Latest news with #PasoRobles
The Independent
5 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Notorious stretch of California highway dubbed ‘Blood Alley' where James Dean died is to close for safety work
A stretch of California highway where actor James Dean died will temporarily shut down. The road, known as 'Blood Alley,' spans 20 miles of Highway 41 and connects the state to the Central Valley, Paso Robles and Kettlemen City. The high volume of traffic and the narrow lanes have been blamed for a high number of accidents. Authorities will be carrying out construction on the highway for five days from June 9 to 13. The work will extend from the interchange of highways 41 and 46 near Cholame, about 20 miles east to Reef Station near the junction of state Route 33, according to SFGate. The Independent has emailed Caltrans, the state's transportation authority, for more information. Jim Shivers, a Caltrans spokesperson, told the San Francisco Chronicle the new works were the latest effort to make the stretch of road safer. He said: 'There will be some lengthy detours, which we have acknowledged. The flip side of that is we'll have a brand new interchange opening up soon. It's a major upgrade, it's a major safety enhancement.' In 2002, the San Francisco Chronicle reported 54 people had died on the stretch of highway, with James Dean being one of them. An additional 690 people were injured in the same spot. On September 30, 1955, the 24-year-old actor – who had recently achieved superstar status with his movies Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and Giant – got into his Porsche 550 Spyder and started driving up the coast toward Salinas. Around 5.45p.m., he passed through the intersection in Cholame, about 227 miles from San Francisco. Ford Tudor, a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, turned onto the road and struck Dean's car. The actor's vehicle crumpled on impact and Dean died from severe injuries, including a broken neck. He became the first actor to receive a posthumous Academy Award acting nomination, and later received a second. The site of the crash has become a tourist attraction, featuring a sculpture of the actor. Caltrans has spent two decades working to improve safety conditions on the road. The State Route 46 Corridor Improvement Project expanded the number of lanes and added a new interchange. Officials believe the established detour will be operable through the improvement efforts. Drivers heading west from the Central Valley are being advised to take Highway 41 to state Route 33 south to Highway 46 west before rejoining Highway 41. Officials say they are optimistic the work will be completed ahead of July 4.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
2 SLO County men arrested as drug bust turns up $178,000 in narcotics
Two San Luis Obispo County residents suspected of running a large-scale drug trafficking operation were arrested with nearly 12 pounds of illegal narcotics and three handguns last week. In a monthlong investigation by the Atascadero Police Department's Special Enforcement Team, detectives tracked drug trafficking activities in the North County to a house on the 3400 block of Spring Street in Paso Robles, the Police Department said in a news release. On May 20, detectives searched the home under a warrant with the help of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office and the Paso Robles Police Department, the news release said. Evidence discovered during the first search led investigators to a second location, a storage unit in the 3400 block of Park Street in Paso Robles, the release said. A second search warrant was obtained and executed at that location two days later on May 22. In the searches, detectives seized about $178,000 worth of drugs, including 16 grams of cocaine, 8.14 pounds of fentanyl, 12.2 ounces of methamphetamine, 1.2 pounds of heroin — close to 12 pounds of illegal narcotics, the release said. Three handguns — one of which was stolen — and two replica guns were also found. Two Paso Robles residents were arrested in connection with the drug trafficking operation, 35-year-old Edgar Diego Mendoza and 36-year-old Maria Alvarez Lemus. Mendoza, a former felon, was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on multiple felony charges including conspiracy, possession of narcotics for sale, possession of methamphetamine for sale, possession of stolen property, drug enhancements and committing a felony while on bail or release. Lemus was booked only for possession of narcotics for sale and conspiracy. 'The Atascadero Police Department would like to extend its sincere appreciation to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office and the Paso Robles Police Department for their partnership and assistance,' the Police Department said in the news release. 'This collaborative effort led to the removal of nearly 12 pounds of dangerous narcotics from our community and the disruption of a major drug trafficking network.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Memorial Day ceremony in SLO County honors fallen military members with flyover
American flags fluttered softly in the breeze at the Paso Robles District Cemetery on Monday, where more than 250 people gathered to honor fallen servicemembers at a Memorial Day Ceremony. The audience was filled with people of all ages, from gray-haired veterans to the young scouts who led the flag salute. The Cuesta College Chorus opened the ceremony with the national anthem, and the Estrella Warbirds flew over the cemetery. Col. Dan Dow, who is also the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney, gave a speech at the event. During the ceremony, Leo Castillo, an Iraq veteran and Paso Robles Veterans of Foreign Wars Post commander, wiped tears from his eyes as he remembered his fallen friend, Michael Mitchell. 'It's meaningful to me specifically because I had a friend that I lost when I was overseas,' he said of the ceremony. The pair served together in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. Mitchell was killed in action on April 4, 2004. 'He was about two months away from getting married, and he was only in his mid-twenties, so it was one of those things where life was robbed from him,' Castillo said. Castillo named his son in memory of his friend. 'He volunteered to go on that mission, so he did that on his own accord — which is honestly the biggest sacrifice anyone can make for others,' Castillo said. 'That means a lot to me, to this day, and means a lot to my children.' See photos from the ceremony below:
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect in ‘targeted' Paso Robles armed robbery arrested, police say
Police arrested the suspect of an armed robbery Monday morning, the Paso Robles Police Department said. On Sunday afternoon, a man armed with a handgun assaulted and robbed a 19-year-old man sitting in his truck in the AMPM gas station parking lot on Niblick Road, police said. 'During the struggle, the firearm discharged inside the vehicle, but no one was struck,' the news release said. 'The suspect then fled the scene in a white Ford pickup.' Paso Robles Police Department detectives said the attack was 'targeted.' Madera resident Isaac Adrian Ramirez, 22, allegedly followed the teen to the parking lot and attacked him while he was preparing to leave, police said. Officers tracked Ramirez's vehicle to Madera, served a search warrant at a home on Brightwood Road and arrested him, police said. Ramirez was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of charges of alleged assault with a firearm, robbery and attempted carjacking. He was held in lieu of $500,000 bail, police said. The Madera County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team assisted the Paso Robles Police Department with the investigation and arrest.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A streak of light soared across the SLO County sky. What was it?
A 'dragon' lit up the night sky on the Central Coast on Saturday, but this one didn't breathe fire — it was the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft returning to Earth. The spacecraft soared over San Luis Obispo County at about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, returning from the International Space Station with about 6,700 pounds of supplies, according to NASA. Paso Robles resident Lori Penner said the spacecraft arched over her house 'like a rainbow,' and the display was followed by two sonic booms. 'It was by far the coolest thing,' she told The Tribune. The SpaceX Dragon left the International Space Station on Friday, and it splashed into the ocean off the coast of California at 10:44 p.m. on Saturday, NASA said. The supplies carried by the craft included 'radiation shielding and detection materials, solar sails and reflective coatings, ceramic composites for reentry spacecraft studies and resins for potential use in heat shields,' NASA said in a news release. That equipment was exposed to space to 'improve knowledge of how these materials respond to ultraviolet radiation, atomic oxygen, charged particles, thermal cycling and other factors,' the release said. The trip was SpaceX's 32nd commercial resupply services mission at the International Space Station for NASA. Here's a look at videos of the capsule making its re-entry.
