Construction on 20 new pickleball courts, refurbished tennis courts and park upgrades totaling $6 million at Pelican Bay Community Park is scheduled to begin this month — fully funded by Pelican Bay Foundation under a public-private partnership with Collier County. Surrounded by about 100 pickleball and tennis players, officials from the Pelican Bay Foundation, Collier County Parks & Recreation and members of the project team — Owen Ames Kimball Co., Ritzman Courts, Peninsula Engineering and Parker Mudgett Smith Architects — gathered Dec. 6 for a groundbreaking ceremony next to the eight tennis courts. “This wouldn’t be possible without our partnership with Collier County, which enabled the foundation to use this land to build this facility in a unique and innovative partnership that really is a pioneer in the area,” Foundation President Tony D’Errico told the crowd. “County officials are watching this closely because this is something they’re very interested in doing in future locations — public and private partnerships.” “This is kind of a test case for them,” he added. “We’re excited to be a part of it because I think our community benefits extremely well from the addition of pickleball into Pelican Bay.” Under a contract with Collier County, which owns the nearly 15-acre park at 764 Vanderbilt Beach Road, the foundation will spend $6 million for improvements, including the playground, two new tennis courts and 20 pickleball courts — half of which will be for the public and half for Pelican Bay residents. The county and foundation are negotiating a date to close the park. The park, which only offers tennis or modified pickleball on racquetball courts, serves about 40,000 people yearly within 4 miles and is the largest green space west of U.S. 41. Only 22% of the green space will be used for the expansion. Park users, including Pelican Bay residents, have pushed for pickleball courts for nine years and have been using modified racquetball courts to play, which many find to be hard on their knees, so they play at Veterans Community Park or East Naples Community Park. The North Naples park was deeded to the county in 1994 as a community park by Pelican Bay developer WCI as part of an agreement that allowed WCI to build more densely in the 6,500-home luxury community. The park hasn’t been updated since. The foundation first offered to buy the park eight years ago, but county officials rejected that. Four years ago, the foundation began working on a new proposal after Pelican Bay residents objected to building noisy courts next to their homes. The foundation has worked through noise mitigation with park neighbors and held numerous town hall meetings to get input from players and neighbors. The foundation took over tennis court concessions and management from the prior vendor in April and the Board of County Commissioners formalized the concession contract in August. The foundation now manages racket-support activities, maintenance and making capital improvements under a 30-year land lease. The foundation has worked through the permitting process and plans to first build rough structures, finish exterior framing by March and finish by May or June. They expect to finish the courts within six months and the remaining improvements within a year. The foundation put all the contracts out to bid and used a strict vetting process. In addition to pickleball courts and an ADA-compatible playground, plans include an increase to 109 parking spaces, two new Har-Tru clay tennis courts where the racquetball-handball courts are located, refurbishing the six remaining Har-Tru clay tennis courts, relocating the baseball-softball practice area, adding lighting infrastructure, and a large building with a pro shop, maintenance area, restrooms and a shaded area for waiting pickleball players. The foundation will make fencing, drainage and other repairs, pave sidewalks, add bike racks, landscaping, irrigation, bleachers and 12-foot-high sound-absorbing fencing to minimize pickleball noise to neighboring homes. County officials have said they haven’t received pickleball noise complaints at any parks. Under the partnership, the county will maintain the property, including the playground and green space. The foundation will manage the remainder, including nets, lighting, resurfacing courts and managing courts, at a cost of $400,000 yearly. That includes staff and an ambassador to oversee games. The plans initially divided the community, and some tried to halt the project, questioning whether the foundation could be trusted to fairly share pickleball courts. However, the foundation and county officials assured residents it would be an even split, it would be monitored, and the county could end the contract if there were problems. The annual pickleball membership fee is proposed at $95 for county residents and $125.40 for others, while the tennis annual membership fee will be $477 for county residents and $632 for nonresidents. There are other options, as well, including junior players, daily, afternoon and evening fees. Foundation Director Maury Bozman, who heads Pelican Bay’s Racquets & Community Center, told the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee on Dec. 4 that management will include top pickleball players Ben and Collin Johns, of Johns Design & Consulting. “We’ll have over 40 different programs available for our community, from tournaments to clinics to events,” Bozman said. Typical ebbs and flows of the single-family home market do not have much of an impact on the ultra, high-end... Four restaurant chains and a cake shop will join seven other businesses coming this year to the new Tree Farm... For Naples Comprehensive Health, the May 5 opening of the Hospital for Special Surgery at NCH takes the health care... Not only has Chef Brian Roland physically and emotionally returned to public life in Southwest Florida after his life-altering tragedy... Beeline is counting on thirsty folks making a beeline to its new upscale cocktail bar at Mercato in North Naples.... The 72-unit Verandas III opened and is fully occupied on Airport Road, marking the final phase in the redevelopment of... Join us for a 12-hour food drive Friday, 6am to 6pm, in Redding or Chico. Help stuff a RABA or B-Line bus at Les Schwab with food donations! LIVE UPDATESAttempted homicide of correctional officer being investigated at Pelican Bay State Prisonby Christina Candelaria — California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is investigating an attempted murder of an officer at Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) Richard Wilson and Luis Torres allegedly attacked a supervising officer with a weapon they manufactured in a dining hall The CDCR said staff used pepper spray to stop the attack They said an officer sustained a cut and puncture wounds and was transported to an outside medical facility where he received treatment for injuries The officer was then admitted for observation A manufactured weapon was found where the incident occurred and then processed into evidence Wilson and Torres were transferred to another facility for placement in restricted housing came to PBSP from Los Angeles in June of 2008 after being sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder came from Sacramento County in January of 2015 after being sentenced to 14 years for a DUI with bodily injury and enhancements for a prior felony he was sentenced again in February of of 2018 by San Luis Obispo County to three years for battery Wilson was sentenced one again in February of 2021 to one year by Del Norte County for manufacturing and possessing a deadly weapon where he was serving a sentence of life with the possibility of parole for first-degree murder and other charges he was sentenced to an additional four years for assault Prison officials are currently investigating this incident and will be referred to the Del Norte District Attorney's Office for possible felony charges There is a GoFundMe page supporting the victim's family during this time To report errors or issues with this article, please email the editorial team Coast Guard Sector Mobile is looking for any information on the MARTY ANN a 20-foot White Cuddy Cabin with 3 people on board The vessel left out of Billy Goat Hole Dauphin Island and has not returned The MARTY ANN was last seen shrimping in Pelican Bay A post on the Coast Guard Mobile Sector Facebook page reported that boat owner Sam Wooley a 7th grade math teacher and head baseball coach at Semmes Middle School A Coast Guard spokesperson told AL.com that a “debris field” was found The search for the third boater is ongoing Anyone with information should contact the Sector Mobile Command Center at 833-662-8724 we have air assets that are continuing to search," U.S Coast Guard Ensign William Winston said "We had an HC-144 Cosair plane do a first-light search this morning Right now they're swapping out for a fresh crew to go out and search." "We're hoping to continue to look for survivors and to continue on until we find something," Winston said "We don’t know exactly what happened or what caused the incident," he added We've had at least 11 assets out there searching We’re doing absolutely everything we can to try and bring home