Archive By Author - Jim Holt
Water retailer finds a 'hole new way to work
A local water retailer plans to make potholes, not fix them. And it's going to spend close to $50,000 for a special pothole-making machine. The good news is that the potholes promise to save Santa Clarita Valley residents thousands of dollars. "Normally, we'd have a crew of about five, roping off an area, bringing in a backhoe and digging a large hole to find a pipe, and that takes a lot of time," said Stephen ...
Saugus wells flowing again
Two formerly perchlorate-tainted Saugus wells shut down for more than a decade should be pumping fresh, clean drinking water for Santa Clarita rate payers this spring, local water officials said.
Locals gear up for ‘Great California Shakeout’
Lee Ryan will drop to the floor right there in the bread aisle of Ralph's if it means bringing attention to earthquake preparedness.
Students hope to solve water woes
A local scholarship program called the High School Water Challenge is not about swimming, diving or even getting wet.
The last piece of the water puzzle
Local water officials put the last piece of their overall water supply puzzle in place Monday when they agreed to replace the Sand Canyon Reservoir's dirt road with a paved one.
New faces on the Castaic council
Castaic residents saw the faces of their newly elected local representatives Wednesday when the results of the Nov. 8 town council election were announced.
Inmates riot at jail
Inmates staged a relatively calm - and apparently unprovoked - riot at the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic causing minor injuries to one deputy and one inmate Friday.
Vasquez is Teacher of the Year
Michelle Vasquez staples paper feathers to a paper head dress, puts it on and takes her place at the head of a tablecloth stretched out on the floor in front of her.
New Castaic High sites on the menu
Hart district officials are focusing on a short list of four possible sites for the long-awaited Castaic high school, a school board member said Thursday.
Choir heading from Valencia to Vatican City
The Valencia High School Choir is scheduled to sing for the Pope at the Vatican in June 2009. Vatican officials selected Valencia from competing choirs around the world.
Mayor says Bermite cleanup will happen
Cleanup at the Whittaker-Bermite site is proceeding as planned, Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar told a luncheon group Wednesday.
Special fish fried by Sayre Fire
The fish are foul and the mosquitoes are multiplying. Ash from the Sayre Fire choked the county's supply of mosquito-killing fish to death. Los Angeles County officials use the fish to fight the spread of deadly West Nile Virus. The fishes' pond in Sylmar is reduced to a body of water in need of protection from mosquitoes. "Our pond with all the mosquito fish was covered in ash," said Truc Dever, spokeswoman for the Greater ...
AIG chaos may doom Bermite plans
Cleanup at the 996-acre Whittaker-Bermite site could come to screeching halt if the company funding the project declares bankruptcy, as many fear.
Local nurses counsel fire victims
SYLMAR - Gail Smith stood in line with her neighbors, waiting to tour her burned-out Sylmar neighborhood Monday.
UPDATED: Sayre Fire 64 percent contained
UPDATED 8:50 Monday: Sayre Fire by the numbers: * 64% contained * 11,207 acres burned * 1,301 firefighters assigned to fire * 500 mobile homes destroyed, nine single-family dwellings destroyed, 15 damaged * 10 commercial buildings destroyed * 104 outbuildings at Oliveview Hospital destroyed, including the child care center Air quality: The Air Quality Management District urges people to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities in any area directly impacted by smoke. This includes portions of ...
Articles By Author - Jim Holt
UPDATE: Powerhouse Fire heading into 'super dry' area
The Powerhouse Fire is heading northwest of Green Valley into a "super dry" mountainous area that hasn't burned since 1929, a U.S. Forest Service official said today.
UPDATE: Newhall man arrested following Valencia car burglary
A burglar smashed the window of a car parked in a Valencia shopping center and stole a purse containing more than $600 on Monday, Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's officials said.
UPDATE: Deadline looming for chloride plan in Santa Clarita
The Santa Clarita City Council this week will consider asking state water authorities for an extended deadline on a plan to reduce chloride in the Santa Clara River.
No bail reduction for Castaic man accused of child molestation
A Los Angeles Police Department officer accused of molesting two young girls in Castaic was denied a reduction in bail Thursday, a spokeswoman for county prosecutors said.
Local deputies looking for an iPad snatcher
An iPad-snatching crime had local sheriff's deputies looking for a robbery suspect in Newhall on Wednesday, a law enforcement official said.
Thieves target high-end bikes in Valencia
Bicycle thieves have been using blowtorches to steal high-end bikes locked in front of locations in downtown Valencia, a sheriff's deputy said Wednesday.
UPDATE: Recipe for fire due to continue through end of week
Hot, dry and windy is the recipe for brush fires, but it's also the forecast for the Santa Clarita Valley for the rest of the week, according to weather officials.
Suspect in Newhall bank robbery pleads not guilty
A Palmdale man accused of robbing a Newhall bank last week pleaded not guilty today to the charge of robbery, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
Deputies search for Newhall iPad-snatching thief
An iPad-snatching crime has local sheriff's deputies looking for a robbery suspect in Newhall today, a law enforcement official said.
No charges in fatal Interstate 5 freeway crash
A Pasadena man charged in March with felony drunken driving after a fatal traffic collision on Interstate 5 will not be prosecuted, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said this week.
Second crash victim has far more severe injuries than thought
A second young woman hurt in a three-vehicle traffic collision in Valencia late Saturday night suffered injuries more serious than first believed, said the traffic deputy investigating the crash.
UPDATE: Magic Mountain fire doused after blackening 149 acres
A brush fire burned close to Six Flags Magic Mountain and West Ranch High School Thursday, but neither was evacuated during the afternoon blaze that blackened 149 acres.
LAPD officer’s lawyer: “Everyone rushed to judgment”
The lawyer representing a Los Angeles Police Department officer accused of molesting two young girls he allegedly lured to his Castaic home has fired back at accusers.
Valencia: Misdemeanor battery charge filed against coach in alleged referee assault
County prosecutors are proceeding with a battery charge filed last month against a local flag football coach, according to investigators at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Parks Bureau.
Not guilty plea entered in Canyon Country stabbing
A 19-year-old man charged with attempted murder for the stabbing of another man in Canyon Country last week has pleaded not guilty to the felony charge against him, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said.
