pickleball injuries, 60% result from sprains, fractures or strains; 20% from contusions, abrasions or internal injuries; and fewer than 10% from lacerations and/or dislocations.

Common and complex pickleball injuries

Most injuries in seniors related to pickleball occur in the elbow, shoulder, leg and foot:

Elbow injuries such as lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow, are typically the result of overuse injuries found in the muscles and tendons that can cause pain and swelling.
Shoulder injuries may occur from improper technique, not stretching or over-exertion. Common shoulder injuries include tendinitis or bursitis but can range to more complex injuries, such as rotator cuff tears.
Leg injuries tend to be strained muscles, ankle sprains and Achilles’ tendon injuries from running, jumping or lunging. This could be from several issues, such as dehydration, over-extension or pivoting/twisting motions.
Foot injuries include blisters or plantar fasciitis, which can stem from improper footwear, or repetitive running, jumping or sliding motions — all common maneuvers in pickleball.

Most of these injuries can be treated in an outpatient clinic or doctor’s office, along with rest, icing and recovery. But it is important for seniors to seek medical attention from their doctor if the injury persists.

Some of the more complex injuries from pickleball may include:

Severe ankle sprains or tears: These usually impact the ligaments that are most commonly on the outside of the ankle. When these ligaments are severely injured, you may be sidelined for a while and even require a walking boot or a cast in some cases.
Achilles’ tendon rupture: A traumatic tear that connects the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) to the heel bone (calcaneus) in the foot. This injury often requires surgical repair.
Rotator cuff tear: Adults in their 50s and older can develop full-thickness rotator cuff tears without a major injury. Traumatic full-thickness rotator cuff tears tend to require surgical repair to restore optimal function. But with newer technology, these surgeries can almost always be done with minimal invasiveness, with three to four tiny incisions. After surgery, physical therapy is critical, and the post-operative rehab may take some time prior to returning to the court.
Wrist fracture: Breaks in the bone often occur from falls on an outstretched hand, with a distal radius fracture being the most common. If the fracture is minimally displaced, treatment may include a simple brace or a cast. If the fracture is displaced, it may require reduction and surgical repair.

Preventing pickleball injuries

For seniors, warming up and cooling down is necessary, and essential to ensure you are properly loosened up and ready for activity.

Key tips to help avoid pickleball injuries include:

Warming up before the match: Stretching and light cardiovascular exercises, such as jogging, will help lower the risk of injury.
Cooling down after the match: Proper nutrition and rehydration, as well as foam rolling and stretching, will help your body repair and recover.
Being aware of your surroundings: Be careful not to trip on balls that may have rolled onto your side or loose bag straps laying around the court.
Taking regular breaks and not over-practicing: It is important during the match for seniors to take frequent breaks, as the risk of injury increases with fatigue. When first starting, gradually increase or ramp up your activity level to minimize overuse injuries.
Drinking plenty of water and fluids: This is essential for your vital organs and will protect you against heat-related illnesses and dehydration.
Having proper training, technique and form: If you are a beginner, take time to join a class or learn the proper technique before playing competitively. Having proper form and mechanics can significantly minimize your risk of overuse injuries.

The key to an injury-free pickleball season is preparation, planning and practice. If you stick to these routines, you will enjoy all the benefits of physical activity and social interaction with your fellow pickleball players.

Dr. Andrew Le is a family medicine and sports medicine physician at MemorialCare Medical Group. Le completed his medical education at Western University of Health Sciences. During his time there, he received multiple scholarships and awards in family medicine, was the President of the Sports Medicine Club and graduated with honors. He has a specialized interest in diagnostic and interventional ultrasound, orthobiologics, management of chronic tendinopathy and arthritis, and comprehensive wellness care for patients of all ages.

​ Orange County Register 

Why does Chris Holden want to put small business owners out of business?

• July 10, 2023

When I was growing up, my parents worked hard to become franchisees for Dunkin’ Donuts. And they loved it. They were proud small business owners giving back to their employees, their customers, and the community.

I worked in the restaurants with them doing anything from handing out napkins to every other job in the restaurant as I got older. I never intended to be a franchisee, but after graduating from USC, I realized I wanted the same thing as my parents: To feel fulfilled going to work every day and to have the pride of owning my own small business.

I now own seven Dunkin’ and four Baskin-Robbins locations in Orange and Riverside counties. Empowering young people and watching them build confidence has been deeply rewarding. I want to continue to grow and create more opportunities for young people, but Assembly Bill 1228 by Asm. Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, threatens all that I have built.

