San Luis Obispo County
More than 10,000 pots plants seized
More than 1,600 marijuana plants were seized Tuesday morning from an unmanned grow off of East Pozo Road in the Los Padres National Forest, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department.
Detectives seized 1,680 plants with an estimated street value of $1,750 per plant during the raid. No one was found at the grow site, and detectives hiked into the site to haul out the plants, law enforcement officers said.
In a separate raid that began on Monday and ended Tuesday near Nacimiento Lake, officers seized 9,030 marijuana plants at an unmanned grow located on Running Deer Ranch, southwest of the lake.
The plants have an estimated street value of $3,500 each, and detectives spent several hours hauling the plants out of the grow site by helicopter, according to the Sheriff's Department.
“This was a high-quality grow site that appeared to have been in transition between growers and harvesters,” Sgt. Rick Neufeld said about the Running Deer Ranch grow site.
Santa Maria
Library hosts learning program tonight
A special presentation on “Learning Through Listening” will be held at 7 p.m. today by Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. The session will be in Shepard Hall of the Santa Maria Library, 421 S. McClelland St.
The “Learning through Listening” program can be a solution for children experiencing difficulty reading.
For more information, call
681-0531.
Avila Beach
Diablo Canyon reactor back online
A reactor at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant that had been out of service for 20 days after a transformer fire came back online at 4 a.m. Sunday, according to a Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
The transformer fire happened at the nuclear power plant on Aug. 17, requiring PG&E operators to shut down Unit 2, so workers could replace one of the three main transformers damaged in the fire.
Preliminary analysis shows the fire started after an electrical fault occurred in the high-voltage bushing, which is an electrical connection between the transformer and high-voltage transmission lines at the power plant, according to PG&E.
Longtime Diablo Canyon watchdog group Mothers for Peace is concerned that Unit 2 has been brought back online too soon, according to the group's spokeswoman Jane Swanson.
“Mothers for Peace is concerned that the reactor is back in operation before the root cause of the fire is known and before some added protections for workers are in place,” Swanson said in a press release sent out Tuesday afternoon.
Santa Barbara County
Firestone well after operation
Third District Supervisor Brooks Firestone is reportedly feeling well after having a pacemaker implanted to address an undisclosed heart problem, according to county staff.
The Santa Barbara County supervisor who represents the area from the Santa Ynez Valley to Isla Vista, was absent for the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, but will be back to work by next week, Firestone's assistant, Jimmy Swanson said.
The 73-year-old supervisor will be finishing his four-year term on the board in December and voters will pick his replacement in November.
Firestone underwent surgery Monday at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara and he was resting at home and in good spirits Tuesday.
Santa Barbara County
Public invited to be part of ceremonies
In honor and memory of firefighters and other people who died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department has invited the public to participate in any one of several brief ceremonies Thursday.
At 6:58 a.m. PDT, the time when the first plane struck the first tower in New York, fire personnel will begin the seventh anniversary observance with a moment of silence for “those who gave their lives in order to save others,” according to county fire Capt. Eli Iskow.
The gathering will be held at the flag poles at each of the 16 county fire stations, where the flags will be lowered and then raised to half-staff, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
The department also asks residents to honor those killed on 9/11 by driving with headlights on from 6:58 a.m. to 10 a.m. Thursday.
Santa Barbara County
Cities pass ‘tobacco buy' operation
The County Public Health Department's annual undercover “tobacco buy” operations resulted in no sales to undercover minors in Lompoc or Solvang, officials said.
In collaboration with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department, the Public Health Department recruits 15- or 16-year-old decoys as undercover operatives who try to purchase tobacco products.
Undercover buys conducted in Buellton resulted in an illegal sales rate of 17 percent, 14 percent in Guadalupe and 13 percent in both Santa Maria and Goleta.
This year's results show sales in unincorporated areas down to 10 percent from 15 percent last year, while illegal sales in Santa Barbara rose slightly.
Public Health and Sheriff Department officials said they were pleased with these results and attributed them to the licensing laws and consistent enforcement.
For more information on tobacco sales to minors, call the
Tobacco Prevention Settlement Program at 681-5407 or e-mail at
tobacco@sbcphd.org
Pismo Beach
Bacteria brings advisory to beach
Higher than normal levels of bacteria detected near Pismo Pier prompted San Luis Obispo County Environmental Health Department officials Tuesday to post a health advisory near the pier.
Samples of the water taken
14 yards south of the pier Monday showed the high levels of bacteria, which can cause intestinal illness and other sicknesses in humans. Signs were posted near the pier Tuesday warning the public to avoid entering the water there, according to Environmental Health officials.
The water was retested Tuesday and if the bacteria levels have returned to normal, the advisory could be lifted today, officials said.
- From staff reports
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