Grover Beach

Man arrested on six felony gun charges

A man was arrested Tuesday after a report came in that he was carrying a handgun near Grover Beach Elementary School, police said.

The suspect was identified as 34-year-old Elemetrius Owens of Grover Beach.

Around 12:30 p.m., police officers were dispatched to the 300 block of South 10th Street for the report of a man carrying a gun.

The school was placed on lockdown, and officers searched the area armed with a witness description of the suspect. The suspect was found at an apartment complex in the 900 block of Manhattan Avenue, close to the school, and was taken into custody.

Owens was arrested on suspicion of six felony gun charges, and was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail.

While searching Owens’ residence, police found the handgun allegedly used in Tuesday’s incident.

Grover Beach Elementary went off lockdown status at about 12:45 p.m.

Five Cities

Six arrested after prostitution sting

Six people have been arrested on various charges following a prostitution sting operation.

As part of the operation conducted Sunday, law enforcement called several phone numbers listed on Web sites and in newspaper advertisements commonly used to solicit prostitution, according to Pismo Beach police.

Those called were asked to either meet at a local hotel, where undercover investigators and surveillance equipment were set up.

Four female suspects and two male suspects were arrested as a result of the effort, with charges including: solicitation of prostitution, supervising or aiding in prostitution, resisting arrest and drug-related offenses.

Pismo Beach and Grover Beach police worked together on the operation, with the assistance of an investigator with the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.

Anyone who suspects prostitution in their area is asked to call a local law-enforcement agency or Crime Stoppers at: 805-549-STOP.

San Marcos Pass

Bridge jumper identified

The man who jumped to his death from the Cold Spring Canyon Bridge on Sunday has been identified by a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department spokesman as William Kerr of Santa Barbara.

Kerr was 90 years old, said Drew Sugars.

At about 3:20 p.m Sunday, county firefighters responded to a report of a man who had leaped off the bridge on Highway 154 in the Santa Ynez Valley. U.S. Forest Service firefighters found the body below the bridge.

Santa Maria

Council approves CCEIP participation

This list of Santa Barbara County cities to sign on to a program designed to stimulate construction and reduce energy consumption through the use of green building technologies grew by one Tuesday night.

Santa Maria City Council members unanimously approved participation in the Central Coast Energy Independence Program (CCEIP), which will allow property owners to upgrade commercial, agricultural and residential structures to make them more energy efficient.

The program is expected to stimulate construction-trade jobs and take a step toward reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, as required by the state.

The cities of Carpinteria, Goleta, Santa Barbara and Lompoc have signed on to the program.

Santa Maria 

Bike transportation fund approved

City Council members unanimously approved an application for state bicycle transportation funds Tuesday night.

The city is hoping for Bicycle Transportation Account money for projects detailed in the recently approved Bikeway Master Plan.

Adopted last month, the plan is a roadmap for more than 130 miles of new bike trails in Santa Maria

A 10-percent local match is required, and city funding will come from gas taxes.

Santa Maria

No trash, recycling service for Dec. 25

There will be no trash or recycling collection service or street sweeping in Santa Maria Dec. 25 because of the Christmas holiday, the city has announced.

Residential and commercial customers will be served one day later than their normal pickup day for the rest of the week.

For example, Friday customers will be served Saturday. Monday through Thursday and Saturday customers will have no change in service.

The Santa Maria Regional Landfill will also be closed Christmas Day, as will all city administrative offices.

For more information, call the Utilities Department at 925-0951, Ext. 7270 or Health Sanitation Services at 922-2121.

Santa Maria

Small oil spill by Dominion Road

A small amount of oil found spilled Tuesday morning at Greka Energy’s Dominion Lease on Dominion Road but did not seep outside a containment area, said Capt. David Sadecki of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The spill was reported by a rancher in the area around

9 a.m., Sadecki said, and contained five to six 55-gallon barrels of oil and produced water, which is a by-product of oil operations.

About four barrels of produced water went outside the containment area, he added.

Greka employees were on scene, and the incident was reported to the county Office of Emergency Services.

Santa Maria

Same men hold up 7-Eleven twice

Two men stole beer and food from the 7-Eleven convenience store in the 800 block of West Cook Street early Tuesday morning, then returned a short time later to rob the business at knife point, according to Santa Maria police.

Officers were still in the area investigating the first theft, which occurred about 12:30 a.m., when the second one was reported around

1 a.m. They arrested Santa Maria residents Alexander Jackson, 22, and Manuel Juan Diaz, 30, on suspicion of armed robbery and burglary.

Jackson was also arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest, and Diaz had two outstanding warrants.

The men were booked into Santa Barbara County Jail.

During the second robbery, one of the suspects reportedly brandished a knife and took several packs of cigarettes. Officers found several packs of cigarettes and a knife in the parking lot of the store.

A delivery truck driver alerted officers that 7-Eleven was being robbed at knife point, police said. They saw the suspects leave the store and arrested them.

Sacramento

Caltrans worker receives award

A Central Coast Caltrans worker received the governor’s Silver Medal of Valor Monday for his actions this June, Caltrans announced.

Brandon Akers of Nipomo, a Caltrans District 5 electrician, was given the medal by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Early on the morning of June 18, Akers helped in the rescue and extrication of a state Department of Fish and Game employee who had driven a truck off the road on southbound Highway 101 south of Santa Maria.

— From staff reports