Mariel Hemingway teams up with Los Olivos winery
Coastal cleanup to start this weekend
Actress, artist and Artiste work together on suicide prevention program - B1
People are encouraged to pick up trash throughout this month - A6
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Winery founder leaves legacy Royce Lewellen, retired Superior Court Judge, winery co-founder, dies at 89 By JOSH GREGA NEWS-PRESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
A model judge. A person of decision with utmost integrity. A generous philanthropist. These are just some of the ways the recently departed Royce Lewellen was described by those who knew him best. Mr. Lewellen, a retired Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge and co-owner of Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, died on Tuesday. He was 89. Born in St. Louis, Mo., and raised over 100 miles away in Jefferson City, Mr. Lewellen fell in love with California when he served in the United States Air Force and was
stationed at Edwards Air Force Base. Mr. Lewellen’s father wanted him to return to Missouri to practice law and enter politics, but Mr. Lewellen never did. With degrees from the University of Missouri and UC Berkeley School of Law, Mr. Lewellen remained in California and began practicing law in 1957 in Solvang, where he would raise his family. Though Mr. Lewellen was a Republican, Democratic Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the Superior Court of California in 1973. Retired Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Denise Debellefeuille tried cases as an attorney in front of Mr. Lewellen when she was working for the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s
Office, and their paths crossed again when Ms. Debellefeuille became a Superior Court Judge herself. She described him as “a model judge” with humility, an impressive intellect, and one who was courteous to all who entered his courtroom. “He was a giant,” Ms. Debellefeuille said. “He was just so splendid. You can’t say that about a lot of judges, but he was close to perfect.” Recalling the times that she tried cases as an attorney in front of Mr. Lewellen, Ms. Debellefeuille said the late judge made it very easy to do her job. “There are some judges who really come down on lawyers and micromanage them
and make it kind of a challenge. You want a judge who’s going to be fair to both sides. Royce was the model judge,” she said. When Ms. Debellefeuille and her husband, Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge James Herman, moved to the Santa Ynez Valley, they became socially acquainted with Mr. Lewellen around the time he was setting up Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards in Solvang. Remembering one instance when Mr. Lewellen was recognized by someone as a winemaker rather than as a judge for the first time, Ms. Debellefeuille said he was thrilled when people started to know him Please see LEWELLEN on A2
NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO
Judge Royce Lewellen, also co-founder of Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, died Tuesday.
UCSB police chief faces lawsuit Former student and employee accuses James Brock of sexual battery By MITCHELL WHITE NEWS-PRESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
A former UCSB student and employee has filed a lawsuit against the Regents of the University of California and the current UCSB Police Chief, James Brock, accusing the chief of sexual battery. The lawsuit, filed July 31 in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, was filed on behalf of Emily O., who was 19 at the time of the incident. Her full name is withheld in the complaint. The plaintiff is represented by Bamieh & De Smeth, of Ventura.
The lawsuit alleges that on Aug. 3, 2019, the plaintiff was getting lunch at the De La Guerra Dining Commons on the UCSB campus when Chief Brock “came up behind her, grabbed her buttocks, slid his hand up her back and whispered in her ear” while in uniform, according to the complaint. The plaintiff reported the incident to a coworker and her supervisor, as well as law enforcement. On or about Aug. 16, 2019, the plaintiff made a formal Title IX complaint.
Please see LAWSUIT on A2
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
Firefighters with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department completed a controlled burn at the lagoon on UCSB’s campus on Thursday.
Controlled burn at UCSB succeeds By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The controlled burn planned for the UCSB Lagoon near Campus Point on Thursday was successful, according to Santa Barbara County Fire. The eighth of its kind, the burn aims to restore native vegetation and get rid of annual grasses and weeds, which can pose a fire risk. These controlled fires have
been occurring every other year since 2007, and the final burn should be four years from now, authorities said. Spearheaded by the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration, the project is attempting to convert the soil and replace all the light grasses with 13 native species of wildflowers, according to Capt. Daniel Bertucelli with County Fire. He told the News-Press the
burns aren’t a high fire hazard — there aren’t any structures nearby and it’s close to the beach. He said if the area was up in the hills, the department would not permit the project. Lyz Hoffman, spokeswoman for the county Air Pollution Control District, told the News-Press that the burn began around 10:30 a.m. Thursday and wrapped up around 11:40, so it was a little over an hour. She also reported no air quality
issues, and that the temporary monitor on scene showed good conditions prior to, during and after the burn. The fire department and the APCD conducted the fire according to highly favorable meteorological conditions with the least amount of fog, to direct smoke away from populated areas. As a result, the APCD didn’t receive any air quality complaints.
The health alert will be in effect from 10 a.m. Saturday through 8 p.m. Sunday. Officials urge residents to take the necessary safety measures to avoid heat-related illnesses, including heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Today’s high in Santa Barbara is 90 degrees.
Temperatures will reach the mid-90s Saturday and up to 97 degrees Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. The heatwave is even expected to continue into early next week with highs of 94 and 91 on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Some safety measures include
wearing appropriate, lightweight, and light-colored clothing, drinking plenty of water, avoiding outside activity, and trying to find shade or cool air as often as possible if outside. Residents are further reminded not to leave children or pets inside locked cars unattended.
COURTESY PHOTO
Keani Albanez has been named the top assistant coach for the SBCC men’s program.
City College hires woman Health department issues excessive heat warning as men’s basketball coach By JORGE MERCADO NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department issued a health alert on Thursday due to an excessive heat warning issued by the National Weather Service for Santa Barbara County this upcoming weekend.
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By MARK PATTON NEWS-PRESS SENIOR WRITER
Keani Albanez is determined to make it in the man’s world of basketball. Albanez, who took her own game from the playground of Adams Elementary School to the professional arenas of three
continents, is blazing a trail as the first female ever hired as the top assistant coach for SBCC men’s basketball. “Being able to come full circle, that is truly the biggest reward,” she said. She was hired by Devin Engebretsen, who recently took Please see COACH on A7
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L O T T E RY RESU LTS
Comics................. B4 Classified.............. B5 Life................... B1-B3
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 24-27-36-40-46 Meganumber: 10
Thursday’s DAILY 4: 2-8-4-0
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 15-25-26-38-47 Meganumber: 22
Thursday’s FANTASY 5: 9-15-22-33-35
Thursday’s DAILY DERBY: 04-02-08 Time: 1:45.66
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 1-4-11-20-69 Meganumber: 18
Obituaries............. A8 Soduku................. B2 Weather................ A8
Thursday’s DAILY 3: 6-1-7 / Thursday’s Midday 6-9-7