Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department deputies are asking the public to help them locate a 55-year-old man who went missing after getting into a car accident. On Aug. 18, CHP and Sheriff’s Department personnel responded to a report that a silver 2003 Mercedes-Benz SUV crashed into a tree in the 2500 block of Alisal Road, […]
AMY ASMAN
Posted inNews
Altrusa donates school supplies to local elementary schools
Just in time for the new school year, Altrusa International of the Golden Valley has donated thousands of dollars worth of school supplies, including backpacks, paper, and more, to 15 local elementary schoolsOn Aug. 13—the day before school was set to start in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District—club members dropped off the supplies at all […]
Posted inNews
Under new leadership
Meet Lompoc’s new police chief
In less than a week, police Capt. Larry Ralston will move across the hall at the station in Lompoc to the chief of police’s office. Ralston will take with him photos of his wife, Ellen, a longtime teacher for the Lompoc Unified School District; his son, Adam, swinging a golf club; and his daughter, Melissa, […]
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Fire department quashes carport fire
On the evening of Aug. 5, the Santa Maria Fire Department responded to an apartment complex carport fire at 929 E. Jones St. Six fire engines and one ladder truck were sent to the residence, under the direction of Battalion Chief Scott Johnson. Firefighters found the carport and multiple cars engulfed in flames. A total […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Daddy dearest
PCPA presents Daddy Long Legs, the newest musical from the co-creator of Les Misérables
John Caird is one of the foremost writer/directors working in theater today. His collaborative efforts span decades and a variety of artistic media, including opera, musical theater, television, and a Siegfried and Roy stage show in Las Vegas. He’s perhaps best known for adapting and directing the award-winning musicals Les Misérables and Jane Eyre, based […]
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For the love of science
Students at Pioneer Valley High School spend their summer vacations studying science
Is expensive name-band sunscreen any better at protecting skin from the sun’s rays than a $5 bargain brand? That’s the question Xavier Aguilar, a junior at Pioneer Valley High School, is attempting to answer in teacher Riccardo Magni’s Summer Science Institute. For the last three summers, Magni has helped small groups of students develop in-depth […]
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Independent investigators interview SMPD personnel
On July 24, lawyers from the Los Angeles County Office of Independent Review started interviewing police officers, city personnel, and other individuals with close ties to the Santa Maria Police Department as part of a third-party investigation. City Manager Rick Haydon requested that the Office of Independent Review conduct an audit of the police department […]
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Hancock brings its students the technology of the future
Allan Hancock College officials and community backers broke ground July 17 on the Santa Maria campus’ new $24.7 million Industrial Technology Complex. According to college officials, come spring 2014, there will be more than 35,000 square feet of brand new labs, classrooms, and offices available to students and staffers in the industrial technology department, bringing […]
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Have fun in the creek at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden!
Looking for a fun summer daytrip to go on with your kids? Try the “Mission Creek Critters: Family Exploration and Discovery,” a two-hour family-friendly class from 10 a.m. to noon at the Santa Barbara Botanic on Aug. 11 Stream biologist Diana Kennett and Judy Sanregret, the botanic garden’s director of education, will lead a morning […]
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Holy comics, Batman!
Superheroes and villains took over the Discovery Museum for a week
Attention, citizens of Santa Maria: There are some Super Writers among you, creating exciting, new stories and teaching others about the magical power of words. From July 16 to 20, I led more than a dozen 6- to 10-year-olds on a daring adventure through the world of comics at the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum. […]
Posted inNews
Independent investigators interview SMPD personnel
On July 24, lawyers from the Los Angeles County Office of Independent Review started interviewing police officers, city personnel, and other individuals with close ties to the Santa Maria Police Department as part of a third-party investigation. City Manager Rick Hayden requested that the Office of Independent Review conduct an audit of the police department […]
Posted inNews
Abel Maldonado’s wife and son survive a fatal car crash
The wife and teenage son of U.S. congressional candidate Abel Maldonado were in a car accident on July 23 that resulted in the death of a 30-year-old man. According to a traffic collision report by the California Highway Patrol, Laura Maldonado was driving her Cadillac Escalade eastbound on Foxen Canyon Road at 55 miles per […]
