Global merchandise trade will maintain steady growth in the first quarter in volume terms, new figures show, with strong results expected for air freight, container shipping and export orders.
C&A Foundation has put its philanthropic work in Myanmar on hold in the wake of what it called evidence of ongoing persecution and human rights violations by the country’s military against the Rohingya people.
A group representing US apparel and footwear brands and importers has welcomed the renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme, which will lower costs for domestic companies on imported articles not made in America.
SANTA ANA – More than a year after Daniel Wozniak was sentenced to death for killing two people in an attempt to fund his wedding and honeymoon in 2010, his ex-fiancee, Rachel Buffett, still awaits trial for allegedly lying to police after the murders.
In a case that made national headlines, Wozniak, a 33-year-old former community theater actor from Costa Mesa, was sentenced to death in September 2016 for killing his neighbor, Samuel Herr, 26, and Herr’s friend Juri “Julie” Kibuishi, 23, in a plot to steal money to fund his upcoming nuptials.
It took more than six years for Wozniak’s case to go to trail as his defense lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders, raised allegations as part of Orange County’s informant jailhouse scandal.
Herr’s parents were angry and frustrated over the delays in Wozniak’s case, and now, they say, they’re frustrated that Buffett’s case is taking so long.
“I’m so tired of the delays,” Samuel’s father, Steve Herr, said in an interview this week. “Each time I’ve been told to be patient. How long can one be patient?”
Buffett was charged in 2012, two years after the killings, with three felony counts of being an accessory after the fact for allegedly lying to protect Wozniak. Her case initially was delayed pending the outcome of his trial, but now it’s caught up in a clogged county court system. She has been out of jail for years on bail.
In Orange County Superior Court on Friday, her case was delayed yet again as Senior Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy is slammed with high-profile trials.
Speaking to the judge, Murphy, one of the county’s top prosecutors, explained that he’s set to try serial killer Andrew Urdiales this month, followed by Edward Shin, accused of killing his Laguna Beach business partner. Murphy’s then slated to prosecute alleged jail escapee Hossein Nayeri, who is accused of kidnapping a marijuana dispensary owner and severing the man’s penis.
However, Judge Kimberly Menninger expressed dismay that Buffett’s case has lingered.
“This case needs to be a priority,” the judge said.
“I’m doing the best that I can here,” Murphy replied. “The case is an absolute priority.”
In court, Murphy said he has been working to resolve the case in a possible plea deal, but Buffett’s defense lawyer, David Medina, said he and his client are prepared to go to trial.
Judge Menninger set a pretrial hearing date for March 16 and assigned the case to a trial judge.
Buffett, an actress and former Disneyland princess who grew up in Seal Beach, raised public interest with her appearances on “Dateline NBC” and “Dr. Phil,” where she has denied any connection to the crimes.
“I’m innocent, and … what hurts me most in this whole situation is they’re trying to say I’m something I’m not,” she said on “Dateline.”
Costa Mesa police have long said they believe she played a larger role in the crimes but they lack the evidence to prove it.
Among the allegations in her felony charges: She is accused of repeating a story that Wozniak had told police about a mystery man being with Samuel Herr on the day he was killed. Wozniak later told police that was a lie, prosecutors said.
With a hearing now set before a trial judge, Steve Herr said he’s hopeful that the case will move quicker.
Steve Herr, who was best friends with his son, a combat veteran who had served in Afghanistan, has attended hundreds of hearings over the years, 203 for Wozniak and 48 for Buffett. Steve Herr’s wife, Raquel, and Julie’s parents, June and Masa Kubuishi, are also fixtures in court.
“I’m just frustrated with the whole justice system,” Herr said. “Sam and Julie deserve a lot better than this.”
On May 21, 2010, Wozniak, in a plot to kill Herr and drain his bank account, lured him to the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, where he shot and killed him. Wozinak left the torso there but cut off body parts and tossed them in a Long Beach park.
To throw police off of his trail, Wozniak went to Herr’s apartment after that killing and used Herr’s cellphone to lure Kibuishi, pretending to be in need of help. He then shot and killed her and staged the crime scene to try and make it look like Herr had killed Kibuishi in a jealous rage. He wanted police to believe that Herr disappeared on his own.
