The Lepley family's new home, recently purchased for $250,000 once valued at more than $550,000.

Derrick, and Mary Ann Lepley with their daughter, Melody.

The house that the Aceves family is trying to short sell.

Paul Vercammen
CNN Senior Producer

The two-story homes on Fir Circle in an upscale Lake Elsinore, California neighborhood tell two stunningly different tales.

Some are vacant, bank-owned and beat-up inside.

Others are filled with kids' laughter and the sounds of boxes unpacking and families moving in.

Mary Ann Lepley, her husband Derrick and their two-year-old daughter Melody have been in their 3,000 square-foot home on Fir Circle for almost three months.

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Jim Cheatley on his motorcycle.

Inside the SRS plant.

Paul Vercammen
CNN Senior Producer

Call it a journey to a job. Jim Cheatley rode his motorcycle from his San Clemente, Calif. home, through the north San Diego County countryside on the windy Ortega Highway, past the Eucalyptus trees, crossed into Riverside County and parked his bike at SRS Engineering.

The married father with a six-year-old son walked into the industrial park, resume in hand, and to apply for work with SRS Engineering.

“It was a great ride from San Clemente to here,” Cheatley smiled. “No problems on the road, beautiful.”

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Program Note: For more on Alonso Arellano's green tortillas, tune in to AC360° tonight at 10 p.m. ET.

Alonso Arellano in his Nopaltilla factory. He says the demand for these green tortillas is greater than the supply.

Paul Vercammen
CNN Senior Producer

Alonso Arellano believes the green tortillas flopping onto a conveyor belt in his small factory are their own economic stimulus in a clear plastic package. The tortillas, called Nopaltillas, are made with powder from the nopal or prickly pear cactus, renowned in Mexico for its healthy properties.

Arellano says right now the demand for these tortillas is greater than supply.

“You know instead of giving all this money to AIG executives, they should just give it to me to invest,” Arellano says. “I could take that money, rebuild tortilla factories that are struggling in this economy. And that would create jobs.”

Arellano is one of those restless entrepreneurs who runs around acting like he’s just glad to be breathing.

And he is. Arellano almost took his last breath at the age of 11 while visiting the United States on vacation from Mexico.

“I always had this pain in my legs, and they started hurting real bad so my mom took me to the doctor,” Arellano explains, “They did some tests and found I had 90 percent blockage in the artery near my heart.”

Arellano underwent heart surgery and never returned to Mexico.

But Arellano still clings to much of his Mexican heritage – including the belief that the prickly pear cactus is a cure-all.

“Growing up all I ever heard was how good the prickly pear is for you,” Arellano explains “They say it helps reduce cholesterol, that it’s high in dietary fiber and it’s only 50 calories for one tortilla,”

Now only four people work for Arellano making tortillas, but he says that number could grow. Arellano is in talks about partnerships with a major health food store chain, a northern California distributor that ships to 150 stores, and a Latino supermarket chain.

“If any one of these hits I will go from shipping boxes of tortillas to palettes,” he says. Most of his sales are from stores.

But he also sells the Nopaltillas on the internet for $1.49 a dozen, and $2.99 for three dozen.

Arellano says he tested and fiddled with the recipe for months.

Seems like he got the formula right. Take a bite out of one of these Nopaltillas without anything extra on it and it tastes great plain.

It's nice to see something as simple as a green tortilla can inspire a little consumer spending.

Technicians climb wind turbines in Tehachapi, CA.

Wind Turbines in Tehachapi, CA.

Paul Vercammen
CNN Senior Producer

Tehachapi, California. It blows here, hard enough it seems to strip feathers from chickens, or stiff enough to straighten out in two minutes some housewife's curly hairdo that took two hours to coif.

As local legend goes, they started wind power up here in the early 1980s, building crude erector sets with propellers and converting all that spinning into energy.

Tehachapi is about a two hour-drive North of Los Angeles and a cultural divide away.

People here don't ride in black Limos. They drive dusty trucks.

They don't take a dip in the Pacific. They dip chewing tobacco.

Mike Mesier is VP for Operations and Training for Airstreams, a company that trains folks to fix wind turbines.

Tehachapi and neighboring hamlets are full of McGyvers, men and women who can fix anything and create art with a screwdriver.

They say Mike Goldsworthy can make a cabinet so useful and beautiful, you can admire your image in the reflection on the outside, and on the inside store the china and the plastic cups from concession stand.

