Youth Camp

Mitchell Johnson, 14, and Andrew Golden, 12, the two boys convicted in the schoolyard shooting deaths of four students and a teacher at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Ark., arrived at a state youth facility in Alexander, Ark., where they will serve their sentences. Mitchell pleaded guilty to five counts of murder and 10 battery counts in the March 24 shooting. Andrew was found guilty by a judge who rejected his temporary insanity claim.

The U.S. Justice Department and the FBI have launched a criminal investigation into the death of a Sacramento youth at the troubled Arizona Boys Ranch. The Justice Department's civil rights division confirmed Wednesday that it has an open investigation into the circumstances surrounding the March 2 death of Nicholaus Contreraz at the paramilitary camp for juveniles at Oracle, Ariz.

Even after serving time for carjacking, Jakiesha Smith could have an edge over other candidates seeking an entry-level position as a firefighter. It's not only because she is a woman who could improve diversity in most fire departments. Or an African American woman, for that matter. It's because 19-year-old Smith is experienced. While serving a two-year term at the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility, Smith received training and is now working as a firefighter.

Young campers are invited to participate in Placentia's summer program offered at Kraemer Memorial Park, featuring arts and crafts, sports, swimming and other activities. Registration continues for the 12-week day camp, held through Sept. 4. The program, which runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, is open to children ages 5 to 12. Cost is $210 for a two-week session. The city is also hosting the first Junior Goodwill Games on June 14 at El Dorado High School.

Citing a lack of evidence, prosecutors said Monday that they have decided not to file charges against the director of a youth camp in Thousand Oaks who was arrested last month on suspicion of sex crimes. The decision ends a three-month investigation involving 29-year-old William Allen Clemens of Simi Valley, who has been on administrative leave as director of the Young Set Club since Dec. 15. Clemens turned himself in Feb.

Prosecutors have yet to file charges against a Thousand Oaks youth camp director suspected of molesting children, and could wait another week before making a final decision on the case. "According to the defense attorney, there's some information out there that he feels we need to look at," said Deputy Dist. Atty. Patricia Murphy, who heads the prosecution's unit on sexual assault and family protection.

A frank session on dating violence. A screening that rips the lid off popular culture and shows music videos as a source of damaging sexist imagery. And, as if those topics weren't heavy enough, a panel discussion on genocide. These are just a smattering of events embraced by a group of Orange County's top high school students cloistered at UC Irvine for a 10-day course in reality that could easily be dubbed Camp Bummer.

Ventura County supervisors on Tuesday will consider approving a financing agreement with two neighboring counties to develop a boot camp for nonviolent youth offenders. The supervisors agreed last year to join with Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties to apply for an $865,000 federal construction grant to build a 40-bed dormitory at the existing Los Prietos Boys Camp in Santa Barbara County.

A group of students learned the fishy facts of marine biology this week at a summer science program sponsored by the Orange County Marine Institute. The weeklong Marine Institute for Youths is a new program that provided 24 budding marine biologists age 12 to 15 intensive hands-on activities in marine science.