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Yahoo!Just two days before the scheduled trial, Santa Barbara City College agreed to pay $1 million to a woman raped by an on-duty campus security guard in his truck two years ago. SBCC President John Romo said it was in the best interest of both sides to avoid a painful and protracted courtroom experience. Three women ultimately accused City College security guard and student Kent Kafatia of sexual assault. Kafatia is now serving an eight-year sentence, and his story revealed significant deficiencies in City College security practices. Romo said the college now conducts background checks on security personnel, maintains much better records of on-campus crimes, and has hired more security guards.
NASCAR, the Sierra Club, and the YMCA have filed friend-of-the-court briefs on behalf of the City of Santa Barbara and against the parents of Katie Janeway, the young girl who drowned three years ago while enrolled at a City Parks and Recreation program. At issue is whether the release the Janeways signed when enrolling their daughter gives the city immunity in cases of gross negligence. The three organizations argued that if such releases are not legally binding, then organizations like theirs will drastically curtail the recreational opportunities now offered to the public. The Supreme Court is expected to hear the case next spring. If City Hall prevails, the case is over. If the Janeways prevail, the case will be argued before a Santa Barbara County jury.
Santa Barbara City police negotiators rejected City Hall’s “last, best, and final” offer and are threatening to take their contract dispute directly to voters in the form of a special election. This Thursday evening, the union will hold a membership meeting in the back room of Harry’s Plaza Café to discuss the city’s offer, which police union chief Mike McGrew guaranteed would be overwhelmingly rejected. “It’ll look like [the movie] Braveheart just before they [the Scots] attacked the British,” he predicted. The two sides disagree on the exact amount of the city’s latest offer. McGrew maintains it’s a 21 percent pay hike over a three-year period after medical coverage is factored in, while Councilmember Das Williams said the figure is 24.24 percent. “I’d like to give them even more, but I don’t think that’s possible,” Williams said.
The battle for hearts, minds, and political endorsements remains unabated in the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s race, with three Santa Barbara City Councilmembers endorsing the incumbent – Sheriff Jim Anderson – and four supporting his opponent – Lompoc Police Chief Bill Brown. Mayor Marty Blum and Councilmembers Iya Falcone and Roger Horton endorsed Anderson, arguing that he prevailed despite the controversy over the Sheriff’s Council, over which he presided earlier this year. Councilmembers Grant House, Das Williams, Helene Schneider, and Brian Barnwell endorsed Brown, saying the challenger would bring fresh ideas to the office.
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A super-majority (Salud words) of the Board of Supervisors endorsed Jim Anderson for Sheriff. Salud Carbajal, Susan Rose, Brooks Firestone and Joe Centento gave Sheriff Anderson a big nod of support for his leadership skills and working to solve jail overcrowding. Joni Gray abstained (wimpy!)
Brown wants fresh ideas but honestly, until he comes clean about his National Rifle Association endorsement and then puts some substance and facts behind "ideas", I'll stick with the candidate who has done a nice, steady job for 4 years.
emily
October 20, 2006 at 9:52 p.m.
Sheriff Anderson has done a terrible job as Santa Barbara County Sheriff. His only job as jail commander 8 years ago was to find a north county jail, he failed. Why should we give him another 4 years in office. In addition less than 4 years ago his salary was $125,000, it is now 198,000, that is totally ridicelous. What has this man done to deserve this salary. It's time for a LEADER not a dirty polition with his political cronies inside the department. Vote Bill Brown for Sheriff.
gmaheat
October 31, 2006 at 9:33 a.m.
In response to Sheriff Anderson's commments about Sheriff's Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi, "He's nothing but a disgruntled employee because he hasn't been promoted". This comment show how shallow Jim Anderson is, Butch Arnoldi is 10 times the man, 10 times the street cop and has been in the department for 32 years.
shaq1
October 31, 2006 at 9:43 a.m.
Sheriff Anderson has done a terrible job as Santa Barbara County Sheriff. His only job as jail commander 8 years ago was to find a north county jail site, he failed. Why should we give him another 4 years in office. In addition less than 4 years ago his salary was $125,000, it is now $198,000, that is totally ridicelous. What has this man done to deserve this salary. It's time for a LEADER not a dirty polition with his political cronies inside the department. Vote Bill Brown for Sheriff.
gmaheat
October 31, 2006 at 9:52 a.m.
