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By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 27th, 2013
Fillmore Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate Deputy Russell Grant for receiving Officer of the year for 2012. We appreciate all you do for our community. Deputy Russell Grant is a native Californian, born in Canoga Park, California. He is married to his wife Lynda for 18 years this October and they live in the city of Simi Valley and have 4 children: John 12, Alyssa 16, Justin 24 and Christy 29. Lynda Grant has been a Registered Nurse for 20 years and is currently employed by the Simi Valley Hospital Aspen Surgery Center. Russ was selected for this award by his peers and supervisors from the Santa Clara Valley Substation. Russ is a 13 year veteran and has worked a variety of assignments with the Sheriff’s Office: Dep. Grant’s first assignment, as is the case with our deputy sheriffs was in our Detention Services Division. He worked as a security deputy at the Todd Road Jail in the unincorporated area of Santa Paula. Shortly after he successfully completed jail training, Dep. Grant transferred to our Court Services Bureau in Ventura and worked there from September 2001 - August 2002. He then transferred back to the Pre-Trial Detention Facility where he was selected to work the Classification / Risk Assessment assignment. This position is for those deputies that have shown the skill and desire to learn more about gang culture, narcotics trafficking, and maintaining the integrity of intelligence information. He worked in this assignment until he was transferred to patrol in 2009. In August 2009, CONTINUED » |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 27th, 2013
Fillmore Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate Laura Todis for receiving Teacher of the Year for 2012. Thank you for all you do for our community. Overall, Ms. Todis is an exemplary teacher. She is highly organized, professional and knowledgeable about her subject area. She is an outstanding model of teaching and classroom management strategies that promote learning and student achievement. She gets along well with her peers and is a great addition to the SHS “Team” and the Fillmore Unified School District. I always look forward to visiting Ms. Todis’s classroom because she makes Science relevant and fun for all levels of students, thus engaging students in the learning process. Sierra High School is an alternative high school program for students who have not been successful in traditional high school settings. Since coming to Sierra Ms. Todis has greatly impacted the ability of ALL students to be successful in Science by created a project-based curriculum that is aligned to the State Standards. Ms. Todis promotes student engagement with Science by making Science “hands-on,” relevant and interesting. In all her courses Ms. Todis brings Science “alive” by taking outside the confines of the classroom. For example, as a part of Ms. Todis’ Environmental Science course Sierra students have designed and created a native plant habitat on the Sierra campus. Students regularly use this habitat as a basis for scientific inquiry and to study scientific concepts. Ms. Todis inspires students to pursue further education in science and science related careers and has successfully collaborated with the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. She regularly supplements her science courses with guest speakers including local Biologists and field trips that are part of her project based curriculum. Additionally, she encourages students to pursue extra-curricular opportunities in science. Sierra students have been successfully placed in volunteer, intern and employment placements and many have gone on inspired to study science in college. District-wide, Ms. Todis is spearheading the collaboration with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and K-12 teachers. Her role is to train teachers in aligning their Science Standards with the River Restoration Project that includes teaching students about the natural habitat and conducting scientific experiments and documenting their data. Students and Teachers will track their scientific data and study the impact of Global Warming, Urbanization and other factors on the local habitat. In her three years at Sierra Ms. Todis has greatly improved the Science program. As a Principal I recognize Ms. Todis’ exceptional ability to inspire students to learn and her potential to model teaching strategies and innovative curriculum to other science teachers. |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 27th, 2013
 Sheriff’s Capt. Monica McGrath speaks with property owner Herbert Haase, as he holds the warrant served on him. Haase has refused to spray his citrus grove for the Asian Citrus Psyllid, an invasive, aphid-like pest. Enlarge Photo  Warrant served, spraying begins. Sheriff’s deputies served a warrant Tuesday on Fillmore resident Herbert Haase to enter, inspect, and treat his orange grove at Third and B Streets for a citrus pest, Asian Citrus Psyllid. A County worker waits to begin the spraying. Enlarge Photo Tuesday, at approximately 9:15 a.m., Sheriff’s deputies served a warrant on Fillmore resident Herbert Haase to enter, inspect, and treat his orange grove at Third and B Streets for a citrus pest. The fly in the ointment is the Asian Citrus Psyllid, an invasive, aphid-like pest. Although “not a serious problem by itself, it can transmit a devastating bacterial disease to citrus trees. Known as Huanglongbing (HLB), the disease ruins the taste and appearance of citrus fruit, and eventually kills infected trees.” (californiacitrusthreat.org) At issue is the serious threat to all citrus production posed by the Asian Citrus Psyllid (fly) which, could destroy the citrus industry if left untreated. There is no known treatment once the tree has been infected. Spraying is the only known prevention against this pest and all commercial growers are anxious to cooperate with the spraying program. The Asian Citrus Psyllid entered the United States from Mexico and is quickly extending its presence north in California, which could devastate the citrus industry. “Tens of thousands of trees in residential yards also are at risk. They, too, will die if infected with HLB...the backyard orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit or tangerine trees might also disappear from Ventura County.” (californiacitrusthreat.org) Sheriff’s Captain Monica McGrath with approximately 10 Sheriff’s deputies, Commissioner Gonzales and an assistant participated in the warrant service. According to Commissioner Gonzales it would have been far less costly had Haase cooperated initially. If spray is applied in the winter only one application is needed; if in spring or summer, two applications are needed. While the costs to be billed to Haase for the warrant service (County Counsel, Sheriff’s Dept. personnel) are still being tallied, they could be substantial. |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 27th, 2013
