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News

• Major pot bust, suspect in news before? SCV Sheriff’s deputies found over 1,000 pot plants worth at least $1 million at a house north of Valencia on Tuesday after receiving a tip from a neighbor who noticed a smell coming from the house. Later that day, the resident of the home, Jace Edwards, 32, was arrested by Deputies while driving in the neighborhood. He is being held on felony cultivation charges. “It’s really quality stuff, really good stuff,” a Deputy said of the pot to the Daily News. Back in 1994, authorities suspected that an 18 year old man named Jace Edwards was involved in a white power group and may have sparked several “racially motivated fights” at Canyon High school. It’s not clear if it’s the same man, but the ages match up. Stories on the pot bust: Daily News, KHTS
• Conditions at Lancaster animal ranch “exaggerated”: When word got out about an abandoned ranch in Lancaster that was home to hundreds of “dead or dying” dogs and farm animals, local animal welfare groups sprang into action and asked for help and volunteers. Conditions were described as “deplorable” and even Councilwoman Laurene Weste remarked on the situation at last week’s Council meeting, saying that it was one of the worst animal abuse cases she’s ever seen. But at a Tuesday meeting of the County Board of Supervisors, Mike Antonovich’s spokesperson Tony Bell said that the “animals were never in harm’s way,” and that “reports on the deplorable conditions” at the site “were exaggerated.” The County did ask the rescue groups for help with the ranch, however. This follows news last week that a dispute at the ranch lead to the brief arrest of one of the rescuers. No explanation is given for the discrepancy in Parimal Rohit’s report.
• Coroner collects additional bones: An investigator with the coroner’s “skeletal recovery team” visited Canyon Country Monday to collect more bones found on a hillside behind a house. The head of the skeletal recovery team told the Signal’s Karen Elowitt that these bones, found over the weekend by a man who’s nephews found human bones on Thanksgiving day, were likely from the same person. Investigators say it’s not known whether the newly-found bones will help identify the person, who is believed to have been a male between the ages of 35 and 70 years old. Signal
• Newhall Hardware obituaries: “Iconic”, “Landmark”, “institution.”Just some of the words used in three different reports on the closure of Newhall Hardware, the 60 year old store on Main Street in downtown Newhall. KHTS, Daily News.
• Herrington separates, reunites with his other brother: Rick (Coach 2) will leave his brother Mike at Hart to join his younger brother Dean at Alemany as Defensive Coordinator for the Alemany football program. Principal Frank Ferry is no doubt pleased with the news; it’s the second time he’s been able to poach talent from Hart. “It’s really a decision for him to make a little more money,” Mike Herrington told the Times.
• Giuliani rumored to quit Presidential Race: The former Mayor will reportedly quit the race today and throw his support behind John McCain in the wake of his disappointing third place finish in Florida. If true, that leaves Assemblyman Cameron Smyth without a candidate to support, just like Fred Thompson’s exit from the race left George Runner without a candidate to champion. Only Mitt Romney is left among GOP candidates who enjoy extensive local support, including Congressman McKeon. John McCain, however, still has real obstacles in his race for the nomination, according to Time Magazine.
• Speaking of: The Signal has finally posted its interesting Sunday feature which detailed local picks for president.

Miscellaneous:

• Newhall Hardware: The Signal says it’s “likely that routing traffic away from downtown Newhall and making it difficult to park there had something to do” with the 60 year old hardware store’s closure. The editorialist says that the City has modeled its Old Town Newhall redevelopment plans on Old Town Pasadena, but that the differences between the two places are many. “It’s a shame wew have to give up the truly old for the faux old,” the Signal says in reference to Newhall Hardware and, I guess, the idea of an outdoor, pedestrian friendly mall.
• Change in the White House, Change in City Hall: Council Candidate Laurie Ender says “no matter how you slice it there’s going to be change,” at City Hall after the April 8 elections, likening it to the race for the White House.
• One for the Arts crowd: COC will host a Father/Son photography exhibit starting next week that features a father’s photographs of his three sons as they grew up in Illinois in the 1950s.
• The Real Real story on SCV real estate: Blogger Tim Myers has an interesting post up at West Ranch Beacon that takes a look at the various explanations for the difficult housing market in Santa Clarita right now. “The Signal drafts an editorial that smacks of Little Orphan Annie: Dark clouds surround us now but the sun will come out tomorrow. Linda Baldwin, a frequent letter to the editor writer, fixates on this single topic, adopting the roll of finger wagger at all the evil and irresponsible folks who either took out or placed subprime mortgages. Linda Slocum, a real estate agent and blogger, placed the fault firmly on the shoulders of the media for accepting advertisements for subprime mortgage lenders during the boom years. ” Check it out.