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The California Highway Patrol will conduct a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint the evening of Saturday, Dec. 30, at an undisclosed location in south Santa Clara County.Drivers passing through the checkpoint will be checked for impairment and valid driving credentials, and those suspected of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be arrested, according to a press release from the Hollister-Gilroy office of the CHP.CHP officers who are trained at identifying drug and alcohol impaired drivers will staff the sobriety checkpoint. A CHP Drug Recognition expert, certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will also be on site to provide assessments of any drivers suspected of drug use.Officers at the checkpoint will use preliminary alcohol screening devices to analyze breath samples, the press release states.The sobriety checkpoint is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the NHTSA, according to the press release.The exact time and location of the upcoming DUI checkpoint will be disclosed after 4pm Dec. 30, according to authorities.

For a small town (at least for now), Morgan Hill has a way of making headlines each year, and 2017 was filled with noteworthy acts of nature, community activism, progress and, on occasion, controversy.

It’s not championship or bust for the Sobrato High girls soccer team this season. Let that sink in for a moment because the Bulldogs won’t be defined by a win at all costs mentality. Are expectations high coming off the program’s first-ever Central Coast Section playoff championship game appearance?

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Gary Harmon—a former Sobrato High School teacher and producer now accused of embezzling money from four local victims—is scheduled to appear at the Morgan Hill Courthouse Dec. 21 for a plea hearing, according to authorities.Harmon faces two counts of grand theft and three counts of communications containing untrue statements and omissions of fact, in relation to the embezzlement of more than $500,000 from the victims, according to court documents. The former Morgan Hill resident was arrested in Las Vegas March 23, on a warrant filed by MHPD officers who investigated the claims.And last week, Santa Clara County Civil Court Judge Carrie Zepeda completed a civil defamation trial related to a complaint that Harmon filed against one of his victims and former business partner, Mike DiRubio, of Morgan Hill.The judge in that case will issue a written ruling within 60 days, according to Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Erica Engin, who is prosecuting Harmon’s criminal case.Harmon filed the civil complaint alleging defamation against DiRubio in July 2015. DiRubio said Harmon filed the lawsuit against him to “get back at me for calling the police” to accuse Harmon of embezzling his money. DiRubio denied defaming Harmon.“All I ever did was tell the truth,” DiRubio said.Harmon declined to comment on the facts of the case because “the court has asked us not to discuss the matter until it concludes,” he said in a text.Morgan Hill Police reports contained in the criminal case’s court file list at least four victims who Harmon allegedly convinced to invest in his production companies or projects, with promises of repayment and profits that were never realized. The reports claim Harmon exaggerated or fabricated relationships with beloved celebrities—including country music legend Willie Nelson, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and former Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil—to fraudulently sell hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of investments to the marks, according to police.Harmon was producing shows in Morgan Hill as the director of ARTTEC at the time some of the embezzlement allegedly happened. DiRubio was vice president of ARTTEC and a partner in the organization.  DiRubio claims that in 2013, Harmon embezzled more than $250,000 from him by reneging on a promise of a share in another production company Harmon was tied to—ISE Entertainment—plus recurring income, in return for the investment. Harmon only returned about $71,000 to DiRubio, according to the police investigation.In 2014, ARTTEC brought big-name acts such as Kiefer Sutherland, Queensryche and Survivor to perform in Morgan Hill.In the criminal case, Harmon also faces a white collar crime enhancement based on the allegation that he used “fraud and embezzlement” to steal more than $500,000 from the victims, according to the criminal complaint filed by DA’s Office.In recent years, Harmon has filed a number of civil lawsuits against other parties who have accused him of fraud.