 Torrey Phillips A Fillmore man admitted Wednesday to shining a laser beam at the sheriff's helicopter. It happened in December 2011 as the copter was over Fillmore helping ground units look for a gunman in a shooting. 21-year-old Torrey Phillips pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony charge of shooting at laser at an aircraft plus two special allegations. Phillips shined the laser at the helicopter twice. Following the second incident, the copter had to break off its search for the shooter and return to Camarillo Airport, but not before they got a fix on where the beam came from. Ground units arrested Phillips at his home in the 600 block of Fernglen Circle. Deputies say the pilot, crew chief, and paramedic on board the helicopter that night were all wearing night vision goggles. They say training a laser at an aircraft is dangerous in several ways, including disorienting or blinding the pilot, and, causing severe eye damage to the crew members, especially if they're wearing night vision goggles, as they were that night. Phillips is free on bail until his sentencing on May 16th. |
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By Jean McLeod — Wednesday, March 27th, 2013
A great deal of last Tuesday’s Fillmore City Council meeting was talking about transportation. Both those who came to give a presentation and those who spoke during public comments addressed Fillmore's transportation needs. Other items on the agenda were a Code of Conduct document and the Mid-year Financial Report. Ventura County Transportation Commission's (VCTC) Executive Director Darren M. Kettle gave an in-depth presentation on the transportation needs of both the County and the City of Fillmore and where their priorities must be given. Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Minjares is one of 17 members of the Commission Board. The VCTC uses Countywide polling to understand the transportation priorities of its residents, with the number one priority being completing local roads and maintaining them. Second priority is transportation connections in and out of the County; and next the capacity (congestion) and frequency of connection. Fourth is safety, and then planning for growth. Increasing bus routes was at the bottom of priorities. Kettle explained that the Federal Highway Trust Fund cannot meet its present obligations and will spend $2.5 billion on transportation locally in the next few years. Over the next 30 years the cost is projected to be $4.9 billion with a shortfall of $1.8 billion. This shortfall is due to less tax revenue as more fuel efficient cars require less gas and therefore fewer taxes paid at the pump. To overcome this the State of California may consider one or more of the following; Raise the gas tax ten cents (estimated to raise $2.1 billion at today's consumption rate), tolling express lanes, raising vehicle registration, and/or asking for a 1/2 cent tax measure. Kettle said there is a real possibility of having a toll lane on Highway 101. For now VCTC's CONTINUED » |
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By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Tuesday, March 26th, 2013
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office has applied for a Certificate of Authorization (COA) through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow training flights of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The COA will only allow limited operation within a restricted unpopulated area for training and evaluation purposes only. The evaluations will take place in conjunction with Sheriff's Search and Rescue, the Ventura County Fire Department, and other public safety agencies. The initial training flights will occur in the area of the Ventura River as well as portions of the Ventura County backcountry. Since the application has not yet been approved, actual flights may still be several months away. The ultimate goal is to use the small UAV for critical life-saving efforts, such as locating missing persons and monitoring incidents where a hazardous condition exists. The UAV being tested is known as the Qube (pictured below), and operates with four small rotors that allow it to take off vertically. It is battery powered and remote controlled. It can stay aloft for a maximum of 40 minutes on a single charge. The Qube has a built-in camera system, but is otherwise incapable of carrying any payload. Currently, the Sheriff's Office utilizes four Bell Huey helicopters for a variety of public safety purposes. One of the primary missions of our air unit is search and rescue. While the UAV will not replace our Aviation Unit, there are many circumstances that do not require a fully equipped helicopter. It is hoped that a UAV will assist with lifesaving operations at a significantly reduced cost to the taxpayer. UAVs also have a critical use in the fire service for mapping and aerial observation during wildland and other fires. In addition to the FAA guidelines, which restrict flights to 400 feet above ground level and below, the Sheriff's Office has developed its own policy to govern the use of the UAV for search and rescue purposes only. The FAA guidelines and the Sheriff's Office policy are available to the public. (The documents will be attached with the press release). Again, the request CONTINUED » |
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By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Monday, March 25th, 2013
