The Fillmore Police Department is now hosting a FREE Start Smart Driver Safety Education Class for teenagers and their parents/guardians.

Classes are designed to:

-Help newly and future licensed teenage drivers understand the responsibilities associated with driving a motor vehicle.

-Show how a poor choice behind the wheel can change the lives of everyone involved.

-Reduce the number of teen-related injuries and deaths due to motor vehicle collisions.

November 18, 2009
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Fillmore City Fire Station
711 Sespe Place

For more information or to sign up for the Start Smart Class with your teenage driver contact the
Fillmore Police Department
524 Sespe Ave.
Fillmore, Ca 93015
805-524-2233

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Location: Pacific Coast Highway at Mugu Rock
Date & Time: June 22, 2006, at approximately 08:00 AM
Unit Responsible: Ventura County Sheriff’s Department/Major Crimes

(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (W)itnessess City of Residence Age
(V) Michael Alexander Rudolph Camarillo 49

On Thursday, June 22, 2006, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department patrol deputies responded to a missing person call at the Camarillo home of Michael Alexander Rudolph. During the initial investigation, deputies learned that Rudolph’s friends and family had not seen him since Tuesday, June 20, 2006.

Deputies continued their investigation into the whereabouts of Rudolph and during the early morning hours of June 23, 2006 they discovered Rudolph’s four-door maroon 2000 Ford Contour parked at the south end of the beach parking lot just north of Mugu Rock. A search of the vehicle and subsequent investigation yielded few clues as to the whereabouts of Rudolph. Neither Rudolph nor his remains have surfaced since he was reported missing.

In the late summer of 2009, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Unit received new information into the disappearance of Rudolph. This information has led the Major Crimes Unit to classify the disappearance of Rudolph as a homicide.

Investigators now believe Rudolph’s car was driven to the Mugu Rock and staged as a ploy to mislead investigators into believing Rudolph disappeared in the ocean. Based on the new information received, Major Crimes investigators are now pursuing new leads, which they believe will assist them in identifying those responsible for killing Rudolph.

The Sheriff’s Department asks anyone with information regarding the murder of Michael Alexander Rudolph to contact the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit at (805) 477-7000.

Ian Gaven Patrick McKeown. (Color photo coming soon)

Imagine, or can you remember, being seventeen years old and in your senior year at Fillmore High School (FHS). Your Senior year at FHS means being busy with studies, school activities and stressful long hours trying to figure out what your future will be like! One FHS senior has already decided his immediate future by setting a goal and has taken steps to get to that goal. FHS Senior Ian Gaven Patrick McKeown, 17 years, finds himself in just that position. Although Ian still has nearly seven months until graduation with the class of 2010 he has already enlisted in the United States Army Reserves and this past summer attended United States Army Basic Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma . Ian, now United States Army Reserve Private Ian Gaven Patrick McKeown, attended Piru Elementary School, Fillmore Middle School and was active in the Future Farmers of America.
Ian is the son of Stephen McKeown and Lori Schnieder of Fillmore. His siblings are Erica Stout 37 years of Germany whose husband Shannon is a Sergeant First Class stationed in Germany with the United States Army and currently deployed, Michael McKeown 31 years of Fillmore, Aimee McKeown 28 years of Fillmore, Patrick Wing 28 years of Arizona, Morgan McKeown 24 years of Arizona, Erin McKeown 22 years of Fillmore, Caitlin McKeown 20 years and stationed at Fort Meade in Maryland with the United States Air Force, Brian McKeown 18 years of Fillmore, Sean McKeown 16 years of Fillmore, and Paige McKeown 7 years of Fillmore. Ian's paternal grandmother is the late Joan McKeown and his maternal grandparents are Leori Schnieder and Alvin Schnieder of Oklahoma.
Private Ian McKeown has followed into military service brothers Michael McKeown United States Air Force, Patrick Wing United States Marine Corps and sister Caitlin McKeown United States Air Force. Ian's brother-in-law Curtis Kniffen is a Senior Airman with the United States Air Force stationed in Arizona.

Private Ian McKeown is participating in the CONTINUED »

City of Fillmore

The Ventura County District Attorney’s office announced on October 23rd in a letter to Fillmore City Manager Yvonne Quiring its decision not to bring criminal charges or a civil action against the Fillmore City Council for allegedly violating California’s Brown Act. The letter was made available October 30, 2009.

