Archive By Author - Luke Money
Mercado-Fortine plans to run for City Council
Longtime William S. Hart Union High School District board member Gloria Mercado-Fortine announced Wednesday that she plans to seek a seat on the Santa Clarita City Council in 2014.
Convicts taken under realignment more serious offenders than expected
Most criminals turned over to Los Angeles County by the state are classified high- or very-high-risk offenders, a far cry from projections made before the transfer occurred, a county official said Tuesday.
Hart board to set process for naming Castaic high school
With the long-proposed Castaic high school project moving closer to reality, the William S. Hart Union High School District board will now look to answer the age-old question: What's in a name?
Tahitian dance competition draws statewide participants
Exuberant dancers gyrated to drum beats in the Santa Clarita Valley recently as the Kalakeke Pacific Island Dance Company hosted its second Tahitian dance competition.
Supervisors to hear updates on realignment
Members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will hear two updates related to the ongoing public safety realignment process during their meeting Tuesday.
Valencia High students build trebuchet 'for the heck of it'
Andrew Samson and Christian Brannon, childhood friends who live on the same street in Valencia, spent countless hours over the past several weeks building a trebuchet in Brannon's backyard.
Alarid memorial draws crowd of hundreds
Hundreds of people cried, laughed and did a bit of both at the same time during Saturday morning's memorial service celebrating the life of Sarah Alarid, whose body was found Jan. 9 after an extensive search.
DUI checkpoint nets one arrest, 27 other violations
Deputies in the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station arrested one person for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol during a checkpoint Friday night.
UPDATE: Court denies Newhall Land attempts to remove judge
Newhall Land Development Inc. has failed in its bid to remove the judge who ruled that Newhall Ranch needs further environmental review.
UPDATE: Valencia Water proposes rate hike
Valencia Water Company customers will see their rates increase by at least 11 percent in 2014 under a proposal submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission.
Curriculum, technology changes ahead for Hart district
Local school officials are eyeing curriculum changes that will take the focus away from memorization and place it on analysis and application.
Valencia High students simulate texting while driving
Several hundred Valencia High School students came face-to-face with the dangers of texting while driving on Thursday.
UPDATE: Brush fire extinguished in Canyon Country
A small brush fire in Canyon Country near Soledad Canyon Road and Stone Crest Drive charred about one acre before being extinguished this morning, a fire official confirmed.
Local districts examining new safety procedures
Several local districts have revamped their safety procedures in the aftermath of December's shooting that left 20 first-graders and six educators dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
Santa Clarita cellphone projects move forward
Members of the Santa Clarita Planning Commission have voted to move forward with two planned cellular communications projects in the city.
Articles By Author - Luke Money
Supervisors approve county review of SCV chloride plan
One of four options for ridding the Santa Clarita Valley of excess chloride met with opposition elsewhere in the county Tuesday, as Supervisor Gloria Molina raised issue with one plan to truck the salt into her district.
Group plans protest of Mayors Prayer Breakfast speaker
Members of the Santa Clarita Unity Coalition are planning to rally in front of the Hyatt Regency Valencia early Thursday to protest the keynote speaker at the Mayors Prayer Breakfast, a group representative said Tuesday.
1 injured, 3 airlifted in Angeles National Forest rescue
Three people were airlifted from the Rowher Flats off-road area in the Angeles National Forest on Monday evening after apparently being involved in a vehicle crash at the site, a Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman said.
Supervisors expected to consider local ballot changes
A bid by local school boards and a water district to pick up more voters by changing their elections from odd-number years to even-number years is expected to get a "yea" or "nay" from county supervisors on Tuesday.
Santa Clarita signals get adjustments
How long does it take for the pedestrian to cross the road?
Mayor Bob Kellar goes for a ride
About 20 people turned out Saturday morning to accompany Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar on a ride to kick off a series of events ahead of the 2013 Amgen Tour of California bike race that will roll into town in May.
A dog day afternoon at Central Park
The dog days of summer came early to Santa Clarita's Central Park this year as thousands of residents and their four-legged friends turned out for the first Rock, Walk and Wag event, put on by the Angel Dogs Foundation.
Some realignment offenders go unsupervised after release
Many offenders who would have gone to prison before the state passed its realignment law in 2011 - and thus would have spent a period on probation or parole after their sentences - are now released without any supervision because none is required after county incarceration, a county official said last week.
Einstein Academy turns sights to Acton-Agua Dulce for charter
Officials from the Albert Einstein Academy for Letters, Arts and Sciences have turned to Acton-Agua Dulce in their quest for an elementary charter school in the Santa Clarita Valley.
UPDATE: Saugus district announces new HR chief
The Saugus Union School District announced Friday that Chad Hammitt will join the district as its new assistant superintendent of human resources.
UPDATE: Arrest made in Santa Clarita spring break school burglaries
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station deputies have arrested two young men thought to be involved in a string of school burglaries committed during spring break, officials said Friday.
Metro board approves toll lane project
Los Angeles County's top transportation agency approved toll carpool lanes Thursday for Interstate 5 through the Santa Clarita Valley.
Santa Clarita Valley homeless shelter sees slight decrease in use
During the past winter, use of the Santa Clarita Valley homeless shelter tapered off slightly compared to the previous year, though the shelter was still full to capacity on the average night, an official said Thursday.
UPDATE: Saugus rejects Einstein petition for fourth time
Citing widespread programming, financial and comprehensiveness issues, members of the Saugus Union School District board voted 3-1 Tuesday night to deny a petition from the Albert Einstein Academy for Letters, Arts and Sciences to open an elementary school in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Two locally sponsored education bills clear committee
Members of the Assembly Higher Education Committee have approved a bill by a local legislator that he says would give more flexibility to community colleges to spend money on academic support staff such as counselors and librarians.
