The roadway is reduced by one lane in both directions due to an ongoing slope stabilization and roadway rehabilitation project. Three northbound and three southbound lanes remain open to motorists at Templin Highway, located approximately 10 miles north of Santa Clarita and 33 miles south of the ‘Grapevine.’  

In southern California, motorists are reminded to dial 511 for real-time traffic speeds, incident report and other commuter information, or visit www.Go511.com  
For state-wide freeway and highway conditions, call Caltrans highway information line at 1-800-427-ROAD, or (800-427-7623).

Suspect Upshaw was arrested by the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, New York, thanks to the persistent assistance of deputy U.S. Marshals across the United States, and the relentless efforts of Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Detective Dave Campbell.

Detective Campbell said, “There was no way we were going to let the suspect get away with this. We all knew we would never stop until he faced justice.”

A series of small clues, DNA evidence, and skilled detective work by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Detective Campbell helped provide the information needed to help locate the whereabouts of the suspect. The expertise of deputy U.S. Marshals, and rapid assistance by deputies with the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office resulted in the arrest of Suspect Upshaw one year and six days after the assault.

Suspect Upshaw’s bail is set at $10 million. He is awaiting extradition to California.

If you have information about criminal activity in your community, please contact your local sheriff’s station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station can be reached at (661) 255-1121.

If you prefer to provide information ANONYMOUSLY, you can call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org   

Immediately after the disturbance began, deputies began deploying less than lethal weapons such as pepper balls and sting balls to cease the assaults. Emergency Response Teams from surrounding Pitchess Detention Center jail facilities responded to assist PDC-South Facility personnel. Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau, Emergency Services Detail, Parks Bureau, Santa Clarita Valley Station, and Aero Bureau also responded as a precautionary measure, and officers from the California Highway Patrol assisted with traffic control.  By about 4:00PM, full compliance had been regained and sheriff’s personnel began a methodical search of the facility and the over 1,100 inmates housed there.

Two inmates were transported to a local hospital, one for shortness of breath and the other for a possible seizure. Ten inmates were later transported to the USC+LCMC medical center for treatment of lacerations and bruises, and eight inmates were treated for minor injuries by Sheriff’s Medical Services nurses. The inmate injuries were considered minor to moderate and no inmates were hospitalized. A significant number of the inmates sustained their injuries when they cut themselves trying to make shanks out of broken window glass. No inmates escaped.

Two deputies received minor injuries, one had a minor cut and another had a sprained ankle. Some of the barracks are not being used pending repairs, while the facility has otherwise resumed normal operations. Investigators from Sheriff’s Operation Safe Jails are investigating the reason for this disturbance. Instigators are being identified and moved to maximum security facilities.

(From the Signal)

The objections

The reaction comes as about 50 Romero Canyon residents this week objected to the William S. Hart Union High School District’s plans to build the much-needed Castaic high school in their neighborhood.

Among the concerns: fire dangers in the rural, equestrian community and the possibility of landslides on the property, which is undeveloped and extremely hilly. The group is in the process of hiring an attorney to protect its rights.

Residents also say that building the school there would cost up to $30 million more than elsewhere, and the school would not be ready for the district’s projected 2013 opening.

 Read more here: Castaic high school faces hurdles

Some inmates sustained minor injuries, authorities said, mainly from breaking windows in an effort to fashion weapons for the fight.

The incident occurred on Thursday night, August 20th, 2009 in Castaic, Unincorporated Los Angeles County. The suspect asked the victim for a ride and she agreed to provide it to him if he bought her a bottle of alcohol. The suspect drove the victim’s vehicle to a remote dirt road in the Castaic area where she was assaulted and raped. Upshaw may be responsible for similar crimes in other states and commonly works as a commercial truck driver. He may live on or frequent Indian reservations.

To view the original 2009 press releases regarding this case click here: Sexual Assault Suspect Sought.  To view or print the entire law enforcement Special Bulletin pertaining to this case click on the image to the left or visit our “SCV Sheriff Special Bulletins” section of SCVSheriff.com or click here: Wanted Bulletin. 

Click this link to view video of the suspect   

Click this link to see or print the complete Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Wanted Bulletin 

Anyone with information regarding this crime or the suspect depicted in the video is asked to immediately contact the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at (661) 255-1121 or Detective Dave Campbell the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Robbery and Assault Team at (661) 799-5143.  If you spot this suspect or crimes in progress you should immediately report it by dialing 9-1-1. 

Press inquiries should be directed to Sergeant Harris of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at (661) 510-1827 or Lieutenant Brenda Cambra at (661) 799-5815.  Please do not contact the detective directly unless you have information about the suspect or his whereabouts.   

The investigation is ongoing and there is no further information available at this time. 

If You See Something, Say Something!  Anyone with information about this or another crime is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Santa Clarita Valley Station at (661) 255-1121.

If you prefer to provide information ANONYMOUSLY, you can call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the web site http://lacrimestoppers.org.

“A superb new addition to the Castaic Sports Complex, this world-class pool project will offer residents a vital recreational opportunity to swim, play and exercise in a first-rate County facility,” said Antonovich.

The design contract with J.C. Chang and Associates is for $250,000 and the estimated cost for the entire project is $13 million.

Now it is time for the Hart School Board to turn its attention to cutting ties with the Santa Clarita Valley Facilities Foundation. It is the SCV Facilities Foundation that purchased the Hasley/Sloan property which has proved not to be a suitable suit for the proposed Castaic High School.    

For those unfamiliar with the foundation here is what the their website claims; “The Santa Clarita Valley Facilities Foundation is dedicated to locating, acquiring and developing sites for new schools in the William S. Hart Union High School District. Since 1998, the Facilities Foundation has continued to make great progress toward fulfilling its mission to assist the Hart District in providing school facilities through land acquisition and infrastructure development.” 

I would argue that locating, acquiring and developing sites for new schools is the responsibility of the William S. Hart Union High School District elected board members and the District staff. The vast majority of school districts across this great nation handle their own locating, acquiring and developing of sites for new schools which is a much more transparent process.

For years now there have been comments, rumors and questions being raised about the Facilities Foundation and who is actually benefitting from that organization. Essentially there are more questions then there are answers as to why there is a separate organization making land deals on behalf of the Hart School district.

The local school district tax payers also need to question some of the choices that are being made and whether there are any questionable dealings going on with some of these land acquisitions. Just take a look at this biology diagram prepared by Padre for the Hasley/Sloan property:

Notice the endangered Slender Mariposa Lily locations; the Coastal Sage Scrub areas and Western Spadefoot Toad habitats. After this biology report was completed there have been reports that local live stock were apparently allowed to graze on this property.

Now take a look at this grading diagram by Lund the Civil Engineers which was completed after the biology report:

Is it me or does it strike you as well that there doesn’t seem to be any indication that the endangered habitats ever existed? There is no indication on this grading plan that any of the habitats are untouched or are being graded around or mitigated in any way.

The SCV Facilities Foundation also has several hundred acres of land known as the Sierra/Vasquez property. Apparently they are in the process of getting a $7 million dollar grant to put in road infrastructure which would be required for a school. Why so much? Because the infrastructure requirements seem to be expanded as the foundation is apparently planning on developing some home sites on a portion of this parcel of land.

If the Hart School District is suppose to caring for our children’s education then they need to be 100% focused on that and not spending time engaging in land speculation, some of which will be developed into housing tracts, with a third party facilities foundation. It’s a school district not a real estate development group. The Hart School District should be using all the tax dollars from measures “V” and “SA” for schools and school facilities only.

Since the choice of Romero Canyon has been made, the William S. Hart School Board needs to now direct the SCV Facilities Foundation to sell the poorly conceived and environmentally challenged Hasley/Sloan property. The property was bought with monies borrowed from the Hart General Fund so the proceeds for the Hasley/Sloan sale should be returned to that fund. Regardless if the sale is at a loss because the property was purchased at the height of the real estate bubble. The Hart District General Fund money should be used for General Fund purposes not land speculation.

The Hart School Board members need to work diligently towards complete transparency in how they operate. They must sever whatever relationship they have with the SCV Facilities Foundation; cut all financial ties with that foundation even if it is at a lose; and take care of the districts business themselves. This includes not having Hart School Board members on the SCV Facilities Foundation Board which gives the appearance of a complete conflict of interest.

There is no need for a facilities foundation especially since the responsible developers in the Santa Clarita Valley are building schools in a timely fashion going forward. Plans are already on the drawing boards for the appropriate schools to be built out as new homes are added to the area.

The Hart School Board has made a great leap in rebuilding their credibility and their reputation this past week with choosing the Romero Canyon site for the new Castaic High School. Now they need to continue on that course and jettison the SCV Facilities Foundation relationship.    

Dave Bossert- Commentary

Dave Bossert is a community volunteer who serves on a number of boards and councils. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon.

“We want to thank the Hart District’s consultants, the staff and the board for their hard work during this selection process,” Rasmussen said Wednesday. “We are looking forward to continuing our positive working relationship with the Hart District and we are eager and ready to roll up our sleeves and get this project under way.”

Romero Canyon, LLC, plans to have a graded pad of approximately 50 acres ready for construction within 18 months, which will enable the Hart District to put the project on track for construction to be completed in time for the 2013 opening.

The Hart District governing board decision was a timely one, as any further delays in site selection would have jeopardized the timeline for construction. The Romero Canyon site, located near the expected future “center” of Castaic upon build-out, had garnered support from community organizations including the Castaic Chamber of Commerce, Val Verde Civic Association and the West Ranch Town Council.

Having selected a site, the Hart District has also increased its chances of being able to move the project forward in time to obtain state matching funds for construction.

Although the search for a site has been ongoing for the past decade, this particular site selection process — in which various sites were evaluated and narrowed down to the final two sites leading up to Tuesday night’s vote — was completed in approximately one year. The two finalists were the Romero Canyon site and a site dubbed the “Hasley/Sloan site,” owned by the SCV Facilities Foundation.

“The Hart District has been working diligently under the board’s leadership to get to this point,” Rasmussen said. “This decision is a ‘win-win’ not only for the residents of Castaic, who want and deserve a high school to call their own, but also for the entire Santa Clarita Valley, as the new school will help alleviate overcrowding on other campuses. We’re very proud to be part of it and we’ll be even more proud on the day Castaic High School opens its doors to students on the Romero Canyon property.”

Photos, maps and additional information about the Romero Canyon site can be found online at www.castaichighschoolnow.com.