AB 1228 would force national fast food corporations to exert significantly more control over local franchised restaurants like mine. It would make the corporations legally liable for employment and personnel decisions at our local restaurants. In turn, the corporations will be required to assert more control over our operations. That’s not good for me or thousands of other local restaurant owners and our team members.

Current law gives franchise owners control over operations including hiring, wages, scheduling, benefits and workplace standards. Our corporate brands have no role in employment decisions because this is my business and I know what is best for my people. That’s how it should be.

I became a franchisee to build something lasting for my wife and three kids, my employees and my community. I took all the risk: I’m on the hook for the loans, I signed the building leases, I paid for construction, equipment and more. I did not start this small business because I wanted to run it on someone else’s terms.

My restaurants are a great place to work. We nurture our team members, promote quickly and create a path to leadership and career growth. We offer flexible hours so our employees can go to school, play sports, go on vacation and take care of family members. If employees come to me with a problem, I can help fix it because I know my people and my business better than anyone. This is Business 101. Satisfied employees result in lower turnover and more happy customers.

We take community giving seriously, also. Because of our sponsorship, Children’s Hospital of Orange County has a full-time therapy dog and human handler to comfort kids and their families. I’m on the board of Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation which helps kids battling hunger and illness. We regularly sponsor sports clubs, schools, and community groups in Orange and Riverside counties.

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I am very concerned these personalized community commitments will be lost because AB 1228 threatens the franchise model entirely. Meritless lawsuits against corporate brands resulting from AB 1228 will proliferate and could force corporations to limit their liability by bringing ownership of their restaurants in house.

This would destroy new franchising opportunities and existing licensees, like me, could lose our livelihoods. This would be a tremendous loss since the franchise model provides a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs – many of whom are women, people of color, immigrants, and veterans. According to the International Franchise Association, franchised businesses are 31% minority-owned, compared to just 19% minority-owned in non-franchised businesses.

I love being a small business franchise owner. I’m proud that our employees are learning and advancing, and that our restaurants are bringing joy to our customers and our community. AB 1228 threatens all of that. AB 1228 should be defeated.

Parag Patel owns 11 Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin’ franchises in Orange and Riverside Counties. He lives in Irvine.

​ Orange County Register 

John Seiler: Does nuclear power have a future in California?

• July 10, 2023

California’s ambitious goal for carbon neutrality by 2045, if it’s even close to achievable, would require a major rethink of nuclear power generation. Fortunately that seems to be happening, beginning with how to deal with nuclear waste.

Teri Sforza recently reported in the Orange County Register how the Department of Energy is awarding $26 million to restart “an effort to enlist communities ready, willing and able to host the nation’s nuclear waste, at least temporarily,” including “3.6 million pounds of waste now encased in steel and concrete at San Onofre.”

The plant closed in 2012 after technical problems.

Dealing with the nuclear waste problem would make it easier to build new plants. But a roadblock is that Nevada ferociously has resisted developing the federal Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Project, which would centralize most waste 65 miles north of Clark County. Last year then-Gov. Steve Sisolak filed a legal motion to permanently end the project.

But there’s a lot more. California currently does not classify nuclear or even hydro energy as “renewables.” In 2020, current Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher, R-Chico, introduced Assembly Bill 1941 to include both in the California Renewables Portfolio Standard Program. It died in the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy.

But doing some research for this article I noticed the following on the California Energy Commission’s webpage, for 2021 Total System Electric Generation, the latest year available: “California’s non-CO2 emitting electric generation categories (nuclear, large hydroelectric, and renewables) accounted for 49 percent of its in-state generation.” So the technicians who collect the data are thinking of nuclear and hydro (dams) as renewables.

Next consider the 2020 national Democratic Party Platform, under which President Biden was elected. It urged: “Recognizing the urgent need to decarbonize the power sector, our technology-neutral approach is inclusive of all zero-carbon technologies, including hydroelectric power, geothermal, existing and advanced nuclear, and carbon capture and storage.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, the head of the Squad of progressive Democrats and advocate of the Green New Deal, in February visited the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the site of the 2011 disaster. She noted Japan’s nuclear energy production then went from 40% to near zero. “The flipside to that is the major drop in nuclear energy production has been made up in increased use of coal and fossil fuels, whose carbon emissions accelerate climate change,” she said. While not an endorsement of nuclear, it’s a realization of the role it could play in decarbonization.

