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SINCE 1916 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CV, NO. XXX
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2022
SMART TRIAL
Former Cal Poly Students Testify in Kristin Smart Murder Trial
atascaderonews.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
PREP FOOTBALL
‘Midnight Madness’ Back at Atascadero High School
Testimonies continue to lay out events of Crandall Way party the night of Kristin Smart’s disappearance By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@atascaderonews.com
PASO ROBLES — After another delay, the Kristin Smart murder trial moved into its third week on Monday, Aug. 1. Paul and Ruben Flores are on trial for the murder of 19-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart, who disappeared following an off-campus party over Memorial Day weekend in May 1996. While Kristin’s remains have not been found, she was legally declared dead in 2002. Paul is charged with her murder and his father Ruben is accused of helping him cover up the crime. As a part of the annual tradition of “Midnight Madness,” the 2022-23 Atascadero High School football team partook in its first fully padded practice on Aug. 1 under the glow of the stadium lights.. Photo by Rick Evans The trial was moved to Salinas after San Luis Obispo The high school School’s football team had its “Midnight Madness ends up and training since January, former football players, and County Judge Craig van Rooyen football team started first fully padded practice at being our first padded practice,” including all summer,” stated football fans from the commuruled the father and son would Memorial Stadium. said head coach Vic Cooper. Cooper. “Now it’s [the team’s] nity all showed up for practice. its first padded not receive a fair trial in SLO It ’s a tradition called Though football is a year- first opportunity to have full “It’s an opportunity where practice at 11:59 p.m. “Midnight Madness,” and it round sport, there are times pads after all that time of work- they can be a little bit closer. County. started at the college basket- when teams cannot play in pads ing out, training, and getting They get to see what a practice While Paul and Ruben are on Aug. 1 being tried together, they will ball level in the 1970s. The because of the sport’s rules and ready for it. So it’s kind of excit- is, as opposed to a game, and By CHRISTIANNA MARKS have separate juries. On Monday christianna@atascaderonews.com idea spread to college and making sure that the players ing. We do it because that’s the so that’s fun for them,” Cooper morning, one of Ruben’s jurors high school football, and AHS give their bodies proper rest first day that we can put on full added. did not show up, so an alternate ATASCADERO — On began participating with its own from the full-contact elements pads.” This year’s Midnight Madness Monday, Aug. 1, at precisely version of Midnight Madness of football. was selected at random. Friends, family members, lasted a good two hours, and CONTINUED ON PAGE A15 11:59 p.m., Atascadero High in 2013. “We’ve been conditioning AHS students, school alumni, CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
CALIFORNIA MID-STATE FAIR
EDUCATION
Mary Kay Mills Resigns From Atascadero Unified School District Trustee Board Effective Sept. 1 AUSD meetings return to in-person only By CHRISTIANNA MARKS christianna@atascaderonews.com
California Mid-State Fair Country Rodeo finalists competed in the Country Rodeo Finals in the Grandstand Arena on July 30. Photo by Brittany App Photography
Mid-State Fair Wraps Up With Country Rodeo
Colter Negranti was named the 2022 AllAround Cowboy at the Finals By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@atascaderonews.com
PASO ROBLES — The final weekend of the California Mid-State Fair (CMSF) wrapped up with the CMSF
Rodeo Finals and then with the action-packed Tractor Pull and Freestyle Motocross show. On Saturday, local cowboys and cowgirls competed in the Country Rodeo, with the finalists moving on to the CMSF Country Rodeo Finals in the Grandstand Arena. Entries were up from last year with over 150 competitors over seven events, including barrel racing, double mugging, and ladies breakaway, among others. This year’s rodeo finals returned to the Grandstand
NEWS
Arena after having to spend the 2021 rodeo in the covered arena. Colter Negranti was named the 2022 All-Around Cowboy after placing in the open draw team penning, double mugging, mixed ribbon roping, and the ranch rope and brand. Sunday was full of action with another Country Rodeo and the Tractor Pull and Freestyle Motocross show as the grand finale. In the Sunday Country CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
CRIME
ATASCADERO — The Atascadero Unified School District (AUSD) School Board met for its regularly scheduled board meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 7 p.m. following its 6 p.m. closed session. While the board has been operating under AB 361, which authorizes remote teleconferencing, since Oct. 5, 2021, AB 361 has now expired. The State of California placed a June 30, end date on AB 361 and did not extend it. The district and its meetings are now fully open for people to attend in person and it does not have plans to return to live streaming via YouTube. The location of the meetings can be found on the agenda. On her personal Facebook page on Aug. 2, Trustee Mary Kay Mills announced that she
CALENDAR & EVENTS
Atascadero United School District Board of Trustee Mary Kay Mills waves to the crowd attending the AHS football game in 2017. Contributed Photo
would be resigning from her seat on the AUSD School Board as of Sept. 1. This will open up a two-year board position on the November ballot. When Mills was elected to her seat in 2014, she also started with a two-year term when she took over for George Galvan. Mills’ children were in
middle and high school when she was elected to her current position in 2014, and right before re-election in 2016, she and her husband became guardians of his granddaughter, who was almost 3 at the time. “That was a bit of a shuffle, being a trustee and having a small child again, but, you CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
WEATHER
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HISTORIC CARLTON PASO MAN CHARGED 2022 CALIFORNIA Hotel Hits Market with A Second Degree Murder of Mid-State Fair Officially Listing of Over $12m | A4 Emilio Velci of Atascadero | A5 Wraps Up 76th year | A13
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