County officials seized 58 malnourished and abused animals from a "backyard butcher" in Santa Clarita Valley. Officials found out he was selling the meat he butchered to other people, which is illegal (and based on the appearance of the animals, probably pretty unhealthy). more ›

In the Santa Clarita Valley yesterday, a 17-year-old girl was kicked out of a pumpkin patch for dressing too provocatively and cavorting about in a sexual manner. more ›

Authorities in the Santa Clarita Valley have arrested 31-year-old Beatriz Flores on suspicion of drug dealing and for using her teenage son as a heroin mule. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department explain that the arrest was made following a traffic stop, during which Flores and her two sons, ages 14 and 11, were present in the vehicle. Flores "admitted that she had [her 14-year-old son] put the drugs in his pants to conceal it." more ›

For the thousands of daily commuters stuck in morning traffic jams on the I-5 near Magic Mountain, a proposed solution to add two truck lanes and a HOV lane to north and southbound routes at the HWY 14 interchange would offer much-needed relief. The Santa Clarita Valley Signal reports the three-phase $500M project that would begin in the fall of 2011 has been environmentally reviewed and funding sources for the first $130 million phase have been identified. more ›

A brush fire in the Newhall Pass between Los Angeles and Santa Clarita Valley has prompted officials to close all northbound lanes, according to an e-mail alert from KNX1070. Traffic is being re-routed from the northbound 5 freeway to 14. An alternative route that may help is Santa Clarita's cross-valley connector. more ›

The sunsets are sure pretty in Awesometown, but we're not sure how awesome Valencia really is. Considering that people actually are camping out waiting for the opening of a Chick-fil-A, these people seem awesomely bored. Or maybe they are the smartest people around -- depends on how you look at it. The first 100 people in line get 52 free sandwiches. No, no, not all at once. They get a free sandwich each week for a year. more ›

A brush fire that has broken out on the eastside of the 5 Freeway in the Newhall Pass has severely slowed traffic from Los Angeles to the Santa Clarita Valley. The five-acre fire eruprted this afternoon and is threatening a dozen homes in the Newhall area, according to CBS2. The California Highway Patrol hopes to open at least one lane on the northbound 5 Freeway soon, but recommends commuters take the 14 Freeway and avoid The Old Road. Update: The fire has grown to about 15 acres. Update #2: The fire is reportedly almost under control, but traffic is still hellish. more ›

Some ten years after breaking ground, Santa Clarita officials last week opened the last segment of an 8.5 mile road that they hoped would relieve traffic throughout the city and valley. So far, the Cross-Valley Connector, which diagonally connects the 14 freeway with the 126 highway, has worked, city officials are touting today. more ›

Santa Clarita's Whitney Canyon Park boasts trails for use by hikers, bikers, and equestrians. One such visitor was LAist Featured Photos pool contributor kimbrough-photo, who shared these images from a recent visit. Capturing the lush dampness of our wet weather of late, the burn scares from past flames, vistas of Santa Clarita, and colorful wildflowers, we couldn't help but wish we were walking there now, too. more ›

A 1.6 microquake struck near Newhall in the Santa Clarita Valley this morning. The 7:33 a.m. shaker was located in the San Gabriel Mountains, equidistant from Newhall in the Santa Clarita Valley and the city of San Fernando. Four minutes later, a 1.8 magnitude microquake struck near Devore in San Bernadino County. Then at 7:59 a.m., another 1.8 hit the Claremont Colleges/Rancho Cucamonga area. more ›

Tucked up in a remote corner of the Santa Clarita Valley is something quite unusual. A large swath of near-high desert land is home to 35 gibbons (a newborn is expected to make it 36 this weekend) from 15 difference species. more ›

conditions improve." Although the above geographical locations are specific, Fielding says wind can shift the level of dust particles in the air, so everyone should always be aware of their environment. more ›

Life is really, really boring in the bubble that is the Santa Clarita Valley. Thankfully, running amock can fill the lack of things-to-do void. A large group of zombies attacked Valencia neighborhood businesses last night prompting an LAist reader who was shopping at Target to ask us what the heck was going on. "I did not appreciate looking at iPod headphones when some child running down the isle screamed 'THE ZOMBIES ARE HERE RUNN FOR YOUR LIFEEEEE.' Then there were forty 15-year-olds running at me," she wrote, explaining that the iPod gift card rack was knocked over and that apparently one zombie was hit by the car in the parking lot of Whole Foods (nutty video here of hundreds attacking Target and this one, too). Over 500 people confirmed attending Zombie Invasion SCV on Facebook and the valley's local radio station reported "several hundred" zombies seen around town. more ›

With parts of the Valley at 83 degrees at noon, it was a welcome surprise after yesterday's blistering temps and with LA County public health officials extending a week long heat alert through today. Of course, the Antelope Valley has already hit triple digits with the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys to follow, but the National Weather Service is no longer predicting that nor are they reporting high temperatures at the height of the day. Temperatures for both valleys are in the 80s. However, an air quality adivosry has been sent out for the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys stating the air is unhealthy for sensitive--old, young, sick prone--individuals. more ›

20-year-old Marco Antonio Valencia will be arraigned today in court for a weekend incident that killed a Santa Clarita Valley man and injured two others on Bouquet Canyon Road. It's a pretty gruesome story, as the local paper, The Signal, tells it: more ›

