EDUCATION Bob Dees selected as new president...

EDUCATION

Bob Dees selected as new president of OCC

The Coast Community College District had a busy week, as the board

of trustees appointed Orange Coast College vice president Bob Dees as

the campus’ new president, succeeding Gene Farrell. On Wednesday,

Dees was officially sworn in to his new post, while the board also

named former Costa Mesa mayor Mary Hornbuckle as its fifth member.

* UC Irvine service workers announced Monday that they will take

part in a statewide strike on April 14 unless the University of

California reaches an agreement with their union. Service workers,

who include custodians, cooks, housekeepers and drivers, are pushing

for guaranteed pay increases and other financial matters.

* UCI held a luncheon Tuesday to officially rename the campus’

business school after Paul Merage, the Hot Pockets creator who

recently donated $30 million to the university. Merage’s gift was the

largest single donation UC Irvine has ever received.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Police make a fifth

arrest in suspected murder

Newport Beach police this week arrested a fifth person in

connection with the suspected murder of a retired couple they say

were handcuffed and thrown overboard from their yacht while still

alive.

Jennifer Henderson-DeLeon was arrested Friday when she went to

visit her husband, Skylar DeLeon, who is jailed with three others on

suspicion of killing Tom and Jackie Hawks. Police say they believe an

undisclosed number of the suspects posed as prospective buyers of the

Hawkses’ 55-foot cabin cruiser and killed the couple at sea.

* The American Legion Newport Harbor Post 291 honored public safety workers from Newport Beach and Costa Mesa this week.

Employees with fire and police departments in Newport Beach and

Costa Mesa, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol and

the U.S. Coast Guard received awards for their service at the 40th

Annual Law and Order awards banquet. Costa Mesa Fire Department

Battalion Chief Keith Fujimoto received the Dave Snowden Award from

the legion for his service and longevity in the community.

ENVIRONMENT

State high court hears constitutionality case

The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday about

the constitutionality of the California Coastal Commission.

The case reached the state’s highest court after the Newport

Beach-based Marine Forests Society won two lower-court cases in which

the commission was declared unconstitutional because it performs

executive-branch functions though a majority of its members are

appointed by the Legislature.

The commission was represented by state Deputy Atty. General Joe

Barbieri, who argued that the state constitution has historically

given legislators the power to appoint members of state agencies.

The court is expected to issue a decision in the next three

months.