In California: Kobe's death prompts look into why helicopter flew in fog
Kobe Bryant and eight others died in a helicopter crash during fog so dense police choppers wouldn't go up. And two middle-schoolers learn the origins of the man for whom their school was named — he favored segregating Mexican and white students and spoke highly of eugenics.
It's Arlene, with news for Monday.
But first, courtesy of @staplescenterLA's Instagram:
In California is a daily roundup of news from across USA TODAY Network newsrooms and beyond. Click here for free, straight-to-your-inbox delivery.
Feds to take hard look at helicopter pilot choices
The federal investigation of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others continued Monday as experts examined the chopper's maintenance history and questioned why the pilot flew in foggy conditions.
Visibility was so poor Sunday morning that the Los Angeles County Sheriff's and Los Angeles Police departments had grounded their helicopters.
Shortly before the crash, an air traffic controller told the pilot of the helicopter with Bryant aboard that he was flying below the level needed to be able to lend assistance with tracking, although there was no acknowledgment. The pilot was flying under flight rules that allowed him to navigate visually in conditions that were less than what would be the normal minimum, the recordings indicate. There was no mayday call, but the pilot was experienced, officials said.
More on the Lakers' death and the others who died:
"I’ve got three small kids, and I’m trying to figure out how to navigate life with three kids and no mom" — Matt Mauser, the husband of basketball coach Christina Mauser, who died in Sunday's helicopter crash.
Losing Kobe feels like losing a family member to many people, writes former sports columnist David Lassen, who covered Kobe from 2000-12 for the Ventura County Star and Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Latino fans embraced Kobe, who credited "Sábado Gigante" and the 2005 telenovela “La Madrastra” for teaching him Spanish. He loved los fans Latino back.
USA TODAY NBA writer Mark Medina interviewed Kobe just 10 days ago about tomorrows that will never come.
Inside the Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park, news of Kobe's death spread fast. “All of a sudden, it was silent,” said Sherri Rosenthal. “Then there was screaming and crying. … Someone said, ‘Gather here. Let’s do a moment of silence and prayer.’ ”
Opinion: Don't shy away from the complicated part of Kobe Bryant's legacy.
Coronavirus, gun shows and cougars
Coronavirus: Two Californians among 5 confirmed cases in the U.S.; 110 people in 26 states remain "under investigation."
A measure to ban gun shows at Cow Palace clears the state Senate.
No mountain lions have been killed in areas where state officials require people to first attempt non-lethal methods to deal with the cougars. Elsewhere in California, 100 have been killed.
A school bears the name of an educator who pushed for school segregation. For now
Their research revealed an educator and former mayor advocated for Mexican students to be kept separated from white ones — so why should their school bear his name? That question sent Kimberli Oregel and her classmate Desiree Luis on a quest to get the Oxnard school district to change the name of the (Richard B.) Haydock Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The two students, now in seventh grade, drew heavily from David G. Garcia's book, "Strategies of Segregation: Race, Residence, and the Struggle for Educational Equality." According to the author's research, Haydock oversaw the planning of a new city and ensured that electricity, sewage and paved roads did not reach the east side Mexican neighborhoods.
García also found multiple Haydock statements to be in line with the eugenics movement. In remarks given in 1921, Haydock said, how gladly would we double or triple the cost of the Civil War "if we could but remove every trace of Ethiopian blood from ... national life. ... Few men will say that the American for which we hope and pray can ever be made out of such stock."
The district listened. Next month and again in March, a citizens advisory committee that includes Kimberli and Desiree will meet to pick three to five names for the school board to consider.
What else we're talking about
Demi Lovato stuns. Aerosmith's a mess. And all the Grammy performers, reviewed.
A new mid-priced extended-stay hotel chain called Everhome Suites plans a 2021 opening in Corona. See how other companies are diversifying ahead of an economic downturn.
The worst time to transplant a cactus is after it rains. The best time to transplant a cactus is after it rains. California plant expert Maureen Gilmer explains.
Ask Ventura how long it can take to open a shelter
A generation ago, those who work with the homeless population in Ventura began lobbying for a homeless shelter. The winter-only model — in which attendees arrived at dinnertime and had to leave before the sun came up — wasn't working. Most people could agree on that.
But getting a year-round, permanent shelter that offered daytime services and a place to sleep was a different story. The city's land rules didn't even allow for the two to exist in the same place.
Fast-forward three decades or so to Monday, when the community celebrated the opening of Ventura County's first government-funded and led homeless shelter. The ARCH, short for All Roads Connect to Housing, is a 55-bed, low-barrier shelter that will allow dogs and people who are intoxicated and high (though drinking and alcohol use on-site isn't allowed).
Learn more about how it will operate here.
In California is a roundup of news from across USA TODAY Network newsrooms. Also contributing: Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle.
Who are outstanding California women who have inspired you? Learn more about our Women of the Century project here and then make your nomination here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kobe Bryant, fog, homeless shelter, Lovato, coronavirus: Monday's news
