Antelope Valley Press
Young Marine eyes new heights
Quartz Hill High School student Kierra Pierre wanted to push herself at the Young Marines National Leadership Academy Senior Leadership School in Fort Dix, NJ, in June. Pierre, 15, wanted to know what she could accomplish and to grow. Pierre had a...
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Exhibit of artists young and old
PALMDALE — For a young artist, seeing a painting move from a bedroom wall or family home to a public exhibition can change the way they look at their own creativity. It can be an opportunity to discover that other people connect with their work, learn...
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Bringing women’s stories to life
LANCASTER — For photographer Amber Beaugard, receiving funding to bring her latest artistic vision to life represents more than financial support — it is validation after more than 15 years behind the camera. Beaugard is creating “A Woman’s Worth: A...
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Palmdale Regional opens family clinic
PALMDALE — The Palmdale Regional Medical Center opened a new independent, primary care family medical clinic, holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 13. The clinic, the Palmdale Regional Medical Group, an Independent Physician Management group of...
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EUSD’s host !rst Summer Family Fest
LANCASTER — Eastside Union School District and its community partners helped families prepare for the new school year during the district’s first Summer Family Fest, held July 24 at Tierra Bonita Park. During one visit, families could receive help...
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Construction mishap victim remembered
PALMDALE — Luis Medrano wants to honor the legacy of his father, Palmdale resident Rodrigo Mancilla. Medrano urges younger people to reach out to their parents and family more, because you don’t know how much time you have left with them. Mancilla...
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Charter school petitions to AVUHSD
LANCASTER — The Antelope Valley Union High School District heard a petition presentation by a proposed charter school at the board meeting on Thursday. The Prism School of Arts and Technology Charter School applied to the district on June 8. The...
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Discussing women vets’ issues
LANCASTER — Generations of veterans gathered at the Lancaster VFW Post 3000 on the morning of June 26, but it was a different group of veterans than will normally meet. The VFW post Women’s Veteran hosted the Resource and Wellness Fair organized by...
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Activists cause Good Trouble
PALMDALE — A few dozen protesters took to the intersection of 10th Street West and Rancho Vista Boulevard (Avenue P) on Friday night to speak out in the name of late Rep. John Lewis. The protest, organized by Indivisible Antelope Valley, was part of a...
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T-7A moving closer to operational use
EDWARDS AFB — The 412th Test Wing and the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center’s Detachment 5 flew the first joint sortie in a T-7A Red Hawk at Edwards Air Force Base. This flight positions the Airpower Foundations Combined Test Force to...
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Palmdale poetry immortalized
PALMDALE — The words written by a local high school student were immortalized in the pavement at Poncitlán Square on July 7 as the winning poem in the City of Palmdale’s Walk on Words: America 250. Dariana Arreola, of Palmdale Academy Charter School,...
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County launches cannabis academy
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County officials are taking an education-first approach to cannabis entrepreneurship, launching a new six-week academy designed to help aspiring business owners understand the industry’s challenges before commercial licenses...
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Taking flight at Space Camp
Social Studies teacher Cindy Sawyer had NBA all-star Paul George in her first class at Knight High School in 2005, and 21 years later The Paul George Foundation supported a field trip with Sawyer as a chaperone to Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. Sawyer...
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Illegal cannabis targeted in Southland
LOS ANGELES (CNS) — The state’s crackdown on illegal cannabis has resulted in the seizure of more than 63,000 pounds of illicit pot over three months in Los Angeles County, including the Antelope Valley, and elsewhere, officials announced...
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Food distribution program is refined
PALMDALE — The Palmdale School District has fine-tuned its food distribution program, as a hub of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The District’s Innovations Academy had approximately 500 cars go through its parking lot on June 12, the fourth of 10...
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United in celebrating country’s 250th
People from all over the Antelope Valley lined 50th Street West on Saturday morning to celebrate the Fourth of July and the 250th anniversary of the United States. The cities of Lancaster, Quartz Hill and Palmdale came together for the first time for...
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Training to become paramedics
LANCASTER — Antelope Valley College welcomed its first students into its Paramedic Training program classroom on June 15. It was a slow process for the program, beginning more than two years ago, and now filling a need not just in the Antelope Valley,...
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‘Walk road of healing together’
Wreaths are placed beneath portraits of the eight men — the crew of Torch 11 — who died in the B-52 Stratofortress crash on June 15 at Edwards Air Force Base. The crash happened during a test flight.
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Free life-saving CPR lessons
Nurses, firemen and emergency medical technicians were stationed outside the entrance to two hospitals in the Antelope Valley on June 2 as part of National CPR and AED Awareness Week. Free CPR training was available to the public. Antelope Valley...