Typical for the Los Angeles area, beaches are experiencing upper 60s to mid 70s while more inland, highs will reach the mid 80s, according to the National Weather Service. In the Hollywood Hills and Valley, expect the 90s. However, the LA County Public Health Office today released a warning for the Santa Clarita Valley: "High temperatures are forecasted for today and tomorrow in the Santa Clarita Valley, with the heat index forecast to reach 104 degrees today and 101 degrees tomorrow.... 'While people don’t need to be told it’s hot outside, they do need to be reminded how to take care of themselves, children, the elderly, and their pets when the weather gets hotter,' said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer.'" more ›

Driving on the 5 freeway this morning in the Newhall Pass between Los Angeles and the Santa Clarita Valley, a Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority ranger spotted a dead mountain lion on the center divider near Calgrove Blvd. Presumably, it was hit trying to cross the freeway. more ›

Folks who reside in the northern portion of Los Angeles County in the Santa Clarita Valley sometimes suffer a similar "Identity Crisis" to those who have trouble determining just what official City of Los Angeles Neighborhood they live in. A recent article in the Signal, the SCV paper, references to the commonality of residents who face "uncertainty about city-county boundaries." more ›

Residents of the SCV might have felt a teeny tiny trembler this morning, as a 3.0 magnitude quake rumbled three miles deep in the area at 9:17. Residents of nearby Piru and Stevenson Ranch are either really deep sleepers or just shrug off small shakers like this one, since, according to abc7.com, "the sheriff's office in nearby Santa Clarita reported it got no calls" and "a check with several businesses in Castaic Junction and Val Verde found no one who felt it." more ›

An "urgent weather message" from the National Weather Service at 2:45 a.m. warns of a dense fog advisory throughout portions of the Los Angeles region including downtown, coastal areas in LA County, San Gabriel Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, Ventura and Santa Barbara. It could reduce freeway and roadway visibility to "one quarter mile or less through mid morning," the service says. The advisory officially will end at 9 a.m., so enjoy it while it lasts. more ›

You can start running, hiking and illegally working out on Santa Monica medians again. The Air Quality Management District and the LA County Department of Public Health say that most of LA County air has improved since the wildfires. Areas still of concern are Santa Clarita Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains where visible smoke, soot, ash or an odor of smoke are still present. more ›

The tally of damage from the Triangle Complex Fire has increased from 120 lost structures reported this morning to 259 destroyed structures in areas including Corona, Yorba Linda and Anaheim Hills, according to KCAL9 on-air news. The blaze, that hit parts of Orange, Riverside San Bernadino and LA counties, is still 40% contained with 29,000 acres burned. Officials are saying that it was possibly caused by a spark from a passing by car. more ›

A small brush fire broke out tonight in Val Verde, northwest of Santa Clarita Valley (LAist penned a history piece on Val Verde this summer). It was quickly put out by firefighters, but "several fires have been reported in the area recently," CBS2 reports on a homepage alert banner. A National Weather Service red flag warning is in effect until 8:00 p.m. Wednesday night. more ›

That is, if you take public transit between Santa Clarita and Los Angeles on Santa Clarita Transit's commuter express routes. Officials in Santa Clarita acted fast to solve a problem they could forsee happening again. A protest a couple months ago in Westwood caused major traffic delays and bus stop changes. With little communication to riders except for e-mail (because not everyone has a Blackberry they check obsessively), that afternoon became a bit hectic for commuters who didn't know what to do. more ›

Smoke from the Sesnon and Marek fires continue to affect the San Fernando, Simi and Santa Clarita Valleys, including the immediate areas around fire scorched San Gabriel Mountains. However, the South Coast Air Quality Management District adds a new warning today with the changing winds: "As the winds diminish and shift, additional areas may experience smoke and ash, causing air quality to be Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or higher." Basically, continue to keep those windows shut and avoid vigorous outdoor or indoor exertion, they say. LA County's Dept. of Public Health recommends that "all individuals wanting to pursue any outdoor activities in areas where smoke, soot, or ash can be seen or there is an odor of smoke" should be avoided. more ›

Due to the Marek and Sesnon fires, the South Coast Air Quality Management District is sending out daily advisories. Today, they warn people in the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley and portions of the San Gabriel Mountains near the fires. "Concentrations of fine particulate may reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category or higher in areas impacted by the fires," the advisory says. "As the winds diminish and shift, additional areas may experience smoke and ash, causing air quality to be Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or higher." As usual, they say that outdoor activity and even indoor activity should be avoided. Bad example: Fox 11 showed a man going for a run, jogging suit and all, in Porter Ranch this morning. more ›

Or, if there are, they opted not to drive where the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's deputies had set up a DUI checkpoint on Friday night. The checkpoint, which was "set up at the westbound side of Lyons Avenue just west of Avenida Dorena from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m." had 704 cars pass through, but only three drivers were taken off the line for additional sobriety tests. At the end of the night, though, there had been no arrests made. But while there might not be any drunks driving around Newhall, there were four people among the 704 who were driving sans valid licenses. Lest the whole set-up be a wash, the deputies got to impound all four of the drivers' vehicles and issue citations. more ›

more ›

Remember when there was that big freak out in the Santa Clarita Valley? Six Flags Magic Mountain was going to close and quite possibly become torn down for more housing. Not good. The "extreme" roller coaster theme park is the single largest employer in the area, it fills up the hotels with tourists, adding green to the local economy and hey, it's an institution of the little Valley that could (do a lot better than Simi). more ›

The Santa Clarita Valley region has always been rumoured to have been inhabited by Bigfoot, but what was encountered in the Fall of 1974 was bizarre to say the least, and unlike any typical Bigfoot sighting. more ›