Santa Clarita Valley

Animal control officers have discovered the first rabid bat in Los Angeles County this year. They captured the bat inside a residential garage in the Sand Canyon area of the Santa Clarita Valley on Jan. 30. The Department of Veterinary Public Health confirmed that no one was exposed to rabies, according to a KTLA report. Health officials say most bats don't carry rabies, but they recommend avoiding the creatures. -- KTLA-TV

A red flag warning has been issued until 6 p.m. Tuesday for parts of Los Angeles County, including local mountains and the Santa Clarita Valley, as wind gusts and dry conditions increase the threat of fire. Wind gusts on Monday could reach 50 mph in the mountains before starting to subside on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures in the tri-city area are expected to warm into the mid-80s through Wednesday before clouds return, bringing with them a 30% chance of rain Thursday evening, the weather service said.

A Santa Clarita Valley man was charged with sexually assaulting 14 girls, one of them 12 years old, authorities said Tuesday night. Michael Downs, 19, met many of the the girls on Facebook, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. Downs claimed he was 16 and allegedly gained the victims' confidence by saying he was friends with other teen girls whom he named. He would persuade the girls to meet him, the department said in a statement. The girls were between 12 and 16 years old. Continue reading > > -- Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times

Mostly sunny skies are in store for much of the week after the rainstorm that snarled the Interstate 5 Grapevine on Monday moved out. Temperatures will remain chilly, with highs not expected to get much past 60 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Low temperatures dropped the snow level Monday morning, which meant the Santa Clarita Valley and other valley areas were blanketed with the stuff. The Grapevine reopened after noon, with California Highway Patrol officers running escorts.

Joyce Rudolph GLENDALE -- Jay Leno will be the grand marshal of Love Ride 18 scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 11. Leno will lead a pack of more than 20,000 motorcyclists on a 50-mile caravan from Harley-Davidson of Glendale to a concert, barbecue and motorcycle trade show at Castaic Lake in the Santa Clarita Valley. The 18th annual event is expected to raise more than $1.25 million for the Los Angeles Times Reading by 9 literacy initiative and the Musical Dystrophy Assn.

Joyce Rudolph GLENDALE -- Jay Leno will be the grand marshal of Love Ride 18 scheduled for Nov. 11. Leno will lead more than 20,000 motorcyclists on a 50-mile caravan from Harley-Davidson of Glendale to a concert, barbecue and motorcycle trade show at Castaic Lake in the Santa Clarita Valley. The 18th annual event is expected to raise more than $1.25 million for the Los Angeles Times Reading by 9 literacy initiative and the Muscular Dystrophy Assn.

Local and state officials have announced a $72-million project to add truck lanes on the Interstate 5 through Newhall Pass and into Santa Clarita. The truck lanes are needed to separate heavy big-rig traffic from passenger vehicles and create safer, quicker passage for a growing population in the Santa Clarita Valley, state transportation officials say. The southbound truck lane will extend 3.7 million from Pico Canyon Road/Lyons Avenue in Santa Clarita to the Antelope Valley (SR-14)

SOFTBALL Holy Redeemer 8, St. Francis Xavier 1: Katie Taix yielded three hits and struck out five to lead Holy Redeemer. Hailey Cookson and Hannah Cookson each doubled for Holy Redeemer. Kaylan Rothrock played well at third base and had a run-scoring hit for Holy Redeemer. Hailey James also doubled for Holy Redeemer and played well at shortstop. ? BOYS? BASKETBALL Panthers win a pair of games: The Glendale Panthers 13-Under summer ball team won two games last week against teams from the Santa Clarita Valley.

Inaugural CVCan Games to take place About 150 Special Olympics Athletes from the Tri-Valley Region of the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, Burbank and Glendale areas are set to compete in the inaugural CVCAN (Crescenta Valley Committed to Athletic Needs) Games. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 9 at Susan Osborne Field at Crescenta Valley High, 2900 Community Ave., La Crescenta. Athletes of all ages have trained and prepared to compete in various walks, runs, relays, wheelchair races and more.

Charles Rich The Crescenta Valley High girls' basketball team can't be picky anymore. The Falcons admitted it Tuesday after they dropped a 54-48 Pacific League game to visiting Muir. Now CV will accept help to at least gain a piece of the league championship. A lot must break in CV's favor. One of those elements would be making free throws, something that CV Coach Bruce Breeden said hindered the Falcons (17-6, 5-2 in league). CV, which lost the two-game series to Muir, missed three free throws in the final 65 seconds of regulation to help Muir (14-6, 6-1)

A red flag warning has been issued until 6 p.m. Tuesday for parts of Los Angeles County, including local mountains and the Santa Clarita Valley, as wind gusts and dry conditions increase the threat of fire. Wind gusts on Monday could reach 50 mph in the mountains before starting to subside on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures in the tri-city area are expected to warm into the mid-80s through Wednesday before clouds return, bringing with them a 30% chance of rain Thursday evening, the weather service said.

