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SINCE 1889 Making Communities Better Through Print.™ VOL. CXXXIII, NO. XIII
SMART TRIAL
Jurors Show Emotion After Testimony
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2022
pasoroblespress.com • $1.00 • WEEKLY
IN MEMORIAM
Remembering Aviator Sherman Smoot
By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Last week was a difficult one for jurors in the Kristin Smart case as they heard another testimony from a woman accusing Paul Flores of rape and testimonies from experts who surveyed under Ruben Flores porch on White Court in Arroyo Grande in 2021. Paul Flores is on trial for Kristin’s murder. The 19-yearold Cal Poly student went missing following the Crandall Way party over Memorial Day weekend in May 1996. His father Ruben Flores is accused of helping his son cover up the crime. After concluding testimonies on Friday, Judge Jennifer O’Keefe said court will not be back in session until Wednesday, Sept. 7, but she added that the trial is currently ahead of schedule. Wednesday, Aug. 31 Testimonies on Wednesday consisted mainly from witnesses who assisted in searching Ruben’s backyard in March 2021. Karen Atkinson retraced CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
Local aviator Sherman Smoot was a long-time and dedicated member of the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles and pilot for the nonprofit Honor Flights. Smoot died Sept. 2 in a plane accident in Kern County. Photo Courtesy of Carly Smoot
Smoot died in a plane crash on Friday, Sept. 2, in Kern County By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@atascaderonews.com & CHRISTIANNA MARKS christianna@atascaderonews.com
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — On Friday, Sept. 2, the aviation community lost one of its own when Sherman Smoot died in a plane accident in Kern County. Smoot was pilot-
ing his Yakovlev Yak-11, named “Czech Mate,” in preparation for the upcoming Reno Air Races, held yearly in September. Smoot was a consistent and familiar face at the STIHL National Championship Air Races. You could find him taking to the skies at speeds of 500 mph in the Unlimited Class, racing against, mostly, other stock or modified World War II fighters in “Czech Mate.” At the Air Race, he was constantly surrounded by his
friends and family, who would come from near and far to watch him or race against him. After hours you could often find him in a hangar singing a rollicking karaoke version of the Eagles’ hit “Hotel California” — usually more than once. Smoot was also a long-time and dedicated member of the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles and pilot for the nonprofit Honor Flights. According to a press release from Honor Flight, Smoot “was
piloting his refurbished WWII Russian fighter plane when he experienced engine failure shortly after take-off at Minter Field Airport in Shafter. He was the sole occupant of the plane.” “A huge hole will be missing from the Paso Robles community, especially the museum there,” said Smoot’s friend and local aviation mechanic Marc Dart. “He was one of the few pilots that could fly a number of those airplanes out there and teach other people how to
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fly those aircraft.” Smoot was one of the primary pilots for the county’s famed 1944 World War II C-47, “Betsy’s Biscuit Bomber.” In 2019 Smoot and fellow friend and pilot Scott Stelzle flew Betsy to Normandy for a re-enactment of D-Day to celebrate the historical day’s 75th anniversary. Just a week prior to his untimely death, Smoot and the Gooney Birds flew 17 CONTINUED ON PAGE A2
CONSTRUCTION
Progress of Golden Hill Roundabout Seen From Aerial Photo The roundabout is expected to be completed in fall 2023 By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
Ashton Murphy of Paso Robles carries the ball Sept. 2 during the Bearcats’ game against the Atascadero Greyhounds. The Bearcats beat the Greyhounds 35-21 for their seventh straight win over their county rival. Photo by Rick Evans
Paso Robles Bearcats Beat Rival Atascadero Greyhounds
Bearcats win seventh game in a row over Greyhounds in series against North County foe what was possibly each team’s most anticipated game of the season last Friday night, Sept. PASO ROBLES — The 2, at the Atascadero Memorial Paso Robles Bearcats and Stadium. Atascadero Greyhounds played The Bearcats pulled out a By CAMILLE DEVAUL camille@pasoroblespress.com
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NEWS
35-21 victory over the Greyhounds. With the win, the Bearcats up their record to 1-1, while the Greyhounds fall to 0-3. The win for the Bearcats
CRIME
gives them a 62-30-4 record against the Greyhounds, and their seventh consecutive win in the rivalry. 805 Broadcasters liveCONTINUED ON PAGE A15
EVENTS
PASO ROBLES — Progress is being made on the Golden Hill and Union Road roundabout as the City of Paso Robles released aerial view photos of the site this week. The roundabout was proposed and authorized by the City Council in 2011 with the adoption of the City’s Circulation Element. Preliminary work, which did not require road closures, of the site began in 2021. Construction broke ground for the roundabout in August of this year, resulting in the closure of the intersection. The roundabout was proposed over 10 years ago to mitigate high traffic coming through the
intersection. The council chose the dog-bone shaped roundabout to be the best solution to the traffic problem as it would still accommodate semi-trucks. But some residents are still concerned as to why the city chose a roundabout rather than a stoplight to solve the traffic dilemma. One resident asked the city on its roundabout update posting on social media, “Why not just a stop light? I assume it would be much cheaper?” The city responded to the resident, saying there were a few reasons they did not choose the stoplight route, saying, “It was tried at that location before and made matters worse. Realigning that intersection to allow for stoplights would require the City buying more land, the roundabout does not. A roundabout will accommodate more traffic and keep traffic flowing.” CONTINUED ON PAGE A15
SPORTS
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