Mario Alexander Rodriguez, 25 of Fillmore
Mario Alexander Rodriguez, 25 of Fillmore

Sheriff’s detectives arrest (A) Mario Rodriguez for attempted murder after he shot a coworker.

At about 6:27 PM on 06/09/2020, the Sheriff’s Communication Center received a 911 call from a man who said he’d been shot by a coworker at a farm in the 2500 block of West Telegraph Road, in the unincorporated area west of the City of Fillmore. When deputies arrived, they located the victim with a single gunshot wound to the shoulder. The victim was transported to a local hospital, treated for his injury, and released the following day.

The investigation determined that Mario Rodriguez became upset with the victim after a series of arguments. Rodriguez retrieved a rifle from a trailer located on the property. Rodriguez then used the rifle to shoot the victim one time before fleeing the area on foot. Sheriff’s deputies spent several hours searching the surrounding area but were unsuccessful in locating Rodriguez.

During the course of the investigation, detectives received information that Rodriguez had fled to Northern California. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Major Crimes and Narcotics Units traveled to the City of Vallejo and located Rodriguez in the 400 block of Central Avenue on 06/11/2020. Rodriguez was arrested for attempted murder and transported back to Ventura where he was booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility. Rodriguez remains in custody on $500,000.00 bail and is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on 06/15/2020.

Nature of Incident: Shooting Results in Arrest for Attempted Murder
Report Number: 20-78404
Location: 2500 block of West Telegraph Road, Fillmore, CA
Date & Time: 06/09/2020 @ 6:27 PM
Unit(s) Responsible: Sheriff’s Fillmore Patrol Station
Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit
Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit: (S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent
(V) Adult Male
(A) Mario Alexander Rodriguez, 25 of Fillmore
Prepared by: Sergeant Steve Jenkins
Approved by: Captain Jeff Miller

 


 
On Sunday, June 14th at 11:49pm, police responded to a hit & run traffic collision involving a pedestrian on Santa Clara and east B Street in Fillmore. Pictured above is surveillance footage of the light-colored pickup truck involved in the collision. Police are asking the community for their help in identifying the driver.
On Sunday, June 14th at 11:49pm, police responded to a hit & run traffic collision involving a pedestrian on Santa Clara and east B Street in Fillmore. Pictured above is surveillance footage of the light-colored pickup truck involved in the collision. Police are asking the community for their help in identifying the driver.
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The Fillmore Police Department is seeking the assistance of the public in identifying the driver and vehicle involved in a hit and run traffic collision that occurred in the City of Fillmore.

On June 14, 2020, at approximately 11:59 PM, patrol deputies from the Fillmore Police Department responded to a hit and run traffic collision on Santa Clara Street, east of B Street. It was determined a pedestrian was laying in the roadway and was struck by a light colored four door Chevrolet or GMC pickup truck. After the collision, the driver of the pickup truck backed up and then drove around the pedestrian and fled the scene. The pedestrian sustained serious injuries as a result. Video surveillance footage was obtained capturing an image of the pickup truck following the collision and is attached below.

This collision is currently under investigation by the Fillmore Police Department’s Investigations Bureau. Anyone with information regarding this collision is encouraged to contact Fillmore Police Department Detective Pewsey at 805-947-9128 or Detective Salas at 805-947-9391.

Nature of Incident: Attempt to Identify Driver and Vehicle in Hit and Run Traffic Collision
Report Number: 20-81014
Location: City of Fillmore
Date & Time: 06/14/2020 at 11:59 PM
Unit(s) Responsible: Fillmore Patrol Services and Detectives
Prepared by: Detective Shawn Pewsey #3867
Approved by: Captain Garo Kuredjian

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).

