Most Viewed Stories
Barstow in 2012
A year in review
• ‘Man arrested for kidnapping, rape’ (3,808)
• ‘Barstow man killed in hit and run’ (3,602)
• ‘Barstow man to be featured on America’s Most Wanted’ (3,477)
• ‘Man kills himself after police stand-off’ (3,432)
• ‘Search ends for missing hunter’ (3,289)
• ‘Men convicted for repeated rape of 9-year-old’ (3,151)
• ‘Man who fell to death identified as Sonoma resident’ (2,976)
• ‘Car crash shuts down northbound I-15’ (2,939)
• ‘Sex offender arrested for child rape’ (2,700)
• ‘BHS looking into alcohol found at prom’ (2,647)
Data compiled by Adobe SiteCatalyst
BARSTOW • For the city, 2012 marked a year of new beginnings as Barstow named a new mayor, police chief, fire chief, superintendent of schools, two City Council members and Fort Irwin named three new commanders. The new state-of-the-art Barstow Community Hospital also opened its doors to the community and Desert Discovery Center reopened after a seven-month hiatus spent completing its first phase of renovations.
Also, storied chapters were closed in 2012, with announced retirements and closings of local institutions and restaurants.
Below are some of the key events that shaped the Barstow area during the year:
December
• It was announced the Barstow courthouse will close in May 2013
• The Environmental Protection Agency finished a clean-up of contaminated soil in Northeast Barstow that tainted the city’s water supply in 2010
• The Food 4 Less fuel center opened
• A soldier returned home after 10 months in Afghanistan
• An Army reservist stood watch at Henderson Elementary
• Barstow Police beefed up school patrols in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy
November
• Albert Ramirez and Rich Ross were named to lead the Police and Fire departments, respectively
• Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre became Barstow mayor
• Proposition 30 was approved by voters, providing a bit of relief to Barstow-area schools
• Rich Harpole and Carmen Hernandez were elected to City Council
October
• Desi Woods, a Barstow man wanted in the death of his mother, was featured on “America’s Most Wanted”
• Barstow firefighters got raises
• New Barstow Community Hospital opened
• Barstow Community Colleges paired with Park University to begin offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees
September
• Barstow Community College President Thom Armstrong announced he would retire in March 2013
• Barstow hired a lobbyist to push for adding an Indian gaming casino to the city
August
• Donna Gregg, a 6th-grade teacher at Montara Elementary, was named county Teacher of the Year
July
• Jeff Malan was named superintendent of Barstow Unified School District
• Police Chief Diane Burns announced her retirement
June
• Bun Boy closed its doors
• Barstow Area California Highway Patrol unveiled a fallen officer’s memorial
• Col. Paul Calvert, Col. John Ward and Col. James Kazmierczak became new commanders at Fort Irwin
May
• 1st. Lt. Lukas Toth received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in 2010 while in Afghanistan
• Lerick B. Gordon, a 12-year-old Barstow boy, competed in the 85th Scripps National Spelling Bee
• Fort Irwin broke ground on a new $400 million hospital
April
• BUSD administrator Joni James was named Special Education Administrator of the Year
• Desert Discover Center reopened after seven months spent completing the first stage of a five-year renovation project
• Newberry Springs named Robert Rogers interim fire chief
March
• Barstow Junior High hosted the city’s first-ever Congressional debate
February
• Barstow Fire Chief Darrell Jauss announced he would retire in April
January
• City Council approved designing Barstow’s first roundabout
• The city took over the wastewater treatment plant after their contract with United Water expired
