About 50 volunteers helped put the finishing touches on the Thrive Grove Navigation Center in Thousand Oaks May 1 by helping construct furniture donated by Ikea The nearly complete $9.5 million temporary homeless shelter sits on 1 acre of the nearly 6.5-acre site at 1205 Lawrence Drive The village of tiny homes includes on-site facilities such as a laundry room rooms for occupants with visual and hearing impairments and a dog park Elected officials and staff from companies such as Ikea, Amgen, Ventura County Credit Union and Anthem Blue Cross arrived at the shelter at 9 a.m. to put together all of the donated furniture. Volunteers built desks a coat hanger tree and other furnishings to make the modular units feel more like a home The center isn't just a three- to six-month interim housing center for people on the streets it is also a place for those at the facility to get three meals a day access to alcohol and drug programs and job assistance the Thousand Oaks-based nonprofit overseeing the site "We don't want people to wait for housing in the streets," Shlapobersky said The nonprofit helps provide housing for low-income and homeless people and it is one of many organizations involved in Thrive Grove The Ventura County Continuum of Care Alliance released its numbers from the annual homeless count in April and tallied 162 people living in Thousand Oaks without a home Priority for Thrive Grove is currently given to individuals living in the city Many Mansions worked with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office Homeless Liaison Unit to help identify the 30 homeless individuals who have signed up for the program the facility hopes to install more modular units with space for 20 more occupants in the second phase of their rollout The facility plans to hold a ribbon cutting May 7 They are awaiting final approval but hope to be fully up and running by the end of the month Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com Broadway Off-Broadway Off-Off Broadway Cabaret Dance Opera Classical Music Nashville Minneapolis / St. Paul Connecticut Atlanta Chicago Los Angeles WEST END UK Regional Canada Australia / New Zealand Europe Asia Latin America Africa / Middle East TV/Movies Music Theatre: a chamber music collective renowned for its musical versatility and bold programming caps its 2024-25 season with an unexpected mix of chamber works by Frédéric Chopin William Bolcom’s irreverent Orphée-Sérénade composed in 1984 for piano and chamber orchestra Bolcom is noted for composing “music in a range of styles that all but erases the lines between art music and popular music” (WOSU) Providing a luscious musical palate cleanser Camerata Pacifica Principal Pianist Irina Zahharenkova is spotlighted on Chopin’s virtuosic Andante spianato et Grande polonaise brillante in E Flat Major The kaleidoscopic work combines technical brilliance rich harmonies and tremendous emotional depth Concluding the program and the 2024-25 season is Lera Auerbach’s Dreammusik for cello and chamber ensemble written in 2014 for Camerata Pacifica and Principal Cellist Ani Aznavoorian Commissioned by Sandra Tillisch Svoboda in memory of her husband Al it reflects the broad musical sensibilities of Auerbach “an artist of her time” (Gramophone) who creates “music of extraordinary power and intensity” (The New Yorker) In addition to Zahharenkova and Aznavoorian the artists featured on the season finale include Jolente De Maeyer Flute; Nicholas Daniel,Oboe; Kathleen McLean and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows © 2025 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media, all rights reserved. Privacy Policy There’s no doubt that Newbury Park High is synonymous with distance running But the school's current class of boys sprinters have been expanding the brand this spring Newbury Park senior Nicholas Durbiano swept the 100- and 200-meter dashes and ran the leadoff leg of the winning 4x100-relay team at the Marmonte League track and field championships on Thursday “Ever since I was a freshman … we’ve known our cross country team was “I've kind of wanted to make a name for the sprint team wanting to try to make a name for this high school.” Six days after completing the sprint double at the Ventura County Championships Durbiano won the 100 in 10.64 seconds and 200 in 21.2 After a dropped baton hurt the boys 4x100-meter relay team at the county meet Jack Younes and Zach Soberanis bounced back to win the league title in a school-record 41.83 More: Ventura has strong showing on home track at Channel League track and field championships “I think it's all coming together this year,” Griffin said “We've had injuries earlier in our high school careers The performances opened eyes from all corners of the stadium “It's definitely cool how well the boys sprinters are doing right now,” Newbury Park’s Sophia Grant said during a break in her busy meet “No one really expected it and they're doing awesome.” Staying more on brand with what Newbury Park is known for Grant won the girls 800 meters in 2:18.06 and 1,600 meters in 5:50.51 She also finished sixth in the 3,200 meters “I'm just doing the (3,200) just for the extra workout just because CIF is coming up and these are kind of my last chances to get hard workouts in,” Grant said “I'm just curious to see how the rest of my season turns out I'm really motivated to like finish off strong.” More: Check out the winners from the Tri-Valley, Citrus Coast and Frontier leagues track finals and Marley Scoggins took the girls 4x100-meter relay in a league-record 45.80 Calabasas also won the 4x400-meter relay in 3:59.61 Westlake’s Lawson Grace swept the boys throws and the shot put in a personal-best 54-8.50 Agoura’s Tyler Starling had an interesting afternoon helped the Chargers to a third-place finish in the boys 4x100-meter relay (in a school-record 42.23) and finished third in the boys long jump (21-1.75) He then went across campus to help the Agoura baseball team upset league-leading Westlake in extra winnings before returning to run the 100- and 200-meter sprints “It was just the luck of the draw that they were both at Westlake this year,” Starling said Thousand Oaks won the boys 4x400-meter relay in 3:20.50 The Lancers swept the hurdles with Gabriel Chin winning the 110 in 14.87 and Lucas Schneider winning the 300 in 38.27 Oaks Christian’s Chase Hansen won the 400 meters in 49.59 and teammate Vin Krueger won the 800 meters in 1:56.41 Newbury Park’s Micah Dickran won the 1,600 in 4:21.52 Oaks Christian’s Christian Yoder won the 3,200 in 9:26.32 Thousand Oaks’ Christopher Toppe won the high jump with a leap of 5-11 More: Check out the champions from area league finals in high school swimming Thousand Oaks’ Brady Beck won the long jump with a leap of 21-11.75 Oaks Christian’s Preston Mosley won the triple jump with a leap of 40-7.25 Oaks Christian’s Pierce Brittain won the pole vault at a personal-best 15-6 Scoggins won the 100 in 11.69 and 200 in 23.96 for Calabasas Newbury Park’s Abigail Pace won the 100 hurdles in 15.17 Calabasas’ Dejah Egans won the 300 hurdles in a personal-best 45.80 Oaks Christian’s Rayah Rodriguez won the 400 in 56.34 Thousand Oaks’ Maggie De La Rionda won the 3,200 in a personal-best 10:43.68 Newbury Park’s Olivia Healy won the high jump with a leap of 5-0 Thousand Oaks’ Jordyn Brown won the long jump with a leap of 17-3 Calabasas’ Jayla Webber won the triple jump with a personal-best leap of 33-2.5 Westlake’s Claudia Turner won the pole vault at 12-3 Newbury Park’s Lily Cohen won the discus with a throw of 115-8 Thousand Oaks’ Reagan Maguire won the shot put with a toss of 36-0 Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker the man is able to virtually do whatever he wants from a football operations standpoint because he has the track record to back up his decisions The roster of the Rams entering the 2025 NFL Draft was already solid and in need of supplementary help; instead of an instant impact type of approach the result of finding instant impact players over the past several drafts selecting three offensive and three defensive players who hope to help the Rams fix the little things that prevented them from making the Super Bowl in 2024 Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano recently released a ranking of draft classes in the NFC with the Rams finishing with a grade of "C" and the 14th overall ranking The team passed on drafting tight end Elijah Arroyo Los Angeles neglected a few needs in the back of the defense but made a strength even stronger with the selection of Stewart."   Majority of Manzano's criticisms of the Rams' draft fall on their decision to draft Ferguson over Arroyo While that may become something that gets talked about over time especially since Arroyo is on the rival Seahawks as mentioned it should be noted that while skill is a lot of things Sean McVay has a clear vision for Ferguson in his offense an offense that isn't meant for all types of players There is a reason why high level players have come to the Rams and not worked out in the past Styles and fits matter more than ability and the Rams got six players that fit what they are trying to do Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI and weigh in on this ranking Please let us know your thoughts on this ranking you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE BROCK VIERRABrock Vierra, a UNLV graduate, is the Los Angeles Rams Beat Writer On Sports Illustrated. He also works as a college football reporter for our On Sports Illustrated team. