More animal rescue contradictions, school budget cuts, high winds, leaky gyms, and more on the pot bust, all ahead in today’s Brief.

News

• Local School Districts brainstorm over budget: It seems budget cuts at the SCVs multiple elementary and high school districts are all but inevitable in light of California’s $14 billion budget deficit, and Sharon Cotal reports today that superintendents from across town met with a lobbyist who works on behalf of the districts to discuss ways to deal with the shortfall. Among other things: Hart’s employees may not get a 2% raise next year, and a ban on overtime and has already gone into effect. Officials at the elementary school district level are still evaluating their options. No mention is made of Hart’s reported $10 million shortfall should Governor Schwarzenegger’s budget go into effect.
• Charges to be filed against Lancaster animal hoarder: On Tuesday, Supervisor Antonovich’s spokesperson Tony Bell said that the animals rescued from a ranch in Lancaster “were never in harm’s way” and that the situation had been exaggerated, but an official with the County’s Animal Care and Control department told the Daily News on the same day that animal cruelty charges will be filed against the ranch’s owner, a man maned Ivan Callais Jr. Recall that at least one Santa Clarita-area animal welfare group participated in the rescue of several hundred dogs, some described as “dead or dying.” Daily News has more.
• Alleged Pot farmer out on bail, Deputies revise cache crop: Jace Edwards, the 32 year old man arrested for cultivating marijuanna in his Tesoro home, was released on bail yesterday as Deputies “continued cutting up and bagging hundreds of pot plants,” including some “high-dollar, exotic strains” according to Karen Elowitt in the Signal. Edwards, who works as a grip in the film industry, has reportedly confessed to the crime but says that his Tesoro collection was his “first grow and that he had not sold any product,” though he was close to an $80k deal. Meanwhile, back at the home, a detective said that about 300-400 plants were discovered at the house, not the 1,000 initially reported by the Sheriff’s office.
• High winds chill the SCV: The mercury peaked just a hair above 50 degrees yesterday according to the weather gauge at SantaClaritaWeather.com, but it sure didn’t feel like it if you were outside. That same gauge reported a top wind gust of 34 mph, which made being outside all but unbearable if you didn’t have a heavy coat. More of the same today, according to the National Weather Service, which reports winds up to 28 mph with a high of 55.
• Republicans Debate in Simi Valley: No need for me to recap the debate many of us watched last night; suffice it to say, things are heating up ahead of Super Tuesday’s primary votes in 20-odd states, including California. The Ventura County Star was at the debate and covered some of the people who weren’t lucky enough to watch Huckabee, Paul, McCain and Romney square off in front of Reagan’s Air Force One: one married couple from the SCV stood on the side of the road to cheer for (surprise surprise) Romney. VC Star
• Smyth Drops Poop Bill: Our Assemblyman apparently authored a bill last year that would have set state guidelines for “land application of treated sewage sludge.” The bill would have contradicted some stricter regulations regarding biosolid sludge in Kern County, and, after talking with a Kern County Assemblywoman, Smyth has decided to drop the bill. Bakersfield’s KGET has a report (and unfortunately, a picture).
• Gyms leak, games canceled: Three high school basketball games were canceled at West Ranch High School last week after rain water leaked and fell somewhere on the court. Leaks also happened at Saugus, Golden Valley, and Hart High’s gyms. All but Hart’s gym will be repaired under warranty.
• Two for the politically inclined: Congressman Buck McKeon will speak to area Republicans at the IHOP in Stevenson Ranch on Thursday, February 21. Perhaps he can help area Republicans find a new home; the local GOP shut down its Old Town Newhall headquarters back in June and still hasn’t planted stakes elsewhere. Meanwhile, next Tuesday, the local SCV Democratic Club will host a Super Tuesday party at a private home. Only $5 for pizza and refreshments.

Opinion

• Plastic bags and the SCV: I liked Isaac Lieberman’s column in today’s Signal about the costs and consequences of plastic grocery bags. “Just think - the SCV has approximately 60,000 families. If each family uses five bags a week, that’s 300,000 bags a week or 15.6 million bags a year,” he says, noting that several local grocers offer incentives to shoppers who bring in their own canvas shopping bags. My wife and I shop at Trader Joe’s all the time, and though we haven’t won the $25 shopping spree drawing, the contest is enough to remind us to bring in our reusable bags. Anyway, column not online yet, I’ll post it when it is.