Wozinak confessed to the crimes in police interviews.
Tillie Domito, 86, said she isn’t worried about being lonely upon closing Plum Precious, the antique and jewelry store she has operated for 38 years in San Clemente.
“My customers at Plum Precious are all my personal, close friends,” she said.
She has no children and has outlived two husbands. Her second husband, Jack, passed away recently at 96 after 44 years of marriage. Still, she said, she has a wealth of friends, and her zest for life is as high-energy as ever.
“I will have lots of friends around me,” she said. “I’ve grown with the friends. That is what built my business.”
Domito decided to make Thursday, Feb. 15, her last day in the shop at 101 Avenida Miramar.
Domito grew up in the tiny North Dakota town of Strasburg, known as the hometown of entertainer Lawrence Welk. She later lived in Oregon and the San Francisco Bay area before arriving in Orange County.
Her husband, a manufacturer’s rep, was working a trade show in Anaheim and had an appointment in San Clemente. Domito took one look at the town and said she loved all she saw, the ocean, the ambiance, friendly people.
The next day, back in Anaheim, she caught a bus to San Clemente. It dropped her off on El Camino Real. She spotted a building down Avenida Miramar, tucked away behind an office complex in an alley.
There was a telephone number. She called to ask if the building was available.
“They came and met me at the site,” she said in a 2003 interview. “I leased it on the spot.
“I’ve been here for 38 years in San Clemente with all the charming people,” she said.
She’d had a dream of opening her own antique and jewelry store. But how to become known at such an out-of-the-way location? She began doing antique and jewelry shows at clubs, civic organizations, schools and churches. She did shows for the first 15 years.
“Then I got too busy in my store,” she said. “You would be surprised, after doing antique shows around Southern California how many people became my customers and came to my store, because we are a charming city. It was wonderful to bring new people to our city.”
She told the Register in 1991 she accumulated her antique collection on buying trips to Europe and the Orient and by attending estate sales up and down the west coast.
In recent weeks, Domito has been ramping down. Having bought the Plum Precious building years ago, she now has sold it. “It’s time,” she said.
Q. How will you spend your time?
A. It will be fun just to travel and enjoy life. I go for walks at the beach. I think the Fisherman’s Restaurant is paradise. Why cook when you have the ocean and the Fisherman’s?
Q. Do you ever visit your hometown in North Dakota?
A. Once every five years. I have cousins by the dozens. They come out here. I think my hometown is still about 500 people.
Q. What is the secret to success and happiness?
A. When you do people good, they’ll be back.
Aliso Viejo’s housing market finished 2017 on an up note.
CoreLogic statistics for the October-to-December period compared with the same period a year earlier show these five trends for Aliso Viejo’s homebuying …
1. 208 homes sold this year vs. 201 a year ago.
2. That’s a one-year sales gain of 3.5 percent vs. a countywide homebuying decline of 1.3 percent.
3. Median selling price this year of $522,500 vs. $500,000 12 months earlier.
4. That’s a price gain of 4.5 percent. The countywide median was $698,000, up 5.7 percent vs. the year-ago period.
5. The Aliso Viejo 92656 median ranks No. 72 priciest out of 83 Orange County ZIPs vs. No. 69 a year earlier.
See full-year 2017 CoreLogic results …
Beach ZIPs | North O.C. | South O.C. | Mid-county
Eight countywide trends from 2017’s fourth quarter vs. 2016 …
1. At the neighborhood level, prices were up in 66 of 83 Orange County ZIP codes compared to the previous year.
2. Sales rose in 38 of 83 Orange County ZIPs.
3. Builder sales were 1,544, up 4.2 percent from a year ago. Median for new homes was $869,000 — up 0.2 percent from a year ago.
4. Price matters: In the county’s cheapest third, the 27 least expensive ZIPs (median of $622,500 and below), 2,540 homes sold. That’s down 0.9 percent compared to a year ago.
