New library director in Santa Maria
It’s hip to be square
Dawn Jackson excited about new position - A3
Artist Tricia Elevenson’s works 8grace ‘T-Squared’ exhibit - A7
Our 167th Year
75¢
T H U R S DAY, S E P T E M B E R 1, 2 0 2 2
Man arraigned after allegedly starting fire William Morales, 35, pleads not guilty to arson, attempted murder By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER COURTESY PHOTO
Kelly Ann Gordon
SB police chief named City council appoints Kelly Ann Gordon By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
Kelly Ann Gordon has been named the new Santa Barbara police chief. Ms. Gordon, who recently served as the chief of the Monterey Park Police Department and has 26 years experience in police work, will begin her new job Sept. 19. The Santa Barbara City Council made the appointment official at its meeting Tuesday. Chief Gordon succeeds interim police chiefs Bernard Melekian and Marylinda Arroyo. At the Monterey Park Police Department, Chief Gordon oversaw a staff of approximately 150, including 78 sworn officers and a $23 million budget. According to a news release, she restructured the department’s recruitment and hiring practices and implemented the Neighborhood Engagement Team, a muli-disciplinary/co-response approach to addressing mental health needs and working with homeless individuals. “I look forward to serving the Santa Barbara community and being a part of this amazing team of policing professionals and incredible executive team,” Chief Gordon said in a statement. “My first priority is to get to know my people in the police department and our community — both residents and businesses. Together we will work hard to continue to strengthen our collaborative relationships, achieve common goals, and remain dedicated to keeping our community safe.” City Administrator Rebecca Bjork praised the new chief. “Chief Gordon is known for her progressive leadership style, strong communication skills, and her dedication to serve and we are happy to have her join the team,” Ms. Bjork said. Chief Gordon began her law enforcement career with the Los Angeles Police Department in January 1996. She then left the Los Angeles Police Department in 2000 for the Montebello Police Department, where she moved up through the ranks to lieutenant. She became a captain at the Monterey Park Police Department in 2017. She also worked with
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Adams Elementary School hosts a ribbon cutting for the installation of its solar panels and others in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
Solar power at SB schools Adams School ceremony marks completion of projects through school district By JARED DANIELS NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
As an excessive heat warning came in Santa Barbara County and other parts of Southern California, Adams Elementary School hosted a ribbon cutting and “flipped the switch” Wednesday for the power of the sun. The ceremony marked Santa Barbara Unified School District’s completion of 14 solar panel projects across the district, including one at Adams School. The projects, which were developed with the expertise of the France-headquartered multinational energy company ENGIE, will reduce demand on the electrical grid by an estimated nearly 7 million kilowatts per year — roughly the amount of electricity used by more than 1,200 households in Santa Barbara County. Per the agreement, ENGIE will maintain and operate the projects for 28 years. “The scope of this program is one of the first for a school district in California,” said Alesko Standkowski, ENGIE vice president of North America, during the outdoor ceremony by Adams School’s solar panels. “Essentially, this is creating a power insurance policy for the district as wildfires continue to create public safety power shutoff events,” he said. “Eight million dollars is generated just from the energy savings alone, and (there’s) $6.5 million of value added benefits from the resiliency component (of the
Please see CHIEF on A10
FOLLOW US ON
6
66833 00050
3
A Lompoc man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of attempted murder and arson connected to an Aug. 2 fire that he allegedly started in a Lompoc mental health clinic room with people trapped inside. William Morales, 35, appeared in Superior Court in Lompoc for his arraignment Wednesday. “We are returning on Oct. 5 for a preliminary hearing setting,” prosecutor Madison Whitmore said. Lompoc police officers arrested Mr. Morales, 36, on suspicion of attempted murder, arson and other charges related to the fire. Officers were dispatched to the mental health clinic in the 1000 block of East Ocean Avenue at about 12:43 p.m. regarding a man who was allegedly attempting to assault staff, Lompoc police said. While officers were on route, dispatch advised them that the man was allegedly trying to set the building on fire. Officers responded with lights and sirens and located Mr. Morales in the 100 block of North Third Street. He was holding a large piece of wood, which police said he threw at officers when they exited their patrol cars. The stick did not hit an officer, but it did strike a patrol vehicle. Police said Mr. Morales