But when the economy tanked, cabinetmaking became a luxury. Goldsworthy couldn't find a job so he threw caution to the relentless wind and started climbing.

Now this craftsman who owns mules and horses tends to his wind turbines up in the air, making sure the herds of them that dot these hills are healthy.

"Look out my office window," laughs Goldsworthy, standing on a hill carpeted with grass that's mid-March green and lined with wind turbines that sing when the blowing brings them to life.

"It's fantastic. Who would not want to work out here in the air. You got 360 degree views. Beautiful weather. Sunshine. Occasionally you get snowed on. No biggie."

Well if the recovery needs to officially start somewhere, why not here in the rolling, wind-whipped hills with Goldsworthy.

Some predict in 20 years, 20 percent of America's electricity demands will be provided by wind which means more Mike Goldsworthy-types are needed.

There's more wind turbines to be built.

And for anyone anywhere who ever cursed the wind in their backyard for rattling the windows or snapping the flag, there could be something in there for them - a job.

Jessica Keenan, 34, is getting married January 24, thanks to the Dream Foundation.

Paul Vercammen
CNN Senior Producer

You may not be stone cold broke, but you are watching your money. You want to help terminally ill adults, but how are you going to do it without writing a hand-cramping check?

Check out Dream Foundation - your donated frequent flier miles, hotel points or corporate connections can ease the pain of dying adults and their families.

Help send Ed and his wife off to Florida. Bone cancer is expected to kill the 41-year-old Missouri man in six months or less. They could use a hotel room.

There are plenty of wishes to grant on the Dream Foundation website.

A Quincieniera celebration for a daughter who sticks by her dying mother.

A woman who is a Lakers fan and just wants to go to one game before she joins late great announcer Chick Hearn in heaven.

Maybe you know companies that would love to help.

I showed up at a Beverly Hills boutique, Monique Llhuillier, which went all-out for a brave young woman.

What a funny scene: there I am under-dressed alpha male CNN producer with a gaggle of bridesmaids watching their girl try on wedding dresses in this upscale store.

Really cool to see how Dream Foundation hooked up Jessica, a stage four breast cancer patient, with an awesome wedding.

Hey, even a 25 dollar check helps out.

Multiply that times four other people donating the same amount and you have a good start on the snacks for the Quincieniera.

Know any cool D.J.s in So Cal?

Anything helps.

Editor’s Note: Read Paul’s story on how the Dream Foundation helped a breast cancer patient plan her wedding.

Paul Vercammen
CNN Senior Producer

Today at 9a PT (noon ET) Sentencing in the O.J. Simpson trial begins

On October 3, a jury convicted Simpson, 61, and co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart of 12 charges, including conspiracy to commit a crime, robbery, assault and kidnapping with a deadly weapon.

Their convictions stem from a September 13, 2007, fracas at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Prosecutors alleged that Simpson led a group of men who used threats, guns and force to take sports memorabilia from dealers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley.

Length estimated: one to two hours

Courtroom insiders expect closer to one hour as Judge Glass stays true to her no-nonsense form.

Besides defense and prosecution lawyers, another expected speaker is former prosecution witness and alleged victim Bruce Fromong.

In this bizarre tale of Men Behaving Badly, memorabilia dealer Fromong will testify FOR Simpson, saying the crime does not warrant a long sentence.

The prosecution will call no one.

Simpson for now is not expected to speak, unless asked to by the judge.

Judge Jackie Glass is expected to be tough on Simpson. There was palpable tension between Glass and the defense team all trial long. Glass has called Simpson arrogant and cut him zero slack in his legal proceedings.

Glass has tremendous leeway under Nevada State law to impose a variety of senteces ranging from eligible for parole in six years (according to several sources) to life in prison.

Keep reading

The verdicts are read in O.J. Simpson's armed robbery and kidnapping trail.

Paul Vercammen
CNN Senior Producer

The O.J. Simpson three-ring, huge crowds, big show, never materialized during his Las Vegas trial.
"Juice" was just a media afterthought, with his men behaving badly case buried by election stories and dispatches of an economic meltdown.

The media parking lot was two thirds empty.

So no O.J. Media circus under bright lights, but instead a twisted sideshow seemingly rolled in off a flatbed truck with the freaks climbing onto the unpaved road.

