Santa Maria
Transformer trouble shuts down Hancock
A malfunctioning transformer caused smoke at Allan Hancock College's Santa Maria campus around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday and resulted in shutting down the school for the rest of the day.
When they arrived, firefighters found white smoke coming from a metal cabinet on the side of a small cinderblock building near Bradley Road, which houses electrical equipment that supplies power to
90 percent of campus, officials said.
The building, which sits between Building H and the Student Center at the corner of Jones Street and Bradley Road, was also the site of an electrical fire in mid-June that was caused by an old, over-heated transformer.
Tuesday's smoke was caused by an electrical short inside the metal cabinet and the melting of some electrical equipment, according to Battalion Chief Dan Orr of the Santa Maria Fire department.
The transformer “literally popped. I was standing in the next building,” Hancock spokeswoman Rebecca Alarcio said. “And then it stopped working.”
The campus was evacuated, Tuesday's few night classes were canceled and online registration was inaccessible because Pacific Gas and Electric shut down the campus' electricity, Alarcio said.
Pismo Beach
Bacteria triggers health warning
Elevated levels of bacteria found in the water 40 feet south of the Pismo Pier Monday prompted the posting of a health advisory at the beach warning beachgoers to avoid contact with the water, according to the County Environmental Health Department.
Health advisory signs were posted near the pier Tuesday, when the water was also resampled. If the results reveal the bacteria levels have returned to normal, the advisory could be lifted as early as today.
Santa Maria
AG man top digger at Cal Poly event
Arroyo Grande's Jim Greenhaw didn't win the money, but he did have the top performing moon-dirt digger at the 2008 Regolith Excavation Challenge on Saturday at Cal Poly.
NASA prize money totaling $750,000 eluded all the participating inventors hoping to develop a robot that could collect enough fake moon dirt in a specified time, but judges handed out trophies Saturday night to top performers. Greenhaw's Tech Ranch entry took first place.
“It wasn't a complete loss,” Greenhaw said. “At least I can go down in the history books as being the winner, even though I didn't get the check.”
Eight teams put their inventions to the test during the competition, but none met the challenge of digging 330 pounds of simulated moon dirt, called regolith, and putting it into a collector within 30 minutes.
Other trophy winners were Cal Poly's Slobotics of San Luis Obispo in second place, and Team Waldbaum from Sunnyvale in third place.Organizers say they don't know if the event will return in 2009. It was co-hosted by Santa Maria-based California Space Authority (CSA), California Space Education Workforce Institute and Cal Poly's College of Engineering. Prizes, including $500,000 for first place, were being offered through NASA Centennial Programs.
Santa Ynez
Repaving to cause Hwy. 246 delays
Caltrans began Monday to repave two sections of Highway 246, which is expected to reduce traffic to one lane in each direction for weeks and delay drivers for up to 15 minutes between western Solvang and Highway 154.
One section being repaved extends from Hill Haven Road, just east of Alamo Pintado Road, to Via Juana Road, just west of the Chumash Casino. The other begins at Edison Street near downtown Santa Ynez and extends east to Highway 154.
Caltrans expects the project to last until mid-September. The work will take place Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays.
There will be one-way reversing traffic control through the project area.
Pismo Beach
Teen who died had .27 blood alcohol
A 17-year-old Shell Beach teen who died July 17 after losing control of a 2002 Jeep Liberty on Highway 101 near the Price Street offramp was highly intoxicated when the accident occurred, authorities said.
Addison “Addy” Decker had a blood alcohol level of .27, more than three times the legal limit of .08, according to preliminary toxicology reports, when she lost control of the vehicle, hitting the highway median and flipping the jeep into the center divider, according to the Sheriff's Department.
Decker, a 2008 Arroyo Grande High School graduate, died at the scene. Her two passengers survived the crash.
Santa Maria
Multiple-vehicle crash injuries three
Three local residents were injured Monday about 3 p.m. in a multi-vehicle collision at the intersection of McCoy Lane and A Street, west of Skyway Drive.
Santa Maria resident Cyrilla Foster, 81, was found in her vehicle, which police officials said sustained major front end damage. Guadalupe resident Salvador Garcia, 26, and his passenger, Isaac Zuniga, 27, were also found in their vehicle, which also sustained major damage, and officials said both vehicles had to be towed from the scene.
The extent of their injuries could not be determined Tuesday. The cause of the accident remained under investigation, according to police.
Santa Maria
Council approves new speed limits
New speed limits on a pair of Santa Maria streets were unanimously approved by the Santa Maria City Council Tuesday night.
