Newsletter: Essential California: Water posse on the case

Good morning. It is Monday, Oct. 12. Golf courses in the Coachella Valley are hoping to get younger people interested in the sport with GolfBoards, which are a cross between a surfboard and an electric scooter. Here's what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Clean air

Over the next 20 years, California’s transportation infrastructure will have to be completely overhauled to meet state and federal air standards. That will likely mean more electric cars and buses that run on hydrogen fuel cells. The biggest changes will come in the heavy-duty sector that moves goods from ports to railways and warehouses. “Though air quality has improved markedly in California, the smoggiest regions — the South Coast basin and the San Joaquin Valley — have so far failed to meet a series of federal ozone standards going back to 1979.” Los Angeles Times

Leave of absence

USC football coach Steve Sarkisian was placed on an indefinite leave of absence after failing to show up for practice Sunday. “It was very clear to me that he is not healthy. I asked him to take an indefinite leave of absence,” said athletic director Pat Haden, who spoke to Sarkisian by phone after the missed practice. Sarkisian has been undergoing unspecified treatment since an Aug. 22 event, at which witnesses said he appeared to be intoxicated. Los Angeles Times

On the case

To the homeowner dubbed the “Wet Prince of Bel-Air”: Columnist Steve Lopez and his water posse are coming for you. Readers are using drones and Google Maps to find the residential property owners there who used 11.8 million gallons of water in a year. “We're going to get you sooner or later, so why not make this easy on yourself? Drop the hose, drain the fountains and step out of the shadows,” Lopez writes. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT

Tiered pricing: Gov. Jerry Brown wants to revisit Proposition 218, which prevents government agencies from charging more for a service than it costs to provide. According to the governor, the proposition ties the hands of water agencies that want to use tiered price to encourage conservation. Los Angeles Times

Rainy adventure: Rain may be the only thing that can keep Southern Californians from visiting Disneyland. So, how can you navigate the park when El Niño hits later this winter? Bring a jacket, leave the umbrella at home and make lunch reservations. Orange County Register 

Environmental project: Help could be coming to the Salton Sea. A new bill requires officials to study projects that could restore the shrinking body of water. “As the sea has shrunk, exposing previously submerged areas, toxic dust storms have increased in the Coachella and Imperial valleys, and a rotten-egg smell has drifted to much of coastal Southern California.” Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Old is new: The Avalon Casino on Santa Catalina Island is getting a serious makeover. As part of a campaign to attract younger tourists, the casino will have “holographic projection systems, robotic cameras and high-definition display technology.” Los Angeles Times

Supportive services: L.A. City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell opines that any strategy to house the homeless must include drug, alcohol and mental health treatment. “We have to find a way to compel people to accept our assistance so they can heal and become productive members of society,” he writes. Daily News

Big business: Big beer companies are coming for Southern California’s craft breweries. The opportunities probably won’t last forever, but that doesn’t mean all breweries are eager to sell out. “The idea of selling this business and doing something else, it's not really appealing. It's a lifestyle. This is what we set out to do,” said Jeremy Raub of Eagle Rock Brewery. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

School mascots: In 2017, California schools will be barred from using “Redskins” as a team name or mascot. Currently, four schools use Redskins as a mascot. Gov. Jerry Brown, however, vetoed a bill that would have prohibited public buildings from being named after Confederate soldiers. Los Angeles Times

Get out the vote: Californians who apply for new driver’s licenses, or renew an expired one, will be automatically registered to vote. An estimated 6.6 million eligible voters in the state are not registered. Los Angeles Times

Sending a message: When he took action on 80 bills this weekend, the governor essentially told the state’s Democrats they should have taken action on the state’s tax on Medi-Cal instead of drafting fiscally unwise bills. “Regardless of whether that inaction represented a failure on the part of Democrats or a fact of life when it comes to bipartisan tax votes, Gov. Brown pointed to the MCO tax standoff as the reason he vetoed 15 separate bills on Saturday.” KQED

Politician cleared: Orange County prosecutors did not find enough evidence to support allegations that Supervisor Andrew Do did not live in the district when he ran for office. A complaint had been filed by Do’s 2008 City Council opponent, who questioned whether the politician lived in North Tustin and not Westminster, as he claimed. Do and his wife own homes in both areas. Voice of OC

Put phones away: Members of the Anaheim City Council are now prohibited from emailing or texting during council meetings. The policy was drafted because of concerns that lobbyists were wielding influence over the politicians at the same time they were debating policy. Because council members can still access their devices during meetings, there is essentially no way to enforce the policy. Voice of OC

CRIME AND COURTS

Shooting settlement: A gang member will receive a $5-million settlement from San Bernardino County for an officer-involved shooting that left him paralyzed. In 2011, Lorenzo Gomez Jr. fled a traffic stop, leading to a pursuit in which he hit other vehicles and intentionally rammed patrol cars, according to investigation records. He was shot by a deputy after hiding out in a duplex. The Press-Enterprise

On the streets: Before three drifters allegedly killed a woman in Golden Gate Park and a hiker in Marin County, they made an impression on Haight Street thanks to their alleged meth use and angry outbursts at liquor stores. “On Haight Street, a mecca for drifter types along the West Coast, the three were not well received, even by other street kids.” SF Gate

EDUCATION

Lucrative patents: The University of California and its faculty have earned more than $500 million thanks to patents developed by faculty members. “Colleges around the country are placing more attention and resources on helping researchers obtain patents for their inventions and then market them to private industry for what they hope will be lucrative licensing fees, royalties and stock holdings.” Los Angeles Times

Navigating LAUSD: Nov. 13 is the deadline for Los Angeles families to apply for magnet programs in the city’s public schools. This guide helps walk parents and students through the process. “For some parents, getting in is the difference between staying in public schools and choosing a private or charter option.” Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Animal welfare: Animals bring out the best and worst in people. Columnist Sandy Banks was reminded of that after the story of Lucy, a pit bull who ran away from home. Was she used in a dog-fighting ring? Should her owners have asked for donations to cover her medical bills? “The fact is, none of us knows what happened to Lucy while she was gone. Instead of ginning up villains, this ought to be about heroes: the volunteers who came together to help find Lucy — before some of them turned on one another,” Banks writes. Los Angeles Times 

Go Metro: Let’s be honest: It’s pretty rare for a celebrity to take public transportation in Los Angeles. Former Laker Steve Nash went Metro to Saturday’s soccer match in Pasadena and decided to document the journey on his Instagram. LAist

Local exhibit: “Section 14 — The Other Palm Springs” will go on display at the Smithsonian Museum by 2018. “Section 14 is very important to the tribal members because it's where the Sek-hi — boiling mineral water —springs from the ground. It is the ground on which the first bathhouse was located and is considered the birthplace of the Coachella Valley's tourism industry.” Desert Sun

Boo! A Tustin couple opened a haunted house that is so frightening, customers have to sign a waiver to enter. Work on the scary site started in April. ABC 7

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Francisco will be mostly sunny and 76. Riverside will have clouds and a high of 98 degrees. Los Angeles will be partly sunny and 92. San Diego will have some clouds and reach 85 degrees.

AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for notable Californians:

Rep. Ed Royce (Oct. 12, 1951), actor Kirk Cameron (Oct. 12, 1970), Clippers coach Doc Rivers (Oct. 13, 1961), former San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice (Oct. 13, 1962), L.A. Clipper Paul Pierce (Oct. 13, 1977), actor Tim Robbins (Oct. 16, 1958), actor Zac Efron (Oct. 18, 1987)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.