any survivors." "We hate that these types of tragedies happen," CPL Michael Connick from the Dauphin Island Police Department said Daphne search and rescue is out now," he added "The Coast Guard was out and last night at about 6:30 we recovered the two adult males and the juvenile is still missing." the two adult males were recovered about 8 to 9 miles southwest of Dauphin island," Connick said "I'll be in touch with the Coast Guard this afternoon and Jason Gibbs with Daphne search and rescue," he added "They're out there with the Sonar." Alabama Department of Marine Resources," Connick said "The last known location was Pelican Bay The Coast Guard had I believe a C-130 and a helicopter out flying I believe they had their 48 and 50-foot boats out in the water too." "This is just a massive group effort on all parts," he added but I think they're going to be further west of our location the way the winds are blowing and the tide is going," Connick said "I think it's going to be more of a Mississippi search." The child's mother released a statement in a Facebook post: "The Coast Guard is searching the rest of today until nightfall for my precious Hunter After that they are ending their search parties If anyone can volunteer their boat or plane to help look today it would mean so much I just need the closure of having his body to bury," Meg Slexak said "I didn’t think my heart could shatter anymore then this but not at least being able to find my sons body is so incredibly painful by | March 13 As hours blended into days and weeks into months the passing of time was only discernible by the arrival of the next meal briefly breaking the undying silence that permeated every moment of every second of every day.  Morris’s story is just one of many at the heart of the new documentary film The Strike directed by JoeBill Muñoz and Lucas Guilkey a film about the history and human toll of solitary confinement across California state prisons — and the unwavering struggle for change the film features many of the so-called “worst of the worst;” men labeled as gang members by prison gang investigators often based on vague evidence like letters These men then spent decades locked away in solitary confinement in Pelican Bay State Prison’s notorious Security Housing Unit (SHU) serving “indeterminate terms” with no end in sight.  As journalist Shane Bauer states in the film California prisons were holding over 3,800 people in indefinite solitary confinement California opened Pelican Bay’s SHU in 1989 with the specific intention of isolating individuals in solitary confinement on a mass scale 30,000 people incarcerated across California prisons would participate in what became the largest prison protest in the history of the United States Thanks to the strike and a concurrent lawsuit filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights California reached a legal settlement in 2015 agreeing to release from isolation many of the nearly 4,000 people in indefinite solitary confinement across the state which included the work of hundreds of organizers caught the filmmaker Lucas Guilkey’s attention.  Just all this work and effort that has to go into something that is required but then also sort of give a road map for what’s possible,” he said in an interview with Solitary Watch the idea to create a documentary film about the titular strike came years before he and Muñoz met in the documentary film program at the University of California He’d been following the hunger strikes at Pelican Bay and began spending time with family members of the strikers and capturing their experiences who is herself a survivor of solitary confinement and whose son was in solitary at Pelican Bay.  “He really captured the heart of the families and the organizers and everything,” Canales said in an interview “We immediately trusted him because he was helping us to tell this story.” The Strike gives a voice to those the prison system vehemently sought to silence: those who spent decades isolated within Pelican Bay’s SHU Through various first-hand interviews with people formerly held in the SHU viewers are given direct insight into the everyday horrors people faced while at Pelican Bay and the urgency of their resistance it was imperative that the strikers featured in the film felt they had the space to convey their stories to the fullest extent.  “To hear about somebody having this experience organizing this protest—it’s kind of an unbelievable story,” Muñoz said “When somebody comes up to you and says ‘Can you tell us that story?’ and in fact multiple hours for you to tell us that story… that’s something that folks were eager to do and participate in.” The Strike features never-released footage from inside Pelican Bay during the various hunger strikes One largely unedited segment from 2011 features a conversation between four of the hunger strike leaders and Scott Kernan the undersecretary of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation at the time Kernan had summoned the collective to get them to stop one of their early hunger strikes.  journalist Michael Montgomery mentions how the four strike leaders were each from “different races from different ethnicities,” highlighting the significance of their unity they’re the men who are always trying to kill each other,” Montgomery says there is intentionality behind leaving this footage mostly unedited He said leaving the footage as-is allows viewers to better connect with what they see and fully grasp the moment’s weight.  you kind of just want to get out of the way of the relationship between the footage and the viewer and allow the viewer the opportunity to experience what we experienced for the first time,” Muñoz said “Seeing that footage was just the privilege of eavesdropping on this really historic moment.” “I’m witnessing the exact same thing happening right now with them sending undocumented people to Guantanamo Bay saying these are the ‘worst of the worst’ gang members… It’s almost the exact same playbook,” Guilkey said “It’s just sad to see history repeating itself.” who met and eventually married Morris after his release from Pelican Bay in 2017 the film’s emphasis on the humanity of the featured strikers despite their past mistakes helps dispel the dehumanizing way society at large views incarcerated individuals She said that only through giving people the opportunity to change will change occur.  “The human desire is to love and to be loved,” Canales said “That’s how we bring about change and that’s how we make change and know that everybody’s worthy of another chance The film’s final segment focuses on Morris’s new life Viewers are shown footage of Canales and Morris’s wedding and strikers involved in making change for those in solitary confinement possible she was concerned focusing on her wedding at the end felt somewhat insular Her sentiment shifted as she began to hear feedback on the film.  That part F’d me up right there!’” Canales said ‘I want that.’ We’re having guys from prison calling us and emailing us and that’s their favorite part says he can already see the impact The Strike has on audiences during post-screening discussions Audiences aren’t just watching the film—they’re asking what can be done next.  “They’re asking questions of how this happened what can we do now from this point forward to continue this in order to broaden the public’s knowledge of this horrific nature to change the perspective of a lot of younger audiences in terms of what they may have perceived or interpreted to be a life of imprisonment in a state prison.” While it continues to tour the country, The Strike is now available to stream on PBS’s  “Independent Lens.”  FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ is a Research and Reporting Intern at Solitary Watch where he is majoring in Journalism and Literature Accurate information and authentic storytelling can serve as powerful antidotes to ignorance and injustice and informed policymaking on what was once an invisible domestic human rights crisis Only with your support can we continue this groundbreaking work shining light into the darkest corners of the U.S by Nicholas Brooks by Kwaneta Harris by Sania Tildon Solitary Watch encourages comments and welcomes a range of ideas Any embedded links should be to information relevant to the conversation Comments that violate these guidelines will be removed I am a clinician at San Quentin State Prison and would like to become involved in sharing experiences of incarcerated individuals I feel the public needs to better understand the lives of incarcerated individuals and where their tax dollars are being spent I would also like to share the trauma many individuals face in the prison system Read about rights and permissions. Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive LIVE UPDATESCal Poly Humboldt's Pelican Bay State Prison bachelor's program receives $900-thousand by RUDY AGUADO Cal Poly Humboldt launched a bachelor’s degree program for incarcerated scholars at Pelican Bay State Prison The program is the first of its kind in the state of California "This program is specifically for the men who are incarcerated at Pelican Bay State Prison we started on one yard and the hope is we can spread to multiple yards after a few semesters," said Cal Poly Humboldt Project Rebound Coordinator The program is aimed to provide access to a bachelor’s degree for students who would otherwise not have the opportunity "We think what is going to happen at some point is you will see a reduction in violence at that prison as a result of individuals earning bachelor's degrees and you will see a shift in the culture and a deeper appreciation for education," said Taylor Nearly 900-thousand dollars came from the California Department of Justice recently with the travel cost to and from the prison and that will help us build a sustainable program," Cal Poly Humboldt Transformative and Restorative Education Center Director students also apply for FAFSA with additional support coming from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — A correctional officer was stabbed in the head by an inmate at Pelican Bay State Prison on Friday according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) prison officials said incarcerated person Devanae Price was being escorted to his call in the restricted housing unit when he partially freed himself from handcuffs and struck an officer in the face The CDCR said Price ignored orders to get down and continued to strike the officer in the head and torso The officer was stabbed in the head and two puncture wounds were found in this stab-resistant vest Staff used physical force to stop the attack An inmate-manufactured weapon was found at the scene The officer suffered from swelling to the head and other minor injuries He was taken to an outside medical facility and was released the same evening Price remains within the restricted housing unit The stabbing is under investigation and will be referred to the Del Norte District Attorney's Office for possible further felony prosecution The CDCR said Price was received from Stanislaus County on Nov and was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder as a second striker and possessing or owning a firearm by a felon or addict as a second striker He also had enhancements for a prior felony conviction of a serious offense and intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury or death He was also sentenced by Del Norte County on July 7 to an additional four years and four months for an in-prison battery of a non-prisoner and resisting or deterring an office with threats or violence Price was again sentenced by Marin County on Sep to four years for an in-prison office of possessing or manufacturing a deadly weapon by an incarcerated person It was activated in 1989 and employs around 1,400 people To report errors or issues with this article please email the editorial team Print In 2013 nearly 4,000 California inmates in long-term solitary confinement (for decades in some cases) went on what would become a months-long hunger strike The collective action was designed to get the attention of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and protest the conditions of those in extended solitary confinement the corrections department was met by a united front of inmates who understanding the injustice of their dire circumstances decided they would try to change the very policies that had left them “buried” in concrete cells “The Strike,” which premiered on PBS’ “Independent Lens” on Monday and is currently available on PBS.org, the PBS app and PBS’ YouTube channel chronicles that feat of activist organizing In the hands of filmmakers JoeBill Muñoz and Lucas Guilkey the documentary shines a spotlight on the men who helped organize and mobilize their fellow inmates But it is also a living record of the recent history of the carceral system in the U.S in general and in California in particular “We wanted to trace the arc of the rise of mass incarceration on a deeply personal And it’s a story of organizing across racial lines.” As title cards inform viewers at the start of the film Pelican Bay State Prison’s Security Housing Unit once held hundreds of inmates for more than a decade The film tells the story of how the 2013 hunger strike helped make that happen Morris (a Chicano man who served 40 years in prison with more than 30 spent in solitary confinement) and Michael Saavedra (who served close to 20 years many of them in solitary) share their painful experiences on camera “The Strike” offers unprecedented insight into what led these California inmates to organize the largest prison hunger strike in U.S Saavedra and other Pelican Bay inmates found increasingly creative ways to connect with those they couldn’t see face to face Those included notes in library books and conversations had over toilets and vents I just had to believe that what I was doing Because I couldn’t do as much as I saw many others do.” co-founder of the California Families Against Solitary Confinement the film offers a chance to address the rhetoric pushing for solitary confinement in the first place “The narrative was: These are the worst of the worst,” she says Everybody’s safe because we’re doing this.’ But I feel this film contradicts that narrative and reaches the very depth of humanity.” Morris and Saavedra share how dehumanizing it felt to hear the rhetoric while imprisoned They were among the men (many of them quite young when they first entered the carceral system) branded as violent gang members That was often enough to strip them of the scant freedoms they were afforded in prison decisions that were made not by judges but by corrections administrators “I hope that the film will help the general audience — the people outside — to really see that people can change and grow,” Saavedra who has been pursuing a law degree since his release “I’m hoping it gives audiences a different outlook upon us But then also looking deeper at the system This is what the California Department of Corrections does to people.” An overview of Pelican Bay State Prison (iTVS) The Pelican Bay State Prison served as a limit case for the practice of solitary confinement the building of that “state-of-the-art” penitentiary in the middle of the redwood forest in the northernmost part of California helped dehumanize those housed within its walls mostly — who are on the Oregon border in this windowless in this massive institution designed to hold over a thousand people in solitary confinement,” Guilkey explains Such context makes the hunger strike all the more remarkable And it’s what made producing “The Strike” so challenging in the first place “It’s a protest that happens inside the most high-security prison you can imagine,” Muñoz says it required getting recently released inmates such as Saavedra and Morris to share their experiences and then piecing their stories together with archival footage for historical context But viewers of “The Strike” also get to witness a tense meeting between the corrections department and the coalition of leaders organizing the hunger strike Guilkey and Muñoz wouldn’t disclose how they got that secretly-shot footage but it’s an explosive moment when those inmates present their requests calmly They explain they have little to lose: What else would the corrections department do we usually think of power belonging to the administrators,” Muñoz adds And what was extraordinary about these protests this collection of incarcerated guys have come together and represented a collective of power The documentary may be squarely centered on the fight to abolish solitary confinement as it exists and is enforced right now “The Strike” offers a broader road map for how to face the current political landscape collective solidarity,” as Guilkey puts it “This is social movement organizing and what it takes to do collective direct action to effect material change in your lives This shows how to fight authoritarian power.” “Activism is not necessarily having a thousand people with you immediately,” Morris says “It’s taking the steps by yourself and bringing people as you move along.” Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker In a statement dated March 8, officials from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation cited a “surge” in violence directed at both inmates and staff as the reason for the crackdown at 11 prisons. CDCR officials declined an interview request from The Times. Authorities are conducting a “comprehensive investigation” into causes of the violence, said Terri Hardy, a spokeswoman for the department. At the current pace, 2025 would nearly double last year’s reported total of 24 homicides inside state prisons. California Deputy Michael Meiser, assigned to a specialized sheriff’s department unit that monitored gang activity inside the jail system, has pleaded not guilty to charges he tried to smuggle more than a pound of heroin on behalf of “shot-callers” for the Mexican Mafia. Authorities didn’t say for how long visiting, phone use and other privileges would be restricted on high-security yards at Calipatria State Prison, Centinela State Prison, California Correctional Institution, High Desert State Prison, Kern Valley State Prison, California State Prison-Los Angeles County, Mule Creek State Prison, Pelican Bay State Prison, California State Prison-Sacramento, Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and Salinas Valley State Prison. The day before the department announced the “modified program,” three inmates were killed in attacks at three different prisons. The first homicide was discovered at 6:13 a.m. on March 7, when guards found Jake Kennedy dead in the cell he shared with Tyler Yates at California State Prison, Sacramento, authorities said in a statement. Two weeks earlier, Kennedy and Yates allegedly stabbed to death Jonathan Rude, a convicted car thief from Butte County, according to officials. If found guilty of killing Kennedy and Rude, Yates will have been convicted of killing three people in prison. The 30-year-old, who went to prison in 2017 to serve an eight-year term for burglary and assault, was sentenced in 2022 to life without parole for murdering Nathan Marcus at California State Prison, Sacramento. Testimony delivered at the ongoing trial of three accused Aryan Brotherhood members delved into Los Angeles County’s underbelly: Cheap hotels, gambling parlors and crash pads from Lancaster to Long Beach, drug dealers and fraudsters. The Sacramento lockup has become one of the most violent prisons in the state, recording four homicides in 2024 and three this year. On March 5, a melee broke out at the prison between 40 inmates, some armed with knives, officials said. Five prisoners were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. About an hour after Kennedy’s body was found, Terrance Shaw killed Joshua Peppers at California State Prison, Los Angeles County in Lancaster, CDCR officials said in a statement. Peppers, 39, was imprisoned for robbery. Shaw, 42, was sentenced in 2023 to serve 14 years for assault, battery and possessing a weapon as a prisoner in Monterey County. A third prisoner, German Merino, was killed at 5:47 p.m. at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano. CDCR officials identified Merino’s killers as Gilbert Garcia and Rodolfo Cortez. Garcia, 43, is serving 11 years for assault. Cortez, 33, is halfway through a 24-year term for robbery, carjacking and assaulting a police officer. A member of the SDK gang, short for “Surenos Do Kill,” Merino, 37, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering a man in South Los Angeles in 2009, according to an appellate decision that summarized evidence at his trial. Using contraband cellphones and women that he called his ‘wives,’ a California prisoner oversaw a sprawling drug ring that spread death and addiction to the most remote corners of Alaska, prosecutors say. The recent homicides continue an enduring problem in the California prison system: Inmates already serving life sentences — and who have nothing to lose by incurring more time — committing killings seemingly with impunity. Mario Campbell, 36, was imprisoned for sexual assault, assault with a firearm, burglary, robbery, false imprisonment and intimidating a witness when he was killed Jan. 15 at California State Prison, Sacramento. His alleged killers, Cody Taylor and David Gomez, are both serving life sentences for murdering inmates, CDCR officials said in a statement. Taylor stabbed to death a defenseless inmate who was handcuffed to a chair in 2019, according to reporting by KQED radio station. A convicted rapist, Gomez received a second life term for murder in 2015, according to CDCR officials. He strangled, beat and slashed his cellmate, later telling a psychologist the killing was a “freebie” because he was already serving life, the Monterey County Weekly reported. Matthew Ormseth is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. Before joining The Times in 2018, he covered city news and state politics at the Hartford Courant. World & Nation KQED Live EventsPRX Podcast Garage EventsEvents Around the Bay AreaMember Benefits with KQED LiveVideos from KQED LiveWatch recordings of recent KQED Live events FeaturedThat's My WordAn ongoing exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history See Senior Director of TV Programming Meredith Speight’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9 Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift The film 'The Strike' brings us into the struggle to end the practice of solitary confinement in California's prison system. (Courtesy of Lucas Guilkey )Pelican Bay’s SHU (Special Housing Unit) is immortalized in Denzel Washington’s award-winning performance as a crooked cop named Alonzo in the 2001 film Training Day as Alonzo is losing his iron fist grip over the residents of an apartment complex “You motherfuckers will be playing basketball in Pelican Bay when I get through with you.” Bloody he continues with his hollow threat: “SHU program … 23-hour lockdown.” The reference became cemented in popular culture but the reality of being inside of a solitary unit — confined to a small steel-and-concrete cage for 23 hours a day — is as far from Hollywood as one can get roughly a dozen miles from the Oregon border designed for mass-scale solitary confinement was once lauded by former California Governor George Deukmejian as the crown jewel of the state’s prison system Today the facility is home to hundreds of minimum security residents and only one quarter of its solitary units are occupied a handful of men who were once incarcerated at the notorious prison share testimonies about their time inside As the men explain their regimen of doing hundreds of push-ups, practicing hours of meditation and playing chess against themselves on a makeshift board made from folded paper, the audience gains an understanding of how cyclical the days on days of seclusion became. Award-winning film editor Daniela Quiroz works magic as she loops the list of activities the interviewees mention causing the viewer to feel confined not only to the space but also the limits of what someone in solitary can do with their time One of the men breaks down the struggle of solitary confinement as “trying to tell your mind you’re not losing your mind when your mind is telling you that you’re losing your mind.” reenactments and a staged setting to portray an SHU cell The filmmakers also gained access to unreleased footage of meetings held by the incarcerated leaders of different racial groups within the prison they and thousands of other incarcerated people across the state participated in a hunger strike in order to bring attention to their grievances with CDCR “I couldn’t believe it,” says filmmaker Lucas Guilkey discussing the archival videos of incarcerated leaders meeting with prison officials but never did we think we would actually get footage of it.” where race divides people nearly as much as steel bars do seeing stakeholders from different racial groups sitting at the same table is almost unfathomable those leaders also brought a list of demands for prison officials At the heart of the battle were five key points: the need for regular meaningful human contact the abolition of the debriefing policy (requiring those in solitary confinement to give up dirt on other incarcerated people before they’re allowed to exit) and ending the practice of indefinite isolation There was also a push to end the process by which many incarcerated people land in solitary confinement which often involved being penalized for holding revolutionary literature cultural artwork or anything that was remotely “gang affiliated.” On the heels of the hunger strike and the subsequent lawsuit, California made changes to its solitary confinement policies, including the amount of time people could be forced into isolation. (“The United Nations’ standard for [imprisoned] isolation is 15 days,” Guilkey says “Beyond that is considered torture.”) Thousands of people who were siloed in cells for years were released to the general population and substantive changes were made to the checklist that lands people in solitary confinement in the first place In October of last year, the CDCR announced that solitary confinement would offer a minimum of 20 hours per week “out of cell time” to assist with access to classes and other workshops to help the rehabilitative process who began as a volunteer social media producer working to spread awareness of the prison hunger strike over a decade ago says when he found out the details of the story he knew it would make for an interesting feature film even for those who aren’t engrossed in the nuances of prison in California “I think that you can still take a lot away about the power of organizing about the power of family,” Guilkey says He mentions the notion that when a person is incarcerated “So the meaning of family,” he says The film also deals with the consequences of “tough-on-crime policies” and misguided media narratives built around fear which have led to devastating consequences for certain communities As a part of healing the people from those communities filmmaker JoeBill Muñoz looks at this week’s screenings as a social gathering built around the film Muñoz explains that in making the film they had no idea that the hunger strikers would live to see a changed prison system and definitely didn’t foresee them eventually being released from prison a handful of the men will speak at this week’s screenings “They all went through the same experience They were all in the same place for years of their life and they didn’t know each other for the most part,” says