The speed limit on McClelland Street between Cook Street and Jones Street will be 25 mph, and the limit will become 45 mph on East Main Street between Suey Road and the easterly city limit.
The Public Works Department recommendations were part of a state-required speed survey done every five years. Eight signs and pavement markings plus labor will cost an estimated $1,200.
Three other roadway segments were studied from June to July of this year: Blosser Road from Donovan Road to the northern end, Main Street from Highway 101 to Suey Road and College Drive from Battles Road to Betteravia Road, and will remain at the same speed limit.
Santa Maria
Council OKs street reconstruction bid
The Santa Maria City Council unanimously approved a contract Tuesday night with Elevation General Engineering Contractors of Santa Maria for a street reconstruction project on Marlberry Street, Palmetto Drive and West Creston Street from Lincoln Street to Railroad Avenue.
The $369,124 project includes repair and replacement of damaged curbs and gutters, construction of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant handicapped accessible ramps and traffic striping. The bid is almost $98,000 lower than the engineer's estimate of $466,736.
The roadways have become costly to maintain at an acceptable level and have been identified by the city's pavement management system for reconstruction, according to city staff members.
Santa Maria
Chamber to honor two local businesses
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday that it will honor Toyota of Santa Maria as business of the year and Santa Maria Elks Lodge No. 1538 as citizen of the year while presenting its Robert F. Grogan Award for Public Service to John Everett of Allstate Insurance when the chamber convenes for its annual installation and awards dinner Aug. 13.
The Chamber will also install the new members of its board of directors at the dinner, scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Santa Maria Elks Lodge, 1309 N. Bradley Road.
Reservations are required. Tickets cost $45 each, $80 per couple, or tables for 12 for $450. Corporate sponsorships are also available.
For reservations and more information, contact Marcy Lariz at 925-2403, Ext. 816, or at
marcy@santamaria.com.
Nipomo
No injuries reported in motorhome fire
No one was injured in a motorhome fire on Dos Canadas Road that was reported shortly after 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to Cal Fire.
The fire, which was on private property, was ignited by a mechanical problem. The damage was estimated at $4,000, and the blaze was contained at 12:22 p.m., according to Cal Fire.
Santa Maria
Blakeslee's staff to hold office hours
Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee's staff members are scheduled to hold mobile office hours between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday in front of the Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St.
The time is available without an appointment to help people in working with state agencies and discussing positions on current issues, according to a statement from Blakeslee's office.
Information will also be available on the state budget, the legislative process and the ongoing work of the 33rd Assembly District office.
Blakeslee, a Republican, represents the 33rd Assembly District, which stretches from Atascadero and Paso Robles to Santa Maria and Guadalupe.
Santa Maria
City seeks ‘safe routes' school bids
Santa Maria is calling for bids on “Safe Routes to School” improvements at Alvin Avenue School and the surrounding area. The project is meant to enhance the safety of students who walk or bike to school. The Santa Maria-Bonita School District is a partner on the project. Funding comes from a state grant and local Gas Taxes.
Proposed improvements include removal and reconstruction of 54 new ADA complaint curb ramp approaches with detectable warning panels, improvements to nine alley approaches, installation of 1,105 linear feet of new concrete sidewalk and replacement of old Alvin School signs with new signs and hardware with vandalism protective coating.
Installation of 20 mph signs along the frontage of the school is also included.
The City Council is scheduled to award the bid Sept. 16.
Santa Maria
Two arrested in robbery, beating
A man and woman were arrested on suspicion of working together to beat and rob a 40-year-old Santa Maria woman in broad daylight Tuesday, according to Santa Maria Police officials.
Daniel Lugo, 45, was arrested on suspicion of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon and Mary Rohus, 34, for robbery and conspiracy, officials said.
Lugo allegedly struck Luisa Lopez several times on her back with a metal bat near Canal Street and Cesar Chavez Drive around 1 p.m., then stole her purse and jumped into a vehicle being driven by Rohus, according to police officials.
The two escaped, only to be observed and detained by a police detective in the 500 block of West Taft Street, officials said.
Santa Maria
Soup company films ad on local farm site
A commercial for a Campbell Soup Company was filmed on West Betteravia Road between Santa Maria and Guadalupe Thursday and Friday, according to Santa Barbara County staff.
The commercial was shot over the two days on Teixeira Farms and an open field by a Los Angeles-based film company, county staff said.
-- From staff reports
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