 Ventura County Sheriff's Department On March 4, 2013, sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported home invasion robbery on Sulphur Mountain Road, outside of Santa Paula. The male victim (and occupant of the home) was brutally beaten and tied up. He lost consciousness and suffered multiple serious injuries including lacerations to his head and facial fractures. After the suspects left the residence, the victim regained consciousness, freed himself and summoned help. The victim was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he remained in intensive care for several days. The Sheriff’s Gang Unit took up the investigation and quickly identified the suspects as Hallye Wright and Shavon Oboh of Los Angeles. Oboh was determined to be a member of a criminal street gang. Search warrants served at both suspects’ homes in Los Angeles, located some of the victim’s property. Sheriff’s Investigators recovered additional pieces of the victim’s property at Los Angeles area pawnshops. At the time of the search warrants, two firearms were recovered; a shotgun and a loaded .357 caliber handgun which had been reported stolen previously in Los Angeles County. A large amount of cash and narcotics were also found. Both Wright and Oboh were arrested and booked at Ventura County Main Jail for conspiracy, robbery, kidnapping, and assault causing serious bodily injury. Wright’s bail was set at $250.000.00, while Oboh’s bail was listed at $750,000.00. Nature of Incident: Suspects Arrested for Home Invasion Robbery |
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By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Monday, March 25th, 2013
Ventura County Sheriff's Department A Fillmore Patrol deputy was on routine patrol in the area of A Street and Third Street, when he saw Carlos Mejia using a “paint marker” to graffiti his moniker on a city park bench. Mejia was arrested for the vandalism and possession of a graffiti tool and transported to the Fillmore Police department for processing. While at the station, the deputy learned Mejia had done more graffiti in the area of the Sespe Bridge. The deputy went to the bridge to photograph the graffiti for his investigation. When the deputy walked into the area of the Sespe Bridge and riverbed area, he discovered four male juveniles who had used spray paint to graffiti the support columns of the bridge. Two of the juveniles used spray paint to graffiti, while the other two were “look-outs.” All four juveniles were arrested and transported to the Fillmore Police Department. Carlos Mejia was arrested and booked at the Ventura County Jail – PTDF for Vandalism and possession of graffiti tools. Two Male Juveniles were cited and released to their parents for conspiracy, vandalism, and trespassing. Two Male Juveniles were cited and released to their parents for conspiracy and trespassing. Nature of Incident: Five Graffiti Taggers Arrested 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, March 25th, 2013
Anyone with information about the robbery or the suspect is asked to contact police
A man armed with a handgun robbed the Smart & Final store in Thousand Oaks. The suspect approached the cashier clerk, displayed a handgun, and demanded money from the cash register. After getting an undisclosed amount of cash, the suspect ran through the parking lot and was last seen leaving the scene in a 1990’s white sedan. Witnesses described the suspect as a Hispanic male about 35 years old, approximately 5’-11”, weighing approximately 275 lbs, and clean shaven. He was wearing a white or light colored baseball cap, a light colored long sleeve button down shirt, baggy blue jeans, and white tennis shoes. Anyone with information about the robbery or the suspect is asked to contact Det Mike Ferguson with the East County Major Crimes Unit at (805) 494-8222/ e-mail mike.ferguson@ventura.org. Nature of Incident: Gunman Robs Thousand Oaks Smart & Final Store 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 Anonymous — Wednesday, March 20th, 2013
Sammy Martinez is a dynamic young man, who has a strong work ethic that ensures success in all things in which he is involved. Currently, he is the Associated Student Body (ASB) President for Fillmore High School. When asked who should represent Fillmore High School in different programs, Sammy’s name comes up as “Mr. FHS.” He is outgoing, listens well, and supports all students and staff whenever they ask for his assistance. Sammy ran for ASB at the end of his freshman year and decided that he was going to learn to be a leader. After his sophomore year, Sammy was selected to attend the HOBY program, which is one of the nation's foremost youth leadership development organizations. While there, he learned different ways of analyzing school and leadership issues. He used those new skills immediately upon starting his position as the FHS Speaker of the House in ASB last year. One of his job requirements was to attend all School Board Meetings as the high school student representative. Sammy definitely charmed the board members and superintendent. The district office commented on his stellar performance at board meetings. In addition, he was the student representative on the school site council both last year and this year. He does an exceptional job the on committees, and his views of student activities are vital to the committees as they make decisions regarding students. Sammy decided to run for ASB President this year and he was elected by the student body. He has done an amazing job as president. This is not an easy job as ASB Presidents are required to lead in all aspects, and Sammy does so with a cheerful and optimistic demeanor. In addition to the regular ASB items, he started working with one of the elementary schools last year training them on proper procedures and helping them with an academic rally during state testing. Sammy has been instrumental in organizing and executing training the Fillmore Middle School’s ASB. He set the goal of including all of the elementary and middle schools our trainings in an attempt to reach out to the youth in our community. As a member of the FHS Cross Country team for four years, Sammy has spent many hours running miles and miles around Fillmore and also been a mentor for the Boys and Girls Club. Additionally, Sammy has participated in the California Lutheran University’s Math and Science Upward Bound Program. |