refused their orders to get on the ground, instead throwing another piece of wood at them. He then retreated inside the building and slammed the door shut. Officers then heard people inside the building yelling that the clinic was on fire. They forced their way into the building and again ordered Mr. Morales to the ground. This time he complied and officers took him into custody. He became combative, however, and police took him to the emergency room for medical clearance. He remained combative in the ER, allegedly kicking an officer in the head. The building, meanwhile, was evacuated as the flames inside were growing. Officers knocked down the flames with their extinguishers. Responding Lompoc firefighters finished extinguishing the fire. Staff told officers that some victims had barricaded themselves to get away from Mr. Morales’ alleged violent behavior before he allegedly set the room on fire where the victims were located. The damage from the alleged arson was estimated to exceed $10,000. Once he was medically cleared, Mr. Morales was transported to the Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, assault Please see MORALES on A10
Suspect appears in court for hearing on alleged hit and run By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
“We worked through the pandemic, supply chain issues, and other numerous challenges to come to this day where we can finally provide clean energy,” said Desmond Ho, the SBUSD operations and sustainability coordinator.
project).” Laura Capps, a SBUSD trustee and soon-to-be 2nd District county supervisor, heralded the project as an important step in the district’s goals to help the city of Santa Barbara achieve its goal of a zero emissions future. She also noted the solar panels mean greater fiscal maneuverability. “This is a great day for our schools, for our climate, and for our community,” she said. “First of all, it’s a win for our finances — this project will save $8 million over the lifetime of the project, which is money that can go directly back into the classroom. And it is clearly a win for our community — this will help us reach Santa Barbara city’s target of zero emissions.”
“Santa Barbara Unified School District is one of the largest property owners in South County,” Ms. Capps continued. “So now, finally, we are doing our part by transitioning (to renewable energy). Just a few years ago (SBUSD was) 0% reliant on renewables, but with this project we’ll be 94 to 98% reliant on renewables.” Desmond Ho, the SBUSD operations and sustainability coordinator, used his remarks to detail some of the historic challenges that the district faced in taking on this project. And he discussed future plans for increasing the district’s use of solar power. Please see SOLAR on A10
A Lompoc woman accused of knocking down a woman with her car in a parking lot outside a Lompoc discount dollar store and then driving over her before fleeing the area appeared in Superior Court Wednesday in Lompoc to set a date for her preliminary hearing. The case, however, was continued to Sept. 14, prosecutors said. Preliminary hearings are held for prosecutors to present enough evidence for a judge to decide whether to move the case forward to trial. The defendant, Mary Alice Brown, 67, was arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run in the Aug. 8 incident that left the 51-year-old victim in critical condition. Investigators said a witness reported seeing Ms. Brown’s
car strike the victim, knocking her to the ground, then driving over her before leaving the scene. The victim was airlifted to the hospital with injuries to her chest and legs. Ms. Brown is charged with one count of leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in injury, a felony, “who did unlawfully, and knowingly, being driver of vehicle involved in an accident resulting in bodily injury to person other than himself, fail, refuse, or neglect to give to the injured person or to traffic police officer at the scene of the accident his name and address, the registration number of his vehicle, and the name of the owner of said vehicle; to exhibit his operator’s license; to render reasonable assistance to the injured person” and to perform other vehicle code duties. email: nhartstein@newspress. com
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. A6 Life...................... A7-8 Obituaries.............. A10
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 2-16-19-24-42 Meganumber: 24
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 3-7-1-8
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 2-38-55-57-65 Meganumber: 17
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 1-3-8-11-38
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 12-05-10 Time: 1:44.92
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 7-8-19-24-28 Meganumber: 1
Sudoku................... A9 Weather................ A10
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 6-6-7 / Wednesday’s Midday 7-3-1