Three masked men entered the northeast Morgan Hill home of a 62-year-old man the afternoon of Dec. 19—across the street from an elementary school—robbed the resident and shot him with a handgun before fleeing the area in a Hyundai Elantra, according to police.Morgan Hill Police officers caught up with the suspects’ vehicle and arrested them shortly after the shooting. MHPD Capt. Shane Palsgrove said the incident was “not random” as the suspects knew the victim, and police records show a history of calls for service at the residence in recent months—including the Oct. 18 arrest of a subject on a felony warrant.About 12:15pm Dec. 19, MHPD officers responded to reports of a shooting at a residence on the 17000 block of Calle Mazatan, according to authorities. The initial caller, the resident of the home, told police on the phone that someone was coming to shoot him.Officers were on their way to the home, which is across the street from El Toro Elementary School’s campus, when they received another call from a witness who reported a victim had been shot, Palsgrove said.When officers arrived at the home, the witness was inside helping the shooting victim downstairs. Officers provided first aid and the victim was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The man was shot once in the chest, police said.While responding, police also heard from a witness that three people were seen running out of the home, into a vehicle, with their faces covered with bandanas, Palsgrove said.With a description of the vehicle—a red Hyundai Elantra—officers shortly made a felony traffic stop on the suspicious car on U.S. 101 southbound, and arrested the three occupants without further incident in relation to the brazen home invasion, according to police. Recovered inside the vehicle was a handgun.Police later identified the detained suspects as Armando Hernandez, 20, of Morgan Hill; Alex Griego, 21, of Morgan Hill; and Justin Heppler, 25, of San Jose. All three were booked on suspicion of attempted homicide, robbery and burglary.Police declined to say how the suspects knew the victim.The campus at El Toro Elementary was briefly locked down before the suspects were arrested, and the traffic stop resulted in traffic closures on the southbound side of U.S. 101.While some MHPD officers were detaining the three suspects, others remained at the home on Calle Mazatan placing crime scene tape around the property and canvassing the area for evidence and witnesses. Officers were seen going in and out of the home.History of police callsSince July, MHPD has responded to the Calle Mazatan home eight times on a variety of calls, including the Dec. 19 shooting, according to police records. Most of these calls were recorded as “disturbances” involving disagreements among two or more people.On Oct. 18, police visited the home to serve an arrest warrant out of the Gilroy Police Department for a 30-year-old man, on a $100,000 warrant for robbery and theft.In a Dec. 18 “miscellaneous call,” the day before Tuesday’s shooting, someone called police to report that another subject with a warrant was hiding out inside the residence. The caller also told police that prostitution was occurring at the home.Police again responded to the home July 22, Nov. 24 and Dec. 16 on separate disturbance calls; Oct. 27 on a report of “suspicious circumstances;” Sept. 29 for a parking citation; and July 22 for another disturbance, according to police records.

Days after he was charged with domestic battery and publicly scolded at a city council meeting, Morgan Hill City Councilman Larry Carr addressed the allegations and his criminal past in a lengthy social media post Dec. 8.In the statement, posted on his Facebook page “Councilmember Larry Carr,” Carr says he has “never laid a hand on a woman in anger” and denies the recent charges as well as a 2015 report that he battered the same woman. He admits his relationship with his longtime girlfriend—the alleged victim in both domestic violence reports—has been “toxic” for both.He also says he has been uplifted in the days following his Nov. 25 arrest “by the responses of people who truly know me,” and opens up that he is now focused on “rebuilding” his relationship with his children and parents.“I have lived my entire adult life in the public service arena and know I have standards to live up to and behaviors I need to exhibit,” the statement begins. “I owe this to my family, my friends, and my community. And, while I have made mistakes in my life, none of them involve violence.”Morgan Hill Police arrested Carr Nov. 25 on suspicion of domestic violence after his girlfriend called to report he had assaulted her at the home they shared in the city’s downtown. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office subsequently charged him with misdemeanor domestic battery. Carr’s arraignment on this charge is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2018.A review of court records by the Times found that Carr pleaded no contest to a similar misdemeanor charge in 2015, in relation to an incident at the couple’s former home in March of that year. Carr completed a 16-week counseling program, and was not fined or sentenced to any jail time. The court later dismissed the charge from his record, at Carr’s formal request.  In 1993, Carr was also convicted of misdemeanor driving under the influence resulting in bodily injury in relation to a vehicle accident in which he and two occupants of the vehicle he hit were flown to a nearby hospital.He also addressed this conviction in his Dec. 8 statement: “ I have admitted to making a young stupid mistake 25 years ago, which I paid for, and have never even come close to making again. That mistake though has not defined me and instead I used that experience to commit myself to improving my community. While I did not advertise this transgression when I first ran for office in 1996, I also did not hide it and have made sure to share my learning with my son as he learned to drive and will again with my daughter when it is time.”Of the 2015 no contest plea on domestic battery, Carr’s statement reads: “For reasons I now regret, I did plead no contest to a single charge—which was ultimately dismissed—in an effort to keep this situation from going to court which would then place my children in the spotlight they didn't ask for nor deserve. Obviously, that decision did the exact opposite.”Public commentsCarr’s statement comes two days after one of his colleagues on the council and a member of the public excoriated him in light of the criminal allegations.City Councilman Rene Spring turned to Carr at the Dec. 6 council meeting and asked him to “make the right call and deal with your personal and legal issues in a more private setting.”Spring added he is “still trying to wrap my head around” the recent reports of Carr’s arrest and convictions. “I haven’t slept well the past few days,” Spring admitted. “I find it extremely disappointing. It is really hard for me to find the right words. At times I am sick to my stomach.”Spring admitted he doesn’t know if the allegations are true, but the reports don’t support the “highest respect” he has always had for Carr as a public servant.During the public comment portion of the Dec. 6 meeting, Morgan Hill resident Ann Horner addressed the allegations and pointedly told Carr he should resign from office.Horner noted that even though the other four council members don’t have the ability to remove Carr from the elected body, they could revoke his current title of Mayor Pro Tem.“I cannot imagine myself moving forward seeing you there in between the city’s business,” Horner said to Carr. “I am asking you to step down.”While Councilwoman Caitlin Jachimowicz didn’t specifically mention Carr’s case, she used the comment period before the council approved the agenda Dec. 6 to advise women on how to seek help if they feel they are in danger.“I want to reiterate that if you are in immediate danger or somebody you know is in immediate danger, don’t hesitate to call 911,” Jachimowicz said.She also advised the audience that anyone who has experienced intimate partner violence can call the Domestic Violence Crisis Line at 1-800-END-SADV (363-7238). Furthermore, victims can seek help anonymously and discreetly online by visiting safechatsv.org.And anyone who feels threatened can “always walk into” City Hall, the library, community center or other city facilities and “get the help you need,” Jachimowicz said.Carr did not return phone calls requesting further comment after he published the Dec. 8 statement.Councilmember Rich Constantine did not speak publicly about Carr’s situation Dec. 6, but he told the Times that he is “sad for what Larry’s family is going through.” He also said he was “disappointed” when he heard about Carr’s 2015 conviction, but he declined to say whether he should resign from office.He added, “There is no excuse for domestic violence.”Mayor Steve Tate, who has been one of Carr’s closest and most loyal political allies in recent years, declined to comment on the allegations and crimes when contacted by the Times.Carr is currently serving his fifth consecutive four-year term on the council. His current term expires in 2020.