5. In the 27 priciest ZIPs (median of $789,050 and higher) 3,236 homes sold. That’s down 0.2 percent.
6. In the 11 Orange County ZIPs with medians above $1 million, sales totaled 720 homes, down 1.9 percent in a year. There were 10 seven-figure ZIPs a year ago.
7. In the county’s 16 beach-close ZIPs, 1,484 homes sold in the latest period, down 0.6 percent vs. a year ago.
8. As for relative bargains, there were 6 ZIPs with medians under $500,000 with total sales of 440 homes. A year ago, 14 ZIPs had medians under $500,000 with 1,039 sales, or a drop of 58 percent in a year.
PARKLAND, Fla. — A shooting at a Florida high school Wednesday sent students rushing out into the streets as SWAT team members swarmed in and locked down the building, and police warned the shooter was still at large. Ambulances converged on the scene as emergency workers appeared to be treating possibly wounded people on the sidewalks.
Television footage showed police in olive fatigues, with weapons drawn, entering the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, then dozens of children frantically running and walking quickly out. A police officer waved the students on, urging them to quickly evacuate the school.
Some students exited the building in single-file rows with hands raised overhead to show they carried no weapons. Others held onto other students as they made their way out past helmeted police in camouflage with weapons drawn.
Emergency medical personnel pulled stretchers from the backs of ambulances as police cars surrounded the parking lot. At least one person was seen being wheeled to the ambulance on a gurney. It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were wounded.
Len Murray’s 17-year-old son, a junior at the school, sent his parents a chilling text: “Mom and Dad, there have been shots fired on campus at school. There are police sirens outside. I’m in the auditorium and the doors are locked.”
Those words came at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. A few minutes later, he texted again: “I’m fine.”
Murray raced to the school only to be stopped by authorities under a highway overpass within view of the school buildings in Parkland.
No information was immediately given to parents, Len Murray says. And he says he remained worried for all those inside.
“I’m scared for the other parents here. You can see the concern in everybody’s faces. Everybody is asking, ‘Have you hard from your child yet?’”
Coral Springs Police said on their Twitter account Wednesday that the school was locked down and that students and teachers inside should remain barricaded until police reach them.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office tweeted that the shooter was still at large even as the evacuation was underway.
PACIFIC PALISADES >> Dustin Johnson’s Riviera-to-Riviera run as the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Rankings didn’t come without one major pratfall.
From the time he sloshed his way to a rain-impaired win in the 2017 Genesis Open last February to climb atop the computer-generated list from No. 3, to where he is today as a favorite to defend the title as well as keep that top-dog status, the only real misstep Johnson made over the last 12 months was poorly navigating a flight of stairs at an Augusta rental house the day before the Masters last April.
Johnson’s back took the brunt of the injury – he initially thought he broke it. After a month of rest, missing the cut at the U.S. Open in June, and gutting out eight more events at less than 100 percent, he somehow kept his first-class status.
Rankings aside, his concern was it could have been much worse.
“It wasn’t just my back – both of my elbows hurt,” said the 6-foot-4, 190-pounder from South Carolina. “Thank God, I didn’t break my back. Definitely, it was severe pain.
“I got an MRI that showed it was just badly bruised, no structural problems, and I knew it just took time. Continuing to play didn’t help it heal quickly, so I kept working through it.”
Johnson’s five-stroke win last year during the 36-hole Sunday final was the greatest margin of victory in this L.A. Tour stop since 1986. The 17-under score was the best recorded in 13 years.
If Johnson goes back-to-back at Riviera, questions about the back issues probably won’t even come up. It’s somewhat obvious he’s returned to top-launching form after four events this 2017-18 PGA Tour season, where he has already claimed one title (the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua in Maui), two ties for second (last week at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, after having a share of the lead going into the final round, and at the World Golf Championship HSBC event in Shanghai, China), and a tie for 14th (at Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge last December, an unofficial PGA event).
Keeping the No. 1 standing and all the perks that come with it are much better than any sort of free fall.
“Really, the only perk is I get to do more interviews,” he said.
That’s a perk?