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Teens arrested in Newbury Park High vandalism caseAuthorities have arrested two teens in connection with graffiti vandalism that included a swastika at Newbury Park High School in February the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said in a May 1 news release the other a 17-year-old Simi Valley resident The incident was reported on the night of Feb 27 in the quad of the campus on North Reino Road Deputies with the Thousand Oaks station found racial slurs The sheriff's office is contracted to provide police services in Thousand Oaks The sheriff's major crimes unit for the east county launched an investigation They ultimately identified the two juveniles as suspects detectives served residential search warrants at the teens' homes Both of the minors were cited on suspicion of felony offenses including vandalism Authorities in Ojai are seeking the public's help after a resident reportedly encountered a prowler in her home on the night of April 26 a woman was in the process of getting her children ready for bed when she heard a door slam at the home in the 800 block of Mercer Avenue according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office The agency is contracted to provide police services in the city A person reportedly shined a flashlight into the woman's eyes said Detective Joe Sharif of the Ojai station She thought it was her husband and made a remark The suspect was apparently scared when encountering the resident and fled Deputies responded quickly but weren't able to locate the suspect The Ojai investigations bureau is hoping residents of the neighborhood can provide more information Anyone with surveillance video or other information is asked to call Sharif at 805-477-7038 or Detective Eric Nelson at 805-477-4042 The sheriff's office also has a link and QR code where residents can submit video footage Three suspects burglarized the North Oaks Pharmacy in Thousand Oaks during the early morning of May 1 Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies arrived to an audible alarm in the business at 1014 E Avenida De Los Arboles shortly after 2:45 a.m. The pharmacy is located in a strip mall west of Highway 23 Authorities reviewed security footage that showed the suspects had broken through the back door using crowbars There was no estimate of how much was taken A police dog helped find a suspect hiding in a field after a pursuit in east Ventura on April 30 a caller reported seeing a man passed out in a vehicle with drug paraphernalia in plain view near Wells Road and Del Norte Street the Ventura Police Department said in a news release the suspect suddenly started the engine and drove off He reportedly ignored the officer's commands to stop When a second officer arrived on a police motorcycle the suspect drove around the officer and fled the area The motorcycle officer initiated a pursuit into a nearby neighborhood but lost sight of the suspect Additional officers found the vehicle with no one inside near Pear Avenue and Mimosa Street found the suspect hiding in tall grass in a field nearby He was arrested on suspicion of felony evading as well as narcotics and DUI violations He was on post-release supervision at the time for a 2023 felony conviction He was housed at the county's main jail without bail Attempted carjacking leaves victim without walletA man in Thousand Oaks reportedly escaped a carjacking attempt while his two young children were in the vehicle on April 29 The incident was reported shortly after 3:10 p.m according to Ventura County Sheriff's Capt The block is in a residential area on the north side of Avenida De Las Flores The victim told deputies he was approached by three or four male suspects as he got out of his vehicle and was going to the mailbox The victim pleaded with them not to take the vehicle The suspects then allegedly robbed the man of his wallet and fled Jurors convict Oxnard man in molestation caseA jury found an Oxnard man guilty of multiple counts of child molestation in a case involving two victims was convicted of six felony counts of lewd act upon a child on April 28 according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office Jurors also found true special allegations that there were multiple victims and there had been substantial sexual contact The special allegations can bring a heavier sentence Kalil molested two victims who were younger than 14 between 2014 and 2020 The incidents took place in the home they shared where Kalil had gained access through a familial relationship Both victims reported the abuse after the arrests of another family member who was also allegedly molesting them The case against the other family member is pending and there will be an appeal," said Kalil's attorney Senior Deputy DA Stuart Gardner prosecuted the case Sentencing is scheduled for the morning of June 6 in room 26 of Ventura County Superior Court who remains in custody without bail in the county's main jail (This story has been updated to correct the speaker of a quote.) Customers of Ikea hoping to purchase furniture but wanting to avoid the commute to Burbank will now be able to swap the meatballs and larger store for the convenience of a Thousand Oaks location The Swedish furniture retailer held the grand opening April 16 of its smaller Ikea showroom at 60 N A large inflatable version of the store's reusable tote bag sat on the corner of the shopping center greeting customers city officials and Ikea employees clad in yellow and blue there for the occasion convenience and great prices," said Gustavo Tinajero He touted the new Thousand Oaks location as a way for customers who love the company's products to access a more convenient service Ikea gave out prizes like gift cards at the event Richard Schroeder, president and CEO of nonprofit Many Mansions, spoke at the event where he announced Ikea's donation of furniture to the organization's Thrive Grove Navigation Center The newly built modular units are used as emergency homeless shelters "They are helping to furnish the modular units," Schroeder said Thousand Oaks-based Many Mansions helps provide affordable housing to homeless and low-income families Thousand Oaks Mayor David Newman also spoke of Ikea's substantial furniture donation to the navigation center "They didn't just donate a bookcase here and a sofa there," he said Newman joined store manager Cristian Ortiz at the end of the ceremony to cut the ceremonial log in lieu of a ribbon Sawing a log is a Swedish tradition used to christen new homes Ikea announced in a July that the Thousand Oaks Plan & Order Point with Pick-up store was taking over the 2,500-square-foot space on the corner of Moorpark Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard The company plans to open the smaller pre-order and pick-up stores without the massive showrooms in Santa Monica and Laguna Hills The smaller stores will not offer the experience or amenities the Burbank location is known for but customers will be able to speak to store staff to order furniture to pick-up in store or deliver to their home Staff will also provide in-store assistance with design and planning for more complicated projects Ikea will also offer free next-day delivery for most orders shipped to the store All four corners of the intersection of Lynn Road and Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks were packed to the brim with protesters holding signs and chanting as part of the Hands Off! National Day of Action Saturday "I honestly got emotional," said Bryan Stern The turnout was more than Stern expected and seeing and hearing the way his city turned out to protest recent actions taken by the Trump administration made him proud Stern attended the rally along with his girlfriend While the protest fell under the Hands Off! umbrella of demonstrations around the U.S. Saturday, the event was put together by local organizations Indivisible Simi Valley Indivisible Conejo and Women United for Change said Leanna Brand of Indivisible Simi Valley Organizers counted around 1,300 sign-ups before the event but they estimate more than 2,000 attendees showed up to the intersection from 1 p.m The intersection was full of people of all ages and backgrounds highlighting an array of causes including climate change "I'm appalled by what they are trying to do to our democracy," said Lisa Richardson referencing President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency Participants also lined the sidewalk along West Hillcrest Drive They held signs and chanted slogans such as "Hey hey having taken part in many against climate change His wife Audrey was a first-time protester who attended despite being typically overwhelmed with crowds The Thousand Oaks demonstration wasn't the only one held in Ventura County Saturday Justice for All Ventura County along with Indivisible's Ventura chapter and 50501 held a similar event at the Ventura County Government Center from 10 a.m board president for Justice for All Ventura County said organizers estimate at least 1,500 people attended the Ventura gathering which also included people originally slated to protest at Ventura City Hall Demonstrators filled up all four corners at Victoria Avenue and Telephone Road They also extended along Victoria nearly to Highway 101 People were already demonstrating when Meserve arrived around 9:20 a.m. and were still at it when she left around 2 p.m "People are hot to trot right now," she said "We want folks to know we are not happy with the way the federal government is going." No significant incidents were reported to law enforcement as of late afternoon The Thousand Oaks demonstration remained peaceful Ryan Weeks said no issues had been reported at the Ventura event Customers of Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins in Thousand Oaks will have until the end of the month to get their organic fruits and specialty supplements The Ventura-based organic grocery chain posted signs announcing the store's last day as April 30 said by email Monday the company is closing the store at 2150 Thousand Oaks Blvd but we’re grateful for the time we’ve spent in the community and excited for what’s ahead," he said Martherus said workers who wished to stay on with Lassens have been offered new roles in the company Lassens opened its first Thousand Oaks location in 1985 and has spent seven years at its current spot "This particular closure was completely unforeseen," he said in the email Two messages left with the management offices at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks' offices were not returned Thousand Oaks resident Lauri Kamiel said she was so devastated to learn of Lassens' closure She goes to the market at least once a week for groceries supplements and prepared foods from the hot bar "It's just a friendly environment," Kamiel said said Lassens' supplies of specialty items simplifies her shopping "It provides in one place everything I need," she said She heard that another market chain is planning to open in Lassens' place and emailed their customer service department which sent a response indicating it was opening at The Lakes Lassens has 10 other stores under the name, including the three remaining in Ventura County in Oxnard, Simi Valley and Ventura. Other locations dot