Archive By Author - Jim Holt
New homes sought in Acton
One plucky developer is trying to push through red tape to build 16 homes in Acton near 38 homes that are in foreclosure.
Agency not waiting for a drought
New home construction is slow, but local water officials are pressing forward with six work projects that require changes to pipelines, treatment plants and pumping stations in anticipation of a massive increase in demand for water over the next 20 years.
On Election Day, all this man wants is your vote
Yeah, it's funny - until someone loses an election. Funny, that is, for local presidential candidate Stephen Thomas, who actually seems to make sense on issues that don't involve flatulence, infomercials and "noogies." "If elected, I promise to do absolutely nothing," he said. Thomas, a 38-year-old married Valencia man with a 9-year-old daughter, is running for president, and he is on the campaign trail drumming up support. He urges anyone swayed by his promise to ...
Trade group questions source of river salt
A trade group is challenging Measure S on November's ballot, saying water softener manufacturers are made a scapegoat for other agencies that dump salt into the Santa Clara River.
Political signs take a beating
Republican or Democrat, residents of the Santa Clarita Valley are waking up to destruction or elimination of their political lawn signs, and they're united in their anger.
Project never teed off
A woman in a plush white bathrobe leisurely looks over her balcony at beautiful rolling green hills and a professionally designed golf course called Los Valles.
One valley, one water supplier, official says
Tenth story in "The Big Picture," The Signal's series on plans for growth in the Santa Clarita Valley. Today we look at water, and why some officials think one agency should handle the SCV's water supplies. Click here for the rest of the stories.
Exec: Las Lomas not dead yet
Officials for the Las Lomas project believe they can resurrect the moribund 5,500-home development despite a stop-work order, a failed lawsuit, a president's resignation and two cities' resistance.
Alleged BB gunmen collared
Two alleged BB-gun snipers facing felony charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, used a laser scope and a BB gun that looks like a fully automatic AR-15 assault rifle, according to deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.
Jailhouse talk forbidden
VAN NUYS - A Superior Court judge Friday ordered former high school teacher Kevin Lamont Thomas, accused of performing lewd acts with teenage girls, to stop communicating with his alleged victims from jail.
As the clouds lift, attention turns to frosty plants
Many rain-soaked and shivering Santa Clarita Valley residents thawing out from Wednesday's snowstorm turned their attention to plants and trees exposed to freezing temperatures.
Saugus man killed in crash
Rubin Villalobos, 41, of Saugus was killed at 5:50 a.m. after his 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee hit a patch of black ice and rolled over the southbound San Fernando Road offramp onto Highway 14, said Officer John Lutz of the California Highway Patrol.
UPDATED Traffic & Weather: I-5, 14 now open
UPDATED 4 p.m. Thursday: Both Interstate 5 and Highway 14 are now open in both directions, according to Caltrans. UPDATED 12:45 p.m. Thursday: The I-5 is now open to northbound travelers. Traffic is moving freely through the cities of Santa Clarita and Valencia, said CHP Public Information Officer John Lutz. Highway 14 is closed to southbound traffic from 6.6 miles south of Palmdale at Soledad Canyon to the Highway 138 junction due to snow. ...
Bankruptcy plan would liquidate properties
A plan filed in a bankruptcy court could lead to the sale of several high-profile SCV properties. Barclays Bank proposed a liquidation plan to turn all assets owned by LandSource Communities Development LLC into cash to pay its biggest creditors, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware heard this week.
Castaic High site picked
The long-awaited Castaic high school will be built near the Sterling Gateway industrial complex, Castaic Area Town Council members heard Wednesday night.
Articles By Author - Jim Holt
SCV Sheriff’s Station volunteer coordinator takes role of volunteer
Artie Thompson - the nation's one-time Airman of the Year, the state's National Guardsman and the community's veteran sheriff's deputy reserve coordinator - is retired but not deterred in pursuing his civic duties.
Truck fire shuts down 2 lanes of I-5
A truck fully engulfed in flames shut down two lanes of Interstate 5 today for more than an hour near Smokey Bear Road, emergency response officials said.
Truck fire shuts down two lanes on Interstate 5
A truck fully engulfed in flames shut down two lanes of Interstate 5 today for more than an hour near Smokey Bear Road, emergency response officials said.
5 plead not guilty of identity theft
Five people arrested for identity theft at a Stevenson Ranch hotel last month each entered a plea of not guilty in court Thursday, a court clerk said.
Firefighters respond to Agua Dulce brush fire
Firefighters responded to a half-acre brush fire near Agua Dulce today on the north side of Highway 14 just north Escondido Canyon Road, a fire official said. About 1 p.m., officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department were dispatched to a brush fire north of the highway's southbound lanes, said Inspector Scott Miller. "We had a report of four small spot fires in that location," he said. Officers with the California Highway Patrol reported ...
Alleged SCV graffiti vandal ordered to preliminary hearing
A preliminary hearing was set Wednesday for a young man described as a prolific graffiti vandal who allegedly spray-painted property across the Santa Clarita Valley 160 times, a court clerk said.
UPDATE: San Fernando Valley man arrested in boating death last summer
A 29-year-old man has been charged in the boating death of a young Russian man on Pyramid Lake last summer, court papers show.
Chloride plan offers four alternatives
In a bid to stave off more chloride fines levied by the state, local sanitation district officials Wednesday have released four proposals for reducing the amount of salt discharged into the Santa Clara River.
San Francisquito Canyon body not murder victim
A woman whose body was found wrapped in a tarp and dumped at the side of San Francisquito Canyon Road two weeks ago does not appear to be the victim of foul play, the lead investigator said Tuesday.
UPDATE: Canyon Country: Child airlifted to L.A. hospital
An 8-year-old boy who lost consciousness after he fell from play structure at a Canyon Country elementary school was airlifted to a hospital in Los Angeles Tuesday morning, the school's principal said.
SCV Chloride plan due to be released Wednesday
When Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District officials release their proposal Wednesday to remove chloride from the Santa Clara River, with it will come close to a million dollars of advising, polling, presenting and translating "engineer-speak" into English, organizers say.
UPDATE: Newhall stabbing victim recovering in hospital
A 29-year-old Hispanic man is recovering in the hospital Tuesday after being stabbed an estimated seven times in an alcohol-fueled altercation in Newhall Monday night, a sheriff's official said.
Misdemeanor battery filed in skirmish over flag football game
An alleged "bad call" at a flag football game resulted in misdemeanor battery charges filed against the teen who refereed the game and the coach of one of the teams, a sheriff's deputies said.
Saugus swap meet turns 50
The thunderous roar and squeal that made the Saugus Speedway a local fixture in California for more than half a century has given way to the muffled sounds of bargain-hunters shuffling booth to booth at a swap meet that marked local legacy.
Car thefts reported at hospital
Three motorists reported property stolen - or had their cars vandalized in an attempted burglary - while their cars were parked at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, according to the incident log maintained by deputies of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.
