Woman, dog in Buellton crash

First responders reported Tuesday that a one-car accident injured the driver, but her dog escaped harm in the roll-over crash, a quarter-mile south of Buellton.

Engine companies and paramedics from the Buellton Fire Station responded to the accident. The car had rolled several times and landed about 30 feet down a hill below the highway. Firefighters set up a rope rescue system to bring the woman to a waiting ambulance.

What caused the four-door sedan to flip was not known at press time. The woman driver suffered minor injuries and was transported to Cottage Hospital. The dog was taken to the Humane Society in Buellton by a Highway Patrol officer.

Authorities noted that the woman was wearing her seatbelt, which most likely saved her from serious injury.

 

 

Supervisor candidates to debate

Fourth District County Supervisor Joni Gray and her opponent in the June 3 primary, John Sterling, will debate on April 16 at 11:45 a.m. at La Purisima Church.

The debate is sponsored by the Committee to Improve North County (Committee INC.).

Co-sponsors include the Lompoc Chamber of Commerce, COLAB, Grower-Shipper Vegetable Assn., Central Coast Homebuilders Assn., Lompoc Record, Santa Barbara County Cattlewomen’s Assn. and Cattlemen’s Assn., Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau, County Taxpayers Assn., the Santa Ynez Valley Journal, Santa Maria Times, Santa Maria Valley Contractors Assn., and the Santa Ynez Valley News.

Cost of the luncheon is $18, and reservations can be made by telephoning 922-4881, or by sending a check to Committee INC., c/o Beneditti & Associates, P.O. Box 5958, Santa Maria, CA 93456, before April 11.

La Purisima Church Hall is at 213 W. Olive Ave., Lompoc.

 

 

Work on Forest Road planned

A five-mile section of Forest Road (also known as River Road) 5N18 will be closed on weekdays to accommodate a construction project.

The road section (also known as River Road), runs along the Santa Ynez River, between lower The Oso and the Red Rock trailhead.

 

 

Pot operation smashed

A sophisticated marijuana operation in a Goleta business facility was broken up by County Sheriffs last week, and the business owner arrested.

Paul Fischer, 57, was charged with felony possession of marijuana for sale, cultivation of marijuana and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Officers found five employees on the premises who were processing the marijuana, with $246,000 worth of the drug already processed, the detectives reported.

Another business owned by Fischer was raided in San Rafael, in northern California, where a similar illegal operation was underway.

Charges are pending against the five people found in the Goleta facility.

 

 

Cocaine dealer nabbed

A suspected cocaine dealer, Ivan Flores, has been arrested by the Santa Barbara Sheriffs Dept, which obtained two search warrants for locations in Santa Barbara and Ventura.

Detectives said they served a warrant in the 1400 block of San Andres St., where they found Flores in possession of more than one ounce of cocaine, packaged for sale.

An additional warrant was served on the suspect’s home in the 6700 block of Telephone Road in Ventura.

There, the officers said, they seized more than 1.2 pounds of cocaine, one pound of processed marijuana and about $28,000 in cash.

The detectives reported that the cocaine was stashed in a children’s play tent in the suspect’s daughter’s bedroom. The residence was also within 1,000 feet of a school.

Flores was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail, with bail set at $150,000, on charges of possession and transportation of cocaine, possession of more than one ounce of marijuana, child endangerment and possession of a controlled substance for sale within a thousand feet of a school.

 

 

Red light run nets suspect

A police bicycle patrolman saw a tan pickup run a red light at the intersection of State and Haley streets and went in pursuit.

The patrolman yelled at the driver, whose window was open, to pull over. Instead, the man accelerated and ran another red light, the officer said.

The patrolman requested backup on the microphone that is part of uniform equipment.

A nearby patrol car took up the chase in the 300 block of East Haley and tried to get the suspect to pull over.

The suspect, later identified as Arturo Gonzalez, 44, ran a number of red lights during the chase, police said.

The suspect finally stopped the truck in the 400 block of Yanonali street and tried to make a run for it, according to the officers. The arresting officers shocked the man with a tazer and observed that he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.

He was charged with felony evading, resisting arrest and driving under the influence of alcohol.

 

 

Officials seek mortgage standards

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa have joined forces to ask Congress for legislation addressing the U.S. housing crisis.

The officials this week urged Congress to enact the SAFE Mortgage Licensing Act, introduced by Feinstein and Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) earlier this year.

According to Feinstein, the SAFE Mortgage Licensing Act would create national licensing standards for the nation’s residential mortgage brokers and lenders, and create a public data base where prospective homebuyers could check whether their brokers and lenders are licensed.