The West Ranch Beacon – News & Commentary for the Santa Clarita Valley

Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich will be sworn-in at 10:00 AM on Monday for an eighth term on the Board of Supervisors representing the County’s Fifth Supervisorial District. Michael Reagan, eldest son to President Ronald Reagan, talk show host and best-selling author, will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the swearing-in ceremony. “It is my pledge to you that in my eighth term, I will continue to make Public Safety my Number One priority and fight for efficient, responsive County government to improve the quality of life for all County residents,” said Antonovich.

Oxford University research has helped understanding of the so-called ‘cocktail party effect’ – how our brains develop the ability to pinpoint and focus on particular sounds among a background of noise. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, (more…)

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger still has two years left in his term, but the former actor already appears to be preparing for his next role – likely on the world stage. In January, he will address the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland. (more…)

Bruce Thomas washed cars at his father’s General Motors dealership here at age 12, changed oil in high school, and sold his first Pontiac during college. His commitment to a famed American industry, part business and part romance, never waned. (more…)

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.1 has struck the Kern County area but there are no reports of damage or injuries. A preliminary report by the U.S. Geological Survey says the quake hit shortly before 1:15 PM Saturday and was centered 30 miles northeast of Ridgecrest. The quake followed a 3.2-magnitude temblor which hit the same area at about 3:00 AM.

With retirement accounts tumbling and millions of homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages, a realization is dawning on many Americans: The banks, brokerage firms, insurance companies and other players in the financial-services industry have failed them. (more…)

Five people, one of whom was pregnant, were killed in traffic accidents in Los Angeles County during the first 60 hours of the Thanksgiving (more…)

Researchers have found new evidence that the atmosphere of Mars is being stripped away by solar wind. It’s not a gently continuous erosion, but rather a ripping process in which chunks of Martian air detach themselves from the planet and tumble into deep space. (more…)

It has been leaked that Barack Obama will soon nominate Hillary Clinton – who just months ago berated his policy of opening talks with Iran as “irresponsible and, frankly, naive” – to serve as his secretary of state. (more…)

The mother of a girl who committed suicide at age 13 after being subjected to an Internet hoax says a woman’s conviction in the case shows that people who use the “Internet as a weapon” will face consequences. (more…)

There have been no reports of injury or damage after a small earthquake struck the Salinas Valley in California’s Central Coast region. The U.S. Geological Survey says the preliminary 3.0-magnitude quake struck at 10:40 PM on Friday. It was centered 1 mile east of Aromas, 12 miles northwest of Hollister and 35 miles southeast of San Jose. This after an earthquake was recorded off the coast of Eureka. The U.S. Geological Survey says that quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 and hit at 5:42 AM Friday about 147 miles west of Eureka.

Drunk driving arrests in Los Angeles County by the California Highway Patrol were down significantly at the start of this Thanksgiving weekend, (more…)

A Wal-Mart employee in suburban New York died after he was trampled by a crush of shoppers (more…)

A man using a candy cane lawn ornament fended off a knife-wielding neighbor who had been attacking holiday guests at a Sacramento home. (more…)

Researchers have uncovered what may be a universal cause of aging, one that applies to both single cell organisms such as yeast and multicellular organisms, including mammals. This is the first time that such an evolutionarily conserved aging mechanism has been identified between such diverse organisms. (more…)

The Screen Actors Guild will send out its strike authorization vote to members next month, making it possible for actors to strike as early as January — prompting a bitter response from the majors. In a message to SAG’s 120,000 members sent Wednesday, (more…)

Like children anticipating Christmas morning, struggling retailers have high hopes that Santa will bring them what they desperately want this holiday season – customers. To help make their wish come true, retailers are offering deeper discounts (more…)

Black Friday, long the Super Bowl of shopping, is at hand, but it may have become nearly irrelevant. Check out the deals that were already on offer earlier this week: Diamond earrings at Macy’s were chopped to $249 from $700. A Marc Jacobs bag at Saks, (more…)

Eurozone official interest rates are almost certain to be slashed again next week by at least half a percentage point after a survey on Thursday (more…)

Thanks to one of our dedicated readers for passing on this interesting piece that highlights how are tax dollars are being managed!! Representatives of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority flew to Washington last week to lobby the Treasury Department for help with a potential $165 million deficit. (more…)