There will be at least two names on the ballot for mayor of Lompoc this November: current Mayor John Linn and City Councilmember Bob Lingl. Lingl announced his candidacy for the position in late July, stating in a previous interview with the Sun that he’s concerned about Linn’s alleged “disrespect for fellow council members, specifically […]
AMY ASMAN
Posted inNews
Experts say El Nino is coming, but to what degree?
Many people might be surprised to learn that, when it comes to weather, the term El Niño actually refers to a seasonal condition, not a huge storm. “People do the same thing with monsoons; it’s a season, not a storm,” KSBY Meteorologist Dave Hovde told the Sun in a recent interview. “It’s a condition, it’s […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Rancho Bowl
Viki Murray, owner
Come September, beloved local business Rancho Bowl is going to look like a new bowling alley with the same classic Santa Maria style. In a recent interview with the Sun, owner Viki Murray said the overhaul started almost by chance, when she and her staff noticed something strange: “The ceiling looked funny, like it was […]
Posted inNews
Community Corner: Citizens’ academy is back at SMPD
After a multi-year hiatus, the Santa Maria Police Department is once again starting up its citizens’ academy. Locals who are accepted to this eight-week academy will learn all about what the city’s police officers do on a daily basis, and they’ll also get the chance to voluntarily participate in a patrol ride-a-long and hands-on law […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc is set to get a new police chief
After more than 22 years of service in the Oregon Police Bureau, Patrick Walsh has decided to move south. The seasoned captain will replace retiring Lompoc Police Chief Larry Ralston in September, city officials announced in a recent press release. “Coming to Lompoc is kind of like a homecoming to me,” Walsh told the Sun, […]
Posted inNews
Community Corner: Help Santa Maria Babe Ruth make it to nationals
Robert Lopez graced the pages of the Sun about five years ago as an Athlete of the Week. “Second baseman Robert ‘Speedy’ Lopez may be a Little Leaguer in stature, but the 10-year-old has a genuine Big League heart,” the article said. “While he’s excelled as a two-time Southside League All-Star, the fact that he […]
Posted inNews
Lingl challenges Linn for mayor of Lompoc
Two-term Lompoc City Councilman Bob Lingl filed papers on July 25 to run against Mayor John Linn in the November election. In an interview with the Sun on July 28, Lingl said he decided to challenge Linn because of some of the current mayor’s actions over the last several months. “John and I are friends. […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria P.D. Officers reveal in arbitration hearing more details about Covarrubias shooting
The arbitration hearing for former Santa Maria Police Lt. Dan Ast started up again on July 28 after a month-long hiatus. Ast and his defense attorney, Jonathan Miller, are arguing that the department retaliated against Ast because he was one of three whistleblowers to file complaints against former Police Chief Dan Macagni alleging widespread problems […]
Posted inNews
All in the family: Raising swine is a multi-generation affair in Northern Santa Barbara County
The sweet smell of hay mixes with the pungent, nose-wrinkling odor of manure and just a hint of old popcorn. If someone decided to bottle this scent as a perfume, it’d be called Eau de Fair. It’s just after 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 12, at the Santa Maria Fairpark. The Santa Barbara County Fair […]
Posted inNews
Community Corner: Marian hospital gives and receives
The philanthropic spirit is alive and well over at Marian Regional Medical Center. Throughout the month of July, the Marian Foundation received two grants totaling $250,000 from the Weingart Foundation and the Hutton Parker Foundation in support of the new family medicine residency program. “It is extremely gratifying to know that the importance of Marian’s […]
Posted inNews
Sgt. Sandra Brown is transferred to the Santa Barbara courthouse
Sgt. Sandra Brown—Sheriff Bill Brown’s challenger in the June 2014 election and former head of the county’s coroner’s bureau—is now overseeing bailiffs at the Superior Court in Santa Barbara. The transfer has raised eyebrows in the community, especially among Sandra’s supporters—some of whom likened the decision to the firing of District Attorney Joyce Dudley’s challenger, […]
Posted inNews
Body of missing man found at Cachuma Lake
After 10 days of searching, local law enforcement agents recovered from Cachuma Lake the body of 22-year-old Isaiah Sanchez on July 21. Around midday, a group of people on a rented pontoon boat spotted what appeared to be a body in the water about 100 yards from where Sanchez was last seen and called 911. […]