Archive By Author - Jim Holt
Castaic Lake Water Agency expected to close purchase of Valencia Water Co.
The Castaic Lake Water Agency is expected to close a deal Friday to buy the Valencia Water Co. from Newhall Land Development Inc.
Santa Clarita to fight fine over chloride levels
The City of Santa Clarita is fighting a $280,250 water fine over chloride levels handed to the local sanitation district by state water quality assessors last month.
Castaic killer sent to state mental hospital
A Castaic man who strangled his stepfather while the two were traveling on Interstate 5 and who was determined to be not guilty by reason of insanity Tuesday has been sentenced to a state mental hospital, a court official confirmed.
Convicted driver to undergo 90-day review
A 68-year-old man who entered a plea of no contest Tuesday to the felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident has been ordered to undergo a 90-day review in state prison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office confirmed.
Crash blamed on falling asleep
Falling asleep at the wheel is suspected in a single-car rollover crash early Thursday morning that left one man slightly injured, a local sheriff's sergeant said.
Athlete survives crash
Dean Hendrix-Davis, captain of the basketball team at Canyon High School, said Wednesday he remembers driving through a roadside fence but recalls nothing about his 50-foot plunge down an embankment.
Man committed to state mental hospital following wild chase
A Chatsworth man accused of leading deputies on a wild high-speed chase through Santa Clarita two years ago has been committed to a state mental hospital, court papers show.
UPDATE: High wind warning issued for Santa Clarita Valley
It was a blustery day in the Santa Clarita Valley Tuesday and weather specialists were calling for a blustery night to follow.
UPDATE: Newhall Bicycle Company calling it quits
After years of spearheading what has become the Santa Clarita Valley's biggest community event and annual street party at Thanksgiving, the owners of the Newhall Bicycle Company are throwing in the towel on their business.
Due to insanity, Castaic man found not guilty of strangling stepfather
A Castaic man who strangled his stepfather while the two were traveling on Interstate 5 was determined to be not guilty by reason of insanity on Tuesday, a court official confirmed.
Newhall driver pleads no contest in fatal hit-and-run
A 68-year-old man accused of failing to remain at the scene of a fatal car-versus-pedestrian collision in Valencia last February entered a plea of no contest Tuesday, capping almost a year of court appearances.
UPDATE: Rollover crash in Canyon Country leaves driver injured
A car crashed through a fence and plunged down a 50-foot embankment Tuesday in Canyon Country, rolling over and injuring its driver who was trapped inside, officials said.
Wires down forces closure of some Castaic-area roads
A section of Lake Hughes Road in Castaic was closed to traffic Tuesday morning after utility wire were reported to be draped low across lanes, the California Highway Patrol confirmed.
Deputies step up school patrols
More sheriff's deputies were patrolling near Santa Clarita Valley schools on Monday, and fewer students were in some classes, reflecting the profound local impact of Friday's school shooting in Connecticut.
Chess celebrity visits Trinity Classical Academy
Trinity Clasical Academy students recently hosted a young chess celebrity - soon to be a worldwide celebrity, thanks to a contract with the Walt Disney Co.
Articles By Author - Jim Holt
Pitchess East graduates first EBI class
Five dozen inmates at the Pitchess Detention Center proudly took the jail's podium Thursday as the east facility's first graduating class from the Sheriff Department's newly launched Education Based Incarceration program.
Valencia: Stuck in an elevator
Two College of the Canyons students spent their lunch hour in an elevator Thursday after the car got stuck, college officials said.
UPDATE: Valencia: Sheriff’s deputies chase, capture suspected vandal
A suspected graffiti vandal was detained at gunpoint today after a brief foot chase in Valencia, a sheriff's spokesman said.
Valencia: One injured in collision of motorcycle and car
One person was taken to the hospital with undisclosed injuries Thursday following a traffic collision involving a motorcycle and a car in Valencia, a Sheriff's Department spokeswoman said.
UPDATE: Suspected ‘blond scammer’ taken into custody by Ventura deputies
SAN FERNANDO - A woman suspected of being the "blond scammer" - who stalked other women at grocery stores, stealing their wallets and then using their IDs to obtain cash or expensive jewelry - appeared briefly in court today only to be arrested by Ventura County sheriff's deputies, a bailiff said.
Stevenson Ranch: 5 ID theft suspects make court appearance Wednesday
Five people suspected of identity theft after being arrested at a Stevenson Ranch hotel this week made a court appearance Wednesday and were scheduled to be arraigned next month.
Saugus man gets probation in online dating thefts
A Saugus man charged with three felonies for stealing from local women he romanced online received a suspended sentence and three years' probation this week after pleading no contest to the charges.
Resolution possible for Valencia pair charged with possessing illegal weapon
SAN FERNANDO - The lawyer representing a young Valencia man who made national news last fall for allegedly posting online comments about hurting children told a San Fernando Superior Court commissioner Wednesday he anticipates a "possible resolution" in the case.
5 due in court Wednesday on ID theft charges
Five people arrested at a Stevenson Ranch hotel Monday are expected to appear in court Wednesday on felony identity theft charges, a local sheriff's spokesman said.
UPDATE: Canyon Country: One taken to hospital following fight near fast-food restaurant
A man was taken to the hospital today following a fist fight near the McDonalds Restaurant on Soledad Canyon Road in Canyon Country, emergency response officials said.
UPDATE: Admitted Stevenson Ranch rapist sentenced to 43 years to life
SAN FERNANDO - A 19-year-old man who admitted to a brutal rape last year, then tried to withdraw his admission, was sentenced to 43 years to life in prison Monday after a judge said he couldn't change his mind about the plea.
Newhall: Man arrested on suspicion of van theft
Sheriff's deputies arrested a man in Newhall this morning on suspicion he stole a van, a sheriff's spokesman said.
UPDATE: Acton crash survivor listed in good condition
A 9-year-old girl who survived a vehicle crash that killed her father in Acton is expected to be released from the hospital Tuesday, a California Highway Patrol official said Monday.
All for the competition
More than 160 young people on their way to becoming police officers competed in a series of challenges Sunday similar to what law enforcement officers experience day to day.
UPDATE: Attempted homicide charge filed in bar beating
A Castaic man was charged with attempted murder after he allegedly beat another man in a Sunland bar Monday night, using a "mini baseball bat," officials said Thursday.