Until shaq1 and gmaheat can give their creds on why they think the sheriff did a poor job, other than they're shills for Brown, I think I;ll stick with Anderson, and honest and upfront guy.
SB expatriate in Santa Maria
October 31, 2006 at 5:18 p.m.
I read SB expatriate's comment and had to laugh. He thinks Jim Anderson is honest, this man lies about how arrests are up and crime is down, lies about how he has hired more deputys, this man has even lied about how many years he's been in the department. He's only been there 30 years, not his 32 years he puts on his political advertisements. We have less deputies patroling the streets than we did 30 years ago. This is totally unexceptable and it is time for a new Sheriff.
amg2
November 1, 2006 at 11:25 a.m.
It is time for Anderson to move on and not as Sheriff of the County of Santa Barbara. WE need someone NEW to come in and get the Sheriff's Department back on its feet. He said that he NOT a politcian. What a big joke that is. He isn't honest not does he have integrity or ethics. After reading what he had to say about the candidates that didn't make it in the run off and about Police Chief Brown Anderson really had some nerve. He said that Lt. Arnoldi "is just disgruntled because he didn't get promoted." I don't beleive that Arnoldi tried to educate the public on the honest truth about what was really going on at the Sheriff's Department. To bad the people didn't listen to him. I attended many forums and I've read the articles in local papers. How can Anderson lie to the public. He can't even tell the truth. Crime is UP, there are many job openings, not enough deputies, MANY are leaving the department. He STOPPED the D.A.R.E. program and there is the North County Jail. He has worked on it for 10 years and has got no where. He doesn't give credit where it is do, unless it is one of his YES people of the department. For the past ten years we've had an absentee SHeriff. Anderson say's that Brown is not qualified to run the SHeriff's Department. WRONG I and many others will vote for BROWN for Sheriff
winnie
November 1, 2006 at 7:21 p.m.
This comment is about how some people think that the current Sheriff Jim Anderson is honest. Jim Anderson is NOT an honest person or Sheriff. If he is so honest why is he being investigated by the Attorney General. Maybe the Attorney General knows something we don't know.
Vote Bill Brown for Sheriff
FACT
November 2, 2006 at 11:18 a.m.
How do you know Anderson is being investigated by the Attorney General - just because Bill Brown says so? WHAT is Anderson SUPPOSEDLY being investigated for? Unless you can quote FACT, then this is nothing more than disinformation.
Why would I want to vote for a guy that professes honesty & integrity, but his new direction is pointing more towards lying and deceit?
But I am curious - if he's doing such a good job in Lompoc, why are the city leaders falling all over themselves helping Brown to get out of Lompoc??? They'd be sweetening his compensation packet if they really wanted him to stay. Maybe he really isn't the great dude you all want us to believe he is, hmmmmmmm.
SB expatriate in Santa Maria
November 2, 2006 at 1:10 p.m.
I totally agree with FACT, AMG2 and GMAHEAT. Where have you been SB expatriate in Santa Maria? Don't you read the local papers? Did you ever attend any of the forums? I guess not. Anderson never said anything the same. He always changed his stories he is able to lie with a straight face. What type of man is Anderson when he wouldn't even shake hands after the Goleta fourm. He turned his back on Police Chief Brown after the forum and walked away. That is discussting. Brown is a much better person
winnie
November 2, 2006 at 6:59 p.m.
Ye gads! All the vitirol coming from the Brown people makes me wonder about how Brown treats his employees. No wonder the DSA didn't endorse him back in the primary and even now. You can paint it anyway you want to winnie, et.al, but your guy is one mean dude, which is why LOPD wants him gone and 51 officers have left your department. That means the top dog craps on the employees - something we should remember from the Newspress tales. We don't want dictators, we want leaders.
And yes, I do read the papers, which is why I know all about Brown and why he's NOT the guy to lead the sheriff's dept.
SB expatriate in Santa Maria
November 3, 2006 at 12:26 p.m.
WELL IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A NEW SHERIFF. LOOKS LIKE THE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY GOT TIRED OF ANDERSON'S CRAP. NOW BROWN WILL GET THE DEPARTMENT BACK ON ITS FEET IN 2007 AND BEYOND.
WINNIE
November 8, 2006 at 12:18 a.m.