Local

By Voice Media Ventures/Black Voice News Staff

This week the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships named Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds, founder of Voice Media Ventures, publisher of Black Voice News in Riverside, CA, and a leader in community news media, as a 2022-23 JSK Senior Journalism Fellow.

Brown-Hinds will spend her senior fellowship at Stanford exploring ways to empower smaller newsrooms serving diverse communities in California to use solutions-focused data reporting through training, highlighting resources for journalism and seeking strategies to sustain those efforts.

“With such innovative programs and initiatives at Stanford, like Big Local News, The Starling Lab, and digital repositories at the Stanford Libraries, being on campus presents a unique opportunity to tap resources in data reporting for smaller independently-led news organizations — especially those serving diverse communities. I am excited by the possibility of connecting interested news organizations in California with these resources and opportunities.” said Dr. Brown-Hinds.

Will join 13 other veteran and emerging journalism leaders
Brown-Hinds will be joining 13 John S. Knight Journalism Fellows previously announced for the Class of 2022-2023. It is the first cohort to return to a residential fellowship program on the Stanford University campus since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The U.S. JSK fellows for 2022-2023 are veteran and emerging journalism leaders who will work on practical solutions to address the industry’s long-standing neglect of underserved communities. The international JSK Fellows for 2022-2023 are accomplished journalists from five countries who will pursue a range of innovative ideas that seek to champion press freedom in a world where journalists and independent media are increasingly under attack.

The fellowship runs from Sept. 6, 2022, to June 2, 2023. The fellows will document their work publicly throughout the year, highlighting key strategies and lessons learned.

Brown-Hinds was a 2022 JSK Community Impact Fellow, a remote fellowship program for U.S. journalists working to address news and information gaps in their local underserved and underrepresented communities. During the past two years, JSK supported 21 local journalism leaders with stipends, coaching and peer-to-peer learning via Zoom as they worked in their communities.

Building on previous work
In her senior fellowship, Brown-Hinds will build on work she began remotely as a JSK Community Impact Fellow. Her project included identifying data sources, resources, and datasets with the goal of making solutions-oriented data reporting on racial justice accessible to the Black press in California. During her impact fellowship, she learned the resources at Stanford were many, quite accessible and could enhance reporting, especially for news organizations serving communities of color, not just the Black press.

“There’s a real need for a connector between available resources – including data training opportunities and funding – and local news organizations who serve the information needs of diverse communities in California. Paulette has deep experience and is perfectly situated at the intersection of community journalism serving diverse communities, data innovation and philanthropy. We are thrilled that she’ll be doing this work at Stanford, and hope she might create templates that could be used by local news organizations across the country.” said Dawn Garcia, JSK director.

Second generation legacy publisher
As a second-generation publisher of Black Voice News, Brown-Hinds is transforming the 50-year-old weekly print outlet into a digital, solutions-oriented data journalism and justice-focused community news organization. She is leading the transformation to data reporting through two projects: Mapping Black California and DaHUB. Structured within a community mapping framework, Mapping Black California encourages community collaboration around data and information by bringing together community media, community based organizations, and educational institutions.

As past president of the California News Publishers Association and current board member of the California Press Foundation, she works to strengthen the state’s information ecosystem as an essential part of the civic and community infrastructure. In 2019 she co-founded Media in Color, a philanthropically funded initiative designed to assist legacy media outlets serving communities of color with digital transformation. She has also led an effort to create a guidebook for California-based community foundations, community media, and philanthropy to financially support local journalism.

Brown-Hinds has been awarded Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge funding, was a Knight Digital Media Fellow and a Salzburg Seminar in American Studies Fellow. She is a member of the American Press Institute, James Irvine Foundation, and Inland Empire Community Foundation boards of directors.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—Come and get enlightened at the Victor Valley Museum on Saturday, July 30 at 1 p.m. for an Artist Talk with Barbara Gothard who will speak about her visual interpretation, Contradictions – Bringing the Past Forward exhibit honoring the legacy of 23 African American homesteaders who settled in the far eastern Mojave Desert in 1910.

She will be joined with special guest, Mojave National Preserve archaeologist David Nichols, who will be onsite to provide insight on some of the objects discovered in the Mojave Desert occupied by the African American homesteaders.

The exhibit will continue to be on display through Aug. 10, 2022. Read more about it here.

Students in Phelan, Pinon Hills and Wrightwood are invited to join the Gigafy Phelan Backpack Giveaway from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, July 22. The event will take place at the RACE Communications Office at 4280 Phelan Road in Phelan.

Each child must be present with an adult to receive one backpack, which will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please call 877-722-3833.

The new national suicide prevention hotline, 988, debuted over the weekend. It offers an alternative to calling 911 for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis.

