DP Insider

New Fire Chief's Salary: $222,254 a Year

The Board of Directors at the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) appointed Contra Costa Chief Keith Richter as its new Fire Chief, replacing Chip Prather who is retiring this July.

Click here to see the entire announcement.

Dana Point is one of the cities served by OCFA, and Councilman Steve Weinberg represents the city on the board of directors. Unlike the sheriff's department, where the city essentially pays for the number of officers it wants, payments for the fire authority in town go straight from the property tax collected. The city doesn't really have any say.

Richter's contract calls for $222,254 annually in salary, plus a vehicle or $500 a month. He can also earn up to 10 percent of his salary annually in a bonus, if directors believe he deserves it. Finally, in addition to the usual slate of benefits, he starts the Orange County job with 120 hours of vacation on the books.

Click here to see a copy of his contract.

LA Times: St. Regis Heading for Foreclosure Sale

Todays' editions of the Los Angeles Times report that the St. Regis in Dana Point is headed toward foreclosure, behind on a $70 million loan.

From the story:

The companies that own the resort are in default on a $70-million loan from Citigroup Global Markets Realty Group, people knowledgeable about the debt said Tuesday.

Negotiations continue in an effort to avoid an auction, according to those sources. But unless something is worked out, the St. Regis will go on the block July 7, to be sold to the highest bidder, according to a "terms of public sale" document obtained by The Times.

Click here to see the whole story.

The Dana Point Times in May featured challenges facing the hotel industry in the troubled economy, and how that might impact the city. See that story here.

Man Convicted of Killing Wife in DP Poisioning Dies

Also posted on Beyond the Blackboard

Richard Overton, who was convicted of poisioning his wife, Jan, in 1988, has passed away at a hospice, where he was moved while serving a life prison term. He was 81. Jan was a trustee for the Capistrano Unified School District at the time.

Janet Overton was taking her son, Eric, on a whale-watching trip when she collapsed and died in the driveway of their Dana Point home.

The trial centered on jealousies and read like a dime-store novel, which it ultimately became.

Eric Overton and his wife, Gia, are friends of mine. As salacious as the story is, there's still some loss there.

Click here to see the entire story.