- The Pasadena Star News is reporting that the anti-Islam "Innocence of Muslims" movie that sparked violence in Libya and Egypt, resulting in the deaths of US Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans, was filmed at Santa Clarita's Blue Cloud Movie Ranch in Saugus. The Blue Cloud ranch is a mesa just south of Vasquez Canyon road between Bouquet & Sierra highway. The film company that made the movie, Media for Christ, is based in Duarte, but Sheriff's officials told the Star News the film was made in SCV. PASADENA STAR NEWS
- The LA Times says the movie shoot at Blue Cloud Ranch took one day and that the filmmaker, a man named Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, is an Egyptian Coptic Christian. The Times says Blue Cloud Ranch has a "popular Middle Eastern town set that has been featured in several movies and TV shows." LA TIMES
- Could Nakoula be from Santa Clarita? The AP says the filmmaker is in hiding, but keeps identifying Nakoula as living outside Los Angeles. Santa Clarita does have a small Egyptian Coptic community & church on Newhall Avenue.
- Meanwhile, few GOP officials defended Mitt Romney's condemnation of the President over the Egypt & Libya attacks, but one who did was Buck McKeon, who released a nasty statement condemning Obama. "Again and again under President Obama, we have met threats and thugs with apologies and concessions." AP, LA TIMES
- And Lee Rogers response to McKeon's criticism: To blame the President for these terrorist attacks is akin to blaming President Bush for 9/11. His statement didn’t condemn the terrorist act or show our resolve in bring those that killed our ambassador to justice. Instead, he attacked the President who just lost a member of his administration, a diplomat of the United States.”Rogers continued, “The United States has only lost five ambassadors in its history. This is a time to mourn the loss of a good American and to find out how this happened, punish those responsible, and determine how we can prevent similar incidents in the future. McKeon responded in hast, without all the facts, and while Americans were still in danger. McKeon’s opportunistic attack was unjustified, undignified, and Un-American. It’s just disgraceful.”
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has released its 2012 "Most Corrupt Members of Congress" report and lists Buck McKeon as an "honorable mention" for his sweetheart Countrywide mortgage deal. CREW, LA IST Rogers has a response to that too (SCV BEACON) while the Antelope Valley News Press also had a big story, though you can't read it online (here's a pic)
- Four suspects robbed a Canyon Country Bank of America yesterday, then lead police on a wild chase to South Los Angeles, where they began throwing money out of their Volvo SUV's windows in attempt to either divert police or "as a Robin Hood-like gesture to simply give the money away." That resulted in a mob of people gathering near where the chase ended in South LA. No one was injured. SIGNAL, LA TIMES
- The City's Economic development manager, Jason Crawford, says that when Amazon starts charging sales tax on September 15, it could be good for SCV businesses. “Hopefully people will see that going into a local store where they know the employees there and can touch and feel the product, they’ll be able to purchase it, bring it right home and then the city will benefit from the sales tax dollars," he told KHTS. The City even tried to recruit Amazon to build a distribution center in the SCV but we don't have space large enough for them. KHTS
- LA Jewish Journal details the way forward for the Albert Einstein elementary charter, which goes before the SUSD board next week. More on this article -and your feedback about charters- later today JEWISH JOURNAL
- I feel like printing T-shirts that say "Santa Clarita: LA County's Third Largest city," or maybe "We're Number Three!" That after we successfully annexed Jake's Way, Fair Oaks Ranch, and added some 15,000 residents to the City. So our population should now be somewhere around 190,000 by my counting, right? LA TIMES, SCV BEACON
- The Signal says the City took two full days to clean up the graffiti in Jakes Way after it annexed the site SIGNAL
- Looks like the SCV Beacon has hired a real reporter to write stories periodically for the site. Karen Jonas posted a wrap-up of the City Council's meeting at the site yesterday. She's a former Signal writer and the article is well written and in depth. This is a good thing to see real reporters going to the Beacon SCV BEACON
- Agua Dulce mother assaulted and tied up, and her 23 year old son was kidnapped yesterday. But Deputies reacted quickly and found the suspects on the 5 Freeway near McBean. SCVNEWS
- Frankies restaurant wins Signal/Mercedes Benz of Valencia contest for "King of Happy Hour." SIGNAL
- "Little did they know. On this date, locals Bob Jorden, Anna Rinehart and Mrs. Leland Bowman all posed with an unemployed actor who had just finished speaking at the Hart Auditorium. His 45-minute topic? “Americanism.” The photo didn’t even warrant page 1 and, in fact, was buried on page 5 of your Mighty Signal. The actor? Future president, Ronald Reagan" TIME RANGER
-----------------