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Over 800 pounds of meth found
PALMDALE (CNS) — A complaint about illegal dumping on a vacant property in Palmdale led to the city’s largest drug bust in recent history, Mayor Eric Ohlsen said Friday. In addition to over 800 pounds of methamphetamine found by Code Enforcement...
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Longtime AVTA exec honored
LANCASTER — Family, co-workers and elected officials honored Antelope Valley Transportation Authority CEO/Executive Directory Martin Tompkins before the board meeting on Tuesday morning for 40 years in the transportation industry. Tompkins started as...
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Joyous Juneteenth celebration
PALMDALE — The atmosphere was joyous Friday at Poncitlán Square as the City of Palmdale and members of the community celebrated Juneteenth. Music filled the air, as did the smell of food and the sounds of children playing. There was also a sense of...
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Winners of AV Press’ Father’s Day art contest
Here are the four winners of the Antelope Valley Press Draw Your Dad contest along with other entries worth featuring. The 2026 contest drew many entries in the four age categories of 3 to 7 and 8 to 11, 12 to 17 and 18 and older. All the aspiring...
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Victims of B-52 crash are identified
EDWARDS AFB (CNS) — The names of all eight people who died in the crash of a B-52 bomber at Edwards Air Force Base were released Wednesday. According to the Air Force, the B-52 Stratofortress was on a routine test mission when it crashed shortly after...
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8 dead in Stratofortress crash
EDWARDS AFB (CNS) — Eight people died Monday after a B-52 bomber crashed and burned at Edwards Air Force Base. The Air Force said the B-52 Stratofortress was on a routine test mission when it crashed shortly after takeoff at about 11:20 a.m....
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Rehabbing animals in need
MOJAVE — Tina Mari Lythgoe has been rehabilitating animals since she was a teenager, but when she got her first cleft palate puppy, something clicked. Lythgoe named her nonprofit rescue after the puppy, Josh and His Critters, 13 years ago and has been...
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Valley 17-year-old beats the odds
LANCASTER — After a devastating car accident, 17-year-old Vanessa Rodriguez arrived at Antelope Valley Medical Center with life-threatening injuries including multiple fractures, spinal trauma, and a brain injury. Her survival was uncertain. What...
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Feasting on the fare at festival
Aubree Weilbacher (above) delivers a winning performance in the cherry pie eating contest Saturday at the 53rd annual Cherry Parade and Festival for Leona Valley. Among those in the parade were James Royal on his donkey Bull (left, foreground) and...
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Good times for aerospace firm
PALMDALE — Aerospace company Machfinish is thriving and growing seven years after opening during one of the toughest periods for small businesses, the COVID pandemic. Machfinish CEO Randall Briley struggled when he first opened his small aerospace...
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AV Boys & Girls Club gets new home
LANCASTER — The Boys & Girls Club of the Antelope Valley didn’t go far to find its new home, but the move was a big one for the organization. The Boys and Girls Club of the Antelope Valley moved into the building next door, at 45356 Division St., but...
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Celebrating British literature Knight High class performs scenes from Shakespeare plays
PALMDALE — Knight High School English teacher Jane Thomas continued her long tradition of bringing British literature to life in her classroom in the final days of her teaching career. Thomas, who teaches expository reading and writing at Knight, had...
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Future leaders program celebrates 25
PALMDALE — Twenty-five of the Antelope Valley’s most promising students were recognized for their achievements during the annual Future Leaders ceremony held May 15 at the Palmdale Playhouse. The event celebrated the distinguished group of 25 high...
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Tying the knot 54 years later
LANCASTER — Chris Czuzak and Dianne Shanley have known each other far longer than the 54 years they have been a couple, but it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that he proposed to his roommate at The Havens at Antelope Valley. Chris and Dianne, or Lady Di...
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Vets honored in Memorial Day event
PALMDALE — Veterans from Palmdale and around the Antelope Valley were honored and recognized Monday morning at the City of Palmdale Memorial Day Ceremony at Poncitlán Square. The ceremony also honored and remembered those who died serving or are no...
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Students learn about auto repair
LANCASTER — The Auto Pros Academy offers two classes to middle school students, at Hillview Middle School in Palmdale and the Lancaster Community Center, to learn the basics of automotive repair. The first year program aims to ultimately offer a path...
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Available resources for seniors
PALMDALE — Legacy Commons for Active Seniors hosted approximately 50 vendors and 200 seniors for its annual Senior Resource Fair on the morning of April 22. Vendors, with tables throughout the center for active adults 55 and older, ranged from...
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Honoring Asian Pacific heritage
PALMDALE — The cultures and legacy of Asian Americans, Native-born Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders got a spectacular showcase this week, starting at the Legacy Commons for Active Seniors and moving to Lancaster on Wednesday. The acronym is difficult...
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Westside hosts annual YOUth Festival
QUARTZ HILL — The Westside Union School District hosted the 10th annual Empowering YOUth Family Festival, a free day of health, wellness, fun activities, games and community services offered by local vendors, on May 2, at Joe Waker Middle...
