McGrath surprised, honored by school's name

The closely guarded secret was revealed at Superintendent J. Michael McGrath's retirement dinner, taking even his secretary by surprise: The next school built in the Newhall School District would be named in McGrath's honor.

Highlands math whiz earns perfect score

Most sixth graders don't even pass the Math Honors Test given each year by the Saugus Union School District, and only one student in the 12 year history of the test has earned a perfect score.

Memorial gardens raise money for the troops

Two boys from Santa Clarita died in Iraq. On Sunday, their service and the service paid by scores of other local military heroes to our country was honored, not with a gun salute or a parade down Main Street, but with a simple invitation to stroll through gardens of flowers and a simple message - remember those who serve.

Man caught with coke, marijuana on Highway 14

A Lancaster man was arrested in Canyon Country after authorities found more than six grams of rock cocaine, less than one gram of marijuana and nearly $3,000 in cash in his vehicle during a traffic stop, an official said Monday.

Italian Feast satisfies

One does not need to fly East to please the palate with the taste an Italian feast. For those living in the Santa Clarita Valley, one only has to travel to Westfield's Valencia Town Center, where the sights and sounds of Italy came to life Saturday with an entire day of food, music and play. For the second straight year, Frankie Competelli - owner of Hollywood's Frankie's on Melrose - brought the Italian-American experience to ...

Video team nabs dual awards

The video program at West Ranch High School continued its award-winning work this spring, bringing home honors from state and national competitions. At the 42nd annual California Media Festival, the WRTV daily broadcast was named the Best Student Produced Television Show in the state of California. "The Coffin," a short film by Tyler Sellars and Josh Chocooj, was named Most Creative Video and "Cruel Melody," a music video by Aaron LaRue and Jordan Paterson, won ...

History given life

Some 30 young children and teenagers swimming in a community pool at Soledad Canyon's Thousand Trails in Acton were surprised Saturday when a cannon was fired. Thankfully, the cannon was not real. Instead, the fake piece of artillery was used to take about 300 onlookers back in time to the 1860s, when America was engulfed in the Civil War.

French fry grease turned into fuel

A lot of people complain about the skyrocketing price of gasoline, but a West Ranch High School chemistry teacher, with the help of his students, decided to do something about it. After gathering used vegetable oil from a local Burger King, teacher Benjamin Scott taught his students how to turn the leftover french fry grease into biodiesel fuel.

As gas goes up, so does SCV bus ridership

As the week rounded out with average gas prices reaching $4.40 per gallon, city bus ridership is now at an all-time high, according to a Santa Clarita Transit official. "People need public transportation now more than ever," said Transit Manager Jeff O'Keefe. "Clearly the rising fuel prices have had an effect on ridership."

Man arrested after hitting dog with shovel

A Saugus man was arrested Saturday morning after a neighbor saw him beating his Pit Bull Terrier repeatedly with a shovel, officials said. According to Lt. Tom Bryski of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station, Matthew Lantzy, 30, was taken into custody after his neighbor called the station to report that Lantzy used a shovel to beat the head of his dog.

Teacher garners $10,000 grant for alternate energy

A local teacher has also been awarded a $10,000 A+ for Energy grant from BP America. Wendy Shaner, a special education teacher at Canyon Springs Elementary School, received a grant for a project she developed called Nature's Energy at Work. The project will give students the opportunity to learn about solar, thermal and biomass energy through the creation and maintenance of a solar greenhouse, outdoor solar garden, solar water farm and biomass compost station. ...

Three-acre fire slows I-5 traffic

A 3-acre grass fire erupted Saturday morning just off the right hillside shoulder of northbound Interstate 5 at the 2,000-foot level. Fire crews fought the Turn Incident, which burned along the rugged, mountainous gap between northbound and southbound lanes of I-5 approximately 2 miles north of Lake Hughes Road in Castaic, for nearly one hour. According to Batallion 6 Fire Chief Michael Flocks, the fire started just before 11 a.m. Saturday. About 80 county firefighters ...

Newhall Land owner files for bankruptcy

LandSource Communities Development, LLC, owner of Newhall Land, Sunday filed a voluntary petition for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware in Wilmington. As a LandSource subsidiary, Valencia-based Newhall Land is included in the filing.

UPDATED: Dodgers win on SCV Dodger Day

Saturday was SCV Dodger Day at Dodger Stadium, as the team played an afternoon game, the third in a series of four games with the visiting Chicago Cubs.

First class completes 'looping' program

A group of eighth graders at Rio Norte Junior High just completed a two-year experiment involving an educational concept called "looping." Simply put, looping is the practice of allowing a classroom teacher to "promote" with his or her class of students to the next grade, so that a team of students stays with the same teacher for both seventh and eighth grades.

Newhall Crime Report: Deputies respond to property crimes

This week Newhall (Zone 6) had eight part one crimes reported. Two shoplifting incidents, three petty thefts, one assault, one commercial burglary, and one stolen vehicle.

Canyon Country man gets 64 years to life in shooting of neighbor

A Canyon Country man who shot and killed his neighbor following a vicious seven-year feud has been sentenced to 64 years to life in prison.

UPDATE: Blaze in Valencia held to 1 1/2 acres

A Santa Clarita Valley brush fire that was initially reported as two separate blazes was doused by Los Angeles County firefighters in the Valencia Industrial Center today.

College of the Canyons Plans Educational Trip to Cuba

SANTA CLARITA-Imagine what it would be like to wander around the streets of Havana with a camera, capturing scenes of everyday life in Cuba: the bustling squares, majestic cathedrals, iconic cigar shops and "Yank tanks," the classic American cars that still zoom down Cuban roads as vestiges of a bygone era.

Saugus: HOA structures vandalized with anti-Semitic symbols

Vandals defaced HOA complex structures with racist slogans and anti-Semitic symbols during the weekend in Saugus, prompting a probe by local sheriff's detectives, a manager for the property said Monday.

Santa Clarita road closures for the Amgen Tour of California

The following road closures are planned within the city of Santa Clarita Tuesday and Wednesday for the Amgen Tour of California.

Arrests: Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, May 13, 2013

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UPDATES: Biking activities take center stage in Santa Clarita Valley

You might call today the kick-off of Bicycle Week in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Insanity plea by Holmes holds risks for both sides

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) - One of James Holmes' lawyers asked a judge on Monday to change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity in the Colorado theater shootings. Such a plea is seen as his best hope of avoiding the death penalty in the killings of 12 people at a packed midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora. Changing the plea still carries risks for Holmes but moving in that direction ...

Smoke from controlled burn alarms Castaic residents

Smoke from a controlled burn near Hasley Canyon alarmed some Castaic residents this morning, a Fire Department spokesman said.

City budget projected to be slightly smaller than last year

Even as state and national economic conditions continue to improve, Santa Clarita's proposed budget for next year will actually shrink a bit, City Manager Ken Striplin said at a recent budget study session.

Homeowners face challenges from high-speed rail project

While the planned California high-speed rail isn't expected to arrive in the Santa Clarita Valley for 20 to 30 years, homeowners are already being held hostage to what some call a boondoggle and others say is a step into the modern transportation era for the state, some local residents say.

Kids and youth compete in the Antelope Valley Youth Rodeo Association Junior Rodeo

About 90 contestants raced, roped and rode in the Antelope Valley Youth Rodeo Association Junoir Rodeo on Sunday at JPK Arena in Agua Dulce.

Babies and parents celebrate Henry Mayo NICU’s first birthday

Graduation season has begun in the Santa Clarita Valley, but one recent ceremony was unique: all the graduates arrived in diapers.

Road closures for Amgen