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

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles has issued a wind advisory which is in effect from until 2:00 PM Sunday, May 1st, in the Santa Clarita Valley. Winds are expected blow from the northeast at 15 to 25 MPH with gusts to 40 MPH. Travel on I-5, Highway 14, the 126 Freeways may be difficult at times as winds this strong can make driving difficult especially for high profile vehicles. Extra caution is advised.

Gear up Santa Clarita for the 18^th Annual Cowboy Festival, kicking off at Melody Ranch ™ Motion Picture Studio on Saturday April 30, 2011 and Sunday May 1, 2011. The City of Santa Clarita is proud to present premier live Western music, unique cowboy poetry and comedy performances, mouth-watering food and drinks, and kid-friendly activities on an exclusive cowboy movie set rarely open to the public. (more…)

On Thursday, May 28, 2011, at approximately 5:40 PM, a passerby discovered the victim lying on the side of the road. Deputies from Temple Sheriff’s Station were notified and responded to the location. The victim, who was suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. (more…)

(From KHTS) Government officials and special guests joined Henry Mayo staff and physicians on April 27, 2011 for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital’s new parking structure and life-saving helipad. (more…)

(From the nytimes.com) On Friday, as President Obama came to this partly ruined city to witness the destruction wrought by this week’s monstrous storms, the full scope of the damage was becoming more apparent. (more…)

The City of Santa Clarita took home two “Award of Excellence” honors this week at the annual California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) conference held in Sacramento.  CALED is the premier statewide professional economic development organization in California. (more…)

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other U.S. police agencies have again partnered to offer the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. In Los Angeles County, this combined effort will take place on Saturday April 30th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. The service is free and anonymous with no questions asked. (more…)

(From Science Daily) A team of scientists led by Rice University has figured out why the Colorado Plateau — a 130,000-square-mile region that straddles Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico — is rising even while parts of its lower crust appear to be falling. The massive, tectonically stable region of the western United States has long puzzled geologists. (more…)

The following is political activity for Friday, April 29, 2011, going on in Washington and across the nation. It is courtesy of Scott Wilk, Community Organizer, and Anchor Consulting group. The Beacon will be posting these daily as they become available. (more…)

Of course when a wine 101er wants to move from a blog to a website, she finds a website genius that also understands wine! Enter Tony Wire, the co-manager of Wine 661 along with his partner in and out of the bar, owner Tanya Green. Every time I came into the bar, complaining about my blog being slow, the limits I had, how one day I might want to grow and be taken slightly more seriously, Tony always had all of the answers. (more…)

Chris Sharp the West Ranch Beacon columnist, prize-winning professional writer and author the new book titled “Dangerous Learning: The New Schooling in California” will be a guest on Joe Messina’s The Real Side show on local KHTS Radio. Chris will be discussion what are we teaching or not teaching in our schools and why as well as discussion California education in general.

The Real Side is LIVE every FRIDAYS from 12(noon)-3pm on KHTS AM 1220 and streams on www.TheRealSide.com. During the show make sure your voice is heard by sending Joe Messina an email at joe@TheRealSide.com

Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau detectives were in the Chantry Flats Campground area of Angeles National Forest, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of a man. The Chantry Flats Campground is a popular hiking and camping are in the Angeles National Forest. (more…)

(From the nytimes.com) With fanfare and flags under cool, gray skies, Prince William and his longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton, were married on Friday in one of the largest and most-watched events here in decades — an interlude of romance in a time of austerity and a moment that will shape the future of the British monarchy. (more…)

Communications professional Gail Ortiz received the prestigious Paul B. Clark award from the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) at its recent annual conference in Sacramento. Ortiz was honored with this top award for her outstanding service to the public, her profession and the CAPIO organization. (more…)

On Thursday, President Obama announced new leadership for the Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency, and the top military and diplomatic posts in Afghanistan.  Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (Calif.), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement: (more…)

The MTA Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve studying the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line Infrastructure Improvement Strategic Plan introduced by Los Angeles County Mayor and MTA 2nd Vice Chairman Michael D. Antonovich.”The goal is to reduce travel time to downtown Los Angeles down to 60 minutes for Antelope Valley residents and 30 minutes for Santa Clarita Valley residents,” said Antonovich. (more…)

Personnel from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Risk Management Bureau’s Traffic Services Detail, will be conducting a DUI Checkpoint on Friday, April 29, 2011 from 6 PM until approximately 2 AM. The checkpoint will be conducted in the City of Santa Clarita. (more…)

The Beatunes (www.TheBeatunes.com), an LA-based Beatles tribute band that plays and sings “record-accurate” Beatles songs will perform in Santa Clarita at 7 PM on Saturday evening, May 7. The two-hour concert, sponsored by the Unitarian Universalists of Santa Clarita, will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 24901 Orchard Village Road in Valencia. (more…)

Santa Clarita Deputies Eagar and Reantaso responded to a call of a house fire in the 23600 block of White Oak Court in Newhall, during the morning hours of Thursday, May 28, 2011. Apparently the owner of the residence had just returned home from dropping her children off at school and found her clothes dryer on fire in an upstairs room. She immediately placed a call to the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station who placed her in contact with the Fire Department and started deputy personnel responding. (more…)

(From Science Daily) Scientists from NASA and other organizations are on a mission to unlock the mysteries of why certain clouds produce copious amounts of rain. In a field mission that is now under way, aircraft are carrying instruments above and into rain clouds. Meanwhile scientists are also getting rainfall measurements on the ground. (more…)