(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- A 2005 San Bernardino High School graduate and San Bernardino, California native provides key support as part of combat operations aboard future USS St. Louis, stationed at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.

Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Orton serves as a fire controlman responsible for operating and maintaining complex radar and weapons systems. 

Orton credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in San Bernardino.   

“Growing up in my hometown gave me the drive and motivation to pursue my Navy career,” said Orton. 

LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused- platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. 

The ship’s technological benefits allow for swapping mission packages quickly, meaning sailors can support multiple missions, such as surface warfare, mine warfare, or anti-submarine warfare. Designed to defeat threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft, littoral combat ships are a bold departure from traditional Navy shipbuilding programs. The LCS sustainment strategy was developed to take into account the unique design and manning of LCS and its associated mission modules. 

According to Navy officials, the path to becoming an LCS sailor is a long one. Following an 18-month training pipeline, sailors have to qualify on a simulator that is nearly identical to the ship. This intense and realistic training pipeline allows sailors to execute their roles and responsibilities immediately upon stepping onboard.

Orton is now a part of a long-standing tradition of serving in the Navy our nation needs. 

“My friend, Brian, was in the Navy,” said Orton. “He was always talking about how serving the good outweighed the bad, and I didn’t have direction so it seemed like a good idea at the time.” 

Orton is part of a warfighting team that readily defends America at all times. 

“My proudest accomplishment was making first class,” said Orton. “It gives you the chance to retire from the service.” 

Orton is playing an important part in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy. 

“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.” 

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon capital assets, Orton and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes. 

Serving in the Navy, Orton is learning about being a more respectable leader, sailor and person through handling numerous responsibilities. 

“Serving in the Navy means job security,” said Orton. “It’s an exciting and unpredictable career.” 

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—- SAN BERNARDINO, CA— On Friday, July 19, Off the Chain Alliance held its first event entitled, “Accepting Wearing You”. The organization collaborated with Unitee to make the event an even bigger success. The event was held at the American Legion Post 14 in San Bernardino.

“The purpose of the event is to take back the power of your trauma and make it beautiful with art,” Porscha N. Dillard, founder of Off the Chain Alliance, stated. “No longer will you have to suffer with body shame.”

Those that assisted in making the event a success included: Jimmy Fowler, Eric Williams, Vickie Davis, Devin Thompkins, Tasha Nicole, Gloria Amaya, as well as other community leaders.

Check out event highlights below. Photos by Devin Thompkins.

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National Science Foundation award will help promote and retain newly hired historically underrepresented minority faculty in STEM fields

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— POMONA, CA—- Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $310,588 grant to Cal Poly Pomona to promote, recruit, and retain underrepresented minority Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) faculty to address the achievement gap between minority and non-minority undergraduate and graduate students. Faculty members often serve as role models and academic leaders for students to learn from, work with, and emulate.

“The faculty at Cal Poly Pomona plays a powerful role in the lives of students pursuing degrees. They’re more than just teachers—they’re mentors who guide young leaders through challenges in and outside of the classroom,” said Torres. “This grant will help bolster diversity in STEM education, provide faculty with the support to succeed, and give students the representation they need to see that a future in these fields is a real possibility for them.”

“It is important that our faculty reflect the diversity of our students,” said Dr. Victoria Bhavsar, Director of the Faculty Center for Professional Development. “This important work will help Cal Poly Pomona retain excellent faculty, and in turn, our STEM students will be better equipped for their own futures and for addressing the big issues in California’s future.” 

Dr. Bhavsar continued, “I would like to thank Congresswoman Torres in her role on the House Appropriations Committee in supporting funding for the NSF, which makes funding for programs like these possible.”

The funding for the grant is made possible through the NSF’s Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program. The AGEP program provides trainings about culturally-informed strengths and identity, senior faculty mentoring, peer coaching and networking, and grant proposal writing trainings. Advancing the careers of minority faculty ultimately leads to improved academic mentorship for students from underrepresented groups.  

Torres is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for appropriating federal spending.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- San Bernardino Valley College is once again ranked among the best community colleges in California. SR Education Group, an educational research publisher, just released its inaugural ranking of the Best Online Community Colleges by state, and SBVC ranked #12 in California. 

SR Education Group considered retention and graduation rates, percentage of online enrollment data, and the number of online associate degrees offered.

“Community colleges offer some of the most affordable degrees in the country,” SR Education Group CEO Sung Rhee said in a statement.

“With a growing number of these degrees becoming available online, we wanted to let prospective students know about these great, accessible options near them. By providing these resources, we hope to help more people reach their educational and professional goals.” 

The ranking acknowledges SBVC’s offerings of associate degrees in various fields, including Administration of Justice, Anthropology, Liberal Arts, Philosophy, Sociology, and more. Students can also pursue a variety of online certificates, where all remote students have the opportunity to still participate in free tutoring sessions through the campus writing centers.