Petty theftSomeone stole a rear license plate off a vehicle parked on Hale Avenue. The crime was reported 5:59pm Dec. 1.A man in his 20s stole two containers of baby formula from Safeway at Tennant Station. The theft was reported 2:30pm Dec. 5.Someone stole a bottle of wine from Safeway at Tennant Station. The theft was reported 8am Dec. 7.Stolen vehicleA thief or thieves stole a silver 2004 BMW from La Quinta Inn, 17043 Condit Road. The theft was reported 8:48pm Dec. 1.Someone stole a tan 1994 Honda Accord from a residence on Del Monte Lane. The thief or thieves left two flashlights and a steering wheel lock bar at the scene. The crime was reported 4pm Dec. 2. A silver 2001 Toyota Sequoia was stolen from a parking spot at Madrone Plaza, 134 Cochrane Road. The theft was reported 5:52pm Dec. 2.Vehicle stopThe driver of a Ford pickup was given a citation for misuse of a horn and lack of mudguards after a road rage incident at Church Street and East Edmundson Avenue. The incident was reported 6:02pm Dec. 2.DisturbanceA resident in the area of Bradford Way and Pineau Court chased down and caught a teenage boy who was ringing doorbells in the neighborhood and then running away. The adult called police and wanted an officer to show up to talk to the juvenile. The teen apologized after the adult threatened to have him arrested. The incident was reported 10:48pm Dec. 1.A resident of Almond Way reported what sounded like a loud domestic argument between a man and a woman coming from a neighbor’s house. Police investigated and determined it was two brothers arguing over fantasy football. The incident was reported 9:39am Dec. 5.Welfare checkPolice arrested a man in his early 20s wearing no shirt or pants just after midnight Dec. 3,  after a witness reported the man was “howling like a dog” in the rear parking lot of Ladera Grill restaurant, 17305 Monterey Road.BurglaryA resident of Seville Drive returned home to find the house ransacked. The burglar or burglars stole jewelry and computers. The crime was reported 5:44pm Dec. 4.A thief or thieves stole two electric scooters from an open garage on Cherry Court. The approximate value of the stolen items is $800. The crime was reported 2:57pm Dec. 7.All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. Information is compiled from public records.

