Santa Paula Police Officer Kimberly Hemminger

This morning the Santa Paula Police Department was saddened by news of the death of Police Officer Kimberly Hemminger. Officer Hemminger was tragically killed when the car she was riding in spun and rolled over on South Mountain Lookout Road at 9:15 p.m. on Sunday night. The driver of the car, Christopher Blankenship, age 44, suffered minor injuries in the single-car accident. According to officers from the California Highway Patrol, Mr. Blankenship lost control of the car when approaching a curve on the winding road. Ms. Hemminger was partially ejected and pinned under the car. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The other passengers in the car, Tonia Allen 38, of Camarillo and Cynthia Juarez, 19, of Santa Paula, also suffered minor injuries in the accident.

Mr. Blankenship was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and vehicular manslaughter. Mr. Blankenship, a reserve Officer with Santa Paula Police Department, was placed on administrative leave. The California Highway Patrol investigation is ongoing.

Officer Hemminger was a five-year veteran of the Department and a member of the Department’s mounted unit. During her time with the Department Officer Hemminger received several commendations and was well-liked by her fellow officers.

Our thoughts go out to Officer Hemminger’s family and friends.

As City Attorney Ted Schneider had repeatedly warned, the city has once again been sued by the owner of El Dorado Mobil Home Park after voting to renege on a settlement. That settlement, expected to be affirmed but voted down at the last minute after four years and $236,000-worth of litigation, was expected to end the fight and secure protection to some of El Dorado’s residents.

In a 3-2 vote, Council Members Jamey Brooks, Brian Sipes, and Eduardo Gonzalez rejected the approved settlement stating their displeasure with the plaintiff’s disrespectful behavior towards the council and the residents of El Dorado during litigation.

Yesterday evening just before the 6:00 p.m. city council closed session was to begin, all council members were served with complaints. The Gazette has learned that as many as 30 complaints in all were served. This reopens litigation, forcing the city to again defend El Dorado’s struggle to force the park’s owner to comply with FEMA and SEQUA requirements for a safer park. Litigation can now be expected to continue for years, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, with little chance for success, according to Schneider.

[For more about this, see this week's Editorial located here http://www.fillmoregazette.com/editorial/realities-188]

It all began in 1962, golfing in the foothills between the rugged Sespe and San Cayetano Mountain ranges just outside of Fillmore! Saturday, July 7, 2012 was the 50th Anniversary of the Elkins Ranch Golf Club and it was time to recognize this milestone. To celebrate Elkins offered a golf tournament and catered dinner with live music and which is typical of this Valley, the evening weather could not have been better.

Although I was unable to attend this event it has prompted me to look further into the history of this land prior to it becoming a destination PGA rated golf course sought out by many well-known and dedicated golfers. Even the infamous and now jailed O.J. Simpson tried to play a round there while he was awaiting trial! For the life of me I don't know why he thought he could play anonymously on this course with all the media coverage he had garnered, but soon the crowds formed and the Sheriff was called to resolve the situation. When I complete my research I am hoping to submit an article in the near future on the Elkins family and Elkins Ranch prior to the Elkins Ranch Golf Club.

The day was a CONTINUED »

The Ventura County Transportation Commission approved a contract with Camarillo-based Roadrunner for the operation of its popular VISTA intercommunity bus service on Friday. The 11-month pact ensures the agency’s public service will operate through at least June 30, 2013.

“I am very pleased to announce that Ventura County residents will enjoy the same routes and hours, same fares, and many of the same drivers that our customers have come to value across the past several years,” noted VCTC Board Chair John Zaragoza. “Our new partner, Roadrunner, has worked aggressively across the past few weeks to make this happen, including organizing a fleet of newly refurbished vehicles. Maintaining quality intercommunity bus service has been our cornerstone goal.”

To support the new CONTINUED »

The Tuesday, July 10, 2012 City Council Meeting began slightly later than the scheduled 6:30 P.M. posted time partly due to a scheduled 5:30 P.M. Special Meeting held just prior. According to the Agenda Packet for the regular scheduled Fillmore City Council Meeting the earlier meeting was to be a “Closed Session” involving ongoing discussions about the continued employment of current City Attorney firm, Myers, Widders, Gibson, Jones and Schneider, L.L.P.

Items on the Agenda included Item “5. A.” the annual presentation to the City of Fillmore of the framed 2012 Ventura County Fair Poster by Ventura County Fair representative(s) Chris Garmon, Alexus Galassi of the Ventura County Junior Fair Board and Amanda Vassaur, of Fillmore who was the second place winner in the Ventura County Fair Poster Contest. This year's Fair theme is; “Rides, Ribbons and Rodeos” and the colorful winning poster was submitted by the First Place Winner Sam Coultas of Ventura. The Ventura County Fair begins August 1st and runs through August 12th. As always this year the Ventura County Fair is intent on providing good family entertainment to enjoyed by all!

Another item of interest was CONTINUED »

Two men were killed Thursday afternoon when their small plane crashed in an orchard in an unincorporated portion of Ventura County east of Piru.

The Sheriff’s Communications Center received several 9-1-1 calls from motorists driving by on Highway 126 who saw the plane go down. The wreckage was within 100 yards of the highway and near a ranch house. However, there were no injuries to anyone on the ground and no damage to any property.

The small two-seat private plane was destroyed on impact. Members of the Sheriff’s Bomb Squad were sent to the scene to deactivate a small rocket device used to deploy a parachute in the event the aircraft experienced an emergency.

Investigators were trying to determine why the safety device was not activated before the crash.

The two men’s names were not released pending notification of their families.