BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

UCI appoints health affairs leader

David N. Bailey, the interim vice chancellor for health sciences and interim dean of the UC San Diego School of Medicine, has been named UC Irvine’s vice chancellor for health affairs. He is expected to start at the post on April 1.

In addition to serving as dean of the school of medicine, Bailey will coordinate the university’s health centers, including the UCI Medical Center in Orange, the UCI University Physicians and Surgeons and College of Health Sciences. Chancellor Michael Drake created the post in January to centralize health sciences administration at UCI.

Bailey, who graduated from Yale University in 1973, beat out a number of applicants for the new position. He has previously served as president of the California Assn. of Toxicologists, secretary-treasurer of the Assn. of Pathology Chairs and president of the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists.

“I am extraordinarily excited by the chance to help take UC Irvine to the next level of excellence in health affairs,” Bailey said in a written statement.

Gov. appoints Newport man to water board

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed Fred Ameri of Newport Beach to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, it was announced Thursday.

Ameri, 66, is a senior vice president with RBF Consulting, a planning and civil engineering firm, and he was previously appointed to the board in 1999.

Ameri’s appointment must be confirmed by the state Senate.

Electric company may not raise rates in 2007

Southern California Edison officials have proposed scrapping an electricity-rate increase that was scheduled to begin Jan. 1, and some current rates may be lowered in early 2007.

Rates were scheduled to go up 6% in January because of rising fuel costs for power plants, but fuel costs have been lower than projected and electricity sales have been higher than expected, according to a statement from the company.

New lower electricity rates will likely be set in February, so it’s not yet clear how much customers would save.

For more information, go to www.edison.com.

City will collect holiday trees to use as mulch

The city of Newport Beach’s annual Christmas tree recycling program will run Jan. 2 to Jan. 12.

Trash haulers will collect the trees during regular trash pickup and take them to the city yard to be turned into mulch.

Trees must be cut into pieces no longer than 4 feet and tied with string, and all metal stands should be removed.

The trees should be placed next to trash containers at the curb.

For more information, call (949) 644-3055 weekdays between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.