Local and state officials have announced a $72-million project to add truck lanes on the Interstate 5 through Newhall Pass and into Santa Clarita. The truck lanes are needed to separate heavy big-rig traffic from passenger vehicles and create safer, quicker passage for a growing population in the Santa Clarita Valley, state transportation officials say. The southbound truck lane will extend 3.7 million from Pico Canyon Road/Lyons Avenue in Santa Clarita to the Antelope Valley (SR-14)

Animal control officers have discovered the first rabid bat in Los Angeles County this year. They captured the bat inside a residential garage in the Sand Canyon area of the Santa Clarita Valley on Jan. 30. The Department of Veterinary Public Health confirmed that no one was exposed to rabies, according to a KTLA report. Health officials say most bats don't carry rabies, but they recommend avoiding the creatures. -- KTLA-TV

A Santa Clarita Valley man was charged with sexually assaulting 14 girls, one of them 12 years old, authorities said Tuesday night. Michael Downs, 19, met many of the the girls on Facebook, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. Downs claimed he was 16 and allegedly gained the victims' confidence by saying he was friends with other teen girls whom he named. He would persuade the girls to meet him, the department said in a statement. The girls were between 12 and 16 years old. Continue reading > > -- Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times

GLENDALE — With expectations moderately high for the Glendale Community College men's golf team, it did not get the start it sought when opening up Western State Conference competition Monday afternoon. After beginning their season with an impressive outing last week, the Vaqueros took a step back Monday after they shot a 400 and finished fifth in a conference match at the Valencia Country Club. Glendale college Coach Greg Osbourne had to write out a new lineup, which didn't include freshman Michael Timpson.

Mostly sunny skies are in store for much of the week after the rainstorm that snarled the Interstate 5 Grapevine on Monday moved out. Temperatures will remain chilly, with highs not expected to get much past 60 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Low temperatures dropped the snow level Monday morning, which meant the Santa Clarita Valley and other valley areas were blanketed with the stuff. The Grapevine reopened after noon, with California Highway Patrol officers running escorts.

GLENDALE — Temperatures figure to be a bit cooler the next time the Crescenta Valley Junior All-Star Softball team takes the field. After traveling to Canyon Country and battling near triple-digit temperatures, Crescenta Valley swept its three Section 2 Tournament games. Crescenta Valley will next travel near scenic San Diego, where the temperatures figure to be cooler, to participate in the Division III Tournament. Crescenta Valley, which earlier won the District 16 title, will battle the Section 9 representative out of southwest San Bernardino in an opening-round contest at 10 a.m. today at Rolando King Street Field in La Mesa.

LA CRESCENTA — Apparently, Crescenta Valley High track and field Coach Mark Evans taught his two sons the proper way to put together a quality program. Chris Evans and younger brother Rob have learned well from the pointers given by their father. For the first time in their respective coaching careers, the Evans brothers coached against their father. The younger Evanses got the best of the first matchup, as Golden Valley swept a nonleague dual meet Thursday afternoon at Crescenta Valley.

SOUTHEAST GLENDALE — The Glendale YMCA Quarterback Club, in its 67th year, meets Tuesday’s at the Elk’s Lodge. The following are odds and ends from the ninth meeting of the year .   BONDS GETS CRACK AT OLD FRIEND More than 20 years ago at Hart High in the Santa Clarita Valley, Jim Bonds learned how to play quarterback. Bonds learned under the guidance of offensive coordinator Dean Herrington , who helped mold Bonds, who would move on to UCLA, into one of the top high school quarterbacks.

GLENDALE — The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene .   SIMONITSCH, MEAUX PAN OUT IN ALASKA While on hiatus from their respective college baseball careers, local products Jesse Meaux and Evan Simonitsch have kept busy playing for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks in the Alaska Baseball League. Both Meaux, a pitcher, who graduated form Glendale High in 2007 and now attends UC Santa Barbara, and Simonitsch, an outfielder, who graduated from St. Francis in 2006 before going to Loyola Marymount, have played a hand in propelling the Goldpanners (17-17)