California Highway Patrol

A Santa Paula woman was killed on Thursday, May 14th in a two-vehicle traffic collision between El Rio and Saticoy. An 85-year old Fillmore woman was injured in the crash. The accident occurred before 4:30pm on Vineyard Avenue, near Highway 118.

The 30-year old woman was driving a Mustang southbound on Vineyard, when she drifted into the northbound lanes, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The Fillmore resident, driving a Buick, was unable to avoid the collision and was trapped in her car. She had to be extricated by firefighters, and was transported to Ventura County Medical Center with a broken sternum.

Alcohol consumption by the deceased may have been a factor, according to the CHP.

Vineyard was shut down for about two hours.

The Bardsdale Cemetery will hold it Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 25th at 11AM. Featured speaker this year is Ed W. Campbell who is the President of the Resident’s Allied Council at the Veterans Home in Ventura. Mr. Campbell started his Military career with the US Navy Reserve in Santa Barbara, took his Basic SeamanTraining in San Diego in 1956 and USS Sioux Fleet Tug Seaman Training in San Diego in 1958. From 1958 until 1962 he served in the USAir Force taking his Basic Training at Lackland AFB in Texas in 1958, served in Portugal 1960-61 doing Management Analysis and was a Civil Engineering Draftsman in 1962 at Edwards Air Force Base. Mr. Campbell then went on to establish a career as an Architect and has designed many projects locally and throughout the United States receiving several awards. He is a Board Member of the Ventura Music Festival and served as Executive Director of the Pierpont Inn. The Rev. Bob Hammond will give the Memorial Service, special music will be provided by the Bardsdale Methodist Church choir. Also assisting in the ceremony will be VFW Post 9637, Boy Scout Troop 406, Cub Scout Troop 3400 and Bob Thompson. The Boy Scouts will put out the flags on Friday, May 22nd and they will be picked up by the Bardsdale 4H on Tuesday, May 26th. The Board of Trustees of the Cemetery District: Scott Lee, President, Lynda Edmonds, Secretary, Rita Rudkin, Gabriel Asenas and Dick Diaz would like to invite the community to this special event.

American Red Cross of Ventura County

The American Red Cross asks eligible donors to help ensure blood is available for patients in need by giving blood in May before the busy summer season kicks in.

Blood and platelet donations often decrease when regular donors are vacationing and school is out of session, but the need for blood is constant. Donors are needed in the weeks leading up to summer to help alleviate this seasonal decline.

Donors of all blood types - especially those with types O negative, A negative and B negative - are needed to help ensure blood is available for patients this spring. Those who come to donate blood between May 23 and May 25, 2015, will receive a limited-edition Red Cross-branded RuMeR tote bag, while supplies last.

To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

American Red Cross Woodland Hills Donation Center
6338 Variel Ave.
Woodland Hills, Calif. 91367

Monday and Tuesday: 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Saturday: 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Additional blood donation opportunities

Oxnard
5/19/2015: 10 a.m. - 4:15 p.m., Oxnard College, 4000 S Rose Ave

Simi Valley
5/16/2015: 9 a.m. - 3:15 p.m., Simi Valley Rancho Santa Suzanna Community,
5005 E Los Angeles Ave

Thousand Oaks
5/18/2015: 1 p.m. - 7:15 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd
5/26/2015: 10 a.m. - 4:15 p.m., Whole Foods, 740 N. Moorpark Road

How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are
17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.
High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

Fillmore, the Last Best Small Town in Southern California, has been named one of the Safest Cities in California by Safewise.com. Out of the top 50 cities named, Fillmore ranked No. 17. Below is the article at http://www.safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-California-2015/

17. FILLMORE
Situated in the Santa Clara River Valley, “Sunset Magazine” named Fillmore one of “The West’s Best Cities,” a title bestowed on only two dozen communities. Indeed, the unspoiled Southern California town has a lot to offer those looking for small town charm, not the least of which is safe neighborhoods. In fact, only a few cities on our list reported less property crime than Fillmore.

Cool ocean breezes, a landscape dotted with citrus groves and a comfortable average yearly temperature of 78 degrees are more reasons you’ll fall in love with “The last, best small town in Southern California.”
Violent Crimes per 1,000: 1.70 - Property Crimes per 1,000: 9.99

With approximately 38 million residents, California is by far the most populated state in the U.S. But that doesn’t mean it has a particularly high crime rate. In fact, according to recent FBI Crime Report data, the Golden State’s crime rate is about on par with the national average, reporting 3.96 violent crimes per 1,000 residents and 26.65 property crimes per 1,000 residents. The report reveals that the typical American city reported 3.67 violent crimes per 1,000 citizens and 27.30 property crimes per 1,000 citizens. As a whole, crime went down in California over the last year. Specifically, violent crime was reduced by seven percent and property crime was lessened by four percent.

When we took a close look at the 50 safest cities in California, we found they reported much lower incidents of crime than the national average. The average violent crime rate among our safest cities was 1.12 per 1,000 people, and the average property crime rate was 11.32 per 1,000 people. That means the average safe city listed below experienced 70 percent less violent crime and 60 percent less property crime than the typical U.S. city. We were particularly impressed to discover that 42 of California’s 50 safest cities (84 percent) reported no murders. And the safest city on our list, Hillsborough, reported no incidents of violent crime whatsoever.

If you’re looking for a safe place to call home in California, start by looking at our list to make sure you’re going somewhere with a good safety record. Once you’ve become familiar with the safest cities in California, you’ll want to explore the security and safety information found in our comprehensive California Safety Directory. In addition to finding the latest information on crime prevention programs, you can explore an interactive map of the most (and least) burglarized counties in the state.

How We Chose the Safest Cities in California
We followed a strict protocol to arrive at the 50 safest cities in California. First, we identified cities with a population of over 10,000 residents in 2013 and evaluated recent FBI Crime Report data. From there, we determined the number of Violent Crimes, which are considered murder, aggravated assault, robbery and forcible rape, as well as Property Crimes, consisting of burglary, motor vehicle theft, arson, and larceny-theft that were reported in each city. Then, to create a level playing field and make it easy to compare crime rates among several cities, we calculated the chance of these crimes happening out of 1,000 people.

When reviewing the list, you should keep in mind that although the annual FBI Crime Report is considered a premier source for a myriad of crime data, not every city in California reported complete information to the FBI. If you think we overlooked one of the state’s safest cities, it could be because its law enforcement agency did not report complete data to the FBI, and that caused it to be removed from consideration.

If you want to see how your city did in our past report, check out last year’s crime data.