Local Briefs

The Belmont-Redwood Shores School District named Emerita Orta-Camilleri to be Superintendent John McIntosh’s replacement last week. The appointment comes four months after McIntosh announced his intention to retire.

Orta-Camilleri will officially begin July 1. Most recently, Orta-Camilleri spent three years as the assistant superintendent of instruction for the Fremont Unified School District.

Before moving to Fremont Orta-Camilleri worked as the assistant superintendent of administrative service in Alum Rock Union Elementary School District in San Jose and was the director of educational programs in Milpitas Unified School District.

She also has 21 years of experience as a bilingual director, principal at elementary and middle schools, teacher, resources teacher and paraprofessional for the San Jose Unified School District.

McIntosh announced his retirement in February citing health and family reasons. He was appointed to the district in November 2003.

Redwood City hospital participates in nationwide campaign

A Redwood City hospital announced Thursday that its participation in an 18-month nationwide campaign contributed to more than 100,000 lives being saved.

Sequoia Hospital took part in the "100,000 Lives Campaign,” which was launched by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in December 2004. Since its launch, more than 3,000 hospitals have participated in the campaign.

"When we decided to launch the campaign we didn’t know if hospitals could take on another challenge,’’ Donald Berwick, president and CEO of the IHI, said in a statement. "But they have risen to this challenge impressively.’’

Participating hospitals surpassed the IHI’s expectations by preventing the unnecessary deaths of 122,300 people, the hospital reported.

As part of the campaign hospitals were asked to implement evidence-based interventions when treating patients. Sequoia specifically utilized Rapid Response Teams when a patient’s condition began to worsen. They also worked to prevent medication errors and surgery-related infections, the hospital reported.

More information can be found on the Web site, http://www.ihi.org.

Case dismissed against third man accused of assault

Charges against the third man accused of beating an East Palo Alto drug dealer in 2004 were dropped in San Mateo County court Monday.

Eddie Tapia Torres, 20, was indicted by a San Mateo County criminal grand jury in February 2005 following an investigation by the San Mateo County district attorney’s office. San Mateo County Superior Court Judge James Ellis dismissed the charges filed against Torres after the prosecution issued a motion to have the case dismissed due to a lack of sufficient evidence.

Torres, an East Palo Alto explorer scout, along with East Palo Alto police officers Edward Rivers Jr., 39, and Johnny Taflinger Jr., 33, was accused of beating known drug dealer Calvin Brooks on Aug. 21, 2004.

The three men were off duty in East Palo Alto when the alleged assault took place near a 7-Eleven on Newell Road. On April 25, a San Mateo County jury found Rivers and Taflinger not guilty of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and misdemeanor battery in connection with the alleged attack.

Alleged bar shooter delays plea

A teenager charged with murder in connection with a fatal shooting at a Redwood City bar on April 15 has once again delayed entering a plea in San Mateo County court.

Domingo Samuel Naranjo, 18, is charged with one count of murder in connection with the shooting at the Headquarters Bar at 895 Second Ave.

Naranjo, who was shot in the neck, allegedly by 26-year-old San Jose resident Rolando Fernandez during the melee, reportedly shot and killed 38-year-old East Palo Alto resident Hemerenciano Mendoza, San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

The April 15 shooting resulted in the injury of three men and the deaths of Mendoza and Redwood City residents Humberto Calderon Jr., 18, and Jesus Hernandez, 28.

Naranjo, who remains in custody on no-bail status, will appear in court for further arraignment July 11 at 1:30 p.m.

Fernandez, who also remains in custody on no-bail status, is charged with three counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and the special circumstance that he committed multiple murders during the shooting.

He will appear in court on June 28 at 1:30 p.m. to enter a plea. guilty of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and misdemeanor battery in connection with the alleged attack.<