Muñoz “They’re going to be together on stage with us and I think it’s going to be a real special event.” After conceiving of this film 11 years ago “It’s been a long and winding road to bring this film to fruition.” After premiering it at Hot Docs in April and showing it at a few other festivals says this week’s screening is special: “I am personally just so thrilled to be bringing it home to Oakland.” Long before patrons step inside Naples’ Baker Museum of Art they’re treated to nearly a dozen magnificent works of art we’re really excited to debut an expanded commitment to outdoor sculpture both on the Artis— Naples cultural campus and on the adjacent property that’s actually owned and managed by the Pelican Bay Foundation,” Gallery Director Courtney McNeil explained The Baker Museum partnered with the Pelican Bay Foundation to create a sculpture walk along the sidewalk across the street from the Hayes Hall and museum entrances on Pelican Bay Boulevard “This includes some highlights from the permanent collection that had not been on view for a while including two really fantastic kinetic sculptures by George Rickey [an American kinetic sculptor known for geometric abstractions engineered to move in response to air currents] and it includes a couple of really lovely loaned sculptures that we’ve been able to borrow thanks to the generosity of some private collectors in the area by artists like Albert Paley and John Henry,” said McNeil The expanded presence of outdoor sculptures furthers the Baker Museum’s commitment to make art accessible to the entire community “I love the idea that somebody could feel like seeing some art on their way home from the beach and they could just stop and take a little stroll and experience this truly world-class sculpture outdoors right here in Naples,” said McNeil Plaques at the base of each sculpture provide information about the artwork and its creator “Our wonderful docents lead a walking tour every Thursday from November through the springtime that is specifically focused on outdoor sculpture both on the campus and off the campus,” McNeil added but they can go longer if the tour takers are engaged or inquisitive an outdoor café that’s in the Norris Garden near the Dale Chihuly “Red Reeds.” The Paley Gates are unquestionably the signature piece in the Baker Museum’s outdoor collection They are an exceptional example of the unique portals passageways and thresholds long associated with Albert Paley The gates stand 16 feet tall and are 10 feet wide bronze and stainless-steel gates were installed in 2000 Paley also created ornate handles for the lobby doors of Hayes Hall Known for his inventive and novel approach to both metalsmithing and jewelry design Paley cut Hayes Hall’s door handles in the form of a bronze ribbon that both commemorates events at the center and suggests an experience in time A fallen piece of ribbon or banner is a recurring theme in the sculptures Paley crafts as rites of passage for visitors entering a building Paley’s 2009 Corten steel sculpture “Stance” is part of the Pelican Bay Foundation sculpture trail on the northwest corner of Pelican Bay Boulevard and Ridgewood Albert Paley has created monumental site-specific metal assemblages that place him not only in the forefront of contemporary sculpture but also in the vanguard among artists working in the new genre-defying area that has been called “archisculpture.” Paley goes beyond creating sculptures that stand as isolated works of art His sculptures enhance the spaces in which they are placed and He has established himself as an artist who constantly pushes boundaries questions old categories and redefines himself in his own distinctive idiom at once visionary and persuasively tangible Paley emerged in the mid-1960s as an artist goldsmith and within a decade he became involved with the forging of steel He is a long-standing leader in the metal sculpture arena where he is widely recognized for evolving blacksmithing into the realm of public art and commissions He has continually pushed the boundaries of his work its process and materials through several contexts Forging steel in a form of plasticity and pliability Paley addresses the transformational change of the material through tapering The result is sculpture developed of organic form analogous to processes seen in nature such as the development of organic form in response to gravity with the emphasis on transition through the quality of line and his use of steel has been described as industrial poetry Commissioned by both public institutions and private corporations Paley has completed dozens of site-specific works Some notable examples are the Portal Gates for the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.; “Synergy,” a ceremonial archway in Philadelphia; the Portal Gates for the New York State Senate Chambers in Albany; “Sentinel,” a monumental plaza sculpture for Rochester Institute of Technology; as well as a 65-foot sculpture for the entry court of Bausch and Lomb’s headquarters in Rochester Pieces by Albert Paley can be found in the permanent collections of many major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London Broadly published and an international lecturer Paley received both his BFA and MFA from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia He received honorary doctorates from the University of Rochester in 1989 the State University of New York at Brockport in 1996 He also holds an endowed chair at the Rochester Institute of Technology Another artwork appearing on The Baker Museum sculpture trail is John Henry’s bright yellow enameled aluminum sculpture “Arris II.” It is also on loan from local collectors Bob and Terry Edwards Known worldwide for his large-scale public works of art his sculptures grace numerous important museums public and private collections as well as the collections of many American cities and states His works are also prominently exhibited in the public collections of various European and Asian municipalities Henry’s works range in scale from small tabletop pieces to some of the largest contemporary metal sculptures in the world University of Chicago and the Art Institute of Chicago the Edward L Ryerson Fellowship and earned a BFA He received an Honorary Doctor of Arts from the University of Kentucky in 1996 University of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Henry received the Governor’s National Award in the Arts from the State of Kentucky and in 2004 the Mayor’s Award of Distinction in the Arts from the City of Chattanooga Other honors included recognition on the floor of the Tennessee State Senate in 2004 and the 2005 honorary renaming of North Cermak Road “John Henry Way” by the City of Chicago in recognition of his contributions to public art on the local and national levels The Baker Museum sculpture trail also features Manolo Valdes’ 2003 bronze “Dama III which was gifted to The Baker Museum in 2013 by Patty and Jay Baker Bob and Terry Edwards and Bruce and Cynthia Sherman He is best known for his association with the artistic group known as Equipo Crónica Valdés studied at the San Carlos Academy of Fine Arts and he pioneered the Pop Art movement of the 1960s in Spain His work is included in public collections around the world such as the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Musée Picasso in Antibes the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo in Seville the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York Positioned in front of Hayes Hall is Arik Levy’s 2023 artwork RockGrowth370 marine-grade stainless steel modernist sculpture the sculptures and outdoor installations of internationally renowned 1963) address the viewer in ways that are equally cerebral and sensuous,” states The Baker Museum’s website such as mirrored marine-grade stainless steel or powder-coated steel the artist creates biomorphic forms that invite reflection and contemplation.” Levy has been investigating the relationships between humans “With a sophisticated knowledge and understanding of sculptural traditions he is a technologist as much as he is an artist,” the website reads He manipulates and develops cutting-edge fabrication techniques to propel his ongoing creative investigation and artistic exploration.” Levy’s innate scientific and poetic acumen allows him to translate social and emotional conceptual narratives into sculptures and experiences Levy’s works exist as monuments that reflect and celebrate the geometry of nature You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Told by Those Who Survived Decades of Solitary Confinement “The Strike” Illuminates the Power of Unity and the Unprecedented Story of How 30,000 Incarcerated People Changed California The moving feature documentary “The Strike” premieres February 3 The film illuminates the power of organizing through the story of 30,000 incarcerated people in California protesting decades-long practices of inhumane solitary confinement Weaving together the personal stories of the men who bore the brunt of this practice “The Strike” follows the journeys of a cast of solitary survivors from their secretly-recorded meetings with prison administrators to the personal ramifications of decades in confinement “We found that the story of how incarcerated people facing impossible odds inside solitary confinement managed to orchestrate a statewide protest to be an inspiring example of what’s possible when people come together for change We hope our film speaks to the strength of the human spirit and the power of collective solidarity,” said Co-directors Joe Bill Muñoz and Lucas Guilkey “Human contact is essential to human existence including inside prisons,” said Lois Vossen ‘The Strike’ reveals the struggle for basic human rights within the criminal justice system.” Plans are underway for a new Sunshine Ace Hardware targeted to open in early 2025 in part of the former home of Stein Mart in The Marketplace at Pelican Bay in North Naples Sunshine Ace Hardware’s new 20,190-square-foot store will co-anchor the retail center with Publix supermarket at 8811 Tamiami Trail N. Other businesses in the center include CVS pharmacy “Our team has been eyeing this region of North Naples for years and we are excited about bringing a new store closer to our loyal commercial and residential customers in this area,” said Sunshine Ace Hardware President Michael Wynn “The response to our newest store at Founders Square has been incredible and we envision a similar reaction once the Pelican Bay store is officially open.”    