SANTA PAULA

High schools shut down during police pursuit

Santa Paula High School and the adjacent Renaissance High School were briefly locked down Thursday while police pursued a man in the area around the campuses.

High school administrators initiated the lockdown about 11:30 a.m., after police said they were chasing a possibly armed man in the neighborhood, said David Gomez, superintendent of the Santa Paula Union High School District.

During the lockdown, students were kept inside classrooms with the doors locked, Gomez said.

Retired Santa Paula Police Chief Walter Adair, who said he witnessed the man driving through red lights with a damaged vehicle, initiated the chase, according to police. The man stopped at a residence on Blanchard Street, where he left the vehicle and jumped a nearby fence, eluding Adair.

The man's vehicle was impounded, and police said they expect to take the man into custody soon.

The lockdown was called off about 12:30 p.m., and school went on as normal, school officials said.

Santa Paula High School is located on the 400 block of Sixth Street. Renaissance High School is located on the 300 block of North Palm Avenue.

VENTURA COUNTY

Critical shortage of all blood types reported

United Blood Services Central Coast has issued a critical appeal for all blood types, especially O and A.

The need for blood has been higher than usual during the past two weeks, United Blood officials said. Meanwhile, donations have been sluggish since Labor Day. Daily donations in the past week averaged just 229 units — 50 units a day short of the need, officials said.

"This is a very challenging time for us right now," said Scott Edward, spokesman for the nonprofit organization that supplies blood to Ventura County hospitals. "Supplies are extremely low for all blood types, and when there is an emergency, we need to have the blood on the shelf in order to help." 

Donors must be 18 or older and weight at least 100 pounds. Potential donors can make an appointment by visiting www.unitedbloodservices.org/centralcoast or calling 800-715-3699.

Donations can be made weekdays at United Blood centers at 1756 Eastman Ave., Ventura; 2105 Pickwick Drive, Camarillo; and 1321 Thousand Oaks Blvd. in the North Star Plaza in Thousand Oaks.

Volunteer donors will receive a certificate for a free sandwich from Cronies Sports Grill or the Sandwich Factory in Ventura.

Pre-1916 autos to take 110-mile county tour

Fifteen pre-1916 or "brass-era" automobiles, including a 1910 Buick and Cadillacs from 1912 and 1914, are expected to participate Saturday in a 110-mile tour of Ventura County.

The tour, which is hosted by the Horseless Carriage Club of Southern California, will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Palm Garden Hotel in Newbury Park, according to organizers.

The drivers, including several dressed in the style of that historical period, will travel through Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Fillmore and Santa Paula, where a stop at the California Oil Museum is scheduled.

Drivers will have lunch in Ojai before going along the coast through Ventura and Port Hueneme and back to Newbury Park, where the tour will end at 4 p.m.

A spokesman said this event is a preview to a national tour the club is sponsoring in June 2008. At that time, about 80 pre-1916 automobiles and drivers in period costumes are expected to tour the Ventura County area.

For more information, visit the carriage club's Web site at www.hccsc.info.

THOUSAND OAKS

Gunman sought in 2 store robberies

The Sheriff's Department is looking for an armed man who robbed two small retailers of jewelry in Thousand Oaks.

Detectives said the man pointed a handgun at those inside the businesses along Thousand Oaks Boulevard and demanded jewelry.

The first robbery occurred at 3:54 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Decore Store in the 3900 block of East Thousand Oaks Boulevard. The second happened at 1:08 p.m. Sept. 14 at Just For Guys in the 2200 block of East Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

Anyone with information on the robberies is asked to contact Detective Alan Hartkop at 494-8223.

— From staff reports