the region between San Luis Obispo, Bakersfield and Los Angeles. The company's website says the first store was opened in 1971 by matriarch Oda Lassen as Lassen’s Health Food Store initially out of a leased shop in Camarillo Martherus said the store's closure is not part of any downsizing But a story in The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington, in November reported that Lassens acquired a two-store chain called Marlene's Market & Deli which has stores in Tacoma and Federal Way The stores are not listed on Lassens' site but representatives of Marlene's have Lassens emails Martherus noted Lassens' loss can be customers' gain because the store is offering deals while supplies last Lassens is offering 20% markdowns of nearly all items except produce and deli Lassens is the second grocery store closure Thousand Oaks in recent weeks. The Amazon Fresh at 140 Promenade Way is slated to close April 27 after two years in the spot An Amazon spokesman said certain locations work better than others Galang is news director of the Ventura County Star She can be reached at stacie.galang@vcstar.com and 805-437-0222 (This story has been updated with new information from the Sheriff's Office.) A man found lying by a traffic ramp off Highway 101 in Thousand Oaks Saturday morning apparently jumped from an overpass The incident was reported to the California Highway Patrol and Ventura County Fire Department around 5:50 a.m near an onramp on the southbound side of the freeway at Lynn Road The Ventura County Sheriff's Office was called in around 6:20 a.m when authorities found a vehicle parked along Lynn Road off to the side of the overpass said sheriff's Capt The vehicle initially indicated the man "may have jumped in a suicide attempt," he said Another driver had apparently seen the individual lying on the circular ramp from Lynn to the southbound freeway The man was reportedly in the shoulder area was taken by ambulance to Los Robles Regional Medical Center As of late afternoon he was still receiving treatment at the hospital Sheriff's major crimes detectives remained at the scene past 11 a.m Everything investigators learned was consistent with the premise the individual had jumped from the overpass The law enforcement response didn't impact traffic flow on the ramp If you're feeling despondent, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, for both English and Spanish speakers, can be reached by calling 988 and can be found on the web at https://988lifeline.org A carjacking suspect was arrested after a large law enforcement response and search Sunday night in Thousand Oaks and Moorpark The Ventura County Sheriff's Office responded to a call in the 700 block of Avenida de los Arboles in Thousand Oaks shortly after 9:30 p.m The driver of a Jeep Wrangler reported that a man The area is just north of Thousand Oaks High School The sheriff's office is contracted for police services for the cities of Thousand Oaks and Moorpark and local law enforcement began their search The California Highway Patrol found the Jeep stopped but empty in the area of Los Angeles Avenue and Highway 118 in Moorpark 20 minutes after the incident was reported Additional sheriff's deputies and SWAT units were contacted to assist with the search A 30-year-old man was ultimately located an hour later hiding in the brush nearby The man was arrested on suspicion of felony carjacking and booked into Ventura County jail the man remained in jail with bail set at $250,000 He is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court Wednesday Thousand Oaks High juniors Gabriel Chin and Christopher Toppe placed in the top five of a whopping seven events at the Ventura County Track and Field Championships on Friday at Moorpark High School That’s what the Lancers’ decathlete duo call a light day Under the tutelage of legendary heptathlete Marlene Wilcox Chin and Toppe have been training for track and field's 10-event gauntlet they have come to dominate in a wide variety of individual events and then me and Chris can go do those,” Chin said Chin took home first place in the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 14.84 seconds with Toppe just behind in second with a personal-best showing of 14.89 Toppe also won the long jump with a leap of 22 feet took second place in the high jump with a 6-3 clearance and helped the Lancers’ 4x100 meter relay team to a second-place finish and finished fifth in the discus with a heave of 152-7 The pair’s sheer dominance across so many different events comes from their long hours spent training together or even more hours a day sometimes,” Toppe said “When I was doing it by myself during the winter Toppe and Chin weren’t the only Thousand Oaks athletes getting in on the winning Friday Junior Maggie De la Rionda helped get the track events started off with a win in the girls 1,600 meters It was the first championship season for Ventura County track and field since Ventura High superstar runner Sadie Engelhardt decided to forego her senior track season and race amongst the collegians and pros.With the event now wide open De la Rionda said it was a special feeling to take home the victory “It’s definitely crazy,” De la Rionda said De la Rionda put on a strong move near the end of the third lap that put a substantial gap on the rest of the field ‘You have got to go.’ Lap three is definitely the most important — if you slow down by just a second your whole race is gone,” De la Rionda said makes it really easy to have a strong finish Lucas Schneider won the boys 300-meter hurdles in 38.55 Madison Thai placed first in the girls high jump with a clearance of 5-3 and Jordyn Brown claimed victory in the girls long jump with an 18-0.75 leap for Thousand Oaks It was an historic day for Newbury Park’s Nicholas Durbiano winning both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash in near-record times Durbiano’s wind-legal 10.49 in the 100 ranks No An ecstatic Durbiano posed next to the scoreboard with his 100 time after the race and those nerves and that adrenaline just skyrocketed His 200 time of 21.20 would have been the No 5 performance in county history if not for being a smidge over the legal limit for wind After missing much of last season with hip and hamstring injuries and overcoming a torn hamstring at the start of this season “I have been through ups and downs in this sport — the downs and the ups I wouldn’t trade anything for,” Durbiano said just having this opportunity to run and go out to hit my times.” A hectic boys 4x100 relay saw two favorites in Durbiano's Panthers and St to claim victory with a stellar leg from Jalen Aguilar-Carnes followed by a clutch anchor by Ellis Hatcher The girls 4x100 relay pitted the two top sprint programs in the region in Calabasas and Oaks Christian against one another with the Coyotes coming out on top in a time of 46.42 to the Lions’ 46.76.“Oaks Christian has some amazing I feel like us running with them and them running with us really just pushes us to do better,” Calabasas sprinter Malia Rainey said and we are all friends at the end of the day.” The friendly rivalry extended into the rest of the sprints as Rainey charged to a personal best in the 100-meter dash in 11.64 and teammate Olivia Kirk won the 200 in 23.93 “I was really just trying to have a positive mindset through everything and make sure that I executed,” Rainey said of her 100 win “This race today was really about execution Kevin Ilano of Simi Valley pulled off an upset in the shot put launching the implement 52-9 to beat Westlake’s Lawson Grace Grace came back to win the discus by six inches over Fillmore’s Anthony Tafoya Bonaventure’s Andrew Driver won the boys 400 in a time of 50.27 Oaks Christian’s Christian Yoder claimed victory in the boys 800 with a 1:56.09 run Lesher held off Malibu’s Trent Williams to win the boys 1,600 in 4:19.02 Elijah Rojas of Simi Valley was first in the 3,200 meters in 9:28.56 Rio Mesa's Jackson Knowles won the boys high jump by clearing 6-5 Oaks Christian’s Pierce Brittain dominated the pole vault Oak Park’s Louis Liu held off Oaks Christian’s Preston Mosley in the triple jump with Liu’s leap of 42-3 proving to be the winning mark Abigail Pace of Newbury Park ran away with the girls 100-meter hurdles title in 14.79 Caitlyn Dougherty of Moorpark won the girls 300 hurdles in 45.95 Sarah Najibi of Agoura secured the victory in the girls 400 Ventura freshman Paola Estrada got her first county title in the 800 and fellow Cougars freshman Sophie Nuckols won the 3,200 meters in 11:08.74 Camarillo’s Trinity Tipton dominated both girls throws winning the shot put (40-6.75) by over six feet made it four straight county titles in the discus while setting a school record Three girls cleared 11-10 in the pole vault for the first time in meet history Ventura’s Bella DiSilvestri and Westlake’s Claudia Turner shared the title with Thousand Oaks’ Taya Frodis taking third Simi Valley’s Emily Peterson won the girls triple jump with a leap of 35-2 Royal’s boys 4x800 meter relay team of Jade East Grace Parle and Marisa Phipps won in 10:18.1 Brandon Wofford and Viggo Bortolin won the boys 4x800 in 8:22.3 Ventura’s boys 4x400 relay team of Keegan Graves Myles Gonzalez and Luke Carnaghe won in 3:26.56 Turner and Kenna Bradley ran 4:04.88 to win the girls 4x400 relay Dominic Massimino is a staff writer for the Star He can be reached at dominic.massimino@vcstar.com follow @vcsdominic on Twitter and Instagram A multi-vehicle traffic collision on southbound Highway 101 in Ventura left a motorcyclist dead Sunday afternoon The California Highway Patrol responded to the crash shortly after 2:45 p.m CHP officers investigating determined that a white Tesla Model 3 and a black BMW 330e were slowing down for traffic when an additional black BMW 330i failed to slow for traffic and rear-ended the black BMW 330e The impact caused the BMW 330e to travel in a southwest direction and the BMW 330i in a southeast direction The 330i struck the concrete center divider a black Indian Scout motorcycle approached from the rear and was unable to stop in time rear-ending the Tesla and launching the motorcyclist from his bike The man hit the car before landing on the road was transported to Ventura County Medical Center Two additional people were transported to the hospital with minor injuries and two others reported pain from the crash All but one southbound lane was closed during