City of Morgan Hill staff and elected officials are asking the community to support the family of former City Manager Steve Rymer, whose daughter died Nov. 29 due to complications from heart surgery.Michelle Kathleen Schull, 28, lived in Mankato, Minn., and was a graduate of Sobrato High School. She was married to Dustin Schull, according to an obituary posted on Mankato Mortuary’s website. The couple recently had a young daughter, Kennedy Kathleen Schull, who is now about three months old.The obituary states Schull’s family is asking for donations to the Kennedy Kathleen Education Fund, which can be made on a gofundme.com page set up for that purpose. Money donated to the fund will support the future education for the Schulls’ daughter.Alternatively, the family is asking for donations to the American Heart Association.Rymer moved to Minnesota at the end of last summer with his wife, Helene, to accept a job as City Administrator for the City of Rochester. Originally from Minnesota, Rymer cited his family there as one reason he pursued and accepted the new job. The council appointed him as city manager in 2013.At current City Manager Christina Turner’s request, the Morgan Hill City Council adjourned the Dec. 6 meeting in remembrance of Michelle Schull.Turner also informed the public about the gofundme page set up for Schull’s daughter. The campaign raised nearly $21,000 as of Dec. 11. She also asked city staff to wear red last Friday, Dec. 8, to support the AHA’s “Go Red For Women” campaign to encourage awareness of heart disease.  “My family and I thank the city and Morgan Hill community for the overwhelming support and prayers during this difficult time,” Rymer said in an email.The gofundme page, which is found at gofundme.com/kennedykathleenschull-edu, describes that at the age of 16, doctors found that Schull needed a pacemaker and defibrillator. She was told that pregnancy might not be possible in her future. But “love persisted” between her and her husband, who she met in 2009, according to the page.After their marriage in 2014, doctors “believed in Michelle’s heart, and supported her and Dustin’s desire to start a family,” according to the gofundme page.Four months into her pregnancy, doctors determined she needed surgery to replace the wires in her heart device, the gofundme page says.Kennedy was born Aug. 30, and the replacement surgery was scheduled for Nov. 21. “The outcome of the surgery was unfathomable, even understanding the possibilities of complications, and Michelle’s family let her go to be with the Lord on Wednesday, November 29, 2017,” reads the fundraising page. Her organs were donated to other patients in need.“Michelle’s impact was felt daily as she worked in schools with families with children diagnosed with exceptional learning abilities,” the gofundme page adds.Michelle Schull was born in Minnesota. After graduating from Sobrato, she moved back to Minnesota for college, where she received undergraduate and graduate degrees from Minnesota State Mankato.Rymer added that Schull was a “great ambassador” for the American Heart Association, and she often called national Go Red Day (Feb. 3) her birthday because she “loved what it meant for her and others.”

At the Dec. 6 Morgan Hill City Council meeting, one of City Councilman Larry Carr’s colleagues publicly expressed his disappointment at the recent allegations of domestic battery against him, and a resident asked him to resign from his elected office.At the beginning of the meeting, it was Councilman Rene Spring’s turn to give a member’s report. After proclaiming the success of events he attended in recent weeks—the Indian Association of South County’s Diwali celebration and the opening of the city’s new parks—Spring turned directly to Carr and asked him to “make the right call and deal with your personal and legal issues in a more private setting.”Spring said he is “still trying to wrap my head around” recent reports that Carr was charged last week with domestic battery, and that he was convicted of a similar charge involving the same victim in 2015. “I haven’t slept well the past few days,” Spring admitted. “I find it extremely disappointing. It is really hard for me to find the right words. At times I am sick to my stomach.”Spring admitted he doesn’t know if the allegations are true, but the reports don’t support the “highest respect” he has always had for Carr as a public servant.Carr sat silently at the dais while Spring made the remarks, and did not respond.Carr is accused of misdemeanor battery on a cohabitant in relation to a Nov. 25 incident at the home he shares with his girlfriend, which Morgan Hill Police responded to and investigated. The District Attorney’s Office subsequently filed the misdemeanor charge against him.In a separate incident in 2015, Carr pleaded no contest to misdemeanor domestic battery involving the same victim. The court later dismissed the charge from his record.Carr told police in 2015 and continues to insist he is innocent of the previous charge, despite the plea of no contest. He has told the Times he is innocent of the charge related to the Nov. 25 incident as well. His arraignment on the recent charge is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2018.During the public comment portion of the Dec. 6 meeting, Morgan Hill resident Ann Horner addressed the allegations and pointedly told Carr he should resign from office. She referenced a County of San Francisco resolution of inclusiveness, part of which urges respect for women and recognition of women’s rights.“I would add to that, we need positive male role models for our young boys,” Horner said. She added that even though Carr has not been convicted of the most recent charge of domestic battery, his arrest by Morgan Hill police and the charge by the D.A.’s Office are enough to convince her that he should resign from the council.“I believe Anita Hill, I believe the police and I believe the district attorney,” Horner said, referencing the woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in 1991.Horner noted that even though the other four council members don’t have the ability to remove Carr from the elected body, they could revoke his current title of Mayor Pro Tem.“I cannot imagine myself moving forward seeing you there in between the city’s business,” Horner said to Carr. “I am asking you to step down.”Carr did not respond to Horner or Spring at the meeting.While Councilwoman Caitlin Jachimowicz didn’t specifically mention Carr’s case, she used the comment period before the council approved the agenda Dec. 6 to advise women on how to seek help if they feel they are in danger.“I want to reiterate that if you are in immediate danger or somebody you know is in immediate danger, don’t hesitate to call 911,” Jachimowicz said.She also advised the audience that anyone who has experienced intimate partner violence can call the Domestic Violence Crisis Line at 1-800-END-SADV (363-7238). Furthermore, victims can seek help anonymously and discreetly online by visiting safechatsv.org.And anyone who feels threatened can “always walk into” City Hall, the library, community center or other city facilities and “get the help you need,” Jachimowicz said.