A Naples family-owned company for more than 65 years, Sunshine Ace Hardware opened a store last year to anchor The Plaza at Founders Square retail strip near the southeast corner of Immokalee Road and Collier Boulevard it has plans to open Ave Maria’s first hardware store in another new retail strip under construction in the community’s commerce park Once stores are completed in Ave Maria and Pelican Bay Sunshine Ace Hardware will have 12 locations in Collier as well as Sunshine Commercial Paint & More in Collier County Ace Hardware stores in Manatee County and two Crowder’s Gifts & Gadgets stores in Manatee County But Sunshine Ace Hardware isn’t stopping there It’s also building other stores targeted to open in 2025 in Babcock Ranch and in Golden Gate Estates to anchor Winchester Center on the corner of Immokalee Road and Orangetree Boulevard “Although Southwest Florida has certainly changed since the first Sunshine Ace Hardware opened in 1958 our stores are still a place where our community can expect a world-class customer experience and friendly associates who operate under a set of core values that will never change,” Wynn said and it will continue to define Sunshine Ace Hardware for decades to come.”    The new hardware store in Pelican Bay will have departments for commercial paint The store will also feature Sunshine Ace Hardware’s signature Helpful Hub a customer service desk that provides resources such as screen repair Employment opportunities and an exact opening date will be announced in the coming months While Sunshine Ace Hardware will take the majority of the space Stein Mart vacated a few years ago after operating for nearly 25 years at The Marketplace at Pelican Bay “We do not have a deal for the remaining 15,800 square feet yet but we’re negotiating and we’re looking for the retail companion for them,” said Andrew J The latest space for the hardware store became available in 2020 when Stein Mart Inc filed relief under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code and permanently closed its stores including two in Collier County and two in Lee County Sunshine Ace and another future tenant coming to the Pelican Bay store means that all four area stores vacated by Stein Mart will be backfilled The former Stein Mart locations became Bealls and Home Centric at Tamiami Crossing in East Naples Big Lots in Prado at Spring Creek in Bonita Springs and Burlington and Popshelf are coming to Cypress Trace in south Fort Myers Typical ebbs and flows of the single-family home market do not have much of an impact on the ultra Four restaurant chains and a cake shop will join seven other businesses coming this year to the new Tree Farm.. the May 5 opening of the Hospital for Special Surgery at NCH takes the health care.. Not only has Chef Brian Roland physically and emotionally returned to public life in Southwest Florida after his life-altering tragedy.. Beeline is counting on thirsty folks making a beeline to its new upscale cocktail bar at Mercato in North Naples... The 72-unit Verandas III opened and is fully occupied on Airport Road marking the final phase in the redevelopment of.. A Ceres man convicted and sent to prison for a Turlock murder could be facing new charges after attacking a guard at Pelican Bay State Prison the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced on Monday of Ceres could be charged with attempted homicide after he allegedly stabbed a prison guard in the head multiple times after being sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder of Falane Jones  Price was a second striker and was additionally convicted of possessing/owning a firearm by a felon or addict as a second striker with enhancements for a prior felony conviction of a serious offense and intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury or death Price was being escorted to his cell in the restricted housing unit when he partially freed himself from handcuffs and struck an officer in the face with an inmate manufactured weapon Staff immediately responded but Price ignored orders to get down Price continued to strike the officer in the head and torso and staff had to use physical force to quell the attack The officer was stabbed in the head and two puncture wounds were discovered in his stab-resistant vest Swelling to the head and other minor injuries were found during a medical evaluation The officer was transported to an outside medical facility Prison officials are currently investigating the incident The case will be referred to the Del Norte District Attorney’s Office for possible felony prosecution Price was convicted of killing Jones on April 23 at the Villas Parkside Apartments at 381 W Jones was with his uncle in the parking lot when of the apartment complex when a black car pulled in and the driver opened fire at Jones Jones was a father to a young girl and worked at a Tracy warehouse Turlock Police investigators were able to obtain witness statements that provided them with a description of the vehicle and the suspects A search of the area was conducted in the immediate aftermath of the shooting but the suspects were not located until a few days later in Alameda County An Alameda County Sheriff’s deputy was attempting to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation when the driver The vehicle pursuit came to an end when Price crashed the Lexus into a home and he and the three passengers ran from the scene Price was sentenced by Del Norte County on July 7 four months for in-prison offenses of battery of a non-prisoner and resisting or deterring an officer with threats or violence He was also sentenced by Marin County on September 7 to four years for an in-prison offense of possession or manufacture of a deadly weapon by an incarcerated person as a second striker A former diplomat is behind the purchase of The Truist Building in Pelican Bay who has a 32-year track record of success as a real estate investor ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris from October 2007 to November 2009 He's building a home here and he's looking to invest more money in Southwest Florida a principal with Naples-based Investment Properties Corp. Stevens represented Egan in the purchase of the top-tier Class A office building in North Naples While the market has seen its fair share of real estate investors from the Midwest it hasn't seen nearly as many hailing from the Northeast that makes the transaction a little different with the Egan Group headquartered in Nantucket that this is probably just the beginning of a new portfolio strategy," Stevens said from states with state income taxes – to start to try to liquidate some holdings in those markets and move to high growth markets and not pay the additional taxes that those states are charging." Egan couldn't immediately be reached for comment about the purchase The office building is one of a set of seven large ones in the affluent Pelican Bay neighborhood 41 near Waterside Shops and Artis — Naples The more than four-acre property includes a detached drive-thru for a bank "We are going to take a look to see what can be done there," he said find ways to physically improve the property and bring it into this century." the building last underwent a renovation in 2012 It includes a 20-space underground parking garage The JLL Capital Markets Investment Sales and Advisory team represented the sellers Property records show the former owners as the American National Insurance Co The property last sold for $23,668,000 in 2015 a senior director for JLL Capital Markets in Miami described The Egan Group as "a high-caliber buyer." “The sale of the Truist office building is a testament to Naples' burgeoning appeal as a commercial hub marked by significant economic growth and a vibrant business atmosphere," he added "This Class A property stands out not only for its prime location and premier tenants but also for the dynamic investment opportunities it offers in