Woman, 70, arrested on suspicion of DUI...

Woman, 70, arrested

on suspicion of DUI

A 70-year-old Costa Mesa woman was arrested on suspicion of

driving under the influence of alcohol after she backed her car into

a neighbor’s home Tuesday.

Costa Mesa police arrested Joyce Suzanne Barker, 70, after she

backed her car out of her driveway in the 2200 block of State Avenue

and crashed it into a garage across the street at 5:15 p.m., Lt. Dale

Birney said.

Barker’s car smashed into the neighbor’s garage, striking a car

inside, Birney said.

That car was sent into the kitchen, slightly injuring a woman

inside, he said.

Inspectors needed

for animal facility

Police are looking for volunteers to help with inspections of the

Orange County Humane Society facility in Huntington Beach.

The Costa Mesa Police Department is forming an oversight committee

to inspect the animal shelter, which serves as the city’s pound.

Last year, volunteers complained of poor conditions at the

shelter. Inspections turned up unsafe kennels, poor drainage, rodent

infestation and improperly-disposed-of animal carcasses.

The oversight committee, made up of police, residents and

veterinarians, will likely make four inspections a year. The

committee will check to see if the shelter is following minimum

standards for care as outlined by the Humane Society of the United

States.

Interested residents can e-mail Lt. John FitzPatrick at

[email protected] or Sgt. Larry Hicks at lhicks@ci

.costa-mesa.ca.us.

Police ask that applicants include any qualifications they may

have that are related to the purpose of this committee. Candidates

will be interviewed.

Rehabilitation

program honors 30

The Behavior Education Social Support Transition program for

substance-abuse recovery honored 30 people at their BEST Choice

graduation ceremony Tuesday night at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood

Community Center.

Graduates voluntarily completed the six-month program following

their release from jail, most often for drug- and alcohol-related

offenses. Participants attend 12-step meetings, weekly group

meetings, classes about substance abuse and counseling sessions while

working full time, said director Nancy Clark.

The program teaches them to “live sober,” to improve interpersonal

skills and to take part in community-service projects, Clark said.