Air quality ‘unhealthy’

Another day in July in the Santa Clarita Valley means another day we can see the air we breathe.

Valencia man dies in crash with big rig

A Valencia man who was killed Monday after his car crashed into a big-rig near Sunland was identified Tuesday by the county Coroner's Office as Hans Rudolph Beyeler, a local soccer referee and professional engineer.

Mother, officials urge pool safety

Robyn Fennessy probably planned on spending some time with her husband and three children in the family pool during the Memorial Day weekend last year.

City Council fills panel seats

Santa Clarita City Council members appointed four new members and four incumbents to the city's three commissions and panels Tuesday night.

Child hit by car in Canyon Country

A child was hospitalized after being hit by a car in Canyon Country Wednesday evening, according to the Sheriff's department.

COC amphitheater named for developer's dad

The amphitheater at College of the Canyons' Canyon Country campus will be named for Carl A. Rasmussen, a longtime community member with a penchant for spouting interesting quotations.

Newhall business owners want plants before books

It's a battle of books versus trees when it comes to guessing what will bring the biggest benefits to aging downtown Newhall.

SCV in midst of moderate drought

Santa Clarita Valley is faring better than the rest of California as the statewide drought proclaimed a month ago by the governor continues to deepen, according to weather and water experts.

News briefs

Burned body still unidentified A man who was found dead and burned on Briggs Road near Agua Dulce Canyon Road in Agua Dulce is still listed by the county Coroner's Office as John Doe. The coroner's office is unsure when the remains will be identified; investigators are trying to use dental records to positively identify the man. The body was found near a Pontiac van on July 1, after it reportedly burst into flames. Officials ...

SCV: Where you can see the air you breathe

The fireworks might be over, but the dust from the Fourth of July has yet to settle. With sweltering temperatures expected to heat up the Santa Clarita Valley this week, Monday's air quality for the Santa Clarita Valley was listed as unhealthy for "sensitive groups," according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The air quality is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups today as well. Last weekend's firework shows may have contributed ...

DUI arrests way up

As July 4 fireworks entertained tens of thousands of people throughout the Santa Clarita Valley, local law enforcement was trying to ensure that the local entertainment was safe.

Old street signs to be given to local charities

Want a piece of McBean Parkway? It could soon be in your hands. Beginning this week, Santa Clarita city officials will hand out 200 old street signs to local nonprofit groups to sell or auction off to help them raise a little extra cash. Since last year, city workers have switched out the small green street signs with big, blue shiny ones at the city's biggest intersections. The old signs were posted by the county ...

Water usage up 13.5 percent in SCV

Conservation? What conservation? Santa Clarita Valley residents are using more water instead of less since local water officials asked them to start conserving two months ago, according to the latest figures tallied by the Santa Clarita Water Co. In its monthly water sales report prepared for its parent company, the Castaic Lake Water Agency, the local water purveyor reported an increase in water sales over the same period last year and a steady increase every ...

Newhall School District awarded grant for English language learners

The Newhall School District has snagged more than $600,000 to help the state narrow down the best practices teachers should use when instructing English language learners.

Property taxes rising to pay for Open Spaces

Expect to shell out an extra dollar the next time you pay your property taxes. The city's open space tax is going up $1 per unit, bringing the assessment rate for a single-family residence to $26 annually. The tax pays for Santa Clarita's Open Space Preservation District, which annually collects from property owners in the city to fund the purchasing of undeveloped land in the Santa Clarita Valley to preserve as open space. Voters approved ...

Saugus board raises concerns at Einstein charter hearing

The Albert Einstein Academy for Letters, Arts and Sciences began its fourth attempt to charter an elementary school in the Saugus Union School District with a public hearing Tuesday night.

Baca introduces new Assistant Sheriff Terri McDonald, new Chief Ted Sexton

New Assistant Sheriff Terri McDonald and Chief Ted Sexton Introduced On Monday, March 18, 2013 at Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau, Sheriff Lee Baca introduced Terri McDonald as the new Assistant Sheriff of Custody Division. She will have the responsibility of overseeing the largest jail system in the nation with nine custody and correctional facilities and over 18,000 inmates. In addition, Assistant Sheriff McDonald will supervise the Education Based Incarceration Bureau, which is an important component within ...

Today in the SCV: Wednesday, March 20, 2013

'Teen Scene Plugged-In' event

Striking the right chord

An event called the "Instrument Petting Zoo" was held at Wiley Canyon Elementary School in Newhall on Tuesday. Students were introduced to a variety of instruments in an effort to recruit them to the school's orchestra.

TEDxCollegeoftheCanyons Convenes Local Thought Leaders

Motion could streamline services for county's mentally ill

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – A motion by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich directing the Chief Executive Officer to develop recommendations for streamlining and improving the provision of County services for the mentally ill homeless was unanimously approved.

Felony vandalism charges filed against young man arrested on drug charges

A young man arrested on drug charges but described as a prolific graffiti vandal has been charged with a dozen felony counts of vandalism, authorities said Tuesday.

UPDATE: Attempted homicide suspect detained on I-5

A Castaic man wanted for assault with a deadly weapon and attempted homicide was in custody Tuesday after local sheriff's deputies arrested him following a brief pursuit.

Canyon Country: Witnesses describe moments of terror during bank robbery

SAN FERNANDO - Witnesses took the stand in San Fernando Superior Court on Tuesday to describe long moments of sheer terror as suspected gang members allegedly threatened and shouted at them during a Canyon Country bank robbery last fall.

Supervisors ask for further review of near $1 billion jail project

County supervisors put a temporary hold Tuesday on a proposal to build a new downtown Los Angeles jail - with a price tag of almost $1 billion.

Knight supports realignment reform

SACRAMENTO­– Senator Steve Knight (R-Antelope Valley) attended a press conference this morning which introduced a series of bills to reform Prison Realignment in California. Assembly Bill 109 was passed by the California Legislature and signed by Governor Brown, taking effect in October, 2011.

SCV: Home sales continue march to recovery

Santa Clarita Valley home sales and prices continued their housing-slump recovery in February, the Southland Regional Association of Realtors reported Tuesday.

Suicide Is Second Leading Cause Of Death For College Students, Yet Too Few Seek Help

War deaths in Afghanistan number almost 2,100 young Americans lost since the U.S. entered that conflict in 2003. But most people are unaware that an even greater loss of young lives occurs every year on this nation's college campuses.

Open call for community photos

Community members are invited to submit their favorite local snapshots for the City of Santa Clarita's quarterly photography contest. The spring contest is currently underway and new submissions must be received by March 31, 2013 to qualify for a variety of cash prizes.

Today in the SCV: Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Rock Club meeting