 


 
On Saturday, June 13th at 6:48pm on Highway 126 and Atmore Road near Fillmore, a multiple vehicle crash occurred. According to reports the four-vehicle collision took place with one person trapped and extracted from the wreck within 15 minutes. Five patients were reported to have minor injuries; a second ambulance was called to the scene. Cause of the crash is still under investigation.
On Saturday, June 13th at 6:48pm on Highway 126 and Atmore Road near Fillmore, a multiple vehicle crash occurred. According to reports the four-vehicle collision took place with one person trapped and extracted from the wreck within 15 minutes. Five patients were reported to have minor injuries; a second ambulance was called to the scene. Cause of the crash is still under investigation.
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Anyone in possession/use of ILLEGAL FIREWORKS is subject to a $1,000 fine. According to the Social Fireworks Ordinance, in the event that a neighbor or bystander identifies the residence that the firework originated from, the property owner, tenant or other person in control of the property is strictly liable for any individual who ignites, explodes, projects or otherwise discharges illegal fireworks from said property in violation of Sections 15.38.100 and/or 15.39.010. BE SAFE! Pictured are fireworks that were confiscated in 2018 by the VC Sheriff’s Depart. Photo Courtesy Ventura County Sheriff Department.
Anyone in possession/use of ILLEGAL FIREWORKS is subject to a $1,000 fine. According to the Social Fireworks Ordinance, in the event that a neighbor or bystander identifies the residence that the firework originated from, the property owner, tenant or other person in control of the property is strictly liable for any individual who ignites, explodes, projects or otherwise discharges illegal fireworks from said property in violation of Sections 15.38.100 and/or 15.39.010. BE SAFE! Pictured are fireworks that were confiscated in 2018 by the VC Sheriff’s Depart. Photo Courtesy Ventura County Sheriff Department.
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On Friday, June 12th at 8:49pm, authorities responded to a battery call at St. Francis Catholic Church in Fillmore. According to reports a priest had been battered by a Hispanic male who wore a mask and was carrying a hammer. The suspect was trying to break into church property and attacked the priest, who was able to defend himself, before fleeing east bound on Ventura Street, after taking a religious statue and Bible. About four hours later Sheriff’s Deputies were able to arrest 32-year old Rene Villanueva of Fillmore at the ARCO station, about one mile east of the church. Villanueva was booked into the Ventura County Jail for burglary and assault with a deadly weapon. He is also being held for a parole violation. Villanueva’s bail was set at $220,000, with no release due to the parole violation.

 
Joe Dye’s protege Mason Bradfield, who was also arrested for Joe’s murder and other foul dealings in 1981 and was imprisoned at San Quentin. Photos courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
Joe Dye’s protege Mason Bradfield, who was also arrested for Joe’s murder and other foul dealings in 1981 and was imprisoned at San Quentin. Photos courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
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The Kentuck oil lease up Sespe Creek, 1899.
The Kentuck oil lease up Sespe Creek, 1899.
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Wallace Hardison
Wallace Hardison
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Fillmore Unified School District
Fillmore Unified School District

Public Hearing and Receipt of Initial Proposal

Approve Certification of Signatures 2020-2021
The Board approved the Certification of Signatures 2020-2021

Approve Resolution 19-20-21 of the Fillmore USD Ordering a Regular Governing Board Member Election, Ordering
Consolidation with Other Elections, and Constituting "Specification for the Election Order" to be held November 3, 2020
The Board approved Resolution 19-20-21

Approve Fillmore USD's Covid-19 Operations Written Report
The Board approved Fillmore USD's Covid-19 Operations Written Report

Adopt the 2020-2021 Budget
The Board adopted the 2020-2021 Budget

Approve Resolution 19-20-22 for Child Development Services California State Preschool Program
The Board approved Resolution 19-20-22

Approve Resolution 19-20-23 for Flexibility in Determining Average Daily Attendance used to Calculate the LCFF for
2019-2020 Through End of Reduced State Funding Due to the Economic Crisis Caused by Pandemic
The Board approved Resolution 19-20-23

Award Bid for Food and Grocery Products for Fillmore Unified School District Child Nutrition Services
The Board approved the awarding of this bid.

Personnel Recommendations
The Board approved all personnel recommendations including new hires, promotions, resignations, and leaves.

 
Photo of the Week "Bodie ghost town home complete with outhouse" by Bob Crum. Photo data: Canon camera, manual mode, Tamron 16-300mm lens @15mm. Exposure; ISO 320, aperture f/.9.5, 1/250sec shutter speed.
Photo of the Week "Bodie ghost town home complete with outhouse" by Bob Crum. Photo data: Canon camera, manual mode, Tamron 16-300mm lens @15mm. Exposure; ISO 320, aperture f/.9.5, 1/250sec shutter speed.
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A word about primes
Bob Crum
Bob Crum

I'm delighted. Brenda C, wrote saying: "I did it! I bought the EOS Rebel T8i. However, I did not buy the EF-S 18-55mm IS STM lens because I read that prime lenses are better. So, what prime lens should I consider buying?

