News briefs

Man pleads guilty to child porn possession
Aladdin Winchester, co-owner of Scotts Valley TV, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and methamphetamine during a court date last week. He will be sentenced Jan. 10.
Police officers patrolling the Kings Village Shopping Center found Winchester, 62, asleep inside his shop Aug. 27. When he went to retrieve his identification, officers followed him and noticed child pornography in plain view. A search warrant was issued, and officers found methamphetamine and computers with several thousand sexually explicit photographs of adolescent boys and girls.
Winchester pleaded guilty to all charges and could face up to three years, eight months in jail.
McClish to be sentenced in February
Michael McClish, who was convicted this month of murdering Joanna “Asha” Veil and her unborn baby, will be sentenced Feb. 15.
Judge Paul Burdick will issue the sentence for McClish, 42, who will likely be imprisoned for life because of the double murder conviction.
After a trial that lasted nearly eight weeks, a jury convicted McClish on Dec. 6 in Santa Cruz.
College to offer winter arts program
Cabrillo College Extension will offer new hands-on classes taught by well-known local artists this winter.
The 2012 WinterArts program will include a series of classes that begin Jan. 10, on topics including lighting fabrication, dimensional felting, painting abstraction, marquetry, photo books and more. Fees range from $95 to $495 and often include materials.
For information: www.cabrillo.edu/services/extension/winter.html
Theater season passes on sale
Mountain Community Theater season passes are on sale for the 2012 season, which includes “Crimes of the Heart,” a murder-mystery dinner show, “Harvey,” MCT’s 30th reunion celebration, New Works Night, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and “Miracle on 34th Street.”
Season tickets are $80 for shows that would cost $120 if tickets were purchased individually.
For information: www.mctshows.org
Sheriff offers vacation checks
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office will perform vacation checks of homes in the unincorporated areas of Santa Cruz County, if residents ask.
Deputies or volunteers will drive by and check on homes while residents are away. To request a vacation check, residents can go to www.scsheriff.com and fill out a vacation check form.
The sheriff’s office also suggests that residents let friends or neighbors know they will be away, make sure all doors and windows are locked, secure gates and fences, arrange to hold mail and newspaper delivery while away, designate a caretaker in the event of an emergency, and lock up, disable or remove any firearms kept in the home.
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