the investigation The CHP's Ventura-area office is investigating the crash The Ravens already have a lot of depth at their tackle position but Noteboom could prove to be a impactful swing tackle while primarily serving as a backup to Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten Noteboom could also possibly compete for Baltimore's guard spot that was vacated by Patrick Mekari's departure to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency Ravens reached agreement on a new contract with former Rams OT Joseph Noteboom. More OT depth in Baltimore. pic.twitter.com/43uN3AUnxs Noteboom was drafted by the Rams in 2018 (Round 3 Noteboom's time in Los Angeles was sadly flooded with injuries Texas hometown hero took part in 71 games over a seven year stretch roughly only 60 percent of the Rams' total games in that span Noteboom only managed to appear in four games after going down with an injury in their season opener against the Detroit Lions He was graded a 60.0 overall by Pro Football Focus ranking him as the 76th best tackle out of a total of 140 Noteboom did start in practically half of the games that he appeared in (35) so he's not coming to Baltimore empty handed Noteboom was a standout player at the collegiate level Noteboom played in all 13 games and earned First-Team Academic Big 12 honors Through his next four years as a Horned Frog closing his college career with 40 consecutive starts Noteboom primarily played offensive tackle but shifted around to left and right guard occasionally He was given a second contract by the team to play left tackle in 2022 amounting to $40 million after Andrew Whitworth retired He took a pay cut to remain with the Rams last offseason but struggled to stay on the field Only time will tell if the Ravens made the right move but they are getting a versatile 6'5 lineman with seven years of league experience under his belt What history has shown us time and time again is that it's never a bad idea to increase your depth Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI and weigh in on Noteboom heading to Baltimore Please let us know your thoughts on the former Rams OL when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE IDAN OZIdan Oz attends UCLA and brings a unique writing style to On SI as he covers the NFL. Born outside the USA, he brings a fresh focus, love, and appreciation for the game of football that shines through his writing style. More than two years after the Amazon Fresh in Thousand Oaks opened with fanfare the store on Promenade Way is slated to close in coming weeks Amazon notified the state March 14 of the closure of its 33,000-square-foot store at the Promenade at Westlake shopping center The company gave a May 13 closure date to the state but officials with the chain said the Thousand Oaks store's last day is April 27 “Certain store locations work better than others and after an assessment of our offering we’ve decided to close our Amazon Fresh store in Thousand Oaks," said Griffin Buch He said area customers could shop at Amazon's online site with same-day delivery and at other Amazon Fresh stores and Whole Foods Markets "We remain committed to Amazon Fresh and our broader grocery strategy and will continue to refine our portfolio of stores as we learn which locations and features resonate most with customers,” Buch said The Thousand Oaks store was the chain's 40th to open in August 2022 and the company touted its cashierless checkout technology for shoppers A message left Friday afternoon with the Promenade at Westlake shopping center was not immediately returned The center is in the Thousand Oaks portion of Westlake Village Ventura County's only other Amazon Fresh in Moorpark opened around February 2022 and is not affected The company currently lists on its website 25 Amazon Fresh stores in California including the Thousand Oaks and Moorpark locations Amazon officials said the company's goal is to make grocery shopping faster and easier for customers whether in person or online The company already has a large online grocery business Amazon officials said they expect to open new Whole Foods Markets and Amazon Fresh stores as they see results they like A new design for new Amazon Fresh stores and nearly all existing sites has shown promise The company did not answer a question about other stores being closed. However, an Amazon Fresh in Manassas, Virginia is also shuttering, according to other news reports and that state's Department of Workforce Development and Advancement She can be reached at stacie.galang@vcstar.com or 805-437-0222 Ben McEnroe is closing the book on his historic two-year run at Thousand Oaks High McEnroe stepped down as the Lancers’ head football coach Monday informing his players during a morning meeting “I had a great time coaching this hometown team,” McEnroe told The Star on Monday “I’ve loved every day at practice and every day on the field.” The last two years have been as much fun as I’ve ever had in coaching.” McEnroe led the Lancers to 17 wins and the program’s first consecutive CIF-Southern Section semifinal appearances over the last two seasons He also announced his resignation in an email sent to the parents in his program “It has been a tremendous blessing to lead our hometown football team these past two seasons,” McEnroe wrote and the families and community that supported us has been a great joy I am truly proud of the success of the young men who were truly committed to the program and to giving their best for the team and to a cause greater than themselves.” The former Cal Lutheran University head football coach had initially planned to continue at Thousand Oaks after the graduation of his son Cory a three-star linebacker who will play at UC Davis But McEnroe hinted to The Star that he had change of heart after recent issues with parents you’re not able to keep everybody happy,” McEnroe said “I’m going to be exploring other options in the best interests of my family.” McEnroe officially accepted the head coaching position at Northridge-Heritage Christian on Tuesday finishing third in the Conejo Coast League and reaching the Division 4 semifinals finishing third in the Canyon League and reaching the Division 5 semifinals Including the 10-1 season under previous coach Evan Yabu the Lancers have won 27 games over the past three seasons which is the third winningest three-year period in program history Thousand Oaks won 29 games from 1985 to 1987 and 28 games from 1989 to 1991 “I wish the new guy the best of luck,” McEnroe said Joe Curley covers high school, collegiate and professional football for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com (This story has been updated with new information from the court docket.) A 66-year-old Thousand Oaks man remained in jail Thursday morning after an explosives incident this week led to his arrest Ventura County Sheriff's deputies responded to the man's home around 3:30 p.m Tuesday in the 2000 block of Hendrix Avenue The man was taken to Los Robles Regional Medical Center with injuries to his hand apparently related to explosive material The sheriff's office is contracted for police services in Thousand Oaks The sheriff's bomb squad and major crimes detectives were called to the scene After an initial emergency search of the man's residence turned up some materials believed to be explosive authorities obtained a search warrant for the home Surrounding residents were advised to stay inside authorities found more items "consistent with creating explosives," sheriff's officials said was arrested on suspicion of possession of a destructive device and possession of material to create a destructive device the District Attorney's Office filed a single felony charge of possession of a substance or material to create a destructive device No plea was entered during arraignment Thursday afternoon with the hearing continued to Tuesday morning The man remained housed at the county's Todd Road Jail outside Santa Paula as of Friday afternoon with bail set at $100,000 could speed up progress on a large apartment complex planned for the site according to both the new owner and city planners High Street Residential bought the 6-acre property last month for $18 million according to property records kept by the Ventura County Clerk-Recorder's Office High Street is a subsidiary of Trammell Crow Company which is itself a subsidiary of the global commercial real estate firm CBRE which was working with the developer Cherry Tree Capital While the previous owner was working with an outside developer High Street will both own and develop the project a principal in High Street Residential's Los Angeles office "There's a design process that was being commenced by the previous developer and we're stepping in and advancing that design," Hungerford said "We're developers and our intent is to develop this project and we are aggressively moving toward that goal." High Street plans to start construction sometime in the first quarter of next year said the "X factor" in the timeline is the fact that Southern California Edison has agreed to put high-voltage power lines that span the property underground Construction can't start until that's done The project has been in the works for more than four years used sometimes as a Halloween pumpkin patch or a Christmas tree lot It's on the south side of Thousand Oaks Boulevard between the Moorpark Road and Rancho Road exits from Highway 101 The plan calls for three separate buildings Two of the buildings will have retail space on the ground floor The property will also have two small parks one of them centered around a protected oak tree at the corner of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Lombard Street The success of those projects gives High Street reason to be optimistic about its investment at 500 E "Thousand Oaks is really an incredible community," he said We looked at this as an opportunity to add high-quality housing and retail in a core location on T.O Tony Biasotti is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tbiasotti@vcstar.com This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation's Fund to Support Local Journalism (This item has been updated with new information from the sheriff's office and court records.) An attempted residential burglary in Thousand Oaks Friday evening was thwarted when the resident alerted authorities A break-in at a home in the 2700 block of Queens Way occurred