Congress designated the new 988 dialing code in 2020. It is operated through the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and provides 24/7, free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

Team Cook’s office was pleased to provide monetary support during last Thursday’s Drive-Thru Backpack Giveaway at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds.

His team has been busy assisting the Victor Valley Rescue Mission and partner agencies with the preparation of backpacks for the event. Many members of their team were also be on hand Thursday to assist with the distribution of Pre-K to 12th grade backpacks for families in need.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- District Director Kimberly Mesen was pleased to join the San Bernardino County Fire department in celebration of Assistant Chief Dave Corbin’s retirement. Corbin has served the County for 33 years, most recently as Assistant Chief of the North Desert (Division 5).

Chief Corbin’s last day is July 29th. He will be followed by Battalion Chief Kelly Anderson, who will continue oversight of fire, rescue and emergency medical response in communities including Wrightwood, Hesperia, Phelan, Adelanto, Silver Lakes/Helendale, and Spring Valley Lake.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) is eager to enroll the Class of 2035 to start school on Monday, August 1. Families may enroll now or at the Saturday, July 30 SBCUSD Enrollment Fair.

Online enrollment for kindergarten and transitional kindergarten in SBCUSD is underway. Children who will be 5 years old by September 1, 2022, are eligible to enroll in kindergarten for the 2022–2023 school year. Transitional kindergarten (TK) is available for students who will turn 5 years old from September 2, 2022, to February 2, 2023.

Kindergarten is an important academic milestone for children. Since most kindergarteners only attend for half a day, it provides children a chance to get used to a school schedule before they are required to attend for a full day. Kindergarten students also learn a number of skills that are necessary for success in first grade and beyond, including:

• Counting to 100
• Writing numbers 0–20
• Identifying shapes (ex. square, circle, rectangle)
• Basic addition and subtraction
• Writing upper- and lower-case letters
• Recognizing ending punctuation (i.e. period, question mark, exclamation mark)
• Recognizing letter names and sounds

“Programs such as transitional kindergarten (TK) and kindergarten are essential,” said SBCUSD Director of Elementary Instruction Amy Coker, “In kindergarten, students learn fundamental skills in reading and math in fun and engaging ways that set the stage for future learning.”

In addition to completing an online enrollment packet, parents and guardians will need several documents to register their child for school:

• Child’s birth verification (i.e. birth certificate, hospital certificate, baptismal certificate)
• Child’s immunization record
• Parent/guardian photo identification
• Address verification (i.e. utility bill lease/rental agreement, or affidavit from landlord)

Children who have some, but not all, of their required vaccinations may still be eligible to enroll so long as required immunizations are completed before the first day of school on August 1.

San Bernardino City Unified School District families may visit the online School Site Locator to determine their child’s home school. For more information about determining your child’s home school or how to enroll, contact Enrollment and Placement Services at (909) 889-7576.

The Enrollment Fair is Saturday, July 30, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Jones Elementary School, 700 North F Street in San Bernardino. SBCUSD staff will be able to assist families in enrolling students in grades TK through high school.

Schools have limited staff and office hours during July to assist with enrollment. SBCUSD families can visit the online School Site Locator to determine their child’s home school. Families are encouraged to call the school before visiting to verify hours for enrollment. Families can refer to the District’s School Telephone Listing for complete contact information.

The San Bernardino County Preschool Services Department is accepting applications from individuals interested in serving as Community Representatives on the Head Start Policy Council for the 2022-2023 program year. Applications will be accepted through August 5, 2022.

According to the Federal Head Start Act, membership of the Policy Council must consist of parents of currently enrolled children, community representatives drawn from former Head Start parents, the private community, civic and professional organizations, and others who are familiar with resources and services to low-income preschool age children and families. Visit www.westsidestorynewspaper.com to read the article online and to retrieve the link to apply.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Building on the success of a similar event last year, San Bernardino will once again be the site of a record expungement and community resource fair on July 30th. The event will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 1650 South E Street, Suite E during which The Pact will celebrate the grand opening of their newest location in San Bernardino County. The event will include many services, food vendors, a massive giveaway, as well as record expungements at no cost provided by the San Bernardino County Public Defender’s office. The Way World Outreach, The Pact Community Employment Center, and CityWay are the lead agencies for the event, and they are being supported by the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board, and 5th District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. Based on the achievement of serving a multitude of residents last year, all parties involved are expecting another resounding triumph for this year’s event.

“This event brings county agencies, non-profit organizations, retailers, faith-based organizations and community members together in one location. Through a collaborative effort, which allows our constituents to access the aid and resources they need, they can clear their records so that they may attain full employment status to build upon their futures.”-Supervisor Baca, Jr.