For more information about San Bernardino Valley College, visit valleycollege.edu. 

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—- SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The SBVC Foundation recently announced distance runner Michael Ramirez as the Male Athlete of the Year, and women’s soccer player Karen Jacobs as the Female Athlete of the Year.

Ramirez was the fastest Wolverine at the State Championships, as he earned All-American honors by finishing tenth. He has committed to Chico State in the fall, and is the SBVC’s nomination to the PCAC Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Jacobs was the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference’s player of the year in 2018, leading the team on offense with team highs in goals (18) and assists (13). Jacobs has committed to continue her soccer career at Louisiana State University-Alexandria in the fall.

Congratulations to these SBVC Wolverines!

For more information about San Bernardino Valley College, visit valleycollege.edu. 

By Lou Yeboah

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— If you think the locust plague was bad, if you don’t repent, I tell you, “you ain’t seen nothing yet!” Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God; and cry out to the Lord. Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is near! A day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess; that great and dreadful day of the Lord, who can endure it? Who will remain standing when it comes? 

Think of how Revelation 6:15 describes the terror of those who face it. “Then the kings of the earth,  the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.  They called to the mountains and the rocks,  ‘Fall on us and hide us  from the face of him who sits on the throne  and from the wrath of the Lamb!  Or consider how 2 Thessalonians 1:7 describes how God will pay back those who trouble Christians. “This will happen when Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus…” I tell you, if you don’t repent, you ain’t seen nothing yet!

Listen, although God is merciful and longsuffering, He will not remain silent forever. Read what He said in Jeremiah 15:6, “You who have forsaken Me,” declares the LORD, “You keep going backward so I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am tired of relenting!”

I tell you, it takes a fool to ignore the warning and plow straight ahead to the awaiting judgment.  Make no mistake about it, as Malachi 4:1 says, Behold! Look! This day is coming indeed! Be on the alert for it! Be viligant! For the Bible is so very clear on this. There will indeed be a final day of judgment. There is no doubt about it. Joel warns that “the day of the Lord is near.” Four other prophets in four different centuries gave the same warning (Isaiah 13:6; Ezekiel 30:3; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7,14). In each case, the day of the Lord was imminent, and was a day of divine visitation wherein the wrath of God would be poured upon the ungodly.

The Only Hope…“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mournings; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love…” Joel 2:12–14…Turn back to God and find salvation instead of judgment. That was the message back then. And so it is today.

“A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” Proverbs 22:3

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—- SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- The San Bernardino Pastors United (SBPU) in association with community leaders and the faith based community, will have another Community Block party on Saturday, July 27 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.  at San Bernardino High School, located at 1850 North E St, San Bernardino. The theme of this block party is taken from Matthew 19: 26, “with God all things are possible”.

As the City of San Bernardino continues to recover, the SBPU continues to engage the community and fill in the gape as needed. The pastors believe as spiritual leaders they must show love, and demonstrate helping thy neighbor, and being there for one another. The Churches of San Bernardino continue to stand together in solidarity and continue to teach residence how to fish. With God, and resources combined, each person pulling their weight toward recover, all things are possible.

At the event, there will be free food, free groceries, free shoes, free backpacks for kids, free clothes and free health checks, job resources. The host church is S B Community SDA Church, Dr. Jerrold Thompson, co-host 16^th St SDA Church, Dr. Andrea King, Senior Pastor will deliver a life changing message. Please register by phone, or go to our website www.sbpastorsunited.org to register. We are expecting thousands to attend the event try to register.  We are asking the community to join us, as we remain strong, providing:  “Healing, Change, and Progress” to the City of San Bernardino, for more information call 909-353-7977 or contact the S B Community SDA church at 909-883-2400 email sbpastorsunited@gmail.com. Thank you. Pass the Word!

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)—- NAVAL AIR STATION FALLON, NEV. — The Longhorn Helicopter Search and Rescue (SAR) team from Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon conducted a night rescue at Black Wall near Donner Summit on Thursday, extracting and airlifting an injured rock climber.

“The survivor had been rock climbing on a very steep cliff face when he sustained his injuries,” said the crew chief, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacob Glende, from Spencerport, New York. “The terrain did not afford any opportunity to land, and we quickly understood why the ground rescue crew had called the Longhorns for this kind of mission.”

After local fire and rescue personnel arrived on scene to stabilize the climber, who had multiple facial and arm lacerations as well as injuries to his back, the ground rescue team determined the cliff was too steep to carry him safely down to the ambulance in a rescue litter. At 11:00 p.m., the ground team requested helicopter extraction of the patient, and the Longhorn SAR duty crew was recalled to launch for the life-saving mission.

