Santa Maria

Man arrested after home drug search

A 43-year-old Santa Maria man is being held without bail in a Los Angeles federal detention center after he was arrested during a drug search of a home in the 300 block of North Western Avenue in Santa Maria.

According to police, Francisco Mendez was arrested and booked on suspicion of possession for sales of drugs after authorities found 456 grams of crystal methamphetamine and 291 grams of cocaine at the residence. The drugs had a street value of $74,700, police said in a statement.

Officers from the Santa Maria Narcotic Suppression Team, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff Narcotics Team and Drug Enforcement Administration served a search warrant at the residence at noon Tuesday, police said.

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Santa Barbara County

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Flames from bus kept away from brush

Santa Barbara County fire crews were able to keep a fire in the engine compartment of an Amtrak Bus from spreading to nearby brush at the top of the Nojoqui grade on Highway 101 northbound shoulder.

Crews were sent to the reported fire around 4 p.m. Tuesday, said Capt. Eli Iskow spokesman for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

All the passengers were able to get off the bus and no one was injured, Iskow said.

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Santa Maria

Council approves election resolutions

The Santa Maria City Council unanimously approved three resolutions setting the stage for municipal elections in November.

The council is requesting the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors consolidate the city's election with the statewide general election which will allow the county elections division to run the municipal election.

The council also set a $1,200 deposit for candidate statements that are part of the sample ballot.

The terms of mayor, two council seats, the city clerk and the city treasurer are all up this year.

The nomination period for potential candidates for Santa Maria city offices opens July 14 and lasts through Aug. 8. Paperwork can be picked up at the city clerk's office, 110 E. Cook St., room 3.

For more information, call the City Clerk at 925-0951, Ext. 307, or see the city's Web site - www.ci.santa-maria.ca.us - under the city clerk link.

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Pismo Beach

Woman killed in collision identified

The California Highway Patrol has released the name of a 58-year-old Pismo Beach woman who was killed in a four-vehicle collision Friday on Price Canyon Road.

Francheska Rubin sustained fatal injuries in the accident that occurred around 5:15 p.m. about two miles west of Highway 227, according to the CHP.

An 18-year-old San Luis Obispo man, Alex John Forester, is accused of causing the accident and has been arrested on suspicion of felony vehicular manslaughter.

Authorities believe Forester was driving a a 2007 Audi RS4 sedan eastbound on Price Canyon Road in heavy traffic, following the vehicle in front of him too closely.

He was allegedly looking out his left window at oncoming traffic, and began drifting onto and across the double yellow lines into the path of an oncoming 2001 Kia driven by Maria Garcia, 48, of Santa Maria, the CHP said.

Forester was about 2 feet across the double-yellow lines when his vehicle collided head-on with a 2003 Toyota Avalon driven by Rubin, who died at the scene, the CHP said.

Price Canyon Road was a closed to traffic for about two hours while officers investigated the accident and crews removed wreckage.

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Pismo Beach

Water warning at Pismo Pier posted

High levels of bacteria in the water near Pismo Pier prompted County Environmental Health officials to post warning signs near the pier urging the public to avoid contact with the water.

Samples taken of the water Monday revealed higher than normal bacteria levels in the water 40 feet south of the pier, prompting the health advisory posting, according to County Environmental Health.

Advisory signs were posted Tuesday, when the water was also resampled. If the results, which are expected today, show the bacteria levels have returned to within normal ranges, the advisory will be lifted.

The longest health advisory posting in Pismo Beach was for eight days in May 2007. The cause of the elevated bacteria levels isn't known, but the city recently embarked on a $600,000 ocean water quality study that will hopefully identify the source of the pollution.

- From staff reports