Special Assistant District Attorney Michael Schwartz wrote in the letter, “I appreciate that the Brown Act can be complex and that members of public bodies must maintain constant vigilance to insure compliance with its terms. In this case, the City Council and the city Attorney took the alleged violations seriously and took prompt action to remedy any violation s that might have occurred.”

Fillmore City Attorney Ted Schneider said the city is pleased with the District Attorney’s opinion, after conducting a thorough investigation.

“The DA’s decision not to pursue a civil action against the City demonstrates the inherent weaknesses in Mr. McKee’s case,” stated Schneider, referring to the civil suit brought by Richard McKee, Director of Californians Aware, a California political watchdog group.

“The DA has expressed that, CONTINUED »

From the left, Dean of Sierra High School, Cynthia Frutos, Fillmore Middle School Principal Todd Schieferle, and FMS Assistant Principal, Tricia Godfrey, address the Fillmore School District Board at Tuesday’s regular meeting.

Enlarge Photo

Fillmore Unified School District Superintendent Jeff Sweeney introduced administrators of Fillmore Middle School, Fillmore High School and Sierra High School to district trustees Tuesday, November 3, 2009.

The focus was on student learning for the 2009-2010 school year. Todd Schieferle, Principal of FMS said the focus of the middle school this year is Safety, Learning and Love. He said safety is the highest priority; a zero tolerance for violence and a firm discipline policy is in place.

Focus on learning, according to Schieferle, is based on what we want students to learn; how we know each student has learned; and how we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning. He went to to say we use assessments for the state guidelines. He said we use a support system to cover those concepts still needing to be learned. “A 25 minute period for refining skills is available four times a week.” Student-teacher pacing guides help students to master assigned state standards, also.

Tricia Godfrey, Assistant Principal said that CONTINUED »

Fillmore Unified School District

The Fillmore Unified School District received a petition for the conversion of Piru Elementary School to a charter school to be known as the Piru Charter School. The District Governing Board held a public hearing on the provisions of the charter on Wednesday, October 21, at which time the Board considered the level of support for the petition by teachers employed by the District, other District employees, and parents. Over 200 attended that meeting.

Based on the District’s review and analysis of the charter petition and the information gathered at the public hearing, the District Board will either grant or deny the charter. That meeting will occur at Piru Elementary School in their auditorium on Monday, November 9, at 6:00 p.m. Translators will be present at the meeting. Transportation to and from Rancho Sespe will be done by car pooling. Also, child care for elementary age students will be provided.

A copy of the petition can be viewed at the Superintendent’s Office, 627 Sespe Avenue, Fillmore, CA.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

On 10-30-09, at approximately 12:40 P.M, Deputy Biter, the Fillmore Police Department motorcycle officer, observed Jesus Hernandez 23, Fillmore, riding his bicycle north on B Street, at First Street, in the City of Fillmore. Deputy Biter observed Hernandez fail to stop at the posted stop sign. Deputy Biter attempted to stop Hernandez for the violation by using his voice and his police lights and siren. Hernandez fled from Deputy Biter and was ultimately stopped in the 800 block of Second Street.

During the investigation, Deputy Biter discovered 13 individual“baggies” of narcotics packaged for sale (about 13.9 grams) and narcotics paraphernalia. Hernandez was booked at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility for possession of narcotics for sale, transportation of methamphetamine, possession of narcotics paraphernalia, and resisting or delaying a police officer.
Courtesy of Fillmore Police Department.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

An Oxnard man crashed into a metal guardrail on Sycamore Road near Seventh Street, breaking his neck. He was transferred to Ventura County Medical Center for treatment.
Francisco Romero Gutierrez, 19, was driving west on Sycamore Road, when he hit the rail, injuring two passengers. Cesario Sandoval, 21, sustained serious internal injuries, and Jose Luis Solorzano, 18, received cuts to his head and arm. Both men are Santa Paula residents.
Gutierrez was arrested on suspicion of felony drunken driving in the November 1st crash.

MEASURE F CITY OF FILLMORE FAIR RENT AND HOME OWNE
5/5 100.00%
Vote Count Percent
YES 159 14.10%
NO 969 85.90%
Total 1,128 100.00%