Built in the 19th century, the Pioneer Oil Refinery in Newhall played a pivotal role in the early development of the Santa Clarita Valley.
As the first successful oil refinery to be built and operated in California, the refinery was recently added as a Historic Site in the National Register of Historic Places and has been listed in the California Register of Historical Resources.
The Pioneer Oil Refinery was built by California Star Oil Works (later Chevron) in 1876 and was used to process oil discovered in Pico Canyon until around 1888 when its use was changed to instead provide water to the oil drilling operation at Pico Number 4 in Mentryville. The first historical recognition for the refinery came in 1930 when the site was recorded as California’s first commercial oil refinery.
California Public Health officials lifted the regional Stay at Home Order statewide on Monday as Los Angeles County Public Health officials confirmed 43 new deaths and 6,642 new cases of confirmed COVID-19 countywide, and Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia reported five new deaths on Saturday and Monday.
After reporting three fatalities Friday, the hospital reported four new deaths Saturday and one additional death Monday, bringing the number of people who have died at Henry Mayo to 39 so far in January, and 112 since the pandemic began, according to spokesman Patrick Moody.
The Santa Clarita Valley has reached a total of 23,227 cases 560 more than Friday and 195 deaths since L.A. county’s first confirmed COVID-19 infection one year ago on January 26, 2020.
Citing the case of a convicted child rapist, L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger is concerned the rights of victims of violent crimes are not being protected under D.A. George Gascón.
Because of the recent rainfall, Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, is cautioning residents about beach water use due to bacteria, chemicals, debris, trash, and other public health hazards from city streets and mountain areas that are likely to contaminate ocean waters at and around discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers.
Individuals who enter the water in these areas could become ill.
This advisory will be in effect until at least Wednesday, January 27 at 7:30 a.m. and may be extended depending on further rainfall.
Recorded information on beach water use conditions is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-525-5662.
Los Angeles County is set to align its health order with California’s by the end of the week, as the state lifted its regional stay-at-home order statewide Monday, green-lighting the reopening of in-person outside dining and hair and nail salons, among other businesses.
Meanwhile, the health officer order issued by L.A. County Department of Public Health on Nov. 25 is in effect, allowing personal care services to reopen, but notably not including restaurant reopenings, which Director Barabara Ferrer said will be included only in the new order to be released Friday.
“On Friday, … we’ll issue a new health officer order that allows for restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining with occupancy limits and masking requirements for all staff,” Ferrer added during a COVID-19 briefing Monday. “We will also on Friday rescind the hours-of-operation restrictions for non-essential businesses.”