First, Brenda, I am so proud of you. With your new camera, you are about to embark on fantabulous photoing adventures.

A lens, often referred to as 'glass', is the most important part of a phonetography kit. And one of the great debates in photography is prime vs. zoom lenses. But generally speaking, the better the glass, the better the photo regardless of the camera is the common refrain. It's mostly true, but as in all things photographic, there are pros and cons to everything. But I digress.

Let's take a look at a couple of comparisons. Combo A: Inexpensive Nikon D3500 ($395 on
Amazon) camera with a $2,500 prime lens. Combo B: $5750.00 Hasselblad camera with a $100 crappy lens. Did you already guess what combo would produce the best photo? Of course, the inexpensive Nikon with a high-quality lens. The cheap lens on the uber high-quality Hasselblad camera will struggle to create quality photos.

Back to primes. It's recognized worldwide by every photographer worth peanut butter that prime lenses are universally superior to zoom lenses in many cases. Prime lenses generally offer wider apertures, shallower depth of field and better bokeh, some for lower cost, perform better in low light, usually sharper optics and less bulky.

Brenda didn't mention what genre of photography she intends to engage in. So I'll use the scatter-gun approach that will apply to all 2,692,585 of my readers. The three prime focal lengths generally recognized for portraiture photoing are 50mm, 85mm, and 135 or 150mm lenses. Two other factors: lens speed and stabilization or not. The faster the speed (aperture opening), the more the lens will cost. If you intend to shoot portraits only, and the camera on a tripod, save money and pass on stabilization.

Now, if you intend to shoot landscapes, consider a wide-angle prime, mid-range primes in the 50 to 100mm focal lengths and a long-range prime in the 100-300mm focal lengths. You can forget a wide-angle prime. I found none in a cursory browse of the Net. However, Sigma produces an 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HS lens, which is as wide as you can go for APS-C Canon DSLRs without going fisheye. For the other lenses, your options are Canon (EF-S) lenses, and lenses from Tamron or Sigma.

I called the camera shop where Brenda bought the camera and they said that they'd sell you the Canon EF-S 18-135mm IS STM lens at a kit price saving you lots of money. Buy it. Shoot with the 18mm-135mm for a couple of months and note what focal length you use most. That's your clue to the focal length of the first prime you might consider buying. Presuming you insist on a prime lens.

All that said, here comes the monkey wrench. Certain prime lenses for particular photography is good. But primes are not always the best lens to use. Every time a lens is changed, the camera's sensor is subject to dust. Just a few just spots in a photo is annoying or means lots of time photo editing them out. Hence, except for a Canon 50-Nifty (50mm), I don't own a prime lens. Regular readers know that I regularly use one lens: Tamron 16-300mm telephoto lens to avoid dust issues. Brenda, unless you're shooting in a studio, I encourage you to reconsider and buy a couple of telephoto zoom lenses. Perhaps zoom lenses discussed next. Stay tuned.

The photo of the week is a home in the Bodie ghost town complete with outhouse!

Send comments, questions or suggestions to: focusonphotography@earthlink.net

 
Fillmore Unified School District Presents The Sierra High/Heritage Valley Class of 2020. YouTube video link below.
Fillmore Unified School District Presents The Sierra High/Heritage Valley Class of 2020. YouTube video link below.
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https://www.blog.fillmoreusd.org/sierra-high-school-warriors-blog/2020/6...

 
A vigil for George Floyd was held on June 5th at 7pm in front of the Fillmore Police Station. Participants brought flowers and candles, and held signs expressing different sentiments. A few people took turns speaking about racism and Mr. Floyd’s life. Fillmore City Council Member Manuel Minjares stopped by to speak to the protestors as well.
A vigil for George Floyd was held on June 5th at 7pm in front of the Fillmore Police Station. Participants brought flowers and candles, and held signs expressing different sentiments. A few people took turns speaking about racism and Mr. Floyd’s life. Fillmore City Council Member Manuel Minjares stopped by to speak to the protestors as well.
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