Sacramento – Today the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced awards totaling more than $42.8 million in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for eligible Economic Development, Community Development, and Colonia Allocations. $8.8 million will also be made available for Economic Development Over-the-Counter (OTC) awards to be made over the coming fiscal year.

The $42.8 million in funding will go to the following 54 California communities:

County of Amador

City of Arcata

City of Avenal

County of Butte

City of Calimesa

City of Calistoga

County of Colusa

City of Corcoran

City of Corning

City of Crescent City

County of Del Norte

City of Dinuba

City of Dorris

City of Etna

City of Eureka

City of Exeter

City of Firebaugh

City of Fort Bragg

Town of Fort Jones

County of Glenn

City of Gonzales

County of Humboldt

City of Huron

County of Imperial

County of Lake

County of Lassen

City of Marina

County of Mariposa

County of Mendocino

County of Mono

County of Monterey

City of Nevada City

City of Orange Cove

City of Orland

City of Oroville

City of Parlier

County of Plumas

City of Plymouth

City of Portola

County of San Benito

County of Santa Cruz

County of Shasta

City of Shasta Lake

County of Siskiyou

County of Solano

City of St. Helena

City of Tehama

Town of Truckee

County of Tulare

City of Tulelake

County of Tuolumne

City of West Sacramento

City of Woodlake

County of Yuba

“These awards will significantly impact the ability of small cities and counties to improve the lives of their citizens. We’re proud to help fund upgrades to housing, infrastructure, and

public facilities, as well as to provide much needed public services,” said HCD Director Linn Warren.

The funds were made available under the non-entitlement CDBG Federal Program. On January 9, 2012, The 2012 CDBG Notice of Funding Availability was released announcing approximately $34 million for the Program Year 2011-2012 and an additional 50% of the allocation for Program Year 2012-2013. The total funding amount for local assistance this cycle is approximately $51.6 million. Of this amount, approximately $42.8 million will be awarded now, and approximately $8.8 million will be held for Economic Development Over-the-Counter awards to be made throughout the course of the coming fiscal year. The OTC grants typically fund large economic development projects that result in the creation and/or retention of jobs. More than half of the OTC funding must target low income individuals.

HCD provides leadership, policies, and programs to preserve and expand safe and affordable housing opportunities and promote strong communities for all Californians. HCD also supports increasing the supply of housing, especially affordable housing, and works to improve the State’s housing conditions, as well as the health and safety of its residents. HCD is California’s lead housing department, and is part of the State’s Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.

A listing of awarded jurisdictions and the scope of their projects is on the following page.

2012 CDBG Award Funding List

Federal authorities have arrested an accused member of the LulzSec hacking group, 20-year-old Raynaldo Rivera of Tempe, Arizona, after indicting him on charges related to a 2011 computer attack waged against Sony.

Rivera surrendered to the FBI on Tuesday after a grand jury indictment finalized on August 22 was unsealed. If convicted on the charges of conspiracy and unauthorized impairment of a protected computer, Rivera faces as much as 15 years in prison.

Using the online handles “neuron,” “royal” and “wildicv,” Rivera allegedly participated in a LulzSec-sponsored hack of Sony Corp’s Sony Pictures’ computer systems. On his personal Facebook page, Rivera describes himself as, “just your common computer geek.”

By means of a SQL injection attack, the FBI says River assisted in the LulzSec operation that involved illegally accessing the personal records of 37,000 account holders, according to the company, then publishing the information.

“Why do you put such faith in a company that allows itself to become open to these simple attacks?” the group said in a press release last June. Authorities say the Sony hack cost the company upwards of $600,000.

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US President Barack Obama feels like fielding some questions, but isn’t calling on correspondents from the depths of the West Wing. The commander-in-chief is conducting a Q and A, and is insisting that users of Reddit.com ask away.

President Obama surprised Redditors on Wednesday afternoon by announcing that he’d be participating in one of the website’s “Ask Me Anything,” or AMA, threads.

“Hi, I’m Barack Obama, President of the United States. Ask me anything. I’ll be taking your questions for half an hour starting at about 4:30 ET,” the president wrote.

Within minutes, a tremendous amount of traffic momentarily caused Reddit.com to be unavailable to users as the president prepared to take questions, which ranged from inquiries about the White House’s secret homebrew beer recipe to his latest take on the student loan debt crisis and the future of the country’s space program — a topic that the president decided to dive into head first with his first Reddit response.

“Making sure we stay at the forefront of space exploration is a big priority for my administration,” the president wrote. “The passing of Neil Armstrong this week is a reminder of the inspiration and wonder that our space program has provided in the past; the curiosity probe on mars is a reminder of what remains to be discovered. The key is to make sure that we invest in cutting edge research that can take us to the next level – so even as we continue work with the international space station, we are focused on a potential mission to a asteroid as a prelude to a manned Mars flight.”

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As the Republican National Convention takes off in Tampa, the upcoming Democratic National Convention is in the spotlight over skyrocketing accommodation prices that are forcing many low-income Charlotte families out of the motels where they live.

Unemployed and low-income Charlotte residents often live in cheap motels – sometimes with whole families occupying a single room. And as the upcoming DNC prompts motel costs to rise, some motel residents will have no choice but to check out.

“I work all day for $60,” Eric Jones, who predicts that each night in his motel room could end up costing his full daily income, told the Los Angeles Times. “Why am I going to pay $60 for a room? Then I won’t have enough to spend on food or anything.”

But a room at the Sunset Inn, which is usually priced between $35 to $40 a night, will increase to $250 a night during the DNC, WCNC.com reports. On average, Charlotte’s room prices will increase by 109 percent during the convention. Homeless advocacy agencies predict that the number of people without a place to stay could rise significantly as a result.

To prevent the displaced from living on the streets, groups affiliated with the Homeless Services Network have raised $20,000 to help pay for housing. Part of this money will go directly to the expected 100-plus at-risk families to help them pay the increased motel costs. The fund will also pay for a shelter at the Salvation Army, rooms in a congregational shelter and transportation to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for children.

“Ninety percent of these families don’t have their own transportation, so the impact is that the children miss school,” said Annabelle Suddreth, the executive director of A Child’s Place, a local group working to tackle the impact of homelessness on children’s education.

Officials at the Salvation Army told the Charlotte Observer that they had already been contacted by five families who lost their lodging, two of which are headed by single fathers raising their kids in motels.

About 36 church congregations have offered beds, bringing the program’s number of beds up to 800, which families will be able to use for up to eight nights.

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