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

Authorities say there are no immediate reports of damage or injury after a small earthquake struck the South Bay. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that a magnitude-3.7 temblor struck at 3:50 p.m. Thursday nine miles north of Morgan Hill. That’s about 15 miles southeast of downtown San Jose reports the Associated Press. Morgan Hill police say they haven’t received any damage or injury reports related to the quake.

It’s a sobering fact.  Santa Clarita has seen a 39 percent increase in motorcycle-related accidents since 2007, with five incidents resulting in fatalities. (more…)

The City of Santa Clarita in cooperation with Los Angeles County is sponsoring the Annual Pet Vaccination Clinic that will be held from 8:30-10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 2 2009 at Central Park. The offered services for dogs and owners (more…)

Judging by the results of this week’s Field polls, California voters: (a) Are mad as hell and aren’t going to take it anymore. (b) Don’t give a rat’s patootie about the May 19 special election. (c) Are highly skeptical that the half-dozen propositions (more…)

A new study by University of Maryland researchers suggests that the potential for an avian influenza virus to cause a human flu pandemic is greater than previously thought.  Results also illustrate how the current swine flu outbreak (more…)

The following is a roundup of political activity going on in Washington and across the nation. It’s courtesy of Scott Wilk, Community Organizer, and Anchor Consulting group. The Beacon will be posting these daily as they become available. (more…)

A little over two years ago Barack Obama announced his candidacy for President of The United States.  From the primary to the general election Obama ran on a platform of change.  He labeled John McCain as part of the establishment; remember (more…)

The City of Santa Clarita and the L.A. County Department of Public Health are officially informing the public that there are no confirmed cases of Swine Flu in Santa Clarita. The City of Santa Clarita will continue to update the public on this matter if any changes occur. Those with inquiries regarding Swine Flu may call L.A. County Public Health by dialing “211″ on their home or mobile phone.

In light of the current fiscal crisis, the Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich directing the Chief Executive Officer and the Department of Health Services to reevaluate the current scope of health (more…)

The recession has drained hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of workers from the state and local health departments that are now (more…)

The World Health Organization warned a global swine flu pandemic was imminent as it raised the global alert level on Wednesday to five out of six. Margaret Chan, the WHO director-general, said anti-flu measures must now be undertaken (more…)

Canyon Country resident Christopher Johnson was sentenced to 65 years 4 months in state prison yesterday in connection with several Santa Clarita armed robberies in 2006. The string of robberies began in Santa Clarita on January 3, 2006, when a man walked into the H&J Liquor Mart at 18248 Soledad Canyon Road and robbed the store at gunpoint. 

While detectives from the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s began an immediate investigation, additional armed robberies occurred at several other locations throughout the Santa Clarita Valley; (more…)

To reduce inmate movement for court appearances and visiting purposes, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved videoconferencing for the Sheriff’s Department.  Videoconference technology will begin for the most medically (more…)

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is currently underway with a pavement rehabilitation project on northbound Interstate 5 in Kern County near the Los Angeles County line to the Grapevine Creek Bridge. (more…)

Fire’s potent and pervasive effects on ecosystems and on many Earth processes, including climate change, have been underestimated, according to a new report. “We’ve estimated that deforestation due to burning by humans (more…)

Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) issued the following statement on the FY 2010 budget resolution: “With this budget, congressional Democrats are once again taking the easy way out, opting for brazen partisanship over thoughtful policymaking.” (more…)

The following is a roundup of political activity going on in Washington and across the nation. It’s courtesy of Scott Wilk, Community Organizer, and Anchor Consulting group. The Beacon will be posting these daily as they become available. (more…)

The local Newhall Land and Farming Company announced on Friday that the Newhall Ranch project will be moving forward to the next phase which is the opening on Monday, April 27, 2009, of the 60-day comment period for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). This is great news for our Valley communities. (more…)

County health officials are seeking help from the community in locating an adult man that handled a rabid bat in Santa Clarita. The man may need to receive urgent rabies preventive treatment if he handled the bat with his bare hands. (more…)

The Los Angeles County Health Officer, Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, has announced that there are two probable cases and two possible cases of swine influenza in Los Angeles County. All of the cases have recently traveled to Mexico. (more…)