The witness stand became the dimly lit stage for all manner of jaw-dropping mutants.
They took their turns - obscenity gushing gunmen, double-talking hucksters, fawning admirers.
All of them linked somehow to the formerly acquitted major football and minor acting star.
The witness stories meandered like ivy grows, just moving forward and tangled.
But the freaks told a tale that sent Simpson directly to jail, do not pass go and get the hell out of Judge Jackie Glass' courtroom.

Walk out of the wooden front doors room courtroom 15A and you look upon a picture postcard of the Las Vegas strip.

Simpson got no last look.

There was no last bombastic walk before the cameras in handcuffs either.

They hauled perhaps the world's most infamous defendant through a side door, a tunnel and into jail across the street.

The Friday Night in Las Vegas was warm and windy and filled with theories of superstition and bad karma.
A Las Vegas jury threw the book at Simpson, knocking him out exactly 13 years after he was acquitted of double murder.

The jury deliberated 13 hours.

There wasn't a black cat in the courtroom, but there was a blackout, a momentary flicker of darkness in the side show tent when the power went out.

Keep reading

Paul Vercammen
CNN Senior Producer

10:04a PT

Judge Jackie Glass, wearing jeans and a blue polo shirt, gave a brief tour of her courtroom Friday morning to two adults and three young children.

The judge showed the two nine-year-old cub scouts and a seven-year-old girl her gavel and bench.
Glass joked about what she tells lawyers from her chair.

"They yell objection," Glass explained. "Then you yell sustained. Now sit down.. Or no, no, no."
The cub scouts were visiting the court as part of a quest to get a citizenship patch.

Glass has kept a lid on the high-powered attorneys in the trial, often reprimanding them for their behavior.

9:24a PT
The jury in the 0.J. Simpson robbery trial has begun deliberating on the fifteenth floor of the Clark County Regional Justice Center.

The panel of nine women and three men includes one Latina. None of the jurors are African-American.

Paul Vercammen
CNN Senior Producer

In the halls of the Clark County Regional Justice Center, you can run into O.J. Simpson. He won't answer any questions about his trial.

But he will talk about his affinity for Las Vegas.

"The people in Las Vegas have just been tremendous. This is the first time I have come here that I have spent time off the strip in the neighborhoods. The people have been fantastic.

"A lot of people think I might move to Las Vegas. The truth is when I decided to move from L.A., It was between Las Vegas and Miami. Miami worked out well. Both kids (Nicole Brown Simpson's children with O.J.:Justin, 20 years old, and Sydney, 22 years old) are honor students and are in college.

"I don't want to say where they are. People at school don't know I'm they're dad. I was walking with my daughter (Sydney) and some radio guy says 'O.J. was spotted on campus with his new main squeeze and they just keep getting younger and younger.' They had no idea it was my daughter."

"But I now have a new respect for the citizens of Las Vegas. I like Las Vegas - great golf courses, great restaurants."

Paul Vercammen
CNN Senior Producer

10:45a PT
O.J. Smpson's friend testified Wednesday that two former co-defendants in the case tried to extort money from him.

Tom Scotto told the jury that alleged gunmen in the kidnapping and robbery trial, Michael McClinton and Walter Alexander, wanted 50 thousand dollars in exchange for testimony favorable to Simpson.

McClinton and Alexander made plea deals with prosecutors that could result in them receiving no prison time.

According to Scotto, he knew McClinton was a "street thug."

The witness testified McClinton threatened him saying "we (Scotto and Simpson) better come up with 50 thousand dollars or else."

Scotto also said an angry McClinton warned "I'll shoot everybody up."

Scotto owns an auto shop in Florida and was in Las Vegas last year to get married, when Simpson was arrested here on kidnapping, armed robbery and other charges.

7:50a PT

O.J. Simpson's close friend Tom Scotto is expected to testify for the defense today in the armed robbery and kidnapping trial.

Simpson arrived minutes ago with his lawyers who indicated Scotto could be on the stand for "a long time."

Simpson traveled to Las Vegas last year to attend Scotto's wedding, but was arrested before the ceremony with five other men involved in a sting at the Palace Station Hotel to recover sports memorabilia the ex-football star says was his.

Defense lawyers are expected to ask Scotto about whether former codefendants in the case allegedly suggested to him they could give favorable testimony to Simpson, if they got "help," meaning money.

The defense team for C.J. Stewart plans to call five witnesses.