“The Longhorn SAR team consistently trains to accomplish these exact kinds of rescues,” said Lt. Cary Lawson, the SAR mission commander and Loma Linda, California, native. “Our crew was conducting training for situations just like this on the very night we got the call. Our main concern was to arrive on scene as quickly as we could and get the survivor to much-needed medical attention without delay.”

A crew of five departed Fallon at 11:45 p.m. Wednesday for the 97-mile transit to the victim’s location. After arriving on scene, the crew quickly spotted the climber’s location due to flashing lights and radio communication with the ground rescuers. On the ground was the Truckee Fire Protection District and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Ropes Team who were able to free the climber suspended by his ropes 200 feet above the ground. No landing site was available due to the sheer steepness of the mountainous terrain.

Hovering 10 feet from the cliffside, the Longhorns deployed a helicopter inland rescue aircrewman (HIRA), Petty Officer 1st Class Kyle Kurzendoerfer, from Arlington, Texas, via a 200-foot rappel to the survivor’s location at 12:40 a.m. While the helicopter circled, the HIRA performed an expedited medical assessment of the survivor with the ground personnel and prepared the climber for a hoist extraction. The helicopter returned to extract the victim and Kurzendoerfer together via hoist from a 150-foot hover.

“Our crew performed exceptionally tonight,” Kurzendoerfer said. “Everything went incredibly smooth, from the transit to the turnover of the patient — and it was because the entire crew was well-trained and firing on all cylinders as an effective team.”

With the patient and HIRA safely onboard the aircraft at 12:54 a.m., the crew provided in-flight care —with the assistance of aeromedical flight surgeon Cmdr. Chris Joas, from Centennial, Colorado, onboard — during the 31-mile transit to Renown Regional Medical Center. The aircraft was given priority handling from Reno Tower and landed in the grass at Pickett Park across the street from the hospital at 1:09 a.m. The patient was turned over to Renown emergency room staff at 1:15 a.m.

“The hospital staff was very professional. They were ready and waiting with all hands on deck for the survivor when we arrived, leading to no delays in patient care,” Joas said.

The crew consisted of Lawson, copilot Lt. Drew Bilton-Smith, from Boise, Idaho, Kurzendoerfer, Glende, and Joas.

NAS Fallon received a request for immediate life-saving response with military aircraft from the California Office of Emergency Service (CALOES) via the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC); the California Office had received a 911 call about an injured rock climber on Donner Summit.

This rescue, which required expert skill in helicopter mountain rescue techniques, was the second rescue of 2019 for NAS Fallon SAR and the 18th in the last five years. This Navy SAR unit operates three MH-60S helicopters as search and rescue/medical evacuation platforms for the Fallon Range Training Complex in Nevada.

Pursuant to the National SAR Plan of the United States, the unit may also be used for civil SAR/MEDEVAC needs to the fullest extent practicable on a non-interference basis with primary military duties according to applicable national directives, plans, guidelines and agreements.  Specifically, the Longhorn SAR team may launch in response to tasking by the AFRCC for inland missions, or in response to tasking by the NAS Fallon commanding officer for all other aeronautical and maritime regions when other assets are unavailable.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— LOMA LINDA, CA— Kids ages 9-15 will be participating in Operation Fit – a week-long camp that teaches healthy eating habits and active living. Through a series of dynamic, educational and interactive activities, campers will gain the tools they need to make better choices about food, physical activity and their lives. Each camper will also learn how to demonstrate those choices to their families and friends.

Members of the media are invited to come out on Wednesday, July 17 to interact with the kids and have a front-row seat to their education on health and fun fitness. Bring your sneakers to play and learn with the kids for a hands-on experience!

Some of the activities include:

-Nutrition labels lesson: Each child looks at various labels and determines if food is healthy

-Group fun fitness stations: Including badminton, soccer, pickleball, dance, food prep, wallyball, calisthenics, and dodgeball

The event will be held on Wednesday, July 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Loma Linda University Drayson Center, 25040 Stewart Street, Loma Linda.

(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK—ENN)— POMONA, CA—- This year the Cooperative Economic Empowerment Movement (CEEM) will have a youth-led art exhibit at the Los Angeles County Fair (LACF) during the weekend of September 13-15th. This year the LACF is highlighting Pop Culture, and CEEM will feature all youth artists to showcase their visual and performance art. We would love to have students from your schools, organizations and communities featured in the art exhibit and/or stage performances. We also have a “Kids Zone” where we will have art classes and information about community partners available to parents and children. Please let me know if you have students and adults that would like to feature their art (sculptures, paintings, drawings, poetry/spoken word, dance, music, etc.). If you would like additional information about the art exhibit or kid zone please feel free to contact at Ashley.harding23@gmail.com.