Racqueting up the wins
In the driver’s seat for storytelling
UCSB women beat Washington State for ninth-straight tennis win - A3
Traveling inspires novelist Robert Eringer to write ‘Book Drive’ - B1
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Picture this: Pre-pandemic life Photo gallery showcases photos by Samarkand residents
Closing arguments presented in Derek Chauvin trial Jurors end day one of deliberation By ANNELISE HANSHAW Mr. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis Prosecutors and Derek Chauvin’s defense presented their Police officer, faces closing arguments Monday, and jurors ended the day at 8 p.m. CT second-degree murder after four hours of deliberation. charges for the death Mr. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis Police officer, faces of George Floyd. second-degree murder charges for NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
the death of George Floyd. Consistent with the prosecution’s opening, attorney Steve Schleicher argued Mr. Chauvin’s actions were inconsistent with his duty as a police officer. “The biases and preconceived notions behind imagining a police officer committing a crime might
be the most difficult thing you have to set aside… I’d say it’s difficult to set this aside and want you to consider that even after with the bystanders after they saw what they saw, after they saw this shocking display of abuse of police power and a man murdered Please see TRIAL on A2
No preliminary hearing set for Kristin Smart case Judge denies bail for man accused of murder
Samarkand resident Barbara D’Anna took some time to view the gallery of iPhone photos shot by fellow residents during a recent trip to the exhibit.
By ANNELISE HANSHAW
By MADISON HIRNEISEN
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
Scenes of eye-catching landscapes, sunswept beaches and overseas excursions are providing a snapshot of pre-pandemic life for residents at Covenant Living at the Samarkand, where a gallery of their iPhone photos are currently on display. The gallery consists of more than 80 photos taken by residents at all levels of care at Covenant Living. Residents at the Santa Barbara facility used their iPhones or other smart devices to take photos, capturing scenes across Santa Barbara and beyond. This project, spearheaded by Jodi Turley, activities coordinator at Covenant Living, was initially set to debut in March 2020. But due to the pandemic, the gallery has been closed until its reopening this past week. The gallery featuring the special photos will remain open through April 29. The photos that have hung in the facility’s conference room for more than a year bring back cherished memories of the pre-pandemic past and have a “time warp” effect, Ms. Turley told the News-Press. A number of photos showcase residents’ adventures across the U.S. and abroad, Please see GALLERY on A2
COURTESY PHOTOS
Ellie Freese, a resident of Covenant Living at the Samarkand, is shown riding a camel during a pre-pandemic trip to Morocco. She titled this shot “The Desert Woman.” This photo, among many others, is on display in a photo exhibit through April 29 at Samarkand.
Limón discusses defeat of fracking bill By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
A bill authored by two state senators that sought a phased ending to fracking and cyclic steaming practices was shot down in the legislature last week, halting an ongoing conversation about the role of oil extraction in the state’s clean energy mindset. The bill, Senate Bill 467, was co-authored by Sen. Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara, and Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco. The legislation called for the state to prohibit the issuance of new or renewed permits for specific extraction methods starting in January 2022 and proposed a ban on all practices by January 2027. The bill also recommended a 2,500
foot-buffer zone between drilling locations and schools, homes and playgrounds. The legislation did not receive enough votes in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water to advance on to the next stage during a hearing last week. Though disappointed by the defeat, Sen. Limón said her ultimate goal was to bring a conversation to the Senate floor despite knowing it would be an uphill battle. Historically, a bill on fracking has never made it past the introduction phase in the state legislature. “Walking into this, there was already a history and a precedent that this conversation basically would not move forward,” Sen. Limón told the News-Press. “I
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think the bill that we presented had a phased-out approach, and it wasn’t going to happen overnight.” She continued, “Certainly more than anything what we were hoping for is that there would be a legislative review process, meaning that the conversation would be allowed to move forward and that we would be able to provide analysis, discussion and oversight and really work out with our colleagues what a phased-out approach of transition from fossil fuel reliance to a cleaner energy reliance would look like. And unfortunately, that’s what did not move forward.” Those opposed to the bill Please see BILL on A4
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Bail has been denied for Paul Ruben Flores, 44, who is on trial for the murder of Kristin Smart.
A judge has agreed to set a bond for Ruben Ricardo Flores, 80, who was charged as an accessory after the fact to murder.
recently had triple bypass surgery. Mr. Mesick described him as a “medical nightmare” for the jail’s staff. Ruben Flores also has a clean record and does not possess a passport, which lessens risk of flight. The attorneys plan to reconvene in a month to determine a date for a preliminary hearing. email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
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NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO
A fracking bill co-authored by Sen. Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara, was defeated in the state legislature last week. The bill proposed a phased-out method to diminish fracking and cyclic steaming practices statewide, with ambitions to ban these practices by 2027.
San Luis Obispo County prosecutors expect a long trial for the murder of Kristin Smart, alluding to substantial evidence during a bond hearing Monday afternoon. Judge Craig B. Van Rooyen denied bail for Paul Flores, the man accused of the murder of Kristin Smart. Paul Flores, 44, also faces a charge of attempted rape. The judge agreed to set a bond for Ruben Flores, 80, who was charged as an accessory after the fact to murder. The amount is to be determined after the judge looks at his assets Wednesday. Both men previously pleaded not guilty. Paul Flores’s attorney, Robert Sanger, wondered about if there was a sufficient amount of evidence prior to the arrest. “I’m not commenting on the motivations of anybody or what’s in anyone’s mind, but I would say that it is somewhat unusual that there would be an arrest warrant at the same time as requests for search warrants, and not much new has appeared,” he said. Later, prosecutor Christopher Peuvrelle revealed the county is recording substantial discoveries that he expects would take the defense “three months just to read all the reports.” He expects a 12-day preliminary hearing for the trial of Paul Flores. Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley told the News-Press that 12 days sounded long, though she does not know how much evidence prosecutors could have. She was not surprised at the judge’s decisions on bond. Because of a threat to public safety, the judge did not set a bond for Paul Flores, who also has multiple DUI convictions on his record. Ruben Flores’s attorney Harold Mesick expressed concern for the health of the defendant, who
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