one of Florida’s fastest-growing cities." JLL has more than 3,000 Capital Markets specialists worldwide The following article is republished from Monsour Owolabi, a New Afrikan prisoner being held in Texas, which has been laid out into a zine for easy republishing “International solidarity must not cease or slacken because a ceasefire is not even the tip of the iceberg in bringing a solution to this conflict.” When thinking about the connections between amerikkkan prisons and the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people at the hands of ‘israel,’ there’s a list of parallels that come to mind prison guard or “security force” as an occupying army militarized force utilized to be sicced on oppressed people and anyone on the wrong side of imperialist hegemony The usage of these agents of repression to instill terror in the people is the same in both instances and de-regulated and criminalized self-defense “Defend ‘israel’s’ right to exist,” and many run with that notion never understanding that under international treaties and standards a nation does NOT have the right to defend itself against the attacks by a nation or people it is currently occupying or colonizing a person cannot defend themselves from police attack and in events where state agents attack the people official law protects those agents with “qualified immunity.” prisons and the Palestinian people are stateless human beings with no instrument of governance in existence that maintains Neither can vote for people who make decisions each day that dictate their lives Both experience a separate and unequal existence in comparison to the rest of the amerikkkan/‘israeli’ populace In both experiences the power structure maintains a monopoly on the propaganda and thus warps the public opinion in its own favor Gaza has often been called an open-air prison Palestinians there understand the meaning of a confined existence They know what it means to be designated a “security threat group” or “terrorist.” They understand the reality of living under constant surveillance They know how it feels to be abducted from your community They also know the “fire inside” that rages and plots victory over one’s enemies If observing the Palestinian struggles against ‘israeli’ domination doesn’t inspire you as a revolutionary you may be another species other than human I listened to a woman learn of her husband’s death and begin to exclaim and shout as if a miracle had happened Her understanding of the liberation struggle of her people made her proud that her husband died for such a worthy cause She could not bring herself to selfish self-pity sharing what would have been her husband’s portion International solidarity must not cease or slacken because a ceasefire is not even the tip of the iceberg in bringing a solution to this conflict May the fighting spirit of the Palestinian people become the fighting spirit of freedom fighters everywhere We recommend checking out the zine collection at True Leap Press for more zines to print for your event including this one — as well as Our Narrative by the Palestinian Resistance on 7 October — and many more Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email Enter your email address to receive all new Samidoun posts by email Palestinian prisoners call for international boycott of Israel Thank you for completing the form, here is your download: "+jQuery("body").attr("docName")+" Thank you for completing the form, here is the link to your on-demand webinar: On-Demand Webinar Link (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation/TNS) a commissioner on the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang defiantly called the case against him an act of political retaliation and predicted the courts have not seen the last of him and my life hasn’t changed,” Ronald Dean Yandell said before he and co-defendant William Sylvester were formally sentenced to multiple life terms Wednesday morning and I’ll be back before this court on appeal.” For Yandell — a man who spent decades behind bars and climbed the ranks of the Aryan Brotherhood in federal and state prison — Wednesday’s hearing marks the end of a racketeering prosecution that has spanned more than five years What remains to be seen is whether he will actually be transferred to a federal facility or remain in the state prison system where he’s lived since receiving murder and manslaughter convictions in Contra Costa 20 years ago Federal prosecutors didn’t speak much during Wednesday’s hearing Both Sylvester and Yandell’s convictions carry mandatory life terms and the defense didn’t ask for anything less all of them remain in state prison with no clear timetable of when — if ever — they’ll be transferred there is even attempting to vacate his guilty plea for a stabbing death in prison precisely because he expected to go to federal prison and still hasn’t Daniel pleaded guilty a year ago to fatally stabbing another inmate on a Salinas Valley State Prison yard told the judge he wanted to go to federal prison and wouldn’t contest it Yandell discussed two most effective ways to kill someone with a prison shank — simply stabbing them in the heart or to get to the victim’s brain stem through his eye District Judge Kimberly Mueller when they might expect their client to end up in federal prison “separation of powers,” meaning she can’t force the federal prison system to accept anyone When asked by the judge if he wished to provide any clarity to this issue To Yandell, the entire case was the result of his decision to lead a prisoner hunger strike in the early 2010s aimed at combating California’s use of solitary confinement in the so-called short corridor security housing unit a maximum security facility near the state’s northern border The hunger strike — and corresponding intra-gang peace treaty and related litigation — did eventually succeed in the state prisons scaling back the use of solitary under a now-defunct settlement agreement “The (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) and others conspired to suppress the truth,” Yandell said in court Wednesday “We were targeted the moment we left the SHU.” Yandell said the peace treaty “saved countless lives across the state” and that the government responded by working to “create division among prisoners including my co-defendants.” He cited an email by Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Brian Nehring — the case agent on this prosecution — which referenced Yandell’s participation in the hunger strike and said “I want to crush (Yandell) so bad my teeth hurt.” Mueller denied a defense motion attempting to overturn Yandell’s convictions over the email Most of Yandell’s adult life has been spent behind bars. A native of West Contra Costa he did a stint in federal prison on the East Coast for possessing methamphetamine precursors and spent time in the federal prison’s most secure facility in Colorado before being released back to the Bay Area Yandell was arrested for a double homicide in El Sobrante and convicted of murder and manslaughter three years later That ultimately earned him a state prison sentence of 65 years to life much of which was spent in the Pelican Bay SHU breaking his vertebrae and ripping out part of his jaw has produced the man who sits before your honor,” Yandell’s lawyer ©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at mercurynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Copyright © 2025 Lexipol. All rights reserved.Do Not Sell My Personal Information Kenneth Johnson, Francis Clement and John Stinson were already serving life sentences in the state system when a federal jury in Fresno convicted them last week of racketeering and other offenses. During the trial, prosecutors made clear that California prisons are flooded with contraband cellphones, which gang leaders use to control rackets inside and outside their lockups. Witnesses testified to enjoying the use of phones and drugs smuggled in using drones or by corrupt staff. Authorities seized 4,109 phones across the California prison system in 2023, the most recent year for which data were available, according to a prison spokeswoman. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons offers stricter conditions. High-risk inmates are held in a so-called super-maximum security facility in Colorado where they have virtually no access to one another or the outside world. Despite the convictions of Johnson, Clement and Stinson, it remains unclear whether they will leave California. They are currently held at the Fresno County Jail. Kenneth Johnson, Francis Clement and John Stinson, from left, were convicted last week of ordering murders as members of the Aryan Brotherhood while serving prison sentences in California. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation) Stinson’s attorney, Kenneth Reed, said that he does not expect his client to go to federal prison after he is sentenced in May. Reed noted three other Aryan Brotherhood members — who were also state prisoners serving life sentences — were found guilty of racketeering last year in a trial in Sacramento, but haven’t entered federal custody. Stinson, 70, has been serving a federal life term concurrent with his state life sentence since he was first convicted of racketeering in 2007 by a Los Angeles jury. At both the Los Angeles and Fresno trials, witnesses testified that Stinson sat on a three-man “commission” that arbitrates disputes within the Aryan Brotherhood, a group of about 30 men who control many white inmates in the California and federal prison systems. Authorities once tried to break up prison gangs like the Aryan Brotherhood, Mexican Mafia and Nuestra Familia by convicting their leaders in federal court, then banishing them to places like ADX Florence in Colorado. Sometimes called “the Alcatraz of the Rockies,” the maximum-security prison holds convicted drug cartel leaders, terrorists, escape artists and other high-profile prisoners who the federal government has deemed pose the highest risk to the public and other inmates. Federal prosecutors alleged Ronaldo Ayala, reputed to be a powerful member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang, conspired with the Sinaloa cartel and offered to protect its notorious former leader, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. That prison is what Scott Kernan had in mind in 2018 when, as secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, he asked a top U.S. Bureau of Prisons official to take custody of eight “extremely dangerous” prisoners. In a letter filed in court, Kernan said the inmates included members of the Aryan Brotherhood and Mexican Mafia. Before they were indicted, the California corrections chief wanted the federal prison system’s assurance that it would be willing to accept prisoners who required “the most restrictive confinement conditions available.” It’s unclear how federal prison officials responded, but prosecutors brought indictments against all eight inmates in 2019. All but one, who was killed while awaiting trial, were convicted of racketeering. None have been taken to federal prison, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons said. The spokesman, Donald Murphy, said he wouldn’t discuss the status of inmates who weren’t in the agency’s custody. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, which tried the Fresno and Sacramento cases, declined to comment. In the Sacramento case, one of the defendants, Brant Daniel, is trying to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he admitted to murder only because he thought he’d be sent to federal prison. Daniel, 50, didn’t say in his motion why he wants to be in federal prison. One potential factor: Authorities uncovered a plot by other Aryan Brotherhood members to murder him, prosecutors wrote in court documents. At Daniel’s plea hearing, U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller said she could not order the federal prison system to accept a state inmate, according to a transcript of the proceeding. The deputy attorney general of the U.S. Justice Department must approve it, Mueller said. At the hearing, Jason Hitt, an assistant U.S. attorney in Sacramento, said he was working a “behind-the-scenes process” to get Daniel into federal custody. It didn’t happen. Nine months after the hearing, Hitt said in court papers that federal officials refused to take Daniel. Their decision was “part of a confidential, internal deliberative Department of Justice decision-making process that is not subject to review,” Hitt wrote. Daniel remains at California State Prison, Sacramento, as a judge weighs whether to let him take back his guilty plea. strategic and hardworking team than the pros at Priority Marketing Sunshine Ace Hardware has announced plans to open a new retail store at Pelican Bay in Naples just miles from where the company opened its first location 65 years ago.  The new store will occupy about 20,000 square feet of The Marketplace at Pelican Bay co-anchoring the commercial shopping center with Publix The space previously was home to Stein Mart Shoppers at the Pelican Bay store will enjoy separate commercial paint as well as a wide selection of power and hand tools The store also will feature Sunshine Ace Hardware’s signature Helpful Hub a customer service desk that provides services such as screen repair as well as coordinates delivery and assembly for grills and we envision a similar reaction once the Pelican Bay store is officially open.”  Sunshine Ace Hardware opened a new store at Founders Square the locally owned company announced plans to open Ave Maria’s first hardware store in 2024 Once construction is completed on the Ave Maria and Pelican Bay stores as well as Sunshine Commercial Paint & More in Collier County Sunshine Ace Hardware has also announced plans to build a store in Babcock Ranch and at Winchester Center at the corner of Immokalee Road and Orangetree Boulevard in 2025 and it will continue to define Sunshine Ace Hardware for decades to come.” The Pelican Bay store is expected to open in early 2025 at 8811 Tamiami Trail North near the southwest corner of U.S 41 and Vanderbilt Beach Road in North Naples Senior living center earns high performing status for both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care The Preserve is proud to announce that its skilled nursing care Cape Coral’s first food truck park is slated to open June 2025  Slipaway Food Truck Park & Marina a one-of-a-kind experience coming soon to Cape Better Together is partnering with New Springs Church to host a community job fair for Coral Springs-area residents on Saturday Sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep up with what we’re doing for our clients and the community We cover a variety of relevant marketing tips and topics to inspire and empower your brand Florida | Georgia | North Carolina | South Carolina | Alabama | Colorado and that's also meant a pile up of many questions in the in-box She originally got me on track after spotting activity which turned out to be some air conditioning work going on that In the Know confirmed in the vacant slot a precursor of what was to come at The Marketplace at Pelican Bay A 20,000-square foot Sunshine Ace Hardware is hammering its way into that vacancy, which my colleague Laura Layden recently nailed down in her extensive shopping center coverage said he has been eyeing that ever mushrooming North Naples area But he's far from done with expanding the 65-year-old Naples-based operation. Last year, the company opened in Founders Square And yet another locale is planned in Winchester Center at Immokalee Road and Orangetree Boulevard in Golden Gate Estates Ace's arrival may be the most significant in far east Collier More: Hurricane Milton: Storm surge, flooding, insurance rates. What next for SWFL homeowners? Florida with far east expansion?Sunshine already has promoted experienced hardware knight Peter Kennedy to store manager for a crew of about 20 after previously serving as its Marco Island floor supervisor and Founders assistant store chief construction and information technology businesses in the Northeast after earning his bachelor's degree at Vermont's St home of the Purple Knights in Lake Champlain's Colchester five months of low temperatures below freezing and 8 degrees being the average low in January and February More: In the Know: How come Collier closed Sun-N-Fun Lagoon as Great Wolf opens? How did costs compare? which just surpassed the 5,000 mark in home sales with build out targeted at up to 11,000 units on its 5,000 acres NCH Immediate Care Center and Umami Ave Restaurant are to join the demand for local goods and services increases," said Cee Cee Marinelli "Midtown Plaza will help cater to the expanding population." the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced on Aug Price was a “second striker” and was additionally convicted of possessing/owning a firearm by a felon or addict as a second striker Pelican Bay in Edmond is one step closer to getting some upgrades This comes after city leaders say the park leaked thousands of gallons of water a day over the past few summers City leaders say Minor repairs were made over the winter months to reduce some of the water loss ahead of this season But now city leaders are looking at a more long-term solution instead of constantly patching small issues This week council members heard from architects on plans to improve the park "I have driven by that pool and it gets packed It is definitely a used resource for many kiddos and families and different events so I think it's well worth the investment," Councilmember Tom Robin stated The facilities layout will not be changing but there will be ADA upgrades Pumps and most splash pad features will also be replaced Officials say the beloved Pelican will stay Safety flooring at the splash pad will also be upgraded and the entire pool deck will be replaced Designs could begin as early as the end of this month with construction able to begin at the end of the 2025 swim season Pelican Bay will open for this season on Saturday Children under the age of 13 must be with an adult for the entire visit Bobbie Miller is a seasoned News 9 anchor and reporter \"I have driven by that pool and it gets packed It is definitely a used resource for many kiddos and families and different events so I think it's well worth the investment,\" Councilmember Tom Robin stated and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox