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By Adrian Palazuelos — Wednesday, December 30th, 2015
 Adrian Palazuelos It has been over a year now since I accepted the opportunity to lead the Fillmore Unified School District as your Superintendent. In the summer of 2014 our family made the transition from our home in Sacramento to join the Fillmore community. Our family, my wife Julie and four children, have flourished in this community and I have learned first-hand of the generosity and warmth that is uniquely Fillmore. Our family has three school aged children attending San Cayetano Elementary and Fillmore Middle schools in our public school district. I firmly believe in the promise of public education and could not conceive of a different experience for my children. Public education has transformed my life and has the potential to continue to impact the lives of future generations. Over the last twelve months our district has made significant investments in teaching and learning, supporting the arts and activities, and improvement of facilities. I am proud to share some of our accomplishments in the aforementioned areas. The investments in teaching and learning over the last year are evident in all schools and are a continued area of focus. Our elementary teaching staff has invested numerous hours in applying the Common Core State Standards into their teaching. Included in this work are the approaches to the development of literacy with our youngest learners which will translate into increased opportunities as they transition to our secondary schools. As for the secondary level, we currently have 7th and 8th grade mathematics teachers piloting Common Core aligned mathematics materials. All secondary staff members are being trained on cooperative learning and the high school staff is envisioning the introduction of an expository reading and writing course for high school students. Additionally, we have provided access to Advanced Placement (AP) training for staff aligned to those courses and will be introducing new AP courses in fall 2016. We will have over 15 AP courses available for students as of fall 2016. In the area of arts and activities our district is continuing to expand offerings resulting in increased numbers of participating students from elementary to high school. Our district added two additional music teachers this past summer to provide expanded music offerings at the elementary level and to have full-time music teachers at the middle and high school. We have been mindful of the resources needed and have created funding to support the district music program. Our high school introduced Girl’s Water Polo to its athletic program and, for the first time in school history, is fielding a team for the highly respected Academic Decathlon scholastic competition. Safe and orderly learning environments are a priority. In fall 2014 we were awarded over $3 million in Emergency Repair Program funds to support facility improvements at Piru and San Cayetano Elementary schools. The much needed resources enabled us to install new roofs, new paving, and other facility needs at both of the schools. Facilities improvements and maintenance are part of our desired future. Beginning in December of 2015, our district embarked in a robust analysis of our district facilities via a Facilities Master Plan (FMP). The FMP will provide our district with information about the condition of our facilities and establish priorities for addressing facility needs in the future. In closing, I am certain that none of this work could be accomplished without the support and leadership of our district Board of Trustees and the dedicated staff of the Fillmore Unified School District. It is an honor to serve this community as your Superintendent and I look forward to a successful 2016 for the students, staff, and community of Fillmore Unified. On behalf of the Board of Trustees I extend a heartfelt “Happy New Year” to our community. |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, December 30th, 2015
A pedestrian was struck and killed on Highway 126 Sunday, December 27th. The accident happened at 5:20pm near the Sespe Crreek Bridge, west of Fillmore. According to the CHP the pedestrian ran across the busy highway from the north side and was struck by a car traveling eastbound. The victim was taken to VCMC where they were pronounced dead. |
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By California Highway Patrol — Wednesday, December 30th, 2015
 A hit-and-run occured at 8:25pm Monday night, December 27th at the intersection of Old Telegraph Road and Seventh Street, west of Fillmore. The driver of a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado came to a stop at the sign, then proceeded down the road into the path of a 1990 Nissan Axxess minivan traveling westbound. The front of the minivan collided with the driver’s side of the truck. The pickup driver got out and ran away before authorities arrived on scene. The driver has not been identified. The minivan was driven by a 60-year old Santa Paula man, who suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Ventura County Medical Center. The female passanger, Maria Rodriguez Medina, 57 of Santa Paula, was taken to Santa Paula Hospital where she later died. Anyone with information about the collision can call Ventura CHP at 477-4100. Ventura County Fire and Santa Paula were on scene. Photo by Sebastian Ramirez. Enlarge Photo |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, December 30th, 2015
 On Monday, December 28th, at 7:30pm, a traffic collision involving a pedestrian took place in the 400 block of Ventura Street. The male pedestrian was transported to an area hospital with significant injuries. Photo courtesy Sebastian Ramirez. Enlarge Photo |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, December 30th, 2015
 A truck fire caused concern early Tuesday morning at Dough Flats in the Sespe Condor Reserve area. Authorities were worried that the vehicle could be a gas truck, which it was not. The fire was quickly controlled (Engine 27) and no injuries were reported. Photo courtesy Sebastian Ramirez. Enlarge Photo |
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By Ventura County District Attorneys Office — Wednesday, December 30th, 2015
District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that the review by the District Attorney’s Office of the circumstances surrounding the July 28, 2012, shooting of Edgar Garcia by Santa Paula Police Officer Hector Ramirez has been completed. The full report, authored by Senior Deputy District Attorney Linda Groberg, is available on the Ventura County District Attorney’s Web site (http://www.vcdistrictattorney.com) and explains the District Attorney’s conclusion that Officer Ramirez acted reasonably, and the killing of Edgar Garcia was a justifiable homicide. |
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By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Wednesday, December 30th, 2015
 Ventura County Sheriff's Department California State Legislature has addressed hoverboards with new laws and definitions, as explained in Assembly Bill no. 604, written to amend the California Vehicle Code (CVC) starting January 1, 2016. For your safety, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office urges you to be mindful of the following provisions. CVC 313.5 Defines electrically motorized board Existing law makes a violation of these provisions punishable as an infraction. For more detailed information on Assembly Bill no. 604,copy and paste this link to California Legislature Information, http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=2015... |
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By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Monday, December 28th, 2015
Ventura County Sheriff's Department On December 27, 2015, the victim was working in an orchard near his residence. While working in the orchard, the victim was struck one time by a bullet fired from an unknown suspect(s). The victim was flown to Los Robles Hospital by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit with a non-life threatening injury. Sheriff’s Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit are seeking the public’s assistance with this investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Sergeant Chips at (805) 384-4737 or Detective Lopez at (805) 384-4723 Nature of Incident: Gross Negligent Discharge of a Firearm Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477). |
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By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Monday, December 28th, 2015
Ventura County Sheriff's Department On December 23, 2015, at 4:24 AM, two male suspects entered the Shell Gas Station, located on 100 block of W. Ventura Road in Camarillo. The masked suspects approached the clerk, brandished a knife and demanded money. The clerk complied with the robbers’ demands. After the suspects obtained the money, they fled on foot towards the Target shopping center. The clerk called 911 and deputies responded. Several units checked the area and were not able to locate the suspects. Camarillo Police Detectives are requesting help with identifying the two suspects. Nature of Incident: Armed Robbery at Shell Gas Station Address/Location Contact |
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By Bob Crum — Wednesday, December 23rd, 2015
Photos and video by Bob Crum
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