Local Santa Barbara News

November 2, 2010

It’s Election Day Tuesday. Polls open at 7am and close at 8pm. Over 50-percent of voters are expected to vote by mail – previously referred to as absentee ballots. If you’re holding onto a vote by mail ballot, it needs to be retuned today to the  Election's Office or any polling place/vote center in the County, to be received no later than 8:00 P.M. If you still have questions about Election Day or your polling place call
800 SBCVOTE – or go to www.sbcvote.com



Jury selection is still underway in the double-homicide trial of Cory Lyons. Lyons is accused of killing his own brother, Daniel Lyons and his brothers long time partner, Barbara Sharton in May of last year. The pair was in an alleged dispute with Lyons over a home on the Mesa. Jury selection began October 21st with a panel of 83 jurors. 250 potential jurors have been sent notices. Lawyers will eventually seat 12 jurors and 4 alternates.


A 4,000 lb. ceiling in the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UCSB has collapsed. The incident happened over the weekend. Inspection crews went floor to floor on Monday trying to determine the cause of the collapse and if there was a possibility it could happen again. Officials blamed the collapse on nails that are intended to hold a suspended structure in place, but instead gave way sending a 20 by 25 foot ceiling to the ground.  The failed nail system is not believed to be found in other parts of the building. No one was injured. Bren Hall originally opened in 2002.


Ruben Mize, a Santa Barbara gang member who will be retried next year for the death of 16 yr. old Lorenzo Carachure, is standing trial in connection for a separate attack. Two months after Carachure was killed, Mize and co-defendant Jacob Medina allegedly left a victim with 30 stab wounds.  While Mize is in custody and Medina is not, both are due back in court on November 8th for more pretrial matters.


Ventura County Sheriff's Deputies are looking for suspects in a shooting that happened last night (Monday) in Nyeland Acres.  They say around 8:45 PM they received a call of shots fired and a scream in the 2600 block of Eucalyptus in Nyeland Acres.  When deputies arrived they found some evidence of a shooing, but no victim.  Around 11 PM, Oxnard Police informed the Sheriff's Department that their male victim had turned up at Saint John's Medical Center suffering from a non life threatening gunshot wound.
Deputies continue to investigate the incident and are asking anyone who may have information to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.


Halloween festivities in Isla Vista brought in a huge crowd over the weekend, and because Halloween fell on a Sunday, it turned into a 3 day event. The Sheriff’s Department reports making over 250 arrests. They issued almost 500 citations to partygoers.  Nearly 40 people were taken to the emergency room for various medical conditions. Officials estimated that 37,000 people filled the streets throughout the entire weekend.  Just a few years ago, the crowd was estimated at 40,000.