Ex-cops accused in death of homeless man face trial

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Jury selection is scheduled to begin today in the trial of two ex-Fullerton police officers accused of beating a schizophrenic homeless man to death. Former officer Manuel Ramos is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Kelly Thomas. He’s the first cop ever in Orange County to face murder charges for an on-duty incident. Another former officer, Jay Cicinelli, is accused of involuntary manslaughter and excessive force. A third ex-Fullerton officer, Joe Wolfe, also faces involuntary manslaughter charges but will be tried separately…California can’t account for 174 thousand tons of hazardous material shipped for disposal over the past five years. The L.A. Times says a state database shows that the hazardous materials were shipped but gives no indication that they arrived at their intended destinations, many of which were out of state. State regulators say there are flaws in the tracking system, but they say public health is not threatened…Meanwhile, nearly 100 tons of DDT and other toxins have largely disappeared from sediment along the Palos Verdes Shelf, which sits about two miles off the coast. Scientists say they don’t know why the banned substance has disappeared. The EPA has suspended a planned cleanup and ordered new tests at the off-shore Superfund site…indian canyonsA popular desert recreation area in the Coachella Valley reopens today, after being shut down for two months due to flooding. Indian Canyons covers about 56 square miles and includes more than 60 miles of trail. The canyons – which are on the National Register of Historic Places – are on land owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians…And finally, it costs $1.50 to ride Metro’s light rail lines – that is if you feel an obligation to pay. As it stands, many of Metro’s light rail stations don’t have gates, and aren’t likely to get them anytime soon. That means riders are on the honor system. Metro says it will install new turnstiles at some stations in the coming months, but it says other stations are just too small for gates.