“No,” he sheepishly replied. “You obviously get a little more attention, but … I like the attention. I’d rather be here than not. I’ve worked very hard to get to this, and I’ll work hard to maintain it.”
He gets enough attention as the son-in-law of Wayne Gretzky, his pro-am partner last week at Pebble Beach. He has the attention of his competitors by leading the season in scoring average (68.716) and birdie average.
Considering that Johnson was a runner-up at Riviera in 2014 and ’15 (a playoff loss), fourth in 2016, seven Top 10 finishes in his 10-year pro career here, plus 13 rounds (out of 36) where he has shot 67 or better since 2008, the 32-year-old should continue one of the most dominant runs in this tournament’s history.
Lloyd Mangrum won the L.A. Open four times from 1949-56, the first three at Riviera. Ben Hogan had three wins (two at Riviera) and two runner-ups from 1942-50. Arnold Palmer won three times and finished second once from 1963-’68, when Rancho Park hosted the tournament.
Phil Mickelson was the last to win consecutive Riviera events, in 2008-09, after a playoff loss to Charles Howell III in ’07 that could have made it an unprecedented three straight. Mickelson was also tied for second in 2012, again losing in a playoff.
Last Sunday, Mickelson closed with a 67 while Johnson stumbled with a 72 to get entangled in a four-way tie for second at Pebble Beach, three shots back of surprise winner Ted Potter Jr., who is in the Genesis field.
Said Mickelson about how his finish last Sunday could continue at the Genesis Open: “Riviera is a course I’ve played well in the past and I like it a lot. I know a lot of the nuances in it. If I drive it the way I’ve been driving, it’s a perfect course for those who are striking it well. And I’m hitting it as well as I have in a long time.”
HAAS UPDATE
Bill Haas, the 2012 Riviera winner, returned to his home in Greenville, S.C., injured during a car accident Tuesday afternoon just west of the Riviera Country Club on Chautaqua Blvd., that killed the driver of his vehicle.
Haas’ representative Allen Hobbs said Wednesday morning that the 35-year-old was released from a local hospital. Mark Gibello, 71, a friend of Haas’ swing coach Billy Harmon and hosting Haas this week at his home, was killed. Gibello was said to be instrumental in helping bring the Walker Cup and U.S. Open to the Los Angeles Country Club.
Haas was scheduled to tee off at 8:04 a.m. Thursday. His place was taken by Ryan Moore.
TEE TIME NOTES
Johnson plays with two other defending champions – Adam Scott and Bubba Watson – from the first tee at 12:12 p.m. Thursday, and at 7:32 a.m. from the 10th tee Friday. After Watson finishes Friday, he goes from the course to Staples Center to participate in the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game …
Two UCLA grads, Patrick Cantlay (Long Beach, Servite High) and Kevin Chappell, are paired with World No. 3 Jordan Spieth at 12:02 p.m. off the first tee Thursday …
Mickelson, World No. 13 Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Kuchar go off at 7:32 a.m. from the first tee Thursday in the group behind Tiger Woods, World No. 4 Justin Thomas and World No. 10 Rory McIlroy (7:22 a.m.) …
Other Southern Californian natives in the field – aside from Woods — include 2013 champion John Merrick (Long Beach Wilson High, UCLA), Beau Hossler (Mission Viejo, Santa Margarita Catholic High), Cameron Tringale (Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo High), Jamie Lovemark (USC), Kevin Chappell (UCLA), Vinnie Poncino (head pro at San Clemente Municipal Golf Course, Mission Viejo High, Saddleback College, UC Irvine) and J.J. Spaun (Los Angeles, San Dimas High, a 2016 Charlie Sifford exemption for this event).
2018 GENESIS OPEN INFORMATION
Where: Riviera Country Club (1250 Capri Drive, Pacific Palisades)
Schedule:
Thursday and Friday: First two rounds begin at 6:40 a.m.; gates open at 6 a.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Final two rounds begin at 8 a.m.; gates open at 7:30 a.m.
The course: Par 71 on a layout of 7,322 yards (75.6 rating, 137 slope). Opened in 1927. Designed by George C. Thomas Jr., updated by William P. Bell. Greens are a mix of bentgrass and poa annua. Fairways are kikuyu. Course website: www.therivieracountryclub.com
Prize money: $7.2 million ($1.296 million to the winner and a Genesis G80 Sport)
Defending champion: Dustin Johnson
The field: The 144 players include current World No. 1 Johnson, No. 3 Jordan Spieth, No. 4 Justin Thomas and No. 10 Rory McIlroy. Past champions include Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Ernie Els, James Hahn, Charles Howell III, Adam Scott and John Merrick.
Weather forecast: No chance of rain and a mix of partly cloudy and sunny skies all four days of the tournament with highs between 65 and 72.
Tickets: All information at www.GenesisOpen.com
Public parking: Downtown Santa Monica parking structures S1 through S8 are open 24 hours and include a complimentary shuttle. The pickup and drop off locations are on Wilshire Boulevard, between 2nd and 3rd Street. Shuttles run from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The shuttle ride from Santa Monica to the Riviera Country Club main gate is about four miles.
The Metro Express line riders can exit at the Downtown Santa Monica station and walk 10-to-15 minutes to the shuttle pick up and drop off spot. More info: www.metro.net.
Television: Golf Channel is live Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., with repeats later in the day. KCBS-Channel 2 is live Saturday from 1-4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 3:30 p.m. Live streaming as well at PGATour.com
History: The PGA Tour professional stop in Los Angeles goes back to 1926. It has rotated among several Southern California courses until staying at Riviera as the home course since 1973 (with diversion to Rancho Park in 1983 and Valencia Country Club in 1998). It has previously been known as the Northern Trust Open, the Nissan Open and the Glen Campbell L.A. Open.
Records: 72 holes – 264 by Lanny Wadkins in 1985 at Riviera; 18 holes – 61 by George Archer (third round, 1983, at Rancho Park), Ted Tryba (third round, 1999, at Riviera)
“I wanted something quite sober, serene in a world full of flashes,” said Jason Wu, who, on Tuesday, presented his Boss Gallery fall collection. The lineup, unveiled with a presentation at the Cedar Lake venue, with models standing on a rotating podium placed in the middle of the room, marked the end of the five-year collaboration between the German company and the designer.
Wu, who said he feels proud to have managed to bring Boss’ women’s wear line into the spotlight, accentuated that his main goal for fall was simply to deliver beautiful clothes. Obvious? Shouldn’t that be the primal necessity behind every single collection? Actually, probably not in this world, where sometimes excess and controversy are seated in the front row, while pure beauty modestly remains in the shadow.
However, Wu, once again, accomplished his mission. His lineup was straightforward and uncomplicated, yet elegant and chic.
Fishing into the Hugo Boss company’s tailoring tradition, he played with sartorial fabrics and constructions. The women of today can be unfussy and practical, so the collection included linear checkered coats, pleated pants worn with crisp cotton shirts, parkas combining textures and suits cut in relaxed silhouettes. Oversized knits added a touch of coziness to the
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The 10 Crosby customer has a great deal to look forward to for fall. Continuing a thread of subverting classics, there was a playful sense of reconstruction in key wardrobe items that leaned toward a laid-back luxury. Peacoats were softened by knit sleeves, sweatshirts with poplin shirting sleeves and a trenchcoat hybrid balanced a poncho with military elements. Those were the bigger statements for the more eclectic consumer and what the brand has become known for.
Being a little sister to the Derek Lam Collection, there was also a reliable thread of sophistication. The designer maintained similar references across both lines, balancing a little bit of the bohemian American West against a more refined equestrian bent. The references were subtle, applied as flirty prairie dresses, yoking across shirting, tailored blazers that took aim at riding jackets, fringing and a great bold tapestry coat with a Southwestern spirit.
The brand is all about approachable realness to wit. No tricks or fussy compositions here, just playful and edgy takes on sportswear. Given she’s a little younger, the 10 Crosby client is into ath-leisure but she’s also an intellectual, exploring the work of Joan Didion amid the current social climate —and the title of
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