Santa Maria
Assistance centers open in counties
More help has been made available for people left unemployed by the recent cold front.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Thursday the opening of one-stop assistance center in 10 counties, including Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. The centers will cooperate with local government to provide job and unemployment aid, support with food programs, healthcare information, warming center location information and other services.
They will open 8 a.m. today and remain open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays for as long as needed.
The Santa Maria assistance center is at the Workforce Resource Center, 1410 South Broadway, Suite A.
The center in San Luis Obispo is at Creekside Career Center, 4111 Broad St.
Goleta
Man buys cars with another's identity
A 19-year-old man is facing identity theft charges after he allegedly used his former roommate's identity to buy a car, a truck, two off-road recreational vehicles and a dirt bike.
Christopher James Scriven of Wyoming was arrested by Santa Barbara County Sheriff's detectives after a co-worker at Circle Bar B Ranch, on the ridge above Gaviota, reported a suspicion of identify theft Tuesday.
The man who reported the alleged crime, whose identity was withheld, had his suspicions raised when a Buellton car dealership told him he had been turned down for a car loan that he never applied for, said Sgt. Erik Raney.
Detectives alleged that Scriven bought a 2001 Ford Mustang, a Ford F-350 truck, two ATV “quad-runners” and a dirt bike using his co-worker's identity, Raney said.
Scriven was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of false impersonation, identity theft, burglary, forgery, possession of stolen property and providing false identification to a peace officer. Bail was set at $100,000.
Nipomo
New bus service for the Mesa
Ride On Transportation is offering a new bus service for people traveling between the Nipomo Mesa and Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and Oceano.
The MESA Shuttle will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, offering door-to-door service for Mesa residents to limited spots in the Five Cities. Rides cost $4 each way, and children under 5 are free with a paid adult ticket.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, anyone older than 65 can ride the shuttle for a discounted rate of $2 each way.
To plan a trip or get more information, call 541-8747.
San Luis Obispo County
Rodents likely caused Diablo Fire
A wildland fire that scorched 332 acres of coastal lands between Avila Beach and Los Osos likely was started by rodents chewing on electrical wires at the origin of the fire - a double-wide mobilehome on private property near Ruda Canyon, officials said
“The most probable cause of the fire is related to rodents and the electrical system” at the origin of the fire, said Battalion Chief Andy Andersen of the California Department of Forestry/San Luis Obispo County Fire Department .
The Diablo Fire started around 4 p.m. Sunday at the mobilehome and spread to the wildland around the structure, which burned to the ground.
Fire crews had the fire fully contained by Wednesday morning, and expect to have it completely extinguished by Saturday.
The fire mostly burned in steep, hilly terrain on Pacific Gas and Electric Co. property just south of Montaņa de Oro State Park and north of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.
During the four-day blaze, public trails within the state park were closed, but they were all reopened at 3 p.m. Thursday, according to CDF officials.
Santa Maria
Garage sale to raise funds for family
Friends of one Santa Maria family are organizing a big garage sale Saturday to help raise funds for the wife and children of Shannon Zachmann, 37, who was killed last summer in a motorcycle accident.
The family of six have exhausted their savings and Zachmann did not have life insurance, said family friend Debbie Sharer. Organizers are also planning to work on the Zachmanns' yard by installing a sprinkler system and new grass, using donated materials.
About a dozen families will be selling items for the Zachmanns from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 301 N. Suey, Sharer estimated.
Santa Maria
Sobriety checkpoint happening tonight
Police will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint in the city from 5 to 11 p.m. today.
The area will not be announced in advance, but signs will notify motorists of the checkpoint as they approach it, according to the Santa Maria Police Department.
During the checkpoint, officers will briefly stop motorists to check their licenses and sobriety in an attempt to reduce the number of drunken drivers on the road.
Santa Barbara County
Applicants sought for homeless committee
The county is seeking applicants for the South Coast Homeless Advisory Committee, which focuses on issues ranging from poverty and substance abuse to lack of affordable housing.
Committee members are unpaid and attend monthly meetings in Santa Barbara that last about 90 minutes, on average. They also volunteer occasionally for special projects.
The application deadline is today. Contact Nancy Madsen at the county Public Health Department, 681-4078, or by e-mail at
nancy.madsen@sbcphd.org.
Appointments to the committee will be made by elected officials in February.
- From staff reports
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