around 6:55 p.m. but the alleged burglars apparently didn't realize the resident was home at the time Several deputies responded and an extensive search was conducted that included a helicopter and K-9 police dog On Tuesday, sheriff's officials said in a news release detectives had determined the four men, age 20 to 30, were part of a South American Theft Group burglary crew, referring to the transnational organized crime groups Detectives had also found evidence allegedly linking the four to another burglary in Thousand Oaks that day The men have since been charged by prosecutors with crimes including burglary conspiracy and possession of a counterfeit government seal One of the suspects also had outstanding felony burglary warrants in Riverside and San Bernardino counties All four have pleaded not guilty to the charges They remained in county jail custody Wednesday with bail set at $200,000 E-bike rider collides with Simi Valley police carA police response to reports of juveniles racing electric bicycles in Simi Valley Friday night ended with one of the minors crashing into a patrol car to the 2600 block of Tapo Canyon Road for a radio call saying three to four juveniles were racing e-bikes on the sidewalk at high speed Simi Valley Police Department officials said in a news release One fled through the parking lot toward Alamo Street and Michael Clark Memorial Parkway Another officer who was at the intersection activated the patrol vehicle's lights and siren to try to stop the juvenile The minor reportedly ran through a red light and tried to cross in front of the officer's vehicle but the youth crashed the e-bike into the patrol car's push-bar bumper Push-bar bumpers are metal bars that extend from the front of the department's Ford Explorers primarily to protect the vehicles during certain traffic stop maneuvers The devices are also sometimes used to push vehicles out of the way The teen suffered an injury that was not life-threatening and was treated at the scene by paramedics California Highway Patrol officers conducted the collision investigation Simi authorities reminded residents that cyclists An office park near the corner of Hillcrest Drive and Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks could be demolished and redeveloped into 297 units of housing The Thousand Oaks City Council voted unanimously on March 25 to approve a contract of up to $300,000 with environmental firm EcoTierra Consulting an early step in the city's assessment of the proposed mixed-use development at 195 E Developers submitted a pre-application for the project in August 2024 outlining nearly 580,000 square feet of total construction including 11,200 square feet of commercial space The project would have 25 affordable housing units and a parking structure with 438 spaces The property was last sold in 2011 to 501 Thousand Oaks according to the Ventura County Assessor's office The company shares an address with the Santa Barbara-based SIMA Corporation and SIMA founder James Knell signed registration paperwork for the LLC A SIMA representative did not immediately return a request for comment An online listing indicated as of Friday that the property is in escrow The listing advertised the property as an enticing development opportunity in a city with "impressive" 2022 rent increases and severely limited land available for new housing The property's three office buildings are expected to be vacant by May Thousand Oaks Planning Manager Stephen Kearns said that representatives of the Trammell Crow Company a subsidiary of the global commercial real estate firm CBRE have submitted documents to the city regarding the project declined to comment on the Hillcrest project via email Developers filed formal applications for the Hillcrest project on Jan 16 but are revising their submission after city staff deemed it incomplete Kearns said EcoTierra will advise Thousand Oaks on how much environmental analysis it needs to dedicate to the project under the terms of the California Environmental Quality Act The city could choose to file a notice of exemption from extra review or have EcoTierra conduct further studies all options covered by the firm's contract with the city Developers will reimburse EcoTierra's fees to the city when the project is complete Whatever city leaders eventually decide Kearns said it's too early even for a rough timeline of the project's construction The city planner said staff have so far reviewed basic plans in the developer's pre-application with elements like the height of potential structures and estimated number of units but that specific blueprints and architectural plans won't come until later Isaiah Murtaugh covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at isaiah.murtaugh@vcstar.com or 805-437-0236 Their moves earlier in the offseason gave them the flexibility to make various moves on draft day such as drafting their future quarterback or trading down The Rams traded their first-round pick again they gained another first-round pick in next year's draft and additional picks in this year's draft Los Angeles has worked hard to assemble a quality roster and the draft helped them to continue doing so Judy Battista of NFL.com analyzed each team's accomplishments this offseason and the remaining things each team in the National Football League must accomplish before the start of the season even though they have had a good offseason Battista noted that the Rams checked many boxes this offseason including "acquiring a first-round pick from the Falcons in 2026 [The Rams] snared a productive TE Terrance Ferguson and a potentially explosive RB Jarquez Hunter [and] replaced  Cooper Kupp with Davante Adams during free agency." "Adding Adams and Ferguson gives Stafford more weapons and should help the Rams keep pace with the NFC’s elite They were fast-rising in the second half of 2024 If this is the final go-around with Stafford Los Angeles is undoubtedly well on their way to creating one of the best teams in the league heading into next season they must make a few more roster additions and hope for better injury luck than they had last season Los Angeles is headed in the right direction They simply must put all the pieces together this season Please let us know your thoughts now when you go out and find our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE Go on and make sure you follow along on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI right now and you will find all of our stories EZEKIEL TREZEVANT – A 30-year-old Thousand Oaks woman was arrested Thursday morning in connection with a burglary at the Vons on Ventura Street in Fillmore a person -later identified as a 30-year-old Thousand Oaks woman- used a hammer to smash the front window of the Vons in the 600 block of Ventura Street in Fillmore stated a press release from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office the 30-year-old entered the grocery store while employees were stocking the shelves and proceeded to burglarize the store and take multiple bottles of liquor before leaving the scene on foot Patrol deputies responded to the area and retrieved surveillance video of the crime before establishing a perimeter and searching the area detailed the Ventura County Sheriff's Office the 30-year-old was located in a homeless encampment in a river bottom near the Vons and she was found to have the stolen alcohol in her possession which was returned to the grocery story explained the Ventura County Sheriff's Office The Thousand Oaks woman was arrested and booked at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility for the following violations: Andrew is a Digital Content Producer and Assignment Desk Assistant for News Channel 3-12. For more about Andrew, click here. News Channel 3-12 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here Terms of Service Privacy Policy Community Guidelines FCC Public File EEO Public File Report FCC Applications Do Not Sell My Personal Information it seems you were trying to access a page that doesn't exist Please check the spelling of the URL you were trying to access and try again ©2025 Gold Coast Broadcasting  |  Contest Rules  |  Employment Opportunities  |  FCC PUBLIC FILE  |  2024 EEO REPORT  |  FCC APPLICATIONS (This story has been updated with new information from fire and sheriff's officials.) A hazardous materials incident brought a large response to a Thousand Oaks neighborhood Wednesday evening and required nearby residents to shelter in place for hours Update: Hazmat incident in Thousand Oaks involved legal chemicals brought Ventura County Fire Department crews to the 1300 block of Calle Avellano on the north side of East Avenida De Los Arboles and west of Highway 23 The Ventura County Sheriff's Office also responded sending bomb squad units to help identify materials and deputies to help with traffic control and shelter-in-place orders said it possibly involved two or more chemicals being mixed together The circumstances weren't immediately clear Early reports saying the incident may have involved a science experiment weren't true Shelter-in-place orders issued for about a three-block radius surrounding the incident were lifted around 9:30 p.m One person was taken by private vehicle to Los Robles Regional Medical Center The person's age and the extent of their injuries wasn't known Firefighters responded to the hospital to make sure no action was required there for any potential hazmat issues Dowd said Thursday the fire department had no information about the patient because the person had been admitted to the hospital before firefighters responded to the scene Fire and sheriff's personnel remained at the scene past 10 p.m The city of Thousand Oaks has hired architects to move forward with its estimated $123.2 million project to expand the 30-year-old Civic Arts Plaza and revitalize downtown The City Council voted unanimously Dec. 3 to spend $4.6 million on an architecture and engineering agreement with RRM Design Group a San Luis Obispo company with an office in Ventura RRM worked previously on preliminary concepts and is doing work on the project with Los Angeles-based SmithGroup City staff recommended RRM Design Group from nine companies that submitted proposals The council’s vote also included approval of $1.3 million for agreements covering financial and legal services, which will be provided respectively by HR&A Advisors and Best, Best & Krieger. Both companies are based in Los Angeles, according to a city staff report In May, the council issued a request for proposals for the project which features a new $50.5 million City Hall along with retail space commercial offices and apartments or condominiums on a nine-building campus the Civic Arts Plaza currently consists of two buildings on a hill at 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd the Fred Kavli Theatre and the smaller Janet & Ray Scherr Forum Theatre Applause briefly broke out in the latter theater after the council voted to move forward with the project's next stage almost a dozen people spoke in favor of the project which would add retail and restaurants along the new Main Street south of Thousand Oaks Boulevard an amphitheater and an indoor public market the current one would be remodeled for retail on the ground floor and commercial offices on the second and third floor Visitors to the newly expanded Civic Arts Plaza will be able to shop and dine before shows at the plaza’s theaters president and CEO of the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce The project fits the city's vision of a pedestrian-friendly and self-sustaining downtown Letters of support included one from lifelong Thousand Oaks resident Tom Cohen who wrote: "Our community deserves a first-class downtown and we now have the council vision and support to make it happen." While supporting the project in his written comments to the council Newbury Park resident Jackson Piper suggested limiting traffic on the new Main Street to one direction and a 9-foot width to avoid disruptions for pedestrians Residents will get opportunities to comment on the project during a series of public meetings that will begin in January Deputy City Manager Akbar Alikhan told the council planning commissioners and the City Council could hold hearings in spring 2026 For more information, go to toaks.gov/downtown Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232 Local authorities have accused a Los Angeles County woman of running a high-end residential brothel out of a home in Thousand Oaks the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said Friday in a news release she pleaded not guilty to one felony count of pimping Sheriff's officials said community tips launched an investigation in April into suspicious activity at a home in the 200 block of Camino Manzanas Detectives suspected the residence operated as a brothel said to be from the city of Monterey Park in Los Angeles County but lived at the location and allegedly conducted operations there said sheriff's Detective Michael Dixon in an email Detectives served a search warrant at the site in November They found evidence she benefitted financially from employees who provided commercial sex acts at the residence They also contacted two women from the San Gabriel Valley believed to be Chinese nationals who were potential human trafficking victims The women were offered support from local victim services providers The suspect was released from custody on $20,000 bail after her arrest The next court hearing is scheduled for February Also in November, sheriff's officials arrested a Yorba Linda woman, 45, suspected of operating brothels disguised as skin care spas Two were in Thousand Oaks and two in Orange County She has pleaded not guilty to felony pimping The case remains active in Ventura County Superior court includes human trafficking detectives who are part of a multiagency county task force (This story has been updated to add new information.) A man was seriously injured after being shot by authorities Thursday morning outside the Ralphs grocery store on Ventu Park Road in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks deputies were called to the shopping center around 6:22 a.m a vehicle fire and a person armed with a machete The agency is contracted by the city of Thousand Oaks for police services Update: New details released in shooting of machete-wielding suspect by deputy in TO Sullivan said when officers made contact with the man where he allegedly threatened employees with the weapon The officers used a Taser before shooting the man The suspect received first aid from the officers before he was taken to the hospital He was described as being in critical but stable condition as of 2 p.m. Detectives with the sheriff's major crimes unit the Thousand Oaks investigative unit and internal affairs arrived at the scene About a dozen detectives and deputies were investigating at the scene roughly an hour after the gunfire Police tape closed off a portion of the center's parking lot where a tipped-over red plastic gas can was visible behind the tape A number of people who had gone to the store or neighboring businesses were stranded at the center because their cars were behind the taped-off area They waited until they could return to their vehicles No update on the suspect's condition was available as of 7 p.m Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com Editor's note: This story is one in a series on the Nov. 5 general election. For more coverage, visit vcstar.com/news/elections Thousand Oaks voters will choose two council members in the November election In the city's first district elections, voters will pick a candidate in two of its five newly drawn districts Voters cast a ballot for just one council candidate who lives in their area of the city The other three districts will be up for election in 2026 Al Adam, currently on the council, will face Jeff Schwartz in District 4 which includes the city's eastern edge and a central area south of the 101 freeway Four candidates are running in District 5 which includes a central area of the city north of the 101 and east of Lynn Road Connie "Tie" Gutierrez and Daniel Emerson Twedt McNamee declined to participate in this story Council members set policy for the city of roughly 123,000 taking action on legislative matters from adopting local ordinances to approving budgets and housing developments The Star asked the candidates to answer a brief questionnaire Their responses may be edited for length and clarity but we asked candidates and checked public voter rolls to include party registration information Candidates are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot Education: Bachelor's degree in political science Elected office: Thousand Oaks City Council Campaign website: AlAdamforCouncil.com what’s your top priority and how do you plan to accomplish it I am running to keep Thousand Oaks one of the safest cities in California maintaining our low sales tax rate and ensuring financial stability I will use my expertise to keep our city’s top credit rating and balanced budget with surpluses I will protect our neighborhoods from Sacramento’s extreme housing mandates while addressing the housing crisis with workforce housing solutions I’ve delivered strong law enforcement funding addressed the K-Mart site and initiated our largest repaving project My focus remains on supporting local businesses maintaining our streets and ensuring safety for all residents Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology Cornell University; bachelor's degree in communications Campaign website: Jeff4TO.com Promote term limits by explaining to the voters that my incumbent opponent is violating the spirit of the 2012 T.O Term Limits Initiative by running for re-election this year after having just served 12 consecutive years in office Stop giving special breaks to billionaires and corporations tax rebates and tax credits as tools for empowering the taxpayer and addressing social problems that the government is unable to fix Bring fresh ideas and common sense to the City Council Always protect and defend the Bill of Rights Leave room for some laughs and smiles in local government As they said in Star Wars: “May the SCHWARTZ be With You!” (Editor's note: The city's limit of three consecutive terms took effect in late 2012 and no current candidates have been termed out.) District 5Brent Allen Hagel Occupation: Voice over artist  Party registration: American Independent Party  Campaign website: brentallenhagel.com/tocitycouncil The city of Thousand Oaks needs to remain economically strong My top priority is driving sustainable economic growth that benefits our entire community I plan to accomplish this by fostering a business-friendly environment that encourages local entrepreneurship and attracts new in-demand companies to our area I will work with the city manager's office and fellow council members to market Thousand Oaks to commercial real estate brokers Thousand Oaks is an ideal area for corporation office relocation or to open satellite corporate headquarters in The goal is retrofitting existing empty commercial office building locations to bring hundreds of high-paying jobs to our community with minimal new builds offering incentives for corporate businesses and collaborating with local organizations we can create a thriving economic landscape With a balanced mix of all size of businesses we can create a thriving self-sustaining economic ecosystem for our city Education: Currently enrolled in a bachelor's degree program Campaign website: tieforto.com My top priority is strengthening our community by enhancing livability and ensuring our neighborhoods stay safe for everyone I will focus on public safety and community-driven approaches to housing This will involve advocating for thoughtful sustainable development that protects our environment and maintains the character of Thousand Oaks Key components of this plan are improving infrastructure supporting local businesses and creating more accessible green spaces and transportation I will work with state officials to address the rising costs and difficulties residents face in securing property insurance My mission will be to advocate for policies that provide relief and protect our community's financial stability local organizations and city leaders to support policies that foster unity preserve our quality of life and promote long-term growth Education: Associate degree in communications Campaign website: facebook.com/DanTwedt2022 Encouraging people to become new licensed Amateur Radio Operators would be my highest priority It is in my view the “World’s Best Hobby” with its 3 million worldwide users having the best potential to become our American Experiment’s most vital contribution to crew operations for our “Spaceship Earth.” More “hams” mean even better communities of civil and civically-engaged technically-conversant people prepared with a resilient infrastructure that can cope with the multiple possible disruptions that we can face from both nature and (sometimes malicious) human nature The largest potential threat to our community’s life and organized human civilization would be the widespread extended loss of electricity from our vulnerable power grids and Radio Amateurs exemplify resilience by routinely operating “off grid.” The capability to do almost unlimited kinds of peer-to-peer and open source activities will astound by aggressively expanding this already crucial and robust planetary community "73" is a signoff that can translate to best regards and KK6VDR is Twedt's call sign.) Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260 Driver seriously injured in crash at Thousand Oaks parkA 74-year-old man was extricated from his vehicle with critical injuries after reportedly crashing into a tree at Conejo Creek North Park in Thousand Oaks Monday morning Ventura County Sheriff's deputies responded shortly after 10 a.m to the report of a driver trapped in his vehicle in the 1300 block of East Janss Road Firefighters used specialized rescue tools to open the vehicle door and pull the man from the wreckage a spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department was taken by ambulance to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in critical condition which is contracted to provide police services in the city As of Monday afternoon the driver remained in critical condition Suspected Fillmore burglar apprehendedA man living in a Fillmore group home was arrested Sunday after allegedly burglarizing an apartment near the river bottom which is contracted to provide police services in Fillmore A resident of an apartment building told authorities someone had entered their unit and had stolen items Deputies subsequently confirmed a first-degree burglary had occurred and the suspect fled with the victims' property staff at a local group home reported a client had walked away from the facility despite being under court order to stay there sheriff's officials said in a news release The 25-year-old Port Hueneme man had last been seen Saturday night As patrol deputies looked for the missing client staff members reported they found him near the Santa Clara River bottom and the A Street bridge The site is near where the burglary had occurred After deputies spoke with group home staff and the client they arrested the man for violation of a court order and suspicion of being under the influence A subsequent search at the group home turned up evidence linking him to the burglary Detectives with the Fillmore bureau later turned up additional evidence connecting the suspect to the burglary and he was arrested on suspicion of that crime The man remained housed at the Todd Road Jail facility outside Santa Paula Monday evening with bail set at $20,000 and a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday afternoon Defendant convicted in Thousand Oaks motel rape caseA Thousand Oaks man who is a registered sex offender was convicted last week of rape and other offenses in a 2023 case involving sexual assault in a motel room sexual battery and two counts of sexual penetration by force or fear the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said in a news release Jurors found the defendant not guilty of a second felony count of forcible oral copulation The May 2023 crime involved a homeless woman who was 30 at the time DeBinion had encountered the victim and her mother several times before offering to let them use the shower in his room at a Motel 6 in Thousand Oaks The women accepted his apparent generosity to get cleaned up Prosecutors said the women made it clear they wouldn't provide anything in return for DeBinion's offer The younger woman entered the room first to shower then got into the shower with her and sexually assaulted her Prosecutors say he continued to assault her after she got out of the shower even though she told him "no" and "stop." He then forced her to shower again after the assaults The victim later escaped from the motel room and reported the event DeBinion was subsequently arrested by sheriff's officials DeBinion had pleaded guilty in a sex crimes case he admitted guilt to one count of sexual penetration by foreign object including oral copulation of a person under 16 As part of the agreement, DeBinion was ordered to register as a sex offender, which he unsuccessfully appealed in 2010, records show. Not all registered offenders in California are listed on the public database known as the Megan's Law site where his name did not appear in a search Wednesday Ventura County Superior Court Judge Julia Snyder found true special allegations associated with four of the counts in the 2023 case that the victim was vulnerable Such allegations can bring heavier sentences DeBinion's sentencing hearing is scheduled for the morning of April 15 in courtroom 45 An Oxnard man has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and other charges related to an alleged domestic violence incident in Thousand Oaks this month The domestic disturbance in a vehicle was reported shortly after 9:15 p.m 15 in the 1200 block of East Thousand Oaks Boulevard The agency is contracted for police services in Thousand Oaks The vehicle and both parties were gone when deputies arrived later identified as a 21-year-old Oxnard woman had been screaming for the male driver to let her out of the vehicle allegedly kept her in the vehicle forcibly Witnesses told authorities the vehicle got significant damage when the driver struck a pole while fleeing the scene Ken Truitt described the pole as a concrete bollard at a gas station meant to keep cars from hitting fuel pumps A door of the vehicle was reportedly open when the suspect backed up Investigating deputies quickly identified both parties Detectives later spoke with the woman to check on her well-being 20 and was later charged by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office he pleaded not guilty to felony counts of kidnapping and false imprisonment by violence as well as a misdemeanor battery charge in the case marked as domestic violence according to the Ventura County Superior Court docket including that he has engaged in violent conduct and the victim was vulnerable Such allegations can bring heavier sentences if a defendant is ultimately convicted The man remained at the county's main jail Wednesday with bail set at $300,000 An early disposition conference is scheduled for March 5 Firefighters moved into the brand new Ventura County Fire Station 34 this week expanding their capacity on the north side of Thousand Oaks The complex is built on just under 2 acres at 2977 Mountclef Blvd. near the street's intersection with Avenida De Los Arboles and about a half mile west of the former Station 34 it replaces The new station has been in the works for almost a decade Ventura County Fire Department officials broke ground for the effort in 2022 The $10 million project was designed to replace the 60-year-old former station with a larger and more modern facility public information officer Andrew Dowd said It enables us to plan and build for the future," Dowd said "We're looking 10 to 15 years down the road Engine 34 and its crew of three finished relocating this week from their old digs to the 13,000-square-foot new station which will also house a reserve engine and utility truck Dowd said Thursday after visiting the new station that firefighters are still unpacking and assembling furniture The fire department is aiming for a grand opening later this spring The new complex is centered on two buildings — a 11,000-square-foot main station and 2,000-square-foot accessory building — that house seven dorms the facility can house more and larger vehicles and more crew though Dowd said fire officials have no current plans to expand Station 34's operations The station's phone number remains the same: 805-371-1111 will no longer function as a 24-hour manned station but will still house Engine 38 an engine the department uses to back up other fire stations when their engines are out for training or maintenance This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page (Editor's note: This story was updated with the final election results on Dec A newcomer unseated a sitting council member in Thousand Oaks' District 5 City Council race in the city's first district elections Connie "Tie" Gutierrez ended with 43 more votes than current Councilmember Kevin McNamee according to final results released Tuesday The gap between the two is less than half a percentage point who initially led the race during the early count More: Political newcomer leads tight Thousand Oaks council race as ballot count nears end Brent Allen Hagel and Daniel Emerson Twedt each had fewer than 7% of the total Councilmember Al Adam easily won with more than 59% of the total Council members serve four-year terms. They set policy for this city of about 123,000 District 4 includes the eastern edge of Thousand Oaks and a central area south of Highway 101 a position that is elected by council members was elected to the council in 2020 and served as mayor in 2023 The incumbent vies for the seat against Hagel The next update is expected Tuesday afternoon For more coverage of local races in the Nov. 5 general election, visit vcstar.com/news/elections Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached atdave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232 Stockdale Capital Partners has completed its acquisition of The Oaks mall for $157 million The Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm bought the 85-acre Thousand Oaks shopping center from The Macerich Co. a Santa Monica-headquartered real estate investment trust that purchased the mall at 350 W The transfer tax on the purchase was $172,700, according to the Ventura County Clerk-Recorder's Office. That puts the sales price at what had been listed in previous reports in real estate publications: $157 million Stockdale announced its purchase of the mall The company also said it plans to modernize common areas add event programming and expand dining and entertainment options Stockdale also wants to diversify retail outlets While the buyer and price had been widely reported in prior media accounts neither company had confirmed Stockdale was the suitor when the deal made news What is The Oaks mall?The Oaks shopping center A major renovation in 2008 added an outdoor shopping section Macerich owed $148 million on The Oaks property at the end of September according to the company's financial report The managing director of retail leasing at Stockdale is Jeff Bhathal “The Oaks holds a special place in my heart from celebrating birthdays to frequent shopping trips with my family," Bhathal said in a statement He added he was grateful for the opportunity to introduce new concepts to a popular mall The owner of four brothels allegedly disguised as skin care spas in Ventura and Orange counties has been arrested and charged The 45-year-old owner was arrested at her home in Yorba Linda and charged last week on suspicion of nine counts of pimping according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office and the court docket She is being held in county jail in lieu of $100,000 bail and is due to appear at a preliminary hearing Dec Sheriff's officials said the two local businesses were in the Thousand Oaks area: Swan Spa in the 100 block of North Rancho Road and the Star Spa in the 400 block of North Ventu Park Road The ones in Orange County were identified as the Victoria and Four Seasons spas None of them was offering legitimate skin care services sheriff's Detective Nan Jiang said Wednesday Jiang said the number of customers at each location ran into the double digits daily Detectives positively identified multiple male individuals suspected of purchasing commercial sex but none was arrested because it would have compromised the investigation Jiang said 10 employees of the brothels were identified but that he could not disclose how much money was being collected at the businesses The employees were offered victim assistance by the Interface Children & Family Services agency The agencies involved in the enforcement operation were identified as the FBI numerous units of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office the Ventura County District Attorney's Office the Ventura County Human Trafficking Task Force and code enforcement officials in Thousand Oaks mental health and local government issues for the Ventura County Star Reach her at kathleen.wilson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0271 A hazardous materials incident that shut down several blocks of a Thousand Oaks neighborhood Wednesday evening involved no illegal substances "All chemicals were legal and publicly available," said firefighter Andrew Dowd of the Ventura County Fire Department in a text message Friday There was no indication or suspicion of any illegal activity "This was an accident caused by mixing small amounts of these legally obtained chemicals that sadly caused injuries," Dowd said Authorities declined to provide details about the chemicals involved or the injured party Wednesday in the 1300 block of Calle Avellano bringing a large response that included the Ventura County Sheriff's bomb squad and patrol deputies along with fire department hazmat teams A shelter-in-place order covering a three-block radius was in place for hours The injured party had been brought by private vehicle to Los Robles Regional Medical Center before firefighters arrived (This story has been updated with new information.) Ventura County officials recorded a new easement this week that resolves a lawsuit and lays out a possible path for future development on a much-debated Thousand Oaks property In 1978, the county’s flood control district first got an easement, giving it rights for the 37-acre site near Borchard Road and Highway 101 to periodically flood with stormwater and prohibiting development But earlier this month, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors agreed to replace that easement with a new one to be inundated with stormwater and prohibits development Unlike the old easement, the replacement, recorded on Monday, provides conditions that could allow future building. Those include measures to adequately protect any future development from flood risks ones officials say reflect the county's longstanding position also would have the same rights to use the property as it does now the county’s chief assistant county counsel “We’re not giving anything up as part of this deal in terms of flood control protection,” he said The proposal was part of a settlement agreement with Mason Partners LLC saying the county had abandoned its rights and no longer needed them Real estate developer Nasser Moradian purchased the property more than 40 years ago the parties reached a settlement agreement The property owner had said the previous language was too open ended and wanted more certainty about steps that would trigger its release While the county’s position on those steps hasn’t changed for years wording in the replacement easement lays out “a very specific roadmap” of what needs to be done They include that any developer would have to complete all of the city’s requirements for the project a process that would include environmental reviews and public hearings The developer also would need to put in place flood control measures and improvements Earlier this month, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to make the change Attorneys have since filed to dismiss the suit several residents and a former public works director spoke out against the move raising concerns about potential flooding and other issues The county received the easement in the 1970s when a large development was built nearby who retired as public works director last year Pratt described the old easement as bulletproof one that had stood the test of time for nearly 50 years saying the county could be on the hook for future flooding problems said the county was putting in place an easement with a lot of additional details The county has inundation and development protection rights that go back decades But officials also have told the property owner for years that development could happen if certain measures were put in place Supervisor Vianey Lopez voted against the move "I am not quite hearing the certainty that this easement is no longer needed," she said during the meeting said the board's decision makes it easier for the wetland to be destroyed and the land converted into an impervious landscape More than 90% of California's historic wetlands already have been lost Anderson supports more housing and advocates for affordable homes Based on the flood risk and loss of wetland "It seems like there are better places for our housing stock." Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260 (This story has been updated with new information from the county medical examiner and the district attorney's office.) Prosecutors filed charges Tuesday against a Thousand Oaks man accused of killing his girlfriend at a Newbury Park hotel last week did not enter a plea during arraignment in Ventura County Superior Court Tuesday afternoon The Ventura County District Attorney's Office has charged him with murder Prosecutors also filed special allegations including that the crime involved great violence that could bring a heavier sentence if Gamboa is convicted The DA's complaint says the crime took place within a range of two days: on or about Jan Prosecutors allege Gamboa used "broken bottle/shards of glass" to kill the victim the Ventura County Medical Examiner released the victim's cause of death as sharp and blunt force injuries with probable strangulation the DA's office said in a news release deputies found Gamboa at the hotel with self-inflicted injuries that hospitalized him 10 and subsequently arrested and booked into jail Authorities previously declined to say why he had been hospitalized Gamboa remains housed at the Todd Road Jail outside Santa Paula without bail His arraignment has been continued to the afternoon of Feb If you're feeling despondent, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, for both English and Spanish speakers, can be reached by calling 988 and can be found on the web at https://988lifeline.org Sheriff's detectives continue to investigate the case Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Christopher Vorzimer at 805-384-4731 or Detective Nicole Grover at 805-384-4722 The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks is expected to change hands by year's end in a $157 million sale Longtime owner The Macerich Co. announced the deal in its third-quarter earnings report on Nov The Santa Monica-based real estate investment trust bought the shopping center at 350 W Although company CEO Jack Hsieh declined to name the buyer during an earnings conference call, real estate publications later pegged Stockdale Capital Partners Stockdale officials declined to comment for this story and Macerich officials didn't return calls Macerich also owns Pacific View mall in Ventura said Macerich's sale of The Oaks came as a surprise in light of how long the company has owned the mall But the opportunity to add apartments and other housing may be in play after the city's adoption of a new general plan last year that changed the property's land-use designation from commercial to mixed-use, Borja said. In March, the City Council updated its zoning ordinance to reflect the new mixed-used zoning Macerich may have seen a window to sell the property to a developer who would be in a better position than Macerich to build housing it’s a very positive sign that a buyer was secured and sees the redevelopment potential of the property with the new mixed-use zoning,”  Borja said after recently talking to one of her contacts at Macerich She added she didn’t have any details beyond what has been announced publicly Macerich's chief executive provided some comments on The Oaks sale "There were major redevelopment initiatives that we had studied in order to move forward," Hsieh said during the question-and-answer phase He said it was encouraging the buyer had been able to secure financing "It's an asset that needs to be sort of reengineered "It's got a development opportunity that has entitlement that there's still some moves that are required." Hsieh said the sale provided a "compelling opportunity" as Macerich tries to monetize some of its other assets Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232 Gretchen Wenner is the breaking news and city editor at the Star She can be reached at gretchen.wenner@vcstar.com.