FATAL ACC. IN WVILLE - updated 09-16-10 16:25 a.v.

A pedestrian was hit and killed last night in Watsonville. 29-year old Santa Cruz resident, Federico Morales was walking near a convenience store at Minto Road at around 7:45 p.m., when he was struck by the driver of a minivan, a 33-year old Aromas man. Morales, who was on the east shoulder of Green Valley Road when he walked into traffic, was hit and thrown through the air. He was pronounced dead at the scene after medics found him lying face down of the pavement, unconscious and not breathing. Police say Morales was drinking with friends prior to the incident, and alcohol is believed to have contributed to the crash.

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DRUNK DRIVER SENTENCED - 09/16/10 11:27 S.S.

A  WOMAN,   WHO  WAS  DRUNK  WHEN  SHE  CAUSED  A  CRASH  THAT  KILLED  2  PEOPLE  (JUST  NORTH  OF  SANTA  CRUZ  LAST  YEAR)  HAS  BEEN  SENTENCED  TO  SPEND  26  YEARS  IN  PRISON.     SHERRI  LEE  CHIN WAS  DRIVING SOUTH  IN  A  FRIEND’S VAN  WHEN  SHE  VEERED  INTO  ONCOMING  TRAFFIC  ON  HIGHWAY  1.     THE  VAN  HIT  AND  KILLED  A   54  YEAR-OLD  SCOTTS  VALLEY  MAN,   WHO  WAS  RIDING NORTHBOUND  ON  A  MOTORCYCLE.      THE  VAN’S  OWNER,  WHO  WAS  A  PASSENGER  AT  THE TIME,  ALSO  SUFFERED  FATAL  INJURIES  IN  THAT  NOVEMBER  ACCIDENT.     A  2^ND PASSENGER  IN  THE  VAN  SUFFERED  SERIOUS  INJURIES.

CHIN,  WHO  WAS  DRIVING  ON  A  SUSPENDED  LICENSE  AT  THE TIME,  AND  WHO  HAD  2  PRIOR  DRUNKEN  DRIVING  CONVICTIONS  HAD  A  BLOOD  ALCOHOL  LEVEL  OF  0.27  (MAKING  IT  MORE  THAN  3  TIMES  THE  LEGAL  LIMIT).

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NO MORATORIUMS - 09/16/10 11:38 S.S.

SCOTTS  VALLEY,  AND  PACIFIC  GROVE  HAVE  NOT  CLIMBED  ON  THE  MORATORIUM-FOR –SMART-METERS  BANDWAGON.     THAT’S  BECAUSE  SOME  CITY  COUNCIL  MEMBERS  BELIEVE  SUCH  MORATORIUMS  WOULD  BE  A  WASTE  OF  TIME  AND MONEY,  SINCE  CITY  OFFICIALS  DON’T  HAVE  the  POWER  TO  ENFORCE  THEM.      OFFICIALS  SAY  THAT  WHILE  THE  CONCERNS  (OF  HEALTH,   SAFETY AND  PRIVACY ARE  ALL  VALID,    THEY  THINK  THERE  ARE  MORE  EFFECTIVE   WAYS  TO  FIGHT  THE  SMART  METERS.

SANTA  CRUZ  COUNTY  IMPOSED  SUCH  A  MORATORIUM  ON  TUESDAY.      IT  WILL  RUN  THROUGH  THE END  OF  THIS  YEAR,   AND  IS  DESIGNED TO  STOP  THE  INSTALLATION  OF  SMART  METERS IN  THE  UNINCORPORATED  PORTIONS  OF  SANTA  CRUZ  COUNTY.

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Palma H.S. Against Hunger - 09/16/10 0800 E.A.

A local class of high school freshman harvested lettuce for Ag Against Hunger on Wednesday. The entire freshman class of Palma High School harvested heads of lettuce in a field west of Salinas that would benefit food banks and shelters. The students collected nearly 11-thousand pounds of lettuce to be donated.

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