Cerritos College awarded U.S. Department of Education grant

NORWALK- Cerritos College' TeacherTrac program, in partnership with the Center for Collaborative Education, El Camino College and Rio Hondo College, has been awarded a U.S. Department of Education grant to advance equity in teacher representation by increasing the number of under-represented groups.

The $900,000 grant will extend over a three year time and will help kickstart The Community Partnerships for Teachers Pipeline, which is aimed at increasing teacher diversity in local Los Angeles communities and improving outcomes for disproportionally impacted students in local public schools.

Effective Educator Development grant program. Cerritos College was one of only 12 successful applicants of 200 that applied for the Supporting Effective Educator Development grants.

La Mirada man facing attempted murder charge after attack on mother

Prosecutors have filed two felony charges against a 34-year-old man alleging attempted murder and kidnapping in connection with an incident last Wednesday evening at a home in the 15200 block of Matisse Circle located in the Villages gated community.

David Kim is alleged to have struck his 60-year-old mother several times in the head with a five-pound candle holder causing serious injuries.

Kim, who fled the home before deputies arrived was arrested a short time later at the Chevron station at La Mirada Blvd and Beach Blvd by deputies that were doing a check of the area attempting to locate him.

At the time of the February 3rd attack, Kim was already facing charges from a May 27 trespassing incidents that prosecutors allege turned violent during a scuffle with responding deputies.

Kim who is being held at North County Correctional Facility in Castaic with bail set at $1,005,000 will be arraigned on the charges Feb, 22 in Norwalk Superior Court.

A conviction carries a maximum sentence of 17 years to life with the possibility of parole.

0DN04135  VA155208

Highway Patrol officers talk jumper off Alondra overpass

 Santa Fe Springs-  Officers from the California Highway Patrol coaxed a man who was poised to jump off a freeway overhead bridge overnight in the 13900 block of Alondra Bl. 

At about 4:40 a.m. CHP dispatchers began receiving calls from motorists reporting a man had been standing at the edge of a overpass above the freeway lanes of Interstate-5 just west of the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet.

When the first officers arrived the man was observed over the rail and at the very edge preparing to leap onto the northbound lanes.

As officers were negotiating with the man to surrender other CHP officers were dispatched to shut down tràffic in both directions between Carmenita Rd. in Norwalk and at Artesia Bl. in La Mirada sending motorists spilling onto surface streets in the area for a short time.

After a short period of crisis negotiation by CHP officers and Whittier Police, the man surrendered to officers without further incident at 4:54 a.m.  A unit from Sheriff's Mental Evaluation Team (MET) was summoned to the scene to evaluate the man and determine the type of professional intervention needed.

Grants available for local businesses harmed by the pandemic

 City announces grants to assist struggling small businesses due to the pandemic. 

The La Mirada City Council has initiated a Small Business Grant Fund in the amount of $371,000.00 for local La Mirada businesses. The $10,000 grants for up to 37 businesses are available.

The program will be funded through  Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grants from the federal government  and administered by the Los Angeles County Development Agency. 

Due to the amount of funds that La Mirada has available, and the needs of the community, La Mirada will be included in the program. 

The requirements for grant funding in the first round have been modified to allow businesses that previously received CARES Act funding to receive this second round of grant funding, too. Grants will be available to businesses that meet the criteria below:

REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT

• Small business with less than 500 employees and impacted by COVID-19.

• Restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, cafés, salons, barbers and other grooming businesses, gyms, day spas and fitness studios.

• Retail and commercial stores such as local markets, consumer goods, electronics, appliances, health and sporting goods, furniture, clothing and shoes, books, and music stores.

• Active business license in the City and in continuous operation for at least two years.

• Not on the County’s list of ineligible businesses.

• Business will be required to create or retain one job for a low to moderate-income person

 This proof would be a self-certification form completed by the employee.

Some ineligible businesses include massage parlors, bail bond services, any national chain that is not locally franchised, bars, liquor stores, smoke/cannabis shops, pawnshops, non-profit organizations, real estate salespersons, and life insurance companies.

The program will be administered by LACDA. 

LACDA will provide marketing materials, accept applications, determine eligibility and issue funds. 

The City of La Mirada will be required to market the program and assist the County in gathering information.

The County expects the program to be completed by the end of April 2021. More information will be made available soon when applications are available.