NEWPORT BEACH City Council wants bridge across...

NEWPORT BEACH

City Council wants bridge across Santa Ana River

The City Council voted to stand firmly in favor of a 19th Street

bridge last week. Opposing Costa Mesa’s plan to remove the 19th

Street and Gisler bridge plans from a regional transportation plan,

Newport Beach effectively undermined the neighboring city’s hopes

because regional transportation authorities won’t make any changes

unless the affected cities are unanimous.

* Fire codes in the harbor will be more strictly enforced in the

future, despite pleas from business owners who have long operated

their businesses based on loose enforcement of the rules. The rules

require that it must be possible to move a boat on fire without

having to move another boat out of the way first or untying it from

another boat.

* Two small efforts to help out fire victims grew quickly as

community members brought large quantities of donations to Newport

Beach City Hall and to the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa. The

City Hall donation drive is an ongoing drive to collect goods and

monetary donations for fire victims in San Diego County. Residents

can drop off donations at City Hall until further notice.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

june.casagrande@latimes.com.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Police arrest suspect in ‘Give Me More’ robberies

Newport Beach police and federal agents on Oct. 26 arrested a

34-year-old man they suspect of being the “Give Me More Bandit,” who

robbed four Newport-Mesa banks over the last two months, officials

said.

Officials arrested Moundir Kamil at Long Beach Airport as he was

returning from New York. Kamil is suspected of robbing a Wells Fargo

branch in Costa Mesa on Aug. 6, two Bank of America branches on Sept.

30, and another as recently as Oct. 7.

In all robberies, the man threatened the teller with a weapon but

did not exhibit it. Also during each of the heists, Kamil reportedly

demanded more after initially taking money from the tellers, a

repeated action that gave him his nickname, officials said.

He was arraigned last week at the Harbor Justice Center and handed

over to federal agents for prosecution in federal court.

* Costa Mesa and Newport Beach fire departments sent strike teams

to help battle the wildfires that raged through Southern California

last week. Newport Beach sent 12 firefighters and two battalion

chiefs, and Costa Mesa sent eight firefighters in two engines. Local

firefighters were reportedly uninjured.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.

COSTA MESA

Scheer will get steep attorney’s fee from city

The city will have to pony up $750,000 to settle the lawsuit filed

by City Attorney Jerry Scheer. Scheer, 64, will retire once the

agreement becomes final. The settlement caps more than two tumultuous

years for Scheer, who was first cleared of accusations launched by

Senior Deputy City Atty. Marianne Milligan, then Marianne Reger; was

then placed on administrative leave; was reinstated; and then took

sick leave.

* Four businesses in north Costa Mesa found out they are in the

way of the city’s preferred route for the CenterLine light rail

system. The city prefers a route with a short underground section.

The county will select its preferred route in December.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.