Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a deal to house about 2,000 inmates at a private prison in Kern County. The deal was announced just as the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider California’s appeal of a lower court order that requires the state to reduce prison overcrowding by late January. California will have to find room for about 9,600 inmates elsewhere, or release some offenders. The deal with Corrections Corp. of America will cost the state nearly $90 million over three years…The LAPD says it’s arrested the man responsible for a pair of dry ice bomb explosions at LAX. He’s a 28-year-old baggage handler. They believe a labor dispute at the airport may have been the motivation for planting the bombs. Dicarlo Bennet is being held on $1 million dollars bail…Tougher, new standards are making harder for the L.A. County Probation Department to find qualified applicants – and that’s leading to a backlog of unfilled positions just as the county faces an influx of state prison inmates under the realignment program. Probation Chief Jerry Powers says only about 10 to 20 percent of applicants are making it through the new hiring and screening process…The state’s new health insurance exchange says it’s processing nearly 95,000 applications from people signing up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Open enrollment for insurance plans lasts until March. But people who want their coverage to kick in January 1st have to enroll by December 15th…
It’s now one and done for the Dodgers. The locals will try to stave off elimination today in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series today at 1 p.m. in Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers lost to the Cardinals 4-2 last night and must win three in a row to advance to the World Series. In addition to their troubles on the field, the Dodgers have been having problems finding enough parking for all their guests.