By Edward Henderson | California Black Media

SACRAMENTO, CA — The office of California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Webber has qualified seven ballot initiatives for the November 8 statewide General Election. Seven is the lowest number of measures to appear on a statewide general election ballot since 2014.

One initiative is Senate Constitutional Amendment 10 (SCA 10). It is asking voters to safeguard a person’s right to reproductive freedom. To qualify for the November ballot, SCA 10 received the required 2/3 supermajority vote in each chamber of the Legislature.

The other six measures initiated by citizen groups are asking voters to decide on sports betting, funding K-12 art and music education, kidney dialysis clinic requirements, income tax to fund zero-emission vehicle projects, and a flavored tobacco products ban. To be on the ballot, the initiative proponents were required to gather a minimum of 623,212 signatures verified by county elections officials. June 30 was the deadline for the measures to qualify for the November ballot.

Two other measures could have qualified for the ballot but were withdrawn by their sponsors. An initiative to increase the cap on medical malpractice lawsuits was withdrawn when the sponsors reached agreement with the Legislature and Assembly Bill 35 by Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes and State Senator Tom Umberg, was passed and signed by Gov. Newsom. An initiative to reduce plastic waste reduction was withdrawn after it was clear that Senate Bill 54 by State Sen. Ben Allen would pass. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into law in June.

Assembly Constitutional Amendment 3 (ACA 3), the California Abolition Act, which would have removed a clause in California’s Constitution that allows the practice of involuntary servitude as a means of punishing crime is not on the ballot because, while it passed the Assembly with the required 2/3 vote, it failed to get enough votes in the Senate.

Special interest groups have raised more than $370 million to convince voters to either pass or reject the initiatives. Over 88% of the money raised is for settling whether two sports betting proposals should be legalized.

The following are details on the fall ballot measures.

Proposition 1 – California Constitutional amendment to prohibit the state from denying an individual’s reproductive freedom

In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn federal protections for women seeking abortions, California lawmakers proposed a California Constitutional amendment to protect the reproductive freedom of women. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, Gov. Newsom stated “Abortion is legal in California. It will remain that way. We will not cooperate with any states that attempt to prosecute women or doctors for receiving or providing reproductive care.”

Proposition 26 – Authorizes new types of gambling 

This proposition would allow federally recognized Native American tribes to operate dice games, roulette and sports wagering on tribal lands. On-site wagering at privately operated horse-racing tracks in four specified counties for betters 21 years or older would become legal. Prop 26 also imposes a 10% tax on sports-wagering profits at horse-racing tracks and directs portion of revenues to enforcement and problem-gambling programs.

Proposition 27 – Allows online and mobile sports wagering

Currently, sports’ betting online is illegal in California. This proposition would allow Californians 21 and older to place bets online through federally recognized Indian tribes and eligible businesses like Draft Kings and FanDuel. Prop 27 is estimated to increase state revenues by tens of millions of dollars yearly and potentially direct hundreds of millions of dollars in fee revenue to housing services for homeless Californians.

Proposition 28 – Provides additional funding for arts and music education in public schools

This proposition sponsored by former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent Austin Butner would require the state to set aside $800 million to $1 billion annually beginning in 23-24 for arts education in school. A greater proportion of the funds would be allocated to schools serving more economically disadvantaged students.

Proposition 29 – Requires on-site licensed medical professional at kidney dialysis clinics and other state requirements 

This measure requires a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant with six months’ relevant experience to be on site during treatment at outpatient kidney dialysis clinics. It authorizes an exemption for staffing shortages if a qualified medical professional is available through telehealth. Prop 29 prohibits clinics from closing or substantially reducing services without state approval and prohibits clinics from refusing to treat patients based on source of payment. This is the third attempt by SEIU United Health Workers West, a union representing over 100,000 health care workers and patients across the state, to pass the measure. Opponents of Prop 29 cite it would cost tens of millions of dollars annually for clinics to implement.

Proposition 30 – Provides funding for programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Individuals with a personal income of over $2 million would receive a tax increase of 1.75% to raise between $3 billion to $4.5 billion a year to fund greenhouse gas initiatives. A majority of the funds would go toward incentives for Californians to buy zero-emission vehicles and build new electric charging or hydrogen fueling stations. 25% of the funds would go toward wildfire fighting and prevention initiatives.

Proposition 31 – Referendum challenging a 2020 law prohibiting retail sale of certain flavored tobacco products 

This proposition sponsored by the tobacco industry, aims to overturn Senate Bill 793 signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020 banning the sale of all flavored tobacco products. A “yes” vote keeps the law and a “no” vote overturns the law.

California ballot measures require only a simple majority of the votes cast to be approved.

As new initiatives enter circulation, fail, become eligible for, or qualify for an election ballot, the Secretary of State’s office will issue status updates.