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Nonprofit secures $1M county grant
PALMDALE — The Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency awarded a $1 million grant to Palmdale nonprofit Salva on Tuesday morning at Poncitlán Square. The funding was presented through the agency’s Renter Protection and Homelessness...
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Luxury home complex opens
LANCASTER — Developers and Lancaster city officials participated in a ribboncutting ceremony April 16 at Desert Meadows, a westside luxury apartment and townhouse complex. The project features 324 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes and 96...
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Celebrating creativity in AV
PEARBLOSSOM — Artists, families and community members are expected to gather today for the SunShine Arts Festival 26 in Pearblossom, an annual celebration of creativity, local artists and community connection. Hosted by Rural Artists of the...
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Spending comes under scrutiny
PALMDALE — Members of the Palmdale City Council addressed concerns from the public about high taxes and spending, during a council meeting on Tuesday night. The meeting was preceded by a press conference by community members and activists in front of...
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No obstacle too big to overcome
Lancaster (above) won the overall trophy April 30 at the eighth annual Overcoming Obstacles Track Meet at Antelope Valley High School, for having the most first-place finishes in the meet for special needs athletes. Below, athletes compete in the...
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SpaceX gets launches going a"er setting rocket
SpaceX began the month of May with a launch of its workhorse rocket from Cape Canaveral with, just days after its bigger brother, the Falcon Heavy, helped set a record for different types of rockets flown in one month on Florida’s Space Coast. A...
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Hands-on Earth Day learning at farm
PALMDALE — The WOW Flower Project hosted Earth Day at the Farm, bringing families out Saturday to a local Palmdale farm for a full day of hands-on activities celebrating the environment and sustainable living. More than 80 participants registered for...
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Backpacks, books for students
PALMDALE — The Palmdale School District’s new Library Bus stopped by Tamarisk Elementary School on the morning of April 8 as part of a free backpack and book giveaway for students. Students were given free backpacks with their names on them that they...
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Items stolen from storage sites recovered
PALMDALE — The Palmdale Sheriff’s Station recovered approximately $40,000 worth of stolen property on Wednesday from a burglary of a Palmdale storage facility in late March. L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Det. Jose Munguia said during their...
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World championship-bound
LANCASTER — The Joe Walker Middle School Robotics Team will compete in its 11th World Championship, starting Saturday in St. Louis at the VEX World Championships. The robotics team is approximately in its 15th year and qualified for the World...
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Families flock to Poppy Festival
LANCASTER — The warmth of spring mixed with the familiar Antelope Valley winds this weekend as thousands of visitors gathered at the AV Fair and Event Center for the 33rd annual California Poppy Festival. Held Friday through Sunday, the three-day...
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Wheels for vets to get around
LANCASTER — Wheels 4 Warriors was started a little over 10 months ago to help one man get an electric wheelchair. The effort to help the one man led to the contribution of 10 wheelchairs and a mission by veterans to provide electric wheelchairs to...
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Events ordinance worries Acton leaders
ACTON — Acton Town Council members are raising concerns about a proposed Los Angeles County Events Ordinance, warning it could increase noise, traffic and enforcement challenges in rural communities. The ordinance, under environmental review, aims to...
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Voters select councilmembers today
LANCASTER — Today is municipal Election Day for the two fouryear City Council seats in an all-mail ballot election. There are seven candidates, including one incumbent, running for the two seats. Current councilmember Raj Malhi is joined on the...
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JD Vance warns Iran not to ‘play’ America
WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance on Friday warned Iran not to “play” the US as he headed overseas for negotiations aimed at ending the war. President Donald Trump has tasked the member of his inner circle who has seemed to be the most reluctant...
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Driving home anti-DUI message
PALMDALE — The Palmdale Aerospace Academy participated in a two-day presentation of the Every 15 Minutes Program by the California Highway Patrol on April 2 and Friday. The CHP and other first responders helped stage a mock car crash next to the...
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Extending chances for learning
PALMDALE — The Palmdale School District broke ground Friday morning for its Extended Learning Opportunities Program Center on a large vacant lot on the northeast corner of 40th Street East and Avenue Q. District officials and employees, members of the...
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Council hopefuls state cases
LANCASTER — Five of the seven candidates for the Lancaster City Council election participated in a candidate forum Wednesday night at the Antelope Valley College Performing Arts Theater, sponsored by the Lancaster Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta...
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100 reasons to celebrate twice
LANCASTER — Longtime Valley resident Phyllis Given was honored with two celebrations last week: a large party at the Aurora Village II Senior Living apartment building on Friday and a lunch with her family on her 100th birthday on Saturday. Given, who...
