The Signal.com's Daybreak: Feb. 19, 2009

Hello, Santa Clarita Valley! Welcome to The-Signal.com's Daybreak, your point of entry for the day, and a quick journey through the past, present and future. Let the adventure begin:

'Nothing to celebrate'

The California Legislature passed a budget early Thursday in hopes of closing a $42 billion deficit through a combination of spending cuts, tax increases and borrowing.

Cam Noltemeyer: When enough is enough

Last Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission held a hearing on two projects in the Haskell Canyon area that would add yet another 500 units to the huge backlog of housing units either lying empty or unbuilt in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Home Tour League seeks new members

Each December, Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Health Foundation's Home Tour League highlight the holiday season with the Holiday Home Tours and Gala - but the planning and coordination are year-round.

Koi and Water Garden Club

The Santa Clarita Koi and Water Garden Club will meet 4 p.m. Sunday. The club meets on the fourth Sunday of each month and is comprised of people with ponds or building a pond. Members share experiences and ideas for pond construction and maintenance. For more information visit www.santaclaritakoiclub.com or call (661) 259-6437.

Leipheimer keeps lead after Stage 4 of Amgen cycle race

CLOVIS (February 18, 2009) - Considered by many as the world's fastest cyclist, Mark Cavendish (GBR) of Team Columbia-Highroad sprinted to an impressive win in Stage 4 of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. Two-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana was able to retain the overall lead and will wear the Amgen Leader Jersey heading into Stage 5 of the race. The impressive and challenging Stage 4 course, which took the riders from ...

State struggles to pay its bills

NEW YORK (AP) - California, home to celebrities on sandy beaches and dot-com millionaires, is having trouble paying its bills. The U.S. state known for sunshine, but also for earthquakes, wildfires and mudslides, is facing a disaster of another kind. The economic crisis has sapped the world's eighth-largest economy of tax revenue, leaving it with a $42 billion budget deficit over the next year-and-a-half.

COC Board of Trustees urges legislature to pass a budget

The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday night calling on state legislators to set partisanship aside and act swiftly to solve the state's projected $42 billion budget deficit - while preserving California community college's ability to continue to contribute to the state's future well-being.

Amgen cycle race streams live via Internet

LOS ANGELES, February 18, 2009 - This year, watching the most popular professional cycling race in the United States will be easier and more enjoyable than ever. For cycling fans unable to attend the 2009 Amgen Tour of California in person, and those watching from the finish lines, race presenter AEG Sports and their partners will stream the race live on the Web.

Calif. GOP shakeup bodes ill for $42B budget plan

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Chances of a quick resolution to California's budget stalemate appeared to fade Wednesday after Senate Republican holdouts ousted their leader in a midnight coup and promised to resist tax increases that GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says are needed to close a $42 billion deficit. The Democrat-controlled Legislature appears to need just one more GOP vote in the Senate to reach the two-thirds majority it needs to get the budget to the ...

Text of letter from VIA to City of Santa Clarita regarding Housing and Circulation plan

The following is the text of a letter sent by the Valley Industrial Association to the City of Santa Clarita:

Calif. Senate reconvenes in bid to fix budget

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California Democrats renewed their push Wednesday to secure the single vote needed to pass a plan to fix the state's $42 billion budget deficit after another all-night session failed to break a partisan log jam. The Senate was called back into session during the morning after the delicate compromise proposal crafted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders suffered a setback when Senate Republicans ousted their own leader over opposition to ...

Highway 14 road sign to be changed from San Fernando Road to Newhall Avenue

State Route/Highway 14 freeway exit signs for San Fernando Road were to be changed today to "Newhall Avenue," completing the street name transition that began in 2005 with the adoption of the Downtown Newhall General Plan.

Caltrans details state route, freeway closures for Amgen cycle race

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - Rolling lane closures will be in effect on various state routes and freeways from Sunday, February 15 through Sunday, February 22 for the Amgen Tour of California multi-day professional bicycle race from San Francisco to Pasadena. Stage 7 of the race will take place Saturday, February 21, between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. from the Westfield Valencia Town Center mall in Santa Clarita to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Cal Grant application deadline is March 2

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif., Feb. 17, 2009 (PRNewswire-USNewswire) -- The California Student Aid Commission (Commission) announces its "Countdown to Cal Grants" final push to encourage and remind students to apply for Cal Grants and other financial aid for education beyond high school. "Cal Grants provide access for students who want to pursue their college, career or technical training, said the Commission's Executive Director, Diana Fuentes-Michel. It is important that students opt-in to pursue their college and career ...

Judge: Ariz. sheriff's office profiles Latinos

PHOENIX (AP) - A federal judge has ruled that the office of America's self-proclaimed toughest sheriff systematically singled out Latinos in its trademark immigration patrols, marking the first finding by a court that the agency racially profiles people.

Calif. man gets prison in Medicare fraud plot

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A California man was sentenced Friday to more than three years in prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare and Medicaid more than $21 million for medical tests at New Orleans area clinics.

Protesters to march vs Monsanto in 250 cities

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Marches and rallies against seed giant Monsanto were held across the U.S. and in dozens of other countries Saturday.

After vote on gay youth, Scouts face more turmoil

The Boy Scouts of America will get no reprieve from controversy after a contentious vote to accept openly gay boys as Scouts.

Arellano Felix drug cartel leader pleads guilty

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The last of the brothers accused of creating an infamous Mexican drug cartel pleaded guilty Friday to helping send hundreds of millions of dollars in proceeds from the United States, marking one of the final milestones in an investigation that began two decades ago.

Obama's drone rules leave unanswered questions

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama left plenty of ambiguity in new policy guidelines that he says will restrict how and when the U.S. can launch targeted drone strikes, leaving himself significant power over how and when the weapons can be deployed.

Shuttle is major draw at California Science Center

LOS ANGELES (AP) - There was always been a special connection between space shuttle Endeavour and California, where it was built.

Timothy Myers: Manufactured and actual milestones

One thinks about milestones in life, but few can actually point to a day when their life really changed, for good or ill.

Bob Kellar: Live from City Hall

Reason for no outrage

I just read Betty Arensons' May 24 column, "Where is the outrage?" wherein she describes all the recent and many of the past scandals attributed to this administration and wonders why there is not more public outrage.

National Bike Month

In recognition of the increased presence of our two-wheeled counterparts on the street enjoying spring weather, May has been declared National Bike Month. During this time of year, it is especially important to have a heightened sense of awareness on the road and be on the lookout for those traveling by bicycle.

Trout, Vargas lead Angels over Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Mike Trout had his 21st multi-hit game, Jason Vargas pitched into the eighth inning and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 on Friday night to extend their winning streak to six games.

Pacers steal Game 2 from Heat, 97-93

MIAMI (AP) - David West's right hand helped the Indiana Pacers grab home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference finals.

Mason Nesbitt: Mustangs play to win in game one

Editor's note: This is the third in a series of columns by The Master's College baseball player Mason Nesbitt, who will be filing stories from Lewiston, Idaho - the site of the NAIA World Series. Nesbitt, who played baseball until his sophomore year for TMC, was asked to return to the Mustangs out of need. At the time, he was a contributing baseball writer with The Signal.

Soldier's slaying prompts UK security review

LONDON (AP) - Both of the suspects accused of butchering a British soldier during broad daylight on a London street had long been on the radar of Britain's domestic spy agency, though investigators say it would have been nearly impossible to predict that the men were on the verge of a brutal killing.