Local briefs: Man arrested in crash that killed two
The California Highway Patrol arrested a Dinuba man Wednesday on suspicion of felony hit-and-run in an accident on that killed two prominent Selma High School student-athletes.
Anthony Charles Shepherd, 34, was not at fault in the accident on Monday that killed Anthony Caro and Jesse Lujan, both 17, but he was arrested for allegedly leaving the scene, the CHP said.
Officers arrested Shepherd at Kaweah Delta Hospital, where he was being treated for injuries sustained in the accident.
Shepherd was booked into the Fresno County Jail on a $10,000 arrest warrant for felony hit and run, the CHP said.
Porterville police arrest 2 in break-in
Porterville police arrested two teens and are searching for a third suspect who allegedly broke into a home Wednesday, tied up a man and woman and ransacked the house.
The suspects were armed with a handgun, police said.
The break-in occurred about 11 p.m. at the home, located on East Dale Avenue. After the suspects left, the man and woman untied themselves and reported the robbery to police.
Detectives identified the suspects as a 15-year-old boy who lives near the home and a 17-year-old boy. Police said the older boy confessed, and property taken in the robbery was found in his home.
The boys were booked into juvenile hall on suspicion of burglary of an inhabited residence, armed robbery, false imprisonment and conspiracy.
Anyone with information about the third suspect or the case can call Porterville Police detectives at (559) 782-7400.
Bicycle rider hurt in collision with Jeep
A 60-year-old man suffered major injuries Wednesday when the Mongoose bicycle he was riding collided with a Jeep in Posey, southeast of Porterville.
Richard Vinnedge of Posey was riding the bicycle down a driveway at a high rate of speed when he collided with the Jeep driven by Dennis Fidler, 62, also of Posey, the California Highway Patrol said.
Fidler was driving at about 5 mph when he saw Vinnedge approaching and stopped the Jeep, the CHP said. Vinnedge was thrown off the bicycle. He was airlifted to Kern Medical Center.
State cracks down on unlicensed car shops
The California Department of Consumer Affairs cracked down on unlicensed auto repair shops Tuesday and Wednesday in Fresno.
The department's Bureau of Automotive Repair along with the Fresno County District Attorney's Office's Consumer Protection Unit conducted a 17-shop sweep of Fresno auto repair shops, Consumer Affairs spokesman Glenn Mason said.
Investigators looked for shops that were unlicensed or had delinquent licenses, Mason said.
Of the 17 repair shops, investigators found 12 that were out of compliance with California law, he said. Thirteen people were taken into custody, cited for operating without a license and released. Mason said they could face fines of up to $1,000 and six months in jail.
Fire
Blaze destroys tower in Sequoia forest
A structure fire in the Sequoia National Forest destroyed a fire lookout tower, forest officials said Thursday evening.
While the Lion wildfire currently threatens Sequoia National Forest in the Golden Trout Wilderness, the Needles Fire Lookout Tower, in the Giant Sequoia National Monument, was destroyed by an unrelated structure fire, Sequoia National Forest spokeswoman Denise Alonzo said.
The only person in the tower was able to escape before the building burned down, Alonzo said.
Firefighters have closed Forest Road 21S05 and trail 32E22, an area that includes the popular rock formation known as "The Magician," Alonzo said. The area will remain closed until the fire has been contained and is safe for visitors.
The lookout tower was built between 1937 and 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, Alonzo said. The tower overlooked Kern River Drainage, Mt. Whitney, Olancha Peak, Farewell Gap and Dome Rock and provided communications to emergency personnel.
Lion fire still growing
Firefighters continue to battle the growing Lion fire in the Golden Trout Wilderness area to prevent it from spreading across Lion Creek, park officials said Thursday.
The fire had consumed 16,350 acres by Thursday morning, said Sequoia National Forest spokeswoman Denise Alonzo. The fire was 15% contained by Thursday morning.
Firefighters are making progress even as the fire spreads, Alonzo said.
Crews are setting back fires to deprive the fire of fuel and stop its progress near Soda Spring Creek and around the historic Quinn Patrol Cabin in the Sequoia National Park. Built in 1906 and used by the U.S. Cavalry, the cabin is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Courts
Visalia man receives 30 years in sex case
Silvino Luna Santos, 46, of Visalia was sentenced Wednesday in Tulare County Superior Court to 30 years in prison on nine felony counts of forcible lewd acts on a child under 14.
Santos was arrested in the Farmersville area in July 2010 for molesting a child between 1999 and 2002. He pleaded no contest to all charges on July 8, the Tulare County District Attorney's Office said.
Politics
Fresno approves two labor agreements
The Fresno City Council on Thursday approved two labor agreements that moved City Hall closer to balancing its Fiscal Year 2012 general fund budget.
The new three-year contract with the Fresno City Employees Association, the city's white collar union, calls for a 3% wage cut this year and modest raises over the next two years. The amendments to the firefighters' contracts extend the deals one year to mid-2013 and call for wage concessions of about 3% plus several raises.
City officials are talking to the Fresno Police Officers Association about a 3% wage concession. The police contract runs through mid-2015.
$4,000 grant will help local youth
The United States Conference of Mayors' DollarWise campaign for financial literacy on Tuesday awarded a $4,000 grant to the city of Fresno and the United Way of Fresno County to help teach money-management skills to local youth.
Also ...
$1 million Clovis park opens today
A new city park is opening today in Clovis.
The city will hold a grand opening for the 4-acre Pasa Tiempo Park at Barstow and DeWolf avenues beginning at 6:30 p.m. today.
The park, which includes play equipment, picnic areas and bathrooms, cost $1 million to build.
This story was originally published July 28, 2011 at 10:24 PM with the headline "Local briefs: Man arrested in crash that killed two."