Santa Maria
Management report quietly received
With little discussion, the Santa Maria Public Airport Board of Directors accepted a report from their property management firm Thursday night assessing the facilities at the Airport Mobile Home Park.
General Manager Gary Rice told the board he would begin looking for qualified contractors to perform utility system inspections per the report's recommendations. Once those results are in the board can decide how to proceed.
Rice added that the airport has, as suggested in the report, supplied large trash bins so that residents can clean out their yards.
About a dozen residents from the 96-unit mobile home park attended the meeting Thursday night. Residents have been asking the board for better park maintenance and for long-term lease agreements.
Elias Barriga, president of the resident association, thanked the board for the report but noted that he is concerned that a list of homeowner suggestions for improvements was left out of the final document.
He also once again asked the board for long-term lease agreements.
Los Olivos
Portion of Alamo Pintado to be closed
Alamo Pintado Road, east of the Santa Barbara Avenue intersection at Lansing Crossing, will be closed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday for construction, and traffic will be detoured in the area.
The construction project is to improve water flow in a portion of Alamo Pintado Creek, and crews will use a crane to move shifted boulders in the creek under the bridge, Santa Barbara County Public Works Department officials said..
Northbound traffic will be detoured north on Santa Barbara Avenue, then east on Alamo Pintado Avenue. Southbound traffic will be detoured west on Alamo Pintado Avenue, then south on Santa Barbara Avenue.
Santa Barbara County
Extradited suspect held without bail
One of the sheriff's top 10 most wanted suspects has been brought back to the county to face rape charges after he allegedly fled to Mexico following a 2003 sexual assault in Isla Vista.
Tomas Rosales was living with his family in Guerrero, Mexico, at the time of his arrest Oct. 18 after U.S. Marshals contacted Mexican authorities, a Santa Barbara County sheriff's spokesman said.
Rosales had been held at a federal jail in Mexico City until he was extradited to the Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked Wednesday and is being held without bail, said Sgt. Erik Raney.
Rosales was put on the sheriff's list of most wanted after a 32-year-old woman reported being raped by a man while walking home after work in the early morning of Dec. 7, 2003, Raney said.
A DNA test result identified Rosales as the suspect, Raney said.
Nipomo
Elks flag holder try-outs Sunday
Try-outs will be Sunday for horse riders who carry sponsors' flags during the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo.
Candidates should show up at 8 a.m. at the Vaughn's Arena, 1185 Camino Caballo, in Nipomo. Try-outs begin at 9 a.m.
Would-be flag carriers must try out on the horse they plan to ride during the rodeo. Riders will be judged on horsemanship, arena procedure, appearance, personality and overall performance.
To pre-register for the try-outs, call 925-4125 or 929-5784.
The 64th annual Santa Maria Elks Rodeo will be May 31 to June 3, with the rodeo parade falling on June 2.
Santa Barbara County
Land-use changes focus of workshop
A public workshop Saturday will focus on proposed changes in land-use rules for hundreds of agricultural preserve parcels in Santa Barbara County.
Staff planners will conduct the meeting from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the fourth floor of the county Administration Building, 105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The workshop will also be broadcast live to a hearing room in the Betteravia Government Center, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Santa Maria. Public comments can also be made remotely from there.
Under the state's Williamson Act, land preserved by contract for agriculture is taxed at lower rates. Over the past three years, the county has been working to revise its “uniform rules” for ag preserves, by easing development restrictions somewhat on those 1,200 parcels totaling 550,000 acres.
One or two more houses could be built on some parcels, under the proposed changes, but planners say no more than 233 new residences would result countywide. Small-scale “guest ranches,” using existing buildings but no new structures, would be permissible on certain parcels of 40 acres or larger. Somewhat bigger wineries would also be allowed on parcels over 500 acres.
Nipomo
Drainage culvert plans completed
The San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department has completed plans to improve drainage culverts in Olde Towne Nipomo and construction is to begin this summer as part of a $1.8 million project to upgrade drainage and control flooding n that area.
County Supervisor Katcho Achadjian was able to find the money to complete the construction.
For more information, call 781-5252 and ask for the design division.
Santa Maria
Man arrested after chase, then crash
A Santa Maria man was arrested after leading police on a vehicle pursuit that ended in a non-injury crash early Thursday morning, police said.
Mario Camronero, 27, was arrested on suspicion of evading a peace officer and violation of parole, Santa Maria police said.
An officer reportedly saw Camronero in a black 1998 Ford Contour in the parking lot of a church in the 900 block of East Sierra Madre Avenue about 1:50 a.m.
Upon seeing the officer, Camronero allegedly sped away, police said. The chase continued for about three blocks until the suspect lost control of the vehicle and crashed into two parked cars in the 800 block of East Mariposa Way, police said.
It is unknown if the vehicles were occupied at the time. Camronero ran after the crash but was caught by police.
San Luis Obispo County
Embezzling suspect hasn't entered plea
An Arroyo Grande woman accused of embezzling more than $65,000 from accounts she managed at her property management company, Lighthouse Property Management, remains in San Luis Obispo County Jail.
Bonnie Tullos, 52, was arrested at her home Feb. 9 on suspicion of embezzlement and forgery after more than 30 of her clients accused her of stealing money from them or writing them bad checks.
Tullos has been charged with one felony count of grand theft over $400 and a felony enhancement of taking property during the commission of a crime. If convicted, she faces two years jail time.
During a court appearance Thursday - the second since her arrest - Tullos again didn't enter a plea, said Deputy District Attorney Steven von Dohlen.
He said Tullos hasn't entered a plea yet, at the request of her defense attorney, James Murphy, who was unavailable for comment.
A further arraignment hearing has been scheduled for April 5, at which time a bail reduction hearing may be heard.
Tullos has been held at County Jail in lieu of $100,000 since her request and is requesting to be released on her own recognizance. That request was expected to be heard Thursday, but von Dohlen said both sides agreed to delay the hearing.
- From staff reports
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