Westinghouse’s new Vogtle plant in Georgia in March celebrated the criticality of its Unit 3 reactor, using a new design called AP1000, a Generation III+ reactor design “with fully passive safety systems, modular construction design” and the smallest footprint per megawatt on the market. That means if there’s a mishap, the reactors shut down automatically. Unit 4 is expected to go critical later this year.  These are the first new U.S. nuke plants in three decades. Unfortunately, the immense expense of at least $31 billion, $17 billion over cost, bankrupted Westinghouse in 2017.

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“Part of the problem was regulatory, part of it was they didn’t have it fully designed,” Myron Ebell told me; he’s the director of the Center for Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. He also discussed France, where 70% of electricity is derived from nuclear, the highest percentage in the world. He said they used a “cookie cutter” design to put up numerous similar plants across the country.

Ebell said we’re still perhaps 30 years from Generation IV reactors, which would be even safer and more efficient. Bill Gates’ TerraPower and other investors are pushing the research.

Returning to California, last September Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 846, which extended to 2029-30 the life of the two reactors at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant.

In November, the Department of Energy granted $1.1 billion for the project. That will take Diablo well beyond any Newsom presidential bid, whether in 2028 or, should Biden’s health falter, even in 2024.

As cynical as we can be about democracy, this is how it’s supposed to work, pushing solutions to real problems.

Despite disasters at Fukushima, Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, nuclear power is getting safer and will be a key part of our electrical future for many years to come.

John Seiler is on the SCNG editorial board.

​ Orange County Register 

Disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar stabbed multiple times at Florida federal prison

• July 10, 2023

By MIKE BALSAMO

WASHINGTON — Disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar, who was convicted of sexually abusing female gymnasts, was stabbed multiple times during an altercation with another incarcerated person at a federal prison in Florida.

Two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press the attack happened Sunday at United States Penitentiary Coleman in Florida. The people said he was in stable condition Monday.

One of the people said he had been stabbed in the back and in the chest.

The people were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the attack or the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Nassar was sentenced to decades in prison for sexually assaulting gymnasts, including Olympic medalists.

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​ Orange County Register 

Matt Turner saves 2 PKs, USMNT edges Canada to reach CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals

• July 10, 2023

CINCINNATI — Matt Turner told his American teammates not to worry when their match against Canada went to penalty kicks.

“He had the last word before we went out to the field,” U.S. interim coach B.J. Callaghan said. “It’s just encouraging the guys to stay calm, stay committed to what they’ve practiced.”

Turner stopped two penalty kicks, and the Americans beat Canada, 3-2, in the shootout after a 2-2 draw on Sunday night for a berth in a CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal against Panama. The U.S. had not won a shootout since 2005.

“A lot of the penalties that I had seen on my sheets or in my preparation, most of those guys were off the pitch by the time the pens were there,” Turner said. “I just trusted my instincts, really, and typically when I do that, I find myself having a lot more success.”

Brandon Vázquez gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead in the 88th minute, but Steven Vitória tied the score in the third minute of stoppage time with a penalty kick after a hand ball on Miles Robinson. Jacob Shaffelburg then put Canada ahead in the 109th, but an own goal by Canada’s Scott Kennedy made it 2-2 in the 115th.

Turner stopped Vitória’s opening penalty kick with his right hand when Vitória shot down the middle, as he did in regulation. Vázquez skied his attempt over the crossbar and Turner dived left to bat away Liam Fraser’s attempt.

“He’s a really settling force at the back for the U.S.,” Canada coach John Herdman said. “He’s got wonderful feet. His game management is very good, and he can save penalties.”

Cade Cowell, Gianluca Busio and Jesús Ferreira all converted for the U.S. while Kamal Miller and Jacen Russell-Rowe made shots for Canada. Charles-Andreas Brym put Canada’s final attempt off the crossbar.

The U.S.-Panama winner on Wednesday night in San Diego advances to the championship match on July 16 against Mexico or Jamaica at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

The Americans have reached 12 consecutive Gold Cup semifinals. Going to a shootout for the first time since losing to Panama in the 2015 Gold Cup third-place game, the Americans improved to 5-4 in games decided by penalty kicks, including 5-2 in competitive matches. They had not won a shootout since beating Panama in the 2005 Gold Cup final.

Vázquez had put the U.S. ahead with a header from DeJuan Jones’ looping cross. In his home stadium where he plays for Cincinnati, Vázquez scored his fourth international goal and third goal of the tournament. He had entered in the 73rd minute.

Vitória tied the score with his fifth international goal. Robinson was called for the penalty by Mexican referee Marco Ortíz after a video review of a ball bouncing off the defender’s arm while Robinson was challenging Rowe. Ortíz declined to award a penalty after a video review of a ball off Robinson’s arm in first-half stoppage time,

Shaffelburg gave Canada the lead when he picked up a loose ball near midfield and dribbled past Ferreira. From just inside the penalty area, Shaffelburg sent a shot that deflected off a calf of defender Matt Miazga for his first international goal.

Turner lofted the ball from midfield into the penalty area. Miazga centered a header to Jordan Morris, who headed the ball in front. Dayne St. Clair made a leg save on Busio, but the shot deflected off defender Kennedy and in for an own goal.

In the opening game, Jamaica beat Guatemala, 1-0, on a 51st-minute goal by Amari’i Bell. The defender scored from a Demarai Gray pass with a right-foot shot from 8 yards for his first international goal. Jamaica will face Mexico on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

​ Orange County Register 

Dodgers draft Kendall George, Jake Gelof on Day 1 of MLB draft

• July 10, 2023

The Dodgers made a statement with their first pick of the 2023 amateur draft: they’ve bought into the new rules designed to make speed a more integral part of the game.

High school outfielder Kendall George was not projected to be a first-round draft selection leading into this year’s event. Yet the Dodgers tabbed the 18-year-old with their first selection, 36th overall, on Sunday.

The Dodgers also selected University of Virginia third baseman Jake Gelof with the 60th pick in the draft.

George, from Atascocita High School in the suburbs of Houston, hit .445 with 32 stolen bases, a .581 on-base percentage, nine doubles, seven triples and 45 runs scored in 39 games during his senior season.

George also starred on the USA Baseball Under-18 National team that won the 18 and under World Cup last September. In that event, he hit .364 and reached base in 10 of 18 plate appearances while stealing five bases.

“George was the perfect fit,” Dodgers amateur scouting director Billy Gasparino said. “He can hit. We’re going to add power. He just checked so many boxes for us.”

Speed was a big box. Gasparino said “the way the game’s evolving, his ability to collect hits and steal bases” were attributes favored by MLB’s new restrictions on pickoff attempts, bigger bases, and infield shift limits.

“We feel it at the major league level daily,” Gasparino said.

George also attended Major League Baseball’s Breakthrough Series and Hank Aaron Invitational, where he traded tips with Rajai Davis, the veteran outfielder who taught him how to overcome a shared weakness ― a lack of arm strength.

Gasparino said he is “very confident” that he will be able to sign George. The slot value for the number-36 pick is $2.36 million. The Dodgers and George are “still working through the (financial) details,” Gasparino said.

Gelof, 21, set Virginia’s school record for home runs in a season (23) as a senior. He also set the school’s single-season RBI record (90) that he set in 2022 as a junior.

The Dodgers’ next pick will be No. 95 on Monday, as Rounds 3-10 begin at 11 a.m. The final rounds (11-20) continue Tuesday starting at 11 a.m.

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​ Orange County Register 

Wrong-way driver killed in head-on collision in Orange

• July 10, 2023

A man drove a sedan the wrong way on a major street in Orange and collided with a pickup truck and a car before he was ejected and killed, authorities said Sunday.

The chain of events started at 8:19 p.m. Saturday when dispatchers received two calls about a man passed out in the driver’s seat of a Hyundai Elantra at a green light at Katella Avenue and Tustin Street, said Orange police Lt. Phillip McMullin.

“At 8:20 p.m. and as patrol officers were responding, the driver awoke and proceeded west on Katella,” McMullin said. “Between Cambridge and Shaffer streets, the Hyundai drifted into oncoming traffic and collided into a Toyota Tundra and a Honda Insight.”

The driver and sole occupant of the Hyundai was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene by Orange firefighters, he said. It was not known if drugs or alcohol were factors in the collision or if the driver of the Hyundai experienced a medical emergency. The driver does have prior arrests for DUI and being under the influence of controlled substances, McMullen said.

The Tundra driver and his 4-year-old daughter were taken to a hospital with minor injuries and the Honda driver remained at the scene with minor injuries. Both of these drivers were not impaired.

Katella Avenue was closed for between Cambridge and Shaffer streets for the investigation, he said.

Anyone with information can contact Det. Rocha at 714-744-7342.

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​ Orange County Register