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Hundreds join AV No Kings protest
PALMDALE — At least 1,000 people participated in the “No Kings” protest on Saturday morning at the intersection of Rancho Vista Boulevard (Avenue P) and 10th Street West. It was one of many protests held Saturday throughout Southern California and...
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Park-and-Ride repairs
LANCASTER — The Park-and-Ride Parking Lot Refurbishment construction project has been completed, the Lancaster City Council announced at its meeting last week. The Public Works Construction Project was done by Addison-Miller, Inc. for...
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Poppy Festival returns next month
LANCASTER — One of the Antelope Valley’s most colorful traditions is set to return next month as the California Poppy Festival brings a weekend of entertainment, food and family fun to Lancaster. Scheduled for April 17-19 at the AV Fair & Event...
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Lancaster council pays tribute to Crist
LANCASTER — The Lancaster City Council meeting had a lengthy and emotional tribute to Lancaster Vice Mayor Marvin Crist on Tuesday afternoon, marking his retirement from the City Council. Crist, who first joined the council in April 2010, announced he...
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Beloved teacher is set to retire
PEARBLOSSOM — Tears filled Teresa Gallup’s eyes as she saw the gift of a jump rope and the handwritten note from her kindergarten student: “To Mrs. Gallup, my best friend.” That note made all the years of teaching worth it. Now, a few years later,...
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Summit tackles hard fiscal data Lancaster and Palmdale present projects, planned development
LANCASTER — The Antelope Valley Economic Development & Growth Enterprise Spring Business Summit featured economic reviews and previews and a deep dive into the hard fiscal data Thursday at the Antelope Valley Fair and Event Center. The cities of...
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Palmdale deputies honor relay backer
PALMDALE — The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Palmdale Station on Wednesday honored local businessman Adrian B. Dares for his support of its running team in The Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay. The relay race, which is in its 40th year,...
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Valencia honored at AV EDGE summit
LANCASTER — After 20 years of living in the Antelope Valley, Aaron V. Valencia said he finally considered himself a local Thursday morning. Valencia, the founder and CEO of Lost Angels Career Center, was honored Thursday by The Antelope Valley...
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Sharing love of aerospace with students
Antelope Valley native Bob Redman grew up with a love for aerospace, from early flight to the space program, with a father who worked for NASA. Redman has been sharing his love for aerospace for the last 25 years, giving a presentation titled Capt....
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Guidance for new career path
Peter Sheahan remembers his frustration as a business owner early in his career. Sheahan also remembers the profound impact he felt attending an educational seminar. It helped change the career path for the renowned entrepreneur and author, who has...
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Top young Southland scientists
PALMDALE — The Palmdale Aerospace Academy Science Olympiad team finished second at the Los Angeles Regional Tournament at Antelope Valley College on Feb. 14, qualifying them for the state finals. The state finals are on April 11 at the California...
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Valley teens scout job market
PALMDALE — Hundreds of high school students got to interact with potential employers on Friday afternoon at Boeing Site 1 during the 32nd annual Aerospace Valley Career Fair: A Salute to Youth. Dozens of organizations, with over 50 exhibitors, ranging...
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Athletic trainer program grows
PALMDALE — The Palmdale High School Sports Medicine Program has grown to 140 students after almost 30 years. On Wednesday afternoon, Palmdale High certified athletic trainer Jayme Wright had several student trainers at a Palmdale High track meet, at...
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New circus experience arrives
PALMDALE — The Marinelli Brothers Circus will bring their new production “A New Experience” to Palmdale with an all-new engagement at the Antelope Valley Mall, starting Friday and continuing through March 30. The circus promises to bring its signature...
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City of Hope gets investment
LANCASTER — Rep. George Whitesides announced a $1 million federal investment in the City of Hope Antelope Valley on Tuesday morning, allowing the cancer treatment center to acquire a new piece of equipment to improve care. The federal funds will allow...
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Active troops like cookies, too
Blue Star Mothers of Antelope Valley, joined by Coffee4Vets supporters, Assemblyman Tom Lackey and a host of others, helped the Blue Star Mothers send 400 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to active duty troops deployed. They gathered at Palmdale...
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No Hate Tour wows students
LITTLEROCK — The anti-bullying message of the No Hate High School Tour was delivered with spectacular BMX stunts on Friday afternoon at Littlerock High School. The tour also performed at Rosamond High School Friday morning. Four professional BMX...
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Guests, students enjoy books
PALMDALE — Mesquite Elementary School featured a parade of guests in classrooms on Thursday morning, reading to the students in celebration as part of Read Across America. Firefighters, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies, a captain from the US...
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Road to recovery ends with new book
PALMDALE — Patricia Evans Skoog was in an abusive, manipulative marriage for 16 years, starting in the 1960s, that took her from California to Vietnam. Skoog, 96, was finally able to reach forgiveness by telling her story in her book “Destroyed and...
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