Fire battalion chief retires after 35 years
Exhibit with serious abstract art
MIke Gallagher completes his last week of work, loved his job - A3
Sullivan Goss gallery presents ‘The Life of the Party’ - B1
Our 166th Year
75¢
S AT U R DAY, M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 2 2
D.A.’s office rules in favor of police Report says homicide was justifiable, says armed man was immediate threat By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office has ruled that the death of Travis Daniel Carlon, 32, was a justifiable homicide. The District Attorneys’ Office said Mr. Carlon pointed a gun toward the Lompoc Police Department’s Armored Rescue Vehicle, then pointed the gun at where three Lompoc police officers were positioned behind their cars on Oct. 9. When Mr. Carlon pointed his gun at them, Lompoc police officers Calderon, Mendoza and Molina responded by firing a total of 26 shots, according to the District Attorney’s Office’s report. The report, which was released Friday to local media, said Mr. Carlon was hit 15 times. The police were there after responding to a 9-1-1 call around
6:30 p.m. Oct. 9, concerning a domestic disturbance. They arrived at Lompoc Liquor, and an officer contacted the reporting party, identified by the District Attorney’s Office as David W., who told police that his roommate, Mr. Carlon, held a gun to Roxanne M.’s head and threatened them at their residence in the 700 block of West Cypress Avenue. The District Attorney’s Office’s report went on to say police arranged for the Armored Rescue Vehicle to come to the residence and the officers identified themselves. They talked to Mr. Carlon over a public address system for more than 30 minutes. They asked Mr. Carlon to come out and throw his gun out of the residence. Officers Calderon, Mendoza and Molina were across the street from the house and Please see REPORT on A4
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
A portrait of Ronald Reagan hangs as sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan tour the Reagan Ranch Center Friday in Santa Barbara.
A Reagan rendezvous
Sailors travel from Japan to visit Santa Barbara to learn about their ship’s namesake By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Four sailors stationed in Japan embarked on a different kind of tour this week, traveling more than 5,000 miles to visit California and learn more about their ship’s namesake: former President Ronald Reagan. It was a whirlwind three-day visit for the quartet, starting with a tour of the Reagan Library in Simi Valley before heading to Santa Barbara to peruse the Reagan Ranch Center and Rancho Del Cielo, the former president’s vacation home in Goleta. ETCM John J. Holzhauer, a command representative; ABH1 Benjamin Meisner, Senior Sailor of the Year 2021; BM1 Rosben Constant, Junior Sailor of the Year
2021; and MC2 Erica Bechard, a communications specialist, made the excursion. ETCM Holzhauer, originally from Clinton, Okla., said the trip reestablished the relationship between those stationed on the USS Ronald Reagan and the library, foundation and ranch. The trip “is to ensure that we are living the legacy of Ronald Reagan as we represent his namesake on one of the largest assets the United States military owns and to help preserve that legacy as part of being known as the great communicator, the way (President Reagan) communicated with the world and how we use the USS Ronald Reagan to communicate with our partners in the Pacific Ocean to reaffirm
By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
Sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan — from left, Master Chief Petty Officer John Holzhauer, Petty Officer Second Class Erica Bechard, Petty Officer First Class Rosben Constant and Petty Officer First Class Benjamin Meisner — stand in front of a bust of the president and a piece of the Berlin Wall at the Reagan Ranch Center.
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SB Mission joins world in praying for Ukraine
Please see TOUR on A4
Petty officer second class Erica Bechard, right, takes a photo of Petty Officer First Class Benjamin Meisner.
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KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
Father Larry Gosselin calls for peace in Ukraine during a Mass Friday at the Santa Barbara Mission.
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Father Larry Gosselin and the congregation at the Santa Barbara Mission joined Catholics around the world Friday in praying for Ukraine. The priest spoke out against the Russian invasion and Russia’s possible future use of nuclear weapons during a special Mass at the Santa Barbara Mission. And in Rome, Pope Francis prayed for peace in Ukraine and invited bishops, priests and others to join him in the prayer. The prayer for peace came as President Joe Biden visited Poland, where he said the stakes go beyond Ukraine’s borders, referring to the question of whether democracy or autocracy would prevail. President Biden called for the removal of Russia from the G20 and warned the U.S. would respond if Russia attacked Ukraine with chemical weapons. Noting that Russia would
pay a “severe price” if it used chemical weapons, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan later clarified that the U.S. would never use chemical weapons “under any circumstances.” As President Biden addressed U.S. service members from the 82nd Airborne Division, he stood 50 miles from Ukraine. More than 2 million Ukrainian refugees have crossed the border into Poland. Many of them are traveling on to other countries. President Biden announced this week that the U.S. would admit up to 100,000 people fleeing violence in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia indicated it was scaling back its plans of conquest in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said Russia would focus on territory claimed by Russianbacked separatists in eastern Ukraine. The announcement was made as Ukrainian forces succeeded in recapturing towns outside the capital of Kyiv. email: dmason@newspress.com
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Friday’s SUPER LOTTO: 24-25-32-38-41 Meganumber: 23
Friday’s DAILY 4: 4-8-4-2
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 3-13-42-51-58 Meganumber: 17
Friday’s FANTASY 5: 7-9-23-28-30
Friday’s DAILY DERBY: 02-10-09 Time: 1:43.26
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 31-32-37-38-48 Meganumber: 24
Sudoku................... B3 Sports . .................... A3 Weather................. A4
Friday’s DAILY 3: 7-8-8 / Friday’s Midday 1-9-7