Newsletter: Essential California: Former sheriff pleads not guilty

Good morning. It is Saturday, Aug. 13. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:

Not guilty plea: Former L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca pleaded not guilty Friday to allegations of obstruction of justice, conspiracy and lying. The charges came after a judge rejected a plea deal that Baca had reached with prosecutors. The case stems from an FBI probe into the county jails. Los Angeles Times

Wine crime: Prosecutors are calling it a wine Ponzi scheme. The owner of Premier Cru in Berkeley, John Fox, admitted to falsifying $20-million worth of orders and then selling the wine, which did not exist, to other customers. As for the $45 million he took from customers, Fox admitted to spending $1 million on women he met online and using other funds to pay off credit cards, buy golf memberships and purchase or lease luxury vehicles. Los Angeles Times

Bad intelligence: The gang database maintained by the state of California is a mess, according to a new audit — it includes unsubstantiated entries, old names and information that could violate an individual’s privacy. “CalGang is an ineffective tool full of inaccuracies that result in violations of people’s rights,” said Peter Bibring, director of police practices at the ACLU of California. Los Angeles Times

Immigration hold: Bollywood’s biggest star, Shah Rukh Khan, was detained by immigration officials upon arrival at LAX for unknown reasons. It was the third time in recent years that Khan has been stopped by agents at an airport. LAist

Turn on the A/C: Southern California should prepare for another heat wave. Downtown Los Angeles is expected to reach into the 90s on Sunday, while the valleys may hit triple-digits. The heat wave could increase the chances of wildfires. “Fire danger is going to be up … because of how dry the fuels are, and then it’s also going to be very hot and very dry,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Sukup. Los Angeles Times

Trouble in the air: A JetBlue flight bound for Sacramento was forced to make an emergency landing in South Dakota due to severe turbulence. The bumpy flight left more than 20 passengers and crew members injured. “I felt like I was in the tower of terror,” said passenger Eileen Lynch. Sacramento Bee

New restrooms: Orange County officials will be bringing in portable toilets for the hundreds of homeless people living on the Civic Center property. “After you sit and talk with people … you realize how difficult it can be to fulfill a basic human need,” said Supervisor Andrew Do. Orange County Register

This week’s most popular stories in Essential California:

1. Here’s what you’ll learn when you move from the West Coast to the East Coast. Buzzfeed

2. The owners of Hollister Ranch are fighting state officials over plans to allow regular Joes onto the beach. Los Angeles Times

3. A woman in San Bernardino County had a bear killed in order to protect her family. Now she’s feeling the backlash. Los Angeles Times

4. The daughter of the late musician Jerry Garcia led a nude march through San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood. Participants carried signs that read “nude is not lewd.” SF Gate

5. The browning of the Sierra. Cal Matters

ICYMI, here are this week’s Great Reads:

Water woes: Columnist Robin Abcarian took to the sky to check out California’s water supply. The tour was organized by the Westlands Water District, which believes the state has enough water — it’s just mismanaged. Los Angeles Times

Community policing: William Bratton and Connie Rice explain how L.A. can be a model for policing that actually works — tough but sensitive. New York Times

Fight for your right: Steve Lopez doesn’t think much of what the politicians have done to a bill intended to bring greater transparency to the California Coastal Commission. “The most egregious [amendment] allows commissioners to meet privately with developers during on-site visits … environmental groups, however, would not be able to have such meetings in the bill’s current form,” he writes. Los Angeles Times

Looking Ahead

Sunday: The CicLAvia cycling event comes back to Wilshire Boulevard.

Monday: End of art installation along the L.A. River called “Current L.A. Water.”

Saturday: The L.A. Rams take on the Kansas City Chiefs at the Coliseum.

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.