Speeding motorist sentenced in Route 67 crash that killed 25-year-old mother

   Saying he “cannot in good conscience grant probation,” a judge on Tuesday sentenced a motorist to four years in state prison for driving between 83 mph and 95 mph, causing a crash that killed a former Ramona mother on state Route 67 near Quail Rock Road in Ramona.
   Excessive speed by Melvin Leroy Pearles, 49, not alcohol or drugs, caused the death of Alexandria McKiernan-Drake, 25, who was killed on March 29, 2009. Her then 1-month old baby, who was in a car seat in the back seat, survived and was not injured.
   Every seat in the courtroom was filled, with reporters sitting in the jury box and about 15 people standing at the entrance to hear the emotional stories of how the victim’s husband, parents and others were affected by her death. El Cajon Superior Court Judge Peter Deddeh denied the defense lawyer’s bid for probation and gave Pearles credit for 117 days already spent in jail.

Every 15 Minutes

Ramona and CalFire firefighters participate in the “Every 15 Minutes”
staged event for Ramona High School junior and seniors today. “Every 15
Minutes,” coordinated by California Highway Patrol in partnership with
Ramona emergency crews and school officials, challenges students to
think about drinking, driving, personal safety, the responsibility of
making mature decisions and the impact their decisions have on family,
friends and many others. The two-day program will continue tomorrow at
the school. Tony Newman, Ramona High School principal, used the
school’s all-call phone system to explain the event to parents and
guardians this morning. For more photos see the Ramona Sentinel Photo
Gallery.

Sheared hydrant stirs water supply

   An accident involving a fire hydrant hit by a vehicle Friday
afternoon caused some Ramona residents to temporarily experience
brownish water coming out of their faucets, leading to concerns about
the safety of the water.
   No boil alert was issued because the water was not harmful, said
Ramona Municipal Water District General Manager Ralph McIntosh.
   When the fire hydrant at Highway 67 and Carnation Way was hit, the
water flow stirred up sediment in the bottom of the pipeline, said
McIntosh.
   “It stirs up the whole system,” he said. “It’s nothing that’s harmful or a health issue at all.”

One man dead, another listed in critical condition after accident

 A 24-year-old Ramona man is dead and a 23-year-old is in critical
condition following an accident early Saturday morning on San Vicente
Road.
   The accident occurred just before 1 a.m. March 27, when Bryan
Patrick Powers, driver of a 2005 Acura RSX that was eastbound on San
Vicente Road west of Arena Drive, lost control of the vehicle.
California Highway Patrol reported that the car was traveling at a high
rate of speed.
   Powers and Ryan Michael Cupples, a passenger in the car, were
airlifted to trauma centers at area hospitals with major head injuries
and internal injuries, the CHP reported. Cupples, who suffered a
closed-head injury, was pronounced dead at 12:15 p.m. on March 27 in
Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, the medical examiner’s office
reported.

Search continues for missing Ramona man

   The search for William Kelly Buntain, 48, of Ramona continued Tuesday, with some of the searchers on horseback.
   Buntain’s wife, Khadija, reported her husband missing the morning of
March 23. About 1 p.m. the previous day, Buntain left their Ramona home
by car, saying he was going to get some bottled water, she told the
sheriff’s department.
   On Saturday afternoon, March 27, his car was located in a remote
area near the southeastern portion of Lake Sutherland in Ramona, and
sheriff’s search and rescue personnel were activated, reported Lt.
Duncan Fraser with the sheriff’s Ramona Substation.

County cuts grants

   The County of San Diego’s Neighborhood Reinvestment Program will see a 50 percent reduction in Fiscal Year 2010-11.
   A 4-1 San Diego County Board of Supervisors vote March 23, with Bill
Horn in opposition, directed the county’s chief administrative officer
to implement a 50 percent reduction in the community grant program,
from $10 million to $5 million, effective July 1, and to redirect the
rest to priorities consistent with the supervisors’ strategic
initiatives. The funding will be part of the overall 2010-11 budget,
which will be discussed by the county supervisors in June.
   “This to me is more about being fiscally responsible in very tough economic times,” said Supervisor Dianne Jacob.
   Each county supervisor has a discretionary Neighborhood Reinvestment
Program budget, which will be cut from $2 million per district to $1
million per district. The program, previously called the Community
Projects Program, was renamed in September 2009. It was initiated
during Fiscal Year 1998-99 with a total budget of $5 million, which was
expanded to $10 million annually the next year. 

Civil War comes alive behind middle school

 The field behind Olive Peirce Middle School became an authentic
Confederate Army encampment for its eighth-graders when Company E, 3rd
Regiment of Confederate Engineers depicted the lives and roles of
soldiers for the school’s fifth annual Civil War Living History Day.
   The event, put on by the school’s U.S. history team on Friday, served as a prelude to the students’ study of the Civil War. 
   “We like to call it ‘Velcro learning,’” said Nancy Sumerel,
eighth-grade history teacher who spearheaded the event, explaining that
it sticks to the brain.  “They really come away with a lot.”

Reaching 50,000 people in 48 hours

Does social networking really do anything?
—Lillian Graham

   FaceBook, MySpace, YouTube and other social networking sites are
making huge differences in the communications efforts of both
for-profit and non-profit organizations. Depending on your audience,
one site may be more effective than another.
   It’s easy to understand why such sites have become so popular. You
get a free podium to talk about yourself, and it seems almost everyone
is using these networks to communicate with friends and associates.
   Advertising on social networks is easy. Facebook targets specific
audiences, like 51-year-old male San Diegans. Plaxo has ads from
Monster touting locally available jobs.
  HR professionals are using LinkedIn and Plaxo to find prospective
employees. Salespeople work these same channels, knowing “Joe sent me”
is much stronger for building customer relationships than a cold call
will be.

Bomb Scare

   Ramona emergency personnel block Main Street traffic from Fourth to Fifth streets this afternoon while sheriff’s Bomb and Arson Unit responds to a call about a suspicious object in a vehicle in an auto repair shop. According to officials, the object was a mock explosive vest used as a Halloween costume.

Angelina Uriostegui chosen for Girls State

    Angelina Uriostegui, a Ramona High School junior, has been selected
to represent the high school at the prestigious Girls’ State Convention
this year. The honors student, athlete, and campus leader was nominated
by teacher Robin Brainard. 
   “She is an intelligent, hard working and successful young woman,”
said Brainard.  “She is a leader, an outstanding teammate who leads by
example and is dedicated to supporting others in their achievement of
success.  She is involved in many things, yet she still gets the job
done for each and still maintains a solid GPA.”
   She maintains a 4.14 grade point average (GPA) in her classes, which
include Algebra 2/Trig Honors, Anatomy and Advanced Placement U.S